THE THRILL OF HOPE SESSION 1: More Than Faithful

Bottom Line: When God is silent, it doesn’t mean He is still.

Scripture References: Luke 1: 5-9, 11-15, 17-25; Genesis 12:1-3

As you try to walk your students through a new view of the Christmas story, help them move from the questions about their own Christmas experience into the deeper questions that help them understand their own story through the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Ultimately, we want them to be able to understand that God always comes through on His promises. But sometimes, especially when it doesn’t feel like God will come through, we need to look back and remember that He delivered on the promise of Jesus and that, ultimately, that is where our hope comes from.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

1. What is something your family does at Christmas—or leading up to Christmas—that you think is unique? What is your favorite tradition?

2. Read through the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth again (Luke 1:5-25) as a group. What stands out to you in their story? Why?

3. Have you ever considered Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story to be part of the Christmas story?

4. Why do you think God included their story as part of the introduction to the Christmas story?

5. What do you think about the way that Zechariah and Elizabeth “hung in there” with regards to their faith and faithfulness?

6. Have you ever known anyone who has stuck it out despite his or her circumstances?  Who was it?  How did watching them impact you? Could you tell if this person’s commitment to stick it out impacted them personally? How?

7. Can you name a time in your life when you’ve asked: “Is God active? Is God listening? Does God care?” What prompted those questions? How did you resolve those questions? Or have you resolved them at all yet?

8. God fulfilled his promise to Zechariah and Elizabeth by giving them John (the Baptist). What is something you currently feel you are waiting on God to come through for you on? What do you hope His response to you will look like? Would you think God didn’t come through for you if His response didn’t look like what you expected? (Note to small group leader: This may be a good opportunity to share a story when God’s response to you was different, and better, than what you had in mind—even if it didn’t necessarily feel that way right away.) 

9. Read this aloud to your group: Christmas is a reminder that even when God is silent, it doesn’t necessarily mean He is still. And when it seems that He’s still, it doesn’t mean He’s uninterested. And even when we’re convinced that He’s uninterested, it has nothing to do with His plan for the world or for you. How does living knowing that your faith in God is not in vain change the way you view your circumstances?

10. How does taking a fresh look at the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth change your perspective of the Christmas story?

NEXT STEP: Touch base with your students this week through email, Facebook or text and message them some variation of the following: The line we mentioned last week from O Holy Night says: “Long lay the world in sin and error pining.” What things are you pining for? (Pining is an old school way to say longing or waiting with excited anticipation—think graduation, driver’s license, prom, summer vacation.) What would it look like if we experienced the same anxious anticipation for Christ in our lives?