The Bible 20/20 - Week 7: "Courageous Faith"

The Israelites had been promised a land over flowing with milk and honey, and it was time for them to send spies into the land to prepare to take it, but when the report came back, all but two of the spies did not believe they would be able to secure God’s promised gift. However, Caleb and Joshua trusted God’s abilities and plans were greater than the obstacles they faced. Faith takes courage; we must be willing to face the reality of our situation, see the opportunities, and trust God for the victory He has promised to us. Key verses: Numbers 13:1-2, 17-20, 25-33, 14:1-10, 20-24 Sermon Questions 1. What is the difference between blind faith and courageous faith? How did God ask the spies to face the obstacles in front of them? Why was it important for them to see the giants and the fortified cities? Have you had a time in your life when you faced obstacles that seemed impossible to overcome? 2. Why does God call us to have a courageous faith instead of just a blind faith? What was the main difference between what the 10 doubting spies said and what Caleb and Joshua said? Did they have different reports of what was in the promised land? 3. Have you had a situation in your own life when it was easier to go back (or stay in) the difficult place instead of trusting God to bring you through to the promises He had for you? How did you handle it? 4. Do you agree that it is easy to become comfortable with your discomfort? Why or why not? Why is the discomfort sometimes easier than having the faith it takes to trust God for the change? Bible Reading questions/discussion prompts: 1. Have a member of the group summarize one key story from the reading until you have covered them all for the week: who are the main characters, where does the story take place, what are they doing, and why. 2. What does this week’s reading teach you about God? 3. What does it teach you about mankind? 4. How does this reading point to Jesus or our need for Him? 5. What did you learn this week about God or about the Bible that you didn’t know before? 6. What did you learn from the sermon that you maybe missed or didn’t know from the reading? 7. What lessons can you take from this reading and apply to your own life today? 8. What remaining questions do you have about this passage?