1. What is your favorite childhood memory of your mom?

2. Describe your views of family and from where you formed them (e.g., TV, extended family, friends).

3. On what is your family built?

4. What is one thing you can do today to lay (or reinforce) a strong foundation for your family?

5. How will you celebrate your mom this week?

1. God described the Promised Land as “flowing with milk and honey”. How would you describe your own personal Promised Land? Are you experiencing God’s Promised Land for you?

2. Share an instance where you chose to act in faith in order to walk into your Promised Land.

3. What are you pursuing? How does this pursuit lead you toward the Promised Land?

4. What step do you need to take in order to release God to perform a miracle in your life and enter your Promised Land?

1. Pastor Chris has shared over the past two weeks, too often we are in a position where we are “wounded” by our past, “wondering” about our present day life, and “worried” about the future. Do you sense the Holy Spirit convicting you in any of these areas? Do you struggle with one of these three areas more than the others?

2. Our time wandering in the wilderness, like the nation of Israel, is meant to teach us to rely on the Lord. Without learning to lean on Him, we cannot or will not leave the wilderness. In what areas of your life are you struggling to rely on God and trust in His provision, His protection, and His will?

3. The wilderness is full of traps and battles to be fought but God will guide us around traps and will fight our battles. What traps or battles have you encountered in your time in the wilderness? Share how God has blessed you in guiding you past traps or has fought your battles since entering the Promised Land. Are you advancing on the Promised Land?

4. Pastor Chris stated our time in the Promised Land is our sancification and discipling process. How are you growing in your faith? Share how you are intentional and what other opportunities are available.

5. When there is distance between us and God, we are weaker. As an example, he shared the story of Peter in the outer courts during the interrogation of Jesus. What strength do you gain by walking in a healthy relationship with Him? What specific areas of your life have shown the fruit of a close relationship with Jesus?

6. Pastor Chris listed some characteristics of people wandering in the wilderness. Do any of these describe you?

• negative thinking
• no faith or vision
• no personal responsibility
• always think things are too hard
• grumbling and complaining
• impatient
• making excuses
• feeling sorry for yourself
• feel you are not worthy
• jealous
• stubborn
• feel you are destined to be a loser

Scripture verses:
1 Corinthians 10:1-11
1 Corinthians 3:1
1 Corinthians 2:14
Deuteronomy 1:6
Romans 8:8
Deuteronomy 1:25-35
Colossians 3:2
Romans 12:1-2
John 8:32

1. Pastor Chris shared you likely won’t see the Promised Land if you are not reading God’s word regularly. It is His instructions to get to the Promised Land. When and how do you spend time in God’s word? What additional opportunities are available on a personal level, through Faith Promise, and outside of Faith Promise?

2. The Isrealites spent 40 years on an 11-day trip. In what ways do we delay in entering the Promised Land and make the journey longer than needed?

3. The Israelites initially refused to enter the Promised Land, even after 40 years in the wilderness. How do we refuse to enter God’s Promised Land? Why do we refuse to enter God’s Promised Land?

4. Often we want God to show up and move first yet He expects us to take that first step out in faith. Why do we need to take that first step? What is that first step for you?

5. Even after leaving Egypt and experiencing freedom, the Isrealites kept a slave mentality. How do we retain a similar slave mentality even after receiving the freedom provided by Jesus? How can we move away from that slave mentality?

6. God is good and in His goodness wants us to walk in freedom, victory, and wants us in His Promised Land. Do you have the faith necessary to enter the Promised Land?

Scripture verses:
John 10:10
1 Corinthians 10:1
Galatians 5:22-23
Nehemiah 8:10
Romans 6:6
Romans 10:9-10
Hebrews 11:6

1. Share an example of a prayer you offered to God that sounded more like a wish list to a genie.

2. Pastor Chris said our failure to pray comes from one of two thoughts – a lack of faith in God or a desire to fix things ourselves. When have you lacked the faith to pray? When have you tried to fix something yourself?

3. The act of prayer is entering into battle. Describe a time when you have knowingly been involved in spiritual warfare.

4. How do you prepare for battle? How do you prepare to pray?

5. Consider setting aside time in your group meeting to pray for those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus and for the upcoming services around Easter.

Scripture verses:
2 Corinthians 4:4
Matthew 11:12
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
Ephesians 6:10-12
1 Corinthians 2:14
Isaiah 60:2
Ephesians 2:1-2
Romans 15:30
Ezekiel 22:30

1. Share a time when you sought to hear God’s voice but it seemed only to confuse you more.

Pastor Zac shared six tests we can all take to determine if the voice we hear is God’s, the enemy’s, or our own.

1. Does it agree with the Bible?
2. Does it make me more like Christ?
3. What affect does it have on your attitude?
4. Does my church family agree with it?
5. Is it consistant with how God has shaped you?
6. Is it convicting or condeming?

2. How do you use the Bible as a filter for your thoughts?

3. Share a decision from a relationship at work, in your neighborhood, or family when you had to handle a potential conflict and what the options were? Describe which options made you look more like Christ and which less?

4. Give examples of voices that make your attitude negative and contrast these voices to those make your attitude positive.

5. Do you have a mentor in your walk? Are you mentoring anyone else? How often do you meet with your small group and do you allow them to speak into your life?

6. What gifts, talents and fruits of the spirit has God given you? Is the voice utilizing those things?

7. God will not attack your value. Describe an instance where you felt condemned. Contrast this instance when you have felt convicted.

Scripture verses:
Matthew 16:13-23
1 John 4:1
Proverbs 23:7
Luke 21:33
Galatians 1:8
Philippians 2:5
James 3:14-17
Ephesians 3:10
Ephesians 2:10
Revelation 3:19
John 10:7

1. Pastor Chris stated blessings complicate our lives. How is this true? How have you personally experienced it?

2. According to Luke 8, there are four types of hearts or heart conditions – closed, superficial, preoccupied, and prepared. How would you describe each? What behaviors might be seen with each type? Which type best describes you today?

3. How do we put ourselves in the best position to have a “prepared” heart?

4. Faith Promise is starting a 21-day fast leading to Easter and the North Knoxville campus opening. How will you participate in this fast?

Scripture verses:
John 10:27
Luke 8:4-8
Luke 8:10-15
Isaiah 30:21

1. What is your natural reaction to quiet? Explain.

2. Describe a time when you asked God his will for your life. How did he respond? How did you know it was him?

3. When do you have a time set aside for quietness and stillness?

4. What do you do when you need to hear from God?

5. Who do you have in your life to help you hear God’s voice?

Scripture verses:
1 Samuel 3:3-18

1. Compassion is a compound word meaning to suffer with + urged to help. When has someone suffered with you? When have you suffered alongside someone?

2. You do not have to feel like it to help someone. Describe a time when you took action even when you didn’t feel like it.

3. When have you not felt like it but helped someone? Did you feel better about it afterwards?

4. Think of a time when you were left in the ditch as people walked past. How did you feel? Who helped you out? When have you done the same?

5. Pastor Chris mentioned two basins from the New Testament – one Christ used to wash feet and one Pilate used to wash his hands from taking action. Which are you using?

Scripture verses:
Nehemiah 9:31
Luke 4:18-19
Mark 14:32
Matthew 9:13

1. Share a time when you stopped what your were doing to show compassion.

2. Compassion has a cost associated with it. What has compassion cost you?

3. God wants more for us than He wants from us – when giving financially and also when showing compassion. Discuss how this is true. When have you experienced this?

4. Pastor Chris shared that compassion is more than pity. It is participation. It is emotion with action. Discuss the inaction and action demonstrated by the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.

5. At the end of this same scripture, Christ finishes with the command to “go and do the same”. How do we “go and do the same”?

6. A calloused heart prevents us from responding to needs around us. What is the condition of your heart? As you close, consider taking the time to ask God to change your heart.

Scripture verses:
Luke 10:25-37