Small Group Questions September 11 | Walk Unafraid Getting Started: The Warm Up (10 min.) The Big Idea: We will explore the story of Deborah and her leadership of Israel during a ;me when they were on the cusp of entering the promised land, but were facing opposi;on from the Canaanites. She is a woman of courage and convic;on who moves forward in God’s plan for herself and her people. Deborah is a leader who inspires her people, challenges them to act on their belief in God, empowers a leader under her to face the baEle, and leads them in celebra;ng what God has done. Scripture: • Judges 4:1-23 - Story of Deborah and Barak. During the period of the judges Israel went through cycles of turning away from God, suffering from oppression, crying out to the Lord, and being delivered by God through a human agent. On this occasion God’s agent was quite unusual for that ;me and place - a woman. Suppor;ng Scripture: • Psalm 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord….” The Warm-up: 1. As a kid, who came to your rescue when you needed help? 2. If God were to tell you something specific about the future, what one thing would you like him to tell you? Resetting: Rethinking the Message (15 min.) 1. Like Barak, what challenges do you face that you’d like to have someone on your side to help see you through? Small Group Questions September 11 | Walk Unafraid 2. Being fearful can be paralyzing. Share about a ;me someone else helped get you through a difficult me. Dig-In: Beyond the Message (20 min.) Read the story of Deborah and Barak in Judges 4:1-23. 1. What/Who makes Deborah a good leader? 2. What quali;es does she display that you would like to have? (faith, confidence, leadership ability, boldness, inner strength, something else?) 3. Deborah is credited as being a prophetess. (vs 4) • How did she know in advance that God would fight Sisera from heaven and flood the Kishon River? • How could she know about Jael killing Sisera? (Or did she?) • What kind of rela;onship do you think Deborah had with God that she could be sure of His provision for her people? 4. In verse 8, Barak needed some hand holding to go lead his men to conquer Sisera and his troops. Why do you think he lacked the confidence needed to follow the command given by God (vs 6)? 5. Confidence in God is the difference between Deborah and Barak. Under what circumstances do you tend to drif away from your rela;onship with God? (too comfortable, too busy, ;red of being “good”, when you ignore “;me alone”, other?) 6. Read Proverbs 3:5-6. Explain this verse in your own words. Share a ;me when you have trusted God and things worked out, maybe even beEer than you expected. Dig Deeper: How Do We Live it Out? (15 min.) In the end, the people of Israel were delivered from the hands of Jabin,the Canaanite king. God had worked out the details and his people followed boldly because they trusted Him. Deborah may not have known how God was going to manage all the details (flood, Jael and the tent stake) but she knew to take the first step. 1. In what way have you experienced God’s deliverance? 2. Share a ;me in your life when you may have had a keen sense of God’s ;ming (as does Deborah) 3. What’s keeping you from realizing your poten;al more fully? 4. If you had Deborah’s confidence, what would you aEempt to do? AcEon: Share with your group (if you can) what you are facing that you need to trust God with. Commit to pray for each other during the coming week. .