Connecting:
- Was there anything specific in the sermon that you connected with or found yourself reflecting on afterward?
- Had any of you heard of the women performing the silent counseling in NYC before Wes used it as the intro in the sermon? Why do you think American society connected so well with it?
- Have you ever experienced something similar to that where someone was willing to listen and just be present with you? What made it so powerful?
Application: We are to be intimately present with God in the midst of business, grief, decision making, and trouble.
- In what ways do you feel a loss of presence in your own life? What contributes to this?
- What aspects of your life feel like they are most on autopilot? Are there certain habits you have formed that lead to this?
- Read Mark 1:32-35. What’s the context of Jesus’ need to pray? Why is it so hard to want to pray during business?
- In what ways is prayer the perfect solution to the absence of presence in business?
- Read Matthew 14:13 What is the context of Jesus’ prayer?
- In times of grief, what are some of the things you turn to? What has the presence of God looked like in your life during this time?
- Read Luke 6:12. Why is Jesus in prayer here?
- What major decisions have you not brought before God in prayer that you wish you would have? What decisions did you bring to him in prayer and what did seeking him look like at this time?
- Read Luke 22:41. What is the context?
- What are some emotions a person might be experiencing in times of trouble that would prevent them from seeking God? What would you say to them to encourage them that turning to God in these times is life-giving?
- What are some ways that you can come to the table and practice the presence of God in your own life?