It's Not Too Late...
To Look Up! (Part 3)
November 28, 2005 - December 3, 2005

I've had my fill of trouble; I'm camped on the edge of hell. I'm written off as a lost cause, one more statistic, a hopeless case.

Psalm 88:3-4 (Msg)

When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said He would do.

Romans 4:18 (Msg)

When you are discouraged or in despair, where do you look? Do you look down in pity? Look for someone to blame? Or simply wish that your circumstances would somehow change? Well, you're not alone, because for thousands of years people just like you have lost hope for a variety of reasons. But the good news is that despair is just a hunger for hope, and God wants to fill that hunger in every area of our lives. When circumstances aren't what we want them to be, we can look to Him for hope and, like Abraham, we can continue to have hope when everything seems hopeless. Abraham shows us it's not too late to look up when things are going wrong, even desperately wrong. So if you hunger for hope, look to God and remember that with God, it's never too late to look up!

MONDAY

MAKE GOD'S LOVE YOUR LIFELINE.
[Your Objective: Understand that when we have no hope, God is our sustenance.]

  • According to Psalm 121:1-2, where does our help come from, and what are the qualifications of the helper?
  • Though we know God is there for us, why do we sometimes get discouraged?
  • What are some things we can we do to draw closer to God when we feel discouraged?
  • Name some common areas we reach out to for help, only to find they provide no solution to our problems.
  • In Lamentations 3:21-23, what thoughts give the author hope?
  • How can thinking about God's love and mercy provide us with hope? Share some examples of this in your own life.
  • What are some situations where you felt there was a seemingly hopeless situation? In what ways do you feel God responded to provide you with hope?

Worship (Magnification) - When they have nothing else to hold on, many reach for lifelines that ultimately prove to be destructive. Some obvious examples are drugs, drinking, lust, anger, self-pity, and entertainment. But the problem is these things don't solve the problem; they only make it worse. Reaching out to God, however, through prayer, worship and praise allows you to connect with the One who will be your lifeline in all situations. In what areas do you need to reach out to God? Pray and make it a point to worship and praise Him throughout your situation.

TUESDAY

MAKE PATIENCE YOUR PRIORITY.
[Your Objective: Learn that patience allows God as well as others to work in our circumstances.]

  • From Romans 5:3-5, what are the benefits of being patient (or persevering)?
  • Why is it sometimes difficult for us to rejoice during periods of suffering?
  • What are some of the benefits of suffering? Provide an example of a situation where you felt something beneficial came out of suffering. Galatians 6:2 tells us do what in order to fulfill the law of Christ?
  • As Christians, why is it important that we be available for other believers?

Fellowship (Membership) - Many of the problems we face in life take time to resolve. But with God's help, along with the prayers and assistance of other believers, we can have hope despite any circumstances we may face. It is also the responsibility of each of us as believers to reach out to help others in our communities who need hope. In what ways can you reach out to your community to provide hope for others? Identify an action step you can take this week and make yourself accountable to someone in who will help you to follow through on your commitment.

WEDNESDAY

MAKE PRAYER YOUR PRESSURE RELEASE.
[Your Objective: Thank God for the gift of prayer - and a place to go when life seems too much to handle.]

  • What does the psalmist ask of God in Psalm 17:1?
  • Why is it sometimes difficult for us to be honest with God? What does God already know, and why, then, does it matter that we pray honestly, or even at all?
  • Read the prayer in Psalm 143:7 aloud. When does the psalmist want his prayer answered and why?
  • Why do we tend to add disclaimers to our prayers? How might our prayers change if we understood who God really is?
  • How much time does God have to answer our prayers?
  • When can we make time to talk to God? Discuss strategies that work, as an encouragement to one another.

Ministry - When we pray, God invades our lives and meets our needs. This may not happen when or how we expect, but we can know that God always intercedes at the right time. How can we become flesh-and-blood representatives of Christ for a fellow believer? Take time in to pray for others needs. Call on God to change challenging circumstances into victories, anxiety into peace and despair into hope.

THURSDAY

MAKE GOD'S PROMISE YOUR PLAN.
[Your Objective: Determine to make God's Word the foundation of your life from now on.]

  • How does Proverbs 19:21 distinguish our plans from God's purpose?
  • When we don't know what to do, what power is there in having a plan of any kind?
  • How big are our plans compared to God's?
  • Read 1 Kings 5:5. Who gave the order and what did King Hiram decide to do about it?
  • Why is the order here important? What do you think would happen if this order were reversed?
  • Share a story or two about a time when you learned a practical lesson as to why this order matters.
  • From Romans 5:14, why were the Old Testament Scriptures written?
  • When we need a promise from God, where will we find it? Does God ever break His promises?
  • What value is there in memorizing Scripture during times of relative calm in your life?
  • What kinds of plans does God have for you and me? Read Jeremiah 29:11 for your answer.
  • How can we discover God's plans for our lives?
  • When we are going through a crisis of any kind, how would hiding this verse n our hearts help us through it? How can we hold on to this promise?

Discipleship (Maturity) - As we grow in our knowledge of God's Word and endure the tests that refine us, we learn to trust Him more with our day-to-day problems. In time, we can even trust Him with the crises that come our way. What are you doing right now to make certain God's Word is the basis of what you believe? There are over 7,000 promises in God's Word. Knowing that, what can you do to go deeper with God in a way that strengthens your ability to withstand any circumstances?

FRIDAY

MAKE THE FUTURE YOUR FOUNDATION.
[Your Objective: See how a focus on eternity helps us through today.]

  • 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 describes the troubles we have in this life in what way? Where does this verse encourage us to focus our eyes?
  • Why is this advice - to be eternally minded - easy to say, but harder to do?
  • All of us have goals of some kind. What is it that makes them ultimately not enough?
  • On what does Colossians 3:2 tell us to focus our thoughts?
  • We've all heard the expression, "He's so heavenly minded, he's no earthly good." How can having a God-focus make us more useful while we're here?
  • How might setting an alarm to remind ourselves to think about eternity for a few seconds every hour help left us out of today's troubles?

Evangelism (Mission) - Sharing Christ's love today is the most important thing we can do to be ready for eternity. After all, those souls we reach while we are here are all we'll take with us. How can you make hope your personal alarm clock; your reminder to share Christ while there is still time? Think about the people around you - at work, at home, at school. How can you help them be ready for eternity? Discuss options and plan to act on one or more this week.

SATURDAY

PERSONAL APPLICATION AND COMMITMENT:
[Your Objective: Invite God to fill your hearts with hope before you leave this study. He is waiting to pour it out.]

But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless.

Romans 4:23-24 (Msg)

Are you hungry for hope? Let God know how you feel. Don't wait, and don't make excuses. God is never too busy, and He will always love you. Don't leave this place today without making sure you have at least begun a relationship with Him. If you're not sure where to start, just ask Him to come in. He is there, waiting for you to open the door. Tell Him you're tired of living in fear and frustration, and you're ready to put your life in His hands. Believers, ask Him to fill you with so much hope that it overflows to those around you. Look for opportunities this coming week to share His hope with a hopeless world.

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue top grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (TEV)