Kingdom Come: Hope

This is a suggestion for how to lead an online Connect Group, based on the talk that Jo Wells gave on 6th December. It lasts around 80 minutes, but feel free to extend sections, remove sections, add your own or just do your own thing entirely! Whatever works best for you and your group. 

The discussion questions and reflections will work without having listened to the talk, but if you are going to use them you may want to watch the talk before you meet.

Welcome & Prayer (5 mins)

Welcome everyone to the group and remind people of the following: 

• As a general rule it’s helpful to keep your mic muted unless you’re talking to reduce background noise. 
• During the discussion if you want to speak, raise a hand and I’ll throw the conversation to you. 
• We’ll be using the chat function to post links, quotes, Bible verses and prayer requests. 

Start your time together by praying, thanking God for the opportunity to be together and asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together (you may want to ask someone else to pray). 

Gratitude & Challenges (15-25 mins)

Ask everyone to introduce themselves and share one thing from the last week they are grateful for, and one thing they are finding particularly challenging. 

Don’t forget to make it clear who is to share next, and to let people know they can pass if they want to. 

Overview & Group discussion (30 mins)

This term we are thinking and praying about what Jesus’ kingdom come ‘in London as in heaven’ might look like. Each week we’ll be looking at a different aspect of the nature of the King and his kingdom, and this week Jo reminded us that the Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of Hope. Jo spoke about how Hope is a gift we are given in the form of the presence of God. God is hope! If nothing else existed in the world, there would be hope because God Himself, by Himself is hope!

1. What is your response to this? How does this shape your view and experience of hope? 

Jo talked about how Jesus often described the kingdom of God as seeds – small yet full of the potential and reality of the kingdom, seeds to be honoured, tended to and cultivated.

2. How do you cultivate the kingdom of God in your own life, and how can we continue to do that as community? Share stories together to encourage each other.

3. This is the final Sunday in our series on the Kingdom of God… what have you learnt? How have you grown? How have you met God? 

Prayer (10 mins)

We are told that we live in the kingdom of God, with the help of the Holy Spirit. He is our friend, our comforter, our power, our strength, our healer, our counselor, our wisdom, our peace, our joy. Pray for each other to be filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

If you have time, move into a time of prayer for the city: for your family, friends, neighbours and co-workers. Pray that you would have opportunity to speak to them about the one who is able to give them true rest. 

You may want to pray the Lord’s prayer together to end:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.