BREAKING THE SILENCE: Hello, This is God Speaking!

The following questions are to be used as a study aid for the sermon preached by Pastor Tommy Dove at the Grace Place on Sunday, October 13, 2013. To get the most from these questions, go to https://soundcloud.com/#graceplacehermitage and listen to the service first.

These questions can be used in your private Bible study during the week or as the topic for a small group study. For more information on hosting or leading a small group study, click on "GP Small Groups" under "GP Ministries" at www.graceplace.us.

Fellowship: (Break bread with your community, share life from last week, announcements for next week)

Icebreaker: (Get to know your fellow believers a little bit better using this week’s topic)

Tell about an occasion when you had to talk with someone about something important but had to wait until the right time.  (Asking for a raise, proposing marriage, delivering bad news)

Why does it help to wait for the right time?

Worship: (Optional for communities who have the time and talent)

Scripture: (Read the word together – use different readers, different versions, just read it)

John 1:14-18, Galatians 4:4

Lesson: (Delve deeper into the Word and into the sermon using open-ended questions)

Voice recognition is becoming common place. We talk to our phones and they talk back to us.  We can even do a Google search just by asking our computer.  The religious people of Jesus time did not recognize His voice because they had not heard God speak to them in over 400 years.

How did Israel feel about God’s silence?

Whose voice was filling the void during God’s silence?
How do you feel when someone won’t speak to you?
Why did God have to wait for the right time to send Jesus?
Why did Jesus speak to the common person instead of the religious leaders?
Which speaks the most to you?  Music, Nature, Written Word or Spoken Word?
What has spoken to you recently?
How can we be a spokesman for God?

Prayer: (Share each other’s burdens, become a community of believers)
Pray for new community groups that will be forming, their leaders and hosts.