What do we do when we find ourselves in the desert seasons of life? In this message, Pastor Lisa Seaton continues our series, “Into The Wild” with a powerful message on how God will always meet us in the middle of our barren and broken seasons and give us new power, hope, and purpose!
Notes 📓✏️:
Listen to God in Life’s adventures.
Desert Season.
Some of you were hoping we could add one more s into desert so we’d be in a Dessert Season. That sounds like much more fun!
A season of in-between
A season of waiting
A season of difficulty
How would you describe a dessert?
Barren
Uncomfortable
Lonely
Sad
Lifeless
Difficult
Monotonous
Hopeless
Tiring
Lacking
Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
Instead of asking WHY, ask God WHAT.
Hebrew Word For Desert: מדבר
Hebrew Word For Speaking: מדבר
The question is never: Is God Speaking? The question is always: Are we listening?
God showed up in the desert and He gave him a new PURPOSE.
Purpose
Luke 4:1 “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness…”
Luke 4:14 “Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.”
God spoke to him and gave him POWER.
PROMISE
Moses = Purpose
Jesus = Power
Hagar = Promise
Genesis 16:13 “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?
Amplified version: “Have I not even here [in the wilderness] remained alive after seeing Him [who sees me with understanding and compassion]?”
Don’t mistake dormancy for death
Isaiah 43:19 (AMP) “Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
First Stop:
- Is there anything in your life that needs to move from last resort to first choice? Discuss the choices and decisions it takes to prioritize the right things.
- Where have you seen having a relationship with God help you fourish and bring nourishment to your life?
- What do you find yourself running to for satisfaction and fulfillment outside of God?
- Knowing that praise often precedes a breakthrough, what do you need to do to worship God in the middle of your waiting?
Mile Markers:
- Why do you think we try to get ahead of God and provide the things we should have and manufacture in our own ability?
- In our lives, a lot of the time a miracle can be in motion, but we are waiting for it to develop. What are some truths you need to hold onto so you don’t give up?
- How do you navigate when relationships or the world around you is trying to make you doubt what God has already promised you? What is your natural response to those voices?
Destination:
- What blessing have you seen establish in your life as you have made God the true source of your life?
- What have been some barriers you have encountered on your way to God’s promise in your life and how did you combat them?
- What advice and truths have you given to those around you when they are facing a waiting season?