Discussion questions

GETTING STARTED  

Some decisions take five seconds; others take fifteen browser tabs and a call to someone who knows us well. Let’s start with a few stories about making choices and the voices we listen to along the way.​

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1. When you’re choosing a restaurant with a group, are you the decision-maker, the “anything’s fine” person, or the one who vetoes every suggestion? What’s your go-to choice when nobody can decide?

2. What’s something you researched way more than it probably deserved: a toaster, a hotel, a lawn mower? Was all that homework worth it?

3. Who’s someone you turn to for advice, and what makes them your person? Does it depend on what you’re deciding?

4. Have you ever followed your GPS and thought, “This can’t possibly be right”? Where did it take you, and did you keep following it?

5. What’s a decision you’re glad you made even though you weren’t sure how it would turn out? What helped you take the chance?

 

DIGGING DEEPER

Israel didn’t need more voices claiming to know the future. They needed to recognize whom God had sent...and trust what He actually said. These questions explore how God’s provision for them points us toward Jesus.​

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1. Read Deuteronomy 18:9–14. What makes the practices Moses lists more serious than simply getting bad advice? What do they reveal about where people were turning for spiritual help?

2. Look closely at Deuteronomy 18:13–14. Moses calls Israel to be “blameless,” or wholehearted, before the Lord. How does that command help explain why these other sources of guidance were forbidden?

3. Read Acts 16:16–18. The girl’s words about Paul and his companions sounded favorable. Why did Paul still confront the spirit speaking through her? What does this add to our understanding of why an accurate statement doesn’t necessarily make a spiritual source trustworthy?

4. Read Deuteronomy 18:15–18. What had Israel requested at Horeb, and how did God respond? What does His promise to provide a prophet reveal about His character?

5. Read Deuteronomy 34:10–12. What made Moses stand out among Israel’s prophets? How does this description deepen the significance of God’s promise to raise up a prophet “like Moses”?

6. Return to Deuteronomy 18:18–19. Where did a true prophet’s authority come from? Why was refusing his message more serious than disagreeing with someone’s religious opinion?

7. Read John 6:14–15. After Jesus fed the crowd, people identified Him as “the Prophet,” but Jesus withdrew from them. What did they recognize about Him, and what might they still have misunderstood about His mission?

8. Read Deuteronomy 18:20–22. What two kinds of false prophetic speech does God forbid? What protection did the command “Do not be afraid of him” give people who might feel intimidated by a prophet’s claims?

9. Read Deuteronomy 13:1–4. Why wasn’t a fulfilled prediction enough to establish that someone spoke for God? How do this passage and Deuteronomy 18:20–22 work together?

10. Think about Ahab and Micaiah in the sermon. Why do you think Ahab agreed to ask for the Lord’s counsel when he was so unwilling to hear an unfavorable answer? What’s the difference between wanting information from God and trusting God?

11. Read Acts 3:17–26. How does Peter connect the Prophet Moses promised with Jesus’ suffering and the offer of forgiveness? Why is Jesus more than someone who gives us reliable guidance?

12. Read 2 Timothy 3:14–17. What does Paul say Scripture makes people wise about, and what does it equip them to do? How does that help explain the difference between having the guidance God provides and knowing every detail of what will happen next?

 

​LIVING IT OUT

Trust gets personal when we want an answer God hasn’t given or don’t like the answer He has. These questions invite us to talk honestly about our decisions and how we can point others toward the Savior we’re learning to trust.​

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1. What’s one uncertainty you’re carrying right now? What makes it hard to take the next step without knowing how things will turn out?

2. Have you ever wondered whether a feeling, coincidence, or open door was God giving you direction? How could you take that circumstance seriously without giving it the same authority as Scripture?

3. How can you recognize when you’re looking for God’s guidance and when you’re mostly looking for His approval? What helps you stay open to an answer you don’t want?

4. Suppose a friend says a psychic, horoscope, or spiritual medium has helped them, especially after losing someone they love. How could you listen with compassion, explain your concern, and introduce the hope Jesus offers without turning the conversation into an argument?

5. A coworker or neighbor facing a big decision asks, “How do you know what God wants you to do?” How could you explain your approach honestly...including what you don’t know...and share why you trust Jesus?

6. When you talk about Jesus with someone you care about, what response do you most hope for, and what response do you fear? How could trusting God with the outcome help you speak clearly and lovingly without pressuring the person?

7. Choose one decision you’re facing. What has God already said that applies, and what wise step could you take this week? How could this group encourage you as you take that step, even if the outcome remains uncertain?