Matthew 28:16-20
Lead in: For centuries, theologians have attempted to articulate who God is. No matter how profound or articulate or eloquent their description of God, the words fall far short of who God really is. No language can ever fully capture God’s essence. Yet, metaphors help us understand that love is at the heart of our Trinitarian God who, in Matthew 28, is described as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For that reason, often it is not logic, but love that pierces the heart and brings us to deeper faith.
Prompt: Reflect on a time when it was love, not logic, that touched your heart and brought you to deeper faith in a loving God.
Lead in: Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, it says the disciples “worshipped him but they doubted.” After three years with Jesus, the disciples still had their doubts. It was only later that those doubts would no longer dominate as they once did. And so for us, even though our heart is with God, when it comes to faith we can still have our doubts.
Prompt: Where is it in your life that your heart is with God but you still have your doubts?
Prompt: How might those doubts be helping you come to a more mature faith?
Lead in: Not unlike the disciples with Jesus, for some people their search for God leaves them with many unanswered questions.
Prompt: In your search for God, are there unanswered questions that you still grapple with? Are those unanswered questions roadblocks to faith or an entry way to a deeper faith?
Lead in: Even though doubts of faith still persisted for them, Jesus empowered his imperfect
disciples with a mission to go and preach the Good News. Imperfect disciples that we are, we too are empowered with a mission to go and preach the Good News. And so, for us, even though we’re imperfect disciples, God can use us for His purposes.
Prompt: Reflect on a time when you felt God using you in this way.
Prompt: Where do you feel most inadequate for a work God is calling you to do?
Lead in: In Romans 8:14-17, Paul stresses that through the Spirit we can now enjoy a relationship with a God whom we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Prompt: What person of the Trinity do you feel most drawn to, God the Father, or God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit?
