The Compass

A Daily Personal Reflection & Small Group Discussion Guide

by John Hay, Jr.
Senior Pastor, West Morris Street Free Methodist Church

Series: MOSES TODAY
Week's focus: It Can Get Worse - 4th in a series
Scriptures: Exodus 4:27-6:12
Week of: October 1, 2006

TRACKING THE WORD IN WORSHIP
Note these principles from the Word for later recall, reflection & application

1. When you CHOOSE a future guided by FAITH, things can get worse. Exodus 4:29-31, 5:1-9

2. Abusive power does not YIELD without a fight. Exodus 5:10-18

3. There may be no immediately discernable POINT in the suffering you bear…only a PRESENCE and a Promise. Exodus 5:19-23, 3:12

4. Inward STRUGGLES in the face of difficult OUTWARD circumstances can become a significant obstacle to spiritual and social BREAKTHROUGH. Exodus 6:9-12

5. When God promises, the struggle will be WORTH it all. Exodus 6:1-8

GUIDED JOURNALING / DISCUSSION
Explore these questions in personal devotions or group discussion

1. Read Exodus 4:29-31. What did the people do in response to what Moses and Aaron told them? Anticipating what comes next in their lives, why is this important to them…and to us?

2. Read Exodus 5:1-5. What is Pharaoh's response to Moses and Aaron? Why did you think he resists their directive from God? Why is abusive power so resistant to change? Discuss or journal your responses.

3. Read Exodus 5:6-18. How do the Israelites lives become more difficult after Moses spoke to Pharaoh? What is the response of the Israelite foremen to Pharaoh's directives? Who do they blame?

4. Read Exodus 5:19-23. What feelings and words to the people express to Moses? What does Moses express back to God?

5. Read Exodus 6:1-12. What is God's unchanging promise in the face of Moses and the people's discouragement and despair?

MARKINGS LEFT BY PREVIOUS TRAVELERS
Consider what other believers have shared about this Scripture

WHEN A BAD DAY GETS WORSE "What do you do when a bad day takes a turn for the worse? You can't beat Moses' plan. He came back to the Lord. Moses may have bee discouraged, he may have been sick at heart, he may have felt frustrated and lonely, but he kept coming back. And the Lord met him every time." -- Charles R. Swindoll in Moses - A Man of Selfless Dedication

READY TO STAND ALONE? "The leader must be one who, while welcoming the friendship and support of all who can offer it, has sufficient resources to stand alone, even in the face of fierce opposition, in the discharge of his responsibilities. He or she must be prepared to have 'no one but God.'" - J. Oswald Sanders in Spiritual Leadership

WHAT WE ARE TO BE WHEN WE GROW UP "So what are we going to be when we grow up? Not what are we going to do, what profession are we going to follow or keep on following, what niche are we going to choose for ourselves, but what are we going to be inside ourselves and among ourselves? That's the question I think that God answers with Torah at Sinai. That's the question that the old saint tries to answer in his letter from Rome. Holy! That's what we're going to be if God gets his way with us. It's wildly unreasonable. It's going to make a shambles of all our reasonable ambitions to be this or to be that. It's not really a human possibility at all because holiness is Godness, and only God makes holiness possible. But being holy is what growing up in the full sense means, Peter suggests. No matter how old we are, how much we've achieved, or dream of achieving, we're not truly grown up until this extraordinary thing happens. Holiness is what is to happen." - Frederick Buechner

RESPONSES & OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE
Want to explore The Compass with others? Have questions?

If you'd like to connect with others who are working weekly with The Compass, e-mail me or call the church office (317.632.8311)

If you have questions about Scriptures or some of the questions, or just want to share what your are discovering through The Compass, you are welcome to e-mail me.

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