Further Resources

Small Group Guide: The Lord is Peace (Jehovah Shalom)
Opening Prayer: Start your session with a prayer, asking God to guide your discussion and help you understand and apply His peace in your lives.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's peace (Shalom) means wholeness, completeness, and fullness.
2. God often uses unimpressive people for His glory.
3. True peace comes from God's presence, not our circumstances.
4. Fear can prevent us from experiencing God's peace and fulfilling His calling.
5. God is patient and waits for us to return to Him.
Discussion Questions:
1. What does peace mean to you? How does this compare to the biblical concept of Shalom?
2. The sermon mentions Gideon as an "unimpressive" person. How does God's choice of Gideon encourage you in your own walk with God?
3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's peace in the midst of a difficult situation. How did it affect your faith?
4. The sermon states, "The opposite of peace is not war, but fear and anxiety." How have you seen fear impact your ability to trust God?
5. Gideon put God "on hold" while he prepared an offering. Have you ever delayed responding to God? What were the consequences?
6. How does Jesus' resurrection and His words "Peace be with you" to the disciples relate to our understanding of God's peace?
Practical Applications:
1. This week, identify an area of your life where you need God's peace. Spend time daily praying specifically for His peace in that situation.
2. Practice being a peacemaker in your relationships. Look for opportunities to bring God's peace into tense or conflicted situations.
3. Memorize Philippians 4:6-7 as a reminder of God's peace that surpasses understanding.
4. Share with the group next week how you experienced or shared God's peace in your daily life.
Closing Prayer: End your session by praying for each other, asking God to fill each person with His peace and to help them be vessels of His peace in the world.
Scripture for Further Study:
- John 14:27
- Isaiah 26:3
- Romans 5:1
- Colossians 3:15