February 8th - Small Group Guide

February 8th - Small Group Guide


Small Group Guide WEEK 2

HE IS I AM

Focus: We don’t just believe ideas about Jesus—we decide whether we trust who He actually is.Jesus isn’t shaped by what’s happening around you—what’s happening around you is shaped by Him.

OPENING 

Ask the group: When life gets stressful, what’s your first instinct?

    • Get answers?

    • Fix it fast?

    • Google it?

    • Avoid it?

    • Ask someone else to take over?

Most of us don’t struggle with believing in God—we struggle with trusting Him when life feels unstable. Today isn’t about solving anything. It’s about seeing who God says He is.

SETTING THE SCENE: Moses is standing in front of a burning bush, being asked to do something risky, uncomfortable, and way bigger than his confidence level.So he asks a fair question: “Who do I say sent me?”

God doesn’t give him a plan. He gives him a name. “I AM.” When we want explanations, God often starts with identity.

PART 1: “I AM” Means God Doesn’t Depend on Anything Else.

God doesn’t run on conditions, circumstances, or support systems. He is the source.

What are some things you tend to depend on for stability? Routines, income, health, relationships, plans working out, what happens internally when one of those things starts failing? How does it change things to remember that God isn’t affected by what’s affecting you?

This isn’t about guilt. It’s about honesty. Dependence reveals what we trust.

PART 2: “I AM” Means God Is Present—Right Now

God doesn’t wait for your life to calm down before showing up. God works with where you actually are—not where you wish you were.

  • Where do you feel most “off-route” right now?

  • What would it look like to believe God is already present there?

  • Why do you think we sometimes delay trusting God until things improve?

PART 3 Jesus Takes the Name “I AM”

Jesus doesn’t just talk about God—He is the God who spoke from the bush.

Why do we often talk about Jesus in past tense? “He helped me once…” “He showed up back then…”

  • What’s one area of life where you need Him to be present, not just remembered?

  • How does it change your perspective to hear Jesus say, “I AM”—not “I was” or “I will be”?

PART 4

Jesus Defines the Situation—Not the Other Way Around

Feelings don’t get naming rights. What labels have you been tempted to put on God lately? Distant, silent, slow disappointing.

  • What’s the danger of letting circumstances rename God?

  • How does God’s unchanging nature bring stability when everything else shifts?

Consider:

  • Where am I asking God for answers when He’s offering trust?

  • What situation am I letting define my view of God?

  • What would it look like to trust who He is before demanding what He’ll do?

PRACTICE FOR THE WEEK Encourage the group to practice this once a day:When anxiety or uncertainty hits, pause and say: “You are I AM. You are here. You are enough.” Not to fix the moment—just to re-center trust.