Group Study Guide: Places That Will Change Your Life - The Throne of God

Icebreaker Question: What's one place you've visited that exceeded your expectations? What made it so meaningful?

Key Scripture
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." — Hebrews 4:16

Main Themes & Discussion Questions

1. Coming to the Throne with Weakness
Key Point: We don't approach God's throne to boast about our accomplishments, but to seek help in our weakness.

Discussion Questions:
* Why is it often difficult to admit our weaknesses to God and others?
* The sermon mentioned that "the Christian Satan can't defeat is not the one with no weaknesses, but the one who will not stay down." What does this mean for your spiritual life?
* How does understanding that even the high priest was "beset by weakness" change how we view spiritual leadership and our own struggles?

Reflection: Share a time when acknowledging your weakness led to spiritual growth.

2. Filling Our Vacancy
Key Point: Many people try to fill the "God-shaped hole" with other things, but only Christ can truly fill our emptiness.

Discussion Questions:
* What are some common things people use to "self-medicate" or fill their spiritual vacancy?
* The sermon stated, "We're Christians because Christ is in us." How does this shift our focus from performance to presence?
* How can we help each other recognize when we're trying to fill our vacancy with something other than Christ?

Application Challenge: Identify one thing you've been using to fill a void that only God should fill. What practical step can you take this week to turn to Christ instead?

3. Guarding Against Being Uprooted
Key Point: Pride often comes before a fall. We need to be rooted and grounded in love.

Discussion Questions:
* Kevin used a hurricane illustration to show that even strong-looking trees can fall. When have you felt spiritually uprooted despite thinking you were stable?
* What does it mean to be "rooted and grounded in love" practically in our daily lives?
* How does love for God and others provide stability during life's storms?

Group Activity: Discuss the song lyric mentioned: "when my love for man grows weak" (not "if"). Why is it realistic to acknowledge that our love will sometimes grow weak? How do we return to the throne when this happens?

4. Overcoming Our Ignorance
Key Point: Satan's lies can make us believe God doesn't love us or that we're unworthy, but we must comprehend the depth of God's love.

Discussion Questions:
* What are some common lies Satan tells us about ourselves and God's love for us?
* The sermon shared that many people, including teenagers, struggle with believing God still loves them. Why is this such a common struggle?
* Paul prayed that we would "comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth" of Christ's love. How can we grow in this comprehension?

Memory Challenge: Commit to memorizing a verse about God's love this week (suggestions: Romans 8:38-39, 1 John 3:1, John 3:16).

5. Being Filled with God's Fullness
Key Point: Our houses are getting bigger but our lives are often emptier. Only God's fullness can truly satisfy.

Discussion Questions:
* The sermon mentioned that "our family size is growing smaller" but "our houses are getting bigger." What does this say about what we're prioritizing?
* The woman at the state park said, "My husband is sitting at home guarding our things . . . I want him." What does this story reveal about what truly matters?
* Paul considered everything "rubbish" compared to knowing Christ. What would change in your life if you truly believed this?

Practical Application: Name one material pursuit or worldly goal you need to give up to pursue being "filled with all the fullness of God."

Key Takeaways

1. The throne is for the weak, not the accomplished. We come seeking help, not reporting success.
2. Satan wants to intercept us before we reach the throne. Like Absalom, he promises to meet our needs if we'll just turn to him instead of God.
3. We have a "bootstrap culture" but a "hand-outstretched God." We must learn to receive help rather than insisting we can handle everything ourselves.
4. The throne offers:
* Strength for our weakness
* Christ's presence for our vacancy
* Deep roots for our uprootedness
* Truth for our ignorance
* Fullness for our emptiness
5. Going to the throne should be our first response, not our last resort.

Personal Application

This Week's Challenge:
Choose one area where you've been trying to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and intentionally bring it to God's throne in prayer each day this week.

Accountability Questions:
* What specific weakness, vacancy, or emptiness are you bringing to the throne this week?
* Who can you share this struggle with for prayer support?
* How will you remind yourself daily to go to the throne rather than trying to handle things on your own?

Closing Reflection

Read together: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." — Ephesians 3:20-21

Final Question: What would change in your life if you truly believed God could do "far more abundantly than all we ask or think"?

Closing Prayer
Pray together, encouraging each person to bring his/her weakness, vacancy, uprootedness, ignorance, or emptiness to the throne. Thank God that His hand is always outstretched and that we can come with confidence to find mercy and grace in our time of need.

For Further Study
* Hebrews 4:14-16 (approaching the throne with confidence)
* Ephesians 3:14-21 (Paul's prayer for the church)
* Luke 18:9-14 (the Pharisee and the tax collector)
* 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (strength in weakness)

5-Day Devotional: Drawing Near to the Throne of Grace

Day 1: Coming with Our Weakness
Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Devotional: We don't approach God's throne to boast about our accomplishments or report how well we're managing life. Like the high priest who understands weakness because he himself is "beset" by it—surrounded, clothed, encompassed—we come acknowledging our frailty. The Christian that Satan cannot defeat is not the one without weakness, but the one who refuses to stay down. When we fall, we return to the throne for strength. Paul discovered that God's power is perfected in weakness. Today, resist the temptation to hide your struggles or present a polished version of yourself to God. Instead, with confidence draw near, admitting your need. The throne of grace exists precisely for those moments when you cannot stand on your own. What weakness will you bring to Him today?

Day 2: Filling the God-Shaped Vacancy
Reading: Ephesians 3:14-19; Psalm 42:1-11

Devotional: Many people wander through life with a profound vacancy, attempting to fill a God-shaped hole with everything except God. We self-medicate with food, entertainment, relationships, achievements, or substances—anything to numb the emptiness. But Paul's prayer reveals the answer: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." We are not Christians because we perform so well at it; we are Christians because Christ lives in us. Just as any aircraft carrying the president becomes Air Force One because of who's inside, we are transformed by whose presence fills us. The vacancy in your life was designed for Him alone. No substitute will satisfy. Today, examine what you've been using to fill that space. Forsake those lesser things and let Christ dwell fully in your heart by faith.

Day 3: Being Rooted and Grounded in Love
Reading: Ephesians 3:17-19; Colossians 2:6-7; Revelation 2:1-7

Devotional: Pride often precedes our most devastating falls. When we think we stand firmly, we may be in our greatest danger of being uprooted. The word Paul uses for "rooted" connects to "rhizome"—not just roots going down for stability, but spreading horizontally with nodes that produce new growth. This describes agape love: downward for stability in God's love, outward for connection with others. The church at Ephesus had sound doctrine but had abandoned their first love. When storms rage and our love grows weak—not if, but when—we return to the throne. Where else could we be? One widow, freshly grieving, understood this when she appeared at worship saying, "Where else could I be?" Today, assess your love: for God, for His people, for the lost. If it has grown cold, return to the throne and ask to be rerooted in love.

Day 4: Comprehending the Immeasurable Love of Christ
Reading: Romans 8:31-39; John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:7-19

Devotional: Perhaps Satan's most effective lie is convincing us that God no longer loves us, that we're unworthy of forgiveness, that we don't belong among God's people. Many Christians—not just teenagers, but adults—struggle with feeling they've gone too far, sinned too deeply, or disappointed God too greatly. But this is ignorance, not truth. Paul prays that we would "have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth" of Christ's love. Like lowering a 200-foot rope into a lake and still not reaching bottom, God's love exceeds our ability to measure it. A grandmother with Alzheimer's couldn't remember her own name but could still sing "Jesus Loves Me." Bury that truth deep in your heart. Return to the throne today and let God remind you: His love for you is immeasurable, unchanging, and unending.

Day 5: Filled with the Fullness of God
Reading: Philippians 3:7-11; Matthew 6:19-21; Colossians 3:1-4

Devotional: Our houses grow larger while our families grow smaller—more space for accumulating stuff. Yet many people with houses full of possessions have lives profoundly empty. Paul understood that losing everything the world valued was "rubbish" compared to knowing Christ. One woman, separated from her husband during a hurricane, wept, saying, "My husband is home guarding our things. I want him. I want him." We chase approval, success, money, and fame, only to discover these things leave us hollow. Paul's prayer offers the antidote: "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." We live in a bootstrap culture that says, "Pull yourself up," but we serve a hand-outstretched God. When Peter began to sink, Jesus immediately reached out. Today, release your grip on the worthless things you've been chasing. Reach out your hand to the One who can fill your emptiness with His fullness. The throne is open. Will you go there?

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)