Icebreaker 

1. Are you more of a planner or a spontaneous person? What frustrates you about the other type?
2. If you could know one thing about your future, what would it be?

Observation:

1. Read Judges 6:11-12, and put yourself in Gideon’s shoes. What is he feeling? How does this relate to or challenge your understanding of being led by God?
2. Read Judges 6:36-40. Why do you think Gideon tests God? Read Deuteronomy 6:16. What does this reveal about Gideon and about God?
3. Read Judges 7:1-3. Why does God want Gideon to reduce his army? Do you relate to that reasoning?
4. How does God respond to Gideon’s uncertainty throughout the text? What does God do and what does God not do?

Application

1. The sermon suggested that when we ask God for guidance, what we really want is a guarantee. Can you think of a time this was true for you? How do you discern between waiting for guidance but not waiting for a guarantee?
2. What does it look like to trust God without certainty? Do we ever have certainty when it comes to faith?
3. While God doesn’t promise certainty, he does promise his presence. Why is this so valuable? How might that grow us towards Jesus more than a guarantee?
4. Where in your life could God be asking you to take a faithful step without a guarantee?

Close in Prayer

Share one area of your life where you are desiring certainty. Pray for each of those things and ask God how you might hand over that desire to him. Consider one step you might take this week as a sign of trust in God.