Cords of Kindness

Hosea 11:1-11

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In groups of two or three, respond to the following, “Who is the person hardest for you to extend love to?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Read: Hosea 11:1-11.

• Describe the feeling of a parent (or friend) who seeks the best for a child (or friend), only to watch that individual persist in going astray.
• Work as a group to restate verse 4 and the tender care God expresses about Israel.
• Why can’t God just give up on the people of Israel (v. 8)?
• How does God demonstrate God’s transcendence in verse 9? What does that reveal about God?
• What do we learn about God from verses 10 and 11? What do we learn about people from this passage?
• (R) How might a prophet notice the gap between where God calls the people and where the people are living currently? How might you be called to do that today?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End by praying the following or a similar prayer:

God of grace, because of your covenant faithfulness, you do not give up on us or let us go even when we deserve it. We cry out again and again: “Forgive us! Have mercy on us! Heal us! Sanctify us! Bring your kingdom!” Today, give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear where we encounter your grace and mercy through others. Amen.