The Inheritance of God Worship Series: THE INHERITANCE OF TRUST
July 7, 2019

Week 4 – The Inheritance of Trust

Fellowship – Snacks (10 minutes)

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, discuss: “Whom do you trust the most? Whom do you trust the least?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes)

Read: 2 Kings 5:1-14

List places and institutions that participants have low trust in [government, criminal justice system, school systems, family, denomination, etc.]
Does Naaman respond to the young Israelite woman’s trust in Elisha out of desperation or trust
What do we learn about God from this passage? [God cares for all people, not just Israelites.]
What does the reaction of the king of Israel to Naaman’s letter reveal about his trust (or lack thereof)? Why is his response ironic? (V. 7 – Kings often wielded the power over life and death)
To experience healing, whom does Naaman have to trust? (Israelite servant, captive girl of his wife, Elisha, and his servants who persuade him (v. 13).)
How does Elijah’s prognosis test Naaman’s trust?
How does our faith rest on trust? [We trust what God has done in Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and for abundant life, which continues beyond death.]
What has God entrusted to us? [materially and spiritually – our faith with which to pass on to others]
How can we cultivate trust in others whom we might be skeptical or suspicious of? In our families? In our communities? In our congregation?

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

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End by praying the following together:

God of new life, empower us to trust you more. May we trust you more with our decisions, failures, and hopes. Help us to be people others will trust. Use us as instruments for peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation with everyone we encounter. Amen.