This ReLENTless Devotion Small Group Leader’s Guide gives you six weeks of discussion questions intended to spur conversation and reflection in your small group. Lent begins on a Wednesday, so you will have to establish the “weeks” according to which day of the week your small group meets. This guide gives you forty days of questions so that you can break it down into six weeks depending on your group’s schedule. Schedule your weeks so that students will have read each day before they come into class and provide them with a schedule before you begin so that they understand which days will be discussed each week. You should finish the study the week before Easter.

(Day One: Ash Wednesday) Lent is a holy season and we are meant to approach it in a somber and quiet way. It is a time to “come clean” with God by practicing the traditional Lenten disciplines: study, meditation, fasting, prayer, worship, giving, self-examination, repentance, and serving. Go over this list carefully with your class and ask them to choose at least three of the disciplines to which they will faithfully and intentionally commit. All of the disciplines should be practiced, but by choosing three, students will focus their attention on the things that God is calling them to observe the most. Have them turn to page 4 and write down their three things. These are personal, but some folks might be willing to share what they wrote down and why. By naming them out loud, there will be a sense of accountability in the group.

(Day Two) What does it mean to be God’s treasure? Have you ever struggled to believe this?

(Day Three) Andrew brought Peter to meet this new rabbi, and the world was changed. Who is God calling you to bring to Jesus? Write down their name on page 11 and begin praying for ways to be invitational. Can you invite them to church on Easter? Make a plan!

(Day Four) Psalm 84 invites us to stay on the “upright walk”. What does that mean? Can you give examples of someone who walks it? Why do people stray? Are you struggling with temptation? Write down a temptation on page 15 and commit to walking away from it.

(Day Five) Is it a sin to be tempted? What tempts you? How can we become strong against our temptations and say, “Beat it, Satan”?

(Day Six) Jesus’ death on the cross is an invitation to let things die in our lives that prevent us from living as whole disciples. What is God asking you to die to today? Sometimes holding on to things like regret, sin, the past, grudges, hatred, prejudices, bad memories, etc. prevent us from experiencing the peace that Jesus desires for us. What do you need to let go of in order to embrace the freedom that he died to give you? Write your answer on page 23.

(Day Seven) Paul writes that people who cause divisions by bringing stupid controversies, worthless dissensions, and unprofitable quarrels are “perverted and sinful”. What does this say about our current situation? How should this inform our use of news media outlets and social media?

(Day Eight) What are the golden calves that people worship today? What idols do you worship? Does society need a do-over? Where in your life did you get a second chance that you didn’t deserve? Do you need one today?

(Day Nine) Are you stubborn? Have you ever been betrayed? Has God ever helped you release a long-held grievance? How did it make you feel to be released? Share stories of redemption today with your class.

(Day Ten) What do you think the world thirsts for the most? Do we pursue the things that bring true joy? Do you know someone who is very low right now who could use a cup of effervescent Jesus? Write down their name on page 40 and find a way this week to be Living Water to them.

(Day Eleven) Today’s lesson focuses on acts of service. Have a discussion in class about an act of service you all can do together. Make a commitment and make a plan!

(Day Twelve) What happened to Israel when they rebelled against God? Have you, or someone you love, ever rebelled against God’s will? Often the teenage years are times of acts of rebellion. Some of us never grow out of it. What is God’s response?

(Day Thirteen) Define sin (separation from God). Define repentance (returning to God). Since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, why do we feel justified in judging other people’s sin? What does it mean to be forgiven?

(Day Fourteen) Psalm 150 is a final word on praising God. Think about your own devotional life. Do you stop your busy day and simply praise God? Are your prayers more praise or petition? How can you change that?

(Day Fifteen) Why do you think Nicodemus sought out Jesus at night? Have you ever been uncomfortable about your faith? Do Christians ever feel condemned by society for standing up for our beliefs? How can you be an appealing witness to the truth of Christ?

(Day Sixteen) Have you ever struggled with accepting God’s timing in a situation where you longed for a quick answer or a resolution? Tell your story.

(Day Seventeen) Have you ever needed God to turn a situation around for you? Do you have enemies? What needs turned around today in your life?

(Day Eighteen) Today’s lesson asks a very hard question. Does your judgment of others negate the call to be the unconditional love of Christ to the world? Are you a Pharisee in the way you view people?

(Day Nineteen) Talk about a time when you were misunderstood or unfairly criticized or attacked. How did you feel?

(Day Twenty) When have you experienced a hurtful truth? How did you handle it?

(Day Twenty-One) Define the word “sanctification” (the process of becoming holy). Sin often begins with “flirting” with a little temptation. What can we do when that happens?

(Day Twenty-Two) Make a list of things that people long for in life. Do you long for a relationship with God in the same way? Have you ever been taunted by your enemies? What happened?

(Day Twenty-Three) What did Paul mean when he said that the message of the cross was foolishness? Are you sold out to the Lord? What does a sold-out life look like?

(Day Twenty-Four) Today’s lesson challenges us to do one thing that reflects God’s compassion for the world. Discuss things the class can do. Write your answers on page 95 and check back next week to see how your students did with the challenge.

(Day Twenty-Five) Discuss the difference between the power of the law versus the power of the spirit. Paul warns that being absorbed with the “self” can result in ignoring God. Can you give an example of this?

(Day Twenty-Six) Has God ever given you something you didn’t want? What happened?

(Day Twenty-Seven) We can be guilty of cherry-picking God’s instructions and following the easy ones. What are the hard things God commands? Are you ignoring something that God is telling you to do?

(Day Twenty-Eight) Have you ever experienced hurt from a church? What can you do, as a parishioner, to make church feel warm and invitational to everyone?

(Day Twenty-Nine) Discuss what it means to “fear” God. Is this fear a good or a bad thing?

(Day Thirty) How can we help others see the spiritual truth of the risen Lord? Do you ever suffer from “spiritual blindness”? Do you believe in miracles?

(Day Thirty-One) Today’s lesson challenges us to step out of our comfort zone and invite others to Christ. Name reasons why people are reluctant to evangelize. Can you overcome these things and make a plan to invite a neighbor to church on Easter?

(Day Thirty-Two) Learning how to worship God in the storm takes practice. Ask your class if anyone can share an example of a time when they were able to praise God in a time of terrible distress. Invite them to share their stories.

(Day Thirty-Three) Sometimes we long for the simplicity and ease of the past. But longing for the things of old prevents us from seeking God in the present. Can you think of examples of this? Were the “good old days” really that good? Can we find ways to experience God in the “good now days”?

(Day Thirty-Four) When have you felt like you were walking in a desert alone? Where was God in that moment? Share your experience.

(Day Thirty-Five) Define the word “entitlement”. Do we live in an entitled society? What are you willing to lose in order to gain Christ?

(Day Thirty-Six) Today’s lesson addresses suffering. Think of a time when you suffered. How were you delivered? Can you share your story?

(Day Thirty-Seven) We are moving closer and closer to the crucifixion this week. Jesus invites us to “walk in the light” and be “children of the light”. How can we do that?

(Day Thirty-Eight) This reading falls on Maundy Thursday. Invite your class to talk about what happened on Maundy Thursday, and if they attended a Maundy Thursday service, invite them to share their reactions to it.

(Day Thirty-Nine) Jesus willingly took on the “cup of wrath” for our sins. Discuss what that means. As we mark the day of the crucifixion, look back to the three Lenten disciplines each student committed to and recorded on page 4 of their books. Ask them how they did and invite them to consider making these things a life-long habit rather than a Lent exercise.

(Day Forty) On Holy Saturday, we experience the silence that Jesus’ death brought to the earth. On Easter, we will celebrate his resurrection, but on this day, we experience the void he left. Describe a time in your life when you were keenly aware of a void that the death of a loved one made in your heart. What does the resurrection say to those moments of deep loss?

An Easter Sunday Meditation Ask your class for their insights from this meditation. What parts resonated with them?

Leaders: I hope this guide was helpful. Thank you so much for your willingness to lead! And bless you to bits for using ReLENTless Devotion. May God add his blessing to the reading and hearing of his Word.

Rev. Betsy Haas

Lent 2024