Let's start with a time of worship.
As we celebrate and honour God for His faithfulness, let us declare that He is good and that His mercy and goodness endure forever.
Warm-Up Ask each person in the group:
At least one thing they're thankful for this week.
At least one thing they're praying for, that we can include in our own prayers.
Word
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. - Isaiah 25:1
Life can be overwhelming sometimes. Things can go wrong at home, at work, or at school. Can you remember experiencing a very overwhelming day recently? Please invite one member of the group to share what happened to him or her and how they felt at the end of the day.
Everyone has bad days, and situations that we cannot fix by ourselves. The good news is that God is always waiting and ready for us when we call on Him. He is a faithful God, and we know this, because He has carried us through so much already in our lives.
Isaiah 25:1 says, "in perfect faithfulness, you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago."
This part of the verse tells us that God is consistently faithful, and His plans for us are good. No matter how bad the situations may be, God will send strength and provision our way. All we have to do is ask, just like we did when we asked Jesus into our hearts.
God is our Heavenly Father, and He will not turn down His children. He will give us what He knows is best for us. For example, when we put our faith in Jesus, God gave us a helper in the form of the Holy Spirit, a wise Counselor who lives in us forever.
God also gave us friends and family in the faith. Proverbs 17:17 says, "friends love all the time, and kinsfolk are born for times of trouble." God provides us family–both our earthly family and spiritual brothers and sisters–who are also there who can pick up us when we're down, and be God's hands and feet to us when we're in desperate need of His care.
So when we realise and are reminded that God is faithful, how can we respond? The first part of Isaiah 25:1 sums it up perfectly: "Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name."
We respond to God's faithfulness by declaring His lordship over our lives, and respond with gratitude and worship. Never forget–whether you're high on the mountain top or struggling in the valley, God is there, and He is always faithful.
Reflect
What does Isaiah 25:1 say about God's character?
What does Isaiah 25:1 say about man's character?
What problems are you holding on to that you need to give to God?
Who can you turn to in times of trouble?
Application
Make an "I will" statement in response to the Word.
This example may help: "Because I am <state a personal characteristic that you would like to improve with God's help>, I WILL try to <state an action that you will commit to, with God's help> because I know God is a faithful God."
"Because I am a person who worries a lot, I WILL try to memorise more of God's promises to fight my worry, because I know God is a faithful God."