The Whole Story (Encounter Lesson)
Sermon Recap
Remember What God Has Done. Revival begins with remembrance. Like
Habakkuk, we look back and recall the stories of God’s power—how He has
delivered, redeemed, and restored. Remembering His faithfulness fuels faith for
what He can do again. “O Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of
Your deeds.”
Repent and Prepare Your Heart. Before God moves among us, He must first
move within us. Hosea calls us to “break up fallow ground” — to confront the
hardness of our hearts, confess our sin, and cultivate a spirit of repentance
and humility that welcomes God’s rain of righteousness. “Sow righteousness…
break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord.”
Beg God to Move Again. Revival is not manufactured — it’s a
miracle of mercy. When we pray, “Revive Your work in our day,” we are asking
God to do again what only He can do: awaken His people, renew His church, and
restore His glory in our generation. “In wrath, remember mercy.”
Habakkuk 3:2
O Lord, I have heard the report of You, and Your
work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of
the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Habakkuk 3:2
Discussion Questions
1.
Looking Back: When
Habakkuk says, “I have heard of Your fame,” what stories or moments of God’s
past faithfulness come to your mind? How does remembering what God has done in
the past strengthen your faith for today?
2.
Heart Preparation:
Hosea calls God’s people to “break up your fallow ground.” What does that
phrase mean to you personally? Are there areas in your life that have become
hardened or resistant to God’s work?
3.
Personal
Revival: Both passages describe revival as something that happens “in our day.”
What would revival look like in your own life — in your heart, your family, or
your daily rhythms?
4.
Corporate
Renewal: What would it look like for our church to experience a movement of God
like Habakkuk prayed for? What attitudes, priorities, or habits might need to
change for that to happen?
5.
Seeking the
Lord: Hosea says, “It is time to seek the Lord.” What would it look like this
week to intentionally seek the Lord with urgency? How can our group help one
another stay hungry for His presence?
Closing Thoughts
When we look back at what God has done, it
stirs something deep within us — a holy longing for Him to do it again. But
revival doesn’t begin in the world around us; it begins in the soil of our own
hearts. God calls us to break up the hardened ground of apathy, sin, and
distraction so His Spirit can rain down fresh righteousness and renewal. The
same God who moved powerfully in the past still desires to move today — but
He’s waiting for a people who are ready, humble, and hungry. What would it look
like for you to truly seek the Lord this week and prepare the ground of your
heart for Him to move again?
END
