ST NICOLAS, NEWBURY

HOME GROUP QUESTIONS

WEEK BEGINNING 18 JUNE 2006

PEOPLE IN PRAYER - DAVID

For home groups that would like them, here are some questions based on the talk at Sunday's 6:30 pm service. There's no need to answer them all - just tackle the ones you have time for. You don't need to stick to the areas mentioned here - feel free to discuss any other issues that arise for you. (Incidentally, please note that we're now using Today's New International Version in Evening Worship and that some of the Bible quotations may be slightly different from other versions.)

How do you approach confession?
What does it mean for you to confess your sins?
How are you forgiven?

Tonight is all about learning from the example of King David. For background it's well worth reading 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13a. (I know it's long but it does help enormously when it comes to the Psalm)

Then read Psalm 51 - maybe together?

A) HAVE MERCY ON ME, O GOD

1. What can learn from the way David approaches God? (v1, 3-5)
2. Does he appeal to God's justice? Why?
3. Does he give any mitigating circumstance?
4. Does he try any appeals?
5. What is his appeal based on, verse 1?
6. How do we attempt to avoid our guilt?
7. Do we accept that we truly are guilty?
8. What does verse 4 mean? Did David not sin against Bathsheba and Uriah too?
9. Why is all sin first and foremost sin against God?

B) CLEANSE ME

1. How many different ways of asking for cleansing can you find?
2. Where is this cleansing going to come from?
3. What do verses 16 and 17 add to this?
4. How had sacrifice become understood?
5. And yet what is God really after?
6. Why can this only come after humbly crying out for mercy?
7. How might we be guilty of thinking that we can cleanse ourselves?
8. David, of course, knew nothing of Jesus. How does Jesus fill in the picture of us?
9. You might like to look at 2 Corinthians 5:21, or 1 Peter 3:18, or John 1:29, or Acts 4:12, or Revelation 7:15.

C) CREATE IN ME A PURE HEART

1. Having cried out for mercy, and then been cleansed, what comes next?
2. Re-read verses 10-12.
3. If cleansing is about the past, how does this help us for the future?
4. Why does this again look back to our starting point?
5. Where does hope for the future come from?
6. What does this say about our ongoing dependence on God?
7. Re-read verses 13-15
8. What must our natural response to all this be?
9. If we believe this to be true, can we possibly remain silent?

D) PRAYER

Perhaps based on those three phrases: have mercy on me, cleanse me, create in me.

Edward Hobbs
19 June 2006