Slavery & Suffering

We kicked off The Gospel According to Exodus this week and preached on Suffering & Slavery from Exodus 1:1-14. Here are some questions for you and/or your SoulCare Community to work through in applying the text.
1. What comes to mind as you picture the people of Israel as slaves in Egypt? If you were in their situation, what do you think you would say? What would you ask of God? How would you be feeling as you cried out?
2. How can you relate with the slavery metaphor? Where in your life do you feel enslaved?
3. Where are people in your life, city, world enslaved? How might God be calling you to be a part of their ‘exodus’?
4. The people are in terrible suffering and yet God is barely mentioned in Exodus 1. What do you struggle with about God in the midst of suffering? What do you rest in about God in the midst of suffering?
5. When we suffer, we are tempted to respond sinfully and tempted to believe lies. Which of these have you heard or faced or struggle with now? ¹

•    God is nowhere to be found. He has abandoned me in my suffering.
•    God doesn’t understand.
•    If God were present and watching, He would act to save me. But He hasn’t, and so I will take matters into my own hands and bring justice on my terms.
•    My pain and suffering are pointless. There’s no reason to talk about them.
•    “Victim” defines me.

6. Who do you know that is suffering? How might you serve them? How might you offer empathy? Hope?
^{1 Taken from Redemption by Mike Wilkerson.}