Small Group Discussion Guide

"In the Master's Hands"

Based on Jeremiah 18:1–6 | Franklin Avenue Baptist Church

A Note to Facilitators: This guide is designed for a 60–90 minute group meeting. You know your group best — feel free to skip questions, linger where conversation is rich, or swap in the Optional Deep Dive questions if your group is ready to go further. The goal isn't to get through every question; it's to help people encounter God and one another in meaningful ways. Trust the Spirit to lead.

SERMON OVERVIEW

In this powerful message, the pastor used the image of a potter and clay from Jeremiah 18 to remind us that we are God's special creation — made in His image and designed for His purposes. But sin has "marred" us, leaving us broken and unable to fix ourselves. The good news of the gospel is that God, our Master Potter, has healing hands — and when we surrender our lives to Him, He will mold us, shape us, and make us into who He created us to be.

Central Truth: We are broken, we cannot fix ourselves, but God's healing hands can remake us — if we will put ourselves in the Master's hands.

KEY SCRIPTURE

Primary Text — Jeremiah 18:1–6 (NKJV)

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: 'Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?' says the Lord. 'Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.'"

Supporting Text — Romans 3:23 (NIV)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Supporting Text — Romans 6:23 (NIV)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Supporting Text — Romans 7:18–19 (NIV)

"For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing."

SECTION 1: ICEBREAKER

⏱ 5–10 minutes

Start here to warm up the room and ease people into conversation. This question is intentionally lighthearted — let people laugh and connect before going deeper.

Opening Question:

Think about something you once tried to fix yourself — a car, a broken appliance, a recipe that went wrong, a relationship — and it did not go the way you planned. What happened, and what did you eventually have to do?

[Leader Tip]: This question is meant to be fun and accessible. Let people laugh and share freely. After 2–3 people share, make a simple transition: "Today's message is really about the things in our lives that we've tried to fix on our own — and what happens when we finally hand them over to the right set of hands."

SECTION 2: OPENING THE CONVERSATION

⏱ 10 minutes

These questions help the group reconnect with the sermon before diving into deeper discussion.

1. What was one thing from Sunday's message that stood out to you, surprised you, or stayed with you throughout the week?

2. The pastor opened with this image: a fish that can't swim, a bird that can't fly, a dog that can't bark. He said it would be sad for any creature not to do what it was created to do. In your own words, why did he use that image — and what point was he making about us as human beings?

[Leader Tip]: This is an observational question to help people recall the sermon's main idea. If the group is quiet, you can prompt: "The pastor said we are God's 'special creation.' What made us different from the fish and the birds in his illustration?"

SECTION 3: DIGGING INTO THE WORD

⏱ 20–25 minutes

These questions move from the biblical text into personal reflection. Take your time here — this is the heart of the discussion.

3. Read Jeremiah 18:1–6 aloud together. God didn't just tell Jeremiah the lesson — He sent him to watch a potter at work. Why do you think God used this hands-on, visual lesson rather than simply speaking the truth to Jeremiah directly? What does that tell us about how God communicates with us?

[Leader Tip]: Encourage the group to think about how God often uses ordinary, everyday things to teach extraordinary truths. You might follow up with: "Can you think of another time in Scripture — or in your own life — when God used something ordinary to teach you something profound?"

4. The pastor identified three reasons we need a touch from God's hands:

• We are messed up (we are marred by sin)
• We can't fix ourselves
• God has healing hands

Which of these three truths is hardest for people in our culture to accept — and why do you think that is?

5. The pastor told the story of the cracked wall — where a contractor kept patching the surface, but the real problem was a shifting foundation. He said, "Until you fix your foundation, you will always have a crack in the wall of your house."

Where do you see people — or maybe yourself — patching surface cracks in life instead of dealing with the real foundation issue? What makes it so tempting to patch rather than repair?

[Leader Tip]: This question can go to a vulnerable place quickly. Model openness by sharing something from your own life if appropriate. Remind the group that this is a safe space — what's shared here stays here. If someone shares something heavy, acknowledge it before moving on.

6. The pastor offered a memorable contrast: the way man sees sin versus the way God sees sin. Man might see sin as a "blunder," a "mistake," or something "natural" — while God sees it as "blindness," "debt," or "treason."

Why does it matter how we define and understand sin? How does our view of sin affect whether we seek God's help or try to handle things ourselves?

7. Read Romans 7:18–19 again. The Apostle Paul — one of the greatest believers in Scripture — admitted that he kept doing the very things he didn't want to do. How does it change the way you feel about your own struggles to know that even Paul wrestled with this?

[Leader Tip]: This question is designed to create solidarity and reduce shame. If someone in the group seems to carry a lot of guilt, this is a good moment to gently remind them that the gospel is not about trying harder — it's about surrendering more fully.

8. The pastor said, "It matters whose hands you put things in." He compared putting a football in an average person's hands versus Patrick Mahomes' hands, a laptop in an ordinary person's hands versus Bill Gates' hands — and then said, "Put those same nails in Jesus' hands."

What does it mean, practically speaking, to "put something in Jesus' hands"? What does that actually look like in everyday life — and what makes it so difficult to do?

SECTION 4: PERSONAL APPLICATION

⏱ 10–15 minutes

These questions are more personal and reflective. You may want to give people 2–3 minutes of quiet to think before sharing, or invite people to share only what they're comfortable with. Remind the group that it's always okay to say, "I'm still thinking about this one."

9. The pastor asked the congregation to be honest: "How many of you are waiting on the Lord to do something for you? You've been trying to figure it out." If you're willing to share — what is one area of your life right now where you're still trying to handle things on your own, instead of placing it fully in God's hands?

[Leader Tip]: Give people permission not to share specifics if they're not comfortable. You might say: "You don't have to name the situation out loud — but just hold it in your mind as we talk about what it looks like to surrender it."

10. The pastor described the potter's work: "He may have to take off some here... adjust some stuff on this side... add some stuff on this side." The reshaping process isn't always comfortable.

When has God reshaped or redirected something in your life that was painful in the moment but ultimately made you better? What did you learn about God through that process?

11. Toward the end of the message, the pastor reflected on 40 years of ministry and said: "We made some mistakes, bad decisions, and bad choices — ups and downs, hills and valleys. But we're still here because we decided to put ourselves in God's hands."

What would it look like for you — in this current season of your life — to make a fresh decision to put yourself in the Master's hands? Is there anything holding you back from doing that?

SECTION 5: THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

⏱ 5 minutes — Read aloud together or invite individuals to choose one

The pastor encouraged the congregation to write the vision — to get a journal and write down what you want God to do. This week, choose one or more of the following:

Option A — Write It Down Get a journal or notebook this week. Write down one specific area of your life where you've been trying to fix things on your own. Then write a prayer surrendering that area to God. Be specific. Be honest.

Option B — Examine Yourself Before your next communion or quiet time, use 1 Corinthians 11:28 as a guide: "Let a man examine himself." Spend 10–15 minutes in honest self-reflection. Ask God to reveal any area where you've been "patching cracks" instead of surrendering to the Potter.

Option C — Share the Burden Identify one person in your life — a trusted friend, family member, or someone in this group — and share one struggle you've been carrying alone. Ask them to pray with you and hold you accountable.

Option D — Scripture Meditation Read and meditate on Isaiah 64:8 every day this week:

"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." Write down what God speaks to you through this verse each day.

SECTION 6: COMMUNITY PRAYER FOCUS

⏱ 5–10 minutes

Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a group, invite individuals to pray, or have the facilitator lead. Use these suggested prayer topics:

• Surrender — Pray for the courage to place specific areas of your life in God's hands this week, especially the ones you've been holding tightly.
• Healing — Pray for anyone in the group (or someone they know) who is broken, hurting, or in a season of being "remade" by God.
• Humility — Pray for the honesty to see sin the way God sees it — not to condemn ourselves, but so we can truly receive His grace and healing.
• Vision — Pray over the things group members have written down or are believing God for in this season.
• Gratitude — Thank God that He is the Potter who never gives up on the clay. Even when we are marred, He makes us again.

Suggested Closing Prayer Prompt:

"Lord, we confess that we are clay — and that we've spent too much time trying to shape ourselves. Today, we choose to put ourselves in Your hands. Mold us. Shape us. Make us into who You created us to be. We trust You, Potter. Amen."

OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

For groups wanting to explore further — great for a second week of discussion or for groups with more biblical background.

Deep Dive 1: Read Isaiah 45:9 — "Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'The potter has no hands'?"

The pastor said there are times we want to get out of God's hands and do things our way. What are the spiritual dangers of "quarreling with the Maker"? How do we recognize when we're doing this — and how do we stop?

Deep Dive 2: The sermon was preached in the context of Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper), and 1 Corinthians 11:28 was read: "Let a man examine himself." How does the practice of regular self-examination connect to the message of surrendering to the Potter? What does it look like to build a life of ongoing surrender rather than occasional surrender?

Deep Dive 3: The pastor mentioned Jeremiah's nickname — "the Weeping Prophet" — because he grieved deeply over Israel's sin and disobedience. God essentially told Jeremiah, "Stop crying and go watch the potter." What does this teach us about the difference between lamenting broken situations and actively trusting God to restore them? When does grief become an obstacle to faith — and when is it a necessary part of the process?

RELATED SCRIPTURES FOR FURTHER STUDY

QUICK REFERENCE: GUIDE AT A GLANCE

This guide was prepared for small group use at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Permission is granted to reproduce for ministry purposes. For questions about small group ministry, contact the church office at 504-488-8488 or visit www.franklinabc.com.