This small group discussion guide draws directly from the sermon “Showcase - Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:45am” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.

Small Group Discussion Guide

"The God Who Rescues and Restores Failures"

Based on Genesis 16:1-16 | Preached by Pastor Chapo

"The Lord reaches out in mercy to those in miserable conditions and restores them from their failures."

📋 BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A Note for Facilitators: This guide is designed for 60–90 minutes. You know your group best — feel free to skip questions, linger where conversation is rich, or swap in the optional questions at the end. Your goal isn't to get through every question; it's to help your group encounter God together. Pray before your meeting, and trust the Holy Spirit to lead.

Sensitive Content Heads-Up: This sermon touches on personal failure, shame, and doing things our own way. Some group members may be carrying real pain in these areas. Create a safe, grace-filled environment from the start by reminding your group that this is a judgment-free space.

📖 OVERVIEW

(For Facilitators — Read or Summarize for the Group)

In Genesis 16, we meet three people — Abraham, Sarai, and Hagar — all caught in a tangle of impatience, scheming, and pain. Rather than waiting on God's promise, Abraham and Sarai take matters into their own hands, and the result is conflict, bitterness, and brokenness. But in the middle of the mess, God does something remarkable: He finds Hagar alone in the wilderness and meets her with mercy, a promise, and a purpose.

Pastor Chapo's central message is both a warning and an invitation: doing things our own way leads to misery, but God's mercy is greater than our failures. No matter how far we've wandered or how badly we've made a mess of things, the God who sees us reaches out to rescue and restore.

❄️ ICEBREAKER

(5–10 minutes)

Choose one of the following to open your time together:

Option A (Lighter):

"Tell us about a time you tried a shortcut — in cooking, directions, a project, or anything else — and it completely backfired. What happened?"

Option B (A bit deeper):

"Think about a time you were waiting for something important and the wait felt unbearable. What did that season feel like?"

[Leader Tip]: The icebreaker is meant to be fun and low-pressure. Don't rush it — laughter and lightness at the start help people open up for deeper conversation later. If your group is quiet, go first and share your own story.

📜 SCRIPTURE READING

(5 minutes)

Primary Text: Genesis 16:1–14 (English Standard Version)

Have someone in the group read the passage aloud, or take turns reading a few verses each.

"Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, 'Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.' And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, 'May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!' But Abram said to Sarai, 'Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.' Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, 'Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.' The angel of the Lord said to her, 'Return to your mistress and submit to her.' The angel of the Lord also said to her, 'I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.' And the angel of the Lord said to her, 'Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.'

So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are a God of seeing,' for she said, 'Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.'"

Quick Background for Facilitators:

Abraham and Sarai had received God's promise of a son (Genesis 12, 15), but years had passed with no child.
Hagar was an Egyptian servant — likely a person of low social status with little power over her own life.
"The angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament often represents a direct appearance of God himself — this was not an ordinary messenger.
"Ishmael" means "God hears." "El Roi" (the name Hagar gives God) means "the God who sees."

💬 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(30–45 minutes)

Work through as many questions as time allows. Questions are arranged from easier to deeper — feel free to skip ahead or slow down based on your group's conversation.

THEME 1: The Pain of Waiting and the Pressure of Wanting

(Questions 1–3)

1. Observational — What stood out?

"What was the moment in Sunday's sermon — or in this passage — that stood out to you most? What caught your attention or stayed with you?"

2. Interpretive — Understanding the story

"Sarai says in verse 2, 'The Lord has prevented me from bearing children.' What does that statement reveal about how she's interpreting her situation? How does that kind of thinking lead to the choices she makes next?"

[Leader Tip]: There's no perfect answer here. Help the group notice that Sarai's theology — her understanding of what God is doing — shapes her behavior. The goal is to see how our view of God affects our decisions, not to pile on Sarai.

3. Personal — Connecting to real life

"Pastor Chapo said, 'A lot of struggles and failures in life come from the desire to make things happen in our way and in our time.' Can you think of an area of life — parenting, relationships, finances, career, health — where people (including yourself) are most tempted to take matters into their own hands rather than waiting on God? What makes waiting so hard?"

THEME 2: The Mess We Make When We Do It Our Way

(Questions 4–5)

4. Interpretive — Seeing the pattern

"Pastor Chapo pointed out that Genesis 16 echoes Genesis 3 — God gives a promise, a wife offers an alternative, a husband listens and acts, and it seems to work at first... but then comes the pain. Why do you think this pattern keeps repeating in human experience? What does it tell us about human nature?"

[Leader Tip]: If your group isn't familiar with Genesis 3, briefly explain: God told Adam and Eve not to eat from one tree; the serpent offered an alternative; Eve took it, Adam followed, and sin entered the world. The parallel Pastor Chapo drew is that our tendency to "help God along" is as old as humanity itself.

5. Personal — Honest reflection

"The sermon described how doing things 'our way' doesn't just affect us — it creates relational problems and can lead us to use or hurt other people, sometimes people with less power than us, like Hagar. When you've tried to engineer your own solution to a problem, who else got caught up in the consequences? How did that feel?"

[Leader Tip]: This question can go deep quickly. Be ready to share something from your own life first to model vulnerability. If someone shares something painful, resist the urge to fix or advise — simply acknowledge and thank them for sharing.

THEME 3: The God Who Sees and Reaches Out

(Questions 6–8)

6. Observational — Noticing God's character

"In the middle of all this mess — the scheming, the conflict, the running away — God shows up. But notice who he shows up for: not Abraham, not Sarai, but Hagar, a foreign slave woman in the wilderness. What does that tell us about what kind of God we're dealing with? What surprised you about God's response to Hagar?"

7. Interpretive — The name that changes everything

"Hagar gives God the name 'El Roi' — 'The God who sees.' She says, 'Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.' Why is being seen by God so significant, especially for someone in Hagar's position? What difference does it make to know that God sees your situation — even one you helped create?"

[Leader Tip]: This is a rich question. Hagar was powerless, forgotten by human standards, and alone. Yet God found her. Encourage the group to sit with what it means to be truly seen — not judged, not fixed immediately, but seen. Some people in your group may be in their own "wilderness" right now.

8. Personal — Connecting to the gospel

"Pastor Chapo connected Hagar's rescue to the gospel — that just as God reached out to Hagar in her helplessness, God sent Jesus to reach us in our spiritual helplessness. He quoted the old hymn: 'I was sinking deep in sin... love lifted me.' How does the story of Hagar help you understand the gospel in a fresh way? What resonates with your own experience of being found by God?"

THEME 4: Mercy Doesn't Erase Consequences, But It Doesn't Abandon Us Either

(Questions 9–10)

9. Interpretive — Grace and consequences together

"Pastor Chapo made an important point: God's mercy doesn't automatically remove the consequences of our choices. Ishmael was born, and the conflict between his descendants and Isaac's descendants continues to this day. How do you hold these two truths together — that God forgives and restores, AND that our choices still have real consequences? Why is it important to understand both?"

[Leader Tip]: This can be a theologically rich conversation. Keep it grounded and practical. The goal isn't to resolve the tension perfectly but to help people see that grace doesn't mean "no consequences" — it means we don't face consequences alone.

10. Community — Looking at God's faithfulness

"At the end of the sermon, Pastor Chapo reminded us that even after all the failure and folly, God renewed his promises to Abraham and Sarai in the very next chapter — even changing their names. He quoted the song: 'What love could remember no wrongs we have done... our sins they are many, His mercy is more.' What does this tell us about how God views people who have genuinely failed? How does this shape the way we should view ourselves and others in this group?"

🪞 PERSONAL APPLICATION

(10–15 minutes)

These questions are for quieter, more personal reflection. You can invite people to share with the whole group, with a partner, or simply to journal privately this week.

1. The Honest Inventory

"Is there an area of your life right now where you are — or have been — trying to do things your way instead of God's way? What is the 'Plan B' you've been tempted to pursue? What would it look like to stop, wait, and trust God's timing instead?"

2. Your Wilderness Moment

"Have you ever been in a 'wilderness' — a place of failure, loneliness, or running away — where God surprisingly met you? If so, how did that encounter change you? If you're in that wilderness right now, what would it mean to believe that God sees you there?"

3. The Blame Game

"The sermon pointed out that when things go wrong, we often blame others (Sarai blamed Abraham) or blame God ('the Lord has prevented me'). Is there a situation in your life where you've been playing the blame game? What might it look like to take honest responsibility — and then receive God's mercy?"

4. Who Is Your Hagar?

"Hagar was a person with little power who got caught up in someone else's scheme and paid a painful price. Is there someone in your life — perhaps someone with less power or voice than you — who has been affected by your choices? What might it look like to acknowledge that and seek to make it right?"

5. Waiting With Hope

"The sermon closed with the prayer: 'Help me to do it your way and wait on you to work it out.' What is one specific thing you are waiting on God for right now? What would it look like to wait with faith rather than fear or frustration this week?"

🙏 PRAYER FOCUS

(5–10 minutes)

Close your time together in prayer. Here are suggested ways to pray as a group:

Option A — Open Prayer Invite group members to pray briefly and honestly about one thing from tonight's discussion. Encourage short, simple prayers. Close the time yourself.

Option B — Guided Prayer Prompts Lead the group through prayer using these prompts, pausing between each:

Confession: "Lord, we confess the times we've tried to do things our way — in our relationships, our decisions, our plans. Forgive us for leaning on our own understanding."
Gratitude: "Thank you, God, that you are El Roi — the God who sees. Thank you that you saw us in our worst moments and sent Jesus to rescue and restore us."
Intercession: "We pray for anyone in this group who is in their own wilderness right now — feeling alone, ashamed, or like they've made too much of a mess. Meet them there, Lord."
Surrender: "Help us to wait on you. Give us the grace to trust your timing, your plan, and your goodness — even when it's hard."

Option C — Partner Prayer Break into pairs and have each person share one thing they want to trust God with this week. Pray for each other specifically.

🔍 OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

(For groups with extra time or those wanting to go further — 15–20 additional minutes)

Deep Dive 1 — Exploring God's Promises to Abraham Read Genesis 15:1–6 together:

"After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 'Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.' But Abram said, 'O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?' And Abram said, 'Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.' And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: 'This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.' And he brought him outside and said, 'Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness."

"Abraham believed God's promise in chapter 15 — and yet in chapter 16 he goes along with Sarai's plan. What does this tell us about the relationship between genuine faith and ongoing struggle with doubt and impatience? How do you hold together the fact that a person can truly believe God and still fail to trust him in a particular moment?"

Deep Dive 2 — The Cost of Discipleship Connection The sermon was introduced by a reading from Luke 14:25–35, which includes Jesus's words about counting the cost of following him. Read verses 27–33:

"Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."

"Jesus says following him costs everything — including giving up our right to do things our own way. How does the story of Abraham, Sarai, and Hagar illustrate what it looks like when we haven't fully surrendered control to God? What area of your life is hardest to 'renounce' — to genuinely place in God's hands?"

Deep Dive 3 — The Prosperity Gospel and El Roi Pastor Chapo mentioned that one of the greatest threats to the gospel in Zambia is prosperity theology — the idea that God's goal for you is to be rich and comfortable.

"How does the story of Hagar challenge a prosperity gospel mindset? Hagar was told to go back to a difficult, painful situation — not rescued into an easy life. Yet she encountered God more profoundly in the wilderness than she might have in comfort. What does this say about how God often works in our lives? How do you hold together genuine suffering and genuine faith?"

📅 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Choose one or more of the following to carry into your week:

🔵 Beginner Challenge — Notice and Name Each morning this week, start your day by saying out loud: "You are El Roi — the God who sees me." Then take 60 seconds to be honest with God about one thing you're tempted to handle on your own. Ask him to help you wait.

🟡 Growing Challenge — Identify Your "Plan B" Write down one area of your life where you've been running your own plan instead of trusting God. Bring it to prayer this week. Share it with one trusted person and ask them to pray with you and check in on you.

🔴 Deep Challenge — Make It Right If God brought someone to mind during question 4 (your "Hagar") — someone who was affected by your choices — take one concrete step this week to acknowledge it. That might be a conversation, an apology, a prayer, or a practical act of kindness.

🌍 Community Challenge — Pray for the Global Church This Sunday's sermon was preached by a pastor from Zambia who is standing firm against false teaching and investing in training faithful pastors across Africa. This week, pray specifically for Pastor Chapo, for Faith Bible Baptist Church in Kitwe, and for the Central Africa Baptist University. Ask God to strengthen those who are holding to the truth in difficult places.

📚 FURTHER READING & RESOURCES

For those who want to explore further this week:

Genesis 17:1–22 — God renews his covenant with Abraham and Sarai, changing their names. See God's faithfulness even after failure.
Genesis 21:8–21 — Hagar's story continues. God meets her in the wilderness again.
Romans 4:18–25 — Paul reflects on Abraham's faith, even in impossible circumstances.
Ephesians 2:1–10 — The passage Pastor Chapo referenced: "God, being rich in mercy..."
Lamentations 3:22–23 — "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

🗒️ FACILITATOR QUICK REFERENCE

A one-page overview for easy reference during your meeting:

Section	Time	Key Focus
Icebreaker	5–10 min	Build connection; lighten the atmosphere
Scripture Reading	5 min	Genesis 16:1–14
Discussion Q1–3	10–12 min	Pain of waiting; doing it our way
Discussion Q4–5	8–10 min	The mess we make
Discussion Q6–8	10–12 min	God sees; gospel connection
Discussion Q9–10	8–10 min	Mercy + consequences; God's faithfulness
Personal Application	10–15 min	Individual reflection or pairs
Prayer	5–10 min	Confession, gratitude, surrender
Total	60–90 min

If discussion stalls, try:

"What do you think Pastor Chapo meant when he said...?"
"Does anyone have a different perspective on that?"
"How does this connect to something happening in your life right now?"
Simply sharing your own honest answer to move things forward

If discussion runs long, prioritize: Questions 3, 7, 8, and the Prayer Focus — these carry the heart of the message.

This guide was prepared for small group use at Shiloh Church. Feel free to adapt questions to fit your group's needs and context. May God use your time together to rescue and restore — just as he did for Hagar in the wilderness.

"Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more."