This small group discussion guide draws directly from Greg Surratt's sermon “Showcase — Seacoast Church Online Service - July 19th, 2026” 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
"God's Timing: Living Under Assignment"
Based on John 7:1-13 | Preached by Pastor Josh Walters
For the Facilitator: This guide is designed for a 60–90 minute meeting. You don't need to use every question — pick the ones that best fit your group. Read through the guide before your meeting so you feel comfortable with the flow. Your job isn't to have all the answers; it's to create space for honest, meaningful conversation. Trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest.
OVERVIEW
In this message from John 7:1–13, Pastor Josh explored what it looks like to live with the same confident, grounded sense of timing that Jesus demonstrated. Using the story of Jesus' brothers pressuring him to go public at the Festival of Tabernacles, the sermon unpacked three core principles: don't let people or pressure rush God's timing; knowing who you are determines when and what you do; and the time is always right for obedience. The invitation was to move from striving and rushing to living under God's assignment with peace and purpose.
ICEBREAKER
(5–10 minutes)
Choose one of the following to open your time together:
Option A (Lighthearted):
"Finish this sentence: 'My timing was absolutely terrible when I...'"
Option B (Reflective):
"Think of a moment when something happened at exactly the right time — a phone call, a conversation, a decision. What was that like?"
[Leader Tip]: Don't overthink the icebreaker. Its purpose is simply to get people talking and laughing before you go deeper. Let two or three people share, then transition naturally into the message.
SCRIPTURE READING
(5 minutes)
Ask a volunteer to read the passage aloud. Encourage the group to listen for anything that surprises, challenges, or stands out to them.
John 7:1–13 (NIV)
"After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, 'Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.' For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Therefore Jesus told them, 'My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.' After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for him and asking, 'Where is he?' Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, 'He is a good man.' Others replied, 'No, he deceives the people.' But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders."
Background Context for Facilitators:
The Festival of Tabernacles was one of the most joyous celebrations in the Jewish calendar — an 8-day festival where families built outdoor shelters and slept under the stars to remember God's provision in the wilderness. Huge oil lamps burned through the night at the temple, lighting up all of Jerusalem. It was the biggest gathering of the year, which is exactly why Jesus' brothers thought it was the perfect moment for him to go public. Judea represented the center of religious and political power, and moving there was a significant step — one Jesus knew would ultimately lead to the cross.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(30–45 minutes)
Work through as many questions as time allows. Questions are organized by the sermon's three main themes. Feel free to skip questions or linger longer where your group connects most.
THEME 1: Don't Let People or Pressure Rush God's Timing
(Questions 1–3)
1. What stood out to you most from Sunday's message — a story, a phrase, a scripture, or an idea? Why did it catch your attention?
[Leader Tip]: This is a great opening question because there's no wrong answer. It helps you gauge what resonated with different people in your group and naturally surfaces multiple angles of the sermon. Give everyone who wants to share a chance to respond briefly before moving on.
2. Pastor Josh described two kinds of pressure that can cause us to rush God's timing: pressure from other people and pressure we put on ourselves. Which of those tends to be harder for you to resist, and what does that pressure usually sound like in your life?
(Follow-up if discussion stalls: "What season of life or area — career, relationships, finances, family — do you feel that pressure most?")
3. In the passage, Jesus' own brothers — who didn't even believe in him yet — were pushing him to go public. How does it complicate things when the pressure to rush comes from people who love us or are close to us? What makes that kind of pressure especially hard to navigate?
[Leader Tip]: This question can surface some tender dynamics — family expectations, well-meaning friends, church community pressure. Create space for honesty without letting it become a venting session. You might gently redirect with: "What does it look like to hold boundaries with people we love while still honoring them?"
THEME 2: Knowing Who I Am Determines When and What I Do
(Questions 4–6)
4. Pastor Josh pointed out that Jesus said, "My time is not yet here; for you, any time will do." He wasn't being harsh — he was pointing out that his brothers didn't have the same mission he did. How does knowing your purpose or calling help you make decisions about timing? What happens when we don't have a clear sense of that?
5. The sermon introduced two Greek words for time: Kronos (linear, clock time) and Kairos (God's appointed time). Jesus was operating in Kairos — on assignment from his Father. What's the difference between living by the clock and living by a sense of calling? What would it look like in your daily life to be more aware of God's appointed moments?
[Leader Tip]: Some people in your group may not be familiar with these Greek terms — that's totally fine. The concept is simple: there's the time on the clock, and then there's God's time. You might ask, "Has there ever been a moment that felt like it was clearly God's timing rather than just coincidence or good planning?" This makes the concept accessible and personal.
6. Pastor Josh used the story of David in 1 Samuel 24 — where David had the chance to kill King Saul in a cave but held back. Read the passage below, then discuss: What was David actually resisting in that moment, and what does his restraint reveal about his identity and trust in God?
1 Samuel 24:4–7 (NIV) "The men said, 'This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, "I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish."' Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe. Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, 'The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.' With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went on his way."
(Follow-up: "Pastor Josh said, 'Doing the right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.' Do you agree with that? Can you think of an example from your own life?")
THEME 3: The Time Is Always Right for Obedience
(Questions 7–9)
7. At the end of the passage, Jesus goes to the festival — but not the way his brothers suggested. He goes quietly, in secret, after hearing from his Father. What does this tell us about the relationship between waiting on God's timing and actually moving in obedience? How do you know when it's time to wait and when it's time to act?
*8. Pastor Josh said: "So many of us are praying into when or what or who in the future, and I sense God's question to us may be more along the lines of: What are you going to do with what I've already told you?" How does that land with you? Is there something God has already made clear in Scripture or in your life that you've been slow to act on?*
[Leader Tip]: This question invites genuine self-reflection and can prompt meaningful, vulnerable sharing. Don't rush past it. If the group goes quiet, that's okay — give people a moment to think. You might share something brief and honest from your own life to model vulnerability before asking others to respond.
9. The sermon referenced two specific scriptures about everyday obedience. Read them below and discuss: What's one concrete, practical way you could live out one of these passages this week?
Proverbs 3:27 (NIV) "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act."
1 John 3:17 (NIV) "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?"
(Follow-up: "Is there someone who comes to mind when you read those verses? What's one small step of obedience you could take toward them?")
PERSONAL APPLICATION
(10–15 minutes)
These questions are for quieter, more personal reflection. You can invite people to share with the group, pair up with one other person, or simply sit with these privately for a moment.
1. Which of the three principles from Sunday's message do you most need right now?
- Don't let people or pressure rush God's timing
- Knowing who I am determines when and what I do
- The time is always right for obedience
What's one specific situation in your life where that principle applies?
2. Pastor Josh described a season in his 20s where he was running hard after a self-imposed finish line — busy and striving, but not necessarily in step with God. Can you relate to a season like that? What did it cost you, and what did you learn from it?
3. Is there an area of your life where you've been waiting for more clarity from God before you act — but the truth is, God has already spoken and you're waiting on yourself? What would it look like to take one step of obedience this week, even without all the answers?
4. Pastor Josh mentioned that "one of the quickest ways to start hearing the audible voice of God is to start living out the written voice of God." What's your current relationship with Scripture? Is it a place you go regularly for direction, or does it feel more distant right now?
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Choose one (or more) that fits where you are:
🕐 For those feeling pressured or rushed: Write down the name of the person or the pressure that's been pushing you to rush a decision or season. Pray over it this week, releasing it to God. Consider pinning it to a cross or writing it in a journal as a physical act of surrender.
📖 For those wanting to grow in obedience: Pick one verse from this week's discussion — Proverbs 3:27 or 1 John 3:17 — and identify one specific person or situation where you can act on it before your group meets again.
🙏 For those seeking clarity about identity and calling: Spend 10 minutes this week in quiet prayer asking God: "Who have you made me to be, and what assignment have you placed on my life right now?" Write down whatever comes to mind — no filter, no editing.
💬 For those who are new to faith or exploring: If Sunday's message stirred something in you — a question, a longing, a sense that God might be speaking — reach out to your group leader or a trusted friend this week. You don't have to have it all figured out. Just take one step toward the conversation.
PRAYER FOCUS
(5–10 minutes)
Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a whole group, break into pairs, or have one person lead. Use the prompts below as a guide.
Suggested Prayer Topics:
Surrender: Pray for any areas where your group members are feeling pressure to rush ahead of God's timing. Ask God for peace and patience to trust his appointed moments.
Identity: Pray that each person in the group would grow in their understanding of who God has made them to be — and that that identity would shape their decisions and their sense of calling.
Obedience: Ask God to bring to mind one specific step of obedience each person can take this week, and for the courage to actually do it.
Youth and Next Generation: Following the opening word shared about summer camp, pray for the students attending — that they would encounter God's presence in a way that shapes the rest of their lives.
New Believers: If anyone in your group made a decision to follow Jesus recently (including this past Sunday), take a moment to celebrate and pray over them specifically.
Suggested Closing Prayer (for facilitators who'd like a guide):
"Father, thank you for the reminder that you are always on time — even when it doesn't feel that way to us. Help us to stop running after things you haven't called us to yet, and to stop holding back from things you've already made clear. Give us the same confidence Jesus had — rooted in who you say we are, not in what the world around us is saying. Show us what obedience looks like this week in our everyday lives. And for anyone in this group still figuring out who you are and what you're doing — meet them right where they are. In Jesus' name, amen."
OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE
For groups with extra time or who want to explore further
Deep Dive 1: The Festival of Tabernacles and Its Symbolism
The Festival of Tabernacles (also called Sukkot) was deeply meaningful to Jewish people — it commemorated God's provision and presence during Israel's 40 years in the wilderness. The giant oil lamps burning through the night at the temple were a symbol of the pillar of fire that guided Israel. Later in John 7 and 8, Jesus stands up at this very festival and declares: "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12) and "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink" (John 7:37-38).
Discussion: Why is it significant that Jesus chose this festival to make those declarations? What does it say about how Jesus saw himself in relation to Israel's history and God's story? How does understanding that context change the way you read his words?
Deep Dive 2: Identity Before Activity
Pastor Josh said: "We live in a culture that celebrates the exact opposite — we pursue activity as a means to answering the question, 'Who am I?'"
Read these two passages and discuss the contrast:
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Romans 12:2 (NIV) "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Discussion: According to these passages, what comes first — identity or activity? How does the world's approach to identity differ from the biblical one? What does it look like practically to let who you are drive what you do, rather than the reverse?
Deep Dive 3: When Waiting Looks Like Inaction
Jesus stayed in Galilee even when his brothers pushed him to go. David held back even when his men said the moment was God-given. But both eventually moved — Jesus went to the festival, and David eventually became king.
Discussion: How do you discern the difference between godly waiting (trusting God's timing) and fearful avoidance (using "waiting on God" as an excuse not to act)? What guardrails, practices, or relationships help you tell the difference in your own life?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Related Scriptures for Further Study:
- Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 — "There is a time for everything..."
- Isaiah 40:31 — "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength..."
- Psalm 27:14 — "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart..."
- Galatians 4:4–5 — "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son..."
- James 1:2–5 — On patience and wisdom in difficult seasons
FACILITATOR CHECKLIST
Before your group meets, make sure you have:
- Read through the full guide and marked which questions you'll use
- Read John 7:1–13 in your own Bible for context
- Prayed for your group members by name
- Printed or shared the guide digitally with your group
- Identified one or two questions you're personally wrestling with (authentic leadership invites authentic sharing)
- Noted the time and planned which sections to prioritize if you're running short
This discussion guide was prepared for Sea Coast Church small groups based on the sermon "God's Timing: Living Under Assignment" from John 7:1–13. For questions about small groups or to connect with a group, text CONNECT to 320-320 or visit ccoast.org.