Forsaken

Sermon Notes June 9 , 2019 Psalm 27:7-14 Short Review Review the main points of the morning message. Focus on: How do parents forsake their children, and how does the Lord take them up? Some Questions for Discussion: 1. Begin by asking a. Did you write down any ideas or topics you want to talk about, questions you have? b. Is there something which the Lord applied to your life this morning which you’d be willing to share? 2. What does a child who is “forsaken” by his or her parents feel? How does it affect that child’s life? 3. Read (parts of) the account in I Samuel 16:1-11. a. How might David have felt being the only one left out of the line-up? b. Were there favorites in your family as you grew up? (How did that affect things?) 4. Read about David’s response to the rape of his daughter in II Samuel 13:21-22. (The whole story in this chapter might bear repeating.) What was wrong with his response? What affect, do you suppose, this had on Tamar? [We know it led to rebellion from Absalom, Tamar’s brother, as subsequent chapters point out.] 5. Is what is happening in our nation, in terms of abuse of children, worse than before? What do you think: a. Is child abuse of various kinds worse? Why? b. Is sexual abuse in the church (various kinds of church – Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist ++) something new, or is it worse now? Why? What should we do? c. Have changes in our culture affected this? In what way? [Or is this part of human nature and has always been with us?] 6. Talk about the challenges and possibilities for healing presented by the following for men and women who have been abused: [How does Scripture guide you in your evaluation?] a. Revisit the past, face the evil, feel the pain and loss b. Forgive the abuser c. Ignore what has happened – focus on pleasant memories 7. How would you advise a brother and sister in this situation to “wait on the Lord” (27:14) in practical ways? 8. There might be some here who, for various reasons, feel ‘forsaken’ by their mother or father. How can we pray for them – or for you? 9. How can we pray for one another in response to the word today?