Small Group Discussion Guide

"End Times: Are You Ready For The Day?"

Pastor Mirek Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Mirek Hufton opened a new series on end times prophecy, reminding the congregation that approximately 28% of Scripture is prophetic in nature and that God's Word was given in part to serve as a signpost, warning believers to pay attention to the times they are living in. He walked through the signs of the last days, including rising persecution of Christians, global conflict, deception within the church, and a culture that increasingly calls good evil and evil good. He challenged every person present to examine whether they are living a consecrated, watchful life, ready for the day when Jesus appears to gather his own.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Matthew 24:44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

3. ICE BREAKER

If you knew a major surprise was coming sometime in the next year but had no idea exactly when, what is one area of your life you would want to make sure was in order before it arrived?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Signposts and Awareness Pastor Mirek compared the signs of the times to road signs that warn drivers of what lies ahead. He said these signs are not meant to frighten us but to prompt us to pay attention and adjust how we are living. What signs do you personally notice in the world around you that cause you to think, "Something significant is happening"? How do you normally respond to those observations, with concern, curiosity, or something else?

2. Calling Good Evil and Evil Good He drew from Isaiah 5 and described a culture that has increasingly reversed moral categories, calling what God calls good "evil" and what God calls evil "good." Where do you see this reversal showing up most clearly in everyday life, in media, in workplaces, in conversations with family or friends? How do you navigate those moments without losing either your convictions or your compassion for the people involved?

3. The Days of Noah Pastor Mirek spent significant time on the parallel between Noah's generation and our own, noting that Noah preached righteousness for roughly a hundred years while the culture around him was filled with violence, perversion, and complete disregard for God. Genesis 6:5 says every intent of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually. What do you think it would have felt like to be Noah, faithfully building and preaching while everyone around him ignored the warning? In what ways does that situation feel familiar to you today?

4. The Blessed Hope Titus 2:13 calls the return of Christ "the blessed hope." Pastor Mirek described the rapture not as a frightening event for the believer but as the greatest hope available to the human heart. In honest terms, does the prospect of Christ's return feel more like a source of hope and joy to you, or does it feel distant and hard to connect with emotionally? What do you think shapes that response?

5. Consecration and Readiness He was direct in saying that a person cannot habitually live for the world and expect to be ready when Christ comes. He pointed to the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were left behind not because they lacked knowledge but because they were not prepared. Without pointing fingers at anyone else, what does a genuinely consecrated life look like in the ordinary routines of a week? What tends to pull you away from that kind of readiness most consistently?

6. Living with Purpose in the Last Days Pastor Mirek closed by saying that awareness of the end times should produce three things in a believer: a consecrated life, a heart for evangelism, and a commitment to missions. He referenced Luke 21:28, "Look up, lift up your head, because your redemption draws near." What would it look like practically for your group, your family, or your personal daily life to carry that kind of upward, forward-looking posture this week?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

Before the group meets again, identify one person in your life who does not yet know Christ and take one deliberate step toward that relationship this week. This does not need to be a full gospel conversation. It might mean sending a text to check in, inviting them to coffee, or simply committing to pray for them by name every day for seven days. Come back next week ready to share what happened or what you noticed when you made that person a priority.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for boldness and clarity for your group members to live visibly different lives in a culture that increasingly rejects God's standards, so that the people around them see something worth asking about.

• Pray for the persecuted church worldwide, particularly for the thousands of Christians in Northern Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other regions where believers are being killed for their faith. Ask God to strengthen them, protect them, and use even their suffering to draw more people to Christ.

• Pray that each person in the group would cultivate genuine readiness for Christ's return, not out of fear but out of love for him, and that this series would produce lasting change in how the group thinks, prays, and engages the world around them.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Luke 21:28 "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."