Small Group Discussion Guide

"Signs of the End Times" — Pastor Mirek Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Mirek Hufton walked the congregation through the major prophetic signs pointing to the nearness of Christ's return, drawing primarily from Matthew 24. He highlighted the miraculous rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948, the rising aggression of nations like Russia and China, and the growing lawlessness and persecution of Christians worldwide as clear markers of the end times. He challenged the group to examine whether their lives are genuinely ready for the return of Jesus, reminding us that how we live now has direct bearing on eternity.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

3. ICE BREAKER

What is one news story from the past month that made you stop and think about the state of the world? Share it briefly without going too deep into the politics of it.

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Question 1 Pastor Mirek described the rebirth of Israel in 1948 as the number one sign of the end times, calling it second only to the resurrection of Jesus Christ in terms of supernatural significance. Why do you think so many Christians are largely unaware of or indifferent to the prophetic importance of Israel as a nation? How does understanding Israel's role in prophecy change the way you read current events?

Question 2 Pastor Mirek drew a distinction between receiving salvation by grace through faith and the sovereignty of God in end-times events, saying the rapture and the prophetic timetable are unstoppable regardless of human opinion or belief. How does holding both truths together — that faith changes things in our lives AND that God's sovereign plan is fixed — affect the way you approach daily life and prayer?

Question 3 He pointed to the lawlessness of the age, referencing Romans 1:28 and the idea of a reprobate or debased mind that grows increasingly numb to sin. Where do you personally notice the boundaries between right and wrong becoming blurred in the culture around you, and how do you guard your own thinking from absorbing that same numbness over time?

Question 4 Pastor Mirek expressed concern that many pulpits today focus almost entirely on encouragement and motivation while avoiding the kind of correction and reproof that 2 Timothy 4 calls for. In your experience, how do you personally receive correction from Scripture? Is there a difference between feeling judged and feeling genuinely convicted, and how do you tell the two apart?

Question 5 He used the parable of the ten virgins to raise the question of readiness, noting that all ten believed but only five were truly prepared when the bridegroom arrived. Without pointing fingers at anyone else, what does genuine spiritual readiness look like in your own life right now? What is one area where you sense you may be running low on oil?

Question 6 Pastor Mirek closed by linking the global spread of the gospel through technology and translation work to the nearness of Christ's return, saying we are closing the gap on the final 3 billion people who have never heard the good news. How does knowing that the preaching of the gospel to all nations is one of the final signs before the end motivate or reshape your view of your own role in that mission, even from where you live right now?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, choose one specific and concrete way to participate in the global spread of the gospel. This could mean financially supporting a missionary or ministry working in an unreached area, sharing a clear and personal account of your faith with one person you interact with regularly, or spending fifteen minutes each day this week praying specifically by name for a nation where Christians face active persecution. Come back to the group next week prepared to share what you did and what it stirred in you.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for the persecuted church worldwide, particularly believers in nations where following Jesus carries a daily cost, asking God to sustain their faith, protect their families, and use their witness to bring others to Christ.

• Pray for personal readiness, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any area of compromise, spiritual coldness, or distraction that may be keeping group members from living fully surrendered lives in this critical season.

• Pray for the remaining unreached peoples of the earth, that God would raise up workers for the harvest and use every available resource — including technology, translation, and personal witness — to bring the gospel to every nation before the Lord returns.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."