Make Room For The River

Small Group Discussion Guide

Based on a sermon by Pastor Chris Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Chris Hufton challenged the congregation to examine whether the river of God's Spirit is genuinely flowing through their lives or whether busyness, pride, and self-reliance have quietly blocked it. He walked through what it means to enter God's presence with humility, receive grace and mercy from His throne, and then carry that overflow outward into practical acts of love and service. He reminded the group that the fruit of the Spirit is not produced by trying harder but by staying connected to the source.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

John 7:37-39 "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."

3. ICE BREAKER

What is one sign in your daily life that tells you, before you even think about it, that you are running low on something — energy, patience, sleep, or anything else?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Point 1 — Is your river flowing? Pastor Chris described a season where, despite receiving genuine blessings from God, he found himself short-tempered, impatient with his four-year-old son, and snapping at people in his office. He recognized those as symptoms of a blocked river rather than a character flaw he needed to willpower his way through. Where in your own life right now do you notice symptoms that might be telling you your river is not flowing as freely as it once was, and how easy or difficult is it for you to be honest with yourself about that?

Point 2 — Your river needs a source He pointed out that many Christians are miserable because they attempt to produce the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness — entirely through personal effort and then carry guilt when they fall short. He said the fruit does not come from trying harder; it comes from the Spirit of God. In your experience, what is the difference between striving to be more patient or kind in your own strength versus those qualities naturally showing up because you have been close to God?

Point 3 — He is inviting you into His presence Pastor Chris emphasized that when the veil tore from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus' death, access to God's presence became available to every believer, not just to priests. He shared practical images from Revelation 1 and 4 to help people picture what it means to actually step into that throne room. What has helped you in the past to move from simply going through the motions of prayer or worship into a place where God's presence felt genuinely real to you, and what tends to pull you back out?

Point 4 — Time in His presence He described how his friend Wendell physically visualizes crossing a threshold into God's throne room as a way of focusing his full attention on being present with God rather than distracted by mental noise. He also noted that when people come before the throne, they come not with heads held high but with humility, laying down their crowns and asking for correction and instruction rather than just a list of requests. What does your current practice of spending time in God's presence actually look like on a typical week, and what is one honest obstacle that makes it harder than it sounds?

Point 5 — Obey and receive, or receive and obey Pastor Chris wrestled openly with the tension between going out in faith to obey and being filled as you go, versus pulling back into God's presence to be refilled before you go out again. He said both are necessary and that the danger is becoming so accustomed to doing the work that you are doing it from an empty vessel without recognizing the difference. How do you personally discern which season you are in — the season to step out and act, or the season to stop, withdraw, and be refilled — and what tends to happen when you misjudge that?

Point 6 — Make room for the river to flow Pastor Chris used the parable of the Good Samaritan to press the question of margin — whether there is enough space in a person's time, attention, and finances to actually respond when God prompts them to help someone in front of them. He also reflected on Jesus washing the disciples' feet as a picture of how genuine presence with God reshapes a person's willingness to take the lowest place without resentment. What is one practical area of your life — time, money, schedule, or attitude — where you sense God might be asking you to create more margin so the river has somewhere to flow?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, set aside one block of uninterrupted time of at least fifteen minutes — with your phone in another room — and practice stepping into God's presence with intentionality. Begin by giving thanks, move into praise, then sit quietly long enough to ask God one honest question about yourself and wait to hear anything He might say. At the next group meeting, come prepared to share one thing that happened during that time, even if it felt awkward or nothing dramatic occurred.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that each person in the group would develop genuine self-awareness about the condition of their own river and would have the courage to be honest rather than just going through the motions of Christian routine.

• Pray for the practical ability to create real margin — in schedules, finances, and attitudes — so that when God prompts each person to act, there is actually something to give rather than an empty vessel.

• Pray for a fresh encounter with God's presence that moves beyond familiar religious habit and produces the fruit of the Spirit naturally and visibly in everyday relationships.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."