From Intangible To Tangible

Small Group Discussion Guide

Message by Pastor Linda Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Linda Hufton opened by challenging the congregation to look more closely at words in Scripture that can seem vague or purely emotional — words like mercy, goodness, grace, and peace — and to discover that each one is a powerful action word describing not only who God is but what He actively does in the lives of believers. She explored the Hebrew word chesed (often translated "mercy" or "loving kindness") and showed that it carries the meaning of good deeds, providential action, and a force that literally surrounds, fetches, and brings about change in a believer's circumstances. Pastor Linda closed by calling the group to examine how negative speech, worry, and doubt can hinder the mercy and goodness of God from operating freely, and she challenged everyone to actively invite those forces to work by choosing trust over fear every single day.

2. KEY SCRIPTURES

Psalm 32:10 — "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him."

Romans 4:17 — "As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations, in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did."

Hebrews 11:1 — "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

3. ICE BREAKER

Think of a time when something worked out in your favor in a way that felt almost too perfectly timed to be a coincidence. Without going into too much detail, share what you thought at the moment it happened.

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Question 1 — Getting Into the Text Pastor Linda pointed out that many believers tend to read words like "mercy" and "grace" and treat them as pleasant-sounding sentiments rather than active forces. Why do you think it is easy to let familiar religious language lose its weight? Has a word or phrase from Scripture ever suddenly come alive for you in a new way? What changed your understanding of it?

Question 2 — Mercy as Action Pastor Linda unpacked the Hebrew word chesed and described mercy not as pity or pardon alone, but as loving kindness expressed through deeds — something that surrounds a person, goes out on their behalf, and brings back what is needed. How does that picture of mercy change the way you think about asking God for help? Does it make it easier or harder to trust Him, and why?

Question 3 — Trust as the Activator The sermon made clear that Psalm 32:10 places the condition of trust before the promise of mercy surrounding a person. Pastor Linda was honest that trusting God — genuinely believing He will come through — is often the hardest part. Where in your own life do you find it most difficult to trust God right now, and what tends to make that trust harder to hold onto?

Question 4 — Words and the Direction of Mercy Pastor Linda challenged the group to consider whether our everyday speech invites mercy and goodness to draw near or actually pushes them away. She noted that complaint, worry, and negative talk reflect a lack of trust and can hinder what God is trying to do. Without being legalistic about it, how does what comes out of your mouth on an average day reflect what you actually believe about God's goodness? What patterns have you noticed in yourself?

Question 5 — Goodness and Mercy Following Pastor Linda drew attention to Psalm 23:6 and asked a pointed question: if goodness and mercy are surely following every believer every day, why do they sometimes feel so far behind? She suggested they are always available but need to be called upon through faith. Can you think of a season in your life when, looking back, you could see that goodness and mercy had in fact been at work even when you could not see it at the time? What did that reveal to you about how God operates?

Question 6 — Faith, Hope, and the Intangible Pastor Linda referenced Hebrews 11:1 and the insight that faith is the substance — the material reality — of the things we hope for. She argued that hope is not a lesser thing than faith but that the two work together. How does understanding faith as the substance of hope change the way you pray for something you have not yet seen? Does it give you more freedom or does it raise new questions?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

Pastor Linda set herself a personal challenge beginning May 1st to deliberately remove negativity — complaint, worry, doubt, and strife — from her daily speech for one full month. This week, the group is invited to take a smaller, specific version of that challenge. Each person should identify one recurring negative statement they tend to make — whether about a circumstance, a relationship, a health issue, or a financial concern — and commit to replacing it with a single declaration of trust every time that thought or statement arises. Write the replacement statement down, keep it visible, and come back next week ready to share what you noticed.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that each group member would develop a genuine, deepening trust in God's goodness and that mercy would actively surround their specific circumstances this week, particularly in areas where breakthroughs feel long overdue.

• Pray for an increased awareness of the connection between words, thoughts, and the movement of God's mercy and goodness, asking God to help each person catch themselves before speaking in ways that reflect doubt rather than faith.

• Pray for anyone in the group who is waiting on an answer to a long-standing prayer, that they would hold onto the truth that God is already working — fetching, causing, creating, and bringing about a providential turn of affairs on their behalf.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 37:5 — "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."