Small Group Discussion Guide

"He's Still Coming, Part 2" — Pastor Linda Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Linda Hufton continued her series on the second coming of Jesus, focusing on God's faithful pattern of warning His people before supernatural events occur. She drew on the stories of Noah and the disciples to show that God always gives His people advance notice of what He is about to do. She challenged the group to examine their own lives in light of Christ's return and to live with greater intentionality, sobriety, and hope.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

3. ICE BREAKER

Think of a time when someone gave you an important warning just before something significant happened. How did you respond to that warning, and what was the outcome?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Point 1 — Noah Pastor Linda noted that Noah spent approximately one hundred years building the ark while preaching righteousness, and that ultimately only eight people were saved — not because God wanted it that way, but because the rest refused to believe. She connected this to today, observing that many people assume judgment cannot come in their own lifetime. Where do you see a similar tendency in yourself or in the culture around you to assume that serious consequences are always for some other time or some other generation, and what does Noah's story challenge us to do differently?

Point 2 — God Foretells What Is Coming Pastor Linda shared that God has consistently revealed His plans to His people ahead of time — through Scripture, through prophets, and through the Holy Spirit — and that He expects His people to search those revelations, believe them, and act on them. She pointed to Jesus rebuking the disciples on the road to Emmaus, saying they were "foolish and slow of heart to believe" what had already been written. In what ways might the church today be similarly slow to take seriously what Scripture has already plainly said about the return of Christ, and what habits or attitudes might be contributing to that slowness?

Point 3 — Waiting for Christ's Return Pastor Linda highlighted 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, which describes three marks of true salvation in the early church: turning from idols, serving God, and actively waiting for Christ's return. She observed that waiting for His return was considered an essential and normal part of Christian life in the early church, not an optional or fringe belief. How does actively waiting for and expecting Christ's return change the way a person makes daily decisions, and what might it look like practically to restore that sense of expectation in your own life?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, identify one specific block of time in your daily routine — particularly in the evening — that is currently filled with distraction, entertainment, or worry, and replace it with at least fifteen minutes of Scripture reading or prayer focused on the hope of Christ's return. At the next group meeting, be prepared to share one thing that shifted in your perspective during that time.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that each group member would develop a genuine, daily expectation of Christ's return that shapes how they spend their time, energy, and attention.
• Pray for boldness to share the hope of the second coming with family members, friends, and coworkers who are without that hope, just as Noah preached righteousness to his generation.
• Pray that the group would be found watchful, sober-minded, and counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man when He appears.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."