1. God’s Process – An opportunity for action

From the beginning, man was called to responsible action. We were given the freedom to accept or reject God’s plan. God gave Adam and Eve responsibility with consequences so that they could demonstrate their alliance with Him through their obedience to Him.

Read: Genesis 2:15-17

· What was the nature of man’s original responsibilities?

· Why was a test or restriction given?

Read: Genesis 5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5-6

· In which ways was Enoch living in accordance to God’s desired purpose for man?

Read: Genesis 6:1-7:7; Hebrews 11:7

· What placed Noah in God’s favour?

Read: Genesis 12:1-9, 13:14-18, 15:1-21, 17:1-27, 18:1-15, 21:1-7, 22:1-18; Hebrews 11:8-19

· What was God’s desire for Abraham?

· What was the nature of the test that God gave Abraham?

Read: Hebrews 11:20-40

· Which tests were given to each person to provide an opportunity for them to respond in faith and obedience towards God?       

· In which manner are “tests” meaningful to our spiritual development?

2. God’s Process – Action demonstrates devoted faith

Read: James 2:14-26; Hebrews 11:1

· Is faith alone enough?

· What is the biblical definition of faith?

Read: James 4:17

· How far will knowledge carry us?

· Is it enough just to know?

3. God’s Process – A place of struggle and making right

Read: James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5

· What benefit can a test (difficult situation, problems and temptations) have for us?

· What must the outcome of these tests amount to?

Read: Hebrews 12:5-13

· Why does God correct and chastise us?

Read: 1 Peter 1:6-9, 4:1-2, 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:10; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 8:17-39

· What benefit do we gain from struggling?

Read: The book of Job

· What was the purpose of Job’s struggles? (Job 23:10)

· What was the outcome of this process? (James 5:10-11)

4. The Wilderness – A unique environment for personal growth

A wilderness learning experience was part of the life experiences of men and women of faith.

A. Moses

Read: Exodus 2:11-4:31

· Why did Moses need an experience that removed him from Egypt?

· Name some of the key experiences Moses had in the wilderness that prepared him for his future leadership role?

· What were the changes that happened to Moses because of those experiences?

B. The Israelites

Read: Exodus 5:1-3

· Why did the Lord request Pharaoh to allow his people to go and worship in the wilderness?

Read: Exodus 14:5-31, 15:1-21

· What did the Red Sea experience teach the Israelites?

Read: Exodus 15:22-27, 16:1-36, 17:1-7, Numbers 11:4-35, 20:1-13, 21:4-9

· What did the Israelites learn from the shortage of food and water in the wilderness?

Read: Exodus 32-35, 33:1-23, 40:34-38; Numbers 11:4-5

· Reflect on Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:11-13

· Was the wilderness needed to provide lessons learnt for the Israelites?

Read: Exodus 19:1-25, 20:1-27, 24:1-18, 34:1-36

· Why did God choose to reveal Himself in the way he did on Mount Sinai?

C. Elijah

Read: 1 Kings 17:1-24, 19:1-21

· Why did God lead Elijah into this wilderness experience?

· How was Elijah enriched through the wilderness experience?

D. David

Read: 1 Samuel 17:12-58

· What did David learn from his wilderness experience which prepared him for his responsibilities later in his life?

Read: Psalms 104

· What did David learn from nature?

E. John the Baptist

Read: Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-18

· What is the meaning of the voice that is calling from the wilderness?

· What is the relation between John’s lifestyle and his message?

F. Jesus

Read: Mathew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13

· What was the purpose of Christ’s wilderness experience?

· Why did it need to happen in the wilderness?

· What was the significance to Jesus?

Read: Mathew 14:23-33

· For what purpose did Jesus used the wilderness during his lifetime?

G. As we know, individual and group growth can happen in numerous ways, not only in the wilderness

· Explain the different environments that can facilitate growth in us?

· Which environment is God using now to grow greater maturity in you?

5. Personal Assignment

Use the above study as a basis to develop a short summary of what you can learn from wilderness experiences.