You may wish to have the following for your session:
- Paper and pens for your group.
Ready for Impact (10 minutes)
Catch up on how things have been since the last time your Impact Group met. Allow anyone new to introduce themselves. Then ask group members:
- Talk about a time when you felt out of your depth in a situation. How did you feel? What did you do?
Ask for a volunteer to read Exodus 3:1-17 to the group, praying a short prayer that – however much they’ve come to know Jesus, they’d get to know him better because of your time together.
Impacted by the Word (25 minutes)
Watch the first part of the video.
Download this video to watch offline or read the transcript here.
As we meet him at the beginning of chapter 3, Moses has been away from Egypt for 40 years and spends his days as a shepherd.
- As he wakes that morning to lead his flock, what might Moses be thinking about? How might he be feeling?
Moses’ normal day is interrupted as God appears to him in a burning bush.
- In verses 2-6, what strikes you about how God shows himself to Moses?
- In verses 7-8, we see the ways God responds to his people’s suffering. What does this tell us about what God is like?
God is compassionate and powerful and so he commands Moses to go and free his people.
- How do you think Moses would have felt as he heard God’s command in verse 10?
Moses felt weak compared to Pharaoh, he thought he didn't know enough, and he hated the idea of public speaking.
- To what extent do you sympathise with Moses’ fears and reluctance?
Now watch the second part of the video.
Download this video to watch offline or read the transcript here.
In response to God’s call, Moses objects. Moses tells God why he can’t do what is being asked of him.
- Scan over verses 10-17. What strikes you about how God meets Moses in his fears?
- In verse 14, God reminds Moses that he is entirely consistent and dependable. Why do you think Moses needed this reassurance?
Jesus has a similar interaction with his followers as he calls them to share his message of freedom with the world.
- Read Matthew 28:16-20. Where do you see echoes of Moses’ story?
God could have freed his people without Moses and without Jesus’ followers.
- What do we learn about God through the way he chooses to free his people?
Exodus 3 opens with Moses noticing a burning bush. That wasn’t particularly unusual. Bramble bushes often catch fire in the desert. Yet there’s something unusual about this bush.
Flames normally get their energy from fuel—from whatever is being burnt. Once the fuel’s exhausted, the flame dies. All that’s left is a pile of ash.
Yet, as this bush burns, it is not being consumed. Somehow the flame has life in itself.
The reason the burning bush isn’t being consumed is because of who is present in it. The flame, that doesn’t need anything to sustain it, mirrors the one speaking from the bush, who doesn’t need anyone to sustain him.
God lacks nothing. Like the flame in the bush, he’s not needy. He has everything he needs in himself. As the flame burns, God is showing Moses that he is holy, glorious and dependent on no-one.
When we realise that this is what God is like, we should be even more amazed that he wants to use people like Moses – and each of us.
In verse 13, Moses asks who he should say has sent him. God replies, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Normally when we use the phrase ‘I am’, it refers to something else – I am a student, I am an artist, I am his daughter. But when God uses the phrase ‘I AM’ to describe himself, he is making a statement of self-sufficiency and dependence on no-one and nothing else. He is the eternally constant, entirely dependable God. Because his will does not hinge on circumstances or on others, he will accomplish everything he wills.
The Hebrew phrase ‘I am’ is linguistically related to God’s name, Yahweh, often translated in English Bibles as ‘the LORD’ (with capital letters). Whenever we see ‘the LORD’, we can remember that God is entirely consistent and sovereign, and that he always keeps his promises.
When Jesus claimed the title ‘I AM’ for himself (John 8:58), he was implicitly claiming to be the one that Moses met at the burning bush.
For more, see the Impact Group session: How Ordinary People Encounter Eternity
Impacting the University (5 minutes)
God calls Moses to action. As God reminds Moses of who he is, Moses remains fearful but makes a first step to obey.
Despite their fears, followers of Jesus are called to make an impact in the places that God has placed them. Within groups of friends, in university departments or as parts of uni societies, God chooses to use their words and deeds to reflect him.
Ask a few members from your group to share:
- Where do you think God is calling you to step out and impact the university? Does anything about that call make you feel fearful?
Keep these situations in mind as we move onto the next section.
Impacting our Hearts (10 minutes)
God’s call on our lives can cause us to feel afraid and weak. In Moses’ fear, and in our fears, God reminds us of who He is.
- On a piece of paper, write down all the things that God says about himself in verses 1-17.
Moses begins to see things differently because of his encounter with God.
- Pick one of the things God says about himself. How would it transform your experience of fear if you knew that this is what God is like?
Spend some time praying in response to your discussions.
Wrap-up – TACOS 🌮
Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.
Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.
Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?
Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.
See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or just hanging out in the meantime!