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HERE WE ARE. SEND US.
WEEK 2 - CHRIS PERSTROPE
THE OVERTIME
We're going into OVERTIME.
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The Overtime is a new podcast from Connect Church STL where we go beyond the Sunday message, have honest conversations, ask the questions that come up along the way, and hear stories from people who have seen God move in their lives.
GROUP CHAT
Want to go deeper in the message? We have just the study for you! Each week, we offer a video, along with discussion questions! You can do this study by yourself, with a friend, or even your family! You'll find those questions below!
Isaiah 6:1-9 | "Sent, Not Stuck"
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This week's message walked us through one of the most packed passages in all of Scripture. In just eight or nine verses, Isaiah 6 gives us everything we need to understand life, God, and ourselves. The big idea is simple but demanding: there are 7 truths we need to be sent, not stuck. Death is certain. God is in charge. He is holy. We are broken. God offers grace. God speaks. God sends.
OVERVIEW
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BIG IDEA:
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Death is certain — The death of King Uzziah marked a major turning point for Judah. Every major transition in life, whether a loss, a life stage ending, or a relationship changing, is a reminder that nothing on earth is permanent.
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God is in charge — While earthly thrones change hands, God's throne is permanently occupied. Every unknown is an opportunity to either get stuck in anxiety or choose to trust the One who is always in charge.
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God is perfectly holy — The triple declaration of holiness is the only instance in all of Scripture where an attribute of God is stated three times over. His holiness is absolute, flawless, and set apart from anything we have ever experienced.
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We are broken — When Isaiah encountered God's holiness, his immediate response was to recognize his own brokenness. The closer we get to God, the more clearly we see ourselves.
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God offers grace — The burning coal from the altar was not delivered by cold metallic tongs. It was placed personally into the seraph's hand before touching Isaiah's lips. It is always personal with God.
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God speaks — God is always speaking. The question is not whether He is speaking, but whether we are positioned to hear.
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God sends — The very first words God speaks to Isaiah are a question about who will go. Reaching lost people is God's number one concern, and every person in the room has a field where they are called to be sent.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Opening (Choose One)
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Are you a light packer or someone who needs multiple suitcases for a trip? What does your packing style say about you?
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Has there ever been a season of life that ended and hit you harder than you expected? What was that like?
Truth 1 — Death Is Certain
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In the sermon, Pastor Chris shared personal moments of grief tied to his kids growing up, like the end of a sports career or the last piano lesson. What is a season of life or a chapter that has ended for you that you had to grieve, even if it was not a physical death?
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King Uzziah reigned for 52 years. His death left Judah feeling vulnerable and uncertain. When a major source of stability in your life has been removed, how did that affect your sense of security?
Truth 2 — God Is in Charge
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Pastor Chris offered several personal versions of Isaiah 6:1, such as "In the year my marriage failed" or "In the year I lost everything, I saw the Lord." How would you fill in that blank for your own life?
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What is one area of your life right now where it is hardest to believe that God is in charge? What would it look like to choose that truth over your current feelings?
Truth 3 — God Is Perfectly Holy
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The seraphim covered their eyes and their feet as a declaration that they were unworthy to behold or stand in God's presence. How does that image shape the way you think about approaching God?
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The message described God's holiness as "unimaginable flawless perfection times three." In practical terms, how does a deeper understanding of God's holiness change the way you live day to day?
Truth 4 — We Are Broken
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Isaiah's immediate response to encountering God was to declare his own brokenness. When is the last time you were genuinely confronted with your own need for God rather than your own ability to manage life?
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Pastor Chris said, "If you are too proud to be broken by God, one day you will be broken in eternity." What does it look like to allow God to break your pride before that point?
Truth 5 — God Offers Grace
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The seraph placed the coal in his hand rather than using the tongs to touch Isaiah's lips directly. The point was that God wanted the personal touch. How have you experienced God's grace as something personal rather than transactional?
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Is there an area of guilt or shame you are still carrying that you have not fully surrendered to God's grace? What is holding you back?
Truth 6 — God Speaks
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Pastor Chris mentioned, "Many of us want God to speak, but we aren't willing to submit to the process that would allow us to hear." What does that process look like for you personally, and where do you feel resistance in it?
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God speaks through His Word, His Spirit, His people, and through circumstances. Which of those four has been the most active in your life recently?
Truth 7 — God Sends
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The very first thing God says to Isaiah is a question about who will go. What does it tell you about God's heart that reaching lost people was the first thing on His agenda?
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Isaiah 6:1-8 tells us that every person has a ministry and a field, whether where you live, work, play, or go to school. What is your field right now, and are you actively showing up in it as someone who has been sent?
Putting It All Together
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Pastor Chris described a progression where people keep telling themselves they will live sent "tomorrow," whether that is after college, after the kids grow up, after retirement, or after the bucket list is finished. Where do you find yourself in that progression?
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Which of the 7 truths is the one you most need to settle in your heart right now in order to move from stuck to sent?
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
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This week, choose at least one of the following:
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Name your field. Write down the specific places you go every week, your workplace, your neighborhood, your gym, your school, your regular coffee shop. Pray over each one and ask God to show you one person in each place He wants you to be intentional with.
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Work through the 7 truths personally. Take 20 to 30 minutes alone with a journal and walk through each truth as it applies to your own life right now. Where are you in the process? Where are you stuck?
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Confess your brokenness. Find a trusted person in your group or in your life and share one area where you have been trying to carry weight on your own that belongs in God's hands.
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Respond to the question God asked Isaiah. Spend time in prayer this week and simply ask God, "Where are you sending me, and am I willing to go?" Write down what comes to mind and bring it back to your group next week.
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Memorize the big idea. Commit the 7 truths to memory: Death is certain. God is in charge. He is holy. We are broken. God offers grace. God speaks. God sends. Recite them daily as a reminder of where you stand and where you are called to go.