Scripture: Ruth 1: 6-18, 22
Main Themes: Hidden hope, hospitality, faithfulness, courage, and God’s presence in everyday actions
Discussion Questions:
1. Reflection on Ruth’s Story:
• Ruth is introduced as a Moabite and an outsider. How does her background shape the way you read her story?
• Naomi’s lament reveals her bitterness and grief. What do her emotions teach us about faith in times of struggle?
2. Faithfulness and Courage:
• Ruth’s vow to Naomi—“Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge”—is often celebrated. What does this declaration teach us about loyalty and selflessness?
• Ruth chose to stay with Naomi despite the hardships ahead. Can you think of a time when you or someone else made a courageous choice out of love or faithfulness?
3. Hospitality and Inclusion:
• Pastor Mark noted that Ruth is the foreigner, the outsider, and yet she shows the very hospitality others might deny her. How can Ruth’s story challenge us to welcome and honor those who are different from us?
• How does Ruth’s inclusion in Jesus’ genealogy change how you think about God’s work through people society might overlook?
4. God in Everyday Actions:
• Ruth didn’t act for recognition but out of love and faithfulness. What does her story teach us about how God works through ordinary acts of kindness and care?
• Pastor Mark compared God to the mother in the coffee shop, quietly tending to her children. How does this image of God challenge or inspire you?
5. Applying the Sermon:
• What small acts of faithfulness or kindness can you do this week to show love to someone in your life?
• As a church, how can we better reflect the hidden hope and hospitality demonstrated by Ruth?
