By Dan Lentz

1. What are you doing today that you did not expect to be doing five years ago? What are you not doing today that you expected to be doing by this time? 

Read Luke 1:26-40.

2. From reading these verses, do you think Mary and Elizabeth expected to be a part of God’s plan? What surprises you about Mary’s reaction to the news from the angel?

3. Putting yourself in Mary and Joseph’s position, what thoughts and emotions are running through your mind?

4. When the Lord puts you in an unexpected position or asks you to do something for which you are not prepared, how do you typically respond? (Examples may include nervousness, excitement, or disbelief.)

5. What unexpected thing has the Lord asked you to do in the past year?

6. What do you think the Lord has asked this group to do?

7. As a group, pray for those things the Lord has asked you to do, both expected things (simple obedience to his Word), and the unexpected things (change in relationships, vocational changes, moves, and so on).

Dan Lentz works for the Small Group Network in Whitestown, Indiana.

For more small group ministry resources, visit www.smallgroups.com.