The Purpose of a Man:
Lessons from the Book of Job

Description: In this 5-week small group, we will dive deep into the timeless wisdom of the Book of Job, exploring what it means to pursue a purposeful life despite the inevitable challenges and suffering we encounter. Through Job's journey, we’ll confront questions of faith, friendship, world views, problem solving, and resilience, discovering how we can live the life God has called us to live with our modern struggles.

Small Group 1: Introduction and Chapters 1-2

Reading: Job 1-2 (Prologue: Job’s Character, His Testing, and His Initial Response)

  • Icebreaker Question: If you had to describe your perfect day, what would it look like?

  • Discussion Questions:

    1. How would you describe Job's character and relationship with God at the beginning of the book?

    2. Why do you think God allowed Satan to test Job in such severe ways?

    3. How does Job's initial response to suffering challenge or resonate with your understanding of faith?

    4. Application Question: In what ways does Job’s steadfastness in the face of suffering challenge you to think about your life’s purpose? How does it shape your view of faith during trials? What would you say is Job’s purpose in life? What’s yours?

Small Group 2: Chapter 3

Reading: Job 3 (Job's Lament)

  • Icebreaker Question: What’s your favorite comfort food or activity when you’re having a tough day?

  • Discussion Questions:

    1. What emotions and thoughts does Job express in his lament, and how do they differ from his response in the first two chapters?

    2. How does Job’s lament reflect the human experience of suffering? Have you ever felt similarly?

    3. What role do lament and honest expression of pain have in a relationship with God?

    4. Application Question: How can we integrate Job’s vulnerability and honesty with God into our understanding of life’s purpose, especially when we face pain and uncertainty?

Small Group 3: Chapters 4-14

Reading: Job 4-14 (First Cycle of Speeches: Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Job's Responses)

  • Icebreaker Question: What’s a piece of advice you’ve received that made a difference in your life?

  • Discussion Questions:

    1. What are the main arguments presented by Job’s friends, and how do they view suffering and divine justice?

    2. How does Job respond to his friends' advice, and what does this reveal about his evolving perspective on his suffering?

    3. How can well-meaning advice sometimes be harmful rather than helpful in times of suffering?

    4. Application Question: How do the responses of Job’s friends challenge you to reflect on how you approach others’ suffering? How can we align our advice with a sense of purpose and understanding in life?

Small Group 4: Chapters 15-28

Reading: Job 15-28 (Second and Third Cycles of Speeches and Job’s Defense)

  • Icebreaker Question: If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

  • Discussion Questions:

    1. How do the arguments between Job and his friends intensify in these chapters? What themes emerge as central to their debates?

    2. In Job’s defense of his innocence, what insights do we gain about his relationship with God and his understanding of justice?

    3. What do you think of Job’s speech in chapter 28, where he reflects on the nature of wisdom? How does it shift the conversation?

    4. Application Question: How does Job’s pursuit of wisdom in the face of suffering speak to our life’s purpose? How can we seek wisdom in our own lives, especially during challenging times?

Small Group 5: Chapters 29-42

Reading: Job 29-42 (Job’s Final Defense, God’s Response, and Epilogue)

  • Icebreaker Question: What’s a recent accomplishment or experience that made you feel grateful?

  • Discussion Questions:

    1. How does Job's final speech (Chapters 29-31) summarize his struggle, and what is his final plea to God?

    2. What is the significance of God’s response to Job out of the whirlwind (Chapters 38-41), and how does it reframe the entire story?

    3. How does the epilogue (Chapter 42) resolve the story? What lessons do you take away from the Book of Job about suffering, faith, and divine justice?

    4. Application Question: How does God’s response to Job, and the resolution of the story, help you think about your life’s purpose in the context of faith and trust in God’s greater plan?