Week 1

Light in the Darkness

Aim To encourage hope in seasons of waiting, help people lift their eyes toward Jesus, and recognise how God works through ordinary lives — even in pain.

Scripture: Luke 1:5-25

1. Welcome & Settling In (5 minutes)

Opening question (easy, low-pressure):

  • As we begin Advent, what word best describes how life feels right now for you?

(Keep responses brief — this is about connection, not depth yet.)

 

2. Opening Prayer (2 minutes)

Invite someone to pray, or use this:

God of light, we come as we are — tired, hopeful, uncertain, expectant.

As we reflect together, help us to notice where you are at work,

and to recognise your light in our own lives and in one another.

Amen.

 

3. Recap & Scene-Setting (5 minutes)

Leader summary (paraphrase, don’t read word-for-word):

  • God’s people waited a long time — centuries — wondering if God had gone quiet.

  • Zechariah and Elizabeth were faithful but carrying deep disappointment.

  • God breaks the silence not with power, but with promise.

  • John’s role was to help people lift their heads and look again toward God.

  • Jesus arrives as light for people living in darkness — personal and global.

Scripture Luke 1:5-25

Luke 1:76–79

 

4. Group Discussion – Going Deeper (15 minutes)

Choose 2–3 questions, depending on time and group openness.

 

Waiting & Silence

  1. Where do you recognise the experience of waiting — either personally or in the wider world?

  2. How do you usually respond when God feels quiet or distant?

Lifting Our Eyes

  1. John called people to repentance — not to shame them, but to help them see clearly again.

What tends to pull your gaze downward (worry, guilt, exhaustion, comparison)?

  1. What helps you lift your eyes toward God again when life feels heavy?

God at Work in Ordinary Lives

  1. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s pain became part of something much bigger than they imagined.

How does that challenge or encourage the way you see your own story?

  1. Where might God be inviting you to trust him more deeply right now?

(Leader tip: allow silence — don’t rush to fill it. Let people share at their own depth.)

 

5. Reflection Activity – Light in the Darkness (8 minutes)

Option A: Quiet Reflection (good for reflective groups)

Invite everyone to sit quietly for a minute and consider:

  • Where do I need light right now?

  • What burden or reproach am I carrying?

  • What might it look like to place this before God?

After a short pause, invite anyone who wishes to share a word or sentence — no pressure.

 

Option B: Paired Prayer (good for relational groups)

  • Pair up.

  • Each person briefly shares one area where they need God’s light.

  • Pray simply for one another (30–60 seconds each).

 

6. Prayer Together (5 minutes)

Use these three prayer focuses, inviting different people to pray if appropriate:

  1. For hope in waiting

– For those in long seasons of unanswered prayer, disappointment, or fatigue.

  1. For release and freedom

– From guilt, shame, fear, or burdens that weigh heavily.

  1. For readiness and courage

– To notice where God is at work and to point others toward Jesus, the light of the world.

You may wish to close with:

Jesus, light of the world,

shine into every dark place within us and around us.

Teach us to trust you, to wait with hope,

and to walk in your peace.

Amen.

 

7. Take-Home Invitation (Optional)

Encourage the group during the coming week to:

  • Notice moments of light — however small.

  • Bring one honest prayer to God each day.

  • Ask: “Where are you at work, Jesus?”