Big Idea: One act of repentance can change everything.

            Ruth 1:1

            Judges 21:25

            Ruth 1:1-2

            Deuteronomy 23:3

            Ruth 1:3-5, 8-9, 13-16

One act of repentance can change everything.

            Mark 10:29-31

            Matthew 4:17

            Ruth 1:22

Message Questions

We are in a series on Ruth. The book of Ruth is a story all about faithfulness. As we explore faithfulness as an aspect of God’s character and a virtue for us to embody, we’ll discover ways we can show up faithfully in people’s lives and at church as an act of worship. This week we are in Ruth 1, and the Big Idea is: One act of repentance can change everything. 

Use these questions to discuss the message from Sunday, focusing on how you can grow as an everyday follower of Jesus and how you can go accomplish what Jesus calls you to do. 

1. Have someone in your group read Ruth 1:16. In this verse, Ruth makes a bold decision to leave behind her old life and follow Naomi’s God. What does her statement, “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God,” reveal about repentance and faith? 
2. Next, have someone read Mark 10:29-31. Jesus promises that those who leave things behind for his sake will receive blessings. Share a time when you had to walk away from something to follow God. How did you experience his faithfulness in that decision? 
3. Now read Ruth 1:13 and Ruth 1:22. Naomi returns to Bethlehem full of bitterness but arrives just as the barley harvest begins—a sign of new hope. When have you experienced God bringing hope after a difficult season? How did that moment impact your faith? 
4. Repentance means turning away from one thing to move toward God. What areas of your life might God be calling you to change or surrender in order to grow closer to him? As a group, how can you support one another in this? 
5. Ruth’s faith led her to leave behind her old life and embrace a new future with God’s people. Who in your life might be stuck in a "Moab" season, far from God’s purpose? What would it look like for you to go and walk alongside them and point them toward hope in Christ this week?