Micah 5:1-5 | Real Hope, False Hope, and the Gift of Hopelessness

Church of the Week

Village Baptist Church

Missionary of the Week

Shalom Christian Center on Mfangano Island

Suggested Outline for Your Group: 

1. Share “God Stories” 

   Share testimonies of where you have seen God working in your life lately. 

2. Read Micah 5:1-5 out loud together 

   Choose 1 person to read through

3. Go through the Discussion Questions: 

   Don’t feel like you need to get through them all 

   Use the ones that are the most helpful in stirring up meaningful conversation 

4. Make sure you save enough time to pray together 

• Share prayer requests 

• Pray for one another 

• Thank God for the ways He’s answered the prayers of the group lately 

• Invite the Holy Spirit to speak through you as you wait on Him 

Discussion Questions: 

• Real Hope vs. False Hope 
  Where do people today (including us) often place their hope? How can we discern if our hope is real (grounded in God’s promises) or false (based only on our own desires)? 

• The Gift of Hopelessness 
  Think of a time when you felt hopeless: looking back, how did that experience bring clarity or lead you closer to God?  

• Micah 5:1-5 The Surprising Source of Hope 
  What does it teach us that God chose Bethlehem – a small, unlikely place – for the birth of the Messiah? How might that encourage us when we feel small or weak? 

• Prophecy and Promise 
  How does seeing prophecy fulfilled (like Micah 5:2) strengthen your confidence in God’s Word? Why is it important to anchor our hope in God’s promise rather than our circumstances? 

Personal Application 
What is an area of your life where you are most tempted to build a false hope? How can you redirect that hope toward Jesus, the Good Shepherd and Prince of Peace? 

Scripture References: 

Proverbs 14:12 

Romans 15:13; 15:4 

Psalm 42:5 

1 Peter 1:3-5 

8 Prophecies about Jesus: 

• Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 > Luke 2:4-7 

• Called out of Egypt Hosea 11:1 > Matthew 2:14-15 

• Shining forth from Galilee Isaiah 9:1-2 > Matthew 4:12-16 

• Descended from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, & David (Genesis 22:18; Numbers 24:17; Genesis 39:10; Jeremiah 23:5) > Matthew 1:1-16 

• Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 > Matthew 1:22-23 

• Betrayed by a close friend for thirty pieces of silver (Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13) > Matthew 26:14-16; 27:9-10 

• Silent before His accusers Isaiah 53:7 > Matthew 27:12-14 

• Hands and Feet were pierced (Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10) > John 20:25-27