Thinking Further Topics
Thinking Further Topics
1. The Boy from the Inn
Why was George called Squint Eyes? Are there things you wish you could change about yourself? What does the Bible say to us about the way we were made? (Psalm 139:14–15)
George had a gift for acting and public speaking and used it at school and to entertain his friends. Do you have something you are good at? What does the Bible say about our gifts? (Romans 12:4–8) Can you think of someone who is good at encouraging others?
George prayed for God’s forgiveness when he was a boy. Does God always hear our prayers? Look at Psalm 107:1–30, and find some of the kinds of people in the Psalm whose prayer God heard and answered.
2. The Servitor and the Methodists
George wanted to become a minister and was willing to earn his way through school. How did his hard work at the Inn help him be a good servitor? Do you have a goal, or something you think you may become some day? George faced lots of temptation from his room-mates to take the easy road to reach his goal. What temptations do you find in today’s culture? How did joining the Holy Club, the Methodists, help George? Why were they called Methodists? How can a youth group or Sunday school help you live the Christian life in an ungodly culture?
3. Burn the Book, throw it down, or search it?
Why did this book trouble George so much? Up to now as a member of the Holy Club wasn’t he living a pretty holy life? The book talked about needing God’s life in us and Christ in us, and George didn’t understand what that meant, but he did want to be a real Christian. How did he decide to try to become a real Christian? Can you think of religions today that believe good works will get them into heaven? What did George pray when he finally saw that he was completely helpless to help himself? How does anyone become a real Christian? (Acts 16:31)
4. A New Fire
George was eager to share his new faith. What did his family think about this new birth? What did his old friend Harry think about George’s new faith? What are some of the responses unbelieving friends and schoolmates may have when we try to talk to them about our faith? God sent Lady Selwyn and Bishop Benson into George’s life to help on the road to becoming a minister. Can you think of anyone who has helped you? How does God guide us? (Psalm 119:105)
5. The Voice that Awakened England
In this chapter God used two short-term ministry jobs to do a great work in George’s life. Can short-term mission trips with the church be things God might use in your life? How did God answer George’s prayer to bring London to himself? How did George’s ministry bring real change to Bristol’s terrible Newgate Prison?
Why did George say pride was sinful? Is pride ever good? Can you think of times when it becomes sinful? What should we do about it?
As George’s ministry grew so did the opposition to it. Today in many parts of the world there are Christian young people facing severe opposition because they are Christians. Read Hebrews 13:5. How can knowing God’s promises help us?
6. I will win them with Guile
Before George left for America he encouraged new believers to join the Religious Societies where they could study the Bible, pray, and help each other grow in faith. How do youth groups or Sunday School classes help believers today, especially new believers?
George didn’t think John Wesley’s casting lots to find out God’s will was a good thing. When the Old Testament tells about the high priest using the Urim and Thummim stones to cast lots, they did not have all of the Bible as we do today. Who is our High Priest today? (Hebrews 4:14–16) How do we get guidance from the Lord today?
What does George Whitefield mean by “I will win them with guile?” How did George win over the soldiers and sailors on board ship? When Jesus called Peter, John and James to leave their fishing business and follow him, what did he say they would catch from then on? (Luke 5:10).
7. Thank God, the fields are open
On the return trip to England how did God use a storm to bring Captain Gladman to Himself?
Back in England when George could not preach in the churches and began preaching in the fields, how did people respond? When George raised money for the first school for Kingswood children the colliers asked him to lay the first brick. What did they say about George’s coming to them? Does God want to reach people like the Kingswood people today with the good news of Jesus? How might young people support or encourage missionaries who are working among homeless and needy people?
What was the heart of George’s message at Kingswood, the Moorfields and Kensington Commons? Why did so many people come to believe in the Lord Jesus?
8. The Whole World is now my Parish
When George became an itinerant preacher he said “The whole world is now my parish.” How are some of today’s evangelists like the itinerant preachers of Whitefield’s day? Where does the Bible say the gospel has to be preached before Jesus returns? (Matthew 24:14)
On board ship when George was thinking of his many faults and failures as a Christian, he told his fears to Jesus and confessed his sins. What great advice did he give in his letter to Marcus? How does it help us to know that Jesus is our righteousness? If God has called us to be his children will he also keep us all the way to Heaven? (Philippians 1:6)
What did George say makes a Presbyterian or Baptist or Methodist or person from another denomination a brother or sister in the Lord?
9. Whitefield is Coming!
Why did the clergy of the Church of England who first welcomed George, change their minds and begin to oppose him?
When people today talk about being ‘born again’ do they mean the same thing as the ‘new birth’ George preached? Is it always popular to be known as a born again believer today?
Benjamin Franklin loved to hear George preach and thought he was a good man, but didn’t take the message George preached into his heart. Do you know people like this? Who opens hearts to receive the good news of Jesus? (Lydia’s story in Acts 16:14 )
10. A House of Mercy
In this chapter George Whitefield faces two great disappointments, the first when he loses control of the orphanage to local magistrates, but must pay all the orphanage’s expenses as well as a yearly rent. Often the work of missionaries overseas is challenged by the authorities. Sometimes Christians face challenges in schools over prayer or things like having Bible study groups. What are the some of the ways you can think of to deal with such situations?
The second disappointment was the Delamot’s refusal of George’s proposal to marry their daughter. This time George put aside his loss and kept busy getting ready for his spring preaching tour. Why is it sometimes best to let a disappointment go? How might working on a project help? If God is in control of our lives can we trust that he has something better in store for us?
11. A Bold Itinerant Preacher
Slavery was legal and common in George’s day, but George strongly stood up against the cruel treatment of slaves by their owners. What does the Bible say Christians should do about injustice and cruelty? (Isaiah 1:17) How could we apply this to situations such as bullying in our schools? Do Christians need to take a stand for what is right?
Blessings and trials seem to come close to one another in Whitefield’s ministry. The Bible tells about the life of Paul and gives us good examples of both the trials he suffered and the blessings. What were some of the great joys Whitefield had in this chapter?
An old song says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God has done.” Why is that a good idea for a Christian to do?
12. You Must Cover your Ears
John Wesley broke off his friendship with George for a while because he believed George’s preaching was not correct, but God did restore their friendship. They settled their differences as Christian brothers, though they didn’t agree with each other on some things. What must Christians agree on? What kinds of things is it okay to disagree on? How should we treat others who we may disagree with on some issues? What does the Bible say? (Romans 14:1–3)
If you attended a youth group that didn’t welcome others who were different from the rest of the group, what opportunities might be lost?
13. A Great Joy and a Deep Sorrow
What is a revival? How did the revival at Cambuslang start? George wrote to Marcus that this revival was like the Bible story of the Passover in Josiah’s time. What happened then? (2 Chronicles 35: 6-18)
Could a revival happen in our modern world? What about the great numbers that turn to the Lord Jesus during the Billy Graham Campaigns? Can you think of others?
When George’s little son died soon after birth, George and Elizabeth had deep sorrow though they knew he was with the Lord. You may have lost someone you loved through death or a divorce. Is it okay to be sad? What did Elizabeth say about her sorrow? What hope did she speak of? How can we find comfort in Jesus when we suffer grief? (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)
14. A Murderous Attack
A Naval officer and his accomplice intended to murder George, but God had other plans. What does the wicked man say in Psalm 94:7? What does God say in Psalm 94:8–9? Who did God bring to help save George’s life? After the attack George continued to preach and because he did a young shipwright named Tanner became a Christian. What was Tanner’s reason for going to hear George speak? How did God keep Tanner from carrying out his plan? What caught Tanner’s attention that made him listen to George? How do you think George felt when he heard the good news about young Tanner? Can you think of times when some good thing you didn’t expect happened because you were obeying God? Read Mark 9:41.
15. The Gate of Heaven
Preaching had often acted like a good medicine for George before but not this time. When George lay slowly recovering how did God use the old Negro woman who came to visit him? What was George’s response to her words?
George made a sermon to teach slaves the great Bible truths in words they could understand and many became Christians. Do you think people today know as much about the Bible as they did in past generations? What about teens in today’s culture, do they need to hear the good news of Jesus in words they can understand? Is it important to think about the words we use when we share our faith with others?
What does Providence mean? How did George turn his plantation into a true haven for his slaves? What did he mean by saying it was to be a place where they would find freedom for their souls?
In Bible times there were slaves and still are in some countries. What does the New Testament teach about slavery? (1 Corinthians 7:21–22, Philemon 1:15–16)
16. To the Rich and the Poor
When people urged George to stay in England and be their leader he said “No. Let my name be forgotten.” What did he say his place was? What did he say they could write on his tombstone? What great day did he mean? (2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:13) What did Jesus say about those who wanted to be the greatest among his followers? (Matthew 20:25–28) Does this mean that no matter what our position or job is we can still be servants in some way?
As Lady Huntingdon’s chaplain, George preached to the wealthy and noble. Why did he find this hard to do? Is this true in today’s world? Do people who are rich find it hard to turn their lives and possessions over to God? Read Matthew 19:23–24.
17. A Fierce Persecution
What made George leave Long Acres Chapel? After the hardships and failure there George built the Tottenham Court Road Chapel that became the largest Dissenter church in Britain. He also built twelve almshouses for poor widows next to the chapel. How did the widows turn out to be a help to George?
In Dublin, Ireland, George faced danger and persecution once again, and again God delivered him. When George said, “I leave my persecutors to His mercy, who out of persecutors has often made preachers,” he could have chosen Paul in the Bible as an example (Acts 26:9–11), or Levi the tax collector (Matthew 9:9). Can God do the same for our persecutors today if it is his will? What does the Bible say we can do when we are in a bad situation and see no way out? (Psalm 23:4–6) What can ever separate us from God’s love?
18. A Flickering Taper
George was only forty-eight, but felt that he was truly like a taper (candle) close to burning out. What had George spent his whole life doing? When George said “I am not sorry I’ve been poor, or despised, cast-out, and now am almost a worn-out itinerant. I would do it all again, if I had my choice.” Why do you think he would do it all again? How do we think of George Whitefield today?
After Elizabeth’s death how did Marcus help comfort his friend George? Can you think of other ways friends can help?
19. Farewell to England
George was persuaded, he said, that this trip would be for the glory of Jesus and the welfare of precious souls. What did he feel like when he landed in Charleston? How many miles long was the preaching circuit George and Richard made on horseback? Back at the orphanage what kind of fire did George say blazed inside him that made him ready to preach the love of the Lord Jesus anywhere? Can we have that fire?
Think of some of the things that happened along the way as George and Richard visited place after place in the colonies, things like the time George preached on top of a condemned prisoner’s coffin, or preached during a big storm, and tell why you chose it. Why do you think George’s last trip was for Jesus’ glory and for the welfare of precious souls?
What did George Whitefield’s story tell you about God?