Hope in the Dark: Week 2 - Small Group Discussion Questions

Listening, Writing, and Waiting in the Dark

Scripture References

• Habakkuk 1
• Habakkuk 2:1

Overview

Habakkuk moves from raw questions in chapter 1 (“wondering”) to faithful expectancy in chapter 2 (“waiting”). In this session we learn three simple, costly disciplines drawn from Habakkuk 2:1—3: listen for God’s voice, write down what He shows, and wait with steady faith. Even when the answer lingers, God’s character remains good, and His timing is perfect.

Context

Craig briefly highlighted the release of his new book “Hope in the Dark,” then recapped chapter 1’s complaint: Habakkuk confronted God for seeming injustice. God’s surprising answer—raising the Babylonians—left the prophet still wrestling but refusing to walk away. Chapter 2 shows what to do in that in-between space.

Main Points

1. Listen

• Habakkuk positions himself to hear:

  “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts… I will look to see what He will say to me.”

• He does not quit church, ditch LifeGroup, or abandon faith when confused; he leans in.
• Practical ways God may speak: a verse in a YouVersion plan, a lyric in worship, a word of prayer from a friend, a prompting to act.

• Story: At a recent speaking event Craig felt a nudge to pray for a non-Christian co-speaker. The person was visibly moved and later said they were “drawn, not repelled,” by the experience—affirming that gentle prompting can be God’s voice.

2. Write

• Habakkuk is told, “Write down the revelation; make it plain on tablets.”
• Writing preserves what the enemy loves to steal—clarity of what God said.

• Practice: Craig and Amy keep a five-year journal, recording daily glimpses of God’s guidance. The next year’s entry shows exactly how God proved faithful on that date.

3. Wait

• God explains the vision “awaits an appointed time… Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come.”
• Waiting is not passive resignation but active trust in God’s character.
• Everyone carries a “linger” season: unanswered prayer, healing, provision, salvation for someone we love.

• Personal example: Craig’s family continues to pray for physical healing for their daughter, choosing faith in God’s goodness whether or not the timeline matches their desire.

Key Truths

• God still speaks; our role is to position ourselves to hear.
• Writing turns fleeting impressions into anchored promises we can revisit.
• Delay is not denial; God’s timing is always purposeful.
• Faith rests more in who God is than in what we want Him to do.
• Community sustains hope; sharing stories and prayers builds collective faith.

Response

• Set aside quiet space this week to listen deliberately for God’s voice.
• Start or restart a journal; record any Scripture, prompting, or encouragement you sense.
• Identify one area where you are waiting on God and choose to trust His timing.
• Pray for someone else’s “linger” request, carrying their burden before God daily.
• Refuse the impulse to withdraw from church or group when answers seem delayed; lean into fellowship instead.

Closing

Craig urged the group to name specific needs they are waiting on God to meet and to pray boldly for one another. Our confidence is not in predictable outcomes but in the unchanging nature of God.

“Though it linger, wait for it.”

Resources

• Hope in the Dark: Believing God Is Good When Life Is Not — Craig Groeschel (book)
• YouVersion Bible App and reading plans
• Life.Church Instagram scripture posts