Prayer
Because the primary goal of our time together is to establish relationships and learn how to walk with one another in all that God has called us to be and do, we’d like to begin by praying for one another. So, does anyone have anything you’d like us to pray for or anything to share regarding how you’ve seen God moving in your life that we can celebrate together?
Opening Question
If God described you in three words, what would they be?
“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond] as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.“In that day,” declares the Lord,
“you will call me ‘my husband’;
you will no longer call me ‘my master’
I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
no longer will their names be invoked.I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the Lord.“In that day I will respond,”
declares the Lord—
“I will respond to the skies,
and they will respond to the earth;
and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and the olive oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.
I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one’.
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;
and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”– Hosea 2:14-23
Five Attributes God Longs for Us to “Wear” in the World:
Righteousness / Tsdeq
Tsedeq is almost exclusively concerned with how we treat others, based out of God’s character.
What are some characteristics of God’s character you most appreciate (ie. generous, patient, strong, long suffering, compassionate, truthful, etc.)?
Who in your life has demonstrated tsdeq (treating others in ways that mirror God’s character) in a memorable way?
What barriers or weaknesses keep us from “wearing” righteousness and mirroring God’s character in our treatment of others?
Justice / Mishpat
Mishpat is a foundational biblical concept of active, restorative fairness rather than just legal penalty. It implies treating people—especially the vulnerable “quartet” of widows, orphans, immigrants, and the poor—with equity and repairing social wrongs, often functioning as a divine mandate.
Why do you think God expects us to treat the most vulnerable justly and honorably?
How does our willingness to “wear” mishpat support our capacity to also wear tsdeq?
What vulnerable person has God put in your life? How can you offer them mishpat?
Devoted Love / Hesed
Hesed is translated as “steadfast love,” “loving-kindness,” or “covenant loyalty”. It describes a profound, active, and loyal love—not merely a feeling—that drives someone to act for the benefit of another, often going beyond duty.
We often hear people say that love is a verb, not just a feeling. How has God demonstrated active love toward you in your life?
If someone wanted to show you that they love you tomorrow, what is one thing they could do to achieve that?
How does active love (hesed) help us accomplish mishpat in the world?
Compassion / Racham
Racham translates to compassion, mercy, pity, or deep, tender love. It often signifies a profound, emotional, and visceral love.
Does your understanding of God’s love toward you personally include the definition of racham (in other words, do you consider God to be profoundly, emotionally, and viscerally in love with you)?
How does magnifying God’s compassionate, emotional, and tender feelings toward you affect the way you interact with him?
Who in your life elicits racham from you? How does deeply loving that person/those people help you also wear hesed, mishpat, and tsdeq?
Faithfulness / Emuwnah
Emuwnah means steadfastness, fidelity, or, most commonly, “faithfulness” and “active trust” in God. Rooted in the verb aman (to support or confirm), it represents a firm, unwavering reliance on God’s character rather than just intellectual belief, often demonstrated through actions and consistent, long-term trust.
How is our faithfulness to God linked to our ability to trust God?
We often hear that trust must be earned. What has God done to earn your trust, or conversely, what could he do to earn your trust?
How does “wearing” tsdeq (righteous treatment of others), mishpat (prioritization of justice toward the vulnerable), hesed (active love), and racham (compassionate love) make us more trustworthy, faithful friends and lovers to both other people and to God?
Closing Thought
In your final time together, pray for any needs that might have arisen this week in your group, and ask God to increase the measure of righteousness, justice, devoted love, compassion, and faithfulness you offer the people in your life.