Presence on the Peninsula Conference - Sun Night Don Mcdonnell

This sermon is a direct challenge to every teenager who's grown up in church and can talk about God without actually talking to God. Moses had done incredible things — and he still wanted *more* of God's presence, not less. As a young person, you have the chance right now to build a life that's shaped by genuine encounter with God, not just church attendance. That hunger is something you can start cultivating today — and it will change your friendships, your identity, and your future.

1. Moses had already seen incredible miracles, but he still prayed 'Show me your glory.' What do you think drove that kind of hunger — and do you relate to it?
2. Be honest: is your faith more about knowing facts about God, or actually spending time with Him? What's the difference in how that feels day to day?
3. The sermon says that God's presence transforms us — like Moses' face becoming radiant without him even realising it. Has there been a moment in your life where spending time with God changed you in a way you didn't expect?
4. What's one practical thing you could do this week to create more space for God's presence — not as a rule, but because you actually want more of Him?
5. When life is ordinary and not 'conference mode,' how do you keep your faith real and alive rather than letting it fade out?

In your twenties and thirties, it's easy to fill life with goals, relationships, and career ambitions — and gradually let genuine time with God become the first thing that gets cut when life gets busy. This sermon is a timely reminder that the presence of God isn't a spiritual bonus on top of real life — it's the foundation that holds everything else together. The hunger Moses modelled isn't a personality trait of extraordinary people; it's an invitation for anyone willing to prioritise encounter over efficiency.

1. The sermon describes a gap between 'knowing about God' and actually knowing Him. Where do you think you sit on that spectrum right now, honestly?
2. Moses' hunger grew with every encounter rather than being satisfied. How have you experienced that dynamic — or do you tend to treat spiritual encounters as destinations rather than springboards?
3. In a season of building a career, navigating relationships, and figuring out your future, how do you practically make space for God's presence rather than letting it get crowded out?
4. God revealed Himself to Moses through His goodness and His name — His character, not just His power. How does knowing that God is fundamentally *good* change the way you approach the uncertain parts of your life right now?
5. The sermon challenges us to 'go home hungry.' What would it look like for you to leave this conference with a deepened appetite rather than a sense of 'I've had my fill'?

Family life is full and fast and often leaves little room for stillness. But this sermon invites families to consider: what are we building our home around? When Moses came down from the mountain, his face was radiant — not because he tried hard, but because he'd been with God. The same transformation is available to every parent, every couple, every family — and it overflows into the way we parent, the way we love each other, and the atmosphere we create in our homes.

1. What does 'making space for God's presence' actually look like in the rhythm of your family's week — and is it working?
2. The sermon says presence transforms us without us even realising it, like Moses not knowing his face was radiant. Can you think of a time when time spent with God changed the way you showed up for your family?
3. God promised Moses 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' How does that promise speak into the exhaustion that many families feel? What would rest look like in your household?
4. How do you help your kids develop their own hunger for God — not just participation in church activities, but a genuine personal desire for His presence?
5. If your home had an atmosphere — a spiritual 'feel' — what would you want it to be? What would need to change to get there?

There's a particular freedom in singleness that often goes unrecognised: the freedom to build your life deeply around the presence of God without the competing demands of a partner or children. This sermon is an invitation to lean into that freedom intentionally. Moses pursued God with everything he had, and that pursuit shaped his entire identity. As a single person, you have a unique opportunity to let God's presence be not just part of your life, but the centre of it — and to carry that into every relationship and community you're part of.

1. The sermon talks about hunger for God that deepens with every encounter rather than being satisfied. In your current season of life, what does that hunger feel like — or what would help you reconnect with it?
2. Moses' identity was clearly shaped by his closeness to God — it literally showed on his face. How much does your sense of identity and worth come from God's presence versus other things like relationships, achievements, or how others see you?
3. God said 'My presence will go with you.' How does that promise change the way you approach seasons of loneliness or uncertainty that can come with being single?
4. What's one rhythm or habit you could build into your week this week that creates genuine space for encounter with God — not just Bible reading as a discipline, but real time with Him?
5. The sermon ends with the call to 'go home and carry His presence into every corner of the Peninsula.' As a single person, what does that look like in your specific context — your workplace, your friendships, your neighbourhood?

One of the greatest temptations for men — in church and out of it — is to replace intimacy with activity. We lead, we serve, we provide, we fix. And somewhere in all of that doing, simply being in God's presence can feel unproductive. But Moses, one of the great leaders of all time, understood that his effectiveness as a leader was directly tied to his closeness to God. The presence he carried down the mountain wasn't manufactured — it was the overflow of a man who refused to lead without first being with God.

1. Moses had achieved extraordinary things, yet he still prayed 'show me your glory.' What does that kind of humility and hunger look like for a man in your stage of life?
2. Be honest: is it harder for you to sit in God's presence than it is to serve, lead, or act? Why do you think that is, and what does it cost you?
3. The sermon says Moses' radiance was the natural overflow of time with God — he didn't know his face was shining. How does that challenge the way you think about spiritual leadership at home, at work, or in the church?
4. God's promise — 'My presence will go with you and give you rest' — was spoken to a man carrying enormous responsibility. What burdens are you currently carrying that you need to trust God with rather than just push through alone?
5. What would it look like for you to be a man who is genuinely marked by God's presence — not just theologically informed or church-involved, but noticeably changed by time spent with Him?

Women are often the ones who keep everything running — at home, in community, in the church. It's a beautiful gift, but it can also mean that personal time in God's presence quietly disappears under the weight of caring for everyone else. This sermon is a tender but clear invitation: you cannot pour from an empty vessel. Moses' encounters with God weren't just for his own sake — they shaped him into someone whose very face bore the mark of nearness to God. Your time with God matters, not just for you, but for everyone whose life you touch.

1. The sermon opens with the gap between knowing *about* God and actually knowing Him. Where does your relationship with God feel most alive right now — and where does it feel more like going through the motions?
2. Moses' hunger for God grew with every encounter — 'show me your glory' came after years of incredible experiences. What stirs that kind of deeper hunger in you, and what tends to suppress it?
3. God revealed Himself to Moses through His *goodness* and His *name* — His character. How does sitting with the truth that God is fundamentally, unchangingly good change the way you face the difficult things in your life right now?
4. The sermon challenges us to take what God stirs in a conference setting and let it become a permanent recalibration. What is one specific thing God has stirred in you this weekend that you don't want to lose?
5. How do you hold onto genuine encounter with God in the midst of the everyday demands on your time and energy — and who in your community can help you stay accountable to that?

Those who have walked with God for decades understand something that can't be rushed: that every season of genuine closeness to God is its own gift, and that no amount of past experience makes the present pursuit of His presence less necessary or less precious. Moses, a man of extraordinary history with God, still longed for more — 'show me your glory.' This Thursday morning community has accumulated a remarkable depth of faith and experience. This sermon is an invitation to bring all of that history into fresh hunger, and to model for the generations around you what it looks like to never stop pursuing the presence of God.

1. Moses had decades of encounters with God — and he still prayed for more. Looking back over your own walk with God, how has your hunger for His presence changed over the years? What has deepened it?
2. The sermon describes the Hebrew word for God's glory — *kavod* — as 'weight' or 'substance.' How have you experienced the weight of God's presence in your life, particularly in the harder seasons?
3. God promised 'My presence will go with you and give you rest.' Reflecting on your life journey, where have you most clearly seen that promise fulfilled — and what did that rest actually feel like?
4. What is the most important thing you have learned about pursuing God's presence that you wish you could pass on to younger believers in your church family?
5. As someone with a long and rich history with God, how do you stay genuinely hungry rather than simply comfortable? What rhythms or practices keep your faith alive and expectant?