Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

1.Cymbala describes arriving at the Brooklyn Tabernacle to find a congregation of about twenty people, a leaky building, and an empty offering plate that sometimes held less than ten dollars. What does it say about God's purposes that he often begins with almost nothing?

1.Cymbala describes the Tuesday night prayer meeting as the most important service of the week at Brooklyn Tabernacle — more important than Sunday morning. How does that priority compare to your own church's rhythms? What does it say about what a church truly values?

1.Cymbala uses the phrase "the smell of smoke" to describe something unmistakable — when God has clearly been at work, you can tell. Can you think of a time when you "smelled smoke" — when God's presence or power was undeniably evident? Describe it.

1.Cymbala argues that God acts in history not merely for our benefit but for the honor of his own name — that he will not allow his name to be permanently disgraced. How does that idea strike you? Does it feel comforting, unsettling, or both?

1.Cymbala uses the language of "spiritual boredom" to describe a state where church has become routine, faith has become familiar, and the supernatural seems far away. Be honest — have you ever been spiritually bored? What did that feel like?

1.Cymbala describes services at Brooklyn Tabernacle where the presence of God was so palpable that people came under deep conviction, wept, confessed sin, and were transformed without being manipulated by the preacher. Have you ever been in a service like that? What distinguished it from a well-produced, emotionally engaging service?

1.Cymbala cites Jeremiah 33:3 — "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" — as a kind of divine dare. Have you ever treated that verse as a genuine, open invitation? What would it look like to actually take God up on it?

1.Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Cymbala emphasizes the word "I" — it is Christ's church, and he is the builder. How does that change the way a pastor, elder, or church member thinks about their role?

1.Cymbala tells the story of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, which grew from an embarrassingly small and unpolished group into a Grammy Award-winning ensemble. What is so striking about the origin of the choir, and what does it say about how God builds things?

1.Cymbala returns throughout this chapter to the idea that God's blessing is not something to be engineered but something that flows from genuine connection to him. How does John 15's image of the vine and branches capture that relationship?

1.Habakkuk prays, "Lord, I have heard the report about you, and I fear. Revive your work in the midst of the years" (Hab. 3:2). Cymbala uses this prayer as a model. What strikes you about the fact that Habakkuk's prayer for revival begins with fear — reverent awe — rather than confidence in his own standing?

1.Which chapter or story from Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire had the most significant impact on you, and why? What was it about that chapter that got through to you in a way the others didn't?