Runaway Bride, Happily Ever After: Luke 9:57-62

Luke 9:57-62

In the past few weeks, Chick-fil-A has taken some heat as a result of their president taking a stand on the biblical worldview of marriage.  More and more Christians are taking to social media claiming that they will eat at Chick-fil-A MORE now because they feel like taking a stand for biblical principles.

-If taking a stand for biblical principles and doing what Jesus would want us to do for you means ordering a #1 combo from Chick-fil-A with great frequency, you've missed the meaning of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

-Take a few minutes and write down a list of things that you know Jesus expects from the relationship.  What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?  What are we asking of people when we desire them to have a real relationship with Jesus?

-List some of the things that you've heard about when it comes to being a follower of Jesus: (happy, healthy, wealthy, comfortable, never in need, etc).  How can you mesh these things with the tough sayings of Jesus?

-Matthew 19:21: go sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then you can follow me

-Luke 14:26- “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

-Matthew 16:24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

-John 6:53: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will have no life in you.

-Christianity is not a sales pitch.  Let's tell people what it truly means to follow Jesus.

-vs. 57-58

What comforts take precedence over Jesus?  "Jesus, I'll follow you as long as you do ______ or give me ______ or take care of _______.  But if ___________ happens, I'm out."  Whether or not we want to admit it, every one of us has a word or phrase that we could fill in the blank with.

-As followers of Jesus, which do we desire more: God, or what God offers us?  Jesus didn't even have the basic provisions of shelter and money, so don't just follow him expecting to get those things in return.

-vs 59-60

-What are some excuses you've heard for people not following God?  Money, will do it later, will do it when my life gets less hectic, will do it when I have more money, etc.

-Pastor Santiago didn't let anything get in his way of telling people yes to the Gospel.  What are ways that you are telling people "no" to the Gospel?  Do you hoard your time when there are needs going unmet?  Are you stingy with your money when so many people are going without?  Are you pushing your neighbors away from Jesus just by NOT inviting them to church?  That's a way you are saying "no" to people that need the Gospel.  "They need the Gospel, but "no,"  I won't be the one to tell them. They need Jesus, but "no," I won't be the one to invite them to church.

-What do you find your security in?  Your job, your friends, your money, your family, etc.  Can you identify ways those things have stopped you from going All-In for Jesus?

vs. 60-61

-Many followers of Jesus have a back-up plan for their life.  As long as that plan is there, you'll always look back to it, never go All-In, never take the next step of faith.

-Read 1 Kings 19:19-21.  Elisha went ALL-IN by burning up every bridge behind him.  What oxen and plow do you need to destroy in your life so that the only thing you'll have is to Move Forward with Jesus?

-I know the cost of discipleship is high, but let's think about the cost of not following Jesus.  Think about the 4.6 billion people that don't know him.  Think about the 26,000 kids that die each day without food and water and medicine.  The cost of following Jesus is high, but the cost of apathy is higher.

-Who are you in this story?  Which man do you think resembles you the most?  What is your strategy to Move Forward and not allow these things to stop you from having supreme sufficiency in Christ?

Runaway Bride, The Open Bar: John 2:1-11

John 2:1-11

Remember to do your follow-up from last week.  Accountability, prayer, and rejoicing over what God has done over the past 7 days.

-What does Mary's request tell you about her relationship with Jesus?  (intimacy, knows his power and authority).  How does her request compare to how you approach Jesus?  (Do you approach with timidity, not really sure if God can even answer your prayers, or if he even cares?).  Start praying bold prayers, and be confident that God not only loves you and wants to answer your prayers, but has the power and authority to do it!

-What are some bold, dangerous prayers your group members need for you to pray about?  What is something that you can be boldly approaching the throne of God together about, anticipating Him answering that request?

-Jesus makes it clear that his mission will be accomplished on his timing.  Some of your group members may have been praying prayers for a long time, and God still hasn't answered them yet.  Encourage them to continue to pray those prayers, start praying them again, knowing that God's timing is perfect.  Our role in the relationship is not to set the timetable.  We simply bring the requests to the Father, and he answers them His way.  Let's focus on the roles:  we pray and bring our worries, requests, fears, etc, to God, and he is responsible for the results.  Don't be tempted to try and switch roles and take that responsibility from him due to impatience.

-Mary's advice: listen to Jesus, and do what he says.  WOW, some solid advice!

1. Faith- Do you have the faith that Jesus can handle your problems?  Do you have the faith that he is sufficient?  Do you really believe that Jesus cares about your problems and can solve them?  That's the first step to seeing your prayers answered.

2. Obedience- Many people have faith, but sometimes we get bogged down in obedience.  We tell God that we want to be faithful with our finances, but when he calls us to give our money away, we change our mind.  We tell God we want to be faithful with our job and relationships and time, but if God calls us to something sacrificial and uncomfortable, we change our minds and want to do it our way.  Your faith is void without obedient action behind it!

-Ask you group that if Jesus were to show up in this room and tell you to do something (to point to an individual and give them specific instructions) would they do it?  I bet all of them say yes.  So why is it so difficult for us to obey the Word?  It's what Jesus left us as his blueprint and plan for our lives.  It's him looking at us and telling us what to do.  Why do you think it's so hard to be obedient sometimes?

Look at the order of the passage: Faith, obedience, signs.  Isn't it interesting how we get that mixed up alot?  We want the signs first!  Show me a sign God.  IF you do this for me, then I will follow you.  IF you heal this person, then I'll know you are God.  IF you provide for me, then I'll know you're real.  Guilty of any of those statements?  Mary has faith first, is obedient to God, then God moves on her behalf and answers her request.

-When you gave your life to Christ, did you fill it to the brim?  Or did you leave room for yourself and other things, just in case you needed to step in?  What areas of your life are easy to fill to the brim with Jesus?  What areas of your life is the water level of Jesus the lowest?

-Tell some stories of how Jesus has been sufficient in your life.  Encourage one another through something that God has taught you and done in your life.

-So why does God do signs/miracles/wonders?  To prove his power and authority, to get the Glory form his people, and for more people to believe in Him.

Check your motives of why you are asking God for a sign.  Is it so that the end result will be that more people believe in Him?  Or is it something selfish just for you?

Runaway Bride, The Wedding: July 15-21

The last 2 weeks have been an intense learning time.  We were presented with a great love story this week, and last week we were reminded that our job as followers of Jesus is to get people to the groom!

I want to mix up rGroup this week and challenge you to put your faith in action.  I want you to do 1 of 2 things (or maybe both!)

1. I want you to spend some time writing down some people's names that don't know Jesus.  Encourage everyone to write a name down.  You could print a map off and put a pin on their address.  You could write each name on a note card and pray for one person daily.  You could put every name on a piece of paper and bring it to rGroup each week.  Begin to pray specifically for these people.  Begin to formulate a strategy for you and your group to bring them to the groom.  Write down specific actions for each name on how you are going to be intentional with them.  Write these specific things down.  Throughout the week, text/call/email encouragement to your group members as they meet and talk with their friends.  Let them know the entire group is praying for them as they meet with people.  Believe that God is going to use your group to get people to Jesus, and when he does . . . CELEBRATE THE HECK OUT OF IT!  Email Pastor Nathan (nathan@discoverREVO.com) or Pastor Paul (paul@discoverREVO.com) and we will have a huge cookout and party over the lives that were changed!  And we'll buy all the food!!


2.  One of the things that we had the opportunity to do in Cuba was to do some house visits with people.  These house visits were extremely effective.  Over 80% of the houses that were visited ended up having someone that gave their life to Jesus!  One of the keys to the success was that these houses that were visited were not cold calls.  These were people that the church members had been investing in and telling about Jesus for a while.  So when we showed up, it wasn't a surprise to them.  They weren't uncomfortable or taken aback.  Why?  Because Jesus was always a part of the past conversations!

Here's a good challenge to put in front of the group.  Write down the names of 2 people.  These are people that you are going to be intentional about having spiritual conversations with about Jesus.  If someone in your group is comfortable enough, let 2-3 people go to their house right now!  For others, tell them you are going to set a date (one month from today) that your rGroup will go out in groups of 2-3 to talk to these people about Jesus.

The success of this challenge is going to depend on YOUR LEADERSHIP!  If you make it a priority and treat it with urgency, then your group will follow your lead.  Also, set the bar high!  Make sure you are doing what you are asking them to do.

Here's what I want us to remember:  I know each of you know the vision.  I know each of you know the importance of Jesus.  You all know the place we are trying to take people (to Jesus).  Now, we have to have a plan to get there.  Vision without strategy is merely a daydream.  Catching the vision is only half of the story.  We have to act on what God has called us to do.  So let's do it!  And I can't wait to hear the stories of how Jesus is using you and your group to change this city!

Runaway Bride, The Best Man, July 8-14

John 3:22-36

vs 22-24:

-John was baptizing and so was Jesus.  Why did they baptize?  What did it mean when you were baptized by a teacher?  (Baptism is an outward symbol that you were a follower of someone.  All teachers did this.  Kind of an initiation, a going public of your allegiance to a teacher and what he teaches.  Like the concept of membership.)

-Take time to ask your group if they have been baptized.  Allow them to tell their story.  If they haven't been baptized, follow up with them this week and encourage them to get baptized at our next baptism celebration on October 28th.

vs 25-26:

-Talk about ways that a self-absorbed, self-centered attitude hurts your relationship with Jesus.

-How does it hurt your relationship with the church?  Why is an "all about me" attitude so dangerous for followers of Jesus?  Are their some sticking points where you are self-centered?  (Money, time, attitude, comfort level, etc.)

-How does the wrong attitude change everything?  How does an entitlement mentality change the way we approach Jesus with requests, supplications, and prayer?

vs 27-28:

-John mentions that everything we have is a gift from heaven (from God).  When you are confronted with the reality that everything you have is a gift from God, does that impact how you use the things in your life?  If you admitted today that your health, life, family, job, finances, talents, gifts, resources, EVERYTHING you have was given to you by God, does that make you stop and think about how you are using all those things?  Is it for self satisfaction?  Or are you using your God-given talents to bring glory and honor to God?  How are you using what God has given you to bring Him glory and honor?

vs. 29:

- The best man's responsibility is to do whatever he can to help the bride, and ultimately make sure the bride gets to the groom.  When the groom gets to the bride, then he knows his job is complete.  In this illustration, the groom is Jesus, the bride is people, and followers of Christ act as the best man.  John says GET PEOPLE TO JESUS!  It's your job as the best man.  How are you doing with that?

-Why would you want to get people to Jesus?  First of all, because you love Jesus.  Second of all, because Jesus loves people, and as followers of Jesus we need to do the same.  So either way, whether you want to or you like the person or you think it's important or not, an overflow of our love for Jesus should manifest itself by leading other people to him.

-When is the last time you've led someone to the groom?

vs. 30:

What are the areas of your life that you need to decrease in?  What is BIG in your life right now, so much so that there is no room for God?

Accountability:

Next week, ask each other these questions:

1. What are you doing to have a more outwardly focused mentality when it comes to people, church, and Jesus?  How are you battling to make sure your life doesn't become all about you?

2. What are some talents and gifts and resources that you have that you need to give back to God so that he can use them to change other people's lives?

3.  What did you do this week to point people to Jesus?  Is your relationship with Jesus so deep and intimate and loving that you are constantly pointing people towards him?

4. What areas are you focusing on decreasing in your life so that God can increase and continue to change you and your heart?

Runaway Bride, The Invitation: July 1-7

In John 14:2, Jesus reveals what His death on the cross accomplishes for believers. In atoning for our sin and imparting His righteousness, Jesus prepares a place for us in God’s presence. That is the invitation! There is room for you to dwell in God’s presence.

Now I know that the tendency for those of us who may have heard the Gospel before, or every day since we reached cognition, is to think, “I’ve heard this before…nothing new here…” but if thinking on this invitation doesn’t stir our affection, move our hearts to worship, produce in us grace towards others,
etc… Then it more than likely reveals a serious heart issue that often boils down to a small theology (view of God). A big, biblical view of God will absolutely move our hearts toward an embrace of Jesus' invitation to dwell with Him. If we don’t believe God is that great or glorious of course we don’t care that Jesus died on the cross to give us access to Him.

-Ask your group how they grew up hearing the Gospel, what were they taught about God? How has that affected their embrace of the Gospel?

Use this opportunity to steer the boat…if the answers aren’t biblical (in line with the opening statements of the blog) call attention to it.

-Ask your group how and if they have been taking advantage of Jesus' invitation to the Church.

If the general sentiment comes back negative, be proactive in establishing a plan of action. Our spiritual health is too important to just acknowledge that we aren’t doing well. As a church we want to help each other move forward. Just like we work out with a partner in order make sure someone is there to push us, so should we have partners as we move toward sanctification. Set up meeting times make discipleship happen.

-Take some time to talk about evangelism. Did hearing this sermon give you any ideas about how to
present the Gospel? How have you been doing with sharing the Gospel?

Challenge your group in this area! Open your mouth and tell people about Jesus.