O Worship The King Series, Pt. III

This guide is a tool to help you facilitate discussion with your rGroup. Use it to lead your group in discovering, owning, and applying God’s Word. This is a flexible tool, not a rigid task list. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead as you lead your group. You don’t need to ask every question.

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Luke 2:8-20

• Why might encountering the glory and presence of the Lord cause people to feel fear? Why would the shepherds need to be told, “fear not…?"
• Why is the message that the angel gave to the shepherds such good news for them and all people? 
• What was the shepherds’ response when they encountered the good news that the angels brought to them?  

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God

• What would happen if the people of our church lived out their lives like these shepherds did? 
• Why does Scripture tell us that the greatest life we can experience here on earth is found by those who are worshippers of God rather than those who worship the things of this world? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin

• Worship doesn’t just take place on Sunday mornings, and worshippers aren’t just found in churches. Every person who has ever lived is a worshipper, whether they recognize it or not. Anyone can identify what it is that they worship, they just have to take a look at what they put their time, money, thoughts, energy, and hopes into.
  • Beyond God, can you identify anything else in your life that you may, in fact, be worshipping? 

      READ Romans 1:18-25

• This passage highlights that something is severely wrong when people know about who God is and what He has done, and yet give themselves in worship to things other than God. Why is worshipping and serving creation rather than the Creator such a grievous sin? 
• What does this communicate to God when we call ourselves Christians, yet give ourselves more fully to things other than Him? 
• What does this communicate to non-believers when we call ourselves Christians, yet give ourselves more fully to things other than God? 

      

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• Why is the goods news that the shepherds were told about a Savior, the same good news for us: people who have been alienated from God because of their sins and misplaced worship? 
• Knowing that in Christ we have been forgiven and restored to God, what would it look like for us to practically respond this week? What can we learn from the shepherds’ response?
• What are ways that we can share this good news that we have received with the people around you this week? 

O Worship The King Series, Pt. II

This guide is a tool to help you facilitate discussion with your rGroup. Use it to lead your group in discovering, owning, and applying God’s Word. This is a flexible tool, not a rigid task list. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead as you lead your group. You don’t need to ask every question.

  Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Matthew 2:1-12

• How would you define worship to someone outside of the church? Would you define it any differently from last week? 
• Why would the coming of the King of the Jews be such an important event for the people of Israel? 
• What does this story reveal about God, that He brought foreign and pagan wise men to worship His Son when the other king and religious leaders failed to seek or know Him?
• What does this story reveal about people's hearts, that even though God was present among them they failed to seek him or know Him? 

  Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God

• What is joy and how do we get it? Can you point to any expressions of it in your own life? 
• What would our church look like if everyone came to our Sunday gatherings or rGroups expectantly ready to encounter and worship Jesus? 
• What can it look like for God's people to worship by offering their gifts to Him and others, rather than just receiving?

 Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin

• What about God or His church were you fired up about, but have seen yourself become complacent or apathetic about? 
• Is there ever a reason you gather with the church on Sunday's or with your rGroup other than an expectation of encountering Christ? If so, what reasons? How often?
• What do we communicate to God when we come before Him in half-hearted worship?  

      

 Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• As Nathan said, when the wise men encountered Jesus, they couldn't help but walk away changed people. How do you know you have truly encountered Christ?
  • (Note: When you encounter Christ, you see life change. All Christians need to encounter Him again and again every day, because we are constantly in need of change. That is why Christians, too, need the gospel, the good news that continually helps us encounter Jesus and continually causes change.) 
• What would it look like for us this week to cultivate a heart of repentance for half-hearted worship, and to prepare for joyful and expectant encounters with Christ? 
• How can we as a community help one other do this? 

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Announcements

REVO UNITED Christmas Service - December 24th from 5:00-6:00 pm at North Campus. 

O Worship The King Series - Pt. I

This guide is a tool to help you facilitate discussion with your rGroup. Use it to lead your group in discovering, owning, and applying God’s Word. This is a flexible tool, not a rigid task list. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead as you lead your group. You don’t need to ask every question.

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

• How would you define worship to someone outside of the church? 

READ Luke 1:5-19, 26-38, 46-55

• Why do you think Zechariah and Mary have different reactions to Gabriel's news? 
• What does God demonstrate about himself in promising children to Elizabeth (a barren, old woman) and Mary (a virgin)? 

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God

READ Luke 1:43, 48

• When Mary and Elizabeth encountered the magnificence of who God is and what He was doing, they demonstrated one of the foundations of Christian character: they were truly humbled and acknowledged their lowly estate before God. Why are these important markers of any genuine worship for Christians?
  

READ 1 Chronicles 16:23-24 = "Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among the people." 

READ Psalms 18:49 = "For I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name." 

• Throughout Scripture, God tells us to worship him in such a way that the world hears about who He is and what He has done. How would a church that humbly worships God in all kinds of circumstances be attractive to people? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin

 

• Do you naturally tend to react to your circumstances like Zechariah or Mary? (Trusting vs. Doubting)
• What is an area in your life that you're demonstrating a lack of trust like Zechariah? 
• What are some things that get in the way of you giving heart-felt worship to God?

      

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• This Christmas, we are reminded that God didn't just give Mary a son; He gave the whole world His Son, who would be the Savior of the world. How can God use this act of grace and love to change our hearts when we fail to trust in Him or give him our whole hearts in worship?
  
  • How can the good news of Christ allow us worship in even the hardest of times? 
• How can we as a community help spur one another on and help each other prepare for worship? 

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Announcements

REVO UNITED Christmas Eve Service - December 24th from 5:00-6:00 pm. 

Unseen Series - The One That Didn't Quit

This guide is a tool to help you facilitate discussion with your rGroup. Use it to lead your group in discovering, owning, and applying God’s Word. This is a flexible tool, not a rigid task list. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead as you lead your group. You don’t need to ask every question.

Summary: When we find that our own journey of faith is difficult, we are able to push on and finish the race when we remember those who have gone before us and the grace of Christ who endured the ultimate race on our behalf. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:35b-12:2

• What kind of life does this scripture say people of faith may have to face? 
• What does it mean for Jesus to be the founder and perfecter of faith? 
  • How is he similar and different from the heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11?
• What does it mean when it says, “[Jesus]…for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame…" 

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God

• What does it mean to you, having a relationship with a God who knows what it is to suffer, having experienced the greatest suffering in history on the cross? 
• What does it mean to you knowing that you have a "cloud of witnesses," others who have gone before you enduring this life and finished the same race? 
• Imagine being at the end of your life: you are able to look back and see you’ve faithfully run the race through all life's trials and hardships to the finish line. Or you stand before God in heaven, where he says that done well and have been faithful to the very end. What would that mean to you? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin

 

• What are some sins or people that you’ve had a hard time “taking off” and make running the race harder? 
• What are some of the things in your life that have won your focus rather than Christ and have the potential of destroying your chances of finishing the race well?
• What would it be like to not endure in your faith all the way until the end?

      

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• How can the joy that helped Jesus endure life and the cross, also help us endure the hardest trials in our own lives?
• How do we put our focus on Jesus and keep it there? 
• What would it look like to pursue and extend relationships/community for those who are running the same race as us? 

Unseen Series - The Woman With A Dark Past

This guide is a tool to help you facilitate discussion with your rGroup. Use it to lead your group in discovering, owning, and applying God’s Word. This is a flexible tool, not a rigid task list. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead as you lead your group. You don’t need to ask every question.

Summary: God is inviting us to be men and women from every kind of background that live out faiths that are active, and to embrace the story of our lives in such a way that they might help increase and grows each other’s faith. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:31 and Joshua 2:1-15

• What about the faith of Rahab stands out or speaks to you? 
• Read James 2:17 — How does this truth reveal itself in the story of Rahab? 
• Why can’t true faith and salvation come through the simple knowledge or fear of who God is and what he’s done?

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God

• What of difference would you see between a church of people that demonstrates their faith only with words VERSUS a church of people that demonstrates their faith with words and action?
• Why is owning and embracing our story such an important part of what it means to be a Christian? (Ex: God has used every step of our journey to make us who we are today, no matter how beautiful or ugly.)
• Who is someone in your life whose story has helped increase and grow your own faith? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin

• What parts of your faith do you know you should be living out, but they never work their way out into action? 
• What part of your past are you trying to bury or hide, that God could actually use to help reach, encourage, and save others? (Leaders: This is a good place for us to take the lead and show humility and transparency.)

      

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• What would it look for us to starting owning and embracing the parts of our stories that produce guilt, shame, or fear?
  • On what basis can we, as Christians, humbly admit to and tell others about our own brokenness and weaknesses? 
• What parts of your story can God use to help others increase and grow in their faith? 

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Announcements

Next Sunday — Communion Sunday

Next Sunday — Backstage Pass (For those in your group who may not be members of REVO)

November 30th-December 5th — rGroup Christmas Parties

Unseen Series - The Man With The Worst Army Ever

This guide is a tool to help you facilitate discussion with your rGroup. Use it to lead your group in discovering, owning, and applying God’s Word. This is a flexible tool, not a rigid task list. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead as you lead your group. You don’t need to ask every question.

Summary: Faith that gives glory to God sometimes requires God stripping away every fragment of pride or self-reliance, so that we can become people who are humble and dependent on Him. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Judges 7

• What was God's intent in making the situation seemingly so impossible for Gideon and his army?
• How would you explain the glory of God to someone who has never read the Bible?
• Why would God rather strip every bit of pride or self-reliance away from us, than leave us clinging to it?

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God

• How does beholding God's glory affect our day-to-day lives?
• What would our church look like if all of its people were filled with humility and were dependent on God for all things?

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin

• What is wrong when God does something and we take credit for it?
• What areas of your life do you characteristically go about accomplishing things on your own?
  • What place does God have in this part of your life? 
• Nathan tied our story into Gideon’s so well. Every day we face a seemingly impossible battle against sin. Imagine that you are looking at all your sin on the other side of the river and you are about to go to war. Which way does your heart tend to react? 
  • Pride? (Pride says, “I’ve got this. I can do this on my own.”)
  • Hopelessness (Hopelessness says, “I’ve been here before and I keep failing. What could I ever do against this?”)

          ***Gospel Moment***

• • • Whichever way characterizes us, we both have to recognize that sin will win the day.
      • The one who is filled with Pride will often fall because of their hubris, and they underestimate their sin.  However, there are times they might seem to win. Yet, when a prideful person “overcomes" a sin, most times it’s at the expense of another sin popping up and taking the original sin’s place. We may think we’ve conquered, but sin wins. 
      • The one who is filled with Hopelessness is going to succumb to sin because they often just give in. They give up fighting sin, and many times accept it. They believe it’s just who they are and there is nothing they can do about it. 
    • The Christian however humbly admits and acknowledges their weakness. The prideful person humbles himself and confesses that he can’t fight sin on his own. The hopeless person confesses their lack of power, but it is not a confession with hope. This humility turns both to dependence on the power of God to deliver them. 

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

READ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

• How was the cross the ultimate example of God working his strength through weakness?
• What are practical ways to daily turn from pride and self-reliance towards humility and dependence?

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Announcements

November 29 --- Communion Sunday

November 30th-December 5th -- rGroup Christmas Parties

Unseen Series: The Man That Made Hard Choices

Summary: Faith plays an essential role when we have to make decisions in our lives. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:23-29

• What stands out to you about Moses’ faith as we look at his story? 
• What does it mean when the passage says, “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (He chose God over the world / eternal rewards vs. fleeting pleasures) 
• What would have been hard for Moses and his family because of their obedience? (Examples: Choosing to hide Moses, instead of allowing him to be killed; rejecting the king and abandoning his place; giving up his world of comfort for one of trials, etc.) 
  • What does this teach us about the realities we could face when we are faithful and obedient to God with our lives? 

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

• In part, Moses’ faith became alive because of the great faith that his own parents demonstrated. What are some ways that we can help pass down faith to those in our family or to our friends? 
• What gain is there in choosing eternal rewards over fleeting pleasures? 
• Decisions are not always going to come down to godliness vs worldliness. Sometimes two opposing choices can be just as godly as the next. (Examples: Which job do I take? / Which school should my kids go to? / Where do I go to college? / Who should I date or marry?) 
  • How do we know God’s will for us in those decisions? 
    • • Seek God’s will and vision for us in his Word! —> His Glory, Our Growth, Great Commission. (There is not necessarily a wrong decision. If we truly seeking God when we make out decisions, He can use anything for his glory, our growth, and to achieve his Great Commission.)

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• What are some of the first things you run to when you find yourself at a fork in the road in your life? Who or what is the first person / thing you turn to?
• What role does fear play in your decision-making process?
• Can you think of any times that you chose the rewards of the world over the rewards that God wanted to extend to you? 

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• As Christians, one of the ultimate beliefs we have to embrace is that we no longer belong to the kingdom of this world. We have been saved and invited into the kingdom of King Jesus, a kingdom where we live life with God under the rule of God. 
  • How does seeing yourself as a part of this kingdom radically change the way that we approach our decisions? 
• How does faith in King Jesus lead us to action? 
• Our faithfulness and obedience is not just limited to rewards that we receive after this life? How can we experience rewards for our faithfulness right here and right now? (Our lives change, others can experience life change because of us, etc.) 

Unseen Series: The Woman That Couldn't Wait

Summary: God has called us to trust in Him and His promises, to put aside all impatience, anxiety, and grasping for control. God will always deliver on His promises, and they will always be far greater than anything we could do on our own.

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Genesis 16:1-2, Genesis 17:15-19, Genesis 21:1-3

• What was the promise that God made to Abraham and Sarah? 
• How and why did Sarah and Abraham try to take things into their own hands?
• What can we learn about God through this story? 

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

• Why can we trust God’s promises for us? 
• God spoke promises to Abraham and Sarah, and He speaks promises to us as well. Where can we hear His promises for us? Can you think of any in particular? 
• What kind of outcome will we consistently see whenever we allow God to be in control of our situations vs. what kind of outcomes will we see consistently when we try to take control ourselves?

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• What is something going on in your life right now that you’re struggling to wait for, or you’re anxious and worrying over it? 
• What’s an instance in your life when you got tired of waiting on God, tried to take control yourself, and it didn’t work out the way you thought it would?
• It is easy to see ourselves in Abraham and Sarah. Sometimes we hear promises of God (i.e. He will never leave us or forsake us; He is able to change us or someone else; His grace is sufficient for us; etc.) and, instead of responding with hope and trust, we laugh in the face of God, not believing He can do what He says. What does this unbelief communicate to God? 

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

READ Hebrews 11:11-12

• The way that Sarah and Abraham failed at trusting God's promises seems like it would disqualify them from being listed as great people of faith. When we realize how terribly we fail at trusting God’s promises, we can feel like we should be counted out, too. Yet, Sarah and Abraham are listed here in Hebrews as heroes of faith because God was able to change their hearts which helped them have genuine faith in his promises. 
  • How can God take broken and flawed people like us and change our hearts? (Hint: God changes people when they give their whole lives to Christ. Jesus promises to take us as we are, broken and flawed people, and He will change us and make us new!) (2 Corinthians 5:17) 
  • When Christ changes our hearts and helps us truly trust the promises of God, how might the people around us be affected?
  • How can the community around you help you renew your belief in God when you’re struggling to believe Him? 

Unseen: The Man Willing To Kill His Son

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19; Genesis 12:1-3; Gen 22:1-14

• Without a doubt, Abraham is one of the Bible's great heroes of faith. As you read his story, what about his faith stands out to you?
• In what ways do you see Abraham's faithfulness and obedience to God having an eternal impact? (How does his story tie into the rest of the story the Bible tells?)
• As we look at Abraham's story, which comes first: faith or obedience?

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• Nathan talked about how Abraham's faith had to overcome his past, present, and future.
  • Past - What are some things in your life that have kept you from moving forward in obedience? (Struggles or sins in your life you have a hard time walking away from as you try to grow in your relationship with Christ.) 
  • Present - Even though we are Christians, our lives are not exempt from dealing with struggles, hard times, trials, and the brokenness of the world and people around us. But in the midst of that brokenness, God still calls for our radical obedience. 
  • Do you find it easier or harder to follow and obey him in the midst of these time of struggle. Why?
  • Future - Sometimes obedience to God doesn't just mean giving up bad things or things that aren't good for us. Sometimes God is calling us to give our hearts completely to him rather than the good things in our lives. Many times these things are gifts that He has given us. We might see them as our future, our prized possession, things that we wrap our hopes and dreams up in. 
    • What is something or someone in your life that, if God were to take it from you, you'd feel like you've lost everything?
  • What is God trying to reveal in your heart: Is God really and truly enough for you, or is God only enough if you also have ______________?  

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• We will never be able to demonstrate obedience to God if we do not have complete faith in Him. It's from our lack of faith that so much of our obedience falls short. God knows that we can always trust in Him no matter what, and He knows a truth that our hearts have a hard time believing: if we give our hearts fully to him, if we wrap up our hopes and dreams in Him, we will ultimately find that He is enough and He will never let us down. 
• However, we can never come to that conclusion on our own. He can't just suck it up and have more faith. We need God's help.
  • How does God sacrificing his own son for you help increase your faith in Him?  

 Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

• How has God's faithfulness to us in the past and all He promises us for our future help us to move forward in obedience? 
• When we give our hearts fully to God, when He is enough for us, how can we better enjoy the good gifts he has given us? 

Unseen: The Man That Built A Boat

Sermon Summary: Noah’s life gives us a blueprint for extent of faith that God has called us to, and what great length we can go to in order to live out that faith. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:7

• The author of Hebrews recognizes Noah’s faith as something that should always be remembered. It says that he had great faith about things not yet seen (NIV). What was so remarkable about this faith? 
• The author says that Noah did all that he did in holy fear or reverent fear. What does it mean to have holy or reverent fear in our faith? 
• The rest of vs. 7 says that Noah’s faith "condemned the world and he became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."
  • Why does a person of faith show the condemnation of the world? (Hint: Like the law, it shows how the world has fallen short of all that God has called us to. Alongside Noah’s faith, the world’s sinfulness stuck out like a sore thumb.) 
  • Was Noah counted “righteous” because of his faith or because of what he did? (Hint: Faith!) 
    • Why is it good news that our own “righteousness” before God comes as a result of our faith and not the things that we do? (Hint: Because our works will never result in our own righteousness. Even Noah's was filled with deep flaws. Inevitably we will fail to step out in faith and fail to do what God has called us to do. That is sin. Or sometimes we do the things that God has called us to do, and we get prideful thinking we did it on our own. That too is sin. We can never be counted righteous on our own. We need faith in God that he will do and help us do everything that we need for salvation and righteousness.) 

 Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

• Give us an example of someone in your life who stepped out to do something crazy or difficult through faith in God? How did God respond? 
• Give us an example of someone in your life who stepped out to do something in the small, mundane things of life through faith in God? How did God respond?
• As you’ve reflected on the sermon, what kind of “arks” do you think God is calling you to “build”? 
• What are the small things that you think God is inviting you to be more faithful in, so that faith can become part of your character when he big things come? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• Whenever we read the story of Noah, rarely are we going to be able to put ourselves in Noah’s shoes (if we’re completely honest with ourselves). We’re more likely to identify as "the world.” We would have been the ones who scoffed at Noah, or were too afraid or proud to demonstrate faith like Noah’s. 
  • What are some of the things in your heart that keep you from having faith like Noah’s or living out that faith? 
  • Do these things ultimately point to faithfulness in God or unfaithfulness towards God?
  • Through God’s perspective, should you have been the person on the ark when the floods came, or out in the waters of God’s wrath? 

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• Like the author of Hebrews says, Noah’s faith stands to condemn the world. When we pair ourselves up to Noah, we see what we too stand condemned and are desperately in need of help again the wrath of God that we deserve. That is why Jesus came. He wants to help you. If anyone ever deserved to be on the ark, it would have been Jesus. But he traded places with us. Metaphorically, he gave us his spot on the ark, and he endured the wrath of God in our place. Because of this, we know that our only hope is Jesus. This gospel, the good news, is the foundation of our faith, and changes the way that we live our lives. 
  • How does the gospel overcome all of the things that keep us from having faith in God or help us to live out our faith? 
  • What hope do you have when you (inevitably) fail to live out your faith? 
  • How can your rGroup help you in this area of your life?  

UNSEEN: The Man That Gave

Summary: Any giving that is truly meaningful will be rooted and given in faith. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Genesis 4:1-7

• As we read in Scripture, what was the ultimate difference difference between the two kinds of offerings that Abel gave and Cain gave? (Type/quality of the giving, and the heart behind the giving) 
• Why is God more pleased with the gift that Abel gave more than the gift that Cain gave? 
• What can we learn from this passage about how God approaches those who fall short of what they should be doing? 

 Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

READ Genesis 4:1-5

• Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd. God gave them both giftings vocationally that they could use to honor Him. We too have different gifting vocationally (business-minded, artistic, leadership, teachers, etc.). How can we those gifts of where God has placed us vocationally to give to God? To his church?
• What might a Cain look like with your giftings vs. what might an Abel look like with your giftings?

READ Hebrews 11:4

• Giving in this way may be difficult for you, and it may shift the entire way you've viewed giving. However, the author of Hebrews says that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice. It was far and away better than any other kind of giving. But it also says that this kind of giving was set apart because he had faith. How is this kind of giving in your life going to require faith? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• In what kind of ways are we like Cain in our giving?
• How are we giving God our leftovers instead of our best? 
• In what ways do you see Cain’s heart in yourself, rather than Abel's as you do give? 
• In what ways can we look like Cain when the Holy Spirit prompts us to be sacrificially giving? (vs. 5 = Cain was very angry, and his face fell) (Hint: angry, grumpy, entitled, selfish, bitter, resentful, etc.) 
• How is this kind of response harmful to your relationship with God, with others, and to yourself? 

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• From the story of Cain and Abel, what do you believe God’s is extending to you when you are confronted with all the ways you have fallen short in your giving? 
• Most of the time, the ways that we do give are not going to bring us all the glamor and honor that we desire. In many ways our giving is just a small part of the bigger picture. Abel had only a small role in the grand scheme of things, but the author of Hebrews included him as a great hero of faith. How might God use our small supporting role of giving in greater, eternal ways if we are obedient? 

FAITH: The Man That Never Died

Text: Hebrews 11:1-6, Genesis 5:21-24

Summary: Faith invites us to turn away from the world and find true contentedness, hope, and confidence in God as we walk with him. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:1

• Everybody who has ever lived has faith in something. As we look at the world around us who or what do you see people putting their hopes and confidence in? (Hint: Money, politicians, technology, achievements, ect.) 
• As Christians, we've been changed so that we put our hopes and confidence (faith) in something new, something different from the rest of the world. What are those things?
• As Christians, when Jesus is the object of our faith, do we have more or less assurance and hope than people who put their faith in the things of the world? Why?

Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

READ Hebrews 11:5-6

• These two verses give us a picture of what it looks like to live a life in faith. What can we learn from Enoch’s life about hopeful confidence?
• What is God offering us when we live in faith like Enoch? (Hint: Walk with God, we will never experience death, living a life that pleases God, assurance of all the rewards He’s offered us {Ephesians 1 gives us a good idea of what some of these rewards are.} ) 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• However, as Christians, there are times when we become content with the things of this world, when we put our hopes in them, and when we pursue and draw near to them. How are we in danger when we choose those things over God? (Hint: We can get burned by them when they fail us, they don’t give us truly fulfilling or lasting rewards, we can end up living a life void of eternal purpose and significance, etc.)
• What does it communicate to God when we turn our hearts from Him and give them over to these other things of the world? (Hint: Pride - We think we know what is best for us; Unbelief - We don’t believe that God is inviting us into a life that is better than what the world can offer; Idolatry - We elevate people or things to the status that only God should have.)

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• What do you feel God is calling you personally to confess and repent of? 
• Psalm 119:105 —> God is using His Word as a gracious reminder to help us see how empty the things of this world truly are. It’s His Word, these reminders, that give birth to a holy discontentedness to the things of this world. This holy discontentedness becomes a catalyst for our faith; God is inviting us to draw near to Him instead and walk with him. What are some practical ways God is inviting you to walk in the same direction as Him this week, or what are next steps He’s inviting you to take in faith?