Read Hebrews 12:1–3.
Scripture Context:
Believers under persecution had to continue trusting Jesus. The writer of Hebrews provided a list of individuals in the Old Testament who had been faithful to God in Hebrews 11. In Hebrews 12, he instructs Christians to follow the examples of those heroes of the faith, and to keep trusting Christ. He compared trusting the Lord to running a race.
We (Christians) have no better choice than to keep on moving ahead our relationship with Jesus. Instead of being paralyzed by difficulty, we should be determined to keep trusting Him in all trials and difficult times (Hebrews 12:12-13).
Group Discussion:
What would you find the most difficult about running a marathon? Would you rather run a marathon or series of sprints? Why?
What is the "therefore" there for?
(Refer to context of chapter 11 above.)
Explain the phrase "we have so great a cloud of witnesses." Who are they? Are they watching us?
(The Saints who have gone before us, the heroes of the faith that have given their lives for the sake of Christ, are surrounding us and cheering us on! Their lives stand as a testimony of faith and encourage us to run the race with vigor and endurance.)
What is the difference between a "weight" and "sin?" What kinds of things could be weights, but perhaps not sin?
(We often focus on the "BIG" sins that we tend to avoid, but the small ones that we do not pay much attention to, like lying, gossiping, envying, worrying, any hobby more important than God, etc. really slow us down, too. Weights are burdens that impede us from running like we should.)
What impression do you have of the word "entangle?"
(caught in, stuck, difficulties or complicated circumstances which are difficult to escape)
How do these weights and sin slow us down?
What is the race that we are in? What does it mean that the race is "set before us?"
(The Christian life that we are called to stay the course and remain faithful to the end. God established it, and so we run for Christ.)
What kind of race needs endurance? What's the spiritual metaphor here?
Where are we to keep our eyes focused? Why is this so important?
(To pursue something, you have to know what the goal is.)
What does it mean that He is the "author" of our faith? How about "perfecter?"
(An author is an originator, creator, captain, chief leader. Jesus is the originator of our faith in that he begins it. "Perfecter" means "completer" or "finisher" and speaks of bringing something to conclusion. Jesus as God, both creates and sustains our faith.)
What do you think was the joy that was set before Him?
(Fulfilling the will of His Father. Everything Jesus did while on earth was about the glory of God. His joy was found in the Father. Also, who He was doing this for – you and me! We were His joy and still are.)
How does considering the persecution Jesus faced help us not grow weary?
Action Steps / Personal Decisions
What sins entangle you and keep you from running the race for Jesus? Confess those sins and strive to run in God's freedom.
Up to this point, what has been your finish line? Confess these things you've put before God.
What do you need to do to change your finish line and begin running after Jesus?
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Annual Growth: For Those Not Yet Here
When did you guys put your faith in Christ? Childhood, before high school, college, afterwards, etc.? Share a couple of stories.
Before we look at the text and discuss it, what are some of the ways that unbelievers are described in the Bible? Terms, descriptions?
Read Luke 15:1–2.
What were the Pharisees complaining about? Why would they be complaining about this?
If this story were retold today with you cast as a Pharisee, who might you be complaining about? Where is Jesus working that you are not willing to?
As Jesus often did, He skipped the direct attack and told a story. Why do that? What's the value of a parable?
Read vs. 3–7.
The key to understanding a parable is to realize it has one main point. Could somebody retell the story and emphasize the main point?
What does this story teach us about the character of God?
What does this story teach us about ourselves?
What does this story suggest about how Jesus would feel if you were to repent?
What are you doing to reach the lost sheep like the Good Shepherd does?
What would have happened to the lost sheep had the shepherd not looked for it? (It would die.) Do you ever see the lost as dying? How does that perspective urge you to seek the lost?
Jesus intentionally went out to seek and surround himself with lost people. How can you do the same this week and from now on?
What happens to a church (a body of believers) if they are happy with the 99 and don't care about the 1?
Discuss some ways that can make it as easy as possible for people to find and follow Jesus?
Pray: Confess and repent of how you've strayed from God's direction. Ask God to burden you for the lost and dying the same way the Good Shepherd is.
Before we look at the text and discuss it, what are some of the ways that unbelievers are described in the Bible? Terms, descriptions?
Read Luke 15:1–2.
What were the Pharisees complaining about? Why would they be complaining about this?
If this story were retold today with you cast as a Pharisee, who might you be complaining about? Where is Jesus working that you are not willing to?
As Jesus often did, He skipped the direct attack and told a story. Why do that? What's the value of a parable?
Read vs. 3–7.
The key to understanding a parable is to realize it has one main point. Could somebody retell the story and emphasize the main point?
What does this story teach us about the character of God?
What does this story teach us about ourselves?
What does this story suggest about how Jesus would feel if you were to repent?
What are you doing to reach the lost sheep like the Good Shepherd does?
What would have happened to the lost sheep had the shepherd not looked for it? (It would die.) Do you ever see the lost as dying? How does that perspective urge you to seek the lost?
Jesus intentionally went out to seek and surround himself with lost people. How can you do the same this week and from now on?
What happens to a church (a body of believers) if they are happy with the 99 and don't care about the 1?
Discuss some ways that can make it as easy as possible for people to find and follow Jesus?
Pray: Confess and repent of how you've strayed from God's direction. Ask God to burden you for the lost and dying the same way the Good Shepherd is.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Annual Growth: On Top or In the Middle?
1 Samuel 1:1–28
Since you're at rGroup right now, it's safe to say that Jesus is probably part of your life. There are probably times where God is even the most important or top priority in your life, too. But in order to experience real spiritual growth, we need to place God at the center of our lives and let everything else extend from Him. He's the hub of the wheel, and everything else is going on in our lives flows from who we are in Him.
Hannah's story in 1 Samuel 1 shows us the healthy picture of how God is at the center of everything.
Context: Each year, Elkanah would take his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah, to Shiloh to present a sacrifice to God and worship the Lord at the Tabernacle there. And every year it was the same for Hannah: the same insulting comments from Peninnah; the same emptiness that her husband could never fill. She walked away with her deepest desire unmet. She desired children, but God had not opened her womb.
Childbearing was a very important part of Middle Eastern culture during the Old Testament times. Children were a source of labor for the family and a sign of success for the women who bore them. Having no children was a sign of failure, so Hannah was a marked woman, a social outcast, a loser.
Let's read Hannah's story, and discuss 4 ways she demonstrated real spiritual growth.
Read Vs 1–5.
4 Ways to Grow:
1. Trust in God
Vs 5 - God had a different plan than Hannah, so Hannah trusted God.
What does it mean to trust God?
What's the difference between passive trust and active trust?
Give an example of a scenario in which you are fully trusting God with right now.
Just because you're facing hardships, it doesn't mean you're not where God wants you to be.
When God's in the center of our lives, our faith is focused and doesn't shift easily. That's a sign of growth.
2. Communicate with God
Vs 9–11 - Hannah went to the temple (the dwelling place of the presence of God). She didn't hold it within, turn to others, rely on coping mechanisms, or her own abilities and intellect. She went to God.
Why should we always go to God first?
When we don't communicate with God, what does that reveal about our spiritual health?
Why do you think that so many Christians struggle to see God as a personal reality in their lives?
What counsel would you give to a Christian who finds themselves lured to distractions when they're trying to pray?
When you understand and see God for who He truly is, what happens to you when you enter into His presence? And how does that change you?
3. Trust in God's timing
Vs 12–16 - Hannah's been asking, knocking, and seeking God for a long time! Her prayer had fervency, repetition and urgency behind it. It wasn't impatient, or one-and-done.
Vs 17–20 - God gave Hannah peace FIRST, even before He answered her prayer. Why?
Do you know people who exude peace? If you know their story, what can you learn from them?
What's the correlation between God's purposes and His timing?
What's the consequential difference between impatiently complaining and intentionally learning? What's the spiritual difference between those?
4. Keep Your Commitments to God
Vs 26–28 - Hannah followed through with her sacrificial commitment to God.
Do you think that Hannah's commitment to God had anything to do with why she received the blessing from God?
What commitments have you made to God?
What commitments do you need to make to God right now?
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Annual Growth: #SquadGoals
Read Ephesians 4:1–6
Introduction and Summary:
The first three chapters of Ephesians mention "in Christ" 27 times. Paul repeatedly makes the point that when we decide to follow Jesus, we take on a new identity in Christ. Chapter 4 now transitions to "if that is who you are, then (THEREFORE...first word of chapter 4) this is how you should live."
One real problem I think we all would agree with is that Christians do not always act like Christians or as the name means, "Christ ones."
In order for a believer to grow and mature in their faith, they must live inside the instructions and blessings of God. Unfortunately, many believers' lives are marked by not experiencing the peace, joy and satisfaction that comes from living for the Lord.
Paul wrote this epistle to the early churches to urge believers to walk worthy of their vocation. In other words, to live like what God has called them to be.
Group Discussion:
How is a "worthy life" defined and measured in verse 1?
What are the 4 things listed in verse 2 that we as Christians are called to do? (Humble, Gentle, Patient, Forgiving)
1. Humble (put others before self)
What is humility?
What's a real example of how you can humble yourself?
How does your perspective towards others change when you humble yourself?
How would you begin to be more like Christ if you humbled yourself daily?
Other verses to discuss - James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5-6
2. Gentleness (strength under control)
How can you gently use the gifts, abilities and strengths that God has given you?
What happens when you use those same gifts, abilities and strengths with reckless abandon?
What's one or two areas that you need to immediately apply the trait of gentleness to? How will you do this?
3. Patience (long-suffering; enduring discomfort without complaint)
How does your relationship with God affect how patient you are?
Why is patience a virtue? (Galatians 5:22-23)
Control freaks, what are you going to do about this? How can you change?
4. Forgiveness (making allowance for the faults of others)
Why is forgiveness one of the hardest things to do?
What does not forgiving someone else say about you?
How could extending forgiveness heal a relationship? How might it heal the other person? How might it heal you?
Closing Question and Thought:
Those are the 4 WHAT TO DO's, but what is the WHY behind the WHAT? WHY do we do these? (Because of what God has done for us.)
Praise and worship God for all He has done for you!
Introduction and Summary:
The first three chapters of Ephesians mention "in Christ" 27 times. Paul repeatedly makes the point that when we decide to follow Jesus, we take on a new identity in Christ. Chapter 4 now transitions to "if that is who you are, then (THEREFORE...first word of chapter 4) this is how you should live."
One real problem I think we all would agree with is that Christians do not always act like Christians or as the name means, "Christ ones."
In order for a believer to grow and mature in their faith, they must live inside the instructions and blessings of God. Unfortunately, many believers' lives are marked by not experiencing the peace, joy and satisfaction that comes from living for the Lord.
Paul wrote this epistle to the early churches to urge believers to walk worthy of their vocation. In other words, to live like what God has called them to be.
Group Discussion:
How is a "worthy life" defined and measured in verse 1?
What are the 4 things listed in verse 2 that we as Christians are called to do? (Humble, Gentle, Patient, Forgiving)
1. Humble (put others before self)
What is humility?
What's a real example of how you can humble yourself?
How does your perspective towards others change when you humble yourself?
How would you begin to be more like Christ if you humbled yourself daily?
Other verses to discuss - James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5-6
2. Gentleness (strength under control)
How can you gently use the gifts, abilities and strengths that God has given you?
What happens when you use those same gifts, abilities and strengths with reckless abandon?
What's one or two areas that you need to immediately apply the trait of gentleness to? How will you do this?
3. Patience (long-suffering; enduring discomfort without complaint)
How does your relationship with God affect how patient you are?
Why is patience a virtue? (Galatians 5:22-23)
Control freaks, what are you going to do about this? How can you change?
4. Forgiveness (making allowance for the faults of others)
Why is forgiveness one of the hardest things to do?
What does not forgiving someone else say about you?
How could extending forgiveness heal a relationship? How might it heal the other person? How might it heal you?
Closing Question and Thought:
Those are the 4 WHAT TO DO's, but what is the WHY behind the WHAT? WHY do we do these? (Because of what God has done for us.)
Praise and worship God for all He has done for you!
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