Word Night, April 1-April 7

The goal of this morning's message was to promote spiritual evaluation. We will not move forward in our relationship with Jesus until we are honest with ourselves about where we currently are. Jesus forces us make a spiritual assessment in Luke 14. -Recap the meaning of verse 26 for your group. It is important that everyone understands that the word ”hate” means “love less.” -If your group is comfortable sharing, have them confess some of the things that they may be holding as supremely important in place of God. -After your group has shared, acknowledge that while confession is good, it is not moving forward. Talk about ways you are going to restructure your life so that the proclamation of your love for Jesus is affirmed by your lifestyle. -Answer the question, “does the intensity with which you love and pursue Jesus exceed the intensity with which you pursue everything else?” -Read Col. 1:15-19. Do you believe that this is Jesus? Does that belief affect how you will live this week? Being a disciple of Jesus requires us to value Him above everything else. Nothing in our lives should get more time, attention, passion, and affection. In fact, Jesus says if we can’t do that, then we can’t be His disciples…this is serious.

Dangerous Word Night, March 25-31

Acts 4:23-31

Memory Verse: Acts 4:31

-Describe your prayer life in a few words.

-Question: If God answered "yes" to all of your prayers, would the world look any different?  I know you may be dating a super model and have lots of money, and YOUR life may look a lot different if God always said yes.  But what about the world around you?

-The answer to that question helps to describe your prayer life.  Based on that answer, is it dangerous, audacious, life changing, and filled with grandiose requests?  Is God "impressed" with the enormity of your requests?

-If all of your prayers came true, would the world around you still be pretty lame?

Acts 4:23-24a
-Dangerous Prayers have Urgency and Priority

If something unexpected happens, what is your default reaction?
-Let me try and fix it myself
-Let me gather my resources and contacts and see if anyone else can fix it
-Let me ask my parents for advice
-Let me pray about it

-Have you ever prayed about something, and the answer that God gave you was crazy, and maybe seemed irrational to your finite mind?  Share your story.

-Voicing dangerous prayers will lead to God calling you to do dangerous things for Him.  Do you want your life to be marked by that?

Acts 4:24b-28
-Dangerous Prayers Acknowledge the Source of Power

-The power of prayer lies in the person that you are praying to!

-God's will is going to be done and cannot be swayed by the will of man.  Does that make you feel good?  Less in control?  Do you not like that?  Vs. 25 admits that the efforts of man against God are in vain.

-Acts 4:29-30
-Dangerous Prayers are Unified and Focused

-Is your rGroup unified in praying for something or someone?  Make a list of people that are disconnected, disenfranchised, or don't have a relationship with Jesus.  As a group, commit to pray for them each week together.  Don't just let it be a one-and-done prayer time.  Pray earnestly together until God moves and their lives are changed.  Pray that God would use one of you to do that!

-Personal Evaluation:  Are your prayers selfish?  Focused on helping you or your friends enjoy an easier, more comfortable life?  Do you see how lame of a prayer life that is?  Do you see how powerless those requests are?  What would happen if God said "yes" to all your prayers?

-Acts 4:31
-Dangerous Prayers Produce Results

-We can pray boldly and unapologetically because we know we are praying for His goodness and His Will and His glory to be made known through us.  And when we know God is in the business of hearing our prayers and answering them so that he can get the glory and honor for it, that makes us an extremely dangerous church!

Dangerous Word Night, March 18 - 24

In Acts 4:1-22, we begin to see Peter and John start fanning the flame that was sparked from the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  These were two normal, uneducated, untrained men.  They didn’t have the formal education that the religious elite had, nor did they have the Old Testament memorized.  They were hard-working, blue collar guys.  In many ways, we can relate to these guys.

Do you see any of yourself in Peter or John?  How about in how you rely on the Holy Spirit to lead you? 

Is “bold” a characteristic that your friends would use to describe you?  Why or why not?

Did Peter and John possess anything that we lack that would prevent us from exhibiting this same type of boldness?

Do people often recognize you as a Christian by your actions, your speech, your attitude, or the way you interact with others? (vs. 13) How would you describe our Westernized model of Christianity in comparison to what Peter and John demonstrated in Ch. 4? 

Peter and John’s boldness and courage literally left the most elite religious group in 1^st century Jerusalem speechless.  Their actions and their speech were both taken into account, not just one or the other.  On a scale of 1-10, how would you characterize your boldness in actions?  How about your speech?  Is there a big difference between the two?  If so, why?

Verse 20 says, “For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  A dangerous church is a church that shares the Gospel liberally.  They’re driven by a conviction to share the Good News of Jesus, regardless if it’s illegal, or will pose a threat to themselves.  Peter and John understood that the Gospel is worth dying for.  There is no other message as precious, as important, or as powerful that could change someone’s eternal destination from death to life.  How are you doing at sharing the Gospel with your sphere of influence?  What can you improve?  Do you need to drastically re-think your schedule and priorities so that you can do whatever it takes to get the Gospel to your neighbors? 

Take some time to share stories of how people in your group are sharing the Gospel with their sphere of influence.  Encourage them, pray for them, and send them out to share the Good News! 

If you haven’t already, set up a system of accountability for your members so that they can be held accountable to each other for sharing the Gospel this week.

Dangerous Word Night, March 11-17

We are officially half way through the Collateral Challenge!  We have heard some crazy stories from some of people about how God has blessed them and proven his faithfulness to them.  We are going to be shooting some video to share on Sunday mornings of these powerful stories, but we need your help!   When you get together with your group this week, ask them to share some stories with you from Collateral Challenge.  Challenge them to get started if they haven't been a part of it yet.  Celebrate some wins together of God's faithfulness.  If you have some good stories, be sure to send us an email to info@discoverREVO.com and we would love to hear them and maybe shoot a video to help encourage others.

Acts 3
This week's verse: Acts 3:6  Memorize it!
Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4, and Acts 2:38 are the past dangerous church verses.

-How gutsy was Peter when he picked up the beggar?  His belief in Jesus was matched by his actions and boldness.  On a scale from 1-10, where is your belief in Jesus?  It may be pretty strong for most of your crew.  Now, on a scale from 1-10, how do your actions back those beliefs up?  Unfortunately numbers are mostly lower for this one.  Why?  What is holding you back from being bold?

-Would you consider Jesus an afterthought?  Or does he dominate your entire thought process?  What you think about Jesus (and anything else for that matter) dictates your actions.  Knowing that, reevaluate your "belief" number above.  Theoretically, if you REALLY believed what you said you believed, then it would be impossible for your behavior/actions not to be altered.  That's tough language, I know.  But it has to challenge us and get in our faces or we won't be willing to Move Forward!

-Peter used the word "refreshed" when talking about a person that finds Jesus.  How is that true in your life?  What other word would you use to describe it personally?

-Do you feel like your toes are being stepped on tonight?  Peter didn't say tough things because he liked busting people's chops.  It's to help us realize our depravity and dependance on Jesus.  It's to help illustrate our need for a savior.  It's to help prove the grace and love of God in that we even have a second chance at life through Jesus.  You can either leave bummed out and feeling picked on, or you can leave refreshed and challenged by the amazing story of Jesus.  Our level of dependance on Jesus will have a vast impact on our lives as followers of Him.

Thoughts on a dangerous church:
1. A dangerous church is marked by the power of God, not by the power of men.
2. A dangerous church makes Jesus the emphasis of our lives, not just an afterthought.

Dangerous Word Night, March 4th-10th

Acts 2:42-48


10 Roles of the Church


1. Teaching (vs 42)

2. Fellowship (vs 42)

3. Observance (vs 42)

4. Prayer (vs 42)

5. Sacrifice (vs 45)

6. Giving (vs. 45)

7. Worship In (vs 46)

8. Worship Out (vs 46)

9. Praise (vs 47)

10. Love Big (vs 47)

Discuss how your rGroup can Be the Church as it relates to the roles in this passage.  What areas are you struggling in as a group?  What areas is your group strongest at?  How can living out these 10 roles make you more Dangerous?  

Set some goals as an rGroup on how you can get better.

Remember to review the Scripture verses that we are memorizing together.

Also, we have a baptism celebration that is scheduled for May 20th.  Make sure you talk to your rGroup about the importance of baptism.  If someone hasn't been baptized, encourage them to be obedient to Scripture and go public with their faith!  Last week's verse was Acts 2:38- Repent and be Baptized!  The past two baptism videos are on our website under the media tab.  Let's get excited about celebrating life change together again in May!

Dangerous Word Night, Feb. 26th-Mar. 3rd

The goal of this week's rGroup is to have everyone share their story of how they met Jesus, and to hear the story of other people in your group.  I want you to follow the outline that is laid out by Peter in Acts 2.  If someone in your group is not a follower of Jesus, obviously don't put them on the spot.  Take this time to tell them 4-5 Gospel stories, and BE BOLD!  Just like Peter, after they hear the stories give them an opportunity to respond to the message of Jesus!  If someone does make a decision for Christ, be sure to let us know so that we can celebrate with you and help them Move Forward in their relationship with Jesus.  Email Pastor Paul at paul@discoverREVO.com

As the group leader, you start the sharing time off.  Give your testimony first.  Then, walk through the process one question at a time with each group member and help them tell their story.

#1- Talk about what Jesus has done in your life.  Peter mentions that Jesus did signs, miracles, and taught when he was on earth.  He didn't have to go into too much detail because most of the people there had witnessed the life of Jesus life personally.  Sharing Scripture with people is incredibly helpful, but many people that don't know Jesus today want a modern-day example or application of what it means to follow Jesus and how Jesus affects our lives today.  It's important to use personal examples in your testimony to help bridge the gap between a 2,000 year old book and the saving power of Jesus today.

#2- Talk about what Jesus has done for mankind. Peter mentions that Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of man.  For this particular audience, part of the sin in their lives was murdering the Son of God!  Today, we understand that the sins of man are what Jesus paid for on the cross.  It's the real reason why he died.  But for these men, they literally killed Jesus.  Peter calls them out on their sin, but also reiterates that Jesus died not only for the 12 disciples, but even for those people that literally put him on the cross.  It's important to let people know that Jesus died for THEIR sins as well.

#3- Tell people why they need Jesus.  A common thought in society today is to think that we are basically "good people."  You'd be surprised how many people think they are going to heaven just because they are acting half-way decent here on earth.  Part of the process in telling someone about Jesus is helping them realize their need for a savior.  There has to be a payment for our sins, and the only one that was sufficient to be a sacrifice was Jesus.  There is only one way to God/heaven, and that's through Jesus.  That's why we need him so badly.

#4- Use the Bible.  Peter quotes from the book of Joel and the book of Psalms in his Gospel presentation.  Even if the person you are talking to doesn't believe in the Bible, it is an invaluable tool.  Scripture has the ability to soften hearts and challenge the mind.  Don't discount what the simple proclamation of this powerful book can accomplish as you talk to people about Jesus.  It's a great idea to have a few verses memorized, that way you don't have to flip through your Bible too much, and can share your story even if you don't have a Bible with you.

#5-Give them an opportunity to respond.  The person you are talking to could really be tracking with you and believe in what you say.  They could be ready to make a decision to give their life to Christ!  Chances are though, they aren't going to know what to do next.  They don't know they need to confess their sins, repent, and make a commitment to follow Jesus.  They don't know they need to get plugged into a local church and be baptized.  They don't know the next steps of Moving Forward and growing in their relationship with Jesus.  It's up to you to ask them.  One of the easiest things to do at the end of the story is to simply ask them, "So what do you think about that?  Does any of that make sense?"  Their answer will give you a gauge as to where they are in the process.  You may have to answer a question, clarify something, or elaborate more on one of the points.  Whatever it is, be diligent to give them an opportunity to respond.  You never know how the Holy Spirit is using you and working in their life.

Live Bold this week!  I hope to hear some incredible stories coming out of your rGroups as a result of you helping your group get familiar with their Jesus story.  Challenge them to share their story with at least one person this week.  When you get back together next week, be accountable with one another and ask how God used them and their story over the past few days.  I can't wait to hear about it!

Dangerous Word Night, Feb. 19th-25th

Acts 2:1-13

-Remind your crew to recite Acts 1:8 for memory this week and drive home the importance of Scripture and the Word of God.

-Verse to memorize this week: Acts 2:4a- "And they were filled with the Holy Spirit."  Acts 1:8 was the mission, and 2:4 is the power source.

-How would you describe the Holy Spirit to someone?  3-headed monster, Egg, 3 leaf clover, H2O, etc.

-Is it ok with you that there are things about God that you don't know?  Do you have to know everything in order to worship and surrender your life to Jesus?

-Give me your top 5 most significant bible stories.  Mine are (in chronological order in Scripture) 1. Creation, 2. Fall of Man, 3. Resurrection of Jesus, 4. Coming of the Holy Spirit, 5. Second Coming of Christ.  In anyone's top 5, Acts 2 should be there.  That goes to show that this is an important text!!

-The 12 disciples weren't known for being at the top of the social or economic ladder.  That makes what they did in this passage even more significant.  However, the point isn't power-filled rednecks or guys speaking in foreign languages.  The point to remember is that when the Spirit came down and dwelt in the lives of the apostles, their lives radically changed.  It is impossible to have a real encounter with God and not experience a life change.  What are ways that your life has changed since meeting Jesus?  Can you see definite changes in your life before and after Jesus?

-What was the advice of Jesus?  Wait.  The disciples had no idea why they had to do that.  Now in chapter 2, we see the master plan.  Instead of making the disciples travel to the ends of the earth, Jesus brought the earth to them.  We have to realize that God's way is perfect, even when we don't recognize it. One of the things that will make us a Dangerous Church is having radical obedience.  What are some instances in your life where you had radical obedience to God?  How did God blow your mind through the process, even when the initial command didn't make much sense?

-True or false: What you believe determines how you act.  Diet, exercise, your fears, etc.  It's the same with God.  So why is an understanding of the Holy Spirit so important? (imagine how knowing the power and authority of the Holy Spirit and what that means for you will do for you!  Your boldness, your willingness to listen to God and follow Him, etc).

Know these basic tenants of the Holy Spirit:
1.  The Holy Spirit is eternal.  Seriously, if the H.S. did it back in the Bible, then He can do it now!  If he can use Galilean rednecks, he can use us!  John 14:16

2. The Holy Spirit draws people to God and draws believers closer to Jesus.  Acts 1:8 and Ephesians 3:16-19.

3. The Holy Spirit is our sanctifier.  2 Corinthians 3:18, we are transformed into the image of Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:22-23 gives characteristic of how the Holy Spirit is manifested in our lives, characteristics of sorts.  Both of these help us Move Forward with our relationship with God.

REMEMBER:  the same power that was unleashed and changed the world in these verses is still active in changing people's lives today.