A Night of Prayer, Planning, and Bottle Breaking

rGroups,

There are three things we need you guys to do tonight that could take up the majority of your group time:

-In light of the huge announcements Pastor Nathan made on Sunday we'd love for you guys to spend some time in prayer. Thank God for what He's already done, and plead for guidance as we move forward into some uncharted territory this year. Of course we'll need to continue to give and volunteer and serve, but the one thing we absolutely cannot move forward without is God's power and blessing so as a church lets be faithful to step up in those tangible ways, but even more importantly, let's be a church that prays and acknowledges before God that all of this is for Him and that we cannot accomplish anything worthwhile without Him.

-Next week our rGroups have a party week! Spend the time you need to this week nailing down the details for that party.

-Pastor Nathan preached out of Mark 14:3-9. We saw a prostitute offer her life to Jesus. As a symbol of this she broke open her "vocational perfume" (which cost almost a year’s salary) and used it to anoint Jesus. The disciples viewed this act as a waste of resources, but Jesus affirmed her decision to break bottle, spend the money, make the sacrifice for Him. The only question tonight is about personal evangelism: have you been willing to break the bottle to see others come to know Jesus? Not on a mission trip, not indirectly through a ministry your church provides...have you pursued made the sacrifices of time and awkwardness to see people who are currently dead in sin find life in Jesus?

Tough Sayings: First is Last

Mark 9:33-37 & Mark 10 35-45

-After hearing this week’s sermon how would you answer someone if they asked you what it meant when Jesus said that the first will be last?

 -Your level of humility reveals what you think about yourself, but your level of service reveals what you think of others. What does your level of service reveal about your viewpoint of others?

 -In Mark 9:37 Jesus says that we should serve in His name. What does that mean?

 -In America altruism and humanitarianism are extremely popular. How do we ensure that Jesus receives honor and glory from our service rather than simply being caught up in the trend of social action?

 -How is God glorified in our service to others?

 Still Askin’ Em’:

-What did this text teach you about God?

-What did this text teach you about yourself?

-What are you going to do about it?

Tough Sayings: Less is More

Mark 12:38-44

-Explain the relationship between our actions and our motives

-In your opinion, do impure motives nullify right actions?

-Since your opinion doesn't matter...does Jesus suggest in this text that impure motives nullify right actions?

-How does one go about changing his or her internal motivations?

-The scribes in Mark 12 were extremely passionate about how they were perceived. Do you ever find that you are more concerned with the image of spiritual maturity that you project than you are with the substance of your relationship with Jesus?

-What did you think when Pastor Nathan said that we often ask God to fill us but neglect to acknowledge the fact that we have already filled our lives with other things?

-What things have you filled your life with that really don't matter, don't get you closer to Jesus, and don't get anyone else closer to Jesus?

You knew it was coming:

-What did this text teach you about God?

-What did this text teach you about yourself?

-What are you going to do about it?

Tough Sayings: Sell All You Have

Mark 10:17-27

1. Read verse 17. How do we confuse "doing" and "inheriting" sometimes when it comes to life in Jesus?

2. Read Deuteronomy 10:14. Pastor Nathan talked about this truth in terms of "leasing" from God. He owns it all, but we use it and steward it. We will have to give an account for how we used those things He gave us. What are you doing a good job "leasing" in your life?  What are the areas in which you struggle with "ownership"?

3.  Read verse 25. Why would it be so difficult for rich people to get to heaven?

4. Read verses 26 & 27. What does Jesus' answer mean?

5. Unpack this saying: "Giving is a heart issue, not really a money issue."

 

You know it's coming:

 

-What did this text teach you about God?

-What did this text teach you about yourself?

-What are you going to do about it?

Tough Sayings: Divorce is Adultery

-Marriage is ultimately about the Gospel. Do you understand why?

-How does the fact that your marriage is about the Gospel impact your thinking about marriage?

-Let's talk about emotions.  Tell me what first comes to your mind when you think of these things:
(Group leader, I want you to write these down on a piece of paper.  You will need to reference these answers later in the group time).

a. A friend gets cheated on by their spouse.
b. An unfaithful spouse that continuously promises to be faithful but is habitual with their adultery
c. The faithful spouse that continues to take the unfaithful spouse back despite being hurt, betrayed, lied to.
d. What would your advice be to a friend that is being cheated on, lied to, hurt, and let down in their marriage?  (The one aspect to assume would be that your friend was 100% in the right and had no fault).

Now, let's tie these answers into what Jesus has done for us.

a.   What does it mean to commit adultery on God?  (elevating things above God, ascribing the highest worth and worshiping things other than God, turn our backs on the commitments that we've made to God)
b.  What could be God's reaction when we "cheat" on Him? (judgment, divorce, separation, leaving you, turning His back on you.  Compare to answers from question A and B above)
c.  Would God be justified to do those things?  Is it well within God's right to end the relationship? (compare to answers from question C and D above)

- What do you need to do in your marriage to make sure you are representing the Gospel and the story of Jesus correctly?  What do you need to change?   What do you need to stop doing?

-If you aren't married, does this text add a new kind of weight to the idea of marriage (knowing that the goal of your marriage is to accurately reflect the Gospel)?

-How do you plan to avoid spiritual adultery this week?

The trinity:

-What did this text teach you about God?
-What did this text teach you about yourself?
-What are you going to do about it?

Tough Sayings: Cut Off Your Hand

Main Text: Mark 9:42-50
Supporting Texts: Genesis 1:31, Isaiah 9:6

Let's start out catching every one up on the text.  Answer the 2 goal questions from the series.

1. What does the text mean?
and
2. What do I need to do about it?


1.  What is the difference between your "very good" and God's "very good?"  Why should we think His is better?  What gives Him the credibility to claim that He knows what's best for us?

2.  What's the solution to desiring God more than we desire our sin?  How can we move from "cutting off your hand" being weird and offensive to realizing that nothing is worth separating us from God?

3.  What is the role of repentance in your life?  How often do you confess your sins to God?  Confession and repentance is not only instructed by God, but is a great reminder of what the Gospel really did for followers of Jesus.

4.  Make a list (pass out paper or make a mental note) of the sins that you need to cut out of your life.  Start this week by simply confessing them to God.  Secondly, form a plan to stay away from those sins.  Confess is to make known, and repent is to turn away and go in the opposite direction.  Don't just confess the sin and do the same thing a few hours later.  Confess and have a plan of action to keep from doing it again (change your routine, avoid temptation places/times/situations, fill your time with other things).


1. So what does this say about God?
2. What does this say about us?

Tough Sayings: Pick Up Your Cross

Text: Mark 8:34-38

-Verse 34 lays out some criterion for following Jesus. Read the text and identify what these criterion are. (Self-denial and picking up your cross)

-In what way(s) does following Jesus require self-denial? (He calls us to do things that we think we don't want to do! Evangelism, giving, changing our lifestyles, ect...) 

-Based on your answers to the question above, are you denying yourself to follow Jesus?

-Watch the video above before tackling this question. What is it about YOU that may be standing in way your wholehearted pursuit of Jesus?

-Watch the video above before tackling this question. If Jesus isn't offering to fix all of your circumstantial problems and perhaps even adds to them, what is He offering and why is it great enough that I should endure the inconvenience of submitting my life to Him?

The Staples:

What did this text teach you about God?

What did this text teach you about yourself?

What are you going to do about it?