Month: June 2012

 

Introduction – 10 MINUTES

Do you prefer individual or team sports?

Leader Note: This should be a fun and easy question for your group to answer. You may want to start out telling about your favorite type of sport and why you like either the individual aspects or team dynamics.

Observation – 15 MINUTES

Read Acts 2:42-47. How did the early church live in community?

Commentary from the passage:

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching – studying Scripture
They devoted themselves to fellowship – and sharing meals (including communion)
They were devoted to prayer
They were in a deep sense of awe and they performed miracles and wonders
They met together, they shared everything they had
They were generous
They worshiped together at the Temple
They met in homes
They shared their meals with great joy and generosity
They praised God and enjoyed the goodwill of all the people
Each day the Lord added new believers to their fellowship

 

What did participating in those activities look like in their lives?

Leader Tip: Look at each activity and ask “What do you think it meant to devote themselves to studying Scripture?”

Leader note: It will be interesting to hear your group members answer what these activities would have meant to the early believers as it will reveal what they want from a life group. They will most likely talk about the activities that are important to them.

 

Understanding – 20 MINUTES

How does your group resemble this type of community?  What is lacking that you would like to add to your group?

Leader note: Go through the list that you made in 2a of the early believers activities. As you go through them have your group highlight those that your group has experienced together. As they answer ask them what it has meant in their lives to experience those things. Make a special note of those things your group says they haven’t experienced as a group. As a leader you may want to see how you can work those activities into your group plan for the next year.

 

APPLICATION – 20 MINUTES

What about this type of community are you looking forward to? Why?

 

Live it out

What will be different in our world if we were this community?

 

Pray

End your group time together thanking God for bringing you all together to form a group as described in Scripture. Pray specifically for those areas your group highlighted that they wish were better within the group, and for opportunities to make the group stronger and to live out all aspects of Acts 2:42-47.

5 MINUTES

Introduction

When have you gotten lost?  Where were you and how did you find your way?

Leader note:  This should just be a fun and easy question.  If you have a couples group it may be fun to play off the stereotype of guys not stopping to ask directions and gals that do – how that has played out in their family vacations, etc.

 

15 MINUTES

Observation

Read Matthew 3:16-4:11
What do you learn about Jesus in the wilderness?

Leader note:  This is a long passage, so allow enough time to read the whole passage and to answer the questions. 

Commentary:

He went to the wilderness right after He was baptized, the Spirit descended upon Him, God called him Son, and said He loved and was pleased with Him (wasn’t punishment)

Jesus talks about his temptation (at least to Matthew who wrote this, possibly all the disciples)
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness TO BE tempted  (Jesus was obedient)
He REALLY was tempted (human side)

He was tempted by the devil, the devil is real

There was a real battle between the kingdom of darkness (the devil) and the Kingdom of God (Jesus)

Jesus had fasted 40 days and 40 nights
Jesus quotes Scripture – in its complete form
The devil also quotes Scripture, but in incomplete form, thereby twisting its meaning completely

Jesus was tempted with what would be very compelling

            He was hungry – temps Him to turn stones into food (self-reliance vs. dependence)

            He may have seemed “alone” – Satan tempts Him to make God prove Himself (Control vs. surrender)

            Knew pain and suffering was in his future – Satan tempts Him to compromise and receive his kingdom, instead of the Kingdom of God. (humility vs. compromising)

Leader note:  Before you move on to the next question be sure you have observed most of the points above, it will help your discussion.

 

Read 4:12-24
What did Jesus’ time in the wilderness prepare him for?  How did it prepare Him?

 

Commentary:  In the 12 verses that capture the time following the wilderness, Jesus began his ministry: preaching the Kingdom of God is near, recruiting his first disciples, and healing the sick.

 

Commentary: Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights – he would have learned complete surrender and dependence on God during this time.  He learned surrender, dependence; He was led by the Holy Spirit so we know He was in tune with Him, He would have been strengthened each time He withstood the temptation, His resolute grew, He would have heard God clearly and known His call on His life as evidence from what He did next.

 

20 MINUTES

Understanding

How do people feel about “wilderness” times today?

Leader note:  People look at times of solitude or times of faith testing as punishment, as opposed to disciplining, drawing near to God, times of dependence and preparing you for the work God has for you in His Kingdom.  But that’s not the case according to this Scripture, God had just said, “This is my Son who I love and am well pleased” then sent Him to a time of fasting for 40 days and nights and the a time of temptation. 

 

20 MINUTES

Application

Where in your life is the Spirit leading you into the wilderness?  What would it mean to be obedient to His leading?  What might God be calling and preparing you for?

Leader note:  Remember that solitude is not bad, the wilderness experience is a place where God has led us to strengthen and empower us for whatever He has planned for us.  To be in solitude is not to be without, it is to be with God, depending on God. That doesn’t mean it is easy, fasting for 40 days and nights would certainly have been uncomfortable and challenging at times, and temptations were allowed during this time.  But resolve is strengthened, surrender is usually made complete, and dependence is the result.

 

Live it out

What would it look like to help non-believers in their wilderness experiences?  How can we use this time to direct them to God to find strength and resolve? 

Leader note:  And interesting discussion point would be to look at how a non-believers wilderness time may look different than yours.  Consider why that is.

 

Pray

Pray for those experience a time of wilderness, testing and preparation.  Pray to remember the goodness of solitude, express gratefulness for God’s presence and the Spirit’s leading and guiding.  Take comfort in the knowledge that in obedience to follow the Spirit’s leading God will also strengthen and empower for what lies ahead, no one is alone in their solitude.

 

 

 

Introduction – 5 MINUTES

There’s something very satisfying about winning against overwhelming odds. Describe a time when you experienced this in life or when someone you know had this kind of experience.

Leader note:  Everyone loves a story of an underdog winning, a “Cinderella story” of sorts. It could be a come from behind win in sports, or other types of competition.

 

Observation – 15 MINUTES

Read 1 Samuel 17:23-51.  What did Goliath, the Israelites and David bring to the battle?

Commentary: 

Goliath brought his reputation of being a Philistine champion
and of being a warrior since his youth
he had his shield bearer in front of him
he sneered contempt and shouted at David trying to intimidate him
Sword, spear and javelin

The Israelites were intimidated by Goliath, because of his stature and reputation.  The Israelite army ran away in fright
Saul, the king and leader of the Israelite army had his own armor.

David brought with him his faith that the Lord would rescue him as he had before
and the weapons he was used to, his shepherd’s staff, his sling and 5 smooth stones
Most importantly, David says “today the Lord will conquer you”
and then used Goliath’s own sword to kill him.
David recognized what no one else did, this wasn’t a battle of army vs. army, it was God vs. the ungodly, and the outcome was inevitable. 

 

Understanding – 20 MINUTES

What giants do you see people battling today? Where do you see them winning the battle? Where do you see them losing?

Leader note:  You want your group to talk about several situations where people are facing challenges, it is in those discussions that they will see the parallel to their own lives even though at this point you should still be talking in generalizations and not personalizing.

Leader note:  People in the world today are faced by so many giants, those that are intimidating because of their size and those that because of their reputation (never being defeated before) can seem overwhelming.  Some giants that people are battling are those of a physical nature – illnesses and handicaps.  Some are of an emotional nature – loneliness and depression.  Some giants look more like a behavioral battle – addictions, habits.  Others could be in one’s lifestyle and insecurities – huge debt, job loss or job stress, or relationship giants like marital problems.  There are great examples of people winning as well as losing these battles – consider those battling cancer and coming out on the winning side after treatment – and those that succumb to the illness.  There are examples of marriages that triumph after hardships, and those that fail.  There are examples of people prevailing against addictions to drugs and alcohol and those that don’t. 

 

Application – 20 MINUTES

What is a giant in your life?  Look at the things David used to defeat Goliath, what will you use to defeat your giant?

 

Commentary: Goliath taunted the Israelites and David by reminding them of his victories and their defeats.  He tried to shout them down and for 40 days intimidated them.  To battle the Goliaths in our lives we need to remember our victories.  We need to remember that God is with us in our battles and he is faithful to see us through.

 

Pray

Leave plenty of time at the end of your discussion to pray for each other and the fight against the giants in their life.  Pray through the spiritual armor that is available to us (in Ephesians 6) and if appropriate, lay hands on group members and anoint them with oil.  Pray for bold engagement in the battle, with God’s presence and power on their side they can claim victory.  Pray for God’s guiding and leading as they move forward in faith.

 

 

Live it out

People all around us are fighting Goliaths, how can we come alongside and bring our God into their battle?  Use this as an evangelism opportunity.

Date:  June 9-10, 2012
Series:  You are Here
Message:  Lament
Passage:  Various

 

NOTE:  This week you will be guided through an experience of a lamenting prayer.  There will be discussion questions provided, however they are designed to set up an experience so this will be different than your usual weekly flow question curriculum.  You will want to complete your discussion time with at least 20-30 minutes of group time left for the experience.

 

Discussion

Were any of you among those who were prayed over for healing this weekend? 

Did you pray for others? 

What was your experience? 

For those who didn’t, what were your feelings as you stood in the crowd? 

 

Observation

Read Mark 10:46-51 and Mark 14:32-39.  What do you learn about lamenting prayers?

Commentary: 

They are brought to God in surrender
They are offered in desperation
The release is in the surrender, not in God’s answer
They are not in vain
God’s plan is bigger than the request (Jesus wasn’t relieved of the pain and suffering ahead – but the world’s salvation was made possible because of it)

 

Understanding

 

When have you been a part of the “crowd”?  When have you been like Bartimaeus?  What keeps you from crying out for mercy? 

For those who were prayed over for healing this weekend, how did your lamenting prayers look like those from the Mark passages?

 

Application


Read Psalm 3.  Write a prayer of lamentation using the psalm as your guide (a format is provided below – however feel free to do this on your own).

Leader note:  If you are not in a place of lamenting, pray as an intercessor for someone in your life who is.  As you do, ask the Holy Spirit to give you empathy so you can actually feel the pain and desperation as you pray.  Experience the pain and then experience the release in the surrender.

 

After you complete the experience, come back together and debrief.  What was your prayer?  What did you experience as you prayed?

 

Thoughts on a lamenting prayer

In a classic lament there are three parts:

1. The lament — the honest complaint or cry of your sorrowing fearful heart

2. Remembering God’s goodness in the past. The Spirit brings remembrance God’s faithfulness. He also brings to his remembrance God’s character. The Spirit does not explain the why of the circumstances, but only the heart of God.

3. The prayer, based now on faith in God, or the resolve, based on faith in God.

 

Experience

  • Find these three parts in Psalm 3. Which verses are for each?
  • Pour out your sorrowing or fearful heart. Do it for God — if writing it down won’t change your cry, then write it here. If you are not in a time of pain, pray for those who are.
  • Warm your heart at the fire of God’s love by meditating on remembers things about God. If one of the verses sparks something in you, then God has spoken to you — and stay there, meditating.  You can reread those verses in psalm 3 if that is helpful, especially if praying for others. 
  • Write your request, or resolve.

Sample Prayer

 (Again, if you are not in a time of pain, pray for those who are). 

Lord Christ, you know our suffering deeper than we know it.  You rose from the dead, but you still carried your wounds. Will you teach us how to bear our wounds to you?  We do not want our pain to close us off from you or from others any longer.  Heal us oh Lord.

Your presence is all that sustains us, and so allow us to experience your presence in our pain.   Your strength was shown in weakness, and so we come to you, surrendered in our weakness.  And so our weeping lingers for right now, but may relief and even joy come in the morning.  Death and destruction come for us all, we cannot deny them or the wounds they have left.  But they will not have the last word, because you did not let them have the last word.  We surrender all to you Lord, and we cling to the promise of glory with you in eternity.

 

Flow Questions for June 2 & 3, 2012

1.  Introduction:  5 Minutes

What was a celebration you have been to recently? 

Leader note:  Have people in your group talk about a recent celebration they attended.  Then ask them how people were celebrating.  It could be anything from a birthday party, 50th wedding anniversary, or even a celebration of life at a memorial.  There may have been songs, stories, gifts, videos, memory book, great food – whatever it was, have them talk about the celebration.

2.  Observation:  20 Minutes

Read Joshua 3:5-4:9.  How did God show His faithfulness to His people? 

Leader note:  As a reminder, do not read these comments to your group. These comments and notes are for you, as a leader, to help facilitate through the questions. You are to help your group observe the passages and discuss their findings in God’s Word. The sample answers are for you if your group gets stuck, read one and then tell them to look further into the passage.

Commentary:

God spoke Clearly what His plan was
God spoke to someone who was listening and receptive
God followed through on every single promise
Not one person was lost
They were delivered safely
His presence was with them

What would people have been feeling before, during and after crossing the Jordan?

Leader note: Have your group think about moms with small kids, dads, the priests who had/got to carry the ark, and even Joshua.  What would have been going through their mind as they consecrated themselves in preparation to walk into an overflowing river?  What about while they were walking through on the dry ground?  What about when they got to the other side, completely dry because of God’s faithfulness?

What do you learn about the celebration that followed this event?

Commentary:

It was commanded of God
All people were represented
It was a memorial, for generations to come to remember God’s faithfulness

 

3.  Understanding:  20 Minutes

Where have you seen God’s faithfulness in people’s lives?

Leader note:  Think of family, or friends, or stories you’ve heard about how God has shown His faithfulness in their lives.

How do you see people celebrating God’s faithfulness?

Leader note:  You may know people who have been reconciled because of God’s faithfulness and they celebrate that with a party.  You may know people who have been healed, or baptized recently.  Or maybe a baby dedication.

 

4.  Application: 20 Minutes

How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your own life?

Leader note: Even in our hardest times we can celebrate God’s faithfulness, how He delivered us and made His presence known in those times.  And in the worst of times, or the best of times, we can celebrate provision, grace and mercy.

As a group, create a memorial and celebrate God’s faithfulness in your lives. 

Leader note:  This could be a memorial of stones like in the Joshua passage.  Or you could possibly plant a tree, or some other creative way to memorialize what God has done in your lives.  Try to think of ways to celebrate all that God is doing in your life, in the lives of those around you.  Be creative, let everyone participate in the discussion of how you can celebrate.

Leader note:  If your group will be breaking for summer this may be a perfect way to end your time together this season.  You can plan a party where you spend time building/making your memorial, tell stories, sing, feast, whatever you determine as a way to celebrate God’s faithfulness until you meet again.

PRAY:  Spend your last few minutes together offering a prayer of praise and celebration.  Bring needs to the Lord and pray bold prayers of celebration in the midst of trials and struggles.  Hold up each other as living memorials to God’s work and provision. 

 

5.  Live it out:  What affect will your memorial have on your family, friends and community as you share it with them?