Month: May 2014

Luke 6:1-11 // Relationship Overrules: What If Wk 6

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are some rules your parents gave you as a kid?

Sample answers could include…

  • Don’t run with scissors
  • Brush your teeth before you go to bed
  • Eat your vegetables
  • Measure twice, cut once
  • Money doesn’t grow on trees

Look Down // 10 minutes 

Read Luke 6:1-11

What are the different views of the Sabbath you learn from Jesus and the Pharisees?

Commentary: As you read the passage, it becomes clear that Jesus and the Pharisees have differing views on the importance of the Sabbath.  While the Pharisees believed Jesus and His Disciples were being unlawful on the Sabbath, they were actually in accord with the law.  The Disciples could harvest grain as long as a sickle or tool wasn’t used (See Deuteronomy 23:25).  Also, when Jesus heals the man on the Sabbath, he understands that God desires mercy over sacrifice (See Hosea 6:6; Proverbs 21:3; Micah 6:8).  The point isn’t necessarily about who is being lawful but rather the contrast between what the Pharisees held as important and what Jesus was emphasizing.

Sample answers may include…

Pharisees/Religious—

  • Held certain beliefs about the Sabbath
  • Rules more important than people
  • Using the rules to their advantage
  • Blinded by their view of the rules
  • Observing requirements of the law
  • Focused on sacrifice

Jesus—

  • Declared Lordship over the Sabbath
  • Valued relationship more than rules
  • Leverages his authority to give people the advantage
  • Sees the greater purpose of the law
  • Fulfilling the requirements through love
  • Focused on mercy

Look Out // 10 minutes

Where have you seen people be more concerned with being right than showing compassion?

What does it look like to emphasize relationship more than keeping rules?

 

Look In // 20 minutes

When was a time someone showed you compassion rather than judgment?

How did it make you feel and what was the impact on the relationship?

Who is someone that you could show compassion rather than judgment?

Leader Note: Encourage your group to identify specific people or groups of people that they could show compassion rather than judgment.  Also, help them to consider what some practical steps could be to show compassion rather than judgment.

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

What if we were known for showing compassion rather than being right? 

What kind of doors of healing might it open for those around us? 

Prayer: Pray that God would soften our hearts in places where we emphasize being right or keeping rules more than showing compassion and building relationship.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would make us aware of the people we have overlooked, for whatever reason, and that we would see them with eyes of compassion.  Pray that your group would follow Jesus’ example of pursuing relationships more than rules.

 

Luke 5:33-39 // Pharisees And Pacifiers: What If Wk 5

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are some things you’ve held onto for too long?

Sample answers may include…

  • Clothes
  • Haircut
  • Old love notes
  • Relationships
  • Grudges
  • Makeup

Look Down // 10 minutes 

Read Luke 5:33-39

What do you learn about the Pharisees?

Sample answers may include…

  • They are critical of Jesus and his disciples for not fasting/praying enough
  • They don’t see the disciples of Jesus as on their level
  • They equate holiness to an outward, measurable expression and something  to be gained through systematic effort and self discipline

What do you learn about Jesus?

Sample answers may include…

  • Celebration is important
  • There’s no reason to fast for what is already present
  • Fasting has it’s place  
  • The new thing doesn’t fit in the old model
  • It’s hard to adapt to the new thing when the old seems fine or familiar

Look Out // 10 minutes

What are the points in life where change becomes necessary?

Sample answers may include…

  • Health reasons
  • Financial hardship
  • Relocating for a new job, or school
  • Getting married
  • When your engaged in abusive situations, i.e. relationships, substance abuse

Why do people struggle to make changes?

Sample answers my include…

  • The old way is familiar, comfortable
  • Fear of the unknown
  • Fear of failure

Look In // 20 minutes

What have been some turning points in your life that required change?

What obstacles did you have to overcome in making that change?

What new thing might God be calling you to?

What would you need to let go of in order to embrace that new thing?

Leader Note: Often the obstacles of the past repeat themselves over and over again when we are faced with new opportunities or challenged with change. Whatever is holding us back may be tied in someway to a stronghold (control, fear) that has grown over time. Remind your group of the stronghold experience in Rooted and the power that is found in Jesus name to break any lie of the enemy.

Live It Out // 5 minutes

What would change in you if you embraced that new thing?

How would others be impacted?

Prayer: Prayer for continued honesty and courage in evaluating where we’ve held onto the pains and even successes of the past, which have caused us to be timid or even lazy for the new things God has. Pray for faith to trust that God has good things for us beyond what we could imagine.

Luke 5:27-32 // Is There A Doctor In The House: What If Wk 4

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are some of the more creative ways you’ve seen or heard of people being invited to an event or occasion?

Sample events or occasions may include…

  • Prom
  • Birthday parties
  • Weeding
  • Engagement
  • Dances, dates

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Luke 5:21-32

What do others (outside of Jesus) see in Levi?

Sample answers may include…

  • A tax collector. Tax collectors were despised. They worked with the Romans against the Jews. They were seen as greedy traitors. (v.27)
  • Crazy. He left his position of wealth and influence to follow Jesus. (v.28)
  • Influential. He had a lot of friends within his trade. (v.29)
  • Sinner, scum, morally “sick” and “contagious.” (v.30-32)

What does Jesus see in Levi?

Commentary: Remind your group of the context presented in the message. As a Rabbi, Jesus reputation would be largely based on the quality of his students. Rabbis would only select the best of the best ensuring that their status would be maintained and respected. Jesus looks beyond the standards of culture. In selected Levi to follow him he is saying, “come learn from me, I believe you can be like me!”

Sample answers may include…

  • Someone who can be like him (v.27)
  • A person of influence (v.29)

What do you learn about Jesus’ mission?

  • He invites others into his mission (v.27)
  • He’s not afraid to associate with “sinners” or “scum.” (v.29)
  • He makes time to be with people (v.29)
  • It upsets “religious” people (v.30)
  • He pursues and offers healing to the “sick” and not those who think they are “well” or “clean.” (v.31)

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

What makes a great party?

Who do you know that throws the best parties?

Leader Note: After the group has discussed this question tie Levi’s response to encountering Jesus. Levi threw a “meet Jesus party” to celebrate the change in his life.

 

Look In // 20 minutes

Who are the people in your life that you want to meet Jesus?

What prevents you from reaching out to them?

What kind of “party” could you invite them to?

Leader Note: Sharing our faith with others can often be intimidating. Jesus, along with Levi model to us what it could look like to reach out to others in a way that is relational. What type of gathering moments could you create to display your faith in the same way?

Sample answers may include…

  • Graduation party
  • Birthday party
  • Movie night
  • BBQ
  • Children’s play day
  • Neighborhood dessert and coffee night
  • Sports activity or viewing party

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

How would your faith change if you lived this way?

How would others be impacted?

Prayer: Father we thank you that you model for us in Jesus what it looks like to invite others into your story of freedom and salvation. We pray for courage to reach out to those around us who don’t know you. We ask for an increased desire to join you on your mission to seek and save the lost. Make us bold; make us contagious for your cause. Let our lives be a living example of who are and what you’ve done in us. Amen.

Luke 5:17-28 // Mothers Day: What If Wk 3

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are some of the greatest “BFF” movies of all time?

Leader Note: BFF = Best, Friends, Forever!

Sample answers may include…

  • Toy Story
  • Dumb and Dumber
  • Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
  • Grumpy Old Men
  • Top Gun
  • The Odd Couple
  • The Lord of The Rings
  • Beaches

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Luke 5:17-28

Who are all the people in the passage? What do you learn from each person?

Leader Note: After you have identified all the people in the passage read the passage again breaking it down in three segments (v.17-19, v.20-24, v.25-26) making it easier to catch everything. 

Sample answers may include…

Jesus

  • God’s healing power was greatly with Jesus (v.17)
  • Jesus see’s beyond the paralyzed man’s physical need (v.20)
  • Jesus responds to faith (v.20)
  • Jesus read the minds of the Pharisees (v.21)
  • Jesus claims to be the son of God in his speech and actions (v.23-24)
  • Jesus physically heals the man as “evidence” to the Pharisees that he is who he says he is (v.24)

Pharisees/Teachers of the Law

  • They were sitting as Jesus was teaching. (In the Rabbinical tradition the teacher takes the seated place and the students gather around him. This would have been a show of disrespect by the Pharisees.) (v.17)
  • There were many of them there from various place, they were curious about Jesus (v.17)
  • The Pharisees saw Jesus as having contempt towards God, a “God slander.” (v.21)

The friends of the paralyzed man

  • They were persistent, didn’t give up on brining their friend to Jesus (v.18-19)
  • They weren’t worried about making fools of themselves (v.18-19)
  • They had great faith (v.20)
  • They didn’t initially get what they came for (v.20)

The paralyzed man

  • Despite his condition he had friends (Marks gospel tells us there were 4 friends with him) willing to fight for him, he wasn’t isolated (v.18-19)
  • Jesus doesn’t do what he came to him for at first (v.20)
  • He got more than he asked for (v.20,24)
  • He responds in worship (v.25)

The crowd

  • There were a lot of them! Enough to pack the house (v.19)
  • They showed up, watched Jesus work and praised him (v.19, 25-26)

What is the surprise in the passage?

Commentary: The surprise comes in verse 20. The 4 friends go through all the trouble of getting their crippled friend to Jesus and when they do Jesus doesn’t even acknowledge his physical state. He goes straight to his spiritual condition and forgives his sins. Jesus had a different priority.

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

What does it look like when people have great friends to walk with them in hardship?

What does it look like when they don’t?

Leader Note: Encourage your group to think about where they’ve seen this type of friendship and where they’ve seen people lacking it. Invite stories and examples.

Commentary: The paralyzed were often on the margins of society in Jesus time. They were thought to have been responsible for their condition either by some sort of personal sin or the sin of their parents. Many of them were isolated and left to beg on the outskirts of town. This man is not isolated. He has friends willing to take him to Jesus!

 

Look In // 20 minutes

Who are your 4 friends that would carry you to Jesus?

Leader Note: Take this a cut deeper for those that have a hard time identifying 4 friends by asking… “What prevents you from having those type of relationships?”

Who can you be this type of a friend to?

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

How would your life be different with that type of friendship?

How would the lives of others be different?

Leader Note: This question is for both sides of the friendship… giving that type of friendship and receiving that type of friendship from others.

Pray: Pray prayers of thankfulness for the people we have in our lives that stand with us through difficultly and challenge us to grow in our faith. Pray for postures of humility to accept that type of friendship from others and willingness and compassion to be that friend for others.

Luke 5:12-16 // So Fresh And Clean: What If Wk 2

Lean In // 5 minutes

What were all the different “crowds” at your High School and what were they known for? Did you associate with a specific crowd?

Leader Note: High School for many is a time when we try to find our way and our identity. Be it the band group, jocks, preps, cheerleaders or the academic over-achievers; our identity is often played out in the people we associate with.

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Luke 5:12-16

What do you observe about the man with leprosy?

Sample answers may include…

  • His leprosy was advanced, (likely covering his entire body) (v.12)
  • His first reaction in seeing Jesus was worship (v.12)
  • He is desperate for Jesus to heal him (v.12)
  • He acknowledged Jesus as Lord (v.12)
  • He believes Jesus can heal him as well as make him clean, restore him (v.12)

What do you observe about Jesus in this passage?

Sample answers may include…

  • Jesus meets with those that others cast away (v.12)
  • Jesus responds to worship and desperate prayer (v.12-13)
  • Jesus has the power to heal and cleanse (v.13)
  • Jesus instructs the man to show his healing to the priest as a way to confirm his healing and restore him back into society. His healing wasn’t just physical it was holistic. (v.14)
  • People are drawn to Jesus’ power and teaching (v.15)
  • Jesus maintains the discipline of prayer and rest (v.16)

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

Who are the social outcasts in today’s society?

Commentary: Perhaps even more painful than the physical condition of leprosy was the social stigma and labels that came with being a leper. Lepers were marginalized, isolated seen as outcast and labeled as unclean. They were not allowed to worship in the temple, be with their families, work or be out in public. Many of them were quarantined in colonies. If they did happen to appear in public they were required to announce their presence by saying… “unclean, unclean” to warn the public.

Sample answers may include…

  • Those experiencing homelessness
  • The mentally ill
  • The poor
  • The imprisoned, criminals
  • Addicts
  • Abusers
  • Undocumented Immigrants

 

Look In // 20 minutes

When was a time you felt rejected or isolated?

How did you or how are you currently pursuing healing?

How might God be calling you to serve the rejected and isolated?

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

What could change in us if we served the rejected and isolated? How would others be impacted?

Leader Note: One of our driving values for Life Groups at Mariners Church is that they would collectively and regularly serve people in need – our neighbors, our friends the poor marginalized and forgotten with the transformational love of Christ.

Next Steps: Use this time to talk about where your group is at in committing to an on going serve experience. With summer right around the corner this a great time to be more intentional in serving. You can view a full list of serve opportunities here… http://www.marinerschurch.org/irvine/outreach/about-outreach/calendar/