Date: March 23-24, 2013
Series: Fearless Generosity
Message: The Palm Before the Storm
Passage: John 15:4-9, 15
INTRODUCTION – 5 MINUTES
What are some Easter traditions you have in your family?
Leader note: Easter could be that one day (or one of two days) your family attended church when you were young. Maybe you got special Easter clothes, baskets, color and hunt for eggs, tell stories of sacrifice, have special meals, end fasts, etc. Have your group recall similar and different traditions from each other.
OBSERVATION – 20 MINUTES
Read John 15:4-8. What does Jesus say about faith?
How does what Jesus say about faith differ from the idea of religion?
Leader note: As your group highlights each characteristic of faith Jesus spoke of, ask them how that differs from previously held opinions, or other expressions of religions.
Commentary:
Jesus says-
It’s about relationship
- Living connection, organic
- Vine and branches
- Produces something – fruit, dependent relationship
- Vine – produces through
- Branch – expresses it
- Bring glory to God
- If we aren’t connected, we are useless
- Remain –
- abide,
- to dwell,
- To become like
- In Christ
- Stay with
- Be led by the Spirit, submitted to, surrendered to
- Walk in the Spirit, in step with, same pace as
Leader note: Have your group put these concepts in non-“Christianese” words.
Examples:
“It’s like a parental relationship, I don’t need to think about if my needs will be met, if they will provide, care for and love me. I gain life from parents – gain life from God, connected, don’t have to think about it or work at making them a parent or becoming a child, you just are.”
“You have a choice to remain in relationship – it’s a decision you make to walk with, abide in, etc or pull away, disconnect – It’s a decision to enjoy it, live in it, depend on it.”
What Religion says:
- Do it – fail – result is guilt and shame
- If I’m able to then I feel like “I did it”, pride – leads to looking down on people, or judge non-Christians because they are having fun without guilt
- I produce it – being good, moral, going to church, giving, serving, being better, knowing God’s Word, bumper sticker, Bible study, kind to the poor or marginalized, act like Jesus vs. become like Jesus
- Earning
UNDERSTANDING – 15 MINUTES
What makes religion attractive?
- It’s measurable
- Gives me a checklist so I can control it
- Gives impression it will make you good
- If you have a mentality of earning, being a super achiever, this gives you the way to make you better at religion than the next guy
APPLICATION – 20 MINUTES
As we move toward Easter, what are things that drive you to religion? To relationship?
How does religion lead to failing?
Religion:
- Tradition
- Rules – don’t eat meat on Fridays, etc.
- Pick up your cross – need to do better, be nicer,
- Sacrifice something – do something I don’t want to do
- Obligatory part – requires something of me
- Peter and denial, how many times have I done that? I need more self-control
- Need to feel bad
- Religion is our go to fastball
Religion is “me-centric” – “God what do you notice about me? Don’t you see what I’m doing?”
Don’t have to be concerned about what God is doing, do what I want to do instead – come along with me God.
Religion gives illusion of control, but in abiding you have to rest, produces feeling of rest, surrender
For doers – control when the fruit comes, measure it, my time is well spent – but otherwise he determines it, and I feel out of control.
Religion says I’m going to pick the part to play and then be the architect of it
Relationship:
- Freedom is fruit
- It’s not your timetable, or the fruit, can’t be selective – I’m not there, but God is producing it.
- Some will reap and some will harvest
- Finding what God is doing and joining Him
- Healthy sense of frustration –
- No control
- Not measurable
- Requires surrender
Leader note: After the discussion of moving toward relationship, lead them with “How are you going to do that???” This is a set –up because the answer is “they can’t do anything!” It’s not about doing. It requires a different way of thinking. Keep working within the group until they get a clear sense of a different way of thinking.
LIVE IT OUT
If we all lived in relationship, and not religion, how would it impact those watching us?
Pray: As you end your time together give your group quiet time to personally respond to Jesus with confession of the laws they’ve constructed to achieve God’s favor – recognizing how that separates them from the fullness of Jesus’ sacrifice for them. Let them sit with the full weight of grace for a moment and then pray for each person to rest in remaining in Jesus this Holy Week.
Good Friday Service Times
Irvine:
Friday, March 29: 12, 3, 4:30, 6, 7:30p
Childcare thru age 5 at all but 7:30p
Mission Viejo:
Friday, March 29: 4 & 6p
Childcare thru age 4 at all services
Huntington Beach:
Friday, March 29: 11a-2p and 4-7p
2124 Main Street, HB (near offices)
Easter Service Times
Irvine:
Saturday, March 30, 4&6p
Sunday, March 31, 8:30, 10 & 11:30a
Port Mariners children’s program for
Infant – 5th grade at each service
Mission Viejo:
Saturday, March 30, 5p
Sunday, March 31, 9 & 11a
Port Mariners children’s program for
Infant – 5th grade at each service
Huntington Beach:
Sunday, March 31, 8:30, 10 & 11:30a
Port Mariners children’s program for
Infant – 5th grade at each service
Other Easter Events
Easter Egg Scramble – Irvine Campus
Saturday, March 30, 3:15 & 7:15p
For toddlers – 5th grade
Peep Roast
Saturday, March 30
After the 5p service
Easter Egg Hunt and Family Fun Day
Saturday, March 30, 9a-3p
Parking $2 in HB Sports Complex lot