This Sunday

Hey leaders

This Sunday we will enjoy a teaching by Andy Stanley. He does a great job (as always) with a very basic idea that a lot of people get hung up on before they give themselves to Christ, or early in their faith when they wonder if they have made the right and logical decision in the midst of so much mystery and unanswered questions.

As he recaps the previous message, he will talk about how it's about a person, The Person, more than it's about the issues, important as they may be. That's how it is with all relationships. Then, he begins to talk about the terms we set for God to win us over. As though he is going to cater to our demand s on what he must do or explain before we will submit. We need reminded that the terms are his, and that's the way we need it to be, if He's any sort of "god" at all!

Thaw

• What's something going on in your life right now that you sense may be God, and you aren't sure what you're supposed to do about it? Share it with the group.
  
• What can this group do to help you. Prayer? Ask about it from time to time? Help you investigate some hunches? Listen to you over coffee? Name it!

• What were your lasting impressions from the teaching Sunday?

Read

• Psalm 8

• First thoughts?
  
• How would you describe the attitude of the person (David) who wrote this Psalm?
  
• Why is this attitude toward God better than an attitude that demands God answer some questions?
  
• Why is it good for us to submit to God's terms, rather than Him submitting to ours?

Leader note: If you have parents in the room, ask the same question using a 3 year old and her mother, and see if that helps set the picture.

Read 

• John 8:31-32

• Who has heard "the truth will set you free" before?
  
• How is that phrase changed when you read verse 31 first?

Leader note: Help the group recognize that we don't "know" truths or have answers or get any kind of mental assurance before surrender. We get it as a result ( and perhaps decades later!) of submission to the terms of our Creator.

• Why would Jesus order it this way? 
• Why would we order it the other way, first the truth and the explanation and the answered questions and the intellectual safety- and THEN surrender and obedience?

Leader note: The latter is US in control of a predictable pattern. Yikes.

Apply

• What steps of surrender does any one in the group need to take, and how can the group support and encourage that?
  
• What's the one thing between your current spot on the journey, and where you feel God wants you to be?
  
• What are the costs (social, intellectual, physical, financial, recreational, etc...) to you acting immediately on God's terms?
  
• When will you submit to God's terms?
  

Leader note: Feel the group out before asking this one- but they may need a nudge such as this one to actually apply!