As we "rescue" the Jesus that lives in between the signposts of faith, and the static statements such as his virgin birth and bodily resurrection, many people are finding a Jesus that speaks into our real life. If you have conversations or realizations happening, do tell. We all love to hear how God is uniquely moving in each of the LifeGroups that meet each week.
This week centers on our willingness, as individual people and as churches, to invite Jesus into the details of our life. Many of us have no problem letting Jesus have say over our religion, or our over-arching welfare. It's the day-to-day trust and seeking to hear from him that's so difficult.
As you discuss this week's message, help your group take one step into trusting Christ with more than "world-peace" or the vague idea of being a better person. Help them to understand just how small God is willing to get, and that He wants access to our real living.
Thaw
- What's something you feel like you are learning about God in recent weeks?
- What's something you feel like you are learning about yourself in recent weeks?
- What most impacted you from the message Sunday?
- How do you feel like you are to specifically act on the message?
Read
- John 2:1-11
- Thoughts?
Discuss
- Is anyone reading this for the first time ( or perhaps, had they heard of it for the first time in the message Sunday)?
- Looking at it through fresh eyes, is it surprising that this is recorded as the first miracle of Jesus? Explain.
- Why do you think this is the first miracle related to us, and not bringing someone back from the dead, or multiplying the loaves and fishes?
Leader note: Ask some questions relating to how your group members see this seen. Ask something like "how would you describe this scene?". With Jesus in the picture, we assume he floats into the wedding, the ceremony stops, and it's all eyes on him as he dispenses, with no expression his sedate words of wisdom. At least, that's how the movies always portray him. But spend some time realizing that he's at a wedding because he was invited to be. Jesus is not a wedding crasher. It's evident that he's supposed to be there. He's there to support the marriage of friends, or perhaps family. People that knew him as well as his mother. He probably washed up for the event. He may have put on something extra nice, or even ceremonial, for the event. He may have brought gifts. He probably gave an encouraging smile to the bride and the groom when their faces met from across the courtyard. He sang along with wedding songs. He clapped his hands along with everyone else. He was glad to be there. And he let himself be concerned to the point of action with something as simple as not letting the wedding be potentially marked by shame due to the host poorly planning the amount of wine needed.
- Would you have asked Jesus to provide more wine? Why or why not?
Leader note: Don't let the discussion get bogged down on biblical views of alcohol consumption. If there seems to be interest, tell the group that you can have that discussion another time! Pull out of the group all the reasons they wouldn't ask Jesus for this, how that reveals how they see his character, what he cares about, what we can actually bring to him, etc. If people in the group say they would indeed ask for that, allow them space to describe their relationship with him and when in their life that began. The group will benefit from hearing about that.
- How does this level of including Jesus into details reveal Jesus' love for those at the wedding?
Read*
- Psalm 139:1-18
(*leader note- it may benefit you to read this for the group, or to choose someone with a good reading voice, and use this as a meditative time. There is an intimacy in David's words that reflect the closeness of God's Spirit to ours. Rather than reading to gather the information or draw theological conclusions, read this text as sort of a salve, and then discuss what God says to the group through David's song.)
- Thoughts from this time?
Apply
- When people love each other, the smaller details become important because it is important to the other party. When they don't love the person as the other person needs, they don't deal with them intimately and a certain amount of distrust and separation persists......
- How does strictly seeing Jesus as concerned with the bigger elements of life,and only taking action in most dramatic aspects of our existence, create for us a "smaller" faith?
- How does increased access by Jesus into the smaller details of our life equal a "bigger" faith?
- What are some specific areas that Jesus hasn't been granted access? Why?
- What would it look like to begin to trust that, in love for you, Jesus wants to work in the smaller parts of your week?
Prayer
- Spend some time praying to the God that fills your meeting time, and wants to do amazing things in seemingly un-amazing ways sometimes, because He loves you and is deeply interested in your life.
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