What or Who we say we hope in actually has been given little weight if any. Its as Jeremiah said, God is near our lips but far from our hearts. And with this lie we've told ourselves, there is no a life God did not intend, full of turmoil, anxiety and weariness...and very much lacking the peace He offers.
Through Christmas, we'll be discussing how this fallacy is living itself out in our day-to-day, and the hope that we have in God's grace and redirection. How the information we have can be actually turned into a radically new way of living....not just a radical thing we believe. As the series opens in week one, we begin by grounding ourselves in trust and dependence on God, in a very real, lived out sense. Invite your group into the deeper waters of trust beyond an idea, and into a daily lived reality. You may note that some of the content in the beginning of the message was taken from Day 5 of the Leader Journal "While Shepherds Watch Their Flock".
Thaw
- Looking back at your life, what's an example of doing something foolishly because you were intent on doing it your own way?
- Why did you feel you had to do it your way?
Leader note: see if any stories shared have the common denominator of self-protection or the advancement of a selfish agenda, verses the "others-centered love" of God.
- What stuck with you the most from the message Sunday?
- What was a new insight that God gave you during or after the message?
Read
- Matthew 6:25-34
- Thoughts?
- How does this apply today?
- Is Jesus being realistic? why or why not?
- What does it look like to take this too far?
- What does it look like when you don't take this far enough?
Read
- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
- Thoughts?
- Why is it so important for Paul to put a disclaimer in his letter to Corinth?
Leader note: Help your group come to realize that he is teaching dependence on God and not himself. You may want to intersperse John 3:27-30 here as well to see John the Baptists perspective of him carrying out his role, yet within the dependent boundaries of his faith in the Christ.
Discuss
- Why is living life God's way so difficult?
- What are specific ways that it sometimes seems impossible?
Leader note: push gently here, but allow the members to share what they are up against with God and His way. It could be difficulty, stubbornness, lack of Biblical insight, religious baggage or something else. Allow the group to speak to it insofar as they speak on the way of God. This is a perfect opportunity for people to say "your way didn't didn't work? Try it my way!" This is obviously not the goal either. You will find that throughout your meeting, you will be pointing to the scriptures more and more as the chief source of wisdom. Lift them up as the arrow that points to Christ and His Spirit, as the Bible was never intended to have the last word. Dependence on the present Spirit of God is the goal!
Read
- Proverbs 3:1-6
- Thoughts?
Discuss
- Biblically, it is considered wise to live in the ways of God and heed His instruction. How do we get wisdom into our hearts?
- What are some specific examples of how our culture at large contradicts the wisdom of daily trust in God?
Leader note: examples might be how we create and maintain friendships, how we see members of the opposite sex, how we see and spend money, what we do with anger and frustration , etc... Our culture is very much unconcerned with God's wisdom, but living out whatever feels right or looks good. This sounds on the surface like an issue for teen ministry...but it doesn't ever go away with age. find a way to confront it.
Apply
- How can we begin to live in dependence on the way of God in specific areas of our life?
- How can this group be part of that effort?
- What are the hang-ups in our day-to-day existence that will cause problems with living in the sacred choreography?
- What are we able and willing to do about these once and for all?
Chew
- As a group, spend some time and read silently through Proverbs chapter 3 and 4. Make notes, write down questions and copy down passages that stand out on separate sheets of paper to ponder for the remainder of the week.
- Discuss this reading as you see fit at the close of your meeting. Be sure and spend some time in prayer with God that what has been discuss can become an actual, lived way of increased dependence on the Spirit of Christ every day.
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