Conversation Questions:
Vision: The picture you have in your mind of your future.
What are some of the most inspiring ‘visions’ that you’ve heard about over the years (ie. MLK’s “I have a dream” speech.)
What is your “vision” for your work or family?
What IS your “Spiritual Vision” for your future (how do you see yourself growing, spiritually)?
Bible Questions:
Jude (1-2) calls himself a “servant” or “slave” of Jesus Christ…What do you think he meant by that?
Jude says that his readers are “Called” by God, “Loved” by the Father, and “Kept” by/in Jesus. He also says that they have “Mercy, Peace and Love in Abundance”! Discuss the difference between Christians who live with this mindset and those who don’t.
Jude says that the threat that he’s writing about is that some leaders have ‘perverted the grace of God’, saying that it’s an excuse to sin. Read Romans 5:6-8, 20-21 and Romans 6:1-2. How does Paul treat this same issue?
Jude says that his readers must “contend (fight) for their faith”. How does the false teaching above endanger the Biblical Gospel message and real Christian faith?
How should they “fight for it”?
Jude cites several examples of people who’ve taken illegitimate approaches to God/faith (v.11):
· The Hebrews, who (despite all the signs and wonders by God on their behalf) refused to trust in Him and refused to go into the promised land. (Almost that entire generation died in the desert before the people went into the Land).
· Cain, who gave God an unacceptable sacrifice (approaching God on his own terms, rather than terms that God described), then killed his brother, Abel—who’s sacrifice God loved.
· Balaam, who prophesied for God, but refused to prophecy things—from God—that he disagreed with.
· Korah, who led a rebellion against God’s appointed leader (Moses).
All of these people approached God and his moves according to their own (human) wisdom, expedience, and sense of right/wrong and fairness. Neither of them really submitted to God. Each of them were punished.
In what way can WE relate that to OUR experience in 21st century, U.S.?
If God’s grace is not a ‘green light’ to sin, how are we to understand it, and how are we to understand the times we do sin? (Read Ephesians 2:6-10; 1st John 1:8-10; Titus 2:11-14)
Personal Sharing:
Read Psalm 139:23-24. As you ask God to “search you”, He probably puts his finger on some specific ways in which you may have been taking the grace of God for granted/giving into temptation too easily.
Share, as appropriate, what you think God is challenging you to give up/do differently in this area.
Pray this week that God would illuminate you and his Holy Spirit would make you aware of the mindset of compromise, motivating you to change!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Jude Series, #2 Jude 17-21
Break the Ice questions:
Tell about a time you had a virus, (physical or computer)…it’s impact, it’s remedy, and any lessons learned as a result.
Have you ever heard people talk about the End Times? How did it make you feel? What if we ARE living in the “Last Days”—how would that change the way you live?
Bible Questions:
Read Jude 17-19: What is going to be one of the signs of the “last times” (NLT), according to vv.18-19?’
How does that match up with the following Scriptures:
1st Timothy 4:1-2
2nd Timothy 3:1-8
2nd Timothy 4:3-4
2 Peter 3:2-18
What evidence of the mindset/outlook presented here do you see… in our current culture?
…In the Church?
We may be in the “Last Days”…only the Father knows that. However, we DO know what to do—according to Jude 20-21.
What does Jude say we should do, in order to successfully resist all the challenges to our faith?
How can we accomplish that (specific strategies)?
Read Matthew 5:13-16: What roles does Jesus want us to play in this world?
Read Philippians 2:14-16 (Note that It’s plural—Paul is writing to the group). What are we to do together, and how are we to accomplish it?
Personal Sharing:
KCC has said it’s Mission is to “Creatively Demonstrate God’s Love”, and that we will do this by Seeking God, Loving Others, and Spreading the Word.
Out of those 3 main areas, where have you seen the most personal growth recently?
In the other areas, what are you likely to do in order to make these strong points of your Spiritual Life?
What is your vision—your hope—for your own relationship with God, in the midst of a hostile world?
Tell about a time you had a virus, (physical or computer)…it’s impact, it’s remedy, and any lessons learned as a result.
Have you ever heard people talk about the End Times? How did it make you feel? What if we ARE living in the “Last Days”—how would that change the way you live?
Bible Questions:
Read Jude 17-19: What is going to be one of the signs of the “last times” (NLT), according to vv.18-19?’
How does that match up with the following Scriptures:
1st Timothy 4:1-2
2nd Timothy 3:1-8
2nd Timothy 4:3-4
2 Peter 3:2-18
What evidence of the mindset/outlook presented here do you see… in our current culture?
…In the Church?
We may be in the “Last Days”…only the Father knows that. However, we DO know what to do—according to Jude 20-21.
What does Jude say we should do, in order to successfully resist all the challenges to our faith?
How can we accomplish that (specific strategies)?
Read Matthew 5:13-16: What roles does Jesus want us to play in this world?
Read Philippians 2:14-16 (Note that It’s plural—Paul is writing to the group). What are we to do together, and how are we to accomplish it?
Personal Sharing:
KCC has said it’s Mission is to “Creatively Demonstrate God’s Love”, and that we will do this by Seeking God, Loving Others, and Spreading the Word.
Out of those 3 main areas, where have you seen the most personal growth recently?
In the other areas, what are you likely to do in order to make these strong points of your Spiritual Life?
What is your vision—your hope—for your own relationship with God, in the midst of a hostile world?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Way Forward
Conversation Questions:
Have you ever recieved a gift that you were not fond of but later realized it was a good gift after all?
What is a time you were highly anticipating something and hada to wait for it?
Bible Questions:
Read: Acts 1:4-8
What is the gift the Father will be giving the disciples?
Do you think the disciples understood what they would be getting?
Have each person in your group pick out one of the following passages to read:
Mark 23:11, Psalm 143:10, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 8:16,1 Thess. 1:5, 2 Cor. 3:171 Corinthians 12:7, Galatians 5:22-27
After reading these passages, list out some of the things that the Spirit does.
What judging by what you just read is the Holy Spirit?
Look back at Acts 1:4-8
What is the Holy Spirit here for?
After looking at Jesus' story for the last four weeks, were do we in 2010 fit into His story?
Heart Questions:
Read Romans 8:11
Do you feel that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?
If God is using us through the Holy Spirit to move His plan forward, what can we do to have a larger part in this story?
Have you ever recieved a gift that you were not fond of but later realized it was a good gift after all?
What is a time you were highly anticipating something and hada to wait for it?
Bible Questions:
Read: Acts 1:4-8
What is the gift the Father will be giving the disciples?
Do you think the disciples understood what they would be getting?
Have each person in your group pick out one of the following passages to read:
Mark 23:11, Psalm 143:10, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 8:16,1 Thess. 1:5, 2 Cor. 3:171 Corinthians 12:7, Galatians 5:22-27
After reading these passages, list out some of the things that the Spirit does.
What judging by what you just read is the Holy Spirit?
Look back at Acts 1:4-8
What is the Holy Spirit here for?
After looking at Jesus' story for the last four weeks, were do we in 2010 fit into His story?
Heart Questions:
Read Romans 8:11
Do you feel that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?
If God is using us through the Holy Spirit to move His plan forward, what can we do to have a larger part in this story?
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