Life Group Discussion Guide -- 18 December 2011

Mission Impossible, Week 4

Shawn Cossin, Lead Pastor

**(You can download a .pdf of this discussion guide here.)**

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Discuss and pray about the things below—don’t feel the need to ‘cover everything,’ but use this as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them. Look through these discussion points and focus on what you think will be most beneficial to your Group. Be sure to pray for and encourage each other.

We have been celebrating the “God of the Impossible” over the past few weeks. Invite your group members to share some of the impossible things God is working in their lives--be ready to share yourself!

Pastor Shawn shared the following statement and used it throughout the message: “When God takes us into a place we’ve never been, it’s often to make us into something we never knew we could be.” In what ways have you and your Group members seen the truth of this statement at work in your lives?

We were reminded of the need to...

:: Get out of the way

:: Follow Him

:: Involve others (in moderation!)

…to see God lead us through the impossible.
Take some time to see how everyone is doing with these “So What? Now What?” elements from the
last few weeks. Be sure to celebrate areas of victory and pray with each other in areas of struggle.

Read Matthew 1:18-25, and discuss...

…in what ways did Joseph find himself in an ‘embarrassing situation?’

…what would Joseph’s natural assumption and response be regarding Mary’s pregnancy?

...how can you relate to the way trouble came on Joseph fast and hard?

...These two phrases:

     :: “found to be with child”

     :: “after he had considered this”

          …how do these convey a sense of the lack of God’s presence?

…why would God allow Joseph to ‘wrestle in the impossibility’ of this situation? Why did he wait?

...It’s possible Joseph needed to come to a new level of surrender to God and his way.

     ...What does this say about how God interacts with us?

     ...How can we turn our sense of “delay” (“God, where are you?!”) to a sense of expectation (“At
        just the right time, God will move.”)

...Joseph is told not to be afraid. Why is this significant?

...We see Joseph’s obedience after his dream…even after emotion, delay, pain, and difficulty. What does it look like for us to take responsibility and be led by God through the impossibility?

...How does obedience lead to favor and more of what God has for us?

Our “So what? Now What?” this week is: If you could identify one impossibility in your life, what step of obedience do you need to take in that impossibility for God to do a new thing? Take some time to discuss this as a Group and pray for each other. Be sure to check in on each other about this thing God identifies throughout the next weeks and months.

We have been urged to “Wait and Watch (with expectation!).” In what ways can your Group help each other to remain faithful as they wait & watch with expectation?

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Life Group Questions from 12-11-2011

SLW :: Mission Impossible :: 12-11-2011

Shawn Cossin, Lead Pastor

Ever faced something that was seemingly impossible? Shawn talked about those metal table games – you know, the ones that are interlinked and seemingly impossible to separate. Those games are TOUGH! Well, sometimes life is a lot tougher than those games, right? So what are we to do when we face situations and circumstances that are seemingly impossible?

We are to go to God and…

1… Acknowledge the need

2… Receive the help

3… Live it out

Share with the group some of the “impossibilities” of your life that you have already seen God overcome. Encourage one another with faith stories of how you’ve seen God help already in your life!

Shawn asked… What’s your “position” and “posture” as you approach these impossibilities? Position and posture are so important for us as we ask God to do a work in our lives, so let’s explore this more…

Read Luke 1:28

: What is Mary’s position and posture in this story?

: How do you think you (or most people) would have responded?

: Did Mary’s position and posture eliminate the struggles she would soon face?

: As we face our own challenges, why is this important to consider?

An Important Reality:

God has not promised to remove our impossibilities,

but to help us overcome them.

Read John 16:33

: What does Jesus tell us here?

            : Why is it important to know He has overcome the world?

            : How does that encourage your faith journey?

Shawn said that “God is not only with us, but He is also for us.” How have you seen this revealed in your life as you’ve walked in relationship with Jesus?

Read Romans 8:37

: Why is the word “through” so important to focus on?

Go back to the idea of “position” and “posture... what can we do as we face situations and circumstances that are seemingly impossible?

1… Get out of the way… What would ‘getting out of the way’ look like for you?

2… Follow him… Are there any areas where you have ceased following? Slowed down?

3… Involve others, in moderation… Who can you trust to tell? Are you still trusting God?

Remember… An Important Reality:

God has not promised to remove our impossibilities,

but to help us overcome them.

In Closing…

What do you need to do this week – even today? – to maintain proper position and posture in your relationship with God? How would you ask the group to pray for you?

Life Group Discussion Guide

Mission Impossible : Week 2

Shawn Cossin : Sandy Lake Wesleyan

~KD~
 

In order for us to get the ‘”im” out of “impossible,” we need to do the following with God…

1) Acknowledge the need

2) Receive the help

3) Live it out

Who can raise just one eyebrow? Wh0 can wiggle their ears?

Who can touch their nose with their tongue? Who can sneeze with their eyes open?

Place your hand flat, with your middle finger tucked, and try to raise your ring finger up. Can you?

Do clockwise circles with your right foot, then make a “6” in the air with your right hand. Can you?

Shawn asked, “What’s impossible for those who follow Jesus? What’s impossible for the church?”

Read Mark 10:17-31, then explore…

: What’s this story about? What’s happening here?

: What were the rich young ruler’s assumptions?

: Why would the ruler walk away sad?

: What were the disciples’ assumptions?

: Is it impossible for those with wealth to know God? Why or why not?

: Why is wealth – and the “stuff” we possess – a danger to following Jesus?

: Actually… is Jesus simply talking about money here? What’s the deeper issue?

Read Job 42:1-2… What’s Job’s attitude here? How is that encouraging to you?

Read Jeremiah 32:17… What’s Jeremiahs’ attitude here? How does that encourage you?

Shawn said, “With God, we are able to be and do things that are impossible on our own,” then he went on to demonstrate the difference between God and Us…

God                             Us

Who helps with…

x          Sin

x          Purity

x          Brokenness

x          Bad to Good

x          Heart

…God does!

Big Question: What impossibility do you need God to address in your life?

Share with the group some of the impossibilities of your life, and then spend some time praying for each other before you close your time together.