October 28, 2012 Life Group Discussion Guide

This Guide is available as a .pdf here.

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, October 28, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Build it! | Seek (week 2)

Remember, this Guide is not intended as an exhaustive list of what can be discussed, but is best used as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them. Read through the discussion points below and prayerfully consider what the Holy Spirit would have you work through.

 Be sure to pray for, encourage each other, and share the victories God is giving your Group.

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At the beginning of our worship gatherings, we highlighted the call for the Church to fully engage in the cause of caring for the orphan. What are ways that your Group can champion, be involved with, and help resource orphan care? What can your Group do to be part of how SLW is already connected in orphan and foster care?

Read Matthew 6:9-10

What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching here? How is it incredibly significant that Jesus, as the Son of God, would instruct us to ask for the Kingdom of God to come? What is the element of trust indicated here? 

Read John 3:3

What is shown as the key to seeing the Kingdom? Why is it important to see the Kingdom?

What is the difference between being truly ‘born again’ and head knowledge? Between ‘born again’ and behavior modification? Why do we tend to settle for head knowledge & behavior modification rather than being truly re-born?

Read Mark 10:15

What does the ‘faith of a child’ mean? What does that mean for how we walk through everyday life?

What is the result for us if we don’t have this childlike understanding? What are symptoms that we don’t have this perspective?

“Before we could talk about cost or assess what we seek or every truly ask, “your Kingdom come,” we need to speak to a missing piece of faith: trust.”

How does trust move our belief to action?

What are symptoms that we have belief but not trust?

How do we develop more trust in God and his leadership?

What role does your Life Group play in helping its members know, practice, and develop trust? How can you ‘spur one another on to love and good deeds’ this week?

Read Matthew 6:33

How do we see ‘what to do, why to do it, and how to do it’ regarding our life and God’s Kingdom?

What are some of the broad applications of the singular focus seen here?

How does this help us recognize, individually and corporately, our created purpose? How does this change our perspective?

“What we value/seek defines us.”

What defines you today? How does this line up with the upside-down reality of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Based on the investments of your time, energy, and financial resource, what are you primarily seeking? 

What does it look like to seek God’s Kingdom on a daily, consistent basis?

Pastor Shawn indicated that if we don’t seek God’s Kingdom primarily, we won’t find life. How is this seen in Scripture? What are the implications of this in our families and other relationships?

Read Matthew 13:44-46

What does this tell us about how the Kingdom is different from other things we might seek?

How does this show us the the cost of stepping into the reality of the Kingdom of God? Where does trust (as the ‘converter’ from belief to action) play a role here?

What are things in our lives today that we may be asked to ‘sell’ in order to receive the great prize of the Kingdom? How can your Group help & call each other to this kind of focus?

We were asked to reflect on this:

Do you trust God enough to let him define your life and not just save it? How can you help your Group members process this? What does it look like to journey through the ramifications of this together?

Our next steps regarding the Kingdom were:

:: Pray for it (Jesus taught us to)

:: Live for it

How can your Group do these things together and help one another in doing them?

Discuss: What are the opportunities for your Group to connect with people who may be far from God? What are the ways your Group can live as ‘Jesus with skin on’ in practical ways in our region to see the advancement of His Kingdom? We’re challenging every Life Group to again engage in at least one missional expression--please connect with Pastor Jeremiah if you need help finding opportunities.

Life Group Discussion Guide: October 21, 2012 (Build it! | Week 1)

Note: This Guide is available for download as a .pdf here.

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, October 21, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Build It! | Week 1

Remember, this Guide is not intended as an exhaustive list of what can be discussed, but is best used as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them. Read through the discussion points below and prayerfully consider what the Holy Spirit would have you work through.

 Be sure to pray for, encourage each other, and share the victories God is giving your Group.

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Read Luke 13:18-21

Why do you think Jesus uses these metaphors in describing his Kingdom? What does this show his desire to be for his Kingdom? What can we discern about our role in this Kingdom from these verses?

Jesus uses other descriptors of the Kingdom in Scripture; what are some of them? Why are these significant?

The challenge in the opportunity of building God’s Kingdom is knowing that business doesn’t equate to being productive.

What are ways you see this in your own life? How is this reflected in the reality of Christ’s Kingdom?

By the use of our time, talent, treasure, we are building a kingdom: we’re either building the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness (with us set up as ‘king’)… what we pursue reveals the Kingdom we’re building.”

How can we determine which kingdom we’re building?

How can we be more aware of what we’re pursuing?

How do we redirect what we’re pursuing?

Read Matthew 6:33

How does this show us how God works?

How is this an invitation to us?

One way people read this is as a formula for prosperity. How do we know this isn’t what Jesus intended in this statement?

We used this ‘quiz’ -- True or False:

:: The Kingdom of God is about life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness (F)

:: The Kingdom of God is something that has not yet come. (F)

:: The Kingdom of God is something already here...now. (T)

:: Those who follow Jesus are already in the Kingdom of God. (T)

:: The Kingdom of God is marked by a freedom from suffering. (F)

:: We build the Kingdom of God for Him in His absence. (F)

What are the implications of these realities for us?

What Scriptural evidences do we see of these?

What experiences have you had that demonstrate these truths?

Read Colossians 1:9-14

What are the ways we are shown we can please God? How do these things reveal a life worthy of the Lord?

How are these things ‘backwards and upside down’ from the things of the kingdoms of this world?

How do these give glimpses of a pain, effort, and difficulty associated with God’s Kingdom?

How does knowing that pain, hardship, and cost are part of the Kingdom of God help us to remain engaged in that Kingdom rather than moving to build something else?

How do we avoid making this a task-list, but seeing these items as marks of a committed, growing Christ follower? What is the danger in making this a check-list of things to work out in ourselves vs. evidence of growth in Jesus?

What do you think it means that God has ‘qualified [us] to share in the inheritance...of the Kingdom of light’?

Read Mark 10:13

What does it mean to receive the Kingdom of God like a ‘little child’?

How do we know if we’ve done this? How can we help each other do this?

Invite your Group members to prayerfully reflect on these questions: 

Where am I busy but not productive for His Kingdom? 

Where am I building with things that will ‘burn up’ and not matter in the end?

Take time to pray for each other that…

:: God would give you clarity as you ask him this question.

:: You would be found productive, but not busy.

When you gather as a Group again, ask each other what God has shown you in answer to this question...and commit to accountability in these areas.

Part of engaging in this Kingdom and ‘Living SENT’ is taking the hope, truth, and power of Jesus’ Kingdom to those who are outside of it.

Discuss: What are the opportunities for your Group to connect with people who may be far from God? What are the ways your Group can live as ‘Jesus with skin on’ in practical ways in our region? 

We’re challenging every Life Group to again engage in at least one missional expression--please connect with Pastor Jeremiah if you need help finding opportunities.

10.14.12 Life Group Discussion Guide (Community)

Note: This Guide is available as a .pdf download here.

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, October 7, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Community...Living Lives that Matter 

Remember, this Guide is not intended as an exhaustive list of what can be discussed, but is best used as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them. Read through the discussion points below and prayerfully consider what the Holy Spirit would have you work through.

 Be sure to pray for, encourage each other, and share the victories God is giving your Group.

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We celebrated at the beginning of our Worship gatherings that people have come to know Jesus through the ministry of SLW recently. Pray as a group for those who have taken the step of receiving Christ in their lives--that they would have strength and courage in their new journey.

Discuss: What are the opportunities for your Group to connect with people who may be far from God? What are the ways your Group can live as ‘Jesus with skin on’ in practical ways in our region? We’re challenging every Life Group to again engage in at least one missional expression--please connect with Pastor Jeremiah if you need help finding opportunities.

Read Acts 20:32

What does this say about how God uses community in our lives?

What does it mean that our inheritance is among those who have been set apart to/for God?

What are the ways we see God reminding us throughout Scriptures that to experience all he has for us, we are called to live in community (rather than off on our own)? 

What Scriptural examples can you think of that show those of us who seek Christ are ‘more together than we are apart’?

Pastor Shawn talked about some of the tools the enemy uses to move us to a place of disobedience (six D’s)—what are they?

Deception :: Doubt :: Discouragement :: Despair :: Diversion :: Delay :: Defeat

He also shared a cycle these “D’s” bring us into that we get stuck in: isolation :: fear :: victim mentality

Share a bit of how you’ve experienced the enemy trying to get you ‘stuck’ using these tools…

We can feel isolated, afraid, and a ‘victim’ in our relationship with God—but it especially happens in our human relationships and in our connection to the Church… what should our reaction be when we (or people we know) fall into this way of thinking? 

Satan is the “father of lies”—what are some of the lies he uses to get us into those places of isolation, fear, and being a victim?

Read 1 Kings 19:1-19

Where do we see Elijah stuck in the isolation :: fear :: victim mentality cycle?

What does this show us about God’s provision and graciousness when we’re caught in this cycle?

Have you ever had Elijah’s experience of moving from a ‘mountain top experience’ with God to crushing lows? Share with your Group what you learned through this experience and how God, the people of God, and his Truth helped restore you.

We were told “character is tested in isolation, but formed in community.”

What do you think was meant by this?

How have you seen this truth at play in your own life?

Read John 13:34-36

What does this Scripture say about our need for (and God’s desire for!) us to live in genuine community?

What is the sense of cost and commitment in this passage?

What are we called to do and be in this section of Scripture?

We were reminded that the difference between solitude and isolation is a matter of focus: solitude is a tool of God with a focus on God; isolation is a toll of Satan with a focus on us. How do you see this playing out in your life?

Ask your Group members how they’re processing the question we were asked to reflect on: Where have a lack of solitude & abundance of isolation made us vulnerable? How can you be praying for each other in the light of how you’re processing this? How can your Group serve each other in terms of accountability when answering this question?

What does it look like for your Group to help each other live in obedience to our So What? Now What? next steps?

force FOCUS (to God) :: fill VOIDS and lies (with Truth) :: find FELLOWSHIP

Where are the temptations in your Group to avoid genuine fellowship? How can you intentionally pursue a dynamic of deep, meaningful fellowship together?

Sunday, October 7 Life Group Discussion Guide

This Discussion Guide is available as a .pdf for download here

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, October 7, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

iLive: Got an App for That  |  Week 7 (Wrap)

Remember, this Guide is not intended as an exhaustive list of what can be discussed, but is best used as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them. Read through the discussion points below and prayerfully consider what the Holy Spirit would have you work through.

 Be sure to pray for, encourage each other, and share the victories God is giving your Group.

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As part of our worship gathering this morning, we celebrated Communion as brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world were doing the same. How should the fact that we are a Global Body of Believers change the way we pray, act, and serve?  How can this global reality be reflected in your time together as a Group?

Today was the ‘wrap’ Sunday for the iLive series--what are some of the insights or key points the Holy Spirit has brought to mind during this time in the Word together? In what areas were you affirmed? Challenged?

Here are the questions we were left with each week during the series:

“Who (or what) is ordering my steps?”

“What is your next step for physical and spiritual fitness?”

“Who are you looking to to ‘decode’ the things of this life?”

“In what direction are you launching your anger?”

“What would I do...if the most significant thing about me was my relationship with God?”

“What is God calling us to in relationships?”

Which of these was the hardest to answer? What significant next steps did you sense God calling you to take that your Group members can be praying about on your behalf?

Read Acts 5:3

What do we learn about how Satan seeks to direct our steps and influence our lives away from God?

If “filling communicates access,” how would Ananias have given Satan access to his heart?

How can we do the same thing?

Read Matthew 6:19-24

What are ways we are tempted to serve ‘two masters?’  What role does our heart play in this temptation?

Why do you think Jesus talked so passionately about ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ in this Scripture (remember: ‘light’ is often a metaphor for truth and holiness; ‘darkness’ is often a metaphor for lies and evil)? How does that inform the temptation to serve two masters?

Pastor Shawn talked about some of the tools the enemy uses to move us to a place of disobedience (six D’s)—what are they?

Deception :: Doubt :: Discouragement :: Despair :: Diversion :: Delay :: Defeat

He also shared a cycle these “D’s” bring us into that we get stuck in: isolation :: fear :: victim mentality

Share a bit of how you’ve experienced the enemy trying to get you ‘stuck’ using these tools? 

We can feel isolated, afraid, and a ‘victim’ in our relationship with God—but it especially happens in our human relationships and in our connection to the Church… what should our reaction be when we (or people we know) fall into this way of thinking? 

Satan is the “father of lies”—what are some of the lies he uses to get us into those places of isolation, fear, and being a victim?

We were asked the question, Who’s agenda are you following by the permission you’ve given? 

What answer immediately came to mind? How can you and your Group members pray for each other that you would give the right permissions to the right people?