Clean Slate | Week 2 (Discussion Guide)

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

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, January 6, 2013 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Clean Slate | 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.

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 Be sure to pray for, encourage each other, 

and share the victories God is giving your Group.

Read Isaiah 43:18-19

What are ways we can be tempted to dwell in the past? What are symptoms of doing this??

How can we be blind to the what God is causing to spring up...the new thing(s) he is doing?

What are ways that we can position ourselves to be aware and receptive to the new thing(s) God is seeking to bring about in our lives?

What are some reasons that new life, new opportunities, and ‘clean slate’ moments seem short-lived? 

Have you ever experienced a ‘new start,’ only to find that it seems the ‘old junk’ pulls us back into what was?

How is living in the reality of a ‘clean slate’ more of a journey than a singular decision?

Read Psalm 51:1-6

In what ways do you see a ‘roadmap’ for the journey of a clean slate reality in this passage?

How do you see the theme of cleansing and purifying?

Why is the fact that David had been guilty of adultery when this psalm was written so important?

David seeks God first.

What is he seeking him for?

Why is the fact our sin is always against God so important for us to
grasp?

“Every sin requires a conversation with God. Otherwise it lingers and we are not free.”

What does it look like to ‘declare our transgressions’ before God?

What are symptoms that we haven’t really ‘owned’ what we have
done?

THREE THINGS TO CONSIDER TO MAKE SURE WE’RE MOVING TOWARD A TRUE “CLEAN SLATE”

1. God -- We don’t actually give our ‘junk’ to him.
   How can holding on to our ‘junk’ be done out of good intent?
   How can holding on be out of rebellion? Out of fear?
   
2. Us -- We sneak around and take it back, or maintain a ‘tether’ even after thinking we’ve given it away.
   Have you ever done this? What was involved in your journey of finally giving it away?
   How can the tether/anchor to our ‘junk’ be severed? What are ways we try to do this on our own?
   
3. Junk -- We desire it more than we long for God.
   What are some of the ‘tether’s connecting us to our junk? Pastor Shawn mentioned doubt, pride, power, fear.
   What are symptoms that we desire the ‘junk’ more than God?

Read Psalm 51:7-12

What is the difference between wanting to be forgiven vs. the desire to be clean?

How is the desire to be clean seen in David’s prayer?

David recognizes being made clean must be something God does, and his desire is for open relationship with God. What are symptoms that we’re seeking forgiveness without restoration?

We were asked to reflect on this question:

What’s keeping you from experiencing freedom and a clean slate?

Spend time as a group praying through this with and for each other. Be sure to pray for each other during the weeks ahead, that the Holy Spirit would clearly show you if you’re not experiencing freedom...and the thing(s) holding you back.

How can your Group help each other with this week’s “So What? Now What?” takeaways:

:: Seek God for help and rescue

:: Declare sin

:: Let it Go

How can you journey with each other through these things? What are ways you can live a clean slate reality as a group?

An Invitation to Christmas | Spend Less, Give More (Discussion Guide)

A .pdf of this Guide is available for download here.

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, December 16, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Jeremiah

An Invitation to Christmas | Spend Less, Give More (week 3)

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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The “Invitation to Christmas” series has a lot to do with gaining a different perspective on what it means to do life in the Christmas season.

• What are ways God is shifting your perspective this Christmas? 

• How have you started viewing (and doing!) things differently as a result of what the Holy Spirit has been showing you through his word?

What are some examples from your life of when you’ve tried very hard to experience or provide a ‘great Christmas,’ only to be disappointed when festivities are over?

Read Luke 12:13-21

What are some symptoms that we may be living our lives as though they consist of “an abundance of possessions?”

What are ways that we can start acting this way, especially during Christmastime?

Why do you think God calls the rich man in the parable foolish? How did a lack of proper perspective lead to this foolishness?

What do you think is significant about the rich man’s focus on himself (take a look--how many times does he say, “I,” “myself” or reference himself?)?

How should knowing all of our material wealth is temporary change the way we view and pursue it?

What do you think it means to be “rich toward God?”

“Any appetite that is fed just gets bigger.”

How have you seen this with our appetite for more stuff or in other areas of life?

What are some ways we can curb our appetite for material things?

Read Philippians 2:5-11

What ways do you see Jesus living this out in the Luke passage and surrounding Scriptures?

What are practical ways we can ‘give more’ of our presence while spending less?

How does this seem to help us fulfill the command regarding our relationships in this passage?

Part of the takeaway from this message was the permission to spend less. What are areas God has helped you identify that you can spend less this season?

We were challenged to start a new tradition that involves spending less on gifts and giving more of our presence this Christmas. What are some ideas you had?

We were asked to reflect on this question:

Where am I giving LESS and spending MORE than I should?

Prayerfully reflect on this and share with your Group members what these areas are. Pray for each other and check in with each other during the Christmas season as you invite each other to “spend less, give more.”

***

What ‘missional expression’ (opportunity to be ‘Jesus with skin on’) is God calling your Group to? Please prayerfully consider where God would have you serve in a practical way and communicate this with Pastor Jeremiah. If you need ideas, don’t hesitate to connect with the church office.

An Invitation to Christmas | Worship Fully (Discussion Guide)

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

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, December 09, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

An Invitation to Christmas | Worship Fully (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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Read Psalm 29:1-2

What does it mean to ‘ascribe’ something to the Lord?

What do you think of when you read or hear, “worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness?”

How has the idea that Christmas is something we do more than something we celebrate changed some of your view and activity in the past week?

“Music and singing has become the primary way we think about worship.”

In what ways have you seen this?

How do we position ourselves to see music and song as vehicles of worship but not worship in and of themselves.

Read Romans 12:1-2a

What is identified as the act of worship here?

How does the ‘renewing of our mind’ corporately and individually position us to truly worship? How do we do this (renew our mind)?

Read Luke 2:20 & Matthew 2:11

How can we worship ‘on the streets, on our way back to work?’

How does the experience of the Magi, stopping to worship in the presence of Jesus, call us to worship fully in our own Christmas celebrations?

Worship to ancient Hebrews and Greeks involved a posture of the body--bowing down and ‘kissing toward,’ respectively--how does this communicate the idea that the act of worship requires full engagement?

Read John 4:19-26

If there is ‘true’ worship, that must mean there is a less-true worship…

What are symptoms that we’re engaging in worship that may not
be ‘in the Spirit and in truth?’

How does the gift of truth and the person of Jesus facilitate ‘true
worship’?

Why do you think this woman immediately asked about worship after Jesus shared with her about a different kind of living water and with her sin & thinking?

Pastor Shawn shared these “steps into worship:”

• Practice the presence of God daily
• Try different worship experiences
• Really prepare for the gathered experience
• Gather in power of the Lord
• Cultivate a holy dependency
• Absorb distractions with gratitude
• Learn to offer sacrifice of worship in all things

Would you add anything else to this list? How do we do these things?

What are ways you can experience worship more intentionally as a LifeGroup in these ways? How can you help each other to do these things individually?

Read Psalm 46:10 & Isaiah 30:15

How can we find a place of stillness?

How can our busyness and the things we use for worship end up keeping us from actually engaging in worship?

How does stillness and the Presence of God allow us to fully worship with things that might otherwise block our view of Him?

We were asked to reflect on this question:

Where are you trying to do Christmas without worship?

Prayerfully reflect on this and share with your Group members what these areas are. Pray for each other and check in with each other during the Christmas season as you invite each other to “Worship Fully.”

How will you find specific time to be still this season?

***

What ‘missional expression’ (opportunity to be ‘Jesus with skin on’) is God calling your Group to? Please prayerfully consider where God would have you serve in a practical way and communicate this with Pastor Jeremiah. If you need ideas, don’t hesitate to connect with the church office.

Build it! | Gratitude (Discussion Guide)

A pdf of this Guide is available here.

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, November 18, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Build it! | Gratitude (week 6)

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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Pastor Shawn shared that there’s much more than meets the eye when it comes to “CMUs” (Concrete Masonry Unit), including that there a ‘top’ and ‘bottom.’ 

• What other aspects to these blocks did you find interesting?
• How do these details give us more insight into what it means to be part of building Christ’s Kingdom with the ‘blocks’ of our experiences?

Most importantly, we learned there is a right way and a wrong way to use CMU building blocks; the same is true when it comes to building the Kingdom of Jesus. What are ways that we can use the right “blocks” (time, talent, treasure & experiences) in the wrong way when it comes to the Kingdom reality spoken of by Jesus?

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” (Francis Chan)

• What are ways that a fear of failure can hinder us?
• What are ways that a fear of failure can move us to look for success in things that don’t really matter?
• What are symptoms of succeeding at things that don’t really matter?
• What do you think are the things that ‘matter most’ to God’s heart?
• How can we position ourselves to invest and succeed in the things that matter most?

“Gratitude serves as the mortar between the bricks of experience as God builds his Kingdom in and through us.”

• What happens if you build without mortar? With the wrong kind of mortar?
• How is this a warning for us when it comes to gratitude?
• How do we allow our experiences to be ‘positioned’ in such a way that God can build something lasting out of them?
• What are indications that we have allowed our experiences to be mis-placed? If this has happened, what can we do?

Read Matthew 18:21-25

• Why is it significant that the King forgave the man’s debt?
• What is significant about the servant lording debt over his peer?
• Why do you think Jesus used a story about financial debt to share about forgiving offenses?
• What do you think would have happened if the first servant had operated out of gratitude?
• What are ways gratitude or a lack of gratitude can alter the trajectory of our lives? Do you have examples of this from your own life?
• How is holding onto offense a symptom of our lack of gratitude for what God has done?

Read James 1:2-4

• How does gratitude position us to be joyful in difficult circumstances?
• How is gratitude a mark of maturity in the life of a Christ follower?
• How are gratitude and perseverance intrinsically linked?
• How can your Group call each other to ‘more’ in light of this?

We were asked, “Where is a lack of gratitude limiting what God can to build in your life?” 

• Take time to pray for each other that God would search your hearts and answer this question for you.
• What are ways we can determine where this might be?
• What are practical ways we can operate with greater gratitude?
• Share with one another one area God is indicating the need for a greater gratitude in your life--areas He wants to build stronger, higher, or bigger for His Kingdom but has been limited--pray for each other and check-in with each other about how God is working in you.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Pray for each other, that God would help you individually and as a Group to build with care using materials that are eternal. Ask Him to show you where you’re building with things that will not last and lead to no reward. Pray for Him to help you be passionately faithful.

***

What ‘missional expression’ (opportunity to be ‘Jesus with skin on’) is God calling your Group to? Please prayerfully consider where God would have you serve in a practical way and communicate this with Pastor Jeremiah. If you need ideas, don’t hesitate to connect with the church office.

Build It! | Some, Not All (Discussion Guide)

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

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, November 18, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Build it! | Some, Not All (week 5)

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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Please use some of these notes from Orphan Sunday to spur conversation with your Groups (the full Guide is at this link):

“It was never God’s intent that there would be that many orphans and the Church would be silent.”

What is your reaction to this statement?

How can we step more into the call of God and his heart for us to “Do good. Seek justice. Encourage the oppressed.”?

How do we move in response that is less oriented on us and more on loving God?

Read Isaiah 58:6-12

What are the conditions God sets out for knowing his righteousness, healing, and leadership; for rebuilding, and experiencing all of the newness of life he has for us?

What are things in your life, community, Group in need of restoration? 

How has God positioned you/your Group to see that restoration come?

We can get very caught up in discerning the will of God--but if we’re not engaging in the clear calls he sends to us from Scripture, we won’t hear him in the smaller things.

Why do you think this is?

How do we often turn ‘discerning God’s will’ into something more about us than God?

That God is so clear in this means it must be priority for us; why do you think it can be so hard to make our priorities line up with what are obviously God’s priorities?

On Global Orphan Sunday we highlighted the call to practice ‘true religion’ by caring for the widow and the orphan. The overarching challenge was to “do for one what we wish we could do for all” and to “identify the one.” Who is ‘the one you can start with (right in front of you)’ for you as individuals? What are ways that your Group can champion, be involved with, and help resource orphan care? Who is ‘the one’ for your Group?

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The Kingdom of God needs to be something that happens in us before it can happen through us.

What did Pastor Shawn mean by this?

How have you seen this reality in the history of your life and relationships?

How can we position ourselves to experience having the Kingdom transform us internally? How can we be positioned to offer this transformation to others?

Read Luke 5:12-16

What is significant about Jesus saying “I am willing”? How does this change in the context & reality that Jesus did not heal everyone?

Why is it important to note that Jesus withdrew from those seeking him? 

What other examples can you think of where there is a ‘some, not all’ reality in Scripture? In Jesus’ ministry?

Why is this such a place of struggle for so many of us when it comes to our understanding of God and our expectation of what He does?

Read Matthew 12:15 and Luke 4:40

Why do you think there were some instances where God healed everyone present and other times when he did not?

How does all of this inform our understanding that “building the Kingdom means trusting in who God is and not what he does...no matter what he does”?

What is the difference between who God is and what he does?

What are symptoms that we’ve confused these? How can this confusion lead to an unhealthy place where we feel offended with God and his actions?

How is a proper perspective of the temporal and eternal vital for us as we continue to ask for “Your Kingdom come”?

Read Luke 7:18-23

What is most significant to you in this passage?

Have you ever been tempted to turn away from God because of difficulty? 
     How did you handle that situation?  

How can we “stumble”/find ourselves offended on account of Jesus?

What are ways that God may not meet our expectations? What examples in your own life can you think of? 

How do we position ourselves to have our expectations in line with God’s desires and character?

We were challenged to make a commitment to not be offended by Him.

What does it look like for you and your Group to call one another to more in this area? How can you help each other to grow in trust and intimacy with God despite difficulty and suffering?

Prayerfully reflect as individuals on this question: Is there anything in my life and relationship with God that would undermine my steadfast trust in Him? Ask the Holy Spirit to search and know you. Share with someone in your Group whom you trust that can pray with and for you over the next several months that God would bring wholeness and steadfastness.