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Missions Sunday

4/18/2021

Has anyone ever participated on a missions experience or trip before? If so, share a bit about what you did and what you learned from it.
This Sunday we heard from several missionaries connected to First Covenant. What caught your attention from their updates?
What do you think it means to be a missionary?
Read Romans 10:9-15. What stood out to you from this passage?
How does verse 10 clarify the importance of both the heart and the mouth when it comes to matters of experiencing a saving faith?
What is the outcome of verse 9 that we are promised? How have you experienced that promise in your own life of faith?
What is the main point of verses 14-15?
Why is preaching an important topic in these verses?
Who are the ones being sent to preach? (hint: it is not the pastors). How does this change your idea of the term "preaching"?
Can you name a few people in your life who exercised “their beautiful feet” by sharing the Good News (Gospel) with you?
Challenge – Every morning pray for God to place on your heart people that you need to bring the Good News today.

Power of the Spirit

4/11/2021

Read John 14:15-17. The Holy Spirit is here referred to as the Advocate. The word is "parakleton" which means advocate, helper, counselor, encourager.

Based on that understanding, what is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life as a counselor or helper?

Read John 14:25-26; 16:13. Jesus says he will give us the Spirit and the Spirit will teach and guide us.

How does the Spirit teach and guide us?
How have you experienced the Spirit's guidance in your life?

Read John 16:8-11. Many people think this passage teaches that the Spirit convicts believers of their sin. However, notice that Jesus says the Spirit will "convict the world" or "prove the world to be wrong" about sin and righteousness and judgment. Then compare "sin" to verse 9, "righteousness" to verse 10, and "judgment" to verse 11.

Who or what is the "world"?
How is convicting the world, and of what, different from convicting believers?

Read Galatians 5:22-23 and compare it to the surrounding passage.

What role does the Spirit play in producing these fruit in our lives?

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 and notice the list that follows.

How as the Holy Spirit gifted you?
How are you using those gifts

In summary now, what role has or is the Holy Spirit playing in your life right now?

Power of God

4/4/2021

What are some favorite things you do with your family or at church around Easter?
We sang the song "Death was Arrested" by NorthPoint Worship and Jim talked about the song "Rattle!" by Elevation Worship. Do you have any favorite songs about Easter and the resurrection?

Read Luke 24:1-8
There are five primary reasons to believe in the resurrection. What do you think of these reasons?

They were:

The empty tomb
Jesus's appearances to many witnesses
The transformation of the disciples
The sudden rise of Sunday worship
The explosive growth of the Christian church

Read Romans 8:10-11
At Easter, we celebrate that the Power of God is in the Resurrection. That means:

The power of God gives life!
The power of God is in you!

In what ways have you experienced the life-giving power of God?

Power of God's Peace

3/28/2021

Discuss some memories you have of Holy Week. Did your family have any traditions you would do or participate in throughout the week?
Read Matthew 21:1-11. What caught your attention from this story?
What do we learn about Jesus from this story?
In v2-3, Jesus gives instructions to his disciples. How would you have felt if he gave those instructions to you? Why do you think the disciples obeyed him?
Why is this detail of Jesus riding on a donkey important? (Check out the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9!)
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowd treated him like a king. What were they expecting of him?
The crowd shouted “Hosanna in the highest” which means “God save us”. But what they wanted to be saved from (aka Rome) was not why Jesus came (to save them from their sin). Have you or someone you know ever known someone who was disappointed when God didn't meet their expectations? What is our response in these situations?
What are some unrealistic expectations we sometimes have of God? What can we do to keep our expectations of God rooted in truth?
The crowd recognized Jesus in v11 as a prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. They didn’t fully acknowledge Him as the Messiah. What is the difference between honoring Jesus and recognizing Him as the Messiah? How do people today honor Jesus, but not recognize Him as the Messiah?
Where do you notice peace is lacking in your life or the world around you? What needs to be done so that you (or those in your world) can experience the power of God’s peace in this area?
What are some activities you can do this next week to stay focused on the true meaning of Easter?

Grace Wheel: Adoption

3/14/2021

Have you seen the movie "Instant Family"? Pete and Ellie explore adoption of a teenager and her two younger siblings. While experiencing all the quirky challenges that come with an instant family, they discover how powerful their love for the kids is and how strong their family bond can be. If you have seen the movie, can share what you recall the most about it?
What kind of family do you come from and what was it like for you? Traditional (mom and dad never divorced), blended, adopted, foster, extended, etc.?

Read Romans 8:14-17

Paul is using the imagery of God leading the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery indicating they are his children. The same Spirit has led us out of slavery to sin and death. What is there for us to fear in that slavery?
The term "Abba" is Aramaic (the common language of the Jews of that time as opposed to formal and ceremonial Hebrew or Greek) for "father," indicating a more familial or intimate relationship with God than formal and ceremonial. When we put our faith in Christ and receiving his Spirit, God adopts us to be his beloved children. What are some differences between a familial relationship with God and the church and a more ceremonial or religious relationship?

Read Galatians 3:23-4:11

Paul uses the imagery of guardians and trustees for underage heirs or children to help the Galatians understand the role that the Law of the Old Testament plays. Do you understand this? Work together to explain it for each other.
Paul teaches us that in the family of God we are all his beloved children regardless of our race, social class, gender, or by implication any other distinction between people like culture. His primary goal here is to help the Galatians understand that while the Judaizers (Jewish Christians) were trying to get them to follow certain cultural rituals in order to be fully converted, they actually do belong to the family of God simply because of their faith in Jesus. What are the implications of this for us and what we expect from Christians of other races, cultures, genders, etc.? Remember, even here there are cultures within our culture.
How does the question, "Is this Christ or is this culture?" affect you?

Grace Wheel: Redemption

3/7/2021

Are you a coupon clipper? Is it worth your time or not?
What are some things that other people do that you feel like isn’t worth your time?
Can you share any examples of when you’ve felt like you weren’t worth someone’s time or effort?
Can any of you share any examples of times when you’ve felt like you weren’t worthy of God’s attention, time, or love?

The Meaning of Redemption
This week’s image on the Grace Wheel is Redemption. Redemption means deliverance or freedom secured from some evil by payment of a price. God loves us, cherishes us, values us so much that Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself so that we would be redeemed from our slavery to sin.

How does that strike you or make you feel?

Read John 8:34-36.
Jesus teaches us that everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Working together to understand it, can you explain what he means by this?

Read Romans 7:14 - 8:17.
Paul explains this concept even more.

What does Paul teach about us being slaves to sin or living according to the flesh?
What does Paul teach about living according to the Spirit and the difference between the two?
What does all this mean for your daily life?
What can we do to help others feel valued enough by God to lead them to redemption?

Grace Wheel: Salvation

2/28/2021

When have you felt like you needed to be rescued?
When have you asked God to get you out of a situation?
Should we ask God to deliver us from difficult situations?

The meaning of "salvation"
The basic meaning of the word "save" in the Old Testament is to ‘bring into a spacious environment,' but it carries the metaphorical sense of ‘freedom from limitation’ i.e. deliverance from factors that constrain and confine.

What are the moral and spiritual factors in our lives or even your life which constrain and confine us/you?
Jesus' name means "to deliver, to rescue." From what did Jesus come to deliver and rescue us?

Read Romans 3:19-26

We often think deliverance from our moral problems comes by simply following the rules. "Just do the right thing and you won't have any problems." Can you think of any examples?
Can you explain what Paul is telling us about how we're declared righteous and why?
Can you explain what role the Law plays and why?

Read Romans 8:9-17

Can you explain what Paul is saying here about us, our sinful nature, and the Spirit of God?
In light of all this discussion, from what does Jesus save us?

Grace Wheel: Regeneration

2/21/2021

What is something (like a business, fad, etc) that no longer exists that you would love to see reborn or come back?
Read John 3:1-8
What do you think Jesus meant when he said we are to be “born again” or “born from above?”
Why was Nicodemus (someone who was so well educated and has steeped in religious tradition) struggled to understand what Jesus meant by being born again?
Read 1 Peter 1:3-5
What is our new birth grounded in about and what does this new birth lead to?
How does (or should) our understanding of our inheritance affect our priorities in this life?
Read Ephesians 4:22-24
How do we “put off” our old selves and “put on” our new selves?
How is your mind a key aspect to being made new?
What areas in your life do you still need to shed/surrender to become more like Christ?

Grace Wheel: Justification

2/14/2021

Would you rather win an argument or win a game?
How do you feel about losing or being wrong? Have you lost or been wrong about anything lately?
Pastor Jim said "Peace begins with humility." In other words, to find peace with God you must be humble enough to trust him; to find peace with others, you must be humble enough to admit when you're wrong; even to find peace with yourself, you must be humble enough to admit you need to deal with something in your life. Which of these three speaks to you?

ABOUT THE GRACE WHEEL
(NOTE: Do this if your group would like to talk more about being more natural about sharing Jesus with others, turning the Gospel Dial, and applying the Grace Wheel. Look at the various images of God’s grace around the Grace Wheel, name each one, and ask, the questions... "Who needs this image the most? What kind of story would they have? How can we best portray this image to them?")

Justification (The Judge’s Gavel) - We are justified, acquitted of our sins, declared not guilty, and made righteous through faith in Jesus.
Regeneration (The Baby's Feet) - We are new creations in Christ, we are born again, made new, and given new life.
Salvation (The Life Ring) - Jesus came to rescue us from our sin.
Redemption (The Broken Shackles) - Jesus pays the price to free us from our bondage as slaves.
Adoption (The Family) - Through Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God and become co-heirs with Christ.
Reconciliation (The Hearted Hands) – Jesus restores our relationship with God.

ABOUT JUSTIFICATION

Explain that Justification means God’s act of remitting the sins of our guilt, and accounting us righteous, freely, by his grace, through faith in Christ, on the ground, not of our own works, but of the representative law-keeping and the redemptive, cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Read Romans 3:23-26 and ask why Jesus' blood? Why not his death or his resurrection? What is it about his blood? (The answer is found in Hebrews 10:19-22)
Read Romans Romans 4:5-8 and ask, "What happens when a person is justified?"
Read Romans 5:18-19 and ask, "What does it mean that we are made righteous?"

Grace Wheel: Reconciliation

2/7/2021

Would you rather live with extreme cold or extreme hot?
Pastor Jim talked about some of the adjustments they're having to make after moving back to Minnesota from Phoenix....the cold, the snow, all the extra winter clothes, and so on. Would you rather deal with all that winter brings or deal with the desert heat?
Pastor Jim taught about what he calls The Grace Wheel. Show the graphic below and ask if they understood it and what they thought of it.

Which of these images do you think might connect best with your heart?
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and ask "How does understanding that reconciliation is at the very core of why God sent Jesus change the way you see God and treat other people?"

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