LEADER S NOTES A TEN- WEEK GROUP STUDY

Transcription

1 A TEN- WEEK GROUP STUDY

2 Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. Session 1: Thou shalt have no other gods before me Session 2: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image Session 3: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain...10 Session 4: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy Session 5: Honor thy father and mother Session 6: Thou shalt not kill...17 Session 7: Thou shalt not commit adultery.. 20 Session 8: Thou shalt not steal Session 9: Thou shalt not bear false witness Session 10: Thou shalt not covet

3 Session 1: Thou shalt have no other gods before me When it comes to flying a plane or leading a Life Group, the takeoff is very important. One of your main goals as a Life Group leader is to create an environment where people feel safe to openly and honestly share their true opinions and answers. It has often been said, your group will only go as deep as the leader. It is our hope and prayer that your Life Group would not only be a safe place, but that people would be transparent and go deep when it comes to answering the questions. Therefore, the best way to cultivate this atmosphere in your group is to lead the way in those three areas. Because this is the first week of the series, you may have to start the conversation by being the first to answer the questions. This is especially true when it comes to the personal, introspective questions. Remember to be encouraging when others answer and at all costs, fight the urge to give hasty advice or quick fixes. We believe that God, through your group, His word and ultimately His Holy Spirit, will guide and correct people. Have a great group! 1. As you begin your group time with discussion points from the DVD lesson, ask a follow up question such as Why do you think that? to those answering this first question. This can help people in the group to open up and speak what they are feeling and what they learned from the DVD lesson. 2. It is very possible that everyone in your group will give a different response to this question. Help your group understand that whatever they say, they are to see our almighty God as father and creator and provider. God is the one who is to have our focus and as He has our focus, He will help us and guide us. 2

4 3. Both the verses listed in question 3 point the reader towards understanding that our human nature puts us at odds with God. An adulterous person, in the context James is speaking in, refers to us as believers in Jesus who fall short and fall into the temptation of the world and not fall more in love with Christ as we follow Him. 4. When a person becomes a friend of the world, he or she is letting the things of this world influence their thinking and their life in a manner that is not honoring to the Lord. When we are friends of the world, our focus is turned away from God and turned towards the things that gratify our flesh. Be ready to hear your group members mention different things that take precedence over the things of God. Remember to keep snap judgments and any quick fixes to a minimum due to your group s transparency not being as deep because you are still in week one. Love on the people who are opening up about what they see as more important than God. Your group members may share sinful struggles that they are opening up to the group about because they find trust and comfort in your group. Remember to foster trust and comfort in your group so there can be deep levels of transparency as the sessions go on. 5. Everyone in your group can give a different answer. As the life group leader, be prepared for the answers and, be prepared with some follow-up questions. Ask a W question such as Why do you think that is? to help bring out some more discussion from the people answering the question. A great tool for members that are shy or do not share often is to write down their answers in their study guides and asking them to pray and talk to God about helping them work through those things as the weeks progress. 6. It can be very easy to lose our focus on God and place more importance and focus on material things because we can see how materials things are created. We can see and think through the process of something that is created. As humans, we have a tendency to want to know because we find comfort in knowing. Being left in 3

5 the mystery is not something humans have much interest in. Because we can t see God or think through the process of how He created something or why He did it, we find ourselves frustrated and wanting to know. Remind your group that our focus is to be on God as the sovereign ruler of our lives and not on the created, material things we can see and touch. 7. To love God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind means that we have an understanding of love. Love is a deep and powerful emotion. When we love with our heart, soul and mind, we are loving with our emotions (heart), but we are also loving with our will (soul and mind). When both things work together towards loving God, we are loving God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind. 8. Jesus teaching helps us in keeping the first commandment because the person who is speaking it is Jesus. He was an individual who was fully man and fully God, who kept to His Father s good and perfect will. He is a prime example of loving God with all of your heart, mind and soul. Because of his example, we have a blueprint to learn from how He loved God. 9. This is a great time to listen to the stories people have about men and women who are prime examples of people who love God with all of their heart and mind and soul. After someone is done speaking, you can ask a follow up question such as How does that inspire you as you follow Jesus? This will help provide more thoughts and questions from your group member s minds and might lead them to possibly sharing. 10. This is another question that has the potential to make everyone in your group give a different answer. Remember that everyone in your life group is at a different stage of following Jesus. Some are newer to the journey while others are more seasoned in their journey. Once a few people have answered the question, you can ask some of the more seasoned followers of Jesus to 4

6 share some advice and wisdom with those who are newer to the journey. This is a good time to share what everyone has learned with each other so everyone can learn something and walk away feeling inspired and refreshed. 11. Personal relationships with God can be comparable to a personal relationship with your spouse or siblings or best friends. In each of those personal relationships, there is intimacy. There is a sharing of fears and aspirations. There are emotions and there are the conversations of the everyday matters whether good or bad. How a relationship with God is different is than a relationship with a human is that we can see them. We can t see God, because God is spirit (John 4:24), we aren t going to see him. What we can lay our rest in is that He has revealed Himself to us through creation. Suggest to your group that they begin to seek God for themselves and then come back to you and talk about how they have seen God reveal himself. 12. If we were to lay down the worries and the battle of the flesh and love God how it is described in Matthew 22, we would not find that the troubles of this world as troubles would not be such a daily burden. We would give God devotion and in our devotion to Him, we would find ourselves trusting Him and seeking to do His will. All of our lives would change, as we would love God with all of our heart and mind and soul. Our minds would be on the things above; the things of heaven (Colossians 3:1-4). We can find ourselves in a place where our heart and focus is on God and then from there, we can go towards doing the will and work of God. 13. The results that come from loving God as described in Matthew 22 are that we would be more in tune with His will and we would be in a place where we truly understand His love, forgiveness and grace. No two people will share the same results or outcome because we all move at different paces. However, it is our responsibility as followers of Jesus to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ to help each other with 5

7 the troubles of this world (Galatians 6:2). Everyone in your group can give a different response and the beautiful thing with life groups is that everyone can share and everyone can learn from what is being said. 14. Really encourage everyone in your group to go out and deepen their relationship with God. Encourage them with testimonies of men and women who inspire you that have a deep relationship with God. Encourage them with a sermon that has inspired you or others to have a deeper relationship with God. 6

8 Session 2: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. Give everyone an opportunity to speak up and share what stood out to him or her from the DVD lesson. You may be surprised how much time you spend talking about the DVD lesson and how much your group members picked up from the lesson. 2. Allow everyone to share his or her thoughts on the meaning of an Idol. Ultimately, an idol is something or someone that takes our focus off of God. An idol can be something that we put our faith and trust in to get what we want. 3. We can sometimes idolize people and celebrities such as musicians, actors, actresses, professional athletes and television personalities. Our society also tends to idolize material possessions such as homes, boats, cars, technological devices, careers, money and position in a company. 4. We tend to gravitate towards idols because they are the embodiment of something that we desire or long for. The dangers of worshiping these idols is that we can find ourselves so engrossed with them and we start worshiping the idols because they have done something for us. For example, there is nothing wrong with having corner office with the big paycheck and the title can be an achievement, but when those achievements become what we live for, we are worshiping those things and have taken our focus off of God. 7

9 5. Have your Life Group share the dangers and consequences of worshiping material objects and people. The obvious dangers are that idols are false and lead us away from God. They cannot help us in our quest to live full lives. However, when we seek God rather than material things then we tap into God s power through the Holy Spirit. And it is through the Holy Spirit that we can live a full and meaningful life. 6. Jesus was tempted to worship Satan instead of God. He was also tempted to make himself an idol. In both of these situations He would have been gaining something from another being other than His heavenly Father. In Jesus temptation, He was still able to rebuke the devil with Scripture from the Old Testament, specifically Deuteronomy 6: Everyone in your Life Group will give a different response. See to that no one in your Life Group gives any judgmental or negative comments towards someone s response. This is an honest question that can get many people to open up and share. As the leader, it is your responsibility to care of the group and their emotions and the words being shared. 8. Go around with your Life Group members and have them share about the New Testament Scripture that reminds them to not have other idols and to only worship God. Some answers could include: love God with all your mind, soul, strength and heart (Luke 10:27) and But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). 9. God wants us to worship Him and only Him. He wants us to worship Him honestly with nothing holding us back. He wants our hearts (spirit) and our truth (actions) to match up. 10. When one worships in the spirit and in truth, one is whole-heartedly giving back to God what He deserves; our open and honest hearts while holding nothing back. 8

10 Again, it is the idea of our actions matching up with the status of our hearts. This may be a new concept for those in your Life Group but this is a good time to motivate them to worship God in spirit and in truth. 11. One can worship God by being outdoors and enjoying God s creation. One can worship God by enjoying time of fellowship with other believers and being in community with them. One can worship God by being in study and learning more and more about God. Remember that everyone has been created uniquely different and with that, we will connect with, and worship God differently. 12. To be a living sacrifice is to live one s life in a manner that is like Christ s and that is willing to give up the benefit of his or her life, for the benefit of the greater good and cause. Our lives are to be reflections of what Christ has done in our lives. Since Jesus has given us life and love, we are to reflect that life and love to those who do not know of the life and love He offers us. 13. There may be some in your group who know a person who is living a life of self-sacrifice. There may be some in your Life Group that may not know anyone living that life. It is important for those who do know someone who lives a sacrificial life to share about what inspires them to live a sacrificial life. 14. When one lives a life for God as a living sacrifice for God, one finds him or herself in God s presence through worship, study or fellowship. Its easy to live for self and difficult to live for God, but by practicing being in God s presence on a daily basis, one can find themselves in a place of worshiping God with their whole life. 15. Share with them your experiences and your struggles. Be transparent with them. Encourage everyone to share the wins and the losses so that everyone can learn from each other. 9

11 Session 3: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. Take time to discuss the things that jumped out to your group from the video. It will show them that you care and that what they say is important. Doing this gives them confidence and enables them to share. 2. Go around and allow everyone to share. Be careful not to make any corrections or simple fixes as people are just sharing their experiences. 3. The things your Life Group says will vary. You will have different answers and for some people in your Life Group, what they say as their answer, they may honestly believe that is the reason use crass language. Be open to what your Life Group members share. Remember that there are no snap judgments, but there is to be love and wisdom to be shared. 4. According to these verses, our words are a reflection of the condition of our hearts. There are different causes of our brokenness, but our words are the indicator to the fact that in our hearts, we are truly broken. 5. God cares about our language because we are His ambassadors. We are His people who represent Him here on earth! God also knows that our words are powerful. They can do major harm, but they can also bring healing. Finally, He cares because He cares about 10

12 our hearts and the changes that take place inside of us as we become more like Jesus. 6. Because we are representatives of God, this passage in Titus reinforces the manner in which we live. We are to live in a manner that is full of integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech. 7. Allow time for everyone in your group to share what they believe. Ask extra Why? questions to continue the conversation with your group. If your group sticks to this question for a while, that is okay. It shows their willingness to talk and discuss such a matter. 8. Go around and share how it is important for us to realize that what we say, and where it comes from. It is important for us to realize this because we are the salt and light. It s been said that we, Christians, do not just share the message, but we are the message. With that understanding, our speech is a direct reflection of our message. 9. Go around and allow everyone to share. 10. James says that we are not to praise God with the same mouth that curses human beings. Discuss with your group how we honor God and honor people based on what this passage says. 11. Everyone in your group can do this in a different manner. Challenge your group to think about how they can bring praise to God and His people with their speech. 12. The people in your group may have a change of heart as it pertains to their speech and how it reflects what is happening in their hearts. Be sure to come alongside the people in your group and love them and guide them towards being more like Christ. 13. Your Life Group members will give different answers. This is a good time to write down what they are saying 11

13 so you can pray for them and lift them up with how they are to honor God with their speech. 12

14 Session 4: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. Go around and the let the group share their insights from the video. This may be some of the best conversation during your group time, so encourage everyone to share. 2. The point of this question is to allow group members to express what they think about rest. In a group setting, there are usually differences of opinion on certain topics. When it comes to the idea of rest, it s important for us to begin this lesson with getting our own ideas of it on the table. Go around and share. 3. Again, there are several different aspects that we benefit from when we rest. Go around and share how we are deprived of these benefits. Try to focus on how we tend to treat others when we do not have rest. 4. Ultimately, we are telling God that we don t have time for rest because we have too much to do, which reveals that we are putting our trust in our own abilities rather than God. In essence, when we do not rest, we are telling God that we don t trust Him, and that is why we cannot take time to rest. 5. Martha is ultimately distracted and preoccupied, complaining to Jesus about her sister, asking Him to ask Mary to help her. She seems to have the idea that this is what Jesus ought to be more concerned about. 6. Jesus responds to Martha by telling her that she is worried and upset about many things, and Mary chose 13

15 better than she did. In other words, Jesus tells her that sometimes you will have to disconnect from doing things in order to spend time doing even more important things. Have your group share if Jesus response surprises them. 7. Go around and allow your group members to share. 8. Allow everyone to share. Remember, it is answering these deep, personal questions that often leads to growth. 9. Based on the text, it appears that the disciples were tired, hungry and maybe overwhelmed. Jesus knew all that they felt and ultimately, what they needed. He invites them to join Him as He leads the way. 10. As we read Mark 6:30-31, we see that the disciples sometimes hadn t eaten and were tired because they were doing the work of ministry. Jesus was often traveling and the need of His divine touch and ministry at times was overwhelming. What we learn is that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. He taught His disciples to do the same. This was the best way for them to accomplish what God wanted them to, as well as maintain the Father s example of resting. 11. Go around and share. None of us are immune from needing rest. 12. Take this time to encourage your group to share what it is that keeps them from making time to rest. 13. Again, the goal is to have them list some tangible things they can do (or not do), in order to find rest. 14. Go around and share some practical steps you can take this week. Capitalizing on that, share how you can make that into a rhythm of your lifestyle. 14

16 Session 5: Honor thy father and mother Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. Go around and the let the group share their insights from the video. 2. Many of us have opinions of others. Try and recall when you saw a child disobeying their parents. Share with one another your reactions to this scenario. 3. It seems that Paul elaborates a bit further on what true Christian living looks like for believers. This commandment was not something to ignore as new Kingdom citizens, but rather a way we were designed to live. It teaches us that honoring our parents is important to living a godly life. 4. Honoring our parents shows that we understand authority in our lives. As people of God, there is a distinction of how we live and love one another. When we honor our parents, we by default honor God. 5. There may be someone in your group whose parents are no longer alive. The same principles of honoring one another still apply. The concept of honor is not limited to the child/parent relationship. Honoring one another in speech and deed ultimately honors God. This applies when honoring our elders, our parents, aunts/uncles, teacher s/mentors, and other authority figures in our lives. 6. These verses and many others serve as a reminder of the type of relationship that we can have with God. For many, it is hard to imagine God as such an intimate, 15

17 relational, loving parent (Father). God as a Father provides for us, protects us, cares for us, loves us, guides us, and disciplines us out of love, etc. 7. This question is to help you and your group members understand that we are all adopted as children. Go around and share how this changes your perspective of God. 8. God could have revealed Himself to humanity any way He desires. He chose a relational term like Father to relate to us. In an ideal father/child relationship, there is honor, respect and love. Unfortunately, Satan has tainted our relationships with our earthly fathers, and this has affected the way we relate to God as our Heavenly Father. 9. Allow your group to share their opinion of a perfect parent. This could be a fun exercise, to help us see God in a new light. 10. Once again, the goal is to have your group attach what a perfect parent looks like, to a perfect God is who theologically perfect in every way. Go around and encourage your group to share. 11. Hopefully, as we see God as our perfect, loving, sacrificial father, this encourages us to want to honor and obey Him out of love and not fear. 12. Go around and share. 13. Allow some time for your group to process through what they have learned and how it practically applies to their current situation. 14. Be sure to look at the impact section this week. We offer some practical suggestions of things you can do to honor your parents this week. 16

18 Session 6: Thou shalt not kill Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. To kick-off this session, have your group members share the things that stood out to them in the video. 2. In the context of this story, we see Adam and Eve s two sons, Cain and Abel. The two brothers are asked to give an offering to God and one of them (Abel) treats this responsibility with the upmost care, while the other one (Cain) doesn t. Ultimately, we see the envy of Cain manifest when God commends Abel for his offering, and Cain then rises against his brother Abel, and murders him. 3. This reveals the importance and sanctity of life from God s perspective. After all, He is the giver and sustainer of life. As the creator of life, His heart reveals His love for us. None of us are to take away the life that He has created for His purpose. 4. Although many of us have never murdered someone in the way it is described in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, anger typically entails a desire to damage or destroy the other person. The dangerous and destructive effect of human anger is likewise stressed throughout scriptures. This applies to all of us who have had anger toward somebody else. 5. In the Old Testament, this addresses the physical manifestation of our sinful hearts. In the New Testament, Jesus cuts straight to the heart, the source of our sins birth. He brings it full circle for us as believers to grasp 17

19 holistically. After all, He said He came to fulfill the law and not condemn it. 6. Go around and share your personal experiences. This may be a sensitive subject for some in your group, so let s remember not to make snap judgments or attempt to make simple fixes. 7. Encourage your group not to respond with a knee jerk reaction, but dig deeper into the effect this has on our soul and spiritual growth. This discussion will cut to our hearts and reveal our need for Christ. 8. The attitude of Christ is what Paul is teaching us through these verses. Jesus, humbled himself in the form of a human and was mistreated in the worst way leading up to His crucifixion. His attitude was love and forgiveness toward others, knowing that man, as His creation, was broken and needed to be saved. Likewise, we must adopt the attitude of Jesus and see others through His lens. 9. The practicality of treating others with kindness, grace, mercy, love, compassion, gentleness, etc., is how we show the world the true power of God. When we treat others this way, the world will have no choice but to acknowledge that God is real, as His power is manifested in the lives of His people. Go around and share what this practice looks like for you in everyday life. 10. This person should have thoughts and emotions of love, grace, compassion, and forgiveness. They should be able to see in a mirror and understand their sinfulness, causing them to have empathy toward others. This lesson shows the transformational power of God in the lives of His faithful followers. 11. Go around and encourage your group to think of the times when they have seen someone being blessed, despite opposition and turmoil. 18

20 12. When we are free from anger and hatred, we are no longer bound by other people s actions. This is the abundant life that Jesus talks about, when we face the fact that we have freedom from sin, and are now free to live, love, forgive and to serve others. The point of Jesus saving us, was not simply to keep us all from going to hell, but rather it was for us to be transformed and live as citizens of the Kingdom, bringing aspects of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 13. This may be a sensitive exercise for some in your group. Give your group time to think about someone in their life that they can begin this restoration process with them. Encourage them to think through the implications of the transformation that will also take place in their lives. 14. Go around and share some practical things you can do. See the impact section of this lesson for some tips on how to do that. 19

21 Session 7: Thou shalt not commit adultery Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. Adultery may be a very sensitive subject for some in your group who have gone through it. Regardless of whether someone has committed adultery or been on the other end of things, it is our job to love each other through the process of healing. God s goal is to restore each of us. We must remember that no matter what we ve done, we can be forgiven if we turn to God and receive His forgiveness, grace, and love. God s grace is big enough to heal and restore any marriage regardless of how far off track it has gotten and how big a mess it is. God s love is greater than any problem or sin we ve committed, and He will heal us if we allow Him. 1. Allow everyone to share. Encourage your group to take notes on what stood out to others as it may help them gain a different perspective on today s lesson. 2. God desires us to love one another and to live in peace with one another. This is especially true when it comes to the sanctity of marriage. Jesus and the Church are compared to the marriage relationship, so we know that it is a very important relationship to keep intact and peaceful. We are given the example of living life in selfless humility with one another, and this command is an extension of that way of life. 3. These verses touch on several aspects of human existence that lead us to believe that God designed sex for us to transcend just a physical act. We were created as both physical and spiritual beings and must be aware of the spiritual ramifications caused by our physical acts, 20

22 and how spiritual decline will lead to physical issues as well. 4. Allow the members in your group to share about their experiences and possible issues that have come up from not treating sex the way God intended for us. Many new insights may come out as people relate to the statement that sex is beyond just a physical act. 5. Sometimes kids are involved. Definitely a spouse on either side or both sides. There are even times when friends or other family members are close to the situation. Remember to keep in mind that some in your group may have experienced adultery in one form or another. Be sensitive and allow them to talk about their experiences without fear of judgment or condemnation. 6. Jesus says that thinking about sex outside of marriage is the same spiritually and psychologically as committing the physical act. This would lead us to believe that the damage to our spirits and minds is significant. Adultery is a faithless act and can affect our faith in God. Our relationship with God is based on faith in Him. Being unfaithful in one area of our lives will lead to unfaithfulness in other areas of our lives including our faithfulness to God. 7. We talked about this briefly in question 5, but extend out further from the immediate family and friends. Allow your group to discuss how these situations effect kids at school, members of the church family, work relations etc. 8. Allow your group to state their opinions no matter how different. Some may have flip-flopped on their previous stance. Be graceful with them and let God work on their heart. 9. Adultery is caused by someone who only wishes to satisfy his or her own desires without regard to others. Discuss the different kinds of selfishness involved with this act regardless of the marital status of one or the other individuals involved. 21

23 10. The overwhelming message here is to serve each other humbly. The comparison is of Christ and the Church. The New Testament is full of teachings where we put other s needs above our own, and when we do that, we do not hurt or betray them. Discuss other teachings along these same lines. 11. For a single person to understand the humility of Christ brings us closer to understanding how to live an unselfish life. Regardless of the perceived state of a marriage, selfish desires can only be overcome by the desire to live humbly. 12. Hope is still alive for those of us who choose to receive it from God. Jesus offered this woman redemption and offers each of us the opportunity to receive grace from Him. Our hope remains in His love for us and His desire to have us in a close, personal relationship with Him. God s whole goal is to restore His children to His original intention for us. He is willing to accept any of us back regardless of what we ve done or how far we have strayed. All we need to do is turn around and repent to receive His grace and love. 13. God s love for all of us regardless of our past is more than we could ever understand. Discuss in your group how you have received God s grace and experienced His love. 14. Go around and allow everyone to share. 22

24 Session 8: Thou shalt not steal Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. Go around and the let the group share what they learned from the video. This may be some of the best conversation during your group time so encourage everyone to share. 2. There are many surface level reasons for stealing. However, there is definitely an underlying selfishness that comes with stealing. With the selfish attitude, there is also a feeling of entitlement or deservedness. And, even further below the surface, stealing comes from a place of trust in self rather than a trust in God. 3. According to Jesus, the condition of our heart is the catalyst of theft along with other sinful acts. As we discussed in question 2, at the core stealing, involves a lack of trust in God because we are taking things into our own hands (pun intended) rather than trusting in God s provisions. 4. There is obviously something larger at stake other than the loss of property. Discuss what you think God might be doing spiritually in this commandment to not steal. 5. Allow your group members to share. 6. The problem with Ananias and Sapphira was not that they withheld money, but that they wanted to make it seem as though they were being super generous when they were not. In other words, it was not really about the money which they held back, but rather that their hearts were not in the right condition. 23

25 7. Obviously, it is not a loving act to take something from someone else without permission. Now, this is also an unloving act towards God because as 1 Corinthians 13 tells us, love always trusts. Since taking things into our own hands is not an act of trust, it is also not an act of love. 8. The verse says 1) Stop stealing, 2) Work, and 3) Share with others. Go around and allow everyone to share how these three actions not only keep us from stealing but also create a generous heart in us. 9. Allow everyone to share. 10. Generosity comes from a heart of compassion, trust, and love. Compassion for the care and concern of others and trust in the belief that God is the one who provides and that He will continue to provide because we know that He loves us. When our concern is for others more than our own, and when we understand that God will continue to provide for us, it will help us be more of a generous person rather than one who steals. 11. Rather than take from others, we give to others out of the generosity we have experienced from God in His blessings to us. It is once again a life of trusting in God that brings about generosity as opposed to a selfish life lived for personal gain. 12. Living a generous life begins with a heart of love. Love would not consider stealing from others, but instead trusting in God to supply what is needed. When we start living like this, we realize that God never disappoints or leaves us lacking what we need. As we trust in God more and more, we grow closer and closer to Him and live the abundant life. 13. Go around and allow your group members to share. 24

26 Session 9: Thou shalt not bear false witness Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. Go around and the let the group share their insights from the video. This may be some of the best conversation during your group time so encourage everyone to share. 2. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus actually quotes this commandment. Then, He goes on to expound on it. He goes on to say let your yes be yes and your no be no. Jesus also embodies this commandment by being a truthful person Himself. 3. In these verses, Jesus teaches us that our hearts are the core of our actions. Our hearts are the birthplace of our thoughts, feelings and ultimately our actions. So, when false words come out of our mouths, they reflect that there is something wrong with our hearts. Ultimately, they reveal the condition of our hearts as well as our need of the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. 4. Since this is an opinion question, let people answer honestly. Remember, a lie is a lie, whether it s little and white or big and obvious. 5. Allow your group members to share. 6. Some people think that one can only lie when they actually use words. This is not the case, however. One can also lie by intentionally withholding the truth. 7. Again, a lie is a lie. When we categorize lies, we usually do it based on the external damage they can cause. So, 25

27 if a lie is not going to cause a huge amount of damage, we call it a little white lie. However, the Bible teaches us that lies, no matter how big or small, reveal the internal condition of our hearts and therefore, all lies reveal that we are broken. 8. Allow everyone to share. Remember, it is answering these deep, personal questions that often leads to growth. 9. Allow everyone to share. 10. When we lie, it is because we are afraid of the repercussions. When we live in fear, it reveals a lack of trust in God who has promised to take care of us. Therefore, when we have courage to tell the truth, we are really showing God that we trust Him. 11. Trust and faith are the basis to any and all relationships. Telling the truth and being honest with others, reveals that you are willing to trust them even when it is difficult. The result of your honesty, trust is slowly built, even though there may be pain in the process. 12. Go around and allow your group members to share. 13. If we really believe that God is with us and will help us through all things, then we can truly trust others because we have less fear about what others will do to us. When we know God is really for us, then we will fear no one else. 14. Go around and share. 26

28 Session 10: Thou shalt not covet Please remember these notes are to refer back to if you NEED to. They are a supplement to the discussion. The goal is not to get to the answers provided below but to engage in open and honest discussions. Please give adequate time for group members to respond to the questions before referring to these notes. 1. Allow everyone to share. Encourage your group to take notes on what stood out to others as it may help them gain a different perspective on today s lesson. 2. Go around and allow everyone to share. This is not a time to correct people s thoughts or definitions. Allow the Holy Spirit to do that through the lesson. 3. We are an advertisement, celebrity driven society. Our lives are filled with advertisements about the next and the better. Our media outlets are filled with celebrities and the offer of fame. We are told we should desire those things and we lack ambition if we do not. 4. James warns us that coveting leads to fights and quarrels externally as well as internal strife. Coveting leads to a lack of contentment that will always end up with an unstable heart and a lack of peace in your soul. 5. Go around and allow everyone to share what he or she believes James was referring to. Jesus relieves these desires by offering us true satisfaction. He says things like whoever drink of the water I offer, will never thirst again. Jesus is telling us that when we find our lives in Him, then we find contentment at the deepest spiritual level. 6. Allow everyone to share. There may be many different answers, but selfishness usually lies at the root of most wrong motives. 27

29 7. The other 9 commandments really deal with external actions. Coveting deals with an internal condition of the heart. If we are unstable in our core, which is the result of coveting, then we will be more tempted to have idols, or to steal, or to lie, etc. 8. Paul shares how he has finally learned to live a life of contentment. He shares that contentment has nothing to do with how much you have or how little you have. Ultimately, he teaches us that contentment is found when we realize that we have everything we need in Jesus. 9. Go around and allow your group members to share. Again, encourage everyone to take notes as they gain insights from the others in the group. 10. According to these passages, we have everything we need to live a godly life through Jesus. In other words, no matter our life circumstances or what our asset or debt ratio says, we have everything we need to live the life that God wants for us. When we live a life filled with coveting, it reveals our lack of faith in God s word because we don t believe we have everything we need even though that is exactly what God has said. It also reveals our desire to live the lives we want, rather than the life God wants for us. 11. When we realize that we have everything we need in God, we stop striving. We stop trying to make everything work on our own and trust that God is working on our behalf. Then, we will truly live out Psalm 46:10, where it says, stop striving and know that I am God. When we find this to be true, we can stop worrying about all the things we have and do not have and just rest in the fact that we are in God s hands. 12. As we read the gospels, we learn over and over again that the full life which Jesus offer us is filled with peace, love, joy and rest. When we finally stop striving and actually rest in God s presence, then His presence starts to transform our hearts. It is then and only then, that we 28

30 find more peace, love and joy. It is then and only then that we start to bear the fruits of the spirit. And it is then and only then that we start to live the full life in Jesus. 13. Go around and allow everyone to share. We want to encourage each of you to take another step toward becoming like Jesus. True followers of Christ are those that are learning, transforming and serving in the name of Jesus. We want to help equip you, our leaders to be the best disciple and disciple-maker you can possibly be. Page 97 in our Study Guide has information about our next Men s and Women s Encounter and subsequent School of Discipleship. We highly encourage each of you to attend and bring your group members with you!! 29