Harvest ABC s Lifestyle Handbook

Transcription

1 Harvest ABC s Lifestyle Handbook Loving God during Alone Time, with Believers in Small Groups, and in Corporate Worship Luke 1:67-80 Preparing for Sunday, December 2, 2018

2 Harvest s Believers Lifestyle Essentials The ABC lifestyle encourages us to grow in loving God more fully in a unified way. The hope is that we all will get back to the basics as a church and growing in unity as we study God s word together by studying the same verses. LOVING GOD DURING ALONE TIME is to retreat to a quiet place, in an attitude of surrender and trust, for an unhurried time of communion with God through His Word, prayer and other spiritual disciplines. Biblical Basis: Josh 1:8, 1 Tim 4:7, Ps 91:1, Matt 6:5-6. LOVING GOD WITH BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SMALL GROUPS is to gather together, in an environment of love and trust, with a small group of believers who are growing in intimacy with God through the ABC s, in order to spur one another on to love God more fully through sharing, accountability, and prayer. Biblical Basis: Prov 27:17, Heb 10:24, 1 Thes 5:11. LOVING GOD IN CORPRATE WORSHIP is to gather together as a church family on a weekly basis to worship God and delight in His presence; in song we express our love for Him and through the preaching of the Word we hear His voice. Biblical Basis: Ps 22:22, Heb 10:25, Rom 12:4-5. The Practice of Loving God during Alone Time There are four key components in the practice of Loving God during Alone Time that we encourage each person to do on a daily basis: PRAY. Settle into God s presence by expressing to Him where you are right now. Ask Him to draw near to you as you draw near to Him. The following is a suggestion: Father, my desire is to draw near to You and commune with You during this time. Create in my heart and mind a quietness and rest as I place my burdens and concerns, and confess my sins Protect this time from interruption and distractions. Allow this to be more that a discipline, but an encourage with You where I delight in Your presences as You delight in me. Give me ears to hear Your voice as I read Your Word. Teach me, rebuke me, correct or train me so that I will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16) Holy Spirit fill me with Yourself, refresh my soul and nourish my spirit. My heart s desire is to enjoy loving intimacy with You now and throughout my day. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. READ THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE MEDITATIVELY. Sink into the sermon-based scripture for a number of days, until you have plumbed the depths of it. Use the cross references. Once you have plumbed its depths, move on to another bible passage (i.e. the complementary passage, or one of your own choosing) and sink into that for the remainder of the week. Study the passage of scripture to gain an understanding of the context of the passage and the key point(s) of the truth taught in the passage. Listen to God s personal word to you through His written Word; attend to and linger over a word/phrase/verse that catches your attention. Ask God to show you how this word/phrase/verse connects with your life right now. Record what God is saying to you. RESPOND TO GOD IN PRAYER. Allow your God-led ponderings be a catalyst to prayer, talking to Him about what He has revealed to you. Take time to intercede for your own accountability partners or small group members. CONTINUE TO MEDITATE ON THIS WORD/PHRASE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. Allow God to further form, shape and apply these words in your life as you go into your day. James 1:23-24 WORK ON THE MEMORY VERSE. It is important to equip yourself with God s word. Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. If you want to be successful in life Joshua 1:8 makes it clear that success in life come through memorizing and meditating on God s Word.

3 Luke 1:67-80 ESV Zechariah s Prophecy 67 And his father Zechariah e was filled with the Holy Spirit and f prophesied, saying, 68 g Blessed be the Lord h God of Israel, for he has i visited and j redeemed his people 69 and k has raised up l a horn of salvation for us m in the house of his servant David, 70 n as o he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 p that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 q to show the mercy promised to our fathers and r to remember his holy s covenant, 73 t the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him u without fear, Continues.. 75 v in holiness and righteousness before him w all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called x the prophet of y the Most High; for z you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people a in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the b tender mercy of our God, whereby c the sunrise shall d visit us [8] e from on high 79 to f give light to g those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into h the way of i peace. 80 j And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was k in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. Footnotes [8] Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us Cross-references e. Luke 1:15, 41 f. Joel 2:28 g. 1 Kgs 1:48, 1 Chr 29:10, Ezra 7:27, Ps 41:13, 72:18, 106:48 h. Isa 29:23, Matt 15:31, Acts 13:17 i. Luke 7:16, Ex 4:31 Acts 15:14, Heb 2:6 j. Luke 2:38, Ps 111:9, 130:7, Luke 24:21, Isa 43:1, 59:20 k. 1 Sam 2:1, 10, Ps 132:17, Ezek 29:21 l. 2 Sam 22:3, Ps 18:2 m. Luke 1:32 n. Rom 1:2, Jer 23:5, 6 o. Acts 3:21 P. Ps 106:10 q. Mic 7:20 r. Lev 26:42, Ps 105:8, 9 s. Rom 9:4 t. Gen 22:16-18, 26:3, Heb 6:13 u. Zeph 3:15 v. Eph 4:24, 1 Thes 2:10, Titus 2:12 w. Jer 32:39, Matt 28:20 x. Luke 7:26, 20:6, Matt 11:9, 14:5, 1:76 y. Luke 1:32 z. Luke Luke 3:4, 7:27, Mal 3:1, Matt 3:3, Mark 1:2, 3 a. Matt 26:28, Mark 1:4 b. 2 Col 3:12 c. Mal 4:2, Eph 5:14, 2 Pet 1:19 d. Luke 1:68 e. Luke 24:49 f. Isa 9:2, Matt 4:16, Acts 26:18, John 8:12 g. Ps 107:10, Isa 42:7 h. Rom 3:17 i. Luke 2:14 j. Luke 2:40 k. Matt 3:1

4 Alone Time: Journaling As God speaks to you through His Word write down what is impacting you, what He is saying to you personally and/or your response back to Him. Scripture Memorization: 2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV) For God, who said, Let light shine out of the darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God s glory displayed in the face of Christ. Prayer Focus: Pray for the Holy Spirit to push us to witness to the world, to fill our seats with people that are new to the Lord.

5 Alone Time: Optional Complementary Passage Isaiah 9:1-7 English Standard Version (ESV) For to Us a Child Is Born 9 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

6 Alone Time: Journal What God Is showing me through this passage? How is God s Word convicting me? How is God s Spirit leading me to respond? What did I learn today? How am I different as I go about my day?

7 Corporate Worship: Sermon Notes How will what I heard impact my life this week?

8 Believers in Small Groups: Responsive Accountability Pre-work before Small Group Personal Reflection (5 minutes) Prayerfully consider your practice of Alone Time over the previous week, as well as how God spoke to you as you lived the ABC lifestyle. Is God inviting you to Focus on your practice of Alone Time Take a step of obedience? Repent from a sin? Trust and rest in a truth? Or do something else? This coming week God is inviting me to / My response to God s invitation is to How I did with last week s accountability item During Small Group Group Accountability & Prayer (30-45 minutes) Group Member s Accountability Items (&Other Items) to Pray For:

9 Harvest Homes Supplemental: For the week of November 25th Dear Parents, Warnings had come from the prophets for decades. God patiently waited for His people to turn from their sin. The prophet Jeremiah spared few details when he warned Judah what would happen if they did not turn from their evil ways. (See Jer. 25:1-14.) But the people of Judah did not change their ways. The kingdom had been declining for years, despite King Josiah s efforts to prompt nationwide repentance. When King Josiah died, the people went back to their old ways, worshiping idols and disobeying the Lord. The time of judgment had come. God used Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon to deport the people from Judah to Babylon where they would live in exile for 70 years. Nebuchadnezzar went to Judah when Jehoiakim was king. He put Jehoiakim in chains and took him to Babylon. Jehoiachin became king, and Nebuchadnezzar came back for him too. Many of the people in Judah were taken, along with treasures from the Lord s temple. Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah on the throne in Jerusalem. The people of Judah were unfaithful to God. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and God poured out His wrath on Judah. Nebuchadnezzar showed no mercy to the people of Jerusalem. The Babylonians set fire to the Lord s temple and the king s palace. They destroyed the wall around Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar s armies carried most of the people away to Babylon as prisoners; only poor farmers were allowed to stay and work the land. The people were held captive in Babylon, serving the king for 70 years. God was right to punish His people for their sin, but He kept His promise to provide a king through David s family. Ultimately, God punished our sin through His Son, Jesus, and made Him our King forever. Help your kids understand that God did not abandon His people. The prophet Jeremiah told what would happen next: The days are certainly coming when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah (Jer. 30:3). God was going to save His people from captivity and raise up a new King a forever King from the line of David. (Jer. 30:9) Check this session s Activity Page and Big Picture Card as well as the Gospel Project for Kids Family App for ways to interact with the Bible content this week. FAMILY STARTING POINTS Babies and Toddlers God helps me love Him. The last kings of Judah did not obey God. Jeremiah said God s people would be taken to Babylon. God sent Jesus because He loves us. Preschool Why should we obey God? We obey God because He loves us. God sent Judah away from their land. Kids Why should we obey God? We obey God because He loves us. God sent Judah into captivity because of their sin. UNIT KEY PASSAGE Ezekiel 11:19-20 (Preschool: Ezekiel 11:19)