Harvest ABC s Lifestyle Handbook

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1 Harvest ABC s Lifestyle Handbook Loving God during Alone Time, with Believers in Small Groups, and in Corporate Worship Luke 2:25-32 Preparing for Sunday, December 16, 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 2:25-32 ESV 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was w righteous and x devout, y waiting for z the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not a see death before he had seen b the Lord s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when c the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and d blessed God and said, 29 Lord, now you are letting your servant [4] depart e in peace, f according to your word; 30 for g my eyes have seen your h salvation 31 i that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 j a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and k for glory to l your people Israel. Luke 2:25-32 NLT The Prophecy of Simeon 25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel! Footnotes [4] Greek bondservant Cross-references w. Luke 1:6 x. Acts 2:5, 8:2, 22:12 y. Luke 2:28, 23:51, Isa 25:9, Mark 15:43, Gen 49:18 z. Isa 40:1, 57:18 a. Ps 89:49, John 8:51, Heb 11:5, Acts 2:27 b. Luke 9:20, 23:35, 1 Sam 24:6 c. Luke 2:33, 41, 43, d. Luke 1:64 e. Gen 15:15 f. Luke 2:26 g. Isa 52:10 h. Luke 3:6 i. Ps 98:2, Luke 24:47 j. Isa 42:6, 49:6, 52:10, 60:3, John 8:12, Acts 13:47, 26:23 k. Isa 45:25, 46:13

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 what God has instore of Harvest West Olive in 2019.

5 Alone Time: Optional Complementary Passage Isaiah 42:1-9 English Standard Version (ESV) The LORD's Chosen Servant 42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a] till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 I am the LORD; I have called you[b] in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. 9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. Footnotes: [a] Isaiah 42:4 Or bruised [b] Isaiah 42:6 The Hebrew for you is singular; four times in this verse

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 December 9th Dear Parents, This week we began a 3-session story arc spanning much of Daniel s life. God s people had been warned by the prophets: Turn from your sin, and turn back to God! But the people did not listen. The nation of Judah was consumed by idol worship; the kings did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So God kept His word He allowed His people to be taken from their land. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon, the strong and powerful nation that overtook Judah s capital of Jerusalem and brought God s people from Israel to Babylon. Daniel was a young man in Judah when this happened. He might have heard about the prophet Isaiah s warnings; now he witnessed their fulfillment. (See Isa. 39:5-7.) King Nebuchadnezzar called for the best young men from Judah to be trained for service in the palace. Among these teens were Daniel and three of his friends. The chosen boys were given new identities new names, new education, new culture. But Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stayed faithful to the one true God and refused to make themselves unclean by eating the king s food. God blessed Daniel and his friends. Daniel s obedience to God led to his favor with King Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel s life would be a testament to God s control over all things. God remembered His people during the exile and promised to bring them back to their homeland and set up a new kingdom. Daniel chose to obey God no matter what, and God blessed Daniel and his friends. In an even greater way, Jesus always obeyed God. He came to earth and followed God s plan to save sinners. Jesus never sinned, but He died the death we deserve. Jesus rose from the dead, and those who trust in Him receive God s forgiveness and blessing. Help your kids understand that obedience is not always easy, but we trust God to give us strength to obey Him. Point out that Daniel lived about 600 years before Jesus the perfectly obedient promised One. We can trust that Jesus will return someday to set up His kingdom forever. 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 us obey Him. God let the king of Babylon take His people away. Daniel and his friends loved and obeyed God. Jesus always obeyed God. Preschool Kids How can we obey God? We trust God to help us obey Him. Daniel obeyed God. How can we obey God? We trust God to give us strength to obey Him. Daniel obeyed God by not eating the king s food. UNIT KEY PASSAGE Daniel 2:20-21 (Preschool: Daniel 2:20) NEXT WEEK Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)

Harvest ABC s Lifestyle Handbook

Harvest ABC s Lifestyle Handbook Loving God during Alone Time, with Believers in Small Groups, and in Corporate Worship Ephesians 4:1-6 Preparing for Sunday, January 6, 2019 Harvest s Believers Lifestyle