Small Group Studies Lessons 1-6

Transcription

1 Small Group Studies Lessons 1-6 The Forward Study is a church-wide small group study that aligns with Pastor Hal s messages starting the week of October 14th - October 19th. In this study we will discover how God helps individuals and faith communities move forward through various biblical characters and stories. Week 1: Forward Motion - Joshua 5:13 - Joshua 6:27 Week 2: Stepping Forward - I Kings 18 Week 3: Pushing Forward - Mark 3:1-10 Week 4: Growing Forward - Hebrews 5:11-14 & Hebrews 6:1-12 Week 5: Moving Forward - Isaiah 63 Week 6: Hebrews 11 Small Groups, contact: Small Groups Pastor: Keith Brown keith@newsongchurch.com (760) Ext. 122! 1

2 Forward Motion Lesson 1: Joshua 5:13-Joshua 6:27 In 1447 B.C., 2.5 million Israelites left Egypt under the leadership of Moses after being slaves for 430 years. They spent 40 years wandering in the desert due to their disobedience and unbelief. After the death of every adult from the Exodus generation (approx. 1 million people) God raised Joshua up as the new Commander in Chief. He led the new generation into the Promised Land. The book of Joshua takes in place the land of Canaan. It is the beautiful and sometimes bloody story of how God s people miraculously conquered the land promised to them by a faithful God. Small Group Contact: Small Groups Pastor-Keith Brown:keith@newsongchurch.com (760) Ext. 122! 2

3 1. Describe a time when you took a major step forward in your life? (Ex. going to college, moving out of the house, getting married, etc.) What emotions accompanied that action? Read Joshua 5: You can probably imagine the whirlwind of emotions that Joshua experienced as he prepared to lead God s people in their first military battle for the Promised Land. In Joshua 5:13 he encounters an interesting person. Who is this person? What does the person instruct him to do? And how does his interaction with this person prepare him for victory? Read Joshua 6: How does the writer describe the security situation in Jericho in Joshua 6:1? What promise does God give Joshua in Joshua 6:2? 4. What instructions does God give Joshua in regard to the wall? Joshua s instructions from God seem like a really strange military strategy to take down a wall. What might have happened if Joshua would have disobeyed because God s direction didn t make sense to him?! 3

4 5. God s Word is full of instructions that seem counter-intuitive to our natural mind. For example, He says to love our enemies and pray for those who hate us. He tells us to give and it shall be given to us. Are there any instructions in God s Word that you are struggling to obey because it doesn t make sense to you? Discuss. Read Joshua 6: Joshua commands the people to save a prostitute by the name of Rahab. Why does Joshua ask the people to carry out this order? See Joshua 2: Rahab moves forward in her life because she takes a big risk for God. When was the last time you took a God-centered risk? Read Joshua 6: Rahab s decision to take a God-centered risk not only paid off for her, but for her entire family. See Joshua 6: What are some possible ways God could bless your entire family if you took a God-centered risk? We see that both Joshua and Rahab were people of faith, believing God and acting on that belief. Both Heb. 11:31 and James 2:25 speak of Rahab s faith. Rahab became a woman God chose to be in the lineage of His Son, regardless of her past. See Matthew 1:5 9. Discuss the differences between taking a foolish risk and a God-ordained faith risk. 10. Is there a God-centered risk that you sense God may be leading you to take to move forward in your faith? Share it with the group.! 4

5 Stepping Forward: Contagious Passion Lesson 2: I Kings 18 The prophet Elijah lived in a very dark time morally and spiritually for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The people had forsaken the worship of the true God and had turned to worshipping the false gods of the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians worshipped a pantheon of gods, but two of the primary gods were Baal and Asherah. Baal was considered to be the god of the storm. He was the god who both created and granted fertility. Asherah was the chief female goddess, she represented life giving and the primeval sea ('the deep'). In I Kings 18, the prophet Elijah directly confronted and exposed both Baal and Asherah as false gods. - Pastor Keith Brown Small Group Contact: Small Groups Pastor-Keith Brown:keith@newsongchurch.com (760) Ext. 122! 5

6 1. When was the last time you went against the flow at work or at school? What were the repercussions? Read I Kings 18: Elijah demonstrates a great amount of faith and courage in God to step forward and confront his entire nation. Where did Elijah get faith and courage like that? (Hint: 1Kings 17) Read I Kings 18: What is the challenge that Elijah gives to the 850 false prophets? This is should have been a very easy task for Baal and Asherah since they were seen as mother god and father god. Baal was also considered to be the weather god. 4. How long do the false prophets call on their god? How does Elijah respond when their god does not respond? Read I Kings 18: God reveals his glory to the people of Israel because Elijah was willing to step forward and go against the crowd. God wants to reveal His glory through your life. What are some hindrances that hold you back from taking a stand for God?! 6

7 6. Elijah s boldness for God becomes contagious. He leads the nation of Israel in the only spiritual revival in their history. Does your passion for God rub off on others? Read I Kings 18: In Kings 18:40 Elijah takes his boldness a step further; he kills all 850 false prophets. This act of courage communicates to us the need to deal with negative influences that hold us back from stepping forward for Christ. What are some negative influences that need to be killed in your life if you are going to continually take steps forward in Christ? 8. Prayer played a major role in Elijah s life. See also James 5:17-18.When was the last time you prayed a bold, dangerous prayer for God to use you in a big way? 9. How many times did Elijah pray before he saw rain? What does that tell us about the importance of persistence in prayer? 10. When Elijah s servant saw a very small cloud, Elijah prepared in faith for a miracle. Oftentimes, we wait for huge signs from God before we prepare for what God is calling us to do. Are there some small confirmations from God that you are ignoring because you are waiting for bigger signs? 11. Pray a bold, dangerous prayer this week for God to use you to be contagious this week.! 7

8 Pushing Forward: Healed by Forward Progress Lesson 3: Mark 3:1-10 Mark c 3 is the account of Jesus fulfilling the Messianic prophecies about Him in Isaiah 61. He is preaching the good news to the poor and setting the captives free. Mark 3 takes place in the fall of 28 A.D. Jesus is in His second year of ministry. He has both a crowd of believers and critics. The critics are watching Him to see how they can trip Him up. The believers are eager to touch Him or be touched by Him so they can find healing. - Pastor Keith Brown Small Group Contact: Small Groups Pastor-Keith Brown:keith@newsongchurch.com (760) Ext. 122! 8

9 1. Have you ever had your airline ticket upgraded from coach to first class? What happened? Share. Read Mark 3: Why is there such a large crowd following Jesus? See Mark 3: Have you ever been at the front of the stage at a concert where people were pushing forward to touch the lead singer? In some ways this is the scene in Mark 3:10 with Jesus. Share a time when you left your comfort zone to experience God s healing. 4. The phrase push forward in Greek literally means to throw oneself upon, fall upon or press. It describes the active vulnerability we must present to God to be healed. Discuss practical ways we present ourselves to God in biblical surrender. 5. What are some issues that we must push against figuratively to move forward in our relationship with God? (Ex: negative friends, pride, sin, etc.) 6. What are ways we can encourage others to go forward so they can experience healing in Christ?! 9

10 Growing Forward Lesson 4: Hebrews 5: :1-12 The book of Hebrews was written sometime before 70 A.D. It was written to Jewish believers in Rome or Jerusalem. The author is unknown. Some think the author is the Apostle Paul, but the writing greatly differs from Paul s writing style. The purpose of the book was to encourage the Christians to leave the synagogue and publicly identify with the local church. Hebrews 6 is an encouragement for the Jewish believers to continually take steps forward in their faith. - Pastor Keith Brown Small Group Contact: Small Groups Pastor-Keith Brown:keith@newsongchurch.com (760) Ext. 122! 10

11 1. What is your favorite memory from childhood? Read Hebrews 5:11-6: Is it time for you to assume more responsibility spiritually? 3. In Hebrews 6:11-12 the writer describes three characteristics of maturity: diligence, faith and patience. Which of these characteristics do you need to work on the most? 4. The writer encourages us to be taken forward, which implies that we don t grow spiritually by ourselves. Discuss how mentoring plays a role in spiritual growth. Read Hebrews 5: Do you have a spiritual mentor that is helping you grow spiritually? Who could you ask to spend more time with, pray with, and be encouraged together with in growth?! 11

12 6. If you don t have a mentor, what has been holding you back? What steps do you need to take? 7.What does the writer identify as the elementary teaching about Christ? See Hebrews 6: In chapter 5 the writer says a spiritually immature person lives on milk. What do you think spiritual milk is? The writer also says solid food is for the mature. What do think he means when he says solid food? 9. At the time of the writing the author says, tells his audience that they should be teachers, but they still need someone to teach them the elementary teachings of Christ. Why do you think people get stuck in their spiritual development? From Hebrew 6:7-8, how are you doing in terms of drinking God s Word(rain) as fertile soil or allowing the cares of this world to grow thorns and thistles in your life? Pray for each other.! 12

13 Moving Forward: The Return of the King Lesson 5: Isaiah 63 The book of Isaiah was written between B.C. It was written to declare God s great redemptive plan of salvation. Isaiah s name means Yahweh is salvation. It belongs to a family of books known as the major prophets. In chapter 63, Isaiah prophesies about the second coming of Jesus. The chapter can be divided into three sections. The first section, vs.1-6, describes Christ s return in triumph over his enemies. The second section, vs. 7-14, displays praises to God for his loving-kindness and faithfulness from Isaiah. The last section, is a prayer for deliverance by the prophet. - Pastor Keith Brown Small Group Contact: Small Groups Pastor-Keith Brown:keith@newsongchurch.com (760) Ext. 122! 13

14 1. Tell of a time a when your parents or someone special to you left on vacation and brought something valuable back to you. Share. Read Isaiah 63: In Isaiah 63:1, although Edom and Bozrah were real places they are used as symbols. Edom means red and Bozrah was known for its winepresses. These symbols paint the picture of the Messiah returning in victory over his enemies. See Revelation 19: How does knowing that Christ will eventually bring eternal judgment on those who are against Him make you feel? Read Isaiah 63: In Isaiah 63:7-14 the prophet makes a drastic switch from talking about judgment to praising the Lord for His compassion and kindness. He also reflects on God s goodness and faithfulness to His people throughout the years. When was the last time you reflected on God s goodness in your life and told others about it? 4. The best way we can prepare for the return of Christ is to maintain a balance between Christ s goodness and His judgment. Which do you tend to think about the most in regard to the return of Christ and why? Share. Read 63: In Isaiah 63:15-19 Isaiah prays for physical and spiritual deliverance. In Ephesians 5:27 the Bible says Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle. What do you think the Bible is referring to when it speaks about spots and wrinkles in the church? 6. In chapter 5 the writer says a spiritually immature person lives on milk. What do you think spiritual milk is?! 14

15 6. How would you live differently if you knew Christ was returning in 30 days? 7. Isaiah speaks about the Lord s zeal. Zeal can also mean passion. Are you passionate about Jesus? How should our passion for Christ move us to pray and give to demonstrate that we believe He is really coming back? 8. What are reasons we lose passion for Jesus? 9. What are some steps we can take to keep our passion stirred up for Christ? 10. What are some practical things you to could do as a group to keep your eyes focused on the return of Christ? Pray for each other.! 15

16 Looking Forward: Brighter Days Ahead Lesson 6: Hebrews 11 The book of Hebrews was written sometime before 70 A.D. It was written to Jewish believers in Rome or Jerusalem. The author is unknown. Some think the author is the Apostle Paul, but the writing style greatly differs from Paul s writing style. The purpose of the book was to encourage the Christians to leave the synagogue and publicly identify with the local church. Hebrews 11 is commonly known as the hall of faith. The writer reminds the readers of their rich heritage of men and women of faith. - Pastor Keith Brown Small Group Contact: Small Groups Pastor-Keith Brown:keith@newsongchurch.com (760) Ext. 122! 16

17 1. Have you ever built a home from the ground up? Read Hebrews 11: Did you know God is a builder? We have all seen beautiful homes and cities built by men. Discuss what a city built by God might look like. 3. What role does our faith have in experiencing the promises of God? 4. Hebrews 11 describes faith as confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. When do you find it most difficult to have faith in God s promises? 5. Hebrews 11:8 says Abraham obeyed God in kind of a blind faith. He followed God even though he didn t know where he was going. Have you ever stepped out in faith totally unsure of the potential outcome of a situation. What happened? How did that experience strengthen your relationship with God? 6. In Matthew 16 the Bible makes a similar statement about God building. Jesus promises to build His church. The disciples had to received what He said by faith so they prayed and prepared for 50 days before the Church was born. What role does prayer and preparation play in walking in faith?! 17

18 7. In Acts 2 after preaching the inaugural sermon 3,000 people got saved! How do you think that tangible sign of God s work strengthened the faith of the early church? 8. What miracles has God done in your life personally or through New Song that has strengthened your faith over the years? 9. Opposition can be the greatest test of our faith. What are ways we can keep the faith through opposition and trials? 10. Is there something Christ is calling you do that you are having a difficult time having faith to obey? Pray for each other.! 18