cell outlines 2016 SERIES 1

Transcription

1 cell outlines 2016 SERIES /aloveuk These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available every month from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit alove.salvationarmy.org.uk

2 OVERVIEW MOSES Introduction Moses is undoubtedly one of the central figures of the Old Testament. He is known for his unique relationship with God, his dynamic rescue of the Israelites from Egypt, and his encounter with a burning bush! Yet when we look closely we discover that Moses was, in fact, as ordinary as you and me. There were times when he failed miserably, when he took God s work into his own hands, when he tried to get out of doing what God wanted him to do, when he ran away instead of facing the consequences of his actions, when his red hot temper got the better of him, and when he blatantly ignored God s command and did his own thing and let s not forget the small matter of a murdered Egyptian! Moses was someone who truly knew what it means to be on a journey with God: one day he was up the next he was down; one day he was walking close to God the next he couldn t sense God anywhere around; one day he trusted the next day he doubted Sound familiar? Yet there was something different, something about Moses that enabled him to become the great man of history we read about today, something that inspired him, excited him, motivated him and kept him walking in steadfast determination towards that Promised Land. Moses was a man completely surrendered to his God. He laid his life down before God and chose to be God s man for the hour. Moses picked himself up when he made mistakes and didn t wallow in self-pity. He faced his feelings of inadequacy and battled with his temptations. He was a man sure of his purpose, and completely focused on fulfilling the task God had given him to the best of his ability. God gave Moses the power to develop from a stuttering shepherd into a national leader and powerful orator. His courage, humility and wisdom moulded the Hebrew slaves into a nation. But Moses was one person who did not let success go to his head. In the end God was still Moses best friend. His love, respect and awe for God had grown daily throughout his life. Moses knew that it was not any greatness in himself that made him successful; it was the greatness of the all-powerful God in whom he trusted. Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10 12 NIV) It would be more than a thousand years before one greater than Moses appeared Jesus. Through these Cell group Bible studies we are going to explore the life of Moses and discover what parallels we can make with our own lives in the 21st century. What can we learn from Moses as we seek to develop in our journey with God? We will look at how we can work through difficult times and what God may be teaching us through them. We will discuss what it means to live life trusting in God s provision and blessings. We will debate whether God s rules for living are still relevant to us today and, if so, why we should keep them. We will recognise the importance of good friends and accountability on the journey. We will find comfort in Moses ordinariness and relief in realising that Moses too made mistakes along the way. We will be inspired by Moses courage, motivated by his determination, and excited by his passion. And we will climb the mountain with Moses and ask God to meet with us face to face.

3 OVERVIEW LEADER S NOTES Six Sessions The six Bible studies each cover a different aspect of spiritual life that we can learn from Moses story. Session One: Moses An overview of the life story of Moses and time for us to get to know him. Exploring the parallels between Moses and Jesus the fulfilment of the great I AM. Session Two: Murder Mistakes, failure, disappointment and running away how will Moses ever fulfil his destiny? Session Three: Manna Walking in faith; secure in God s provision however long the journey. Session Four: Mandate The Ten Commandments holiness, obedience, integrity does it still make sense? Session Five: Mentor The importance of good friendships and companions on our journey; accountability and mentoring. Session Six: Mountain Meeting God face to face, dependence and intimacy, the supernatural presence of God in our daily lives. Although the sessions are numbered, they could actually be presented in any order that you wish, although it is recommended that Moses is first and Mountain is last. Each study contains several different discussion and prayer activities. You can choose the ones that are most relevant to your group. Some discussion may work better with older groups and some of the activities with younger groups. We hope we have given you enough raw material to create something that is the right approach for your young people. Taking It Deeper Each session outline includes a Taking It Deeper section with a suggested activity / discussion idea for groups who would like to explore the subject in more depth. Discussion Starters If you do not feel that your group would be interested in or comfortable with the Welcome section games, you could use these discussion starters instead. If you were left in a basket, what famous person would you like to be adopted by? Which one of ten plagues would you have found most difficult to bear and why? When rushing to pack up your things to leave in a mass exodus like the Israelites escaping from Egypt, what one or two things would be the first in your bag? Map If you were to write an Eleventh Commandment, what would it be? You may find it useful to create a map of the journey of Moses and the Israelites to the Promised Land. This will help the young people to visualise just how far they were travelling. Recommended Resources Moses, the Making of a Leader. Cleland Thom. Moses, A Man of Selfless Dedication. Charles Swindoll Moses, Friend of God. Spring Harvest Bible Studies by Elizabeth McQuoid Moses, Face to Face with God. Cover to Cover Bible Study by Elizabeth Rundle Theology in Exodus. Donald E. Gowan The Miracles of Exodus. Colin J. Humphreys Moses on Management. David Baron

4 ONE MOSES An overview of the life story of Moses and time for us to get to know him. WELCOME Moses Does Rock/Paper/Scissors This game is a variation of the classic rock/paper/scissors or Giant/Wizards/Elves. It is called Moses, Pharaoh and The Israelites. Make up an action for each of the three characters: Moses, Pharaoh and The Israelites. Each character s action must feature a pose, hand motion and a noise. Teach the group the action and then practise a few times so everyone gets the hang of it. Explain that the characters win or lose on the following basis: Pharaoh beats The Israelites because he held them in slavery for many years. The Israelites beat Moses because their constant moaning and grumbling wore him out. Moses beats Pharaoh for obvious reasons! Ask the group to pair up and stand facing each other. Count down 3, 2, 1, Go! On Go each person must make their chosen action: either Moses, Pharaoh or The Israelites. One person wins, the other loses, as outlined above. Each pair plays three times, and then the partner with two losses is eliminated. The remaining players find other partners. These partners then play three rounds and one partner is eliminated. Continue until you have only one group member remaining the winner! (If you want to play without the elimination factor, have each person play every other person in the group and then total up the times they win.) WORD 1. Timeline of Moses Life Create two sets of small cards of all or some of the following events of Moses life. Split the group into two teams and have each group race to be the first to put the events in the correct order. Basket in the Nile Brought up by Pharaoh s daughter Kills an Egyptian Flees to Midian Meets Jethro and his family Marries Zipporah Herds sheep for 40 years Hears God speak through the burning bush Meets up with his brother Aaron after 40 years Tells the Israelite leaders that God is going to rescue them from their Egyptian slavery Moses and Aaron stand before Pharaoh to ask for the release of the Israelites Aaron s staff snake swallows Pharaoh s staff snake

5 ONE Plague of frogs Plague of boils The parting of the Red Sea Throws a stick in the bitter water to make it sweet Manna from Heaven Receives the Ten Commandments Breaks the stone tablets in anger with the Israelites God reveals his glory to Moses Moses sends spies to explore the land of Canaan The Israelites are turned away from the Promised Land because of their complaining and lack of faith and spend 40 years wandering in the desert Strikes the rock to bring forth water, rather than speak to it as God commanded Moses is told he will not enter the Promised Land with his people His brother Aaron dies The Israelites defeat Og and Bashan Joshua is anointed as Moses successor Moses dies At the end of this activity you could use the timeline that the group have created to talk through an overview of Moses life story. The following website contains a pictorial overview of the life of Moses with detailed teaching notes which you may find helpful Group Discussion Split your group into pairs and give each pair one or two of the central stories of Moses life. Allow each pair some time to read and discuss the Bible passage. Some examples could be: Hidden in the Nile (Exodus 2:1 10) Killing the Egyptian (Exodus 2:11 15) Burning bush (Exodus 3:1 to 4:17) Confronting Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1 4; 7:8 21) Parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:5 31) Meeting God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:12 18; 34:29 35) Disobeying God by striking the rock (Numbers 20:2 12) Moses death (Deuteronomy 34:1 8) Write each of the following questions on four separate pieces of flipchart paper (one question on each piece) and spread around the room. Ask the pairs to go from paper to paper and consider the following questions about Moses in relation to the Bible passage(s) they are looking at. Ask them to write down their thoughts (one word answers or short phrases are fine). How would you describe Moses relationship with God? What personality traits / characteristics / spiritual attributes do you see Moses demonstrating in this passage? What did Moses do well? What did he do badly? What one question would you like to ask Moses if you met him at this time in his life? Take some time to feed back by looking at the sheets of paper and the thoughts written on them. Ask group members

6 ONE to expand on these if there are interesting points. Note down any questions group members may have at this stage. Refer to question four and discuss whether any of the questions for Moses can be / will be answered throughout the Bible studies. To complement this activity you could do an internet search for images of Moses that relate to each of the parts of his story that the groups are discussing. Giving each group a visual image may help them as they consider the questions. Taking It Deeper The Parallels between Moses and Jesus The life of Moses points us directly to Jesus. Some writers even cite around 50 parallels between their two lives. Ask the group to brainstorm any ways that they feel that Moses is like Jesus. Use the following chart to help in your discussion. MOSES JESUS An evil king / Pharaoh tried to kill him as a baby: Exodus 1:22 King Herod tried to kill baby Jesus: Matthew 2:16 He was hidden from the evil king / Pharaoh: Exodus 2:2 An angel said to hide the child from the evil King Herod: Matthew 2:13 Moses was sent into Egypt to preserve his life: Exodus 2:3 4 Jesus was taken into Egypt to preserve his life: Matthew 2:13 15 He was saved by women: his mother, Miriam and Pharaoh s daughter. Exodus 2:3 10 Saved and helped by his mother, Mary: Matthew 2:14 Pharaoh s daughter adopted Moses: Exodus 2:10 Joseph adopted Jesus: Matthew 1:25 Moses became a prince of Egypt: Exodus 2:10 Jesus is the Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9:5; Matthew 28:18; Luke 2:14 Long period of silence from childhood to adulthood Moses had a secret identity Long period of silence from childhood to adulthood Jesus secret identity the Son of God! He tried to save a Hebrew kinsman: Exodus 2:11 12 Jesus came to save his Hebrew kinsmen first: Mark 7:26 28 Went from being a prince to a pauper: Exodus 2:15 19 Went from being God to being man: John 1:1 3; Mark 6:3 Saved women at a well: Exodus 2:15 19 Saved a woman at a well: John 4 Became a shepherd: Exodus 3:1 He is the Good Shepherd: John 10:11 Moses mission was to rescue Israel from slavery to Egypt. Moses was loved and supported in his ministry by his sister Miriam (in Hebrew, Miryam). Moses was often rejected by his own people. Moses was given God s law on the mountain of Sinai: Exodus 20:1 31:18; 34:1 35 Moses spent 40 days fasting on the mountain: Exodus 24:18; 34:28 Moses gave the people bread from Heaven. Exodus 16:1 17 Moses married a Gentile wife. Moses face glowed as he came down from the mountain after meeting with God. Exodus 34:29 32 Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness to save his people from the deadly effects of the fiery serpent. Numbers 21:9 Moses performs signs/miracles. Moses offered his life for the salvation of his people after the sin of the Golden Calf: Exodus 32:33 33 Moses is the prophet of the Old Covenant Church. Jesus mission is to rescue mankind from slavery to sin. Jesus was loved and supported in his ministry by his mother Mary (in Hebrew, Miryam). Jesus was often rejected by his own people. Jesus will give the new law from the Mount of Beatitudes: Matthew 5 Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert wilderness: Matthew 4:2 Jesus came from Heaven as the Bread of Life. A part of the Bride of Christ, the Church, is made up of Gentiles. Jesus face shone like the sun, when he met with his Father God, Moses and Elijah on the mountain. Matthew 17:1 3 Jesus was lifted up on the cross to save his people from the deadly effects of the serpent of old. Jesus performs signs/miracles. Jesus offered his life for the salvation of the world: Isaiah 53:12; Romans 5:12; 6:10; 2 Corinthians 5:15 21; Colossians 1:19 20; 2:14 15; 1 John 1:7; 2:2; etc. Jesus is the prophet, priest, and King of a new and everlasting Covenant. Adapted from

7 ONE ACTION Discuss the following questions; and ask group members to take a note of their action points: Describe one way that you feel inspired by reading/discussing Moses story and/or one verse that has particularly stood out to you. What practical steps can you take in your own life to put that insight into action? PRAYER Use some of the symbols of Moses life to facilitate your prayers. Burning bush: Pray that God will be with you and that you will feel his presence. Stone tablets: Pray that God will speak clearly to you, give you guidance and teach you something new about himself. Staff: Pray that God will do some miracles among you and through you. Sheep: Pray that God will comfort those who need it and show you all how precious you are to him. Manna: Pray that God will provide for each of you in your area of need.

8 TWO MURDER Mistakes, failure, disappointment and running away how will Moses ever fulfil his destiny? WELCOME What s Your Excuse? Moses made several excuses to God as to why he shouldn t be the one to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Have fun with this making excuses game! Split the group into two teams/pairs. Read out the problematic situations below one by one and ask the teams/pairs to come up with the best excuse they can think of and write it down on a piece of paper. When you have been through all the scenarios ask the teams for their answers one at a time. Award a point to the team you feel presented the best excuse for that situation. The winning team is the one with the most points. You re late for class. Your friends have asked you out to the cinema but you don t want to go. You haven t completed your homework. A boy/girl you don t like asks you out on a date. Your mum wants to know why your room is in such a mess again. You failed your maths test, badly. You dad wants to know why your little brother is crying after being alone in the room with you for five minutes. You haven t bought your Bible with you to church / cell group / summer school. (Feel free to add your own.) WORD 1. Read Exodus 2:11 to 3:10 and Acts7:20 36 Summarise the story to be sure your group members have understood the text. Use any of the following thoughts in your discussion as you find useful. Moses had been bought up in the Egyptian palace by the daughter of the Pharaoh. He would have had the best education and been well trained in the Egyptian military (the most advanced army in the world at the time). He was a strong and successful warrior and a prince of Egypt. But somewhere deep inside it seems that he never forgot his roots. His parents must have taught him enough of his Jewish heritage and of their God in the few years they had him before they had to give him back to the daughter of Pharaoh. One day it seems he could bear the slavery of his kinsmen no more. From reading the passage in Acts it wouldn t be unreasonable to assume that God had already put it into Moses mind that he would one day, through some as yet un-revealed way, lead his people out of the slavery they were experiencing. Moses knew God s will, but he took the matter into his own hands. He didn t bother to wait for God s timing or his call. He tried to sort things out on his own. The result: he killed a man and covered up his wrongdoing; his own people lost respect for him; his adopted family passed a death sentence on him; and Moses had to flee for his life to the deserts of Midian. Moses spent the next 40 years working as a shepherd in the desert of Midian, looking after his father-in-law s sheep. He was doing the very job he had been taught to despise (Egyptians did not keep sheep!) and he lived as an unknown foreigner. We are told little about this time in Moses life, what he felt like, what regrets he had. But it is clear that this

9 TWO was a strategic part of God s plan. God was preparing Moses for leadership. Living the life of a shepherd, he learned not only humility, but also about life in the desert and ways of the people he would be leading. ýý What was that Midian desert like? Incredibly barren. Hot, arid sand and gravel, punctuated by craggy chunks of rock, with an occasional scraggly bush somehow clinging to life. Can you visualise Moses stumbling through that wasteland, catching his tailored clothing on thorns, tripping and lurching over half-submerged rocks, picking his way through that tortured wilderness? Moses wasn t strutting down the road singing, I Did It My Way. He was a frightened and disillusioned fugitive, running, escaping for his very life. His vaunted education now meant nothing to him. His knowledge of hieroglyphics and Egyptian poetry gave him no comfort. His military victories seemed hollow. Thanks to a rash act of violence, that same military wanted to kill him. And with every step he probably groaned within himself over his untimely deed, saying things like, Life is over. God can never, never use me. I m absolutely finished. He was wrong, of course. But it would be many weary years before he fully realised that fact. 2. The Big Red Nose Desert Trek 2011 (Charles Swindoll: Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication) The Big Red Nose Desert Trek from Comic Relief 2011 would be a great way to begin to think about Moses time in the desert. Nine celebrities took up the challenge to trek 100 kilometres across Kenya s Kaisut desert, often in 50C temperatures. They struggled with extreme tiredness, intense physical pain, searing heat, and a gruelling schedule all in order to raise money to help restore the sight of some of the poorest people in Africa. The trek was shown as a one-hour BBC programme in March There are plenty of YouTube clips that give snippets of the trek and illustrate the barrenness of the desert and the immense pressures and difficulties the celebrities faced. Try these two to start: The Red Nose Desert Trek: Red Nose Day 2011 Trek Day Two Hot and Bothered œœ The Red Nose Desert Trek: Day Four The Hardest Day œœ Discuss the following questions: Have any group members ever been to a desert? What was it like? What do you imagine would be the difficulties of living in a desert? Would there be anything enjoyable about spending time in a desert? If so, what? In what ways can times in our spiritual life be likened to time spent in a desert or wilderness? Why does God sometimes allow us to go through hard times? Christians often refer to the hard times in their lives as wilderness experiences or desert experiences. These can be times of hardship, struggle, confusion, guilt or disappointment. Often during these times people say that they feel that God is absent or has left them. Sometimes people turn away from God completely. A wilderness experience could stem from a big mistake and the feelings of guilt that weigh us down; it may be caused by a severe illness or devastating bereavement; it may be a shock exam result; a stab in the back from a close friend; or the breakdown of our family. It could be financial worries, unanswered prayer or even some kind of persecution as a result of standing up for what we know is right. We will probably find it difficult to understand why God leads us into a wilderness experience, but we should be confident that it is all in his plan it is not happening outside of God s control. The wilderness can be a blessing.

10 TWO Time spent in the wilderness usually clears away all the junk and distractions in our lives. We discover what is really important and what really makes sense. Time in the wilderness can also be time when God is preparing us for his future plan for our lives. Like Moses experience, we will learn many things during times of difficulty that we cannot learn in any other place. Taking It Deeper Use any of the following questions to take a group discussion about the hard times in our life a bit deeper. What biblical characters can you think of that spent time in the wilderness and what did they learn / how did they change there? What experiences can send us into God s wilderness? Do any of your group members feel that they have spent time in God s wilderness? Can they share about it? What experiences precipitated it? What did it feel like? Were they able to trust that God had an ultimate plan for all that was happening to them? How did they manage to move out of that season in their life (if they have)? Have you had a time of difficulty in your life in which you later saw that God s hand had been upon the situation the entire time? Have you experienced miracles and blessings even in the midst of great difficulties? How did God demonstrate his love and faithfulness to you at such times? As the group leader you may wish to share at an appropriate level about any time of your own that you have experienced the wilderness in your walk with God. ACTION 1. We all go through spiritual desert times; sometimes God just seems distant and at other times our circumstances make us feel far from him. At these times we need encouragement but are often too spiritually low to find it. Ask the group: What would you put in a spiritual comfort package that can support and encourage you the next time you find yourself in the wilderness? For example: Find and write out favourite Bible passages that reminds you of God s faithfulness. Chose a favourite song or hymn and write out the words (or copy on to a CD). Write down any prayers or quotes from Christian books that have been helpful to you. Write down answers to prayers that you have got in the past year. Select a favourite Christian book. Write down the name of a friend that you would feel comfortable to talk and pray with. Any other ideas? Pack all these items in a shoe box and only open when necessary! 2. Ask each group member to think of a person in their group, at home or from church who is going through a desert time at the moment. What could they do to encourage them and remind them that not only is God close but so are their Christian friends? Think of one practical thing to do, and commit to actioning this. (1 & 2 Adapted from Friend of God, Spring Harvest Bible Studies by Elizabeth McQuoid)

11 TWO PRAYER Many of the Psalms are written by people during time in God s wilderness. Read all or some of the following and choose one (or part of one) to paraphrase into your own prayer, whether for yourself or for someone else you know who is going through a hard time. Psalm 13 Psalm 63 Psalm 77 Psalm 86 Psalm 88 Psalm 91 Pray out your prayers together and for each other.

12 THREE MANNA Walking in faith; secure in God s provision however long the journey. WELCOME Divide the group into teams of two or three people. Call out a word or phrase, such as MOSES, BURNING BUSH, MOUNT SINAI. Each team has to spell the word using the objects that they have on their person or have brought with them. The initial letter of each object should match one of the letters in the word. For example: a Magazine, Overcoat, Sock, Earring, Shoe spell out MOSES. Make this a race between the teams for extra fun! WORD 1. Manna from Heaven 66 Read Exodus 16 together. Create manna-shaped pieces of paper (could be small round circles, could be seed-shaped!) each with one of the following questions on. Lay all the pieces out in the middle of the group. Take it in turns for each person to collect a piece of manna, read out the question and give their answer. Then allow the rest of the group to give their thoughts as well. What did manna taste like? Why were the Israelites grumbling and complaining again? From reading Exodus 16, what do you see the Israelites doing that demonstrates their trust in God? From reading Exodus 16, what do you see the Israelites doing that demonstrates their lack of trust in God? Do you think that God still provides for his people in miraculous ways today? Are there any times when you have doubted that God could provide for you even though you have seen him do it many times before? Why did God tell the Israelites not to gather any manna on the Sabbath? How would you feel eating the same thing every day for 40 years?! In what ways do you think the Israelites benefited from receiving manna? Why do you think God told them only to gather as much as they needed for that one day, and not store up enough for the week ahead? What would the Israelites have learnt through this experience? The Israelites had to have faith that God would provide for them on a daily basis. Do you think this would have become easier or harder during those 40 years? Sometimes manna is likened to bread. What well known stories / Bible passages in the New Testament also include bread and what do these tell us about God s faithfulness and provision? Use any of the following thoughts in your discussion as you find useful. At the end of chapter 15 we hear the Israelites grumbling and complaining that there is no water to drink. That was three days into their desert journey. In chapter 16 the Israelites are a month and a half into the journey to Sinai and they are grumbling again. This time they are saying that they were better off in Egypt where they had dishes of meat and lots of bread to eat. They accuse Moses of leading them into the desert to starve them to death. Instead of remembering the great things God had done to free them from slavery, they complained about their hunger. God told Moses he would rain bread from heaven for them. He provided manna, a new food that appeared with the dew each morning as small, white, round pieces. The word manna is derived from the Hebrew words meaning what is

13 THREE it? The Israelites were to gather each day the amount of food they needed for that day. No more, no less. Each morning God would give them that day s food. They were to trust him each day for the very food they ate. On the sixth day, he would provide two days food, so no one would work to gather it on the Sabbath. If one of them was mistrustful and tried to stock up, the food would melt or rot away. The Israelites baked, boiled and prepared the manna several ways. It tasted sweet, like wafers made with honey. But some of the Israelites did attempt to gather more manna and keep it until the next morning. Why did they do this? Perhaps it was a lack of trust, a lack of faith that there would be manna the next morning. They were content with their manna for the day, but they could not trust tomorrow s manna to God. As a result, the manna they saved became full of maggots and worms. Some of the Israelites also went out to gather manna on the seventh day after God had told them there would be no manna that day, for the seventh day was a day of rest. Why did they go looking for manna instead of taking advantage of this God-ordained rest? Could it be that they were workaholics? Could it be that they did not trust God enough to take a day off from trying to gather provisions for daily living? They were so consumed with meeting their daily needs that when God provided both the needs and a time for rest, they could not rest. ýý What strikes me about these tests of trust is that their issues do not require huge leaps of faith but disciplined daily and weekly acts of trust. Sometimes faith is a leap, like when we commit our whole selves past, present, and future to God. But here in the desert of hunger and provision, faith is a discipline. It is the discipline of gathering enough and only enough, the discipline of trusting Yahweh for tomorrow s bread, the discipline of resting. It is the discipline of abiding by Yahweh s word in the blessedness of Yahweh s provision. The goal of the provision and testing is that Israel might know that Yahweh is their God, that they might behold Yahweh s glory. The provision and the testing are for the sake of relationship. Yahweh provides and tests in order to create a covenant people who know his glory, who feed on his word, who are Yahweh-centred in their identity. (Steve Rodeheaver, The Manna Tests) 2. Jesus the Bread of Life 66 Read John 6:32 35 ýý Jesus then told them, I tell you for certain that Moses wasn t the one who gave you bread from Heaven. My Father is the one who gives you the true bread from Heaven. And the bread that God gives is the one who came down from Heaven to give life to the world. The people said, Lord, give us this bread and don t ever stop! Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty. (CEV) Present the group with some bread. If you can manage fresh bread and/or different types of bread this would be good. Allow the group to smell, taste and eat chunks of fresh bread. As you eat, discuss the questions: Why does Jesus call himself the Bread of Life? What does he mean? What is it about bread that makes it a good illustration for Jesus to use? What other I Am statements does Jesus make about himself in the Gospels? How have you seen, or how do you need, Jesus to meet your physical and/or spiritual needs? Share any areas of need that you may have with each other. Use any of the following thoughts in your discussion as you find useful. Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods we know that people made bread even in ancient times as fossilised bread has been found in many archaeological digs. It is one of the few things in the world that has remained as an important

14 THREE part of our lives throughout history. Every country in the world has some form of bread. It is probably the one food eaten by people of every race, culture and religion. We can buy bread everywhere, in a huge variety of different forms. We can even buy bread makers and packet mixes to produce our own bread at home. The important thing about bread is not the size or shape but the ingredients and the taste. When Jesus challenged the people to believe in him as God s anointed messenger, they wanted a miracle, as Moses did in providing manna in the desert. Jesus said that it was not Moses who gave the bread but God. And God s gift to us is true bread that gives life to the world (vv32 33). Immediately the people wanted this bread. They hadn t understood that Jesus was saying that it was right in front of them: he was the spiritual Bread of Life. Jesus tried to explain the difference between temporal food and eternal food, between physical and spiritual needs. He is saying that he alone is the answer to the needs of the human heart. Did you know that legend has it that whoever eats the last piece of bread has to kiss the cook?! Taking It Deeper 1. Ask the group to share any of their own stories of God s supernatural provision in their lives or of people they have read about. And/or read the incredible stories of George Muller attached below. 2. Give each person a large piece of paper and marker pen. Ask them to draw out a map or timeline of their own journey with God so far, and to mark on it significant moments of God s faithfulness and provision. Share these with each other and realise how active God has been in our lives already, even if we hadn t realised it! ACTION Through sharing your own stories, or reading about George Muller, you can see that God often uses other people as he provides for us. In what ways is God using you to reach out to the needs of those around you? What else could you get involved in? PRAYER Prepare posters of the following verses (add your own too) and put them up around the room. Play some reflective music. Allow the group time to walk around the room and read the verses in a slow, meditative way, jotting down notes if they wish. Encourage them to allow the truth of the Scriptures to permeate inside them to their area of need. Challenge each person to pick one verse and try to memorise it. If appropriate you could ask your group for feedback, to share their thoughts on each of the verses and take some time to pray for each other s needs. Or, if you feel it would be more appropriate for your group, simply print out the verses on a sheet of paper, perhaps leaving space in between for people to jot down their thoughts and prayers, and allow the group to sit quietly together (or go off somewhere by themselves) to read and pray through the verses. Afterwards, share and pray with each other as you feel necessary. As long as I can remember, good people have never been left helpless, and their children have never gone begging for food. (Psalm 37:25 CEV) Don t worry and ask yourselves, Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear? Only people who don t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. (Matthew 6:31 32 CEV) Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11 NCV) God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. (2 Corinthians 9:8 CEV) My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need. (Philippians 4:19 NCV)

15 THREE George Muller George Muller was a German Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He cared for 10,024 orphans in his life and established 117 schools which offered Christian education to over 120,000 children, many of them being orphans. His work in England began as a pastor in a church in Devon, and he moved to Bristol in 1832 to begin working at Bethesda Chapel. Muller s story is a testament to God s abundant provision. He decided early on to live according to Scripture s radical way. He and his wife gave away all of their property, and refused to accept a pastor s salary, instead receiving only what was given to them through offerings. One of the main ways a church would receive money in those days was by families renting pews paying a certain amount per year in order to have a seat reserved especially for them. Muller stopped that practice, saying that seats in a church should not be sold to the highest bidder. All of these changes left Muller in a difficult situation. He now had no regular income with which to pay for his food and clothing. He and his wife made do with little, but when they were in great need, they did not go to the wealthy people and ask for funds. Rather, they prayed to God and asked him for what they needed. During that time, they learned that God would provide for all their needs and they could live by depending only on the Lord. In Bristol there was a terrible outbreak of cholera that killed many people. Muller believed that God was calling him and his wife to assist the poor during this time. They helped many survive that disease. After this, Muller decided to open an orphanage for children without parents to live in and to learn God s word in. Again, they prayed to the Lord and let their intentions be known, but they did not ask anyone for money. This was their experiment would God provide for them, if they only asked for their needs in prayer? But God came through. Money came in; a building was provided as well as all the necessary food and clothing. Many times there was not enough food to feed all of the children, but the Mullers and their helpers would pray and in the last minute before the meal food or funds would come in to provide for the children s needs. Muller wrote a journal of his experiences day by day, to testify to God s power and provision. By the end of his life, the account books showed that George Muller gave away the equivalent of three million dollars that he had never asked for! In the biography George Muller by Roger Steer, Steer tells how towards the end of his life Muller was able to say: Hundreds of times we have started the day without a penny in hand, but our Heavenly Father has sent supplies by the moment they were actually required. There never was a time when there was no wholesome meal. One evening the orphanage had no money and there was no food for breakfast the next day. Though he did not know how, George Muller was confident the Lord would provide for the orphans. After all, wasn t he a Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5)? Muller went to bed, committing the care of the orphans to God. The next morning he went for a walk, praying again for God to supply the orphanage s needs. In his walk he met a friend who asked him to accept some money for the orphanage. Muller thanked him, but did not tell the friend about the pressing need. Instead, he praised God for the answer to prayer and went to the orphanage for breakfast. On another day the matron of the infants home went to Muller. I don t have enough money for the milk we need, she explained. Muller took the money box out of his desk and counted what was in it. They were two pence short of what was needed. Let s pray about it, he said. They prayed that the Lord would the provide money for the milk. When Muller opened the door to let the matron out, a poor woman stood there. I don t have much money, she told him, but the Lord led me to bring this to you. She handed over two pence, exactly what was needed for the milk. On another occasion the children were all ready for breakfast but there was not a thing in the house to eat. His matron asked what she should tell the children. I ll take care of it, Muller said. He reached down and took a little girl s hand. Come and see what God will do, he said. Inside they found 300 children standing in neat rows behind their chairs. Set on the table in front of each child were a plate, a mug, and spoon. But there was no food whatsoever to be seen. Where s the food? the little girl asked in a whisper. God will supply, Muller told her quietly, before he turned to address the children. There s not much time. I don t want any of you to be late for school, so let us pray, he announced. As the children bowed their heads, Muller simply prayed, Dear God, we thank you for what you are going to give us to eat. Amen. He looked up and smiled at the children. You may be seated, he said. He had no idea at all where the food he had just prayed for would come from or how it would get to the orphanage. He just knew God would not fail the children.

16 THREE A thunderous din filled the room as 300 chairs were scuffed across the wooden floor. Soon all 300 children sat obediently in front of their empty plates. No sooner had the noise in the dining room subsided than there was a knock at the door. Muller walked over and opened the door. In the doorway stood the baker, holding a huge tray of delicioussmelling bread. Mr Muller, began the baker, I couldn t sleep last night. I kept thinking that somehow you would need bread this morning and that I was supposed to get up and bake it for you. So I got up at two o clock and made three batches for you. I hope you can use it. Muller smiled broadly. God has blessed us through you this morning, he said as he took the tray. There are two more trays out in the cart, said the baker. I ll fetch them. Within minutes, the children were all eating freshly baked bread. As they were enjoying it there was a second knock at the door. This time it was the milkman, who took off his hat and said, I m needing a little help, if you could, sir. The wheel on my cart has been broken, right outside your establishment. I ll have to lighten my load before I can fix it. There are ten full cans of milk on it. Could you use them? Then looking at the orphans sitting in neat rows, he added. Free of charge, of course! ******************************************************************************************** References George Muller Trusting God God s Miraculous Provision Excerpts from George Muller, The Guardian of Bristol s Orphans by Janet and Geoff Benge Ten Boys Who Changed the World Irene Howard. Christian Focus Publications

17 FOUR MANDATE The Ten Commandments holiness, obedience, integrity does it still make sense? WELCOME The Ten Commandments Create a set of cards numbered 1 to 10, with the corresponding commandment written on the back. Arrange the cards at the front of the group and split into two teams. One person from team 1 chooses a number and then has to say the corresponding Commandment. If they get it right the team wins the card. If they get it wrong they don t win it. Play then passes to the next team: one person chooses a number and guesses the Commandment. Continue until all the cards have been won the winning team is the one with the most cards. Alternative version: Use the throw of two dice to determine the number card that the team must guess the Commandment for. If you roll an 11 or 12 make these a wild roll so the team can choose any number card they would like. The Ten Commandments 1. You shall have no other gods but me. 2. You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it. 3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. 4. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy. 5. Respect your father and mother. 6. You must not kill. 7. You must not commit adultery. 8. You must not steal. 9. You must not give false evidence against your neighbour. 10. You must not be envious of your neighbour s goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour. WORD 1. Explore the Ten Commandments This section gives you three different ways that you could conduct the discussion into the Ten Commandments. Choose one or more that are the most appropriate for your group. 66 Read Exodus 20:1 21 together. a. Read through each of the Ten Commandments in turn and make sure that people really do understand what each command is asking. Discuss what each Commandment means in our culture today. Talk of practical ways that you (or people in general) outwork these Commandments in day-to-day life, and situations in which we fail to keep these Commandments. b. Ask the group to have a go at re-writing the Commandments in more relevant language that you find easier to understand. You could ask the group to create a poster of their Commandments, or perhaps write out their Commandments on bookmark-shaped pieces of card. c. Split the group into two teams to debate whether the Ten Commandments are still relevant to us today. Have one team arguing that they are relevant and one team that they are not. (This is just for fun do not allow this exercise to get too heated!)

18 Summarise the discussion using any of the information below. FOUR 2. Jesus Commandments 66 Read Matthew 22:36 44 ý ý Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbours as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. This is Jesus speaking, about 1,400 years after the Ten Commandments were given to Moses, in answer to a question posed by the religious experts of the day. Discuss how the Ten Commandments can be summarised into these two short statements. Taking It Deeper 66 Read John 13:34 ýý A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. In this verse Jesus says he is giving a new command. Was this really a new command? How is this different from other times in Scripture when God s people are commanded to love each other? How does this command relate to the Ten Commandments? Does it cancel them out or reinforce them? Use any of the following thoughts in your discussion as you find useful. The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai following the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt. This is one of the few times in Scripture that we see God writing anything, and the first time in all history that God wrote down his word. Until the time of Moses the written word of God did not exist. Inscribed on stone tablets, the Ten Commandments were kept in the Ark of the Covenant at the command of God. Four of the Commandments deal primarily with man s relationship with God and the other six deal primarily with man s relationship with one another. The Ten Commandments were moral statutes given by God so that the Israelites could enjoy fruitful and holy lives. The Commandments were significant in that they formed the basis of Jewish life, law and faith. They were meant to keep the people safe in an unsafe and vulnerable situation. In its original language, Hebrew, God was essentially describing what he wants his people to behave like. Instead of I command you to not steal, it could be read more like My people do not steal. If you want to be called my people you will not steal. The Ten Commandments were known as the Law. For the people of ancient Israel, breaking the Law was a serious offence. To deviate by any degree from the Ten Commandments was to sin and fall short of God s standard of holiness. Knowing that it was impossible for any person to perfectly follow the Law, God set up a system of sacrifices whereby a person could be forgiven and cleansed from their sin, their failure to keep the Law. For example, an appropriate sacrifice would involve the slaughtering of a young lamb that was found to be without any blemish. As the people continually messed up, the sacrifices had to continue endlessly. For us today the Ten Commandments are ten divine rules on how to live according to God s plan. They reflect God s standard of holiness for everyone. They show us the difference between right and wrong and point out to us the way that God would have us live as his children. If we would behave according to every Commandment, all of the time, we would live a holy life. We would never sin. The Ten Commandments serve to show us what a holy life looks like. They are a guide for happy, abundant living (Proverbs 3:1 2; 29:18), to show us the difference between right and wrong. ýý God s basic, ancient instructions map out a clear course to freedom. The original words delivered to Moses might well include donkeys, murder, slaves and Sabbaths, but they combine to offer a blueprint for a life less fragile and less ordinary in the midst of the chaos and celebration of the 21st century. (J. John. Ten: Laws of Love Set in Stone)

19 FOUR But we cannot keep all of the Commandments all of the time. There is no one who is holy and perfect by doing this. There is no one who can follow God s rules for holy living completely. And anyway, these rules were never meant to give the people salvation. The Hebrews were already God s chosen people. They had already been freed from slavery when Moses led them out of Egypt. God s people were never made right before him by what they did. (See Romans 4.) It s the same for us. We become right before God by faith, through the sacrifice of Jesus. We can t earn our salvation through things we do, but through believing and accepting in faith that we are chosen, loved, accepted and made clean and holy through Jesus. But we can and must make decisions in our life to reflect right choices and indicate to God our desire to live his way and to show others Jesus in our lives. ACTION Create strips of card with one of each of the Ten Commandments on it. Give each person in your group a set of the cards and ask them to put the Commandments in they order they feel are the most relevant/important to them in their life at the moment. Discuss. Then ask them to put in order the ones that they most struggle with. Discuss. Ask each person to think of one practical thing they can do to embed the Ten Commandments more fully into their daily thoughts and actions. PRAYER Listen to / sing a worship song that speaks of God s holiness. Some examples are: Take Broken Me Electralyte (from the album Breakout) Holy Matt Redman (from the album 10,000 Reasons Live) Set Apart Worship Central (from the album Set Apart, Live) Holy Father Vasa Gospel (Find it on YouTube here: Take My Life Micah Stampley (from the album Songbook of Micah) We Cry Holy Chris Tomlin (If you have the album The Salvation Army Live from the Royal Albert Hall the United Youth Chorus are performing this track. Or use this version on YouTube: We Fall Down Chris Tomlin Pray about your commitment to live lives that are holy and pleasing to God.