LIFE GROUP STUDY GUIDE by Dustin Abbott
LIFE GROUP STUDY GUIDE by Dustin Abbott
FORWARD Calling is a word that is spoken often from pulpits and classrooms. We believe it s meaning is so significant that we want it spoken in our living rooms, as well. This series will bring attention to 7 ways in which Christians are called. We hope you find this series enlightening, challenging and encouraging. Most of all, we hope you are willing to answer God s calling in your life. The Upstate Shepherds 2
Key Passage: Hebrews 3:1-6 An Extraordinary Calling me? How often do you think about your Christian faith in relation to the Old Covenant? What encourages you about God s house in Christ, as opposed to the house Moses built? V6 is abundantly clear that the church is NOT a building. It s also a good reminder that the church is a we - not a me. In what way(s) do you feel challenged to present yourself as God s handiwork? In what way(s) do you feel challenged to be more of a team player in the body of Christ? 3
1 PETER 1:13-21 NIV Key Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-21 A Calling to Holiness What is this passage saying to the original audience? What is this passage saying to me? Foreigner is a word that is used often today in America. After all, we are a nation of foreigners. Interestingly, this word - according to 1 Peter - describes one who is living a holy life. In what way(s) is holiness like being a foreigner? Can we achieve holiness without becoming a foreigner in this world? Is this something you are trying to do? What price was paid to extend God s calling to holiness? Which is more precious to you: the blood of Christ or? 4
HEBREWS 11:8-12 NIV Key Passage: Hebrews 11:8-12 A Calling to Faithfulness me? V8 Abraham was called by God to leave behind his entire existence in order to go possess a new one. What have you left behind in order to find new life in Christ? V9 Abraham was willing to live with temporary circumstances and as a foreigner to be faithful to God. How does this passage encourage you through difficult circumstances? How does it challenge you to not be attached to worldly ideas and possessions? V11 What key idea does Sarah unlock for us as we strive to be faithful? Do you consider God to be faithful? What else could you trust God with in your life? 5
COLOSSIANS 1:9-14 NIV Key Passage: Colossians 1:9-14 A Calling to Kingdom me? What is the passage saying to us? What characteristics, virtues and / or blessings are attributed to those who are in the Kingdom of God based upon this passage? What do you consider a worthy of the Lord cause in your life? How can you focus more attention to this cause? Is there room for involving others with this cause? How would you help someone identify such a cause in their own life? If God has qualified you, what excuses are no longer permissible for you to use? How does this though encourage you? 6
GALATIANS 6:7-10 NIV Key Passage: Galatians 6:7-10 A Calling to Persevere me? What is the passage saying to us? In what way(s) have you been deceived about being a Christian, or Christian beliefs? Mocking has a very obtuse connotation about it in modern English, but from the perspective of the ancient Greek meaning, how is God mocked today? Give some examples of good seeds you ve sown in your lifetime? Have you experienced any fruit from them? What advice would you give to someone who thinks it s too late to start sowing good seed? 7
2 THESSALONIANS 2:13-15 NIV Key Passage: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 Called by the Gospel me? What is the passage saying to us? An alternative (and more accurate) translation to firstfruits in v13 is from the beginning. How did God choose us (God s choosing is always plural) from the beginning (cf. Eph. 1:4). What do you think the Sanctifying work of the Spirit is? Many teach that the Spirit first enlightens the sinner to the Gospel, but what is the sequence of vv13-14 from that respect? (The Gospel called them to the sanctifying work of the Spirit and belief in truth; not the other way around) How has the Holy Spirit set you apart? If you had to characterize one thing about yourself as what you stand on... what would it be (v15)? 8