Week 5: Chapter 4

Week 5: Chapter 4

Ice Breaker:

Challenge Review: (groups of 2-3)

Share your some of the things you've written down this week about what you have thanked God for and grown in your understanding of His character that you can praise Him for.

Prime the Pump:

Chapter 4 video

Discussion/Prayer

1.  Which of the following statements hurts the most?

• "Lukewarm People attend church fairly regularly.  It is what is expected of them, what they believe 'good Christians' do, so they go.
• "Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church...as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living.  If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so."
• "Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict.  They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions(like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives."
• "Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin.  They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they're merely sorry because God is going to punish them.  Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one."
• "Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for extreme Christians, not average ones.  Lukewarm people call 'radical' what Jesus expected of all His followers."
• "Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends.  They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people feel uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion."
• "Lukewarm people gauge their morality or 'goodness' by comparing themselves to the secular world.  They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hardcore for Jesus as so and so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street. "
• "Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed a part of their lives.  But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money and their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives. "
• "Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they 😍 themselves.  Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return...Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached."
• "Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money and energy they are willing to give."
• "Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.  Daily life is mostly focused on today's to-do list, this week's schedule, and next month's vacation.  Rarely if ever do they intently consider the life to come. "
• "Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much possible to the poor. "
• "Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty.  They want to do the bare minimum, to be good enough without it requiring too much of them."
• "Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control.  This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God."
• "Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America."
• "Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to.  They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens they have their savings account...They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live they have life figured and mapped out. The truth is their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God."
• "Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't very different from your typical unbeliever.  They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong."

Read Luke 14:25-35

2.  How does Jesus teaching about what it takes to follow Him re-frame your initial decision to follow Jesus?

3.  How much thought did you put into following Jesus?  Why don't people put much thought into the cost of following Jesus if this decisions is truly supposed to change our lives?

4.  If you were to stop following Jesus tomorrow, how much and what would actually change in your life?

5.  How does Jesus statement in Luke 14:34-35 sit with you when you examine your faith and obedience to who you claim to have faith in?

Challenge:

Commit to praying that God would help you identify 2 professing Christian people in your life you can influence.  Share this list with those  two people this week and ask them to begin praying about joining you in meeting regularly to discuss spiritual things.  

Week 4: Chapter 3

Week 4: Chapter 3

Ice Breaker:

Challenge Review:(groups of 2-3)

Share your obituary reflection with your group

Prime the Pump:

Chapter 3 Video

Discussion/Prayer

Read Matthew 7:7-11

1. What parts of your experience with your earthly father make it difficult to relate to God as Father?

1. Who are some people in your life that have helped you understand God as Father and what aspects of God’s character did they help you experience?

Read Isaiah 40:22-24; Jeremiah 31:3

2. Which aspect of God do you have more trouble relating to, His Love or His Wrath? Why?

“Before I left, a friend prayed, ‘God, I know how You’ve wanted this time with Francis...’ Though I didn’t say anything at the time, I secretly thought it was a heretical way to pray and that he was wrong to phrase it that way. I was going to the woods because i wanted more of God.  But He’s God; He certainly wouldn’t want more of me! It seemed demeaning to think that God could long for a human being.  The more I searched the Scriptures, however, the more I realized my friend’s prayer was right on, and that my reaction to his prayer indicated how much I still doubted God’s love.  My belief in God’s love was still theoretical, not a reality I lived out or experienced. “

Read Jeremiah 1:4-10; Matt 28:18-20; Eph 2:10

2. How do the words of God in Jeremiah and Matthew change the way you see your relationship with God?

1. How does knowing what God says in Ephesians 2:10 change the way you view the purpose of your life?
2. How does knowing that God called you out and had a plan for you before you were born affect the way you feel about obeying God’s commands? Do God’s commands look different with this newfound knowledge?
3. How does Matt 28:18-20 and God’s words in Jeremiah 1 affect the way you view God’s command to be His witnesses?

“Imagine how awful it would feel to have your child say to you, “I don’t really love you or want your love, but I would like my allowance, please.” Conversely, what a beautiful gift it is to have the one you love look you in the eye and say, “I love you.  Not your beauty, your money, your family, or your car. Just you.”

3. When you reflect on the way you interact with God in prayer can you say that love God just for being Him and not just for what you think you can get from Him?

1. What are some practices you can cultivate that will help you love God just for who He is and not for what He can do for you?

Challenge

Every day this week write down 3 things you can thank Him for.  Also write down 3 things you can praise God for that reflect who He is and not what He’s done.

Week 3: Chapter 2

Week 3: Chapter 2

Ice Breaker:

Challenge Review:(groups of 2-3)

Share your reflections on who God is from Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4

Prime the Pump:

Chapter 2 Video

Discussion/Prayer

Read James 4:13-14

1. Do you really believe you could vanish at any minute, that your life could end today?  

1. How would you live life differently if you held on to the perspective that this could be your last day on earth?

Read Philippians 4:4-9

“When I am consumed by my problems-stressed out about my life, my family, and my job I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice.  In other words, that I have a right to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities. Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.”  

2.  How does what Francis say about stress and worry “reeking of arrogance” resonate with you?

1. What does Francis suggest we do to put our worries and anxieties in perspective?  
2. How does your prayer life reflect your arrogant self-centeredness?  
3. How does the way you select a church or interact with people at church reflect your selfish misguided perspective on life?

Read Psalm 73

3. What parts of Psalm 73 do you see in your expectations and attitudes towards God and others?

1. What does the Psalmist say brought him perspective? How can you cultivate a habit of seeing your life in light of the perspective of the psalmist?(17)
2. What did the Psalmist do after re-framing his perspective? (28)

Read 1 John 2:3-6

3. How has what you’ve read influence what you know about growing in your intimacy with God? How can someone grow in their knowledge of God if they do not know His commands?  What is the key to growing in our knowledge of God/His commands?

Read Matthew 10:32-33

4.  How does this Matthew 10 change your view of what it means to be ready to die?

1. How does the story of Stan and Brooke in “Crazy Love” change the way you view the purpose of your life?

“Friends, we need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God.  Our lives here are short, often unexpectedly so, and we can all stand to be reminded of it from time to time.  That’s why I wrote this chapter, to help us remember that in the movie of life, nothing matters except our King and God.

Challenge Activity:

Write your own obituary.  If you were to die today would you be satisfied with the life you’ve lived? Are you satisfied with the direction your life is headed? What do you want people to remember you for?  What kind of legacy do you want to have?  What is missing from your life?  What do you need to do in order for your “obituary” to be complete? Be prepared to share with your group next week.

Week 2: Chapter 1

Week 2 : Chapter 1

Ice Breaker:

Prime the Pump:

Chapter 1 Video

*L is location for kindle format

Discussion/Prayer

1.  When you are gathered with a group of believers, have you experienced the exhilaration of thinking biblically about everyday topics?  How does the idea of developing biblical thinking interest you?

Question 1: Read pg20/L52

2.  If you were completely honest, would you say you are more bored or exhilarated with your life as a Christian?

Question 2: Read pg 22/L76

3.  How does reflecting and meditating on the greatness of God help us love God?

Read Psalm 19:1-4

Read pg 27/L118-122; Read Tozer’s quote pg 28/L129-132

4.  How does the way we view God affect our love for Him?

Read God’s Attributes pg 28-33/L132-172
Read Hebrews 4:13, Psalm 139, Daniel 4:35

5.  If we become more familiar with God’s character, how would that help our spiritual amnesia and our day to day conversations with other believers?

Just Stop and Think Video

Challenge Activity

Read and Meditate on Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 every day this week.  Share your reflection on who God is next week in your discussion group.  

Announcements:

• Volunteer positions (Ice Breaker, Discussion leader, Prayer Recorder, Fellowship, Set up/prayer team)
• Fellowship team announcement

Week 1 Introduction

Week 1: Introduction

Ice-Breaker: (Fun activity/or question)

Your Name

1. What place would you go back to tomorrow
2. When was the last time you had to say I’m sorry to someone?

Prime the Pump(On the note card)

1. What do you think it means to be a Christian?
2. How do you think people grow in their relationship with God?
3. How do you know you are growing in your intimacy with God?

Crazy Love intro video

Discussion/Prayer(Break into small groups)

1. How do you hope to grow in your relationship with God through this study?
2. Is there a person(s) that you think/know would benefit from what you learn in this study?

Challenge/Activity

Have a discussion with someone about what they think it means to grow in their relationship with God.  Share what you’ve learned in our discussion about the concept of a vibrant love relationship with God stemming from a greater knowledge of Him.  

Volunteer Roles:

1. Ice Breaker: Plan and lead the group in a short fun activity or question

1. Whenever possible try to link icebreaker to topic of the day

2. Discussion Leader: Facilitate asking questions during breakout time and move the conversation through the questions.
3. Prayer Recorder:  Record prayer requests from the week.  Give the list to the group leader.  Follow up with prayer requests next week.
4. Set-up/Prayer team:  Come 15 minutes before 6pm to set up the T.V. and pray for the group and study.  
5. Fellowship:  Help coordinate going to dinner or an activity for the group to do in the week.