Discussion Questions | Fellowship

This week's sermon discussed how fellowship–the practice of spending time together with other believers–helps us to abide in and enjoy God. To listen to the sermon, visit our series page. Below are questions to help as you discuss and apply the sermon with your LifeGroup:

• How has Jesus used community to help you grow and mature in your walk with Him? (Feel free to help each other remember these times.)
• Have you ever experienced hurt in community in the past?  If so, how does this cause you to struggle with community now?
• Read Hebrews 10:19-23. How does the gospel unite us at a deeper level than any differences that would normally divide us?
• What are the advantages to walking through life with people who are different than you in personality, past experiences, interests, etc.?
• What is uncomfortable about walking with people who are different than you? How does Jesus want to use this discomfort to help you grow?
• Read Hebrews 10:24-25. When in your life are you most tempted to retreat and neglect meeting together with people who love Jesus and love you?
• What if any areas of your life are you living and thinking like an “I” instead of like a “we”?  (major life decisions, sin struggles, doubts, aspirations, marriage, parenting, dating, etc.)
• How can you repent and bring community into these areas?
• Take some time as a group to take community together. Remember that Jesus’ death in the cross dealt with the sin that comes between us so we can be family together. Take time as a group to confess and/or confront sin that is coming between your relationships and be reconciled before taking communion. 

Discussion Questions | Serving Like Jesus

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In this week's sermon, we discussed how serving is a means by which we enjoy and abide in Jesus. Below are some questions to help discuss and apply the sermon with your LifeGroup:

• Are there ways that we wrongly make serving only about ourselves?
• What are the wrong motivations you struggle with when serving others?
• How can serving others remind you of your status with Jesus?
• Read John 13:1-17. What are practical ways you can serve in your every day life? What are ways we as a LifeGroup can serve?
• Spend some time praying as a group. Possibly allow space to journal, pray in pairs, just have a few minutes to meditate silently on what has been discussed.

I Was Starving to Death, So I Fasted

Ken Kelly, the author of this post, is a missionary member of our church. He is married to Terra and has three children: Aubrey, Cayce, and Caleb.

God told me from the beginning of my fast that he would be glorified in it and that even my children would be able to look back at this time and say, “That’s when things changed in our family." I just didn’t know writing a blog would be part of it all. You see, I don’t share well. I struggle with openness–even with my family. To add to my dilemma this blog is about something immensely personal.

Why I Fasted

So why did I fast? Because I felt I was starving unto death.

No. Not for food. I was starving for the brokenness of my life to be fixed. Starving for finances and relationships, for sin and failure to be made new and given back to me repaired and fresh. I was praying “God fix my finances, the sin in my life, the despair in my heart. Give me vision and clarity for the future” and on and on. God was saying “I seek a relationship with you.”

Let me just say, fasting is not all together easy. The biggest problem is not hunger though, it is selfishness. So, while I entered this fast with great anticipation of God and I working together to fix some things in my life, God had his own list. First, he helped me take my eyes off of me and put them on him–I had forgotten that it really is all about him. Secondly, God helped to move me from feeling that I needed him to repair something to realizing that my relationship with him was broken.

Seeking God Above All

For the first time in my life I sought to put aside everything but seeking God. That decision became a changing point not just in the fast, but also for my life. God started working in me to draw me closer to him. I began to realize the enormous efforts he put into pursuing me and I began to realize the things that keep us separated.

What I Learned

By the end of the fast there were two things that I was absolutely certain of in my relationship with God. First–that he is great and mighty and the thought of his majesty caused, and still causes, me to tremble with fear. Psalm 119:120 says "my flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws."

The second is that I am a redeemed and adopted child of the same God that I tremble before. Because I am adopted I can boldly come before God’s throne and with confidence have fellowship with him (Hebrews 4:16). He has proven his love in the cross of Jesus.

God answered me and drew me close to him (Psalm 3:4). I had wanted God to change my circumstances and while there is still a lot to fix, he is changing many of the things I brought before him, especially how I look at them.

Discussion Questions | Why We Fast

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In this week's sermon, we discussed how fasting is a means by which we enjoy and abide in God.

Below are some questions to help discuss and apply the sermon with your LifeGroup:

• What has your past experience with fasting been? Why have you or haven’t you fasted in the past? What has Jesus taught you about or through fasting?
• Read Matthew 9:14-15. What does Jesus say is the purpose of fasting? In what ways has Jesus’ kingdom not fully come to bear in your world? Where are you praying for Jesus to come in and push back darkness?
• Read Isaiah 58. What insights does God give us about the type of fasting that He desires?
• Are there any functional saviors that you should consider fasting from? If so, what? (These could be morally neutral things.) Here are some helpful questions to help you diagnose:
  • What things absolutely draw you away from Jesus?
  • What things distract you from Jesus or cause you to grow numb to Him?
  • What things become excuses for not participating in community or serving others?
  • What things do you run to when you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired?
• Are there any ways as a LifeGroup that we should fast together or encourage each other as we fast?

Discussion Questions | Practicing the Sabbath

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Discussing sermons are a great way to help lead your LifeGroup in applying truth to your hearts. Below are the discussion questions for last week's sermon, Practicing the Sabbath.

Discussion Questions

• Read Genesis 2:1-3. What is the Sabbath? Why is it worth noting that the Sabbath was instituted before sin entered the story?
• Read Mark 3:23-28. What does Jesus mean when he says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”? Have you ever consistently and intentionally observed the Sabbath? What effect did it have on your life and wellbeing?
• In what ways are you tempted to make the Sabbath all about rules instead of understanding God’s heart and purpose for giving us the Sabbath?
• What are your main reasons for not practicing the Sabbath? Are there any areas where you need to grow in time management? Are there any areas where you need to re-prioritize the things on your plate?
• How will you plan and schedule the Sabbath into your weekly rhythm? What are you planning to do?
• What are things in life that stir your affections for Jesus and should be a regular staple in your Sabbath rhythm?
• What does it look like for you to practice the Sabbath in the context of community? What does it look like for you to practice the Sabbath in a way that is appropriate for your life stage?

Abide Discussion Questions: Bible Absorption

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One of the easiest ways to lead discussion time in your LifeGroup is by discussing last Sunday's sermon. Below you'll find some discussion questions to help your group discuss the sermon and apply it at a heart level.

Cheers!

• What’s your personal history when it comes to the Bible? Are you familiar with it? Did you grow up around it? Are you brand new to it? What do you feel when you think about the Bible and abiding with God through His Word?
• When was the last time you had a heartfelt encounter with God through His Word?
• Read 2 Timothy 3:16 and Isaiah 55:10-12. What are your hang-ups when it comes to trusting the authority and inspiration of the Bible (if any)? What is the most compelling evidence that helps you trust the Bible?
• Read John 14:15 and 15:8-11. Do you ever feel like treasuring and obeying God’s Word contrary to the gospel of grace? Why or why not?
• Where in your life has your love for Jesus led you to treasure and obey God’s Word or vice versa? What happens when you try to obey God’s Word without love for God or vice versa?
• Are there any truths from the scripture that you are struggling to treasure, obey and abide in right now? What are they and how can your fellow LG members encourage you to treasure and abide in what you already know?
• Spend some time praying as a group. Possibly take some time to journal, pray in pairs or take a few minutes to meditate on the scripture and truths that have been discussed. If there’s anyone who’s recently spoken the Word to you and you’ve rejected them along the lines of, “I already know that. That doesn’t help.” Go, confess and be reconciled to them. 

Abide Discussion Questions: Praying & Not Losing Heart

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• How is the prayer challenge going? Have you seen your heart move toward praying to God as a Father instead of a landlord?
• Do you have any questions or frustrations about how prayer works? Do you ever wonder why we should pray if God is sovereign?
• Read Luke 18:1-8. Like the widow in the parable, have you ever needed something and the only person who could get it for you was disinterested in helping? How did it make you feel? What kind of outlook is this widow facing?
• In v. 1 what does Luke say is the point of this parable? Have you ever lost heart in praying about anything specific?

In the sermon, we talked about 7 reasons to not lose heart:

1. Our prayers matter. (John 15:16) God has ordained prayer as the means by which He brings about His will.
2. God always answers prayer. (1 John 5:15) Like a good dad, He answers yes, no and later.
3. The Spirit helps us pray. (Romans 8:26-27) When we don’t have words, the Spirit of God prays for us.
4. The Spirit teaches us through prayer. (1 John 2:27) The Spirit also shapes our hearts to care about and pray for the things God cares about over time.
5. Jesus advocates for us. (1 John 2:1) Like a lawyer, Jesus represents us to God the Father essentially saying, “this one’s with me. Listen to her requests. Treat her like you would treat me.”
6. Our prayer is perfect because of Jesus. (1 Peter 2:4-5) Jesus’ perfect prayer life is not only a model for our prayer life, but also the credited to us as if we prayed perfectly.
7. We can pray for everything & God will sort it out. (John 14:13-14) God has perfectly rigged prayer for us to enjoy Him and abide with Him and trust Him with the results.

• Were any of these 7 reasons to not lose heart new information to you? Did any of them give you a new way to look at and think about prayer?
• Which of the 7 reasons to not lose heart particularly stood out to you and why?
• How can our group encourage each other to not lose heart in prayer?