12.02.07
Small Group Plan - December 2, 2007
“An Act of Promise”
Breath of Heaven
Small Group Plan
December 2, 2007
Dear Small Group Leader,
Chris Eaton and Amy Grant wrote the song “Breath of Heaven” as a prayer from Mary the mother of Jesus. Her fear shows in these words from the song:
Do you wonder as you watch my face,
if a wiser one should have had my place.
What would it be like to be so intimately involved without knowing the whole story? This was not only Mary’s situation, but everyone prior to her who faithfully received and passed on God’s Promise.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· When do you begin to “feel” the Christmas season? Explain.
· At this time of year some think of Santa and a Christmas tree while others think of Jesus and a manger. Where do you place yourself? Why?
· Does it really matter what people think of Christmas?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
The Promise Defined
Hebrews 11:39-40
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Luke 1:35
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
· How much did the first followers of God actually know about the promise of Jesus?
· How could they remain faithful without really knowing the full meaning of the promise they were passing along?
· How much did Mary actually know and understand about her role in bringing Jesus into the world?
· Why did God entrust such monumental tasks to such frail men and women?
· What would you require before giving someone such a responsibility?
The Promise Foretold
Genesis 26:4
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.
· After making this promise to Abraham, why did God wait a quarter of a century to bring the first child?
· How would you describe Abraham and Sarah’s character?
· How does it affect your faith to know of the many detailed prophecies that predict the arrival of Jesus?
The Promise Fulfilled
Genesis 3:14-15
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Hebrews 2:10-15
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
· Do you think that the “Baby Jesus” tradition has distracted us from the spiritual war that God is describing in Genesis 3? Explain.
· Do you think most people lean to the birth side or the cross side of Jesus’ story? Why?
· Is it difficult for you to put the two sides together? Explain.
· Why did Jesus arrive on earth as a baby instead of a man?
· How did “suffering” make Jesus “perfect”?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· How does it change your Christmas experience to think of the birth of Jesus, not as the beginning, but the middle of the story?
· What do those who preceded Jesus have to teach us about faith?
· How does it affect your faith to know that with our first act of failure, God planned His first act of promise?
Close by asking God for the vision to see just how large and old the Christmas story really is.