03.25.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by collodi
“The Turning Point”
Small Group Plan
March 25, 2007
Dear Group Leader…
Rob Bell tells the story of being forced to accept a paid debt:
I was having breakfast with my dad and my younger son at the Real Food Café on Eastern Avenue, just south of Alger in Grand Rapids. As we were finishing our meal, I noticed that the waitress brought our check, then took it away, and then brought it back again. She placed it on the table, smiled, and said: “Somebody in the restaurant paid for your meal. You’re all set.” And then she walked away.
I had the strangest feeling sitting there. The feeling was helplessness. There was nothing I could do. It had been taken care of. To insist on paying would have been pointless. All I could do was trust that what she said was actually true and then live in that—which meant getting up and leaving the restaurant. My acceptance of what she said gave me a choice: to live like it was true or to create my own reality in which the bill was not paid.
– Repainting the Velvet Elvis (151-152)
This is the challenge of Romans 3-4. Will we trust that grace pays the bill, or will we live in fear wondering if Jesus really got the job done?
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· Why do many, though they are Christians, still feel unacceptable to God?
· Is there a difference between being “unworthy” and being “unacceptable”?
· What are some examples of using human achievement to try to earn God’s favor and forgiveness?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
The Theology …
Romans 3:21-31
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
· “Justified” (Vs. 24) is taken from the law court. The judge declares that the person on trial has no official charges standing against them. Why is this an amazing word for Paul to use?
· “Redemption” (Vs. 24) is taken from the slave market. It means the person has been bought out of slavery. What kinds of slavery does Paul have in mind here? From what types of slavery have you been freed?
· “Atonement” (Vs. 25) is taken from the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. Animal sacrifices turned away God’s wrath from a sinner. How does Jesus’ sacrifice turn away God’s wrath from us?
· How should we feel about and respond to the role of Jesus in bringing about our “justification” our “redemption” and our “atonement”?
· How do God’s grace and justice meet in the Cross of Jesus?
The Story …
Romans 4:1-25
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” 9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
· Look through these verses and pick out the words and phrases that seem important to you? Why are they?
· Describe the kind of person that God “justifies” (Vs. 5) and “blesses” (Vs. 7-8).
· On what basis was Abraham given righteousness (Vs. 3, 9, 11, 22)?
· Vs. 10 asks when Abraham was considered righteous by God – before or after his circumcision. What does Paul’s answer mean (Vs. 9-12)?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· How would you feel or live differently if you more fully understood just what Jesus has done for you?
· Verse 22 literally says that the righteousness of God comes “through the faith of Jesus.” It is His work, not ours that brings us salvation.
· Do you find it difficult to believe God’s promise to consider you righteous because of the work of Jesus? Explain.
Close by thanking God for the sacrifice of Jesus.
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03.18.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by collodi
“Guilt And Grace”
Small Group Plan
March 18, 2007
Dear Group Leader…
John R.W. Stott uses Romans 1 to imagine the following dialogue:
Paul: I am not ashamed of the gospel (Vs. 16).
Q: Why not, Paul?
Paul: Because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Vs. 16)
Q: How so, Paul?
Paul: Because in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed (Vs. 17).
Q: But why is this necessary, Paul?
Paul: Because the wrath of God is being revealed against all … who suppress the truth (Vs. 18).
Q: But how have people suppressed the truth, Paul?
Paul: Because what may be known about God is plain to them … For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities … have been clearly seen (Vs. 19-20).
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· What do you think of when you picture “the wrath of God” ? Explain.
· How is God’s anger different from our own anger?
· Vs. 18 says, “the wrath of God is being revealed” - why?
· Vs. 20 says, the people are “without excuse” - why?
· What does creation tell us about God? How are His character and “invisible qualities” made “plain” by creation?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
The bad guys …
Romans 1:18-32
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
· How do people suppress the truth about God today?
· What happens to a person’s heart when they reject God?
· How does God respond to those who ignore and deny Him?
· What are some examples of how we worship created things rather than God?
· Three times Paul says, “God gave them over.” To What?
The good guys …
Romans 2:1-16
1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism. 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
· Why are we sometimes critical of everybody except ourselves?
· How do you feel when you judge someone, and then discover that you are guilty of the same thing?
· What is the difference between human judgment and God’s judgment?
· Why is God kind, tolerant, and patient?
· How does His patience and tolerance bring people to repentance?
· How much exposure have you had to God’s law, and how have you responded to it?
The religious guys …
Romans 2:17-29
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth — 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
· What are some false assumptions that people make about gaining God’s favor?
· How can a person be very religious and still lack a real relationship with God?
· What is Paul trying to reveal with his questions in Vs. 21-23?
· What does it mean to have a circumcised heart?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· Which category do you identify with the most: The Bad Guys, The Good Guys, or The Religious Guys? Explain.
· Is guilt a feeling or a condition? Explain.
· How do guilt and grace work together?
· Since Paul wrote Romans, has society changed for the better, the worse, or has it remained the same? Explain.
· How can our faith become more than a ritual?
· How can we glorify God and give thanks to Him this week?
Close by affirming to God your commitment to live by His character and His will.
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03.11.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by collodi
“When In Rome”
Small Group Plan
March 11, 2007
Dear Group Leader…
What would it be like to live as a first century Christian in Rome? As the capital city of the ancient world, imagine what you would see and hear – the languages, religions, politics, and culture. Would you see opportunity or danger? Paul saw the opportunity, but we know that it would become his danger. I guess when real faith meets the real world both danger and opportunity are always present.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· What was your first introduction to Jesus?
· How did you initially feel or respond?
· When and why did faith eventually take root and begin to grow?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
The Gospel …
Romans 1:1-4
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God — 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
· What did you grow up hearing about “The Gospel”? How was it defined?
· What does Paul identify as “The Gospel” here?
· Paul has never visited Rome. Why does he begin his letter with Jesus?
· Gospel is from the Greek “euangelion” and literally means (eu) “good” angelion “message.” How is Jesus a good message?
· Why does Paul highlight both the human and spiritual dimensions of Jesus?
The Apostle …
Romans 1:5-6
5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
· Paul says he was “called” (vs. 1) to “call people” (vs. 5) just as the Roman Christians were “called” (vs. 6). How would you define being called by God?
· What have you been “called” to do for God?
· What have you been “called” or rescued from?
· How does it feel to live with a sense of purpose or calling?
The Romans …
Romans 1:7-15
7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong — 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and Non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
· What is the connection between Rome’s international character and the faith of the Roman Christians being “reported all over the world”?
· What do these verses show about Paul’s relationship to God?
· Why does Paul want to go to Rome?
· What do you learn about Paul’s priorities?
· What about his character?
The Mission …
Romans 1:16-17
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
· Why isn’t Paul “ashamed of the gospel”? Was he ever ashamed? Explain.
· When he says he’s not ashamed, what is he actually not ashamed of?
· How does the gospel save people?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· What positive reports would you want people to say about your faith?
· How would you compare Paul’s attitude about sharing his faith with the general attitude today?
· What would it mean to be ashamed of the gospel today?
· Describe a life that “lives by faith.”
Close by asking God to see more clearly how Jesus is the gospel.
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03.04.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by Bob
“Break the 80/20 Rule”
Involvement
Small Group Plan
March 4, 2007
Dear Small Group Leader,
How would the 80/20 rule play out in our church today?
Is it God’s plan for 80% of the compassion to be shown by 20% of the body? Is it God’s will for 80% of the praying to be done by 20% of the body? Is it God’s plan for 80% of the encouraging relationships to be confined to 20% of the fellowship? Is it God’s intention that 80% of the outreach be done by 20% of his disciples?
Rather than adapt the 80/20 rule from business to faith, let’s decide to do something better. Let’s dump the whole thing and create a new rule – a 100/100 rule!
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· Someone explain/describe the 80/20 rule? What is it? How does it work?
· How does it work in a business setting?
· How would it show itself in a church setting?
· What are its strengths and weaknesses?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
Focused Faith challenges the 80/20 rule …
Hebrews 11:1-2
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
· How does “Faith” challenge the “80/20 Rule”?
· Where is the real strength of faith found – in the determination of the faithful or in the object of their faith? Explain.
certain Hope confronts the 80/20 rule …
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
· Where does hope begin? Define “the God of hope.”
· How does hope fill us with “all joy and peace”?
· What does it mean to “trust in him?” How is trust related to hope?
· If hope doesn’t “overflow” is it really hope? Explain.
strong Love replaces the 80/20 rule …
1 John 4:7-12
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
· Count the word “love.” What does it mean in this text?
· How is God love (vs. 8 )?
· What does love do (Vs. 9-10)?
· Why does love oppose the “80/20 rule”?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· What keeps people from being more involved in their church family?
· What has helped you to become more involved?
· Was there a “turning point” experience, and “Ah ha” moment?
· Which has opened more doors for you – faith, hope, or love? Explain.
· What would a 100/100 rule look like?
· What advice would you give to someone standing on the border of active involvement?
Close by asking God to show more of us His plan and our passion.
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