06.24.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by Bob
“Rules For The Road”
Small Group Plan
June 24, 2007
Dear Group Leader…
Johnson Oatman wrote:
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
The assumption behind his words is change. And every time we sing this wonderful hymn we are asking God to show us more, to take us further, and to lead us from where we are to where we can be.
But how do we really feel about asking God to bring change into our lives?
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· Why do we like to take pictures of our trips?
· How do we use the pictures?
· What would you have captured on film if you had been at the Jordan crossing? Why?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
WAITING – Joshua 3:1-3a
1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people.
· Imagine you are an Israelite. After years of wandering and wondering, what would you be thinking during the three days at the Jordan?
· Would you be excited, afraid, or both? Explain.
· Since the Jordan is at flood stage, why does God choose to cross now?
· What helps you prepare for transition?
CROSSING – Joshua 3:3b-6
3 “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.” 5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” 6 Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
· What part did the ark play in the crossing? What did it represent?
· Why were the people supposed to follow the ark (Vs. 3, 11)?
· Imagine – What were the priests thinking and feeling as they got closer to the edge of the river?
· What inspires you to take the first step toward change?
LEADING – Joshua 3:7-11
7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’” 9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.
· “The Lord said to Joshua … Joshua said to the Israelites.” Why didn’t Joshua tell the people that God planned to exalt him in their eyes?
· What does Joshua teach us about humble leadership?
· Identify the three ways that Joshua describes God (Vs. 9, 10, 11). Describe what happens when God’s leaders look to God for leadership?
· What impresses you the most about Joshua – his strength or his humility? Explain.
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· How was the Jordan crossing similar to the Red Sea crossing?
· What are our “crossing moments” today?
· Why didn’t God overcome all of Israel’s obstacles as easily as He did the Jordan crossing?
· Why doesn’t God immediately overcome all of our obstacles?
· God’s promise to Israel required movement. Are there promises God has given to us that require us to act in order to receive?
Close by praying for courage and confidence in facing our giants.
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06.17.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by collodi
“Because He Had The Heart”
Small Group Plan
June 17, 2007
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Dear Group Leader…
We know more about the life and character of David than probably any Old Testament character. Not only do we have a detailed story of his life, but we also have 85 psalms that are attributed to him. They show us the disposition and mood of a man who was struggling to live under the leadership of God. He shows us what it means to be a man after God’s own heart.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· When you were a kid, what criteria did you use to pick teams for a game?
· Now that we’ve “grown up” what criteria do we use to choose our business and national leaders? Why?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
Choosing God’s Man – 1 Samuel 16:6-13
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.
· Why did God pass over Jesse’s oldest sons?
· Why did He pick David?
· What qualities in a shepherd make for a good king?
· Why did God anoint David in front of his brothers?
Using God’s Man – 1 Samuel 17:32-50
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
· Why were the Israelites unable to defeat Goliath?
· Why did David think he could win the fight?
· What did David have that we need?
· What the source of David’s courage?
· Why did Saul risk it all by putting the battle in the hands of a young boy?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· When you first meet a person, what do you notice first – face, words, position, education …? Why?
· How does David’s story instruct spiritual leadership today?
· Since God “looks at the heart,” how can we prepare our hearts for His cleansing work?
· What “giants” are you currently facing?
Close by praying for courage and confidence in facing our giants.
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06.10.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by collodi
“Friends”
Small Group Plan
June 10, 2007
Dear Group Leader…
Some people have lot of “friends” but none are very deep. Other people have a few friends who know their deepest hurts and joys. A few people have no friends. But regardless of the number or depth of our relationships, God designed us need each other. Paul knew this and closes his letter to the Romans with a list of a “few” (29 names) of his friends.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· How would you describe one of your earliest “best friends?”
· Do you keep in touch with “old friends?” Why?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
Romans 16:1-16
1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3 Greet …
· What does this list of names reveal about the way Paul maintained his relationships?
· How does Paul affirm his friends even in a simple greeting?
· What does it tell you about Paul that he would list 26 names of individuals in a church he had never before visited?
· There is great diversity in this list. Nine of the greeted are women. Thirteen names occur in manuscripts of inscriptions related to the imperial household (cf. Phil 4:22).
· Describe both the power and the challenge of diversity in a church family?
· What concepts communicated in this list show the under-girding unity existing within their diversity?
· What kind of friends “risked their lives” (Vs. 4) “worked very hard” (Vs. 6) and “been a great help” (Vs. 2)?
Romans 16:17-20
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
· What kinds of people cause division and problems in God’s family?
· What is “smooth talk” and “flattery?” How does it deceive?
· Why does Paul say, ”keep away from them?” How do we do this?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· Would you feel at home among the people listed here? Explain.
· Why would Paul go to all the trouble to mention these people by name? How can we show this kind of affirmation to our Christian friends today?
· What does Verse 16 reveal about life together in Jesus? What would be the modern counterpart of the “holy kiss?”
· Why and how are we most vulnerable to Satan’s (Vs. 20) plans to twist and wound our relationships?
Close by praying for our relationships, our elders and our future.
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