12.30.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by Bob
“Preparing for 2008”
Small Group Plan
December 30, 2007
Dear Small Group Leader,
If I were dying I would want someone to be reading scripture to me, praying with me, and reminding me that everything I believe about Jesus is true. That would give me calm and confidence as I faced an unknown experience.
Well, 2008 is an unknown experience for all of us. And just as the early disciples of Jesus constantly rehearsed the truth of their faith in prayer, we too need the habits that we see in their lives. Prayer. Togetherness. Love. Encouragement. Unity.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· What role did prayer play in your life growing up?
· Who taught you about prayer and how did they do it?
· What process do you follow today in making important decisions?
· What important decisions face Prestoncrest in 2008?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
The Agony of Prayer – Colossians 2:1-2
1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.
· How was Paul’s “struggle” a continuation of Jesus’ sufferings?
· How would it help the Colossian Christians “to know” of Paul’s struggles?
· How could an “encouraged heart” pave the way for a “united love?”
· What does true congregational unity look like?
The Power of Prayer – Acts 1:14, 24-25
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers … 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”
· Why were these disciples of Jesus “together” (Vs. 14)?
· What is “constant prayer?” How can it be practiced today?
· They were asking God to choose a leader. What would it look like for us to rely on God to lead us to the next preaching minister?
· How can prayer give us calm and confidence as God leads us forward?
The Charge of Prayer – Matthew 6:9-13
9 This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
· Why did Jesus give such a simple prayer as the model for the Twelve?
· What is God’s role in this prayer? What is our role?
· What is your favorite word or phrase from this prayer? Explain.
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· What has been your biggest challenge in prayer?
· What can you do first to improve your prayer experience?
· How would it change your life if you had a prayer habit in 2008?
Close by asking God to lead us into the new year.
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12.23.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by Bob
“An Act of Mercy”
Breath of Heaven
Small Group Plan
December 23, 2007
Dear Small Group Leader,
Which side are you on? Where do you stand? Use the following “Christmas Ice Breaker” with your small group. Read aloud each of the following pair of words or ideas and ask everyone to choose one side or the other. Of course, the fun is in the explanation. Have everyone explain their choice.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· Live Tree - Artificial Tree
· Rudolph - Frosty
· Shepherds - Wise man
· Give a gift - Receive a Gift
· Mary - Joseph
· Silent Night - Jingle Bells
· Christmas Eve - Christmas Day
· Matthew - Luke
· Red - Green
· Turkey - Ham
· Apple Pie - Pecan Pie
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
Compassion — Joseph
Matthew 1:18-14, 2:13-15; Luke 2:1-7
· How would you feel if you had been in Joseph’s shoes?
· What would you say to family, friends, and co-workers?
· What were Joseph’s options?
Obedience — Mary
Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:26-56, 2:1-19
· What was revealed to Mary? Why were they revealed to her?
· What might she have felt?
· Do you think she truly understood everything? Explain.
· Why do you think God chose Mary?
· How do you think Mary felt upon hearing Elizabeth’s greeting?
· What does Mary’s song reveal about her? What are some of the themes?
· What was Mary’s response at the end to all the events of Christmas?
Gratitude — Shepherds
Luke 2:8-10
· Why did the angels appear to the shepherds and not someone else?
· Why did the shepherds drop everything to go find out about some baby? Why were they so excited?
· Why do you think it was important to them to see the Baby Jesus first hand?
· Why was the birth of Christ Good News?
Worship — Magi
Matthew 2:1-18
· Why was Jesus important to the Wise men?
· Since they were not even Jews, why do you think the wise men left everything to search for Jesus?
· What is the significance of their gifts?
· How did the wise men respond when they found Jesus?
· Why was Herod so threatened by a baby? What was it that he feared if Jesus were allowed to his place in history?
· What fears do you have if Jesus were to fulfill his place in your life?
· If God had not spoken to the Magi in a dream, what could have happened to Jesus?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· What faith lessons do we learn from Joseph?
· What faith lessons do we learn from Mary?
· What faith lessons do we learn from the shepherds?
· What faith lessons do we learn from the Wise men?
Close by thanking God for this season of sharing.
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12.16.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by Bob
“An Act of Courage”
Breath of Heaven
Small Group Plan
December 16, 2007
Dear Small Group Leader,
At a men’s devotional, a brother asked this question:
What’s the difference between a man with ten years of experience and a man with one year of experience ten times?
The difference? One has a plan and is growing every year. The other has no plan for growth and is simply repeating a casual faith over and over. One is astonished by Jesus, the other is indifferent to Jesus.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· Why do we give gifts at Christmas?
· What is the most significant gift you have received?
· Why is it so special?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
Threatened
Matthew 2:3
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
Matthew 2:7-8
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
Matthew 2:13
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Matthew 2:16
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under.
· How would you describe Herod’s character?
· Why was Herod the king so threatened by Jesus the child?
Indifferent
Matthew 2:4-6
4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”
· How could the Priests know the scripture and the details about “the Christ” but have no plans to discover and follow Him?
· What causes faith to plateau and become apathetic?
Astonished
Matthew 2:1-2
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:9-12
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
· What was driving the search of the wise men?
· How is the response of the Magi to the baby Jesus similar to the response of the Christian to the risen Jesus?
Blessed
Luke 2:8-10
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Luke 2:13-17
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.
· Why did the shepherds immediately and without reservation look for Jesus?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· Describe the person who lives as if everyone is a “rival.”
· How can a Christian go the through the motions of faith and worship without allowing any real growth or change?
· How can we keep our faith fresh and growing?
· What is the connection between fearing God and trusting God?
Close by asking God for a spirit of astonishment, joy, trust and submission?
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12.09.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by Bob
“An Act of Love”
Breath of Heaven
Small Group Plan
December 9, 2007
Dear Small Group Leader,
Israel had waited for centuries for the coming of the Messiah. Anticipation was deeply rooted in every family. And everyone had a clear idea of the Messiah’s coming would mean for the nation. But no one anticipated this kind of beginning. No one thought their king would enter the world this way.
It is significant that Jesus was born under a cloud of scandal and that He died the same way (1 Cor. 1:23) “a skandalon to Jews.”
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· When is anticipation good?
· How can it be bad?
· What is the connection between the scandal of Jesus’ birth and the scandal of His death?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
The Surprise Of Christmas
Matthew 1:18-25
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
· Imagine what was going through Mary’s mind when she discovered she was pregnant.
· Imagine the first thought in Joseph’s mind when he discovered it.
· What do we learn about Joseph’s character from how he reacted (vs.19)?
· What do think the “grapevine” did with the Joseph/Mary story?
· Jesus was called “Immanuel” – “God with us” (vs. 23). How important is it that He became one of us?
The Scandal Of Christmas
Luke 2:1-11
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
· The census, the traveling, the lack of room – what lessons can we learn from Joseph and Mary about responding to unexpected difficulties?
· Why would the savior of humanity enter the world in an obscure part of an obscure village?
· How much did Joseph and Mary understand about Jesus’ birth?
· Shepherds, along with tax collectors and prostitutes, were labeled as unfaithful and unclean. What was God saying by having Jesus’ birth announced to them rather than to the nation’s official leaders? (Compare 5:31-32).
The Power Of Christmas
Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.
Hebrews 2:14,17
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity … 17 he had to be made like his brothers in every way.
· How can we connect — Jesus is exactly like God with Jesus had to be like us?
· What was God’s goal in becoming one of us?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· Why would God choose to enter into the world under a cloud of scandal?
· Joseph acted with compassion. How does our desire for approval or acceptance keep us from acting with compassion?
· What would Jesus think about the way our world handles Christmas today?
Close by asking God to help us make this more of a time of compassion rather than consumption.
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12.02.07
Posted in Small Group Plans at 8:00 am by Bob
“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.
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