Bible Reading 2/11- 2/17: Ex 32 - Lev 5; Mat 26:69 - Mark 3:6; Psalm 33-36; Prov 8:33 - 10:2
Review
Knowing God
Preliminary Ideas
Issues to emphasize: Can an ancient book be relevant to us today?
What’s the difference between a Christian and a mere church goer?
Put God's Word into practice - Mat 7:24-27
Do and finish God's work.
Our food must be to do God's will and finish his work - John 4:31-38
We glorify God by finishing the work he sent us to do - John 17:1-4
Contractors sometimes fail to finish the work they were hired to do.
What kind of soil are you? - Mat 13:1-23
Prioritize God
With your attention
God rewards those who earnestly seek him - Heb 11:1-6
Enoch pleased God by walking with him (not merely contemplating him) - Gen 5:18-24; Amos 3:3
Your boss expects you to make him/her you priority.
With your resources
Others may applaud you for giving God anything - Mat 6:1-6, 16-18
God demands our best - Ex 23:19; Ex 34:26; Num 18:26-32; Prov 3:9-10; Ezek 44:30; Mal 1:6-14
The IRS takes its cut first.
With your thoughts
God is more than just “your friend”.
God isn’t in your life just to make you feel good.
Christianity is more than God rescuing you from bad things that happen to you.
Christianity is also about you working as a team with other believers to do bad things to Satan's kingdom that he can't be rescued from.
Put God first and give him your best.
New Covenant - Jer 31:31-34
God wants us to know him - Jer 31:31-34
Walk in maturity / perfection
Jesus was perfected - Heb 5:7-10; Heb 12:2
Constant use of their discernment - Heb 5:11-14
Persevere - Heb 6:1-12
Know The Lord
“I never knew you” - Mat 7:23; Mat 25:12; Luke 13:22-30
Know the Lord - John 17:3; 1Cor 8:1-3; 1John 2:3; 1John 4:7-8;
Love the Lord - 1Cor 8:1-3
Love your brothers and sisters - 1John 4:7-8;
Obey the Lord - 1John 2:1-6
Boast in the Lord. - Jer 9:23-24; 1Cor 1:31; 2Cor 10:17
Partner with him in exercising kindness, justice, and righteousness
Know him in action (walking with him) - doing the work of his Kingdom.
Gen 5:18-24; Amos 3:3; Heb 11:1-6
You can’t know without doing.
Knowing your ministry
Don't wait for a complete outline of your future ministry.
You'll discover your ministry as you start using your gifts.
Discuss the way I figured out what my ministry was.
Join the Work
Your Kingdom come, your will be done - Mat 6:9-15
Workers in the vineyard - Mat 20:1-16
Expect results
Whoever has will be given more . . . Mat 25:24-30
God wants to operate supernaturally through you
Just like you expect money when you visit some of your relatives
Believe you receive - Mark 11:20-25
Give your life away
Keep what you have by giving it away
Give and it will be given to you - Luke 6:38
Whoever wants to save his life . . . - Luke 9:23-25
We must multiply ourselves and teach others to do the same.
Identify areas where you have gained victory and pull others into it.
“Judge not lest you be judged” - Mat 7:1-6; Luke 6:37
Discipleship - 2Tim 2:2
New Material
Preparation
Main Passage
NIV
Hebrew Study Bible
KJV
The Message
NASB
RSV
Exegetical Idea
Subject
Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why
Complement
Developmental Questions
Explain It: What does this mean?
Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
Homiletical Idea
Purpose of the Sermon
Make it plain
Use accessible language and modern parables
Make sure people do something with the word God gives you for them.
Do Not Refuse
How shall we escape . . .? - Heb 2:2-3
See that you don't refuse . . . - Heb 12:16-29
Don't Risk God's Rejection
Mat 21:23-27 - Make a decision
Was John's baptism from heaven or from men?
Are you in church to do God's will or to look good to others?
If I say "to do God's will" then he'll say then why aren't you bearing Kingdom fruit?
If I say "to look good to other" the rest of the congregation will think I'm not spiritual.
If you're here to do God's will then act like God's really in charge.
Mat 21:28-32 - Don't be left behind
There are people you look down your nose at who are progressing in the Kingdom faster than you are because they have embraced the work.
Mat 21:33-46 - Give God his fruit
Do the work to win people
Win them to the Lord
Put God's fruit first and personal gratification second
Mat 22:1-15 - Don't ignore the banquet
Jury Duty
Mat 23:1-39 - Woe
Prepare and Produce
Mat 24:29-51 - No one knows the hour
Mat 25:1-13 - The Parable Of The Virgins
Olive oil comes from squeezing olives
The foolish virgins tried to do at the end what they should have done at the beginning.
Mat 25:14-30 The Parable Of The Talents
Distinct from the parable of the minas - Luke 19:11-27
Mina - 3 months wages
Talent - 60 minas = 15 years wages or 1 years wages for 15 people
Discussion Questions / Topics
Reflect on Mat 21:23-27
What authority was Jesus operating under?
Was John's baptism from heaven or from men?
Are you in church to do God's will or to look good to others? Do your actions bear this out?
Reflect on Mat 21:28-32
The vineyard is where the harvest is produced. Have you gone to work in God's vineyard. If so, what people are you currently working on harvesting? If not, what are you waiting for?
Reflect on Mat 25:1-13
In what ways are you like the wise virgins and/or the foolish virgins?
Do you have the "oil" you need or are you counting on someone else's oil?
What resources are you committing to your role as a follower of Jesus?
If Jesus came back today, would you make it into the wedding banquet with him?
Reflect on 1 Thess 5:17 and Philip 4:6-7 (continued from last week)
How is your prayer life? What is working well and what areas need improvement?
Reflect on Matt 7:24 (continued from last week)
How are you doing with studying the Word of God? What is working well? What could be improved?
Are you memorizing scripture?
What is going well in terms of putting the Word into practice? What areas of struggle do you have?
Do you long to see the power of the Holy Spirit operating in your life? What do you want to see the Holy Spirit do in you and through you?
Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings (repeated from last week)
Review the current prayer partnerships in your life group.
Make sure that everyone has someone to pray with on a weekly basis.
These can be long-term assignments or your can rotate them.
If you rotate them, the assignments should last at least one month.
Review the list of people you are praying for in your life group.
Make sure that everyone knows who to pray for and how to pray for them.
Make sure that the people who need salvation are getting prayed for every day by the members of the group.
Review each person on the list of people you are reaching out to.
Has anyone invited him/her to lunch/dinner or some other informal activity along with at least one other life group member?
Has anyone invited him/her to a life group fun event?
Has anyone invited him/her to a life group meeting?
