Aftermath

ALL IN - WEEK 5

“Aftermath”

Group Leader Guide for use February 5-11, 2012

Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.

SERMON RECAP:

In this series, we have learned that a growing relationship with God is intentional, not accidental. This means that God is always ready and available to bless us and to help us grow, but it is our responsibility to dedicate ourselves to obeying Him. It is our responsibility to go all in.

Looking back to Mark 12:30, we are talking this week about how to love God with all our souls. As we celebrate some stories of changed lives, we celebrate two facts about Jesus that impact us today:

1. He was here; and
2. He is here.

New

ALL IN - WEEK 4
“New”
Group Leader Guide for use January 29- February 4, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.

SERMON RECAP:

In this series, we are learning that a growing relationship with God is intentional, not accidental. This means that God is always ready and available to bless us and to help us grow, but it is our responsibility to dedicate ourselves to obeying Him. It is our responsibility to go all in.

When we are truly all-in for God, then we are willing to go all-out in our pursuit of seeing the world changed for Him. As believers, we have a responsibility to learn and grow individually, as well as a commission to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Regarding Mark 12:30, that is how we love the Lord with all our souls.

Obviously this requires significant action on our parts, and three things that will propel us to take action are belief, behavior, and boldness. All throughout the book of Acts, we see how the Word of God spreads and how the early Church experiences tremendous growth when people begin to devote themselves to evangelism. Today is no different; the Good News is powerful and timeless, and it is our charge to carry it to the world. Jesus promised that He would build His Church, and He is. He’s using us to do it.

ICEBREAKER:

If you could enjoy a free meal at any restaurant in the United States, which place would you choose? What would you order?

The answers to this question will probably fall into two categories:

1. Restaurants where you have personally eaten before.
2. Restaurants that you have never visited, but have only heard about.

Clearly, we have all listed things that we enjoy, or at least things that we think we would enjoy. We are passionate about things that bring us joy, and we don’t think twice about sharing or receiving advice about restaurants that we believe in. Let’s face it: a restaurant with a good product gains a lot of believers really quickly, but that doesn’t seem to always be the case with spreading the word about Jesus.

Why do you think that it sometimes feels awkward to share your faith in God’s work, but it never feels awkward to share your faith in a chef’s work?

We all agree that it’s not always easy, so let’s buckle down and talk about what it takes to be obedient in this area, even though it is difficult.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.

Q: In all honesty, is it your responsibility or your pastor’s responsibility to tell people about Jesus?

A: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Ephesians 3:8-11; John 1:40-42

Both! Your personal relationship with someone gives you access to his life in a way that your pastor does not get. This means that you have equity with that person; not only is your personal relationship with him a great platform to share your own story, but it is also a great platform for inviting him to join you in enjoying a church and a message that you are passionate about. You fill the House with hungry people, and your pastor is charged with sharing the Gospel and showing them how to be fed.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of surrounding yourself exclusively with Christians?

A: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 9:9-13

If you surround yourself with only believers, you will do a good job of protecting yourself from people, but you will do a bad job of reaching them. Again, look at the examples of Jesus and Paul: they intentionally spent time with “sinners” for the purpose of seeing them come to God. Of course, it is very important to purposely engage in community and worship with other believers, but God didn’t just extend the offer of grace to you. That offer is for everyone, and we are instructed to “go and make disciples” as ministers of the Good News. If we are not actively seeking relationships with non-believers, then we cannot expect to be effective in ministry at all. Our company should be comprised of a good mix of Christians and non-Christians.

Q: Do you think that your actions or your words will go further in reaching people? Why or why not? Can anyone share a personal example?

A: Colossians 4:5-6; James 2:14-26; John 13:34-35

The Bible is very clear that the way you love people reflects the way you love God. The way you treat people, in turn, reflects how you love them. Colossians 4 (and other passages) says to be wise in seizing opportunities to act in love toward unbelievers, and words are just one of the ways to act in love. If your lips preach love and grace but your life does not extend them, then people may be inclined to draw the conclusion that your faith is not real because it hasn’t changed you. We should all be careful, because it is much more effective to tell people about obeying Jesus when they can see that we are indeed doing what He taught.

Q: How does your personal walk with Jesus influence your public outreach?

A: Colossians 3:5-14; Galatians 5:16-26

As Christians we see sanctification happen in our lives over time (Sanctification is the process by which we become more like God) as He works and produces fruit in us. As we see in Colossians 3 and Galatians 5, that fruit is largely intended for use in relating to other people, but those same passages list sinful tendencies that must be addressed in our private lives before that fruit will grow. If you are not willing to address obedience in your own heart, you are not likely to see God using you progressively more to reach other people.

L.E.A.D.S. Application:

The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:

L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups

Send people out to start new groups.

Whoa! The semester just started, right?

Don’t forget that our ultimate goal is not to create little clusters of super-smart Christians. Sure, we are excited about the community and individual growth we will see from joining together in groups, and we will never forget how important that is. We just can’t lose sight of how great it is when Christians (and home groups) grow and multiply.

The past few weeks has seen a lot of emphasis placed on the book of Acts, and by now we have all gotten a handle on how the Church was so effective back then: they reached out! The early believers were outwardly focused, and we have to be as well. Remind your group to start praying about who among them should branch out and be leaders next semester. The upcoming months will be a time of awesome growth for each member in your group, and some of them would likely make very impactful group leaders themselves.

(Leaders, it’s never too early to begin identifying that potential in your group and encouraging them to embrace it!)

Giving It All I've Got

ALL IN - WEEK 3
“Giving It All I’ve Got”
Group Leader Guide for use January 22-28, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.

SERMON RECAP:

In this series, we are learning that a growing relationship with God is intentional, not accidental. This means that God is always ready and available to bless us and to help us grow, but it is our responsibility to dedicate ourselves to growing in Him. It is our responsibility to go all in.

This looks different for each of us, so it is important that we are always looking to take our next steps in our walks with Him. Whatever those steps are, we have to be willing to give it all we’ve got. There are a few common myths that tend to impede our progress:

1. “I’m good right where I am;” and
2.  “God will never ask me to do anything difficult.”

Following Jesus is not always easy, and sacrifice is often required. No matter what step God wants you to take next, though, you will not be able to grow until you surrender to Him and give it all you’ve got.

ICEBREAKER:

The World Series of Poker is perhaps the most famous annual Texas Hold ‘Em tournament in the world. The 2011 championship was won by a 22-year-old German man named Pius Heinz, whose path to victory required him to make several very risky moves. In fact, near the end, it was down to Heinz and one other player and Heinz barely had a fourth as many chips as his opponent had. In other words, the odds were against him.

Have you ever been in a situation in life where you felt like the odds were against you?

Heinz apparently did not want second place, though. Both literally and figuratively, he knew he would have to go all-in to win. On two occasions Heinz saw that he needed to make a gutsy move – even though he did not even have a pair in his hand in either instance – because the time was right to put all his money on the line. Even when he went all-in, the odds were against him. As a result, though, he was able to defeat his final opponent and take home the $8.72 million prize.

Do you tend to be conservative in taking big steps, or are you more of a risk taker?

Is it easier to go all-in with your HEART or with your MONEY? (Don’t forget about the first sermon in this series, where we learned that they are very closely tied together)

Do you think that, if Heinz had lost, he would still be glad that he put all of his money on the line because his heart was in it? (Regardless, the second-place prize was $5.43 million…)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.

Q: Why is it sometimes so hard for us to submit and do what God has told us to do?

A: 1 John 5:1-5; 2 Timothy 1:7-12; Mark 10:17-29

What makes it hard is that we are not naturally inclined to give God all we’ve got. As the rich young man in Mark 10 demonstrates, our nature is to think that giving something up for God will result in some form of unhappiness for ourselves. Happiness is very important to us – more important sometimes than even God’s glory. God has assured us, though, that our joy will be rich when we surrender, obey, and allow Him to reign in our lives and exercise the power by which He has already conquered the world! Our fear of unhappiness is not from the Lord; when we obey in faith we are able to truly see His transforming power.

Q: Abraham was used in this message as an example of a Biblical figure who was all-in for God. In what way(s) did Abraham give it all he had, and what were the long-term consequences of his obedience?

A: Genesis 12:1-5, 17:1-8, 22:1-12; Hebrews 11:8-19

Abraham (originally called Abram) obeyed God in some truly remarkable “next steps.” First, God told Abram to uproot his family and leave his home (when he was 75 years old, by the way…) to go to a new land. Then He changed Abram’s name to Abraham with the command to circumcise his people. God then tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only son on an altar. Of course, we know the outcome of the story: since Abraham was obedient, God intervened at the last second and provided a ram to sacrifice instead of Abraham’s son. As we see in Hebrews, though, Abraham died without ever seeing the complete fulfillment of the promises God had made to him – but Abraham found joy in obeying God, even when it required sacrifice.

Q: Why does unaddressed sin have such a negative impact on our ability to follow God?

A: Hebrews 3:12-13; Romans 6:17-18; Ephesians 4:17-19

Sin hinders our ability to follow God because it robs our ability to hear Him. Unaddressed sin, whether it is unrepented or habitual, desensitizes us to God’s will. According to Ephesians 4, those who live in sin “are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Put simply, sin is the enemy of righteousness, and God cannot produce righteousness in a heart that prioritizes sin. Of course, none of us can be 100% perfect and 100% obedient; that is why we must continually give everything we’ve got to obeying God and letting our lives point to our Savior. This includes addressing the sin that is lingering in our hearts.

Q: Will God’s love for you increase after you take your next step?

A: Titus 3:3-8; John 3:16-17, 14:15; Genesis-Revelation

There is nothing you can do to earn more of God’s love. God loves us because it is His nature. It is His character. God was convinced He loved you before you even existed. Nothing you do will cause you to deserve more or less of God’s love. It is important to see, though, that there are huge implications of having a Savior who loved us in our sinfulness: He gave us new, righteous hearts so that we could love Him back. That is why we obey, and that is why Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

L.E.A.D.S. Application:

The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:

L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups

Embrace serving together.

What is your group's next step? Sure, it's just the beginning of the semester and some people in your group may not even know each other, but that does not mean that God can't use your group to impact your community. While it is very important to keep pursuing your next steps individually, we should always be seeking the Lord on how He wants to use our groups as well. Take a few minutes to discuss some simple ways that your group can begin to have an impact this semester.

For example:

• Sending a thank-you note to the restaurant where you just got done meeting, and including a NewSpring invite card.
• Each member committing to pay for the meal of the person behind him, the next time he is at a drive-thru.
• Praying intentionally together for your Area Leader and his/her family.

Start your semester off with a bang! Serving together, even in a seemingly small task, will serve to unite your group like few other things can.

Party Time

THE LIFE OF JOB - WEEK 7
"Party Time"
Group Leader Guide for use December 4-10, 2011
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.

SERMON RECAP:

The book of Job ends on a high note.  Job 42:12 tells us that Job’s life ended way better than it started.  And Job could celebrate everything God did in his life. Sometimes, it’s hard to see the end from the beginning.  When people face trouble, it’s much easier to give up than it is to keep going.  But, one of the lessons of Job’s life is that there is a reward for finishing well.  Job faced his disappointments but he never gave up on God, and God rewarded his faithfulness.  Today, we can know that God will also reward us when we remain faithful to Him.

A big part of this is learning to see people how God sees them. We do this by learning to:

1. See how God sees;
2. Feel how God feels;
3. Do what God says; and
4. Celebrate like God celebrates!

ICEBREAKER:

What do you think Heaven will be like? The sounds? The smells? We hear a lot about the streets of Gold and the mansions on hilltops, but we do not always hear much about the celebration that will be taking place. Remember, Heaven is God’s home and the only place that is free of sin and evil. Heaven is a place where nothing matters but God’s glory and we will be celebrating there; nothing else will seem important to us! Why do people not celebrate on Earth like we will in Heaven?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living. Pick which questions you think work best in your group. Add and alter as necessary!

Q: In recent months we have often been encouraged to take our “next steps” in our walks with God. What steps have to happen in our hearts before we can truly hear Him?

A: 1 John 2:15-17; Psalm 40:8; Mark 3:33-35

Listening to God is like listening to anyone-before you can hear Him, you must be ready to listen. Just as in a conversation, you can not hear the other person if you are talking or if your mind is distracted. We must also prepare the right attitude in our hearts and minds in order to listen to Him clearly. In order to listen to God and receive His instruction, we must want His will as much as He wants it for us. If we stubbornly cling to our own selfish desire, we may think we are listening to God, but in fact we will receive a mixed message that isn’t the Lord’s provision at all.  We must desire Gods will above anything else in our life. If you do, you can trust that He will direct your path. Listen to His message, and be quick to obey. Write down what He tells you and be ready to share it so that others may understand. When we are sold out to what He wants for us, we will discover a life full of rich joy.

Q: As we become more Christ-centered and Kingdom-minded our desire should be to see as God sees, especially concerning people. How can we develop this concept in our own lives?

A: 1 Samuel 16:7; James 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 2:3-8

The Bible instructs us to consider other people to be more important than ourselves, and that requires a level of humility that we must trust God to grant us. It is our human nature to count ourselves as the most important, but we have to realize that every single person is included in that command; we should consider everyone to be worthy of our service. In many instances, we have probably listened to the prejudged viewpoints of others that were based on outward appearances but this is not how God sees people at all. As we devote ourselves to live in obedience to the Holy Spirit it should become easier to see from God’s perspective. Seeing people as being made in the image and likeness of God should motivate us to love as God loves—unconditionally and unbiased. God wants us to use our God-given potential in others by showing them the love of Jesus so they will be able to develop this mindset in their own lives. As God’s people, we are required to serve people.

Q: Name some things that people might be dealing with on the inside that we can not see on the outside. These things may be causing less-than-desirable behavior that we can see. What does the Bible say about how to view others who do not look/act like we do?

A: Matthew 5:43-48; Proverbs 17:9; John 13:34-35; I John 3:16-18

Marriage difficulties can creep into a person's personality and wreak havoc on their interpersonal and coping skills. The same goes for woes over a wayward or even a critically ill child. Perhaps financial worries are to blame. Low self-esteem can make people quip hateful and judgmental remarks, as speaking badly about others is often thought to make us feel better about the faults within ourselves. Maybe the presence of sin is causing problems, or maybe the person simply has never received salvation. Jesus pleads with us to love our enemies and even to pray for those who persecute us and make our lives difficult. The Bible is also quick to remind us not to spread word of others' situations (i.e., gossip), but instead to pledge to pray. Every response we show toward others who are hurting (or "showing out") points back to what we believe and Who we believe in. Our response and behavior is a major part of our witness to those who don't know Him as their Lord and Savior.

Q: What are some ways we can love as God loves, feel what God feels, view others as God views them?

A: Genesis 6:5-6; Psalm 56:8; Matthew 25:34-40

We can ask, first of all, for God to give us His love for others, His empathy for the concerns and pain of others, and His eyes to see others. We can ask Him to show us sin as He sees it, dirty and sickening and disgusting. It can be a difficult thing to view, for many of us may not fully realize what this request, the asking God to "break our hearts for what breaks His," entails. We can seek out ways in which we can tangibly show love, compassion, and mercy to others. The Bible says that doing things "for the least of these" is the same as doing these kind things for Christ Himself. To use a popular phrase, we can ask God to help us be "Jesus with skin on," viewing the world around us in a new and clear way and being a blessing to others as we go about our days, leaving condemnation and judgmental attitudes by the wayside.

L.E.A.D.S. Application:

The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:

L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups

Group leaders, let’s end this semester of groups with a celebration for God’s goodness – for the life change He has showered upon NewSpring home groups this semester! What a cause to celebrate! We can assist and encourage one another as we take a moment to thank Jesus for His good and eternal work He has accomplished through groups.

Leaders, allow for reflection time. You can begin this time by sharing what you are most thankful for during this stint of groups. Thank God for the commitment and obedience and community of your group members, for a setting to gather, for the Holy Spirit encouraging and convicting your group, for a church that believes in the power of Jesus through groups, and for the unity Jesus gives us through the grace and gift of the cross. Thank Jesus for the generosity of your group and the opportunity to meet needs within your community.

Allow your group members to share each of their stories from this semester of groups. Highlight the next steps that your group members share that they have taken this semester, as you share those that He has led you to take. Invite them to share the breakthrough that God has given them through these steps. Encourage and thank them for taking these steps of faith, and challenge them to continue to keep taking their next step.

Invite your group members to be praying through becoming a group leader over Christmas. Take time to share how leading a group has blessed and grown you. As each of you share about God’s goodness over that last semester, PRAISE God together as a group! Take time to appreciate the gravity and gift of spiritual progress through the Lord.

During prayer time, open the floor for each member to thank God. This could serve as a powerful time of unity and collective gratitude as you thank the Lord as a group. This last night of groups would be a great night to end with hot chocolate and some time to fellowship with group members as you celebrate Jesus, groups, and the Christmas season!

Tips for Leaders:
There is no time better than this week to celebrate with your home group. As the leader of your group, you have been able to see the Lord in work in ways that other people might not have picked up on. One of the best things you can do to lead this time of celebration is to share stories of how God has impacted you through leading this group as well as how you've seen Him impact other group members.  This is a great opportunity to finish out this semester strong while also setting a great foundation for where you can pick up when groups start meeting again. Remember, though, make sure not to “pull the plug” on the relationships that have been built. Whether your group will reconvene next semester or not, take whatever time you need to establish some lines of communication that will keep the relationships in your group strong for the long haul.

It's Not About Me

THE LIFE OF JOB - WEEK 6
"It’s Not About Me"
Group Leader Guide for use November 27 - December 3, 2011
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.

FOR THE LEADER:
Sermon Recap – If we want to be blessed, then we have to understand that it is not about us. We can begin to grasp this as we place our focus on:

1. The Church,
2. The community
3. The world.

ICEBREAKER:

Thanksgiving Day was this past Thursday! Of course, you already knew that because it is a day that almost everyone uses to do something special. What did you and/or your family do for Thanksgiving?

What is Thanksgiving really about? We often think of the Pilgrims on Thanksgiving, but how often do we actually use it as a day to give thanks? It may even seem like many people have confused thankfulness with gluttony. Today, then, try not to associate Thanksgiving with food. Instead, name something you are thankful for that does not cost any money.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living. Pick which questions you think work best in your group. Add and alter as necessary!

Q: What are some things that can distract us from the bigger picture, i.e., things that make us think it is really "all about me?" What does the Bible have to say about these things?

A: Matthew 6:25-34;  Romans 9:20-21

Worry and fear cause us to look inward and miss opportunities around us. Jesus talks about worry repeatedly; He reminds us that it cannot add an hour to our day as well as gently reprimands our not trusting Him completely. Also, sometimes we think that our reality is the reality of everyone else in the world. In truth, Americans are some of the most blessed people on the planet; millions go without food and fear for their safety daily worldwide. Jesus talked often of calloused hearts and clouded eyes. The comparison trap: Many may feel that they can't make a significant difference in their world because they do not have what others have -- namely certain spiritual gifts or places of leadership. This can cause their servitude to be hampered and they will not give of their time and talents to the church as they should. This way of thinking places all emphasis on the self with little thought to the many parts that come together to make the church run as a whole. Jesus made us who we are; we do not have room to complain or compare, for we do not see the complete picture as He does.

Q: How does God tell us to take care of/focus on those around us in our communities? What are some practical ways or specific organizations that can help you accomplish this?

A: Matthew 28:16-20; John 17:15-18; James 1:27

Jesus plainly commands us to, first of all, be His witnesses and lead others to Him in salvation. He also tells us to protect and defend those with us in our faith, not becoming sidetracked with petty indifferences and arguments. We are also instructed to look after those less fortunate and helpless (i.e., widows and those without a parent), giving of both our time and even our finances when needs arise. Leaders: be prepared by doing a little homework. What are some organizations or service opportunities in your area that will help your group to put this into practice?

Q: We live in a self-serving, self-promoting world that teaches us that everything is about us, so should we expect everything in the church to be about us, too?

A: Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Peter 1:22-25; Matthew 4:9-11

Many times, Christians come into the church seeking their own fulfillment. Society encourages us to be “takers” and, if things do not meet our demands, to complain or get angry. Sadly, this is the same quest that leads many people from one church to another: they are trying to use the church to give them happiness or to make them feel better. The local church was not intended solely to provide these things; only Jesus can redeem and fulfill us. We must submit to the Church and accept the fact that our relationship with God is the one thing that can never be about us. By learning this, we will be able to change our eternal perspective as our focus is on God’s will rather than our own.

Q: In the Bible, we as Christians are called to be missionaries to the world, but this may prove to be difficult for us as we are required to go out of our comfort zones. How can we learn to give God our anxieties about obedience?

A: Luke 21:12-19; Acts 5:27-29

God did not create each of us to just be a face in the crowd; we are all uniquely crafted and called to serve the Lord by serving others and by spreading His gospel. He made us and He has a plan for us, so why would we be anxious about obeying Him even if it seems difficult? The Bible even says that if obedience gets us into a trying situation He will be there to give us words that we are incapable of producing on our own. Obedience to Him is the sweetest and most fulfilling course of action we could take, and by obeying one step at a time we are able to discover what He has designed us to do. We see gifts and passions unlocked within ourselves that we had never identified before. We see opportunities before us that would previously have gone unnoticed. God can use our obedience and take it further than we might think, as we see all throughout Scripture, so we have to start obeying God in the “small” uncomfortable things and He is able to develop us through that obedience.

L.E.A.D.S. Application:

The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym L.E.A.D.S.:

L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups

With the idea that “it’s not about me,” this is a great week to talk about serving together. The end of the semester is near, but the holiday season is the time of year when the most help is often needed in our communities. There are lots of ways to help - some require you to donate money, while others require you to donate time. Either way, consider using the last ten minutes of your group’s meeting time to decide on a way to serve through the Christmas break. Maybe there is a local charity or organization that needs help stuffing Christmas stockings, or maybe your group feels led to pitch in five dollars each and put together a few of those stockings yourselves. Is there a family in town that one of your group members has felt particularly burdened for? Perhaps that is where you need to start.

In this season of thankfulness and celebration, we must not forget to be grateful and appreciative of what God has done for us and given us. At the same time, it’s not about us. There are people all around who may hear the Gospel for the first time because we take this chance to serve them.

Tips for Leaders:

Start your meeting on time! As the leader of the group, it is up to you to set the standard for punctuality and preparedness. Once your group has chosen a starting time, make sure to stick to it; this is how the members of your group will learn to place importance on being prompt. A disciplined, structured schedule often leads to more serious discussion and more fruitful fellowship.

The Performance Trap

THE LIFE OF JOB - WEEK 5
"The Performance Trap"
Group Leader Guide for use November 20-26, 2011
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.

FOR THE LEADER:
Sermon Recap – Our salvation, redemption, and relationships with God are founded on the fact that He saved us by His grace; we did not earn anything. However, we often feel pressure to attempt to earn God’s favor. We work and try as hard as we can and it still does not feel like God is present. We should all assess ourselves in this area by examining five questions:

1. Do I find it hard to believe that Jesus loves me?
2. Do I feel like I am always disappointing Jesus?
3. Do I feel like Jesus is always mad at me?
4. Does it seem like Jesus is a hard man who just wants me to work harder?
5. Does it seem to me like Jesus is distant and uninterested?

ICEBREAKER:

What are some things people often do to earn the approval of others?

• Pursue material possessions (house, car, etc)?
• Talk about themselves all the time?
• Be seen at important events?
• Name-drop?

This might be a long list...

Now, what are some things that people do to earn the approval of God? (Leaders, feel free to start this discussion yourself, so that the group understands what we’re going for.)

• Go to church every Sunday?
• Deprive or punish themselves unnecessarily?
• Work so hard on their behavior that they forget to address the heart?

We can probably all identify behaviors in our lives that indicate an emphasis on performance. We live in a society that strives for success.  People are told they will get ahead in life if they work hard and do their best.  So, it is easy to carry over that mindset into our Christian life.  We think that we just need to keep doing more to have a great relationship with God.  But, our relationship is not based on what we do for God.  It is based on what He has done for us.  John 3:16 says God loved us enough to send His Son to save us.  Jesus “performed” for us by giving His life.  The purpose of serving God is to express our love for God and NOT to earn it.  We are already loved by God if we are in Christ.  We need a healthy perspective on our service to God if we are going to live the way He wants us to.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living. Pick which questions you think work best in your group. Add and alter as necessary!

Q: In several places, the Bible makes reference to the fact that we can not get into heaven or earn God's favor with works or by our own goodness. Can you think of any specific examples/verses showing this?

A: Romans 3:23; Psalm 103:14; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:3-7

God created us; He knows we are human. He knows fully well that we are mortal beings that have a finite number of days on earth. It is clear in the Bible that none of us, by our own merit, can do anything to get ourselves into heaven. We are sinful beings by nature; we are born selfish. Things we try to do to look holy and worthy are as "filthy rags" in God's sight. Try as we might, we will never be sin-free. That is what makes His grace and mercy so incredible and wonderful!

Q: The sermon this past Sunday referenced a verse showing that God is most definitely NOT a distant and uninterested God (Isaiah 41:1-3a). What other verses come to mind, and what other verses can we meditate on and remember, when we feel alone and unimportant?

A: Psalm 36:7; Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 29:11

Psalm 36:7 makes reference to God sheltering His children as a caring mother bird covers her children underneath her wing. We can always find help and refuge in God's protection and care. God is omnipresent; we cannot go anywhere where He is not. His love and His presence is deep, wide, high and low. Also, God's plans for us are sure. He has already thought about our lives, from beginning to end. He has plans for us that we cannot imagine. He lovingly directs our steps each day. Does that hint at disinterest? Quite the opposite, in fact.

Q: Why does God, who dwells inside our hearts, seem so distant when times are tough?

A: 2 Corinthians 1:2-4; Habakkuk 3:16–19; Psalm 119:65-68

When we accept Christ as our savior, it saves us from our sins, creating an eternal home for us. Not only does it protect us eternally, but it also protects us daily. This does not guarantee that we will walk an obstacle-free path, but it does mean that these challenges no longer have to overwhelm us. In the silence when we feel so far away from him, we must learn to respond biblically and not emotionally. Lean on the revealed character of God; He is allowing you to experience a temporary sorrow that will provide you with the greater benefits of increased holiness and deeper assurance. As many of us have experienced, though, sin causes us to perceive a distance between ourselves and God. God has called us to follow Him through righteousness and obedience, so if any one of us has unaddressed sin in his life, he should repent immediately and return to the Lord.

Q: If you are a Christian, is God ever disappointed with you?

A: Psalm 103:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 1:7; Matthew 11:28-30

God’s grace prevents Him from being disappointed with us. When you placed your faith in Christ, something incredible happened to you: you were justified. You were made a new person and your iniquity was covered. One of the most important spiritual blessings is being considered blameless in His sight. God isn’t looking at our performance when He looks at us and our standing before Him is not what we have done, but instead what Jesus did. He dealt with your sin once and for all on the cross. To live under God’s grace means that we approach Him through the merit of Jesus. In ourselves, we could never approach a holy God, but we can through Jesus. God sees the best in us even when no one else can. Of course God does still convict us and hold us accountable, but his wrath was replaced by grace when we chose to repent and trust Him as our Savior.

L.E.A.D.S. Application:

The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:

L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups

We can assist each other in groups this week as we allow God to free us from the prison of performance. Share with your group the amazing, encouraging, and liberating truth that Jesus can’t love us anymore than He does right now. Let the gravity of this truth encourage us, as we realize that His love is dependent upon His character and our position as His children – and, thank goodness, is not based upon our performance! God’s character is constant and unchanging, and so is His limitless love for us!

An awesome way to focus on God’s love is to ask Him to open our eyes to His love each day. Open the floor and allow your group to share the ways they see God’s love in their lives. This could be a great way to bring awareness to our lives of the realness and abundant evidences of God’s love that He fills our days with to remind us of the way He sees us. Take the lead by sharing how God undeniably both shouts and whispers His love to you each day. Is it the sunrises that take your breath away, the fun of your family, the fall leaves? What speaks to your spirit and reminds your soul that you are a beloved child of the King?

Encourage your group to allow the love and victory of Jesus define and secure their identity, while giving them rest. Share this verse with your group as encouragement for the week.
Isaiah 61:10 says, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Close in prayer by asking God to give us an unprecedented awareness of Him, by allowing us to see His love throughout our days. Thank Him for the freedom that He gives us by arraying us in robes of His righteousness. Ask Him to fill our hearts with gratitude. Thank Him for being a good Father!

Tips for Leaders:

Every group has "talkers" and "non-talkers," and both can make it difficult at times to facilitate the discussion in a group setting.  Here are a couple of tips on how to engage the talkers and non-talkers of your group without alienating one or the other.

Tip #1:  Try to stay away from yes or no questions.  If you ask the question, "Is it hard sometimes to believe that Jesus loves you?" the most insightful answer you may be able to get is a "yes" or "no."  Instead, try asking something along the lines of, "How do you know that Jesus loves you?" or "What are some things that remind you of Christ's love for you whenever you're having a particularly hard day?"  Questions that require some self reflection will give non-talkers something to chew on, and will give the talkers more direction and focus as they give you their answers.

Tip #2:  Direct some of your questions to specific people.  It is rarely the case that non-talkers keep their thoughts to themselves because they simply have nothing to say.  In actuality, they may not feel like they get the opportunity to voice their opinions, especially if you have one or two people in your group who are always very quick to speak up.  It's okay to say, "Cindy, tell me how you see God's faithfulness in your life," or "Mike, what do you think about what Andy said?"  It might feel weird at first, but it does a lot to show that you are interested in their opinions and that you value their contribution to the group.

Remember that every person in your group has something to contribute.  Don't feel frustrated when it seems like you are pulling teeth to get your group to discuss certain questions.  Try rephrasing them, and keep pressing forward.

The Voice of God

THE LIFE OF JOB - WEEK 4

"The Voice of God"
Group Leader Guide for use November 13-19, 2011
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.

FOR THE LEADER:
Sermon Recap – God has spoken to us since the beginning of time, and He is still speaking today.  God wants us to know His will for our lives, we have to learn how to listen to Him so we can hear and follow His will.  Job learned to listen to the voice of God and his life was blessed as he applied what he heard from Him.  That same principle applies to us; God still speaks, so we should still listen! He speaks to us in several ways:

• The Bible;
• The Holy Spirit;
• The Church; and
• Other people.

Encourage your group to check out www.NewSpring.cc/grow this week.

ICEBREAKER:

Have you ever encountered a situation where you were not sure whether the “voice” you were hearing was God’s voice or your own preferences? Most of us probably have. Sometimes we wonder if it is really God’s voice we are hearing.

Take a few minutes to discuss this question:

How would the world look different if God spoke through... email? How would your life look different? Would we check our email constantly if we knew there was a good chance that a message from God would be contained within? Would we eventually lose that excitement and begin checking our inboxes less frequently, or even overlooking the messages from God?

Isn’t this almost exactly what we do with our Bibles?

Discuss this analogy with your group.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living. Pick which questions you think work best in your group. Add and alter as necessary!

Q: Why do you think God speaks to different people in different ways?

A: 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; Acts 8:27-29; Acts 10:18-23
God works in different ways with different people. He spoke in different ways to almost every disciple. This is not limited to Biblical times, though; He also speaks in different ways to us today. The messages given to Philip and Peter are so specific that distinct words may have been involved. But in other accounts, God makes decisions for His people. Just as the Holy Spirit decides to give different abilities to different people, He works with us in different ways. A person with the gift of miraculous words is likely to hear the Spirit in a different way than a person with the gift of compassion. The Spirit will lead a teacher in a different way than a server, because he has different jobs for each person. God has called us to do different things, so it makes sense that He would speak to us in different ways.

Q:  What are some teachings or principles from the Bible that have changed your life when you listened and applied them?

A:  Hebrews 4:12; Romans 12:1-2; Psalm 119:9-16

The answers to this question may vary, but the Bible is “living and active.”  It will change our lives if we will read it and apply it to our lives.  Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and transformation comes from hearing the Word of God and saturating our hearts and minds with it.  When we hear from God’s Word, it will change our hearts and then our actions.

Q:  God established the local church not just to reach lost people, but also to help us grow in Christ as we are fed by His Word.  When has God spoken to you personally through a message at NewSpring? What, exactly, are we celebrating by gathering together in His name?

A: Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17;  Acts 2:22-24, 36-38

God speaks to us through His Word as it is preached in His church.  The Bible speaks to us as “it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). (Leaders, consider discussing this point. When have your group members experienced that time where God went after their hearts in a church service?) 

And, it is effective for “training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  As we hear the message each week, our goal is to humbly hear from God and apply it. Of course, we celebrate our God because nothing, even death, is outside of the realm of His goodness and sovereignty. We gather in the name of our Savior to rejoice in what He has done for us, to grow as a result of it, and to spread that good news to the world.

Q:  What are some qualities you should look for in a person before you allow him or her speak into your life?  Can you think of an example of when someone spoke a word of encouragement or rebuke to you at just the right time?

A: Proverbs 13:20; 1 Corinthians 15:33; James 5:13-16

God definitely speaks through other people, but we must be careful of the people that we allow to influence us. The Bible is clear that we will be affected by the people whose company we keep, so it is important that we maintain an awareness of who is having that influence in our lives. In reality, it is not likely that a God would speak to you through someone if that person is not hearing from God himself. In James, we are reminded that the people we involve in our lives and our spiritual walks should be devout followers of the Lord themselves; God clearly works through people who follow hard after Him.

L.E.A.D.S. Application:

The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:

L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups

This is a perfect week to focus on learning the Bible together. The Word of the Lord instructs us in righteousness and obedience, while at the same time it unifies us in one Spirit as we follow one vision. Are your group members passionate about learning the Bible? Is that important to them? If you do not already do this, consider implementing a time in each group meeting where your group takes turns talking about what they are learning. Of course we should always celebrate the work that God is doing in our individual lives, but this is a different concept. For example...

• It is interesting that an axhead floated in 2 Kings 6.
• It is instructive how the apostles made a prayerful decision at the end of Acts 1.
• It is powerful when King David exclaims his praises for the Lord in 2 Samuel 22.

We should obviously share victories that the Lord has won in our lives, but we should also share with each other how the Bible has impacted us. We have spent a lot of time focusing on how God uses other people to speak to us; here is a great way to encourage that!

Tips for Leaders:

There are a lot of ways that God speaks to us, but sometimes it takes some extra effort on our part to learn how to listen.  The best thing that you and I can do as leaders is to make sure that we are taking the time to seek the Lord and hear what He has to say to us personally.  He has great things planned to do through us in the lives of the people we lead, but He is also deeply interested in doing great things in us.  We cannot fully tap into the potential He has given us to lead others if we are not doing a consistent job of following Jesus first. So, are you truly leading by example?