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.
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:
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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
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?
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?
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