Big Idea

You Can't Control The Future (Week 4 Team Tool)

You Don’t Have What It Takes:

You Can’t Control The Future

 

Big Idea:

We experience peace with the future by trusting God’s plan.

 

Key Verse: Read Matthew 6:23-24 (The Message)

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

 

The Scoop: When we think about “the future,” it can bring all sorts of emotions. There is often a sense of great anticipation and excitement about both the short-term and long-term future: a holiday, a big vacation, getting married, becoming a parent, moving into adulthood, taking the next career step, etc.  But for many of us, one of the strongest emotions that comes with thinking about the future is anxiety. We can do very little to control the future, and its human nature to fear the unknown or things out of our control.

1.      Which of these “future fears” do you feel the right now?

Ÿ   Fear of someone close to you dying

Ÿ   Fear of not being financially secure in your retirement

Ÿ   Fear of nuclear war or some worldwide disaster

Ÿ   Fear of being abandoned by a spouse, friends or family

Ÿ   Fear of getting too far into debt or bankruptcy

Ÿ   Other (name it!)

2.      How has bringing your fears to God made a difference in your life? If you haven’t brought your fears to God, what keeps you from doing it?

 

What’s Next? (take home/further processing/application)

Which of these practical steps to increase your faith in God about the future, do you most need to practice this week?

a. Spend more time recognizing and remembering God’s provision in your past.

b. Learn and understand more about what God actually promises to do in your life (through studying the Bible, learning it from others).

c. Bring your fears to God by spending real time praying to Him about them.

d. Exercise your faith by taking a risk, by step out in faith to do something that scares you and requires you to trust God.

e. Other

 

 

You Can't Handle It All (Week 3 Team Tool)

You Don’t Have What It Takes:

You Can’t Handle It All

 

Big Idea: God’s plan is for us to surrender our busyness and burdens to Him.

 

Key Verse: Read Matthew 5:3 (The Message)

You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 

The Scoop:

There are four basic areas of our lives we neglect when we are too busy:  Physical, Emotional, Relational, and Spiritual.  We are going to focus on the spiritual. A lot of us believe in God, but we really don’t make time for Him.  The culture we live in lends itself to busyness with two income families, kid’s sports, exercise, etc.  In fact, some of us are so used to being busy all the time that when we rest we feel guilty.  We tell ourselves that we are not too busy and we justify that busyness by believing we can handle it all.  Our busyness is often at the expense of our spiritual lives. 

 

We say that God is important in our lives, but our actions and schedules communicate otherwise.  Just like other relationships can’t thrive if we don’t put time into them (like marriage and parenting and friendships), we cannot expect our relationship with God to grow if we don’t make it a priority.

 

1.      Where are you on the “busyness” scale right now?

a.     Things are real slow right now and I actually feel relaxed.

b.     I’m right at the perfect amount of busyness for me.

c.      I’m feeling a little too busy and overwhelmed, where I know I need to change something.

d.     I am really burned out right now and desperately need something to change.

 

2.      What burdens are you carrying right now that are heavy and exhausting?

 

What’s Next? (take home/further processing/application)

What ways this week will you ask God for help you’re your busyness? What is one tangible way this week that you can allow someone else to help carry one of your burdens?

Vision of a Leader (Week 3) The Leader Within Team/Individual Tool

The Leader Within

The Vision of a Leader

 

The BIG Idea Team, Individual and Family Study Guide

Please take time to run through this study guide with your team, on your own, or with your family so that you can further apply and process the BIG Idea.

 

Big Idea:

The most compelling and lasting vision is one that is rooted in our journey with God and encourages others in their relationship with Him.

 

Key Verse:

Read Nehemiah 2:9 (The Message)

The generous hand of my God was with me in this…

 

The Scoop:

It’s true that what some of us see is not what others of us see.  It is apparent in the way we watch and interact with people, listen to people, decide what’s important next, and it is especially true with casting vision for the future.

 

Nehemiah is much more than a man with a heart for the things of God, he has vision for it. The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was not just something he was supposed to do, it was the result of God's hand upon his life.  The leader within Nehemiah had the vision of God's purposes not only for the city of Jerusalem but for his own life to become more full and meaningful.

 

 

Nehemiah’s vision for rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem was much bigger than the task of rebuilding the wall.  His task had lifelong spiritual implications in the lives of others.  This vision comes from a deep desire or burn in our heart.  When our heart aligns with God’s we embark on a journey where what has broken our heart turns into the driving force for our lives.  This is called Holy Discontent.

 

1.     What are some examples of things that on the surface seem like a task but in the bigger picture have longer term implications?

 

2.     Have you ever had a sleepless or restless night where you just can’t shake an idea or feeling?

 

3.     What things, events, experiences in your life do you think were God things?

 

4.     What can you do to help others grow closer to God by taking next steps in their relationship with Him?

 

What’s Next? (take home/further processing/application)

What are some unknowns in your life that you can pray about and give to God?  Remember: There is no greater influence you can have on a person’s life than helping them find their way back to God and help them take next steps in their relationship with Him.

 

 

The Leader Within - Heart of A Leader (week 1 team/individual tool)

The Leader Within: The Heart of a Leader

 

Big Idea: The process of leading begins when our heart breaks for people to take next steps in their relationship with God.

Key Verse: Nehemiah 1:3-4 (The Message)

The exile survivors who are left there in the province are in bad shape. Conditions are appalling. The wall of Jerusalem is still rubble; the city gates are still cinders. When I [Nehemiah] heard this, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God-of-Heaven.

The Scoop:

The city of Jerusalem is the very center of God’s covenant with His people.  Unfortunately, the city became a very lost and broken place.  Nehemiah was aware of the plight of the city but at some point his heart was changed and he could not ignore the situation any longer.  He weeps, fasts, and mourns for days.  What broke within him was the heart of a leader.

As Christ followers, our hearts will tend to break for the same things that break God’s heart. 67 percent of the world is lost spiritually, they have no place to call Home.  They are without a Father and a leader’s heart breaks for those who are lost – the people that are broken down and need repair, people who need to be brought back to God. 

It is often difficult for us to feel like leaders, like we could make any difference at all.  We may not have the same influence that Nehemiah had due to his financial and social status but we all have the opportunity to influence those around us. 

1.     What thing is most important to you right now? 

2.     Is there anything in the world or in your direct sphere of influence that you have a burning desire to change?

3.     When Nehemiah realized that Jerusalem was no longer a place that represented God’s covenant with His people, Nehemiah mourned for days; fasting and praying to God. Have you or anyone you know ever experienced this type of connection with God when it comes to those who are lost?

What’s Next? 

When we talk about caring for the lost, we look at the lost as someone who hasn’t yet found their way back to God.  We do not criticize or condemn.  Our goal is to invite them into our lives and by doing so invite them to take a look at their relationship with God.  Take the time to write down a friend, a family member, an entire family, or an acquaintance that you will make an intentional effort to pray for and invite to join you on your journey so that by doing so you are inviting them to take next steps in their relationship with Christ.

The Real OT - Joseph in Eqypt Team/Individual Guide

The Real OT

Joseph & His Brothers in Egypt

 

The BIG Idea Team, Individual and Family Study Guide

Please take time to run through this study guide with your team, on your own, or with your family so that you can further apply and process the BIG Idea.

 

Big Idea:

We can find peace and joy in knowing God is working for good in our lives no matter what happens.

 

Key Verse:

Read Genesis 50:19 – 21 (The Message)

Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children." He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.

 

The Scoop:

Most of the time we don’t like rules and we for sure never understood why our parents set some of the boundaries they did at the time.  On the outside looking in, we can usually see the reasons for certain rules unless they are being applied to us.  As a parent, we wouldn’t watch our kid playing in the street and not do something about it.  No matter how bad the child wants to play in the street, we have information that the child does not have, and it would actually be neglect if we didn’t do something about it.  You can be sure that God is not neglecting you.

 

Yet, the story of Joseph turns logic and traditional cause and effect on its head.  Through the story of Joseph, we learn how God can take even the most painful situations and use them for His glory.  Ultimately, what God did for Joseph and his family is what God is continuing to do through us today.

 

It seems Joseph was able to look over his life with the humble reality that he never would have the position and power and favor with God had he not been separated from his father, sold into slavery, falsely accused by Potphar’s wife, and forgotten in prison.  We can trust from this story that when we live our lives by submitting to the will of God, no circumstance we face in life will be exempt from bringing God glory.

 

1.     What are some examples of things that you respond differently today than you would have as a child?

 

2.     What does Joseph's reply in the verse above reveal about his relationship with God?

 

3.     James refers to trials as a gift. What does it look like to view the trials in your life as a gift?

 

What’s Next? (take home/further processing/application)

Take time to encourage others with how you see God at work in their lives.

·      This week spend some time with the story of Joseph.  Try to identify with the difficulties he faced.

·      Set some time aside this week to search your heart and allow God to reveal any grudges you might be holding against someone.  Ask God to give you the freedom to respond as Joseph did with kindness and compassion.

·      Share with one other person a trial in your life.  Ask them to pray for you this week to be able to find joy as you see how God can redeem the situation.

 

The Real OT - Joseph in Slavery Team/Individual Guide

Big Idea:
As a Christ-follower we have to be faithful for the long haul, regardless of the results or obstacles.

Key Verse:
Read Genesis 39:20-23
But there in jail God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer. The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.

The Scoop:
Many people who are admired or respected have earned that admiration through difficult choices they have made despite opposition.  You’d be hard pressed to find an honorable historical figure who did not suffer greatly for the exact thing for which made them famous or well respected.

There is no guarantee that obeying God will keep us out of trouble.  This goes against most of what we were taught as children, but as Joseph’s story illustrates, sometimes we have to suffer the consequences and endure hardship.

Every day we are faced with decisions.  If we make our decisions based upon the initial response of those around us without taking into account our own moral values, we may fall short.  Joseph knew God’s law.  He knew what it meant to be an honorable man and he chose to keep himself pure and honest before God and Potiphar.  The consequences of this choice were dire.  Joseph was in prison for years, forgotten and alone.  He paid a high price for obeying God, but the God didn’t forget him.

1.    Have you ever done everything in your power to remain innocent in a situation only to have to suffer the consequences of someone else’s deception?

2.    What are some areas that you feel blessed because of your sacrifice and obedience to God?

3.    Is there an area in your life where you are missing out because you are choosing to take the easy way out?

What’s Next? (take home/further processing/application)
As you go through your day tomorrow, be aware of who you are living to please.
•    Is it others or God?
•    Identify the places you have avoided doing the right thing for fear of what others might think.
•    Ask someone in the group to hold you accountable to taking an action step you are convicted you need to take to become a person of obedience.

The Real OT - Jacob to Joseph Team/Individual Guide

THE REAL OT
JACOB TO JOSEPH

The BIG Idea Team, Individual and Family Study Guide
Please take time to run through this study guide with your team, on your own, or with your family so that you can further apply and process the BIG Idea.

Big Idea:
Despite our shortcoming God loves us and works through us.

Key Verse:
Read James 5:16 (The Message)
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.

The Scoop:
Throughout history, it seems as though there is a defining moment in people's lives that causes them to make a significant life change.  Some people may change the way they look, act, carry themselves, and for others it may even mean a name change.  These are life changes that affect the core being of who we are.  For some people it happens in an instant, for others it happens over a period of time. Theodore Roosevelt lost his wife and child and spent time in The Badlands of South Dakota before moving to New York,  becoming a commissioner and going on to become President of the United States.  Gandhi was on a train in South Africa when he was kicked off for being a minority which was the defining moment in his life to stand up for those who are oppressed. Each of these men had to wrestle with something in order to be changed. Neither of these men was perfect and both had their flaws and brokenness.  In comparison, Jacob had his struggles and his experience wrestling with God was life altering.

No one can dispute that Jacob was a sinful man. He was a liar and a cheater, but God still used him to bring His grace to the world. Regardless of Jacob’s serious mistakes in his past and the wrongs God knew he would do in the future, God still desired for him to be used. Because all of us have shortcomings, we encounter God in different ways and at different times and we still fail.  It is a relief that we have a God who desires to work through us despite our shortcomings.

1.    What keeps us from following God to where He might be calling us to go or to what He might be calling us to do?

2.    In your own life, what are things that you have seen happen in your family or friends that have led to broken relationships?

3.    What makes it difficult to live out the advice that James gives us in this verse?

What’s Next? (take home/further processing/application)
Examine your life and see which of the following three steps fit your situation.
•    For the next week think of all the experiences you have had from broken relationships, and think about how God can work through them for his glory.
•    Think about your things in your life that you aren't proud of and the things you are scared to share with others, and think of the people who you can share those things with so that you can find healing.
•    Think about what God is asking you to do next in your walk with him. Where is He leading you and what it will take to accept that you can be used by God?

Group Discussion Guide for Weeks 5-7: Download RealOTPART 2

The Real OT - Jacob Team/Individual Guide

Big Idea:
God uses our struggles to shape and mold us into the people we were created to be.

Key Verse: Genesis 32:27-31 (The Message)
The man said, "What's your name?" He answered, "Jacob." The man said, "But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it's Israel (God-Wrestler); you've wrestled with God and you've come through."
Jacob asked, "And what's your name?" The man said, "Why do you want to know my name?" And then, right then and there, he blessed him. Jacob named the place Peniel (God's Face) because, he said, "I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!"

The Scoop:
The story of Jacob reveals that he has been a deceiver, a conniver, and a con man since day one.  He does whatever he has to do to get what he wants.  Jacob deceives his brother, his father, and nearly meets his match when he tries to deceive his uncle Laban.  He had been wrestling with everybody since the womb until he finally meets his match when he wrestles with God.

Jacob becomes “crippled” when he wrestles with God.  Throughout Jacob’s life he fights to attain what he wants for himself, but finds out quickly that he could not do this with God.  While we may not feel we can directly relate to Jacob, we all wrestle and fight with God for control.  God is always present and always pursuing us, but we push him away trying to take control of any and all situations.  Often it is not until we have come to complete desperation that we cry to God for help.  Jacob has come to the point in his life where he has reached the end of himself and is now completely reliant upon God.

1.    What does it look like in your life to wrestle with God?

2.    What is the significance of Jacob’s name change?

3.    How have you seen God positively change your life through struggle?

What’s Next? Reflect on the struggles in your life and the struggles in the lives of those around you.  Look for God in tough situations and pray regularly for an understanding of His plans.

The Real OT - Isaac Team/Individual Guide

Key Verse:
Read Romans 8:31-32 (The Message)
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?

The Scoop:
From the story of Abraham and Isaac, we, as observers learn that Abraham was prepared to do anything for God, even it it meant killing his son!.  Abraham didn’t try to resolve the conflict, but moved ahead on faith, realizing that an infinitely perfect God does not make mistakes.  Not only did it not make sense for God to ask Abraham to offer the son he loved, but it must have confused him immensely considering Isaac was the son God had promised.  Nonetheless, his trust in God is exhibited through his unwavering obedience to the call to action.

Abraham is following God’s call for his life – not blindly, but by faith.  We can be sure that even when God is working in ways that seem mysterious to us – our God is trustworthy.   The same God behind your trials and testing is the God who sacrificed His one and only son Jesus for you, out of sheer love for you.  That is how we know we can trust God no matter what.

We need not worry, the fruit and benefit of our obedience may not be immediately obvious to us, but it will most certainly be eternally beneficial to us.  Our hope is not grounded in emotion or circumstance or events in our lives, but in the immutable, unchangeable love of God. 

1.    Are there challenges in your life that have left you bitter, resentful, or angry toward God?  How might God use these times for good?

2.    Are there areas in our lives that we say we trust God, but our actions might suggest otherwise?

3.    How have God’s challenges for you developed and strengthened your faith or changed your view of God in a positive way?

What’s Next? (take home/further processing/application)
Make a list of the things you struggle with giving up and the things with which you struggle to trust God.  Pray daily for one week about those things and then write a response or update to the each item on your list.  See how God works through your faith! 

The Real OT - Sarah Team/Individual Guide

Big Idea:
Learning to wait on God and trust in God is essential to being a person of faith.
Key Verse: Genesis 18:14 (The Message)
Is anything too hard for GOD? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.
The Scoop:
Many of us live by various axioms or, “words to live by,” so much so that they become innate or the foundation on which we live and make decisions. “'Know-so' hope” is one of these axioms that needs explaining. The hope that we have as followers of Christ is not a “hope-so” hope built upon chance or potential or even deep desire; it is a "know-so" hope built on the promises of a faithful God.
When God tells Sarah that He is still going to give her a child despite her advanced age, she laughs. She gets tired of waiting on God’s promise and tries to take things into her own hands by having a surrogate child through her handmaid Hagar. All of Sarah’s problems seem to be rooted in her struggle to wait on God. Even after Sarah goes about having children in disobedience to God’s plan, God still reaffirms His promise to make Abraham into a great nation through his offspring with Sarah. God chose Abraham and Sarah out of His grace, not because they were great role-models for all generations to follow. God’s covenant with Abraham and Sarah is about God’s character.
Have you ever heard the question, “Can God make a rock so big that He can’t pick it up?” In Genesis 18:14, God asks a grown-up version of that question to Abraham; “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” The obvious answer here is, “no.” However, all logic and understanding that Abraham and Sarah possess leaves them hopeless even with the possibility of reproducing.
1.    Have you ever gotten tired of waiting on God and tried to make something happen on your own?
2.    What helps you get through difficult times of waiting?
3.    Is there a situation in your life that logically has no hope? How could God’s promises be challenging you to stand firmly in a "know-so" hope? 

What’s Next? (further processing & application)
•    If there was a promise of God revealed to you through this study that spoke to an issue with which you are struggling to wait, write that promise in 3 different places that you are sure to see each day. (i.e.: your car, mirror, planner, etc.)

•    Find ways this week to encourage those around you who are clinging to a shallow “hope-so" hope in the deeper truths of a faithful God.  Find Scripture-promises that will help them find firm footing as they face their painful circumstance.

•    Make it a discipline to ask yourself in the face of your daily doubts, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”