1 Thessalonians in 5:16 he says, "Always be joyful."

1 Peter 1:6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

Matthew 6:21 (NLT) 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Rick Warren in his book Purpose driven Life says, " The most common myth about money is that having more will make me more secure. It won’t. Wealth can be lost instantly through a variety of uncontrollable factors. Real security can only be found in that which can never be taken from you—your relationship to God."

Mathew 7:1, "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged."

Mathew 5:44 says, "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!"

John 3:17 (NLT) 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Mark 16:15 (NLT) 15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 (NLT) 22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

John 10:10(NLT)10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Song of Solomen 7(MSG) The feelings I get when I see the high mountain ranges

   —stirrings of desire, longings for the heights—

Remind me of you,

   and I'm spoiled for anyone else!

1Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

Discussion Questions:

1.     Before you became a Christ follower, what did you think accepting Christ would mean to your life?  Did you think accepting Christ, in some ways,  meant loosing “the good times?”  How did it turn out differently?

2.     As a Christ follower, where do you think your responsibility lies in correctly representing Christ?

3.     In the video of Penn Jilette,  Penn (a devout atheist) compares sharing Christ with someone to saving someone from a truck baring down on them.  Do you feel that sense of urgency in sharing Christ with the unchurched?  How can you go about sharing Christ in a way that attracts the unchurched and correctly represents the bible’s promises to a Christ follower?

4.     Jesus tells the Christ follower, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged," and, " … love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!" What is the difference between being judgmental and properly discerning our actions regarding others?  How should we act on that?

5.     Do you have unchurched “friends”?  What attracts them to you?  Have they every approached you as a Christ Follower in times of crisis?  Tell the group what happened.

6.     Accepting Jesus into your life will not ruin your life.  Give the group some examples of how following Christ has improved your life!

Moving Forward

What will I do differently this week to make sure I am correctly representing what it means to be a Christ Follower?

1 Corinthians 9:27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Acts 8:1a Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.

Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.

Acts 22:4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.

1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

Would God Still Use Me? 

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever been disqualified for something?  What was it?  How did being disqualified make you feel? 

2. Read Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  Do you believe this scripture confirms that God will still use us even if we fail?  Why or why not? 

3. ReadEphesians 2:10For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. 

What does this scripture reveal about you and God’s plan for you?

4. Have you ever felt like you were unqualified for something?  What was it?

5. The main point in this teaching was stated as follows, “It’s not what you see but what God sees that qualifies you”.  Do you believe you live like God sees you or how you see yourself? 

Moving Forward

What could you do this week to begin seeing yourself as God sees you?

Changing Your Mind

Philippians 1:6God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.

Philippians 3:13

“Brothers and sisters, I don’t consider that I have taken hold of it yet. But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. I push hard toward what is ahead of me”.

1 Corinthians 15:9

“For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

Matt. 10:33

“If you deny me before men I will deny you before my Father in heaven?” 

Mark 16:7

An angel said, Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

John 21:15-17

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.   Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.   A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

Romans 8:38-39

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:16

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

Could God still love me?

Most everyone has doubted God’s love at one time or another.  It seems the guilt of our past or current failures we experience leads us to carry around bags of shame.  This baggage makes it nearly impossible to move forward in life.  In this lesson, we will discuss how to recognize the baggage and ways to begin focusing on God’s unfailing love for us.

Questions:

1. Have you ever carried around the baggage of shame?  Are you still burdened down with shame?  Explain
2. Have you ever experienced God’s forgiveness and love with regard to past failures?  Share your story with the group.
3. Read Romans 8:38-39:  Does this scripture encourage you?  In what way?
4. Why do you believe we have a difficult time believing God loves us when we fail?
5. Do you currently know of someone who is dealing with shame?  Why don’t you write down their names and pray for them as a group at the end of your Life Group session.

Moving Forward

What can you do this week to receive God’s love and share God’s love?

Changing Your Mind

Romans 8:39b Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
⁶ So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith.  Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)
⁴ “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked; but the righteous will live by their faith.

Romans 1:17 (NLT)
¹⁷ This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Galatians 3:11 (NLT)
¹¹ Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Hebrews 10:38 (NLT)
³⁸ And a righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Luke 11:5-10 (NLT)
⁵ Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would say to him, ⁶ ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ ⁷ He would call out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and we are all in bed. I can’t help you this time.’ ⁸ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you what you want so his reputation won’t be damaged(Or because of his shameless persistence). ⁹ “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.

Mark 4:35-41 (NLT)
³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water. ³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?” ³⁹ When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ And he asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, “Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?”

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Intro:

God wants us living our lives by Faith, believing and acting on the word of God, no matter how I feel because God promises a good result.  Life can go sideways up or down but God doesn’t want us living our lives based on our circumstances.  He wants us living by Faith.

1. Does life’s circumstances effect your view of God?  How?
2. What does Faith mean to you?
3. Does Faith seem like something you can actually live by? 
4. Have you taken the training wheels off or Jumped off the diving board in regards to your Faith in God?
5. What are some of the things you struggle letting go of?
6. What does God’s word have to say about those?
7. What is the number one area in your life you need to increase your faith in?

Take Away:

            God’s word says you are going to make it!

Ephesians 5:1-2 [The Message]

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Ephesians 5:25:  For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.

Ephesians 5:25-27 [The Message] Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love never dies.

Discussion Questions:

· What do you think people mean when they say, “The Honeymoon is over”?  Do you believe that statement is true for believers?  Why or Why not?

· Read Ephesians 5:25:  Have the men in the group share how the kind of love in this verse might look in a marriage relationship?  After the men share, have the women share what they think it may look like.

· Pastor Will made the following statement, “You can keep the honeymoon alive when you continue to discover your lover.”  Do you believe continuing to discover your lover is important?   Why or why not?

· If you were writing out a strategy to “discover your lover” what would your strategy include?

· Have you ever experienced a self-centered marriage or a kid-centered marriage?  What are some of the things you had to change in order to make it God-Centered again?

Moving Forward

You can keep the Honeymoon alive when you continue to discover your lover.  What could you do this week to discover your lover?

Changing Your Mind

Ephesians 5:21 (NCV) Yield to obey each other as you would to Christ.   

Discussion Questions:

1. If you were going to share one of the funniest differences that you’ve noticed between males and females what would it be? 

2. In a survey to a 1000 men (both Christian and non-Christian) responded overwhelmingly that they would rather feel alone and unloved than to feel inadequate and disrespected (74% to 26%).  Women:  Is that difficult for you to believe?  Men:  Would you consider yourself part of the 26% or the 74%?

3. Do you buy into the idea that the primary need of a man is respect?  Why or why not?

4. In Ephesians 5:33:  Do you believe it is possible to respect your husband unconditionally?  Why or why not?

5. Men:  When you feel disrespected by your spouse do you get angry?  What other responses have you noticed when you feel disrespected?  Is it difficult to talk to your spouse about feeling disrespected? 

Moving Forward

What could you do this week to show your husband unconditional respect?

Changing Your Mind

Ephesians 5:33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Deuteronomy 24:5

When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army or be given any business or work duties. He gets one year off simply to be at home making his wife happy.

What you build your relationship on will either hold you up or let you down.

Matt. 7:24-29

Jesus said, Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.  But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.  When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”  

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Proverbs 10:25

When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.

Introduction:

Nothing impacts our lives more than our relationships.  Who you hang with, who you date and who you end up marrying has the potential to determine who you become and what you will experience in this life.  In this lesson we will explore some of the ingredients that are necessary for cultivating great relationships.  

Questions:

Moving Forward

Becoming wise is all about hearing God’s Word and obeying God’s Word.  What would you be willing to do this week to become relationally wise?

Changing Your Mind

Proverbs 10:25 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.

Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”   But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”   And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

John 11:25 Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

John Tillotson wrote, “He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.”

Mark 10:34

“Listen,” Jesus said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans.  They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”

Colossians 2:14 says, He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”

John 17:3  And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

“Today you will be with me in Paradise” it was confirming 3 things that should give you and me a lot of HOPE.

1. 1.      There is life after death.
2. 2.      Your past can be forgiven
3. 3.      Your future can be secure.

When you place your trust in Jesus Christ your past can be forgiven and your future can be secure.  We are all going to spend eternity somewhere!  I choose PARADISE.  How about YOU?

Discussion Questions:

• Read Luke 23:32-43:  Discuss the similarities and differences of the two criminals within these verses.  Why do you believe one responded to Christ while the other rejected Christ?

• Read John 11:25:  Why do you believe people struggle with the idea of life after death?

• Read Mark 10:33-34:  Jesus told His disciples exactly what was going to happen to Him in

•  Jerusalem.  Did everything happen as He said it would or was He mistaken?  

• Do you believe your past can be forgiven?  Do you still struggle with your past mistakes?  Is it easier for you to forgive others than it is to forgive yourself?

• What did you learn from the teaching that you would like to share with your group?

Moving Forward

What could you do this week to grow deeper in your relationship with God?

Changing Your Mind

John 14:6  Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.

Luke 18:19, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good.”

James 1:17a Every good and perfect gift is from God.

Genesis 1:1-4

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.

Genesis 1:9-10

Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened.  God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:12

The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
 

Genesis 1:27-31

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.  Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.  Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Genesis 3:16-19

Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”   And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.  It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.  By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

If God is so good then why are things so bad?

Paradise Lost

Introduction:  Have you ever wondered how someone could abuse a child or shoot someone in a drive by shooting?  We reel in shock over a Tsunami that kills thousands of people or an earthquake that takes the lives of innocent children.  Those events depict two kinds of evil, referred by theologians as moral evil and natural evil.  Which leads us to one of the most difficult questions ever asked, “How can anyone believe in an All-powerful and All-Loving God when there is so much evil in the world?”  If God is so good then why are things so bad?  In this lesson we will discuss why our world is so broken and how it got that way.

Discussion Questions:

• Henri Nouwen said, “Our life is full of brokenness – broken relationships, broken promises and broken expectations.  What have you seen on the news lately that reminds you that the world is broken?                                                                                                                                                           
• In his book, 5 Minute Apologist, Dr. Rick Cornish writes:
  Evil is not a thing or substance, but the lack of something good.  Deafness, for instance, is not a “thing” but the absence of hearing.  Natural evil is a disruption in the physical world that hurts humans, such as a flood, an earthquake, or cancer.  Moral evil results from moral beings’ decisions and actions that violate God’s sill, such as stealing, racism, or war.
  In his book, 5 Minute Apologist, Dr. Rick Cornish writes:Evil is not a thing or substance, but the lack of something good.  Deafness, for instance, is not a “thing” but the absence of hearing.  Natural evil is a disruption in the physical world that hurts humans, such as a flood, an earthquake, or cancer.  Moral evil results from moral beings’ decisions and actions that violate God’s sill, such as stealing, racism, or war. 

What do you think about his definition of evil?  Does it help you?  How so?

• Read Genesis 3:1-24 and then respond to the following questions.

1. How would you describe the sin that Adam and Eve committed?
2. How did Adam and Eve’s choice change the nature of their relationship with God?
3. Why do you believe God gave Adam and Eve the choice to disobey Him in the first place?

• What was the most helpful insight that you gleaned from the Paradise Lost teaching? 

Moving Forward

What could you do this week to focus more of your attention on God’s goodness?

Changing Your Mind

James 1:17a Every good and perfect gift is from God.

Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”   But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”  And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

2 Corinthians 12:3

I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows.  Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

Revelation 2:7

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.”

 Revelation 22:1-5:

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.  No longer will there be a curse upon anything.  For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.  And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Paradise is not a place it’s a PRESENCE.  Paradise is not a place it’s a PERSON.

King David says in Psalm 16:11

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Philippians 1:20-24

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.  But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better.  I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.  But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

Discussion Questions:

1. 1.      How would you personally define Paradise without using Biblical terminology?
2. 2.      Read Revelation 22:1-5: What captures your attention in these verses?  Why?
3. 3.      Who invited you to church or first talked with you about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
4. 4.      Take a few moments to discuss the names you wrote on your card with your Life Group.  Talk about what event you are going to invite them to and when you are thinking about inviting them.
5. 5.      Take the rest of the group time to pray over each person written on all the Invest & Invite cards.  Pray for God to open up opportunities for everyone to invite their friends and family during the Easter season.

Moving Forward

What could you do this week to prepare yourself to invite your friends and family to one of our upcoming events?

Changing Your Mind

Luke 23:43 “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”