Christmas Eve (John 1:14)

In Gospel of John, there is a classic verse on Incarnation. Perhaps the best verse about Christmas in all the Bible. John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Word became flesh: The Word, that's what John calls Jesus because God speaks to us in Jesus. Became flesh, God became a baby, a human baby. The soverign holy God became a baby, it's the most amazing thing the world has ever seen. Like you becoming an earthworm.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us: He saw, knew, talked, walked, ate, and lived among us for thirty years.

And we beheld his glory: Glory! Right word for God! His power, majesty, love, tenderness, forgiveness, greatness, and truth. His glory!

Glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth: That's Jesus, a perfect blend of grace and truth. Love and Justice. Compassion and Holiness. Grace and truth.

John could remember that night; they were on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had stayed back on land, the sea was rough and windy that night. Around 3am a figure appears out above the water. We were terrified, then we heard a voice; "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." It was Jesus. Peter gets all fired up and decides to take a leap of faith and go out to Jesus. He steps out of the boat and for a while he was walking on water, but then he was the wind and started to sink. Jesus grabbed his hand and pulled him up, the wind dies. Who does this? Who walks on water? Who stops the wind? We saw it with our own eyes, we beheld his glory. Glory as of the only begotten from the Father.

One time we were headed into a village and there was a funeral procession. We found out it was a young man, an only son, the mother was a widow and now she was all alone and broken hearted. We watched Jesus go right up to her, the look on his face was full of compassion and tenderness for this woman; and he said "Don't weep." Then Jesus walked over to the coffin and the men carrying it stopped. That's when Jesus said, "Young man, get up!", and he does! The man gets up and starts talking. You should have seen his mother. Everyone else around was like "Whoa! Who is this?" We saw it with our own eyes, we beheld his glory. Glory as of the only begotten from the Father.

There was an early morning teaching, so we were all hangin out in the temple courts. People were hanging on every word that Jesus spoke. Then, a pack of religious types come barging in. They were dragging a poor woman, embarrassed and in tears, filled with shame. They said, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery, what should we do with her?" They were so self-righteous and condescending, they were trying to trap Jesus. But Jesus saw through the whole thing, then he kneels down and begins writing with his finger in the dirt. We never knew what it was, some thought it was the sins of those religious leaders or the ten commandments. Finally he stands up and says "He who is without sin, let him throw the first stone." It was brillant, what could they say, it silenced them. All of them left. Jesus looked at the woman and said "Has no one condemned you?" She said "No one, Lord". Then he says the most amazing thing, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." Life giving words, full of grace and truth. We saw it with our own eyes.

There are so many examples of his glory in the Bible. So many! But the best example of all is when Jesus died on the cross. Think about it: Here's the God of the universe. Perfect, infinite, holy, soverign God; hanging on a cross. Dying for our sin. You should have seen him: so full of grace and truth, compassion yet authority, forgiving yet just. Dying on a cross, and sin was paid in full once and for all. The cross, that was glory. The glory of God, full of grace and truth. We saw it with our own eyes.

That's what John saw with his own eyes.

Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-16)

The story of the Wise men is a much loved story in the Bible. They were men that came from afar, led by a star, came in contact with King Herod, found the baby Jesus, worshiped him and gave gifts, and then went back home avoiding King Herod because of a dream they had. To fully understand the story we need to know: Who was King Herod? and Who were the wise men?

Who was King Herod?

• He is not the same Herod in the gospels, this is Herod the Great.
• He was appointed King by Caesar Augustus at 25 years old. He was King of the Jews, though he was not a Jew and was despised by the Jews.
• One of the great builders of the ancient world: rebuild Solomon's temple, wailing wall still stands, built Fortress of Masada on high cliffs in Israel, and the beautiful city of Caesarea on the coast.
• Wealthy. Powerful. Increasingly paranoid. He killed his favorite wife Mariamne and his two sons because of his paranoia. On one occassion he had 2000 people killed, and in Matthew 2 we see that he kills all male infants in Bethlehem.
• His main concern was: "hold onto the throne" above all else.

Read Matthew 2:1-3. If Herod was disturbed, then everybody else was disturbed too. Similar to "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Who were the wise men?

• Scholars, not kings. They were from the East, probably Babylonia. Studied astrology, science, medicine, and religion.
• Worshipers of the one true God. We see this in how they fell down and worshipped the baby Jesus upon seeing him.
• Daniel was considered a "wise man" in Babylonia as well.
• God speaks to them and tells them of a New King, led by a star they traveld 900 miles, 3 months each way, on camel; this trip was very dangerous and expensive.

The whole city is in a uproar as these wise men come into town talking of a "new king". Herod tries to play it cool as he hears the news. Read Matthew 2:3-6. Bethlehem is only a few miles away. Read Matthew 2:7-8. Herod is crafty, cunning, and conniving.

Read Matthew 2:9. God takes the wise men right to the place where baby Jesus was born. Can you imagine the excitement, after 3 long months of travel they are finally there and can see the New King! Read Matthew 2:10-11. Quietly, reverently, with hearts aflame inside they bow down before the baby who is none other than God incarnate, God in the flesh, Savior of the world, the hope of all mankind. The wise men fall down and worship this King, they cannot not worship. They give expensive gifts to this new born King, because they want to and considered it a privelege to give to this King. God will give two dreams: wise men and Joseph. Read Matthew 2:12-16.

God is still calling, seeking, searching for worshipers. God is looking for worshipers, not workers. People who love him, passionately, wholeheartedly.

Discussion Questions:
1. Is there any part of you that is similar to King Herod? Paranoid? Fearful? Wanting to "hold onto the throne" of your life?
2. The wise men were true worshipers who listened and obeyed the Lord. What have you been hearing from the Lord lately that you need to obey?
3. What do you think of this quote: "I found a great deal of zeal for God's work; but very little passion for God."
4. God is looking for true, passionate, wholehearted worshipers. Are you in? What areas in your life do you need to change in order to become more of a woshiper?

The Bible (Psalm19:7-11)

The Bible is completely different than any other book, it is alive, it has life in it, it has spiritual power, and it is infused with the presence and power of God.

Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul." It is perfect because it is God's book, not a human book. It revives, refreshes, restores, invigorates the soul. Nothing else can do what this book does, no hobby, vacation, get a way, shopping spree, tv show, or book can do what this book does. Psalm 19:7b "The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." Do you need wisdom on.... Decisions? Marriage? Parenting? Relationships? Finances? Ministry? Future? The Bible is the source, it gives us wisdom for all life's complexities.

Psalm 19:8 "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart." If anything, want more wisdom, for that is joy. Joy does not come from things that give short term highs. Real joy wells up from within, it is deep and lasting and comes from God. Psalm 19:8b "The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." The Bible gives us perspective on life. Augustine said: "The Holy Scripture are our letters from home." His word is radiant and gives light to our eyes.

Psalm 19: 9 "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever." Reading through the Bible usually evokes a response of fear and reverance. It endures forever. In our world today there are so many words, some are timely and some are timeless the Bible is both. Read Isaiah 40:8. Psalm 19:9b "The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." In every field of learning, some things we are sure of and other not so sure. The Bible does not change, it is a sure foundation to stand upon. Abraham Lincoln once said "I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."

Psalm 19:10 "They are more precious than gold, than pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb." The Lord hits on two things we seem to value in our world today; food and money. Think of all the time and energy we spend on these two things. A wise man or wise woman values this Book and the words that are in it more than money and prizes it more than food.

Psalm 19:11 "By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." In this verse we are warned of danger; of spiritual, emotional, and relational dangers. He tells us to keep his commands, to not hurt ourselves by not following the commands that he has laid out before us. We are warned. However, if we do keep his commands and follow in obedience we will be rewarded. God's hand of favor, blessing, joy, and peace will follow us whereever we go if we obey.

The Bible is a priceless treasure. Take time every day to get alone with God and meet in his word. If you want to be close to God, walk with God, and be one of his intimates you need to do this. Make it a priority above all else.

Discussion Questions:
1. In what ways has God used his word to refresh, restore, or revive your soul?
2. Are you looking for other things to refresh, restore, or revive your soul right now? (kids, marriage, shopping, vacation, etc.)
3. Knowing that the Bible is "trustworthy, and makes wise the simple" where is the first place you go for wisdom? Is it the Bible? Or something/someone else?
4. What does "Fear of the Lord" mean to you? Do you believe you have a healthy fear of the Lord?
5. Do you value the word of God more than "pure gold" or "honey from the comb"?
6. If someone where to look at your life what would they say you prize?

Romans: How God Sees Me

Message: How God Sees Me (Romans 1:1-7)

· How God sees me:

1) I am a servant of Christ

2) I have a calling in the Kingdom

3) I am set apart for the gospel

4) I am loved by God

5) I am holy, forgiven in God’s sight

6) I have received grace and peace from God

· Six things Paul says about the gospel:

1) It’s God’s good news for the lost world.

2) This is not new. The Old Testament points to Christ.

3) It is all about Jesus. (Rom 1:3)

4) Obedience of faith is the purpose of the gospel. (Rom 1:5)

5) Ultimate aim is to bring glory to Jesus.

6) It’s for all the nations.

Questions

1. How do you see yourself? Does that image align with God’s image of you?
2. What are you a slave to? Jesus?
3. Share parts of the Old Testament that point to Christ.
4. Take time to pray for the nations.
5. What gets in the way of believing God’s love for you?
6. How have the six ways God sees you (listed above) impacted your life?

Bring Hope to Our World

Message: To Bring Hope

· It is vital to have hope for this world and for the next world.

· Bringing hope to people gives us meaning and purpose in our lives.

· Bring hope by:

1) Serving God

§ We were created to do good works. (Eph 2:10; Eph 4)

2) Generosity

§ God is the most generous person because He is a lover.

§ You cannot live without giving. (John 3:16)

3) Missional Living

§ We are all on mission for God to represent Christ.

§ Luke 19:10 – Jesus’ purpose in coming.

§ Mark 2:17 – Jesus came for the lost.

§ Mark 10:45 – Jesus came to serve.

· WoodsEdge desires for every small group to be missional.

· Being called as a church to be missional through finances and local/international ministries.

Questions

1. Share a time when someone brought hope to your life and the impact it had.
2. What is your calling for service? What are you passionate about?
3. Does your small group have a missional focus?
4. What steps do you need to take, or have you taken, to make serving part of your life?
5. How is serving in the church different from serving outside the church? Why does God call us to both?
6. If you are not yet serving as an individual or a group, speak your “next step to serving” to a trusted individual and ask him/her to hold you accountable.

To Live In Community

Message: Journey Together

· Our triune God is a perfect image of community and we are made in His image.

· Living in community can no longer be optional for us.

· Matt 26:36-46 demonstrates how Jesus needed to be in community with the Father and with the disciples.

· Jesus spent most of His time with His “small group”, not with the masses.

· Act 2 and Romans 12:15 are examples of living in community.

· Goals of WoodsEdge small groups:

o Love Jesus

o Journey Together

o Bring Hope to Our World

o Feel safe, loved, not judged

o Feel like a family

o Help individual relationships with Christ grow

Questions

1. What specifically gets in the way of creating community in churches?
2. How can you restructure your day so that it includes community?
3. In what ways do we long for community?
4. What characteristics of community does the triune God exemplify?
5. How will WoodsEdge change as it moves from a church with groups to a church of groups? How can you help with this transition?
6. Why did Jesus have to feel so abandoned and alone in the garden of Gethsemane?
7. How does living in community make you feel fully alive?
8. Share how your life has been enriched because you took the time to live in community.

To Love Jesus

Message: Three core values of loving Jesus:

1. God’s Word

· The Bible is from God’s mouth. (Ps 119:72, 2Tim 3:16-17)

· The Key to a healthy, thriving relationship with Christ is: loving His Word.

· Create a plan for when and where you are going to read the Bible.

2. Prayer

· Prayer is birthed from desperation and is a source of power.

· God listens. (Gen 4:26b)

· Jesus always prayed. (Mark 1:35)

· In prayer, we seek God’s face (intimacy) and God’s hand (power).

3. Worship

· When God reveals His glory, respond in worship: Ex 33:18, 34:5-7, 34:8

· If you love, you worship. If you worship it’s because you love.

· Whatever we do for Christ becomes an act of worship. (1Cor 10:31)

Questions

1. Is God’s Word your most prized possession?
2. If you never had access to a Bible again, how would this impact your life?
3. Share your plans for reading the Bible and memorizing Scripture.
4. If prayer is birthed from desperation, what does “desperation” look like?
5. Have you experienced a time when your reliance on prayer revealed what God can do, His power, rather than what you could have accomplished?
6. What does worship look like in your life? How do you show God love, adoration, and praise?

God's Thumbprint For Us

Message: WoodsEdge Mission Statement

· What is WoodsEdge being called to in this season?

1. Love Jesus

2. Journey Together

3. Bring Hope to the World

· Humans have three longings:

1. Connect with the God who made us (Love Jesus)

2. Connect significantly with a handful of people around us (Journey Together)

3. Make a difference in the world (Bring Hope to the World)

· Love Jesus: God longs for us to love Him back. It is a love story. (Phil 1:21)

· How to love Jesus: meet alone with God everyday.

· Journey Together: The mark of the Christ follower is that you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

· How to journey together: Meet in a large group, but then meet in small groups. Share life together. (Acts 2:46)

· Bring Hope to the World: Be Christ’s hands and feet. Be externally focused. (Mark 2:17, Luke 19:10)

· How to bring hope to the world: Get involved in ministries that serve people outside the church.

Questions

1. Beyond the complexity and busyness of your life, what really makes your life count? What do you want to add to your life to make it count?
2. What does Jesus’ love for you look like? What does a church that loves Jesus look like?
3. What can you neglect in order to make more time for your relationship with Jesus?
4. Why is journeying together difficult? Why is it essential?
5. Share the impact being part of a small group has had on your life and your relationship with God.
6. In regards to bringing hope to the world, what keeps you internally focused rather than externally focused?
7. In what ways do you desire to bring hope to the world? Who would you want to impact and how?

Marriage

Message: Marriage

· The decision to marry is too big for us. Pray and leave it to God.

· Things to consider if you are thinking of marrying someone:

1. Is this person a Christian?

2. Is this person seeking God?

3. Do the people closest to me feel good about this marriage?

4. Does this person bring out the best in me?

5. Is this person self-centered or other-centered?

6. Can you trust this person? Is this person honest?

7. How does this person handle conflict?

8. Is this person emotionally healthy?

· Core principles of marriage:

1. Pursue God’s dream for your marriage: a one-flesh marriage. (Genesis 2:18-25)

2. Love Her & Respect Him (Ephesians 5:22-33)

3. Get conflict down

a. Deal with it immediately. (Eph. 4:26-27)

b. Apologize. (Prov. 15:1)

c. Receive God’s forgiveness and forgive others. (Eph. 4:31-32)

d. Do not let your anger give Satan a foothold. (Eph. 4:27)

4. Make Christ the center of your marriage.

Questions

1. Prior to being married, what was your vision of marriage? How was it the same/different from God’s vision?
2. If you prayed for your spouse, share what it was like waiting for, meeting, and deciding to marry him/her.
3. Do you focus on changes you need to make as much as the changes you would like your spouse to make? Are you able to let the Holy Spirit take care of your spouse?
4. How would you like to connect daily, have fun, and share your heart with your spouse?
5. Husbands: what does your wife need from you?
6. Wives: what makes your husband feel respected?
7. Do you and your spouse handle conflict in a similar or different way? What kind of challenges does this bring to your marriage? How do you need to alter your approach?
8. Is Christ truly the center of your marriage? What else is competing for that #1 spot?

Jeremiah: Part 8

Message: In Hard Times (Jeremiah 37-38)

· God’s people had a spiritual problem. They didn’t care what God said. (Jer 37:1-2)

· Jeremiah is imprisoned and nearly killed for speaking God’s truths. (Jer 37:6-21; 38:1-13)

· Jeremiah was imprisoned until the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and then may have been stoned to death. (Jer. 38:28)

· Life is hard. There is a biblical response to suffering.

· 10 principles:

1. A life lived for God doesn’t exempt you from suffering.

2. Do not be surprised when suffering comes. Be prepared for it.

3. Never assume that suffering is due to sin in your life. (John 9; Job)

4. Nothing will ever touch you that does not first pass through God’s hands.

5. God will redeem your suffering. (Rom 8:28; Genesis 50:20; Jesus)

6. God uses suffering for our spiritual growth.

7. You do not have to know why you are suffering. (Prov 3:5-6)

8. God will be with you no matter what. (Matt 28:20; Psalm 23:4)

9. Rejoice and give thanks when you suffer. (James 1:2; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

10. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

· God is going to see you through. God will have the final word and it will be good.

Questions

1. Our society is focused on political, economic, and financial problems. How, as Christians, do we view it as a spiritual problem? How does this change your response to hardship in your life or those around you?
2. What do you admire most about Jeremiah’s service to God and His people?
3. Which of the 10 principles resonates with you most? Is most surprising? The hardest to follow?
4. How have you applied any or all of the principles to suffering in your life?
5. In response to principle #9, which daily gripes will you turn to rejoicing and thanksgiving?

Jeremiah: Part 7

Message: The Plans He Has

· Jeremiah 29:11 is often taken out of context.

· Context: God was sending the Isrealites into exile for 70 years as punishment; however, God has a plan and a promise for them. (Jer 29: 1, 4, 8-10)

· The promise (Jer 29:11) is a multi-generational promise and is from an eternal standpoint.

· We will go into exile, be persecuted, be harmed; however, God promises salvation, deliverance, a glorious eternity on the other side. (Jer 29:12-14)

· Live, lay roots, embrace your circumstances, be obedient, worship, and pray while you wait. (Jer 29:5-7)

· Remember that God is always in charge, no matter where you are today.

Questions

1. Before today, how did you interpret Jeremiah 29:11?
2. Have you ever given up on Jer 29:11 because the promise didn’t match up with your life?
3. Have you ever gone through a period of “exile”? How did you respond to God?
4. Knowing that Jer 29:11 is a multi-generational promise, with a focus on life-eternal, does it alter the way you live? Do you become more or less motivated? Does your focus and/or priorities shift?
5. What are you doing while you wait? Are you always looking to the future? Are you fully embracing each day?
6. Do you find peace and satisfaction in knowing you have a piece of God’s plan? Do you actually live this out?

Jeremiah: Part 6

Message: What Defines Us

· Jeremiah 35:1-19: the Recabites, in their unique way of living and obedience to their forefathers, set an example for God’s people.

· As followers of Jesus, we should have a distinct identity and way of living.

· Eight things that mark our identity as Christ followers:

1. We are people who love Jesus (Phil 1:21)

2. We are worshipers of God (1Cor 10:31)

3. We live by faith, not by sight (Prov 3:5-6)

4. We are a people of the Book (Heb 4:12)

5. We pray (John 16:24)

6. We do life together

7. We each have a specific ministry calling (Eph 2:10)

8. We are on mission for Jesus wherever we are

Questions

1. Where did your relationship with Jesus start? Did it start as a love relationship?
2. How do you worship God in your every day activities?
3. What is challenging about living for the next world rather than this world?
4. Are you at a point where you feel how alive the Bible is or is it only a fact that you know?
5. Why do you pray?
6. Share a time when being part of the church community impacted your life. Was there a time when you needed support, but didn’t have it?
7. What is your ministry calling? What form of service, in or out of the church, makes you feel alive?
8. How are you/can you be an “intentional blessing agent in the Kingdom of God”?

Jeremiah: Part 5

Message: A New Covenant

· Two kinds of motivation:

a. External = promise of reward or threat of punishment

b. Internal

· When you ask Jesus to be your Savior and invite Him to live inside of you, a transformation takes place and you have God-given motivations.

· The desire to do the will of God is the gift of God.

a. The result of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us.

· Old Covenant = You Shall (try on your own and fail)

· New Covenant = I Will (what God can do in and through you)

· We cannot love God unaided (Deut 30:6)

· We cannot fear God unaided (Jer 32:40)

· We cannot know God unaided (Jer 24:7)

· God has turned his commands into our instincts (Rom 2:14-16, 1Thess 4:9)

a. You cannot get the blood of Christ without getting the life of Christ.

· God gives desires and power at all times. (Phil 2:13)

· There is always something deeper in us than our sin » the fruit of the Spirit.

· Our calling is to allow what is already there to come forth.

Questions

1. Do you feel like you are living your life under the old or new covenant?
2. Have you been trying to love, fear, and know God unaided?
3. Because God first sees Jesus when He looks at us, how should we value ourselves? How does this change the way you see yourself?
4. Daily, how do you consciously choose to tap into the “new you” in Christ rather than the “old you”?
5. When we become believers, the Scripture becomes instinctive. What kind of power, understanding, and comfort comes from knowing this?
6. There is something deeper than where you are now, so what is it that you really want? Do you pray for God to reveal what is deeper or do you find yourself settling for what is on the surface?
7. In what areas of your faith walk are you following the Nike tagline, “Just Do It” or the Sprite tagline, “Obey Your Thirst”? (Deep within there is a desire/thirst to know God.)

Jeremiah: Part 4

Message: Hard Prayers (Jeremiah 20:7-18)

· Jeremiah begins his prayer angry that God has put him in this situation of constant ridicule. (20:7-8)

· Even in his misery, he knows God’s way is better and he has faith. (20:9-14)

· Jeremiah ends his prayer feeling overwhelmed. (20:15-18)

· Why did Jeremiah pray this prayer?

a. God wants us to be honest.

b. God can handle our anger, doubt, fears, etc.

c. Trust God with what we are really feeling.

· Let anger turn to cries, cries turn to sobs, and sobs turn to prayers.

· Why did God choose to put this prayer in the Bible?

a. Even the greatest servants in the Bible experience pain.

b. God loves honesty.

c. Verbalizing our pain helps us heal.

d. Honest prayer builds faith.

· Let God engage you in the middle of your turmoil.

· God may use your pain to minister to those around you.

· God will use these times to build your faith.

Questions

1. C.S. Lewis wrote, “We must lay on Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us.” How honest are your prayers?
2. Do you allow God to meet you in the trials of life?
3. Fill in the blank: ____________, but the Lord is with me.
4. How have you received honesty in relationships? How honest are you in relationships? How do these experiences translate to your honesty with God?
5. Share some of the greatest servants in the Bible who experienced pain in life. What do we learn from each?
6. What stops us from “being real” with fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ? With God?
7. Why do you think God put this prayer in the Bible, specifically for you?
8. Take time for honest prayer. If you need to, let your anger turn to cries, cries turn to sobs, and sobs turn to prayers.

Jeremiah: Part 3

Message: Know God (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

· Intimates = ordinary people with an extra-ordinary passion to know God.

· Do not boast of these three values (good things, but not the main thing):

a. Wisdom

b. Might

c. Riches

· What does it mean to know God?

a. Know God’s ways, voice, and character.

b. Knowing God is the glory of human life.

c. This is a heart matter.

d. Your vision for life is to know God. That is why we were made.

· Only God can satisfy your soul.

· How do you become an intimate of God?

a. It is a gift that you can ask for. Nurture and respond to the gift.

b. Surrender 100% of your life to Jesus.

c. Seek the Lord with all of your heart everyday.

Questions

1. Tozer said, “God doesn’t have favorites, but He does have intimates.” Have you been waiting to be a “favorite” and missed out on being an “intimate”?
2. What roles and levels of importance do wisdom, might, and riches play in your life? Is there a specific area that you have not fully surrendered to God?
3. How have you dedicated wisdom, might, and/or riches to God?
4. You were made to know God. Does this bring new meaning to your life and priorities?
5. In what ways can you nurture and respond to your gift of intimacy with God?
6. Oswald Chambers said, “…let other things go, but don’t neglect Him.” What do you need to let go of today?

Jeremiah: Part 2

Message: Broken Cisterns (Jeremiah 2)

· A state of dependence on God. (Jer 2:1-3)

a. A love for God and focus on Him.

· Move toward independence. (Jer 2:5a)

a. A series of choices that created the straying/distance with God.

b. Start looking for man-made sources to fill this new gap instead of waiting/focusing on God. (Rom 1:25)

· Why our focus turns elsewhere for fulfillment:

a. Control – we want to trust God, but we’ve got it under control.

b. We think God is a way to fulfillment instead of the way.

· You are what you worship. (Jer 2:5b, 36,37)

a. Career, body, addiction, entertainment, family, etc.

· We tend to replace “best” with “good enough” (Jer 2:11)

· Two sins committed (Jer 2:13):

a. Forsake God.

b. Choice to dig for water when we have fresh Living Water in us already.

· What do we do now?

a. Unforsake God – turn toward God.

b. Acknowledge His plan is better than yours.

c. Stop digging cisterns. Whatever God has for your life is better.

· Three things to do when you are ready to turn back to God:

a. Recognize where you once were.

b. Realize where you are now.

c. Care. God will meet you in the gap of where we are to where we could be.

Questions

1. Have you ever experienced a movement of dependence on God to independence? What series of choices led to this state of independence?
2. To where does your focus tend to stray for fulfillment? How effective is it? How do you refocus on God?
3. Are you willing to settle for “good enough” because of the instant gratification?
4. How does Christianity manifest into an attitude of: What’s in it for me?
5. Share a time when you were nibbling at stale food in the servants’ quarters when God had a feast waiting for you. Did you get to enjoy the feast or was it a missed opportunity?

Jeremiah: Part 1

Message: Life on Purpose

· Jeremiah 1:1-10

a. God trusted a teenager to be His mouthpiece to the nations.

· God called Jeremiah because he knew the voice of God. When God called, Jeremiah listened because he was in relationship with God.

· What has God purposed in your life?

1. To know and love God.

2. To serve and bring hope to the world.

· God’s will and purpose is not in the future, it is in the process.

· When we know and love God, we begin to see the world as He sees it and our hearts begin to meld into His heart.

· God promises an adventure of a lifetime with Him, not “success” by the world’s standards.

· Life has no value apart from a relationship with God. (2 Tim 4:6-8)

· Enemies will come at you, but they won’t defeat you because God is with you. (Jer 1:17-19)

· Your purposeful pursuit of God is His will for your life. (Jer 29:12-14)

· To find your purpose, be in relationship with God and trust Him.

Questions

1. Rather than holding onto God, what have you held onto in hopes of discovering your purpose in life?
2. Do you find it easier to “serve and bring hope to the world” or to “know and love God”?
3. What have you desired God’s will to be in your life?
4. How do you reconcile the world’s definition of success vs. God’s definition?
5. Do you find peace in knowing your purpose is to love and know God?
6. How do you feel about your relationship with God? Bored? Excited? Intrigued? God probably feels the same way.

Parenting

Message: Parenting

· 2 Chronicles 20:10-12

a. Example of how King Jehoshaphat prayed

b. First half, shows humility - - he didn’t know what to do

c. Second half, shows trust - - their hope is in God

i. Great prayer for parents

· Is God first in your life?

a. Does God get your first day of the week for worship? (Going to church)

b. Does God get the first part of your day?

c. Does God get your tithes?

d. Are you other-centered, not self-centered?

· Seven important things to focus on when parenting:

a. Pursue Jesus with your whole heart

b. Love their mom

c. Express your deep love to your kids

d. Parents are in charge, not the kids

e. Raise your kids to leave home

f. Enjoy them

g. Pray for them and with them

· If you want your child to love God, love God first.

· If you want your child to be obedient, obey first.

Questions

1. If you were starting parenting all over again, what would you do?
2. What would you have liked your parents to have done when raising you?
3. Are you putting God first in your life? Do your children see this example?
4. How well are you “loving” your wife? How well do you feel your husband is “loving” you?
5. Of the seven important things to focus on listed above, which is the most challenging for you?
6. Is there another “focus” you would add to this list?
7. Ask God to reveal any areas of pride or guilt you are harboring from parenting.