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”?