Romans 8:1-4

We are going to start doing things a little differently, instead of reading through a brief summary of the message from this weekend's message we will post a link to the actual message itself and then continue on with the discussion questions afterwards. We hope you find this to be more helpful and informative.

Romans 8:1-4 Message


Discussion Questions
1. Have you come to grips with the cross, Jesus' shed blood for you, and the grace he pours out for you?
2. Read Romans 8:2, what are we liberated from? What sins are you still living in bondage to that Christ has already sent you free from?
3. Is your life a reflection of living according to the flesh or according to the spirit?
4. Write down an "I will.." statement for this week that you will do when sin or the flesh starts to rise up in you. (something specific and measurable) Ex. I will memorize this passage and ask God is etch it on my heart.

Vision Weekend

Three years ago, December, we moved into our new campus.  Just before the move the global recession hit which was about the time alot of money was due to come in for the 'building fund'. But alot of people  ended up losing about 40% of their wealth or lost their jobs and as a result we ended up moving into the new campus with alot more debt than was expected. Which led to cutbacks and later layoffs. WoodsEdge has had a tough 3 years, alot of financial pressure and staff transitions. We have had some hard lessons but have come out stronger on the other side.

1. Need more cushion in the bank account, and we now have it.
2. Get out of debt, we are working towards that.
3. In the midst of all of this, God has stirred our hearts to give 50% of our income outside the four walls of our church.
4. God has called us to holiness like never before.

With all of this there is a sense that it is a 'new day' and we are in a new season for WoodsEdge. Read Isaiah 43: 18-19. The Vision of WoodsEdge is Love Jesus (we do this first and foremost) Journey Together (no one walks alone) and Bring Hope to the World (look beyond four walls of the world) There are a few of areas that we need to grow in as a church and there are also a few areas that we have grown in as a church.

Growth Areas:

1. Children's Ministry: We have a gap between where we are now and where we want to be.
2. Student Minstry: There is so much good, but there has been alot of transition. The key thing for students is relationships and relationships require people, people like you to volunteer!
3. Small Groups: We have tremendous groups overall and alot of people are in a group. But there are also alot of people who are not in a group and walking alone. If you are not in a group you are going against your 'wiring', God made you to live in community.
4. Debt: We spend much less than we take in and are aggressively paying down the debt. We have gone for $15M to $11M. Over the next 2 years we are asking for special giving, over and above 10% if you are able or feel God's calling.
5. Reaching Lost: All of us should be praying, loving, serving, and inviting people to service. There are lots of people that have been reached but there are so many more than are still unreached. We need to Bring Hope.
6. Find Calling: For your sake, start serving.You don't want to miss out on what God has for you.

Areas to be Excited About:

1.  Heart for God: There are so many passionate worshipers at WoodsEdge, people going all out for Jesus. Servant hearts all over the church and people that are authentic!
2. Diversity: We have alot of diversity at WoodsEdge; from racial, ethnic, linguistic, economic, and political. We are a very diverse church and we hope to continue to have more of that.
3. Local Missions: Last few years we have gone from a "C" grade to an "A". There are alot of different things going on outside the four walls of this church and we are excited about it. Bring Hope.
4. International Ministries: So much good going on in IM, it has really grown over the past couple of years. We have Church Planting Movments (CPM) going on in Malawi and Ecuador and are hoping to start in other countries. There are plenty of other things going on all around the world that we are involved with as well as many local things right here. It continues to grow. Bring Hope.
5. Staff Team: We have very Godly elders and have really grown a great staff team over the years.
6. Prayer Service: We have had the best three months ever at prayer service. Prayer is the epicenter of our culture, need to be at the Prayer Service.

Many times we are asked what is the Vision for WoodsEdge? What kind of accomplishments do you want to have? Or ministries? Our vision is first and foremost to have people that are in love with Jesus. People that are intoxicated with Jesus. People that are chasing hard after him. What if we loved Jesus like no other church ever loved him! What if we saw a mighty work of God , here, in our day? Why not? Why not here? Why not with us?

House of Prayer

Jesus has done some pretty unusal, surprising, and outrageous things. For example the time he went into the temple and saw people buying and selling, animals bleeding, moneychangers shouting - like a big flea market. He makes whips, comes into the temple and begins driving people out, overturning tables, and scattering money and then he says "It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." This is God's house, a house of prayer not of the law, of scripture, teaching, sacrificing, or helping the needy. A house of prayer!

We see the importance and theme of prayer throughout Jesus life, multiple times in the book of Luke there are references of Jesus taking time to pray. Read Luke 5:16, 6:12, 9:18a, 9:28, 11:1, 18:1, 19:46. In Acts, a book about the early church, prayer is what brought about change, rapid revival, and the hand of God. The early church was birthed in prayer, read Acts 1:14a. Prayer is the heart beat, it is what brings about the kingdom of God. In Acts 3, when Peter and John are arrested and their lives are in danger the early church did not sit down to strategize, analyze, or organize how to get them out of jail. They prayed! With this crisis, God is telling us: The church must be a house of prayer. The main business of the church is prayer. The real work of the church is prayer. The lifeblood of any church is prayer. Is this true of the church in the US? If there is a great work of God, it is because people in the church rely upon prayer! At every hinge point in the early church, people were relying upon prayer.

If for Jesus, the main activity was prayer. If for the early church, the main activity was prayer. Then for us, the main activity should be prayer. God is saying to us: Call out to me. Call to me first. Call to me immediately. Call to me with all your heart. Call to me as the main thing. Be a house of prayer. In the book Fresh Wind Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala he writes "I despaired at the thought that my life might slip by without seeing God show himself mightily on our behalf." That is the way we should feel, to not want life to pass us by without seeing the hand of God move. To see God work in a powerful way, to see breakthrough!

Eight Steps for all of us to raise the bar for prayer:

1. Meet with God daily in an unhurried time.
2. Continue in prayer throughout your day.
3. Prompt prayer throughout the day (open your car door - pray).
4. Increase prayer in your small group
5. Attend our Wednesday night prayer service. Make it a regular part of your week.
6. Pray immediately, right now. Don't wait until later.
7. Assume divine appointments. Pray over the people who cross your path.
8. Fast regularly.

Discussion Questions
1. Meditate on this quote and then discuss "When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so. Nor am I disposed to undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do." What do you rely on?
2. Do you feel the way Jim Cymbala does? "I despaired at the thought that my life might slip by without seeing God show himself mightily on our behalf."
3. What if we significantly raise the bar in our prayer life, what would the church look like then?
4. Are you satisfied with your prayer life right now? What are some ways that you desire to change your prayer life?

Servanthood

There are a few things to learn about serving in "your highest calling". God does not always give you life purpose at once, he reveals it over time. It can change with the season of life. It can be very difficult at times. But there is much fulfillment and joy in it when you are in your "sweet spot"! Every believer has a calling, a ministry, a place in the kingdom.
If you have not found your purpose in life yet, you are missing out on so much. Imagine if Shakespeare never knew he could write sonnets and plays? Or if Mother Teresa never discovered the joy of helping the poor? Or if Michael Jordan never discovered he could play basketball? They would have missed out on so much joy and satisfaction because that is what they were wired to do. That is true for us! When you find your sweet spot in ministry, you feel God's pleasure.

Fortunately the Bible addresses the topic of purpose/calling/place of ministry in the kingdom. Read Romans 12:4-8. There are many members of the church and each one of them has a different role or gift. We need to use those gifts! Read I Corinthians 12:7-11. Each believer is given gifts or a manifestation of the spirit all for the common good. It is God's decision who gets each gift of the spirit, not ours, he gives as he wills. Read Ephesians 4:7-16. Again, each believer is gifted and everyone is needed for the kingdom to work properly and grow. Read I Peter 4:10-11. We are to be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us and we are to use our gifts to serve the body.

Think of people in the Bible. All kind of occupations and personalities and they all had a call in the kingdom. Moses, Elijiah, Sarah, Isaac, Jeremiah, and the list goes on. They all had a place in the kingdom, they all had a calling. The Bible is a book of examples not of exceptions.

How can you find God's calling for you life? Start serving somewhere. Serve God while you are seeking his purpose. In the serving you will find your calling. Think of David taking food to his brothers in the army. He gets there and hears Goliath's taunts. Does he go to the battlefield planning to kill the giant? No, he's just serving in a simple way - taking food to his brothers, obeying his father Jesse. But that led him to killing Goliath and that changed his whole life. How can you find God's calling for your life? Start serving somewhere, serve God while you are seeking his purpose. Don't wait for a bolt of lightning. Get started serving somewhere now.

Discussion Questions
1. Do you know your calling or your purpose? At least for this season? Are you on a journey to find it or have you been derailed in the journey or have you never begun the journey?
2. What things "light you up"? What are you passionate about?
3. Where are you serving right now?
4. What would church look like if everyone was serving in their "highest calling"?