Season's end?

The Lifegroups have officially or technically ended for the summer.  We typically have small groups from the Sunday after Labor day, till the Sunday before Memorial day.   So, here we are.

I know there are some groups that are grieving the conclusion of Lifegroups, esp after an abbreviated season.  Some folks, even in our group, are eager to continue through the summer.  I personally wouldn't want to take a break from meeting in homes, fellowshipping and studying together...   The reality is, like fish, after a while company begins to stink :-)   As a practice, we've taken summer breaks to keep the host homes and the lifegroup leaders refreshed and ready for a new season.

So... if your group does continue to meet over the summer, keep in consideration how to help your host family out.  Rotate your location.  Meet at the park.  Shake it up.  Also, don't feel like you'll have to meet weekly.  Go every other week, or monthly through the summer.

It is greatly encouraging to hear that sooooo many people don't want to stop for the summer.  That says something wonderful is happening.

Peace,

Craig

Click here for a printer-frinedly version of the 5/17/09 outline

Lifegroup map 5/17/09 “You are what you eat” John 6:35-59

Please choose any One of the following Ice breakers:

(Everyone doesn’t have to answer the same one… pick the one you like!)

• What is your response when you are being tailgated?

• Does looking out your window generate creativity or distraction?

• How do you try to talk your way out of speeding tickets?

• If you are superstitious, which superstitions influence you the most?

• Do you really read the Church bulletin???

Life exploration time: Read out-loud John 6:35-59

~ What are the indications here that Jesus is actually referring to what we commonly call “The Lord’s Supper”?

~ According to Jesus in this passage, how often do we need to eat & drink His body & blood?

~ What term (Ritual, rite, ceremony, ect.) best describes the Lord’s Supper in your opinion?

~ Why is the eating of Jesus’ body and the drinking of His blood a requirement for our salvation?

~ Read Jn 6:51-54. How do you distinguish yourself by observing this?

~ How many people need to be gathered together in one place to be able to properly take Communion?

~ Read Jn 6:42. How do you personally avoid the same type of pitfall; i.e., what you already know about Jesus interfering with what you need to know?

~ Read Jn 6:47. How is taking the Lord’ Supper an act of faith?

~ What should we think about when we take Communion?

Mother's day:

Lifegroup leaders, there's no outline planned for this week.  I assumed most groups would not meet this week with it being Mother's day and all.

Peace,

Craig

When Bibles make headlines... look out!

I'm cutting/pasting an article I read on a US soldier's stash of Bibles being destroyed, apparently by the orders of the US chaplains...  I really can't believe that we can send our troops to a nation that commits them to a temporary battle, and not expect our outstanding young people to share a life giving message???  Really.  If they are willing to fight an earthy battle and willingly pay the ultimate price, it only makes sense that these soldiers should have the right to share their core beliefs.  It seems a little one-sided for the Afghans to have us fight for them to have a better future, and yes to help protect the entire world from terrorism, and yet not allow us to share the reason we think the world can even achieve peace... Terrorism is ultimately about a fight between good and evil, and the way we overcome this battle, is in winning the hearts of people to the Prince of Peace.  So I commend the congregation that sent the Bibles, and the young people who were willing to distribute the Bibles.

............................................

KABUL (Reuters) - Bibles in Afghan languages sent to a U.S. soldier at a base in Afghanistan were confiscated and destroyed to ensure that troops did not breach regulations which forbid proselytizing, a military spokeswoman said.

The U.S. military has denied its soldiers tried to convert Afghans to Christianity, after Qatar-based Al Jazeera television showed soldiers at a bible class on a base with a stack of bibles translated into the local Pashto and Dari languages.

U.S. Central Command's General Order Number 1 forbids troops on active duty -- including all those based in Iraq and Afghanistan -- from trying to convert people to another religion.

"I can now confirm that the Bibles shown on Al Jazeera's clip were, in fact, collected by the chaplains and later destroyed. They were never distributed," spokeswoman Major Jennifer Willis said at Bagram air base, north of Kabul.

Military officials have said the bibles were sent through private mail to an evangelical Christian soldier by his church back home. The soldier brought them to the bible study class where they were filmed.

Trying to convert Muslims to another faith is a crime in Afghanistan. An Afghan man who converted to Christianity was sentenced to death for apostasy in 2006 but was allowed to leave the country after an international uproar.

"It certainly is, from the United States military's perspective, not our position to ever push any specific kind of religion, period," chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told a Pentagon briefing Monday.

(Reporting by Peter Graff)

Click here for printerfriendly outline for 5/3/09

Lifegroup map 5/3/09  “Will work for food”  John 6:1-15

 

Please choose any One of the following Ice breakers:

(Everyone doesn’t have to answer the same one… pick the one you like!)

·        What would you like to give away, that belongs to someone else?

·        How important is spending time with your family, to you?

·        Finish this sentence: “The problem with pirates is… ___________”

 

Life exploration time:  Read out-loud John 6:16-34

 

~ In Jn 6:16-21 John records where Jesus walks on the water.   How would you have responded to seeing Jesus, if you were one of the people in the boat?

 

~ In Jn 6:26, Jesus seems somewhat disappointed when He points out the real reason the people are seeking Him is because He recently fed them.  In reality, from time-to-time we all have similar self-centered, shallow motivations that push us toward Jesus… 

-Why is it hard for us to see/admit this self-centeredness in ourselves??

 

~ How do we “use” food to influence people today (Example: Pharmacy reps brining lunch into the doctor’s office to promote their product, business lunches to win favor with clients, church members inviting visitors/guests out for lunch after a worship service)?

 

~ In what ways do you see our contemporary “use” of food being inappropriate, and, in what ways is this appropriate to you?

 

~ What is the point Jesus is making in Jn 6:27 when He says not to labor for that which is perishable?

 

~ Why do people overly-focus on the here-and-now and disregard/ignore the reality of the afterlife?

 

 

Personal reflection:

Lifegroups are taking a break soon….  What will I miss about lifegroups over the summer?

Click here for the 4/26/09 printerfriendly outline

Lifegroup map 4/26/09

“If you feed them they will come, really?” John 6:1-15

Please choose any One of the following Ice breakers:

(Everyone doesn’t have to answer the same one… pick the one you like!)

• If you were to write a book, what would you title it?

• Who was your best-friend growing up?

• Which is better: Fed Ex, or UPS?

Life exploration time: Read out-loud John 6:1-15

~ How do you feel about Jesus “testing” Philip (see Jn 6:5-6)?

~ How do you like it when you feel like God is testing you?

~ Where can we apply this story of feeding people in our life?

~ Since we today as followers of Jesus aren’t too surprised by this miracle (were kind of use to it…) What does surprise you in this passage?

~ What do you suppose Jesus did once He withdrew by Himself (JN 6:15)?

Personal reflection:

Jesus refused to be conformed into their image of an earthly King. Am I pressing Jesus into my image more than I’m being formed into His image????

Who's the real winner?

Perez Hilton (who I never even heard of before this week) was one of the judges of this year’s Miss USA pageant.  The event was narrowed down to five finalists when he asked Miss California a question about her views on States authorizing same-sex marriage.  Legalizing that type of union has polarized Americans along political parties for years; so the question wasn’t all that profound.  Hilton, inspired by Vermont’s recent legislative blunder, obviously asked the question to sabotage Miss California (Carrie Prejean), based on his lambasting her afterward on his blog...  By the way, Miss NC Kristen Dalton won the title, but so far no one on the news seems to remember her. 

 

The news industry has interviewed Miss Cal multiple times this week, at length, on her choice to not compromise her values and the subsequent cost she has paid.  I personally didn’t see the pageant, but I have seen a few of her news interviews.  Miss Cal has consistently made impressive remarks such as: she felt God leading her, God testing her, and she needed to represent the majority of people in America by being Biblically accurate.

 

The truth is, you and I can’t buy that much time on cable-news to share our faith!  Miss Cal has lost the Miss USA title, more than likely, for not compromising her values.  Who’s the real winner?  God is.  There are millions of people, now, who have heard the convictions of a beauty queen, that otherwise wouldn’t have reflected on God’s perspective.

 

The late Keith Green wrote an incredible song “Make my life a prayer” that begins with these words: “Make my life a prayer to You, I wanna do what You want me to.  No empty words and no white lies.  No token prayers no compromise…”  Whether or not Miss Cal is familiar with that song, she knows the point.

 

The publicity stunt Mr. Hilton tried to pull off by asking his loaded question reminds of the end of the book of Genesis.  Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers as a youth, eventually becomes 2^nd in command of the nation of Egypt.  Decades later Joseph is reunited with his family because the sever famine in the land drives them to Egypt to purchase food...  After their father Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers feel the need to conspire together once more.  They think Joseph will be vindictive and seek retribution.  So, they lie.  They tell Joseph that Jacob left them with instructions for Joseph, namely don’t hold anything from the past against them…. 

 

Joseph weeps.  He is visibly hurt by their underhanded deceit.  He then reveals that their evil, malicious, selfish intent, was actually used by God.  “15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died, 17 ‘Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” (Gen 50:15-21, ESV)

 

So, Mr. Hilton, your plan actually… it worked.