If you haven’t done it yet, click on the image below and download Andrew’s new song, Shout At The Mountain. I loved singing it all together this weekend!
About John Scott
Posts by John Scott:
We begin a brand new series this week, so with your LifeGroup you can dig a little deeper into this amazing reality… JESUS IS YOUR FRIEND!
Stepping In: Getting things started!
1-What are some of the qualities you really appreciate in your good friends?
Building Up: What is God Saying?
Read Luke 19:1-2. Why is it important for us to know these details of Zacchaeus’ life? What do people in our culture think of the “rich” people?
Read Luke 19:3-4. We don’t know for sure, but what might be some of the reasons Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus?
Read Luke 19:5-6. What is so mind-blowing about Jesus’ desire to spend time with Zacchaeus? When you think of Jesus actually wanting to spend time with you, how does that feel?
Read Luke 19:7-8. Why do “religious” people seem to work so hard at making it difficult for “sinners” to meet Jesus?
What is significant about the way Zacchaeus expresses his newfound encounter with real grace? What are some other tangible expressions of a changed life you’ve seen?
Read Luke 19:9-10. How does Jesus’ mission help us stay clear on the real mission of the Church?
Living Out: How do I obey?
1-Finish one of the following thoughts:
I could really work on my attitude towards people who…
I need to let Jesus be my friend. I’ve held Him at a distance because…
Someone I know who needs to meet Jesus is…
2-Do you have someone your LifeGroup can help out over the holidays?
Being a generous person and investing in God’s work is something really special. However, there is that one verse in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that begs an important question.
First, the verse.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV)
Now the question.
If I’m not “cheerful” about it, does that mean I don’t have to give?
Let me just back it up a bit and ask another question. If I really love my spouse or my kids, does that mean I only have to do the things I am cheerful about?
The great thing about love is this, we do the loving thing and often, the actual feelings of love, joy or “cheerfulness” follow.
Hey, we all have had those moments when we didn’t “feel” like serving and sure weren’t very “cheerful” about it. However, after it was all said and done and we served, helped, painted, mowed or whatever we did…it felt GOOD.
Doing the right thing, following God’s lead and trusting Him for the outcome is just one of the very important steps we’re all taking together in this journey we call The Epic Life.
Prayer thought:
Expect delays! I have learned by now that I can pretty much expect to be sick, experience back pain, or enjoy fits from my children before having to be somewhere to serve. Now that I know what to expect, now that it has been revealed to me, I know how to pray and I know how to press on. No matter how awful I may feel moments before serving, in the moment I feel completely uplifted, encouraged and healed. So, expect it, and don’t let it stop you! Pray against it in your prayer time. Ask the Lord to protect your time of service, and the time leading up to it. There is a very real threat out there who wants to keep you focused on you, fight it with PRAYER!
Even if you know what your good at, you may not know how that’s going to translate into a specific ministry area. So, let’s start with God’s Word.
After giving us a few “leadership” roles, Paul talks in general terms to the rest of the Body of Christ. Here’s verse 16 from the New Living Translation:
“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)
I don’t want you to feel like you have to figure it all out before the end of the week, just agree that you’re a special part of something really amazing. Whatever part you play, or however you serve, the Body will benefit…and so will the world around us.
Oh yes, one more thing. YOU ARE GOOD AT SOMETHING. God said so!
Start serving somewhere. You may like it, you may not. It may teach you more about yourself and God may use it to equip you for the role He eventually wants you to plug into.
The more you spend time with Him every day, the better you’ll become at hearing His voice and seeing His plan for you. Yep, it ALL goes together!
Prayer thought:
“…so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Let that verse be our focus as we serve together.
Lord, please show me where you are calling me to serve for this season. Help me to have a grateful heart for whatever you ask of me. Help me to experience you in a new way each time I serve. Let my focus be you. I want to be healthy and growing and full of love, I want to always be a blessing to you and others. Please guard my heart from bitterness and my mind from weariness. Give me your strength and your desires. Thank you for wanting to use me—whatever you ask of me, I will do. Amen.
We’ve already talked about it, but here it is again: If heaven and hell are real, the most loving thing you can do is lead someone to Jesus!
I’ve never met a Christian who doesn’t want other people to know Jesus, but I have met a lot of them who do not know how to share their faith.
Our fears for bringing up the subject can be many, but one thing will help keep all those fears in check. Before I tell you the one thing, here are some of the fears:
1-They will think I’m some religious nut and won’t be my friend anymore.
2-They might be polite, but with others they’ll make fun of me.
3-I might botch the whole thing so badly they’ll never come to know Jesus.
4-I might not have the answers to their questions.
These are just a few of the things I’ve heard from people over the years. To get some perspective, let’s go to the most famous verse in the Bible.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)
God’s motivation needs to be ours…LOVE. For the next two years we’ll look at all kinds of ways we can practically and tangibly love the people God has placed in our path. When it comes to those we’re trying to lead to Jesus, the key is not in our perfectly prepared speech or answers, it’s in our love.
Just love them. When the door opens up for you to tell them about Jesus or simply invite them to Community, walk through it. Open your mouth and, motivated by love, invite them to experience what you’ve been experiencing.
By the way, this week is a GREAT week to invite your friends. Our new series, “Jesus is ___________” starts this weekend!
Prayer thought:
When we spend every day in God’s word, every day in prayer, and every day with Jesus, we change and people notice. As we seek God, change happens.
I (Maegan) have never offended anyone by inviting them to church. I have however, offended people unintentionally by withholding that invitation. People noticed what Jesus had done for me and confronted me in hurt that I never even invited them to join. To be honest, it never dawned on me; they did not seem the “type”. (Hint: there is no “type”.) Invite them all.
Mathew 28:19 tells us to go and make disciples of ALL nations…Mark 16:15 tells us to go into ALL the world and preach the gospel to ALL creation.
Ask the Lord to bring you opportunities and to open doors for you to share what God has been doing in your life and invite them ALL to join in.
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)