HOW TO USE THIS PAGE: The current week’s Discussion prompts are divided into three categories: Gather, Learn, Respond. Use the ideas from this section to create your own Discussion page using the Word template. You are free to completely copy and paste the information on this page, or to be inspired to come up with your own questions from Sunday’s message. Questions: ScottWildey@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
Week of 05/13/12: “Out of the Woods: Family”
• Listen to the 05/13/12 message on “Out of the Woods: Family” (MP3) by clicking here.
• View text versions of the slides on YouVersion, the online/mobile Bible.
Gather
Option 1: Family of Origin
Spend a few minutes considering the questions about your FOO, and then sharing with one another:
What about your family of origin do you want to replicate in or when you have your own family? What do you want to break tradition with? What do you want to course correct? How did your family practically related to God and Jesus? How has that shaped how you related to Jesus day-to-day?
Learn
Pray together before reading and discussing this week’s passage. Relinquish any agenda you have. Ask God’s spirit to search your heart and mind. Commit to listening and being option to God’s invitations to you.
Explain the context of the story. What has happened in the paragraphs and passages surrounding this one? Where has Jesus been, and where is he going? etc. The Essential Bible Companion* is a great place to start, or, click on the Dive Deeper Commentary links below. *If you are a Life Group leader, and don’t have one of these but would like one, contact: ScottWildey@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
Raise the Need: Our culture is filled with self-help resources from talk shows to book sections. As helpful as this information can be, nothing can replace a vibrant relationship with Jesus as the catalytic element of our spiritual life, which will dictate how we lead, teach, and shepherd in our family (the current family we are in, or as we build our own family in the future)–just like nothing has shaped us like the families we grew up in. To put it another way, in order to be the best spouse and parent possible, one must continually grow closer to Jesus, which doesn’t happen by accident. This vital relationship is our first love and must be cultivated.
Read the Passages and Main points from Sunday here on YouVersion.
(If you’d like to understand and use various Bible translations, click these links to download a quick Summary Statement to Bible Versions and a Translation Chart).
Discuss this quote from Thomas Merton: “If you really want to know someone find out what their deepest longing is and what is keeping them from it.” What are your thoughts of this statement? What would our relationships look like if we were this intentional with each other? What keeps us from being this vulnerable and candid? How can we cultivate friendships where we know this about each other on the deepest levels? What will we have to relinquish in our lives in order for this to happen?
Exercise: Believing, Loving, Celebrating, Trusting
Option 1: World Cafe (need at least 12 people): Divide into 4 smaller groups Choose one person, the host, to stay in each group, every time, to record the thoughts on a big piece of paper. Rotate after 5 minutes until everyone (except the table hosts) sits in on every group. The goal is that people would not sit with the same group each time (so at least 2 new people each rotation). Each table has one of the four main points below. Share: Have each recorder summarize the thoughts of the different groups in 3 points and 3 implications or less.
Option 2: Small group discussion: Get in groups of 2 or 3. Assign each group one of the points below. Take 10-15 minutes to discuss. When finished, have each group report back to the group.
1. Believe in God Truly
In verse 4, it says that “The Lord our God, the lord is one.” What does this mean in our culture? Where do you see others (and yourself) worshipping other gods? (ie- Money, Marriage, Career, children, excercise, perfectionism, control, etc.). How do we begin to believe Him truly?
Discuss with the person next to you or within your group how you like to spend time with God, both alone and with others.
2. Love God wholeheartedly
vs 5 tells us to “Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” It goes on in v. 6-9 to tell us how to do that- by letting it infiltrate every part of our lives! Discuss an area in your life where you do this well, and an area where you need to let God’s love invade you.
3. Celebrate God’s Goodness
(See Mark 2:18-20, Philippians 2:14-18). Discuss: How do you celebrate what God is doing in your life?? What areas do you need to quit grumbling or complaining/arguing about?
4. Trust God!
(see Proverbs 3:5-6). Trust requires believing God’s Truth about Himself (not our misperceptions of Him), Loving Him, and being able to step out boldly. Share a time where you have stepped out boldly, trusting God to be true to His word, and who He says He is.
Respond
Exercise Option 1: Cultivating
What steps do you need to take in order to know God more intimately? How is God inviting you to trust Him now? Write down one area you want to cultivate this week, and 2 things you are going to do about it. Share this with someone in your group and pray for each other.
Exercise Option 2: Red & Green Arrows
Get in groups of 2. On an index card, reflect and write down answers to these questions. After 5 minutes or so, share and pray with one another.
Side A: Which of these areas do you have the most energy around cultivating? Believing, Loving, Celebrating, Trusting. Side B: What has kept you from growing in these areas in the past. What one thing would help you cultivate this now?
Dive Deeper
• Article: Equipping Parents to Be Spiritual Leaders
• Article: One God or many?
Commentaries:
• Enduring Word: Deuteronomy 6 • Bible Study Tools: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 • Biblos Lexicon: Deut. 6:4ff • Biblos Commentaries: Deut. 6:4ff • Biblos Context: Deut. 6:4ff • Christian Classics Library: Deuteronomy 6 • Blue Letter Bible (all in one): Deuteronomy 6
Current Impact Opportunities
Our vision is that every Life Group at Flood would have a missional focus, committing to serve consistently at Flood, locally, or globally. If your life group has not yet determined a missional focus, the areas below are currently in need of consistent servants! Contact the impact leader for details.
PARKING TEAM
Help welcome people to Flood by directing them towards where to park on Sundays. Serve once or twice a month from 10:45am-11:15am.
Contact: Parking@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
WELCOME TENT TEAM
Help answer questions, orient people to our church, and receive sign ups at our welcome tent. Commitment is once a month, 30 minutes before & 30 minutes following the worship gathering.
Contact: LiannaLam@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
GREETING TEAM
Welcome people into the auditorium on Sundays and help receive the offering. Commitment is twice times a month, 30 minutes before & 30 minutes into the worship gathering.
Contact: JennChin@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
CAFE TEAM
Provide fresh coffee for Flood attendees and visitors on the patio! Commitment is once a month, 1 hour before the gathering and 15 minutes after the gathering.
Contact: HannaVenizelos@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
SOUL FOOD TEAM
Provide food for the families of students at Kearny High School that are struggling financially. Sign up to bring a $5 food item once a month, on the first Sunday of each month. Your life group can also invest personally in a family by delivering the groceries once a month. It’s only a 4-month commitment!
Contact: Food@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
TIJUANA ORPHANAGE TEAM
Experience the joy of teaching, serving and playing with kids at the El Faro orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. We are in need of life groups to commit to serving consistently on our once a month trips, typically the 2nd Saturday of the month. Watch the calendar for dates, or
Contact: TJOrphanage@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
TIJUANA HOUSE BUILDING TEAM
Serve the Tijuana community by taking a day-trip to help build a house for a family in need. We need builders who can commit to participating on our monthly trips as consistently as possible! Trips are typically the 3rd Saturday of the month. Watch the calendar for dates, or
Contact: TJHouseBuilding@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
REFUGEE IMPACT TEAM
Serve the refugee population of City Heights in San Diego by teaching English, tutoring on schoolwork, helping them get acclimated to American culture, and being a catalyst in their relationship with God. This is an awesome opportunity for your life group to serve together in a relational way. Commit to meeting with a refugee family at least once a week for two hours.
Contact: Refugee@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
GLOBAL TRIP OPPORTUNITIES
Want to travel overseas with your Life Group? We can create the ultimate adventure for your group to truly live on mission together in Malawi, Uganda or Haiti. Trips can be created around your groups skills and passions. Email AdamK@DIVEintoFLOOD.com for more info.
Current Series
Out of the Woods
Out of the woods is about following Christ to true freedom–for “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1). We’ll spend some time talking about various areas of our lives (faith, finances, field, friends, family, future), where we are stuck, and how to get out of the woods.
Schedule
4/22: Finances
Scripture: Acts 4:32-37, Hebrews 13:1-6, Romans 13:8, Psalm 37:21, Proverbs 21:5, 20:8, 24:3, Galatians 6:9
Next Steps: Get out of debt! Series Seminar on Money, Financial Peace University
4/29: Field (Career)
Acts 13:4-5; 13-14; 15:36-40; Ecclesiastes 2:24, Colossians 3:24,
Next Steps: Series Seminar, Memorize 1 Corinthians 10:31, Surrender Control of your career/job to God, Serve on a TJ trip
5/6: Friendships
Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Cor 15:33
Next Steps: Memorize Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Assess your current friendships, who is your inner circle? Volunteer to serve at Flood on an upcoming Sunday.
5/13: Family
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
5/20: Future
Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, Psalm 42:5-6, Matthew 6:33
Study Tools
Biblos.com - Comprehensive Bible study tools.
BibleGateway.com – Look up passages or search the Bible, including various translations.
Blue Letter Bible – Bible research tools.
Crosswalk.com – Bible research tools.
Precept Austin – Large collection of Bible research tools.
Bible Query – Thorough answers to questions about the Bible.
Bible History Online – Vast amount of pictorial data about the history of the Bible, as well as detailed theological information.
BibleStudyTools.com – Bible research tools.
Enduring Word Media – Bible commentary.
EasyEnglish Bible – Bible commentary.
Interlinear Bible - Word study tool.
Bible.org – Articles, commentaries, etc.
Christian Classics Library – commentaries, sermons
Spark Notes OT / NT – Quick references developed by Harvard Students
For devotionals -
Read Central – Daily Devotion
Henri Nouwen – Signup for Daily Reading
Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest