Category Archive: Small Group Notes

QUESTIONS FOR #10- They Reflect God’s Spirit

1.  Do you agree with the statement that maturing/growing Christians will take on the character traits of Jesus?  How does that happen?

2.  In the sermon Bill mentioned a three line “ditty” by Pastor Wayne Cordeiro.  It was:

When an idea enters our head, it’s called information.

When it touches our heart, it’s called inspiration.

But when it bleeds out our toes and fingernails, it’s called incarnation.

What are your thoughts on that?  What does he mean by incarnation/

3.  What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit” according to Eph.5:18?  Maybe a better question to start with is “who is the Holy Spirit to you?”

4.  What contrast is Paul showing in this verse?  How does that contrast manifest itself in your explanation?

5.  The original language actually says, “Be being filled.”  Why does that make sense?  {Answer was given in sermon}  J

6.  Living the Christian life is a supernatural undertaking or it will be worthless and fruitless.  What does being sensitive to the Lord’s leading have to do with this?  How can a person “hear” God speak?

7.  The result of being filled with the Spirit and listening to God’s voice is producing the fruit of the Spirit.  What are those fruit and how would you describe them?

8.  As a wrap-up to this lesson (and to the series), please read 2 Peter 1:8.  Any thoughts you care to share as you finish this study?

1.   Do you believe that God’s love is for all people?  How does that play out in our “anything goes” culture?

2.  Please read out loud the Great Commandment (found in Matthew 22:37-39) and the Great Commission (found in Matthew 28: 19-20).  Now read Acts 1:8.   What are the basic principles found in each of those verses?

3.  People today say that all religions are the same.  I (Bill) had someone once tell me that there isn’t much difference between Christianity and Islam. (He didn’t like that I rolled my eyes and then disagreed in speech).  How would you answer that statement?

4. What sets Christianity apart from other religions?  {These were given in the sermon in reference to Christianity as the only one that offers the only real answers to the most basic questions of life}.

5.  Unity seems to be the big thing on many peoples’ minds these days.  Can you think of statements people make to support that thought?  How would you answer those statements?

6.  In biblical days there were definite distinctions made.  Can you name one of them?  How did God break down the barrier between Jew and Gentile?   {If not sure check out Acts 2 and Acts 10}

7.  How do the following Scriptures back up the idea that Jesus was against “profiling.”

• Mark 7:24
• Matthew 8: 5-13

8.  Read Galatians 3:28 and ask if that includes everyone.

9.  How far does unity go?   Where do we draw the line?

10.  What are some practical ways we can become “world Christians” rather than merely “American Christians”?

1.  Warm-up: Can you give examples of the failure to act as a team from the world of sports, business, or church?  What caused it?  What were the results?  {Please be careful using names if known by others}

2.  In the message Bill gave several scenarios that can develop among teams.   They are listed below.  Give your thoughts on each of them and how it plays out.

• The coach plays alone.
• The players run onto the field, but stay in the huddle.
• The team breaks out of the huddle, but then stands around and argues.
• The team lines up, but they have no equipment.
• The team teams around.

3.  Looking at Eph.4:1-6 we find 5 characteristics needed for a team to work together.  What are they and how do they play into the mix? 

4.  Bill gave several good reasons why these different gifts (Verses 7-8) are so important.  {Keeps body balanced. Keeps body healthy. Keeps body’s focus clear.}  How do you see these working in conjunction with the function of the church? 

5.  {Note to leader: you will need the sermon notes from this message to answer this question}.  What was it about the Corinthian church that stands out as an example to us and A WARNING TO US TO AVOID?

1.  2 Corinthians 8 & 9 are two of the greatest chapters in the Bible on the Christian’s responsibilities in giving.  The historical context is a collection Paul is making for poor Christians in Judea.  He has already collected money from churches in Macedonia (northern Greece) and he is now coming to Corinth (in southern Greece) to receive the collection from them.  He will then send the gift to Jerusalem. 

2.  Read 2 Cor.8:1-5.  What does Paul say about the attitude of the Macedonians in their giving?  Were they wealthy?  Did Paul have to plead with them to give?

3.  Describe the conditions under which they gave. 

4.  Read 8:6-9.  Paul encourages the Corinthians to give in response to what God has given them.  What have they received from God?  In what ways was Jesus an example of sacrificial giving? 

5.  Read 9:6-11.  What principles of giving are set out here?   List each one and discuss what you think they mean.  In a moment of reflection, can you give a time when you reacted as these principles tells you NOT to?  How did you feel?  Why did you feel that way?  How can we judge our own motives and reasons for giving? 

6.  What does the giver receive in return for their generosity?  What do you say to someone who does not experience financial blessings as others do?  How would you answer someone who wants to use these principles as part of their health/wealth teaching? 

7.  What result will the Corinthians’ gift have for God’s work in the world? 

8.  What is the inexpressible gift Paul mentions in verse 15?  How should this gift motivate us to extraordinary generosity?

1.  When you were growing up did you have a
dream?  What was it?  Did you ever get a chance to fulfill it?

2.  William Barclay said, “It is possible to be…a
camp-follower without being a soldier of the king; to be a hanger-on in some
great work without pulling one’s weight…It is one of the supreme handicaps of
the church that in the church there are so many distant followers of Jesus
Christ and so few real disciples.”  Do
you agree with that statement?  How does
it strike you?

3.  Please turn to Luke 9:23-25.  Look also at Luke 14:28-32.   Notice the cost of following Jesus. Now look
closer at Luke 9.  What are the 3
essentials to being a disciple of Jesus?
(Bill gave these in his sermon outline).

4.  Following Jesus is not just saying “yes” to
Him.  If we are to invest our lives in
others, there is also a commitment of our time.
Jesus invested His life in 12 men.
How did He do that?  (there are 2
answers and Bill gave them in his outline).

5.  Investing time is not the only thing.  Following Christ involves a commitment to the
benefits.  Please turn to I
Cor.11:1.  What does Paul mean by that
short verse?

1.  Sometimes relationships can be tough.  Sometimes they can be refreshing.  Many discard them easily.  Others hold on tightly.  How do you feel about them?

2.  Read I John 3:11-19.  According to these verses, what is the mark
of a true Christian?

3.  In what ways is our love for each other a
reflection of God’s love for us?
Consider the opposite as well.
How does a lack of love for each other hinder that reflection?

4.  Read Eph.4:25-5:4.  List some of the ways from these verses that
we show love for each other.

5.  In what ways do our words sometimes hurt each
other?  Can you think of ways where you
have spoken words that have put others down rather than building them up?  Now try to think of times when you did the
opposite.

6.  What kind of speech should we use?  (Bill gave the answer in his sermon).

7.  Sometimes our unwillingness to forgive others arises from our anger toward
them.  What model does verse 32 tell us
to follow in our forgiveness for others?

8.  A good verse for controlling our words/tongue
can be found in Psalm 141:3.  Read it
together and discuss its plausibility.

9.  Sexual purity is a big topic these days.  What aspects of it are discussed in
5:3-4?  What are some ways we can develop
this type of purity in our lives?

1.  What do you think was Jesus’ mission?  Can you use Scripture to support your thought?

2.  Please read Ephesians 5:27.  As a group, define what this verse is saying using these three guides: 1) What is the purpose of Christ’s love? 2) What is the product of Christ’s love? 3) What is the process of Christ’s love?

3.  What is your definition of credibility?  Why do you think it is the first essential for evangelism?    Bill gave a sentence during the message; We must (_____) the good news before we can (______) the good news.  Do you agree with that?

4.  Looking at Luke 15 you can see three parables.  Consider each one.  What are the common themes running through them?  (Given during message)

5.  Turn to Luke 19. What do you think attracted Zacchaeus to Jesus?   What had Jesus been doing that he wanted to know about/

6.  How did Jesus respond to Z?  What does this tell us about the way we should interact with those investigating the Christian faith?

7.  How did the people respond to Jesus’ call to Z?  How is that seen today?

8.  What are some practical ways OVCF can more effectively “seek” out the lost?

1.  Bill gave 5 reasons why we don’t keep in touch with God.  Can you list them?  Can you add your thoughts to each one of them?  Which one describes your situation the most?

2.  What would be other reasons you might give for not keeping in touch with God?

3.  Read Ephesians 6:18.  What instruction is given here about how to pray?

4.  What do you think it means to “pray in the Spirit?”

5.  What is your take on “always keep on praying?”  How can that be done in a practical way?

6.  Personal Question: do you have a regular time in prayer each day?  What are some ways you can stay more in touch with God every day?

1.   Describe and give examples of the people mentioned in Psalm 1:1.

2. In his message, Bill gave three ways the Bible can be considered important to our lives.  What were they and how can they be applied to our lives in a practical way?  In other words, God’s Word is compared to water.  How does that analogy help us better understand the need to read and study the Bible?

3. In Psalm 119 (the longest psalm in the Bible), probably all but about 10 verses mention God’s Word in some form.  Consider dividing into several groups, divide up the Scripture into sections, and look for all the different ways God’s Word is referred to.

4. In Hebrews 4:12, what does it mean that God’s Word cuts like a sword?  In what ways is God’s Word dangerous?

5. This verse also tells us the Word has 2 abilities.  What are they and how do they work?

6. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  These verses tell us the Bible is God’s inspired word. What does it mean when it says “God-breathed” or “inspired?”

1. What does Psalm 95 & Psalm 100 tell us about the reasons we should worship God?

2. What does Psalm 95 & Psalm 100 tell us about the ways we should worship God?

3. What warning is given in 95:8-11?  What is the relationship between worship and obedience?

4. In your own words, define worship.

5. In his message, Bill gave 4 examples of worship “gone wrong.”  I Samuel 13.  Leviticus 10.  John 4.  I Samuel 15.  Can you think of other examples in the Bible where worship “went wrong?”

6.  Our worship is to be directed toward God.  What about His character makes Him worthy of our worship?