Small Group Leaders Guide
Jan. 11, 2009
Series: Our House
Message: Building on the Right Foundation
Haggai 1:1-9
Getting Started:
1) On Sunday we showed the God’s pie video - What’s your favorite pie?
2) The book of Haggai is about putting God first. One of the ways we’re challenging members to put God first is by reading God’s word each day.
• What is your Bible reading plan for 2009?
• How is it going so far?
Digging Deeper:
Quick Background of Haggai – Haggai is one of 17 prophetic books in the Old Testament. It’s the only two-chapter book in the Bible and the second shortest book in the Old Testament (Obadiah wins there). It’s one of the few prophetic books where God speaks to his people after they come back from exile in Babylon. (Malachi and Zechariah are the two other post-exilic prophets ). Nehemiah is another book written after the exile.
1) Read Verse 1 - it says that the “word of the Lord” came through the prophet Haggai – God speaks to us through is word. What did God speak to you about through the passage we looked at on Sunday?
2) Read verse 1 – The book of Haggai revolves around four prophecies. This first prophecy is initially directed toward the leaders (Joshua and Zerubabbel) but then expanded to all the people. Why do you think God starts with the leaders?
3) Read verse 9 - A common theme in the post-exilic books is a call for people to put God first. Why do God’s people get so busy with their lives that they neglect the things of God? How much is just busyness, how much is wrong priorities, how much is spiritual warfare? What about in your case, what would God point to as the source of your struggles in keeping Him number one?
4) Read verse 4 – Does God not want us to live in “paneled houses”? What is the point, or emphasis of verse 4?
5) In verses 6-9 we see that these people’s financial struggles were the result of God’s judgment for their lack of obedience.
• How can a person tell if their financial problems (or any other problem) are a result of something wrong their doing? How about if it’s just “life” happening?
• What advice or questions would you ask a person to help them sort through this question?
• Can you think of a time God pulled the rug out from under your life to reorder your priorities?
Putting it Into Practice
1) On Sunday we showed the God’s pie video - What’s your favorite pie?
2) The book of Haggai is about putting God first. One of the ways we’re challenging members to put God first is by reading God’s word each day.
• What is your Bible reading plan for 2009?
• How is it going so far?
Digging Deeper:
Quick Background of Haggai – Haggai is one of 17 prophetic books in the Old Testament. It’s the only two-chapter book in the Bible and the second shortest book in the Old Testament (Obadiah wins there). It’s one of the few prophetic books where God speaks to his people after they come back from exile in Babylon. (Malachi and Zechariah are the two other post-exilic prophets ). Nehemiah is another book written after the exile.
1) Read Verse 1 - it says that the “word of the Lord” came through the prophet Haggai – God speaks to us through is word. What did God speak to you about through the passage we looked at on Sunday?
2) Read verse 1 – The book of Haggai revolves around four prophecies. This first prophecy is initially directed toward the leaders (Joshua and Zerubabbel) but then expanded to all the people. Why do you think God starts with the leaders?
3) Read verse 9 - A common theme in the post-exilic books is a call for people to put God first. Why do God’s people get so busy with their lives that they neglect the things of God? How much is just busyness, how much is wrong priorities, how much is spiritual warfare? What about in your case, what would God point to as the source of your struggles in keeping Him number one?
4) Read verse 4 – Does God not want us to live in “paneled houses”? What is the point, or emphasis of verse 4?
5) In verses 6-9 we see that these people’s financial struggles were the result of God’s judgment for their lack of obedience.
• How can a person tell if their financial problems (or any other problem) are a result of something wrong their doing? How about if it’s just “life” happening?
• What advice or questions would you ask a person to help them sort through this question?
• Can you think of a time God pulled the rug out from under your life to reorder your priorities?
Putting it Into Practice
Making it Personal - In verse 4 God calls the people on their ability to find time for their houses but not for his. Can you point to a way in which you are finding time, money, and energy for your priorities, but not for God’s? What changes would God have you make?
Thinking about it as a church - In the case of Haggai, it’s not just that people were neglecting God on a personal basis (e.g. not spending time in prayer) they were neglecting God’s house.
• How can the busyness of God’s people negatively affect the church?
• What can be said or done to help avoid this?
• What’s one action you can take to make sure you’re part of the solution and not part of the problem?
Going on record – Share with the group one practical way you need to put God first. For each group member that does this:
1) Have one person in the group make a commitment to pray for them at least once during the week
2) Have the group follow up with the members next week to see how they are following through on making the changes
Check out this link for more Haggai resources http://newlifecommunitychurch.net/Site/Haggai.html
Thinking about it as a church - In the case of Haggai, it’s not just that people were neglecting God on a personal basis (e.g. not spending time in prayer) they were neglecting God’s house.
• How can the busyness of God’s people negatively affect the church?
• What can be said or done to help avoid this?
• What’s one action you can take to make sure you’re part of the solution and not part of the problem?
Going on record – Share with the group one practical way you need to put God first. For each group member that does this:
1) Have one person in the group make a commitment to pray for them at least once during the week
2) Have the group follow up with the members next week to see how they are following through on making the changes
Check out this link for more Haggai resources http://newlifecommunitychurch.net/Site/Haggai.html
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