3-29-09 Leader's Guide

Small Group Leader's Guide
March 29th, 2009

Series: Rewind

1) What is your favorite song we play on Sunday mornings?

2) Besides the host of the small group or the leader, who was the first person to arrive at the small group this week?

3) At the beginning of the year, we challenged members to get serious about reading God’s word. How are you doing in your personal Bible study?

4) We are encouraging each member to have “One” person they are praying for and reaching out to. Have you prayed for someone who doesn’t know Christ this week? Have you reached out in any way?

5) What role do you think evil spirits have in today’s world?

6) Read verse 17 and 18, what were the symptoms of the evil spirit’s presence in this boy’s life?

7) Verse 20 says that the evil spirit caused the boy to go into convulsions – today, how would a person know if a physical symptom was caused by a evil spirit or simply a physical condition? How do you think the boy’s father knew that source of his son’s problem was spiritual?

8) In verse 28, the disciples question Jesus on why they were unable to drive out the evil spirit. What was Jesus’ answer? In fighting a spiritual battle – why would this action be important?

9) Ephesians 6:10 reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. In what areas of your life do you think you may be facing a spiritual battle? What can you do to look past the surface of you problems to identify and deal with the spiritual dynamics of the battles we all face?

10) In verse 24, the father seems to express both belief and unbelief at the same time. Can you think of situation where part of you believed, but the another part of you struggled with trusting God? What did you do in that circumstance?

11) In verse 23, the boy’s father says “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us”. In verse 23, Jesus zeros in on the father’s use of “If you can” Why do you think Jesus did that? What does Jesus go on to say about faith in verse 23?

12) Is there an area of our life where past disappointment has left you with an “if you can” faith? If you could ask God to give you faith for one area of our life, or one person in your life, what would that be?

3-22-09 Leader's Guide

Small Group Leader's Guide
March 22nd, 2009

Series: Rewind
Message: Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God

1) What does this tell us about Jesus?

• What does the story of the woman caught in Adultery teach us about how Jesus deals with sin?

• What conclusions should we not draw from this story?

2) Are some sins worse than others? The Pharisees caught this woman breaking one of the ten commandments. Clearly she sinned. But Jesus points out in verse 7 (via a question) that everyone in that crowd had sinned. The Bible says that we all sin, but is some sin worse than others? For example, murder and overeating are both sins in the Bible, is one worse than the other?

3) The Christian and the Law of Moses - Verse 5 mentions that the punishment for adultery was death.

• As Christians, what part of the law should we still observe and what parts no longer apply? For example, we all agree that the commandment not to commit adultery (one of the ten commandments) is still a good one, why not the commandment to punish adultery?

• Look specifically at verse 5 it says that Moses “commanded” us to stone such a woman, were they being disobedient to God by not carrying out God’s command to stone the adulterer?

4) Trying to Trap Jesus – The religious leaders of the day attempted to trap Jesus. They often used questions to try to put Him on the spot. It seems that the hope was to box Jesus into an unpopular position. In many cases, Jesus responds to their question, by posing a question of his own. Let’s look at another case where this happens. Read Matthew 22:15-22. Why would their question trap Jesus? Why might a “yes” response cause problems for Christ, why might a “no” response cause problems for Christ?

If Christ said not to pay taxes –He would be undermining the Roman government. On the other hand, the Romans were an occupying force in Israel, and many Israelites were opposed to paying taxes. If Jesus was for taxes, many would see him on the side of the enemy – Rome


5) Did she get off easy? Read verse 11 – Did this lady get off easy? Adultery is a serious sin that destroys families, under the law of Moses, people were literally killed for it. How come Jesus doesn’t come out stronger with this lady?

6) Jesus the High Priest - Read Hebrews 4:14-16 and think through the following questions.

• This passage says that Christ is a high priest. In what ways is Jesus a high priest?

• In the old testament, the priest would offer sacrifices to atone for the people’s sins. Did Christ offer a sacrifice? What was the sacrifice?

o Read Hebrews 10:10-11

• Verse 16 says to approach the throne of grace with confidence, what in verses 14-15 would give us this confidence that we can approach Jesus in our time of need?

• Read Hebrews 2:17-18, what comparisons do you see with the verse in Hebrews 4:14-16.

• Both Hebrews 2 and Hebrews 4 emphasize the fact that Christ was tempted and because of that, is able to help us in our time of need. How might Christ’s temptations make him better able to help us?


Putting it into practice

In verse 11 Jesus tells the woman to leave her life of sin. Is there a sin you need to get up and walk away from?

Leader's Guide 3/16/09

Small Group Leader's Guide
March 15th, 2009

Series: Rewind
Message: I Get Knocked Down but I Get Up Again.

Getting Started

• What’s the hardest physical fall you’ve ever taken?

Review from the last Two Weeks

1) A few weeks back we asked the question – who is your one?

• Have you found that one person for you?
• Have you prayed for them?
• What have you done to reach out to them?

2) On week one of this series, we looked at forgiveness

• Have you taken steps towards forgiving someone?
• Have you moved forward in releasing a hurt to God?

Digging into this week’s topic


3) A Time to Give Up? - Ecclesiastes 3:6 says that there is a time to give up.

• How can a person tell when it’s okay to give up? Can you give an example?

• Let someone in the group share a time they had to give up on someone or something. What did they wrestle with in making that decision? Looking back, was it the right decision?

• Take time to help someone in the group who may be in the middle of a “is it time to give up?” situation.

4) “Do Not Give Up” In 2 Chronicles 15 God called the King and the people of Israel to make some serious spiritual changes in their lives. In verse 7 God promises that “be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded”. Read verse 8, there are at least three responses to Asa has this message from God, what are they?

1) He took courage
2) He removed the spiritual garbage – “removed the detestable idols”
3) He refocused on God – “repaired the altar”

Small group leaders, challenge your group with the question, “Is there any garbage in your life that you need to remove”

5) At the Proper Team We Will Reap a Harvest - Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Can you share a time when you were getting “weary” of doing the right thing, but you did it anyway, and over time, you saw God bless it?

6) In Luke 18:1 Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Read the Parable and think about the following questions…

• What does this parable show us about persevering in prayer?
• Point out one quality that the widow showed in presenting with her request?

7) Read Ephesians 1:8-20. In verse 19 there is a pray that we know God’s incomparable power for those who believe. How do we experience that power?


Putting it into Practice

8) What do you do to draw on strength from God when you feel like giving up?

9) Do you need pray to get up instead of giving up – ask your group for prayer?

3-8-09 Leader's Guide

Small Group Leader's Guide
March 8th, 2009

Series: Rewind
Message: It's Been One Week Since You Looked at Me.

How can you tell if you’ve truly forgiven someone?

How many times do you need to forgive?

• In Matthew 18:21-22 there is a discussion about how many times you should forgive someone. Do you always need to keep forgiving someone?

• If your spouse commits adultery twenty seven times, do you need to keep forgiving them? Do you need to stay married?

• If someone keeps sinning against you. Is there a point at which you can chose not to be around them anymore? Does forgiving someone require maintaining a relationship with them? What Bible verses would you point toward, to support your thoughts?

Making Up for our Debts - In verse 26, the person asks for more time to pay back the debt. Read verses 25-27 and think about the following questions.

• In what way is giving someone the opportunity to “make up” for what they did, not forgiveness?

Using the debt analogy, often time we simply offer a people an opportunity to refinance their sin/debt. Our idea of forgiveness is to offer an extended payment plan, or more attractive interest rates.

• Is it possible to be give someone a second chance but not offer them true forgiveness?

• In what cases is it right to ask someone to make up for what they’ve done?
Read verses 28-30 - The servant walked out, found someone that owed him money and demanded “Pay back what you owe me” What does this tell us about this servant who was just forgiven?

By canceling His debt, The King taught the man about unconditional forgiveness, but it seems the lesson was lost on Him. If God can forgive us of our eternal debts which cost the life of His Son, yet we can’t forgive others their temporary debts to us, what does that say about us?

It’s hard to release people from the wrong done to us? What truth in verse 33 will help make it a bit easier?

When we remember how much God forgave us (Millions of dollars) it’s easier to let someone off the hook for a couple bucks. The debt of our sin cost the Father His only Son, what has the debt of other’s cost you?


Receiving and Offering Forgiveness - Read Matthew 6:14-15.

• What is the main point of this verse? What is it that God wants us to understand? What is it that God wants us to do?

• Verse 15 says if we don’t forgive people of their sin, we won’t be forgiven? What does that mean for a believer who won’t forgive. Is their salvation revoked? Will they be held more accountable on the day of judgment for their post-Christian sins?

Putting it into Practice

• Read Matthew 18: 35 – God calls us to forgive others as He has forgive us. Who do you need to forgive?

• Is there a sin you need to ask forgiveness from God for?

• Is there a sin you need to ask forgiveness for from another person.