Divine Detours

Main Thought

God brought the people of Israel on a journey. He rescued them from slavery in Egypt, and wanted to bring them into His Promised Land. Yet many of the Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land. They died in the wilderness instead. Why? Their location might have changed, but they didn’t change.

If we want to inherit the good plans and purposes that God has for us, then we need to recognize our need for transformation. God often uses “divine detours” - unexpected changes or interruptions - to expose our flaws. This happens because God cares more about our development than our destination. We should therefore embrace the process of sanctification as God helps us grow to become more like Jesus. 

Main Passages

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” 2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

- Exodus 32:1-4 NIV

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ 9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people.

- Exodus 32:7-9 NIV

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Main Passages above?

2. Why is it important for God change us, or sanctify us, before we move forward into His promises and plans?

3. How is God helping you become more like Jesus in this season of your life?

The Journey to Faith

Main Thought

Two of Jesus’ disciples went on a short, seven-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Jesus appeared to them on this journey and kept them from recognizing Him. He then began to explain the gospel through the Old Testament. We learn an important truth in this moment: we can encounter Jesus throughout scripture. The Old Testament conceals truths about Christ that the New Testament eventually reveals. Here are a few examples of that. Jesus is the ultimate ark who saves humanity from God’s wrath, like Noah’s ark saved him from the flood. He is the perfect lamb who was qualified to pay the price for humanity’s sins. He is the greater David, who slayed the giants of Sin and Death.

Our faith in God grows when we encounter Jesus throughout scripture. These encounters fill us with hope, even when we walk through difficult parts of life’s journey. Then, our encounters with Jesus can become testimonies to others. Let’s pursue the person of Christ in scripture. If we do, then we will be filled with passion for Him.

Main Passages

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."

- Luke 24:27

"They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'"

- Luke 24:32

"Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread."

- Luke 24:35

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. Think about your favorite Old Testament story or scripture. How might the people, places, or events in that story remind you of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

3. How has something you’ve learned about Jesus - His life, His character, His gospel, etc. - helped you through a difficult moment in life’s journey?

Wrestling with God

Main Thought

Jacob went on a journey from brokenness to betterment. His family of origin was marked by a mix of good things like seeking God, along with bad things like deception, manipulation, bitterness, conditional love, and more. Jacob’s actions heavily contributed to brokenness in his family. But God called Jacob to experience His goodness and blessing anyway. This was a demonstration of God’s grace, expressed in this moment as God’s undeserved favor toward us. Still, Jacob needed to grow before he could fully inherit God’s good promises. How did God help him grow? By wrestling with him. God appeared to Jacob in the midst of his struggle, and engaged him in a way that gave Jacob an opportunity to grow. God often does the same with us. He allows us to struggle, to wrestle, so that we can grow. If we’ll try our best (even in the worst circumstances), cry out to Him, and hold on, then we’ll become better versions of ourselves. We’ll develop a deeper trust in God and we’ll be prepared for destiny in Him.

Main Passages

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time…”

- ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1:9

13 …“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

- Genesis 28:13-15

24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

- Genesis 32:24-26

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Main Passages above?

2. What’s one good habit or mindset you learned from your family? What’s one bad habit or mindset you learned from your family?

3. Is there a situation in your life right now in which God might be allowing you to “wrestle?” How might you be able to grow through that situation?

I'd Walk 1,000 Miles

Main Thought

Everyone knows that Christians are supposed to trust God. Trusting God means that we rely on Him and live with the assumption that God is good. Still, it can be hard to trust God. We can’t see Him. There will be moments in which we don’t personally perceive God’s presence or goodness. We might not understand what He’s doing, or why He’s allowing certain things. How are we supposed to trust God in spite of all of this? We can trust in a God that we can’t see because we’ve seen His goodness before! Many of us have had our prayers answered and our lives touched. All of us can look to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the ultimate proof of God’s goodness. When we’re reminded of God’s goodness and inspired to trust Him, we can respond in faith by “saying yes to the next step.” We can take one practical step of faith and obedience at a time. If we’ll continue to walk with God, then we’ll eventually see more and more of God’s goodness along the way.

Main Passages

Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2 He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. 3 I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?”

- Genesis 24:1-5

58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said.

- Genesis 24:58

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

- Proverbs 3:5-6

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. Why is the life, death, and resurrection (or the gospel/good news) of Jesus Christ the ultimate proof of God’s goodness?

3. What’s one practical step of trust and obedience you can take toward something God might be calling you to do? (It can be in your faith, your relationships, your career, your family, etc.)

Going Without Knowing

Main Thought

Walking forward with God essentially guarantees that He will eventually call us to do things that don’t make sense - at least based on the things we see. When this happens, we can trust that God is faithful. Faithfulness is an expression of who He is. God will deliver on His promises! With that in mind, we can respond to God with obedience and embrace the journey with faith. That means walking with an attitude of confidence and assurance. When we walk by faith, with a community of faith, then we can be sure that we’ll be a part of God’s promises and plans as they unfold on the earth.

Main Passages

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

- Genesis 12:1-3

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

- Hebrews 11:8-9

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

- Romans 8:28

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. Recall a moment in which you experienced the faithfulness of God, whether it was a big or small moment. What happened? What did you learn?

3. How might God be calling you to walk by faith in this season of your life?

Colossians 4: Bible Study

Read Colossians 4

• What stood out to you most after reading this chapter in the Bible?

Reflect on these questions

• In verses 2-4, Paul begins giving the Colossians his final thoughts. Paul emphasizes prayer in these closing remarks.

• How does Paul tell the Colossians they should pray? What does Paul ask them to pray for?

• The heart of the book of Colossians is the supremacy of Christ and its impact on our lives. With that in mind, why is one of Paul’s closing thoughts focused on prayer?

• In verses 5-6, Paul offers a powerful reminder that the life of believers should include intentional witness to unbelievers. He advises that our conversations should be “gracious,” and “seasoned with salt.” There are only eight instances of the word “salt” in the New Testament. Every other instance is from Jesus’s references to Christian witness (engaging others through evangelism) in His Sermon on the Mount. It’s clear that Paul is using salt as an analogy for spreading the gospel.

• We typically want our food to have at least some salt or seasoning. At the same time, we don’t want our food to be too salty. Our efforts toward engaging others in evangelism can be very similar. Some of us might be afraid of bringing God into a conversation. Others might be incredibly zealous in presenting Jesus to an extent that could become ineffective.

• Which one of those two tendencies describes you best? Is there anything you can do to create a healthy balance when engaging others for Christ? 

• (Note: Being “a bad witness” who means well is usually better than not being a witness at all. Let’s have faith to start being witnesses. Then, we can grow as we go!)

Respond with faith in action

• Some commentators have categorized Paul’s closing remarks in verses 2-6 as covering “the inner life of prayer” and “the outer life of witness.”

• Do you see an opportunity to grow in one, or even both of those things? How so?

Colossians 3: Bible Study

Read Colossians 3

• What stood out to you most after reading this chapter in the Bible?

Reflect on these questions

• In verses 5-9, Paul uses clear, emphatic, and decisive language to describe how we as Christians treat sin in our lives. His statements can be translated to english phrases like “put to death,” “rid yourselves of,” and “completely strip off.”

• Which words or phrases about removing sin stand out to you most, and why?
  

• Verses 12-17 includes a list of qualities and behaviors that Christians should grow in over time. Yet this “to-do list” only comes after a statement on our identity in Christ. Verse 12 begins like this: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved…”

• Why do you think the Holy Spirit led Paul to remind the Colossians of their Christian identity before giving them a list of Christian qualities and activities?

Respond with faith in action

• Read verse 10 again. Here, Paul uses the phrase “putting on the new self” to describe a kind of growth that involves our intentional, consistent participation as we grow from one stage or level of faith to the next.

• What habits or practices can you adopt to grow into new, higher, or more developed stages or levels in your relationship with God?

Colossians 2: Bible Study

Read Colossians 2

• What stood out to you most after reading this chapter in the Bible?

Reflect on these questions

• In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul uses three different things as analogies for the Christian life. They are walking, being rooted (like a tree), and building on a firm foundation.

• Which of these three analogies is your favorite, and why?

• In verses 2:4 and 2:8, we see that Paul’s primary concern when writing to the Colossians was addressing a variety of ideas that people were attempting to blend with their Christian faith, in spite of Christianity’s clear claims to exclusivity (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and ideological supremacy (Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9-11)?

• Why can it be so tempting to blend the world’s ideas, values, and standards with our Christian faith, even when these things contradict one another?

Respond with faith in action

• In verses 2:9-11, Paul echoes Colossians 1:15-20 and uses the gospel to present Jesus as vastly superior to competing thoughts that were creeping into the Colossian Church. (These include early Gnosticism, Greek mythology, and Jewish legalism.) All of our greatest spiritual needs are met in Jesus; therefore, we should live in a way that allows us to stay connected to Him. In Colossians 2:16-23, Paul unpacks that principle in the context of the Colossians’ daily lives.

• How can you live in a way that allows you to deepen your connection with Christ, and depend on Him for all you need?

• What changes or adjustments can you make?

Colossians 1: Bible Study

Read Colossians 1

• What stood out to you most after reading this chapter in the Bible?

Reflect on these questions

• In Colossians 1:3-6 and 1:19-23, Paul places special emphasis on the gospel of Jesus Christ. The word gospel means “good news.”

• Consider verses 3-8. What effects did the good news of the gospel have on the Colossians?

• Read verses 19-23 again. How would you describe or summarize the gospel based on these verses?

• Paul writes an incredible poem about the supremacy, or preeminence, of Jesus Christ in verses 15-20.

• What is your favorite statement about the supremacy of Christ from this short poem?

• Colossians 1:15-20 alludes to several Old Testament passages as it paints the image of Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God’s nature, character, will, and more. These passages include:

  • Genesis 1

  • Exodus 40:34-38

  • Psalms 2, 8, and 68:29-38.

  Look these passages up, either alone or with your Life Group. In light of Colossians 1:15-20, which one of these Old Testament allusions are your favorite?

Respond with faith in action

• Verses 19-22 retell the good news; verse 23 describes our appropriate response. 

  • In light of what Jesus has done for you, how can you “...continue in your faith, established and firm, without moving from the hope held out in the gospel”? In other words, what practical steps can you take to move forward and continue to grow in God?

Freedom Beyond the Infraction: Finding Hope After It Happened

Main Thought

Almost everyone who has ever lived has been hurt. These hurts could be unintentional or intentional; small or great; fleeting or long-lasting. We know what it’s like to be hurt, yet we still long for hope. How do we find hope after we’ve been hurt? It can start with an altered perception. God’s bigger plan is often revealed through adversity. God can re-purpose pain and use it to bless people. Understanding this helps us to interpret what God wants to accomplish for us and through us, even in the midst of suffering. Then, as we faithfully walk with God to accomplish His will, His plan of redemption begins to unfold. Our godly responses can create channels through which hope, healing, and restoration can flow.

Main Passages

28 So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

- Genesis 37:23-28 NLT

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

- Genesis 45:4-5

8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

- Genesis 45:8-10

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Passages above?

2. Have you ever seen hurt turned into an opportunity for hope, either in your life or in the life of someone you know? What happened?

3. In the story of Joseph, hurt gave way to hope through renewed perception; an interpretation of God’s perfect will; and, redemption brought about by godly responses. Which one of these three things might be most helpful to you in a difficult situation you’re facing?

Hope Renewed

Main Thought

Have you ever seen a garden fill of weeds and thought, “Where did all of this come from?” They’re everywhere - yet most of us see them and understand that they don’t belong. Hopelessness can be like weeds; it’s everywhere, yet our hearts intuitively know that it doesn’t belong. Hopelessness ultimately comes from sin. (Sin is any word, thought, or deed that elevates some selfish desire at the expense of love for God or other people.) Hopelessness can emerge when sins are committed on a personal level or on a larger, social level. How can hope be renewed in spite of this? Hope is renewed when God restores us! The fires of difficulty, frustration, and even hopelessness can reveal actions or attitudes that don’t belong in us. If we allow God to remove these things and purify us, then we’re left as better versions of ourselves. We’re better positioned to move forward with hope, and to bring hope to the world around us.

Main Passages

Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God.

- Zephaniah 3:1-2

Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord,  “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them — all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

- Zephaniah 3:8-9

11 “On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.12 But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, 13 those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue...”

- Zephaniah 3:11-13

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Main Passages above?

2. Why do you think God has to restore us before our hope in Him can truly be renewed?

3. Think about a recent fire of difficulty, frustration, or hopelessness in your life. Did that fire reveal some sinful action or attitude in you that God wants to remove?

The Power of Hope

Main Thought

Few events can match the sheer excitement of a great sports comeback. God can use the setbacks in our lives, and in the world, to prepare comebacks too. God has a divine plan for hope. The world’s hopelessness can become a stage on which God’s eternal hope can stand out. This hope, in turn, creates an opportunity for us to discover purpose, when God brings us out of hopelessness and into His hope. He soothes us and strengthens us; then, we gain the opportunity to inspire and help others. But we can’t do this on our own. Jesus Christ - who rose from the grave in the greatest comeback ever - gives us the power to pursue Him and mount our own comebacks. If we’ll seek Him with all of our hearts, in spite of our hopelessness, then we’ll find Him right where we need Him.

Main Passages

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

- Jeremiah 29:11

12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

- Jeremiah 29:12-13

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

- 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. What are some successful things you’ve done to seek God in the midst of a difficult, frustrating, or even hopeless situation?

3. Has God ever used your difficulties to inspire someone around you? Pray for someone you could engage with the gospel, and for an opportunity to introduce hope in God to them.

When Hope is Hard to See

Main Thought

The concept of “hope” can be a difficult one to process. On one hand, the resurrection of Jesus Christ permanently proves that hope in God is real. At the same time, there are reasons for hopelessness all around us: financial distress, sickness, war, and more. How are we supposed to reconcile these seemingly contradictory realities? The truth is that hope and hopelessness currently coexist. God is actively bringing about change in the world, primarily through the changed lives of His followers. Yet the consequences of sin and death will remain until Jesus returns. Any reason for hopelessness in the world will be destroyed when He returns - but what are we supposed to do in the meantime?

We can learn to lament while looking to God for hope. A lament is simply an honest prayer, or cry to God, from a place of pain. The Bible is filled with laments. Lamenting begins when we come before God, even when we’re broken. We can come to Him in the authentic reality of our situations. Then, we can cry and complain to God. This deepens our relationship with Him while lessening the ability of our negative emotions to dominate or control us. Our lamentation takes a turn when we call on God to move: we pray for His help or deliverance. Then, in spite of current situations that inspire hopelessness, we can choose to hope in God again. Our hope is built on the unchanging character of God and the completed work of Christ. These things are constant, and they can help our hope become constant too.

Main Passages

19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope…

- Lamentations 3:19-21

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

- Lamentations 3:22-24

“...He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” - 1 Peter 1:3

Discussion Questions

1. There are examples of lament across the Old and New Testaments. Approximately one-third of the Psalms are laments. There’s a book called Lamentations. Why do you think God sovereignly included so much content on laments?

2. Are there any areas in your life in which lamenting may help you? What can you bring before God in lament this week? Remember, the four steps of lamentation are:

   1. Call on God.

   2. Cry and complain.

   3. Call on God to move.

   4. Choose hope in Him.

3. Why do you think it’s important for our hope to be built on God’s unchanging character and the completed work of Jesus Christ?

Eternal Debt, Paid in Full

Main Thought

No one wants to be trapped in debt. We can owe debt for a variety of different reasons. These reasons include violations that we commit (like an amount owed because of a traffic ticket), or it can come as a result of damage we’ve caused. The Bible lovingly yet clearly informs us that we owe an eternal debt to God because of our sin. Sin is any word, thought, or deed that prioritizes some selfish desire at the expense of love for God and others. Sin breaks right relationship. We all owe a debt to God because of the damage caused by our sin.

But God loves us, and He didn’t want us to pay for this debt ourselves. Jesus Christ came to pay for our debt in our place! Jesus lived a perfect life of love by God’s standards. Then, He went to the Cross to pay the price for our sin. His sacrifice was immeasurable; however, when He rose again, He proved that His payment was sufficient! We can all experience the freedom of redemption, and the promise of eternal life, when we believe in Him and follow Him.

Main Passages

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

- John 19:30

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

- Romans 3:23 

23 For the wages of sin is death…

- Romans 6:23a

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

- Colossians 2:13-14 (NIV)

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think our sin incurs a debt to God?

2. Dr. Rice Broocks, a co-founder of the Every Nation family of churches and campus ministries, defines the gospel like this: “The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ. He lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died—in our place. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving that He is the Son of God and offering the gift of salvation to those who repent and believe in Him.”

   1. Do you believe the truth of the gospel as summarized by this statement? Why or why not?

3. Jesus redeemed us from an eternal debt. In light of His sacrifice for us, how should you make full use of the freedom Jesus gave you?

Love

Main Thought

Everyone knows that love is important, but why is it so important? Ultimately, it’s because love is our life purpose. We were made to experience love with God and other people. Love can be felt and it can be acted out; however, love is more than feelings and even more than actions. Love is a motive that inspires our feelings and actions. It desires good for another. Love seeks to build healthy relationships. Conversely, sin is that which ruins relationships. God’s law, as we learn of it in the Bible, describes ways by which we can act in love to build healthy relationships rather than break them. The law of God teaches us to love well. It isn’t easy to love; it’s something that we all need to grow into. Maturity can be seen in the ability (or inability) to give and receive love freely. Yet our efforts to give and receive love ultimately fall short without God. Imperfect people cannot produce perfect love on their own. We need perfect love from a perfect God! As we pursue God and endeavor to love like Him, He fulfills our life purpose.

Main Passages

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

- Matthew 22:37-40

14 Let all that you do be done in love.

- 1 Corinthians 16:14

…You received without paying; give without pay.

- Matthew 10:8

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above? Why?

2. Dr. Greg Mitchell’s sermon and the Main Thought assert that “Love is our life purpose.” What do you think about that statement? Can you see evidence of that statement’s truth in your own life?

3. Do you feel that you are able to give and receive love freely? If it’s difficult to do one (or both) of those things, why?

How to Love People Who Hurt You

Main Thought

To be hurt, whether by a complete stranger or by someone we love, is a part of the human experience. Jesus knew what it was like to be hurt too. Most of His own disciples abandoned Him, denied Him, or betrayed Him around the time of His Crucifixion. Yet Jesus loved those who hurt Him with incredible grace, truth, and service. It’s exciting to be a recipient of such love - but it can be intimidating to rise up to such a lofty standard. As followers of Jesus, we can work our way toward loving those who hurt us by taking steps of grace (which withholds judgement and chooses to desire good or bless); steps of truth (which presents the truth without malice and builds boundaries if necessary); and, steps of service (to meet the felt needs of others in different ways or degrees). The next, right step is often an uncomfortable one. But taking these steps will eventually bring us closer to God and form us to be more like Christ, all while we learn to rest assured in God.

Main Passages

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

- John 1:14

3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him… 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

- John 13:3-5, 10-11

14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 

- John 13:14

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above? Why?

2. Think about a time you received grace, truth, or service, either from God or someone else. What happened? What did it feel like to receive these things?

3. Are there any situations in which you can take a step toward grace, truth, or service while choosing to love someone who hurt you? What might that step look like practically?

How to Love Difficult People

Main Thought

It can be hard to love others. It can be especially difficult to love “difficult people,” whether it be because of their personalities, differing beliefs, the things they’ve done to hurt us, or more. Yet the second-greatest commandment still applies: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So how are we supposed to love difficult people? We can begin by looking inward. Our own moods, perspectives, biases, or even sin can get in the way of our ability to love others. Then, we can make the difficult choice to extend outward. To forgive and love begins with a choice to desire good for others, rather than harm. This decision may help us see the hurt in the other person’s life. Ultimately, our ability to love difficult people finds unmatched strength and inspiration when we look upward. God loved us when we were “difficult people.” Experiencing God’s love makes it possible to extend God’s love.

Main Passages

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

- Exodus 34:6-7

2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

- Matthew 7:2-3

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

- Ephesians 4:31-32

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Passages above?

2. The Word of God (and Pastor Roland’s sermon) exhort us to look inward toward things that may hinder our ability to love, and to extend outward with a choice to love. Which of those two things do you find more difficult? Why?

3. Is there a difficult person in your life or sphere of influence that God may be calling you to extend love to? How might that look?

How to Love When You're Drained

Main Thought

Most of us know what it’s like to feel drained, or emotionally exhausted. Great or prolonged stress can cause us to feel trapped, powerless, or hopeless. We may become frustrated with the people around us more easily. That makes it hard for us to love. But Jesus can teach us how to love well, even when we’re drained. If we find ourselves surrounded by those who need us, it can help to shift our focus from our needs to their needs for a time. This can help us escape a downward spiral of negativity. Taking moments to pause and “look up to heaven” - even if those moments need to be brief - can allow our hearts to recalibrate and find relief in God before we return to the tasks-at-hand. We may also need to make a conscious decision to bless, not curse, people around us. We bless people when we adopt an attitude of love, pray for them, or desire good for them. Finally, as soon as we’re able, we should rush to find rest in our God. Jesus prioritized personal, quiet time with the Father and went to great lengths to experience it. We can learn from His example. If we do these things, then we’ll eventually discover that God meets our needs and multiplies our abilities.

Main Passages

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

- Matthew 14:13-14

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing…

- Matthew 14:17-19

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

- John 15:4-5

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Main Passages above?

2. Has anything caused you to feel emotionally exhausted recently? (Please share as much as your comfort and privacy allows.)

3. The four things we can learn from Jesus about loving well when we’re feeling drained are listed below.

   1. We can shift our focus from our needs to the needs of others.

   2. We can pause and look up.

   3. We can choose to bless.

   4. We can rush to rest in God.

   Which do you feel would be most helpful to you, and why? How can you implement it?

Luke 15: Bible Study

Read Luke 15

Reflect on these questions

• What stood out to you most after reading this chapter in the Bible?

• Through the Parable of the Prodigal Son (along with places like John 13:9, John 15:5, James 4:6-8 and more), we can reach the following conclusion: “God’s love is offered unconditionally yet experienced conditionally.”

  • Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not?

• The Younger (Prodigal) Son’s actions can be broadly categorized as rebellious. He visibly rejected the Father’s will while living in immorality. Meanwhile, the Older Son’s actions and attitudes can be called self-righteous. He appeared to obey the Father within the confines of traditional morality, yet his motives were selfish and his attitude was prideful and judgmental. Both sons dishonored their Father.

  • Can you see yourself in either one of these two brothers? Do you identify with one brother’s sin more than the other, or both equally? If so, why?

Respond with faith in action

• The hero of the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is the Loving Father. (Jesus used this character to portray God.) He initiated and invited both his younger, rebellious son and his older, self-righteous son to repent of their ways and enter into a closer relationship with Him.

  • Is there anything you need to change in order to enjoy a closer relationship with God on a personal level? If so, what?

  • Bonus: As we approach Easter on March 31, who can you invite into a relationship with God?

My Christian Calling

Main Thought

A lot of people want to discover their “calling” from God. While the specific details of our lives differ, the call of God for every Christian is the same. God calls us to know Christ. He wants us to believe in Him as the Son of God, to develop a personal relationship with Him, and to walk in His power through the presence of His Holy Spirit. God wants more than a one-time encounter with us; He calls us to grow in Him. We’re meant to love Him more and become more like Him over time. When we grow in Christ, we glow for Christ. People should be able to see Jesus through the way we live. Finally, every Christian is called to go for Christ. We are meant to engage individuals, families, and communities with God’s love.

Main Passages

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

- John 15:5 ESV

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

- Acts 4:13 ESV

”And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover…And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”

- Mark 16:15-20 ESV

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. Do you think people around you can see a good representation of Jesus through your life? Why or why not?

3. God calls every believer to do the following four things. Which of these four things best reflect your knowlede of God, or your relationship with Him, at the current moment? What might help you take the next step?

   1. Know Christ.

   2. Grow in Christ.

   3. Glow for Christ.

   4. Go for Christ.