God's Amazing Story

God's Amazing Story

Study Guide Week Twelve

Message for Sunday December 2, 2018

This Week Reading:  Luke 1:1-4  Additional Reading: Acts 1:1-3; Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11

Introduction

When I first became a follower of Jesus at the age of 31 I started reading the Bible. When I got to the book of Luke, the introduction (Verses 1-4 of chapter 1) fascinated me. I was fascinated because I realized that what I was reading in the Bible was a reliable and trustworthy account of what had actually happened. Unlike other religions or philosophies, Christianity is based upon historical facts. Some of the accounts of Jesus specifically Matthew and John were actually written by his followers and are eyewitness accounts. John 1:14 and 21:24 as well as 2 Peter 1:16 and 1 John 1:1-3 all testify to being first hand accounts of eyewitnesses. The book of Mark was written by a disciple of the Apostle Peter. Mark's information is probably mainly based upon Peter telling what he experienced. Luke on the other hand was like an investigative reporter. He carefully researched, spoke to eye witnesses and visited the places where things happened. He most likely spoke to Jesus' mother, to the shepherds who saw the angels announcing Jesus' birth and probably many of the people mentioned in the book who had miracles performed in their lives by Jesus. Luke also became part of the Apostle Paul's ministry team as the above additional verses indicate.

Luke's gospel is the most complete and comprehensive account of the life and ministry of Jesus. Luke was also a medical doctor and at times he uses medical terms to describe things. For example in verse 3 when he writes that he carefully investigated everything, the term used is the term used for a doctor carefully examining a patient. Luke was the perfect person to be used by God to write God's story so that you and I over 2,000 years later could hear and respond to the story of Jesus.

                   

Background Information

Theophilus is a Greek name and most likely he was a Roman governor or official since Luke refers to him with the term 'most excellent' a term used when referring to an official of the government. His name literally translated means lover of God. Theo is the Greek word for God and philo is the Greek word for brotherly love. This man had apparently become a follower of Jesus based upon someone telling him about Jesus and he believed and become a follower. There was no Bible as we know it at that time just the Jewish scriptures which we know as the Old Testament. Luke inspired by God and used by God decided to write an orderly account so that this man would know the certainty of what he had been taught. Luke wrote with the purpose of convincing, converting, saving and spiritually edifying this man. 

Integrating the word of God into our lives is of key importance. The Bible has words of life that are alive and work in us as we read and apply it. A key word in verse 1 is the word fulfilled. This word is used 33 times in the gospels to refer to the fulfilling of an Old Testament promise in the ministry of Jesus. This points to the connection between the Old and New Testaments. It is all one story - Creation - Fall and brokenness - Waiting for a savior - the birth and ministry of Jesus bringing salvation - waiting for the second coming of Jesus to bring full restoration.  It is an amazing story one that everyone needs to hear.   

Key Points

• Understanding God's story brings clarity to our lives and guides us in how to live in a broken world.

• God's book is the greatest gift God has given us - fall in love with it -  read it, study it, memorize it and share it with others.

• Knowing and applying God's truth brings freedom and restoration. God's amazing story is meant to be passed on to others.

Digging Deeper Questions

1. Discuss how important the Bible is in your life. What are some particular situations where reading the Bible has effected you and your life.
2. How do you integrate the Bible into your daily life? What is your devotional time like? What would you like to develop in this area of your life?
3. Why was it important for Luke to mention that there were eyewitnesses who wrote what happened down? Why was it important for him to mention he investigated everything?
4. How would you have investigated everything? Who would you have interviewed? Where would you have gone to visit?
5. Why is it important to know the certainty of what you believe? How would you respond to someone who said the Bible is just a book like any other book?.
6. How do you personally know that the Bible is God's word?
7. What insights do you get from these verses? What can you apply?.

This Week's Challenge 

Tell someone the story of Jesus and how Jesus has impacted your life.

Touch Jesus and Be Healed

Changing the World God's Way

Study Guide Week Twelve

Message for Sunday November 25, 2018

This Week Reading:  Luke 8:40-56  Additional Reading: Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43

Introduction

Jesus is a healer. Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), that means Jesus is the healer today. In fact, Jesus came to redeem broken people in a broken world. Physical as well as spiritual wholeness is included in Jesus ministry. As one examines the various healing miracles of Jesus in the four gospels (accounts of Jesus ministry and purpose - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) it appears that Jesus heals in three distinct circumstances. First, Jesus heals as a matter of compassion (Luke 5:13; 7:18). God is a good Father and at times His compassion moves Him to intervene and heal. This is pure grace and love. Secondly, Jesus heals as a sign or proof or demonstration of who He is usually to non believers. In the gospel of John Jesus' miracles are called signs and John writes them so that people might believe (John 20:30-31). In Mark 16:17 it states that the sign of healing will follow those who preach the Kingdom of God. Thirdly, Jesus heals in response to confident faith. Faith is a gift of God. At times according to His sovereignty God gives people a confident faith to believe they will be healed. This is the situation with the women who was healed in these verses. Note especially Mark 5:28 in which the woman's confident faith is noted.

When reading and studying any incident in the gospels it is helpful to ask two questions. First, 'How does this incident fit into God's overall story and plan?' God's plan is restoration. The story has four parts - Creation (perfect world - no brokenness) - man's fall (Genesis 3 - brokenness entering the world) - Redemption (the life and ministry of Jesus) and new heaven and new earth. The second question to ask is Why does the gospel writer include this incident out of the thousands of incidents in Jesus' ministry. what is being taught?

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Background Information

A women with an issue or discharge of blood was considered an outcast and unclean in Jewish society at the time of Jesus (Leviticus 15:19-27). Here the women's condition was chronic (something that she had to live with). In addition it was humanly incurable. Mark in his telling of the incident notes that the woman had heard of Jesus (see additional verses above) and that she thought 'if I can just touch the edge of His garment' she would be healed. The woman wanting to be unnoticed came from behind Jesus and touched His robe and immediately was healed. She was intending to go quietly away without attracting attention. Jesus however stops and says that someone touched Him. This forced the woman to come forward. She came forward in fear (because of the prohibition on touching other people when she had a discharge of blood). The woman gives her testimony and Jesus accepts her as a daughter and tells her to go in peace. She is thus physically healed and accepted back into society with her shame removed. 

Key Points

• Failure to understand that we live in and are effected by a broken world will lead to disappointment.

• Jesus gives us a taste of restoration now as we wait for the full restoration that is coming.

• There is no secret so dark that Jesus won't light it up and set you free.

Digging Deeper Questions

1. Have several people in the group tell the incident in their own words.
2. Put yourself in the woman's shoes before she was healed. How would having a chronic illness have effected her emotionally and in every area of her life? Have you or someone you know ever had a chronic condition that could not be cured?
3. Why did she not ask Jesus to heal her? Why did she come up behind him and just touch His robe? Contrast her approach to Jesus with the approach of Jarius the synagogue ruler.
4. How did Jesus know something had happened? How did the disciples respond? Why the difference?
5. How do you think she found out about Jesus? Imagine some scenarios about how she found out.
6. Why did Jesus have her publicly say what was wrong with her? Why didn't Jesus just let her go. What was Jesus purpose and point in doing that?
7. Discuss what verse 48 means and what the key take aways from the story are for you.

This Week's Challenge 

Pray in person for people you know who are sick to be healed

Seek the Lost

Changing the World God's Way

Study Guide Week Eleven

Message for Sunday November 18, 2018

This Week Reading:  Luke 15:1-31  Additional Reading: 

Introduction

A parable is a story with a point. In these verses Jesus tells one parable (see verse 3 - singular) yet the parable has 3 parts. In studying these verses it is helpful to make a chart of each of the 3 stories listing the characteristics of each. In this way you will see the similarities and the differences between each one of them. Of key importance in studying any parable that Jesus tells is to look at the context. What was the situation in which Jesus told this story? Who was the audience He was speaking to? How did the people respond. To understand this it is important to read the verses that are before and after the story. A parable is not an allegory. An allegory is a story in which each character represents something else. An example of an allegory in the Bible is Psalm 80 in which God's people are represented in the Psalm as a growing vine. Jesus used allegory in John chapter 10 verses 1-16 where sheep represent people and the sheep pen the Kingdom of God. Other examples are Galatians 4;21-31; Romans 11:15-24; and Ephesians 6:11-17. A parable is not an allegory but instead is a story or illustration of a single point. Here there are 3 stories that all make the same point - Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

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Background Information

The word 'lost' appears 7 times in these verses. This is hint that this is a key concept. Similarly the word 'found' occurs 8 times. Thus from an examination of the words we can see that the key message is about lost and found. Finding the lost is the priority of Jesus Christ. When the shepherd leaves the 99 in the open country it is probably not a dangerous thing to do for the 99 sheep since in that culture shepherds worked in teams and there was a head shepherd and assistant shepherds so the 99 would have been safe while the shepherd went searching for the lost sheep. Sheep tended to wander away and would get lost and at risk of getting eaten by a predator or falling on a cliff etc. It was normal practice for the shepherd to go and seek the lost sheep. The woman's lost coin was a drachma and probably had a  value was one days average wages for a worker. It is normal for someone to search for a coin of that value. If you were being paid $15 per hour and lost $120 in your house you would look for it. Jesus' point is that it is normal in life to seek what is lost.

In examining the story of the prodigal son it his helpful to note the steps in his journey. He is on a downward spiral which shows us the destructive nature of sin. The word lost applied to him is a participle meaning he is in the state of being lost or state of destruction getting worse and worse. Interestingly enough in this story the Father does not go out to seek him unlike the woman or the shepherd in the previous stories. Here the young man's decision is deliberate and willful. Something must happen in his heart. In fact requesting his inheritance and leaving would be a huge insult to to the Father. His coming to his senses is a beautiful step by step picture of true repentance as follows:  - awakening - remorse (godly sorrow) - confession of sin - sincere feeling of unworthiness - turning around. Of course the climax of the 3 stories is the Father welcoming the son back with compassion and full restoration. The older brother does not understand the father's heart just as the religious leaders did not understand Jesus' heart. Verse 32 is a powerful summary of Jesus' purpose.

Key Points

• The one thing of highest value to Jesus is the seeking and saving of lost and broken people.

• The priority of the church and every Christian is to GO and SEEK the lost and broken  until they are found.

• Jesus never gives up on anyone. When we have Jesus' passion in us we will diligently seek the lost and broken.

• The lost and broken who come back are welcomed by Jesus as children of God.

Digging Deeper Questions

1. Have several people in the group tell each of the stories in their own words.
2. What do you notice that each of the stories have in common? What are the differences between the stories?
3. What types of people do you see as lost? Why? What about people who live a good life and are good people but are not followers of Jesus - are they lost?
4. Why did Jesus tell these 3 stories? Support your answer from scripture. What is the main point Jesus is teaching?
5. Which one of the 3 stories relates most to your life story? Explain
6. Why do you think the sinners want to hear Jesus teach (verse 1)? What do we learn about Jesus from these verses? What do we learn about our purpose from these verses?
7. What will you apply from these verses

This Week's Challenge 

Make a list of 3 lost people you will start praying for and seeking.

Leadership Corner: Recommended Resource

Recommended Resource

Effective leaders continually develop their skills. One of the best ways to develop your skills is to read great books. Recently in order to develop my skills in coaching, someone leading a training on the subject of coaching (Michael L. Forney, founder of Gravitational Leadership and a Christian leadership writer http://www.gravitationalleadership.com/), recommended I read a book. It is a great book. The book is:

    The Coaching Habit: Say, Less, Ask More and Change the Way You Lead Forever 

The book is written by Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael is the founder and CEO of Box of Crayons a leadership consulting and training organization. More information including podcasts and resources can be found at the website https://boxofcrayons.com/ 

The book integrates videos with each chapter. The videos can be viewed at https://boxofcrayons.com/the-coaching-habit-book/the-coaching-habit-videos/

The book also contains a list of recommended books for every leaders library on a broad range of topics.

To become an effective leader it essential that you see your self as a coach of those you lead. In doing so you will empower them to do great work and you will do less work. A coach is not a mentor. A mentor is an expert to whom people come to for advice. A coach on the other hand comes alongside the person being coached and through the use of questions and listening and on occasion some advice helps them become the expert.

The book is built around seven key questions as follows:

1. The Kickstart Question
    "What's on your mind?"

2. The AWE Question
    "And what else?"

3. The Focus Question
    "What's the real challenge for you here?"

4. The Foundation Question
    "What do you want"?

5. The Lazy Question
    "How can I help?"

6. The Strategic Question
    "If you are saying YES to this, what are you saying NO to?

7. The Learning Question
    "What was most useful to you?"

This book is highly recommended. 

Go and Do Likewise

Changing the World God's Way

Study Guide Week Ten

Message for Sunday November 11, 2018

This Week Reading:  Luke 10:25-37  Additional Reading: 

Introduction

The parable (a story real or made up told to illustrate a point) of the Good Samaritan is one of the most well known and loved parables Jesus told. It is possibly a real account that Jesus used to make a point or a story Jesus created to make the point. In studying or reading the Bible and what Jesus said it is important to understand the context of what is going on. It is interesting to note that Jesus responds to the lawyer's (expert in the Jewish religious law) first question with another question and responds to the second question with telling a story. This is a masterful technique that leads a person to discover the answer for themselves. Finally Jesus asks the expert in the law a question that effectively forces the lawyer to give the correct answer and convict himself.

Do not miss the fact that Jesus re-frames the question. The expert in the law asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus re-frames it to, "Who was neighbor to the man 'in need'." This puts the burden on us to be the neighbor to the person in need.                       

Background Information

Luke is the only gospel writer who includes this powerful parable in the account of all that Jesus taught and did. The expert in the law or lawyer was an expert in Jewish religious law. His question, 'How one can inherit eternal life' is perhaps the most important question of life. This question was asked of Jesus on many occasions (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 18:18-23). The lawyer correctly answers Jesus reciting Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 5 and Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18. He thus knows what the scripture says but the key issue from Jesus point of view is applying the scripture.  The lawyer then seeks to excuse himself for not loving all people perfectly by questioning who is his neighbor. His goal undoubtedly is to show that not all people are his neighbor especially people he does not like (Geldenhuys). Jesus then tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem was a dangerous road where many robbers would attack travelers. Samaritans were a mixed race. They were half Jewish and half Babylonian. The Jews of that time looked down on the Samaritans as half breeds and had nothing to do with them. Here in this story a Jewish man is attacked by robbers and beaten and left to die. Ironically the one who helps him is a Samaritan. Thus the Samaritan becomes a neighbor to the Jewish man in need. The priest and the Levite, who are both Jewish, do not stop to help the dying Jewish man. Instead they pass by on the other side of the road. The priest and the Levite were both religious workers in the Jewish temple. If they touched a dead body they would become ceremonially unclean and unable to perform their religious duties in the temple. They thus put religious duties higher that helping those in need.  Jesus finishes the parable with a challenge and a command to us all: Go and do likewise!

Key Points

• God's expectation is that we will live a life of love to God and others.

• Behave as a neighbor to those who need love and help no matter what their nationality or condition.

• True religion is love in action towards those in need.

Digging Deeper Questions

1. Have several people in the group tell the story in their own words.
2. Why do people sometimes not take the time to show love in practical ways to others? Give some examples from your own life.
3. What is the context in which Jesus told this story? Read verses 25-29. What question does the lawyer ask Jesus? How would people answer that question today? What answer does lawyer give? How does Jesus respond?
4. Why do you think the priest and the Levite did not help the man who had been robbed and beaten? Why did the Samaritan help?
5. What does it mean to be a neighbor to other people? Who are you neighbor to?
6. What is the teaching of this parable?
7. Discuss your application from these verses

This Week's Challenge 

Be a neighbor to people in need you come across this week.

Leadership Corner: The Effective Leadership Model

The Effective Leadership Model

I. Mastering Your Core

• Listen - hear from God for greater intimacy, authority and favor
• Become - a non-anxious presence among those you lead
• Interact - with others with honesty, courage and grace
• Learn - continually learn for personal and professional improvement

II. Forging the Path

• Discern - size up the situation, discern God's desired future, act with good judgment
• Communicate - Everything happens because of a conversation
• Train - Invest in the people around you and train them in skills that enable them to accomplish necessary tasks
• Deploy - mobilize people in systematic ways to accomplish work that achieves results

III. Ensuring Execution

• Encourage - continually encourage your team
• Meet and Report - meet regularly with your team members and have them report on the tasks they agreed to accomplish and set new goals to complete by the next meeting
• Measure results - "How are we doing?" - you can only improve what you measure.

From Rev. David Harvey, Superintendent of the Acts 12:24 Churches - adapted from 

http://www.hallmarksofexcellence.com/ 

and "The Six Systems of Organizational Effectiveness" by Bob Anderson and Bill Adams

Attitude Check

Changing the World God's Way

Study Guide Week Nine

Message for Sunday November 2, 2018

This Week Reading:  Luke 10:38-42  Additional Reading: Philippians 2:14, 1 Peter 4:9

Introduction

Luke the writer of the book known as Luke repeatedly emphasizes Jesus' words and deeds (Acts 1:1 referring to the book of Luke). Luke shows repeatedly that Jesus' words and deeds always line up. Jesus repeatedly exposes the religious leaders for being people whose words and deeds do not line up. A key point throughout the book is that the heart attitude of a person determines what they do. Motive matters to God. In this incident, which is recorded only by Luke, Jesus focuses in on Martha's heart attitude. Martha was apparently a follower of Jesus probably having just begun to follow him. Martha is doing something good - she is serving and showing hospitality to Jesus and his disciples but her heart is not right as she does it. Jesus confronts her in a loving manner. In verse 41 Jesus' repetition of Martha's name shows that Jesus is lovingly rebuking her. Apparently Jesus' checking of Martha's attitude was effective. In John 12:1, the situation of Martha serving alone is again presented. On this later occasion Jesus does not correct Martha since apparently her attitude was good. The key point of this incident is to show that our attitude is important. If we are going to serve others we are at our best if we do it out of an attitude of love and concern. The reverse is that if our attitude is bad then it is better not to serve. Hospitality like many other Christian virtues is a heart attitude that expresses itself in actions.

It is also interesting to note that much of Jesus' ministry and time was spent in people's homes. It is in the context of daily life and eating together that Jesus reached out to people and developed His followers. This is a model we would do well to follow in our own lives. By becoming involved in the lives of those around us in social settings and yes even in our homes whether they be houses or apartments we will find many opportunities to bring people to Jesus.  Hospitality is one of the requirements for those who would be leaders, pastors or deacons in the church - 1 Timothy 3:2; 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 1:8.                         

Background Information

Martha lived with her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus. There is no indication that any of them were married. They appear in several incidents specifically Luke 10:38-42; John 11: 1-44 and John 12:1-3. They lived in a small town of Bethany outside of Jerusalem which became the place where Jesus stayed when He was in the area.  Mary who was sitting at Jesus feet apparently did have a proper attitude. She was not as Martha was thinking avoiding her duties to help. The brother Lazarus died and was raised to life by Jesus in His last miracle recorded in the book of John (chapter 11).

Key Points

• Jesus showed hospitality (welcome and love) to all people

• Hospitality is a heart attitude

• Spending time with Jesus will transform your heart to become a hospitable person who loves and welcomes all people.

Digging Deeper Questions

1. Have you ever had a bad attitude? What situations are you most likely to have a bad attitude in?
2. Why is our attitude important to Jesus? How can we changed our attitude?
3. Tell the story in your own words.
4. Who do you identify with the most in the story, Mary or Martha? Why?
5. What is Martha distracted by? Has that ever happened to you? Explain
6. How did Martha feel according to Jesus? What does Jesus tell her in verse 42? What does that mean in your own words?
7. Discuss your application from these verses

This Week's Challenge 

Get a partner and agree to check each others attitudes this week..

                                  

3 Keys to a Healthy Relationship - Key Number 2

Building Strong Marriages Together
3 Keys to a Healthy Relationship
Key Number 2

Key Thought: Working on your relationship is a life long journey that yields great rewards

Review:

The three keys are foundations to be maintained not skills to be learned. The three keys are a mindset to have that is not based upon feelings or circumstances. The first key is the cornerstone of the foundation upon which the other 2 keys rest. The first key is an unwavering commitment. 

Introduction - Key Number Two - Working on Your Relationship 

It important to work on your relationship for the following reasons:

   a. No one is taught communication skills and conflict resolution and how to have a         health marriage

   b. Situations and problems that are ignored only get worse not better

   c. Marriage is difficult

3 Hindrances to working on your marriage

1. Improper priorities in your marriage. Some improper priorities are:

a. Children - it may seem as if children should be the top priority but actually that is not true. The marriage must be the must important priority for the marriage to be healthy. If the marriage is healthy then the environment for the children will be healthy.

b. Material things putting the pursuit of a certain standard of living as a priority will damage a relationship.

c. Career / church / hobbies / sports and anything that takes priority over the marriage.

2. Not being deliberate – not scheduling it each week – it will not just happen on its own you have to be deliberate

3. No accountability – no one to check and see if you are doing these things

3 Areas to work on that will help build your marriage 

1. Area Number One: YOU – your character issues

   a. Character issues will sabotage a marriage relationship. Things such as anger, impatient, not being kind etc will seriously effect a marriage. If these are not dealt with no amount of work on relationship skills will be effective.We work on our character issues through prayer, Holy Spirit, reading word, reading books on the character issue such as anger management books

2. Area Number Two: YOU – your healing issues

    a. Healing issues that lead to problems in marriage include being betrayed in past – can’t trust; low self-esteem; sexual abuse and other damage you bring into the relationship. These must be recognized and the healing process begun and continued.

3. The third area is to work together on Relationship skills

   a. The good news is you can learn how to improve communication and conflict skills and other skills, but it will take making the effort together. this can be done by going to conferences, seminars, reading books, and taking communication training and other training. 

 Key Verse: Proverbs 24:3 -4 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches

   

X. Next Meeting – November 24 Key #3 – watch our videos