GCPC: SEPT DISCUSSION GUIDE

SEPTEMBER STUDY GUIDE

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STUDY GUIDE INTRODUCTION

As a church family we are taking this 2014-15 school year to study the Bible together from Genesis to Revelation. Our hope is that as we focus on the larger story of what God has been up to in the world it will help us better understand the role he has for us to play at this time in history. As you study the scriptures as a family, as a small group or as a class, please pray for our church to clearly hear God's voice. This study guide is meant to help you explore the big themes of the Bible. You can use it as a stand-alone study before or after our Sunday worship times in which the sermons will be based on the same large topic, or you can use this study guide as a supplement to the other Story materials like the teaching DVD and The Story novel. We arranged this study in a way to help us each be more intentional about being disciples of Jesus by asking these three primary questions:

1) What does the text say?

2) What is God saying to me through this text?

3) What is God asking me to do different in light of this text?

Thank you for being willing to be a part of this journey we are on together as a church family, and thank you for being open to how God wants to invite you more deeply into His beautiful story.

2 The week of September 7: CREATION Sermon Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28 Sermon Title: “In the Image of God” Additional Readings: Genesis 1 and 2, Psalm 104, John 1: 1-18, Col. 1:15-23 CONTEXT questions (what did the text say to the original audience?)

1.) According to Genesis 1, what is the role of humankind in God’s world?

2.) According to Genesis 1, what is unique about how God creates humankind?

3.) What other insights about humankind’s role and humankind’s identity do you find in the other scripture passages from this study?

REPENT questions (where does our thinking need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR THINKING TO CHANGE?” 4.) How is the Church doing at living into the role given to us in God’s world?

5.) What does it look like to display the image of God with how we live?

6.) What specific areas of your life or of this world need more of God’s image to be displayed in order to see God’s true intention for His world?

BELIEVE questions (where does our behavior need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR ACTIONS TO CHANGE?” 7.) How are you representing Jesus in the way you lead what you have been put in charge of in your life? (Family, church, work, social life, etc.)

8.) What fruit of the Spirit are you sensing God is calling you to bear more of in this season? (See Galatians 5) 9.) Who are you called to spiritually multiply into in this season of life? (Disciples of Jesus are called to Disciple others in the ways of Jesus) CLOSE WITH PRAYER:

3 The week of September 14: ABRAHAM Sermon Scripture: Genesis 12: 1-5 Sermon Title: “Blessed to Bless” Additional Readings: Genesis 12-13; 15-17; 21-22, Romans 4, Heb. 11, Matthew 5 CONTEXT questions (what did the text say to the original audience?)

1.) According to Genesis 12 what did Abraham have to do in order to be obedient to God? 2.) According to Genesis 12 why was God choosing to bless Abraham?

3.) Where else do you see the theme of “blessed to be a blessing” in the other Genesis passages and the other New Testament readings from this week?

REPENT questions (where does our thinking need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR THINKING TO CHANGE?” 4.) How is the Church doing at this invitation to bless others with what we have been blessed with from God? 5.) What is harder for you: to allow God to bless you or for you to bless others?

Why? 6.) Who are the people that are hardest for you to extend blessing to?

BELIEVE questions (where does our behavior need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR ACTIONS TO CHANGE?” 7.) Name the top five ways you are blessed by God in this season of life. Now name the top five ways in which you are using these blessings to bless others.

8.) What can you do this week in order to better be open to God’s blessing of you?

How will this happen?

9.) What can you do this week in order to better be open to blessing others? Who will this be?

CLOSE WITH PRAYER:

4 The week of September 21: JOSEPH Sermon Scripture: Genesis 39: 1-6 Sermon Title: “The Lord Was With Him” Additional Readings: Gen. 37, Gen. 41, Gen. 45, Acts 7, Matthew 27:32-56 CONTEXT questions (what did the text say to the original audience?)

1.) List the good things that happened to Joseph as well as the bad things that happen to him?

2.) Put yourself on Joseph’s emotional roller coaster and imagine what you might’ve felt at each point of his life?

3.) When do you think Joseph knew God had a story that he was working out in Joseph’s life?

REPENT questions (where does our thinking need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR THINKING TO CHANGE?” 4.) Tell your group two high points and two low points in your life.

5.) What can we do with the low points that would help us to recognize God was at work even at those times in our life?

BELIEVE questions (where does our behavior need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR ACTIONS TO CHANGE?”

6.) What are the changes that need to take place in my life that demonstrate a new view of God? 7.) How can I learn to tell my story, even the bad parts, so that God is glorified?

CLOSE WITH PRAYER:

5 The week of September 28: MOSES Sermon Scripture: Exodus 3:1-14 Sermon Title: “Deliverance from God” Additional Readings: Exodus 2, Exodus 3:15-23, Ex. 4, Acts 3:11-26, Matt. 3:11-17 (Cut up small sticks or twigs for everyone in your group) CONTEXT questions (what did the text say to the original audience?)

1.) How did God prepare Moses for his part in the story?

2.) What reasons did Moses give for not wanting anything to do with God’s plan?

3.) What did God do in response to Moses’ reticence to lead?

4.) If God can use a stick what about you?

REPENT questions (where does our thinking need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR THINKING TO CHANGE?”

5.) Where do you have influence with people, and how might God want to use influence?

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6.) What needs to change in your self-identity in order to love and serve these people?

BELIEVE questions (where does our behavior need to change?)

STOP AND PRAY AS A GROUP: “GOD, HOW DO YOU WANT OUR ACTIONS TO CHANGE?”

7.) What is one practical thing you can do to minister to the people God is calling you to?

8.) What do you think is needed to do the work?

9.) How is your faith going to be tested?

CLOSE WITH PRAYER:

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DISCIPLESHIP LEARNING CIRCLE INTRODUCTION The Learning Circle is a discipleship tool, which means it is a way to help us better follow Jesus. The premise is simple: God is always speaking, always wanting to communicate His love and plans to us, and we want to be people who hear this voice and respond in obedience. The first half of the circle is about REPENTING, which means to have our thinking changed by God. The second half of the circle is about BELIEVING, which means to have our behavior changed by God. Use this tool in order to help lead conversations all the way around the circle so that we might be people who more clearly know the ways of Jesus and more obediently follow the ways of Jesus. You will notice that our drawing of the Learning Circle includes two places to stop in order to engage prayer. Use this time as a group to listen for the voice of God because He wants to speak to us, and speak through us to our brothers and sisters.

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SCHEDULE October 5, 2014- 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) “New Commands and Covenant” (1st Reading Exodus 24:1-3) October 12, 2014- Wandering (Numbers 14:11-12, 17-23) “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” (1st Reading Deuteronomy 1:9-14) October 19, 2014- Joshua (Joshua 1: 1-11) “Strong and Courageous” (1st Reading Joshua 10:7-8) October 26, 2014- Judges (Judges 6:11-16) “A Few Good Men…and Women” (1st Reading Judges 2:1-5) November 2, 2014- Ruth (Ruth 4:1-10) “The Faith of a Foreign Woman” (1st Reading Ruth 1:8-10) November 9, 2014- Saul (1 Samuel 3:1-10) “Standing Tall, Falling Hard” (1st Reading 1 Samuel 15:10-11) November 16, 2014- Young David (1 Samuel 16:1-13) “From Shepherd to King” (1st Reading 2 Chronicles 17:7-8) November 23, 2014- King David (2 Samuel 12:1-13) “Trials and Tribulation” (1st Reading Psalm 59:1-2)