“Get -R Done” Sermon Series
Life Group Discussion Questions / November 7, 2010
What kind of things disrupt unity within any group (church included)?
In what ways can each member be responsible for maintaining unity within a group?
How would you describe a leader?
Read Mark 10:35.
James and John asked Jesus for an elevated position, one of distinction. What did Jesus mean when he told them “you do not know what you are asking?”
How is the apostles view of leadership flawed according to Jesus?
Do these verses change the way you view leadership? How?
Notice v.41, how did the pursuit of the wrong kind of leadership cause division within the Apostles?
In v.43, Jesus said that the church doesn’t need supermen leaders, it needs leaders who will serve, lead by example, and will put others first. Why is leadership that is filled humility and led by example a more effective leadership style?
Jesus prayed that the church would be one, bonded like the Father and Son are one. In v.21, Jesus goes from using words like “they” to words like “us” or “we”. As Jesus says here, if we are going to be part of God’s mission to make disciples then we cannot be a church full of “I’s”, “they’s” or “thems”, the church must be a “we”.
Why do we so quickly refer to other church members and church leaders as they, rather than we?
Many football fans refer to their favorite team as “we”. Saying things like “we beat them this week” or “we need a better quarterback.”
Why do we so easily connect with our favorite team as a “we” but often speak of our church as a bunch of “theys”?
What can each of us do personally to change that?
READ Colossians 3:14-16
Notice v.15, when someone sees you coming, do they know that you are bringing peace?
IDEA: When peace rules in our hearts, we are quick to unite in the bonds of Jesus rather than to divide over feelings or opinions. We cannot be so quick to separate ourselves from others, when Jesus said I want you to be united and one. As disciples we are responsible for building each other up, encouraging them to grow closer to God and to others. In a way we are all leaders, living an example of humility and grace. What are some things each of us can do to promote unity within our church?
Close in prayer…
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Friday, November 05, 2010
I Come In Peace
“19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:19-23 NIV
A North Korean assassin named Kim Shin Jo in January of 1968 with a team of 31 assassins from North Korean snuck across the border in to South Korea in an attempt to kill the president of South Korea. The team of 31 of North Koreans made it to within a few hundred meters of the president's residence before they were detected. A fierce battle ensued, killing 30 South Koreans. All of the North Korean soldiers were killed, except one who escaped and Kim Shin Jo, who was captured. After months of interrogation, and through a surprising friendship with a South Korean army general, Kim Shin Jo's hard heart started to change. Later he would confess, "I tried to kill the president. I was the enemy. But the South Korean people showed me sympathy and forgiveness. I was touched and moved." The South Korean government eventually released Kim Shin Jo. Over the next three decades he worked for the military, became a citizen, and then married and raised a family. Finally, he became a church minister. He said what changed him, what transformed him from being a killer into becoming a South Korean citizen was that even though he treated South Korean people like the enemy, the South Korean people treated him like a brother. FROM:"South Korean pastor is also a trained killer," CNN Religion blog (8-9-2010)
Can we do that as God’s people? Can we treat people no matter what they have done or who they are like family? Jesus could have called us His enemy, but He chose instead to help us become His family. That is why Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” With Jesus a church can be one loving family rather than angry factions.
In v.19 we find the disciples behind locked doors living in fear. There was no peace and not much unity. Just a few days earlier one of them had betrayed Jesus, another denied Him, and the rest ran away. They treated their friend like dirt, they abandoned Jesus, they left him to die alone. They were living with shame. Could you imagine how you would have felt if your friends had abandoned you during your most difficult hour? But Jesus came to them and said “Peace be with you!” Jesus did not judge them, yell at them, or even separate himself from them; instead He brought peace to them. Shalom is the Hebrew word for Peace, it is a greeting with a deep meaning. By saying “peace to you” Jesus is saying we are not war, instead everything I do will be done to bring you closer to God and to each other. Jesus took these broken disciples and gave them peace.
A North Korean assassin named Kim Shin Jo in January of 1968 with a team of 31 assassins from North Korean snuck across the border in to South Korea in an attempt to kill the president of South Korea. The team of 31 of North Koreans made it to within a few hundred meters of the president's residence before they were detected. A fierce battle ensued, killing 30 South Koreans. All of the North Korean soldiers were killed, except one who escaped and Kim Shin Jo, who was captured. After months of interrogation, and through a surprising friendship with a South Korean army general, Kim Shin Jo's hard heart started to change. Later he would confess, "I tried to kill the president. I was the enemy. But the South Korean people showed me sympathy and forgiveness. I was touched and moved." The South Korean government eventually released Kim Shin Jo. Over the next three decades he worked for the military, became a citizen, and then married and raised a family. Finally, he became a church minister. He said what changed him, what transformed him from being a killer into becoming a South Korean citizen was that even though he treated South Korean people like the enemy, the South Korean people treated him like a brother. FROM:"South Korean pastor is also a trained killer," CNN Religion blog (8-9-2010)Can we do that as God’s people? Can we treat people no matter what they have done or who they are like family? Jesus could have called us His enemy, but He chose instead to help us become His family. That is why Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” With Jesus a church can be one loving family rather than angry factions.
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