God is NOT Disappointed (Secure In God 03)

We often project our human experiences of love and to God. It’s really common for people to be disappointed with us, but what about God? Today we think about the theological reality of God and discover how it means he is never disappointed in us. Instead, we are invited to be free and full of joy in his unconditional love.

“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37

Conversation Questions:
  • Do you ever feel you are a disappointment to God?
    • How do you feel about being a disappointment? Is this something that drives your relationships with other people and/or with God? If so, in what ways does it play out in your life?
  • How do you feel that God has no illusions about you? Is this reassuring, freeing or scary? What does our response reveal about how we really feel about God’s attitude towards us?
  • How do you feel about God having no expectations of you? If this is true, how would we be better to think about what good things he asks (or invites) us to do? Is obedience an expectation or an opportunity?

God’s Love is Individual (Secure in God 02)

Of course God loves everyone and, of course, you and I are part of “everyone”. But does God notice and love you? Today they’ve looked at a passage where Jesus, God living among us, pays a terrific price because of his love for a seemingly insignificant man.

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand.  Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely.  If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil?  Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”  But they wouldn’t answer him.
He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts.  Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.”  So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!
At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.
Mark 3:1-6

Bible Study:

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God’s Self-Revelation (Secure in God 01)

The only way we know about God he is because he chooses to reveal himself to us. The way he does this helps us understand the sort of relationship he wants with us – even if it sometimes feels strange or unexpected.
Today, at our Whole Church Gathering, Dave talks about how we should interpret the way God reveals himself to us as an expression of how much he loves us and wants to know us.
Seek first the Kingdom of God
Matthew 6:33

Discussion Questions:
  • How has God revealed himself to you?
  • Are there places in your life where he doesn’t seem to have shown himself and you feel abandoned or ignored? What might the reality actually be?
  • What can you do to better understand God’s self-revealing?
    • Dave suggested the Narnia books, especially “The Horse and His Boy” and “The Silver Chair”. How might that picture of the Aslan inform the way God is working in your life?
    • The spiritual practice of the Daily Examen is a great way to become more aware of God’s action in our every day life. There are so many resources on the Internet about how to do this practice. Could you try it for a number of evenings before bed?

Discipleship Conversations 10 – Our Ongoing Journey

Today we think about how we move forward to best facilitate being a church that makes disciples. Dave talks about some of the tweaks we are going to make next term.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland
Isaiah 43:19

Conversation Questions:
  • Dave talked about tweaking our rhythm and activities to get a better balance. Did you understand the new changes?
  • As a church, we gather into two different environments, Whole Church and Hubs.
    • What do you think the advantages or unique opportunities are for each of those different environments?
    • What do they each do well and how do they compliment each other?
  • At the end, they talked about how sometimes church can actually disempower us from our discipleship journey. We can find ourselves complacently depending on other things, activities and people as a form of outsourcing, rather than taking personal responsibility for our own spiritual well-being. Where do you think this might happen for you?
    • What area do you think God’s calling you to take more of a personal involvement in? What could you do to make a change?

Discipleship Conversations 09 – Being a Disciple

As we end our Discipleship Conversation series, Dave summarises some of the ideas we’ve considered and how these play their part in the three elements of being a disciple.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

Conversation Questions:
  • Dave talks about the three elements of discipleship:
    • Our relationship with God
    • This saturating our whole life
    • And overflowing into the world around us
  • Think about each of these three elements. How have you traditionally understood each of these and their relevance to church and God?
    • What has changed as we’ve thought about this over the last few months? Do you see any of it differently? Does any of it make more sense or integrate better with your life?
  • The crucial, most important, question is what role does God have in our life. Do we want a normal, western, middle-class, materialistic life with God as an add-on? Or, are we prepared to say to God he can disrupt our life so that we can grow and become more alive?
    • There’s the obvious right answer to this, but what is the real implications and difficulties? How willing do you think you are to face these?
    • Think about this verse – “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” Matthew 16”25
    • Is there something you’re hanging onto at the moment? What would it mean to lose it and trust God instead?

Discipleship Conversations 08 – Finding Space

If we want to hear God’s voice, nudges and prompts in our everyday life, then we need to find space and be attentive. Luckily, we’re already pretty good at having those moments when he might speak to us, all we need to do is pay attention.

Today Dave talks about those moments when our brain (and soul) has enough unoccupied margin to allow God to speak.

I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Psalm 131:1-2

Conversation Questions:
  • Have you experienced those moments of remembering and elusive facts or having an inspired idea when you are really not trying? What sort of places does this happen to you?
  • Does God ever speak to you in those places? Do you ever think that the sudden recollection or the inspired idea might actually be God speaking?
  • Or do you have times when you’re sure it was God?
  • How might you press into those times when you have margin for God to speak? Are there things that you actually find enjoyable? Do you think feeling joy might also help you hear God, or, deep down, do you feel if you enjoy it then it can’t be spiritual beneficial?
  • How could you be more aware of God? What could you pray to God at the start of those times?
  • What could you do this week to try this out in a more intentional way?