I Am...

I Am… Chosen

As we continue to think about the wonderful spiritual realities of what God has done for us, today Dave thinks about how God has chosen each of us.

Ephesians 1:4
He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (NIV)

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes (NLT)

He chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence. (Passion Translation)

Verses for Reflection:

1 Peter 2:9
John 6:44
Ephesians 2:10
Romans 8:29

Discussion Questions:
  • Thinking over your life, how have you fared in the playground team picking (and later life equivalent situations)? Have you been chosen early or late… or last? How has this effected the way you see yourself and your place in the world? Do you face the future confident or insecure?
  • Social studies have shown comparison to be one of the least helpful things for our mental health. Other studies have shown that we almost always compare ‘up’ – against people who seem to be doing better than we feel we are. What areas of your life do you do this in?
  • Dave says God doesn’t pick us for our value compared to others, but instead because of what he’s put uniquely inside us. It’s interesting that comparison often tries to make us less unique and more conformed to others. Where do you think your unique and how much do you value this aspect of yourself?

I Am… Invited to Joy

We continue our series on our identity because of God. Today Dave thinks about our open invitation to God’s joy.

Verses for Reflection:

I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:11

Because the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame. Hebrews 12:2

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty saviour. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.  Zephaniah 3:17

Quotes:

Original G.K. Chesterton quote:

Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead.

For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon.

It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

 

Discussion Questions:
    • How do you feel about a God that feels joy? Who laughs and sings with gladness? Who is ‘young’ in the way Chesterton describes above? Does it feel a bit shocking and sacrilegious? Why do you think it feels so strange to think of God like this?
    • What brings you joy? It might be silly, or absolutely boring to others. It may feel unproductive or wasteful. Maybe it’s a bit embarrassing. As a spiritual activity, try doing it with gratitude this week, conscious that God is with you in the joy.
    • What could you do to practice meditation this week as if God, as a person, was with you? Suggestions include having an empty chair with you, or leaving space next to you. Try it this week.

Watch along here:

I Am… God’s Friend

Today Caroline thinks about the implications, and challenges, of considering God our friend.
Verses for reflection
John 15:15
Proverbs 18:24
James 2:23
Hebrews 4:15-16
 
Discussion Starter Questions
  • We have many ways to relate to God. We obey him as king, we love him as father and we enjoy him as friend. Which of these three do you find easiest? Why? Which is harder? Why?
  • Caroline ends talking about what we choose to plug ourselves into. As we approach Lent it might be really good to choose to unplug from something to give God the space instead. What do you want to unplug from for Lent? Tell someone so they can check in with how you’re doing
Verses/Quotes from the Service
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. 
John 15: 12-17
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Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another… ”What! You too? I thought I was the only one”
C.S. Lewis
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Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
Romans 5:1-2
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One of my favourite things about God is that despite what we might believe, or what Christians may have mistakenly conveyed, God isn’t for the perfect, or for the special few, and He doesn’t require us to do or be anything before He’ll meet with us. He is ‘the God that sees’, and if you’ve ever been in the presence of someone who listens, empathises and makes you feel seen and known, you’ll know how unbelievably transformational that is. Never spoken to God before? Ask him to reveal himself and see what happens.
Emma West – Facebook

You can watch along here:

I Am… Rich

Today we think about all the amazing blessings we receive from God. And all these are given as gifts by
his grace, totally not dependant on our earning or deserving them.

Verses for reflection

Ephesians 1:1-23
Galatians 5:22-23
Philippians 4:4-9
Psalm 23:1-2
Psalm 31:19

Discussion Starter Questions
  • Which of the characteristics listed in the Fruit of the Spirit do you feel are easier or harder to practice?
  • What triggers – situations or people – make you feel like you run low of one of those characteristics?
  • What strategy could you start to go to God and ask for his help when you are triggered? This can be really small or mundane, but it is a great habit to begin – so think about how a situation that would normally cause you trouble could become a situation that pushes you into God. How can you remember, in the moment, to do this?

You can watch the video here:

I Am… a recipient of mercy

Today we think about the amazing transformation we undergo because of God’s loving mercy.
Verses for reflection
Ephesians 2:1-9
Mark 4:35-5:20
Romans 12:1-2
Hebrews 4:14-16
Discussion Starter Questions
  • How do people tend to understand their value? What elements add or detract from someone’s value? Are you aware of this influencing your thinking too?
  • If self-sufficiency is a delusion, how do we understand depending on God, but also understanding that he has equipped us with gifts, talents and skills?
  • If God’s mercy means we start “even though you were once like corpses, dead in your sins” how do we foster gratitude for even those things we all take for granted?

You can watch the video here:

I Am… the focus of God’s passionate love

We start our new series looking at some of the amazing things we are because of God.

Today, Dave starts with thinking about God’s love for us. He also talks through how we can engage with these ideas, so they become more than just information and we can learn to live in this reality.

Additional Bible verses you might want to look up:

John 3:16. 1 John 3:1. 1 John 4:9-11. 1 John 4:16. Romans 8:37-39. Romans 5:8.

You could also check out this video from the Bible Project about God’s Loyal Love – https://youtu.be/UfbyFLgs_NM

Discussion Starter Questions:
  • How easy do you find it to believe in God’s unconditional love for you?
  • What helps and what hinders believing this as a reality? How does our experience of human relationships effect our understanding of God’s relationship with us?
  • What would be different about your life if you were absolutely convinced, to the core of your being, that the all-powerful creator of the universe was passionately in love with you?

Watch the video here: