Read Together Pray Together Discuss Together
What Is the Greatest Obstacle to Living Life on Mission? Date: 2/21/16
Read Together Read the Scripture and overview below before your Life Group meets. Scripture passage: Acts 5:1-11 God wants to use you. Yes, He created each person for a specific purpose and goes to great lengths to empower us to move from our natural, self-centered tendencies. Every day God grants us opportunities to shift from being “selfish getters” to “selfless givers.” He desires for us to live on mission for Him, continuously striving for the next opportunity to bless others and point them to Jesus and His great gift of love and grace. The heart and soul of Christian living really has to do with ownership. Jesus sacrificed all He had to pay the debt of our sins. Now we are His, and He desires for us to learn to die to self and live for Him. We, ourselves, are the greatest obstacle to living on mission as Jesus did, and we must make a choice: will we be hoarders or helpers, givers or getters, fearful or faith-filled? Withholding what we know about Christ and what He has blessed us with is no longer an option. Will you ask God to help you overcome the obstacle of self by overwhelming you with the reality of who He is?
Pray Together Use the first few minutes of your lesson to lead your group in a focused prayer time. • Praise God for His justice, His holiness, and His mercy. • Repent from withholding any gift God has given you, particularly sharing the gift of His Son, Jesus with others. • Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live in light of eternity rather than in light of present circumstances. • Yield to the Spirit and give of yourself sacrificially.
Discuss Together Use these questions to engage in an informative and impactful discussion with your Life Group. • Discuss obstacles that keep you from sharing your faith. Discuss things that cause you to choose hoarding instead of helping. •
Does fear play a role in these two areas of your life?
Read Acts 5:1-11 • What was the heart issue that caused God to end the lives of Ananias and Sapphira?
•
The issue of their heart was withholding. They withheld the truth when they each lied (verses 4 & 8), and they withheld money, keeping some for themselves. What have you been withholding from God?
Warren a Way of Life 2016
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Discuss the similarities and differences between greed and envy.
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What was the expectation for giving to the first church? (See Acts 4:32-37)
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What is God’s expectation regarding giving for Christians today? (See Malachi 3:6-12, Luke 10:27, Romans 12:1) Why is stewardship important? (See Matthew 6:19-21, 24)
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What moves a Christian from selfishness to selflessness? ! 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ! Galatians 2:20 ! Philippians 2:5-8 & 3:8-11
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What do you learn about the holiness of God from Acts 5:1-11 and these verses? ! 1 Samuel 2:2 ! Psalm 96:9 ! Isaiah 6: 1-13, 57:15 ! Romans 6:23, 12:1-2 ! Ephesians 1:4 ! Colossians 1:12-18 ! 1 Peter 1:15-16
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What do you learn about the heart of man from our study this week?
•
Godly fear prompts us to pursue a holy life. Has the fear of the Lord “moved” you to something greater than nominal and motional faith? (See 2 Corinthians 5:9-11)
•
How will you respond?
Do Life Together These questions are meant to encourage you to apply spiritual truth and live on mission for Jesus. It is your Life Group leader’s responsibility to challenge you and hold you accountable to taking steps of growth and faith. Take these questions to heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to prompt you to grow in your role as a disciple and ultimately, a disciple-maker.
•
What will you do this week to put action to your faith? Be specific.
Warren a Way of Life 2016
Read Together Read the Scripture and overview below before your Life Group meets. Scripture passage: Acts 5:1-11 God wants to use you. Yes, He created each person for a specific purpose and goes to great lengths to empower us to move from our natural, self-centered tendencies. Every day God grants us opportunities to shift from being “selfish getters” to “selfless givers.” He desires for us to live on mission for Him, continuously striving for the next opportunity to bless others and point them to Jesus and His great gift of love and grace. The heart and soul of Christian living really has to do with ownership. Jesus sacrificed all He had to pay the debt of our sins. Now we are His, and He desires for us to learn to die to self and live for Him. We, ourselves, are the greatest obstacle to living on mission as Jesus did, and we must make a choice: will we be hoarders or helpers, givers or getters, fearful or faith-filled? Withholding what we know about Christ and what He has blessed us with is no longer an option. Will you ask God to help you overcome the obstacle of self by overwhelming you with the reality of who He is?
Pray Together Use the first few minutes of your lesson to lead your group in a focused prayer time. • Praise God for His justice, His holiness, and His mercy. • Repent from withholding any gift God has given you, particularly sharing the gift of His Son, Jesus with others. • Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live in light of eternity rather than in light of present circumstances. • Yield to the Spirit and give of yourself sacrificially.
Discuss Together Use these questions to engage in an informative and impactful discussion with your Life Group. • Discuss obstacles that keep you from sharing your faith. Discuss things that cause you to choose hoarding instead of helping. •
Does fear play a role in these two areas of your life?
Read Acts 5:1-11 • What was the heart issue that caused God to end the lives of Ananias and Sapphira?
•
The issue of their heart was withholding. They withheld the truth when they each lied (verses 4 & 8), and they withheld money, keeping some for themselves. What have you been withholding from God?
Warren a Way of Life 2016
•
Discuss the similarities and differences between greed and envy.
•
What was the expectation for giving to the first church? (See Acts 4:32-37)
•
What is God’s expectation regarding giving for Christians today? (See Malachi 3:6-12, Luke 10:27, Romans 12:1) Why is stewardship important? (See Matthew 6:19-21, 24)
•
What moves a Christian from selfishness to selflessness? ! 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ! Galatians 2:20 ! Philippians 2:5-8 & 3:8-11
•
What do you learn about the holiness of God from Acts 5:1-11 and these verses? ! 1 Samuel 2:2 ! Psalm 96:9 ! Isaiah 6: 1-13, 57:15 ! Romans 6:23, 12:1-2 ! Ephesians 1:4 ! Colossians 1:12-18 ! 1 Peter 1:15-16
•
What do you learn about the heart of man from our study this week?
•
Godly fear prompts us to pursue a holy life. Has the fear of the Lord “moved” you to something greater than nominal and motional faith? (See 2 Corinthians 5:9-11)
•
How will you respond?
Do Life Together These questions are meant to encourage you to apply spiritual truth and live on mission for Jesus. It is your Life Group leader’s responsibility to challenge you and hold you accountable to taking steps of growth and faith. Take these questions to heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to prompt you to grow in your role as a disciple and ultimately, a disciple-maker.
•
What will you do this week to put action to your faith? Be specific.
Warren a Way of Life 2016
