For Further Consideration :: Sunday, October 3, 2010
Shawn Cossin :: “What Do You See?” Week One
Shawn played some "triumphant" music when he started today’s message. When you hear that type of music, what thoughts or images come to mind?
“We are part of a bigger story” – in what ways does your life reflect the reality that we are all part of a bigger story?
Shawn showed a picture of the Mona Lisa, but it wasn’t simply a review of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece – it was a mosaic, one big picture made up of thousands of other smaller pictures. What did that communicate to you? Can you imagine how your "picture" is connected with so many others, creating the big picture God is painting? Talk about it as a group.
Discuss this statement - “It’s like we’re holding in our hands some pages torn out of a book. These pages are days of our lives. Fragments of a story. They seem important, or at least we long to know they are, but what does it all mean? If only we could find the book that contains the rest of the story.” (John Eldredge, Epic)
Discuss this statement - Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (Shakespeare, Macbeth)
Read John 1:1-4 … When you read this in light of our understanding of both God and the Genesis creation story (“let us make man in our own image”), what realities come to mind?
Read Ecclesiastes 3:11 … What has God planted in every heart? Why do you think some people are unable (or even unwilling) to see this reality? What practices do you employ to keep yourself focused on the fact that there is more to this life just the ‘here and now’?
In the midst of creation, a revolt took place. Lucifer – our Enemy – and a third of the angels of heaven were cast down from heaven for their lack of ability to submit to God’s great story. What's most fascinating/disturbing to you about this truth?
Shawn asked volunteers to share about their “getting ready for church” routine, and gave them 30 seconds to share. But then he distracted them the entire time. He then compared that to the way our Enemy distracts us. Here are some questions to discuss – how does the Enemy attempt to distract most people these days? More specifically, how does he distract you?
Read 1st Peter 5:8-9 … What does this tell us about our Enemy? What does the word “devour” communicate? Do you think most Christians realize this reality – why or why not? (In fact, share some comments on this statistic: 70% of people don’t believe in a literal Enemy of God.)
What do we need to know?
That we are part of a bigger story
That there is an Enemy
That God can protect our vulnerabilities from the Enemy
BIG QUESTION to discuss as a group: If you were the Enemy, what would you do to trip you up?
Read Ephesians 6:11-13, then explore these questions…
Why is it important to know our battle isn’t against flesh and blood?
What does Paul encourage us to do as we battle against the Enemy?
How are you doing in the battle? What do you need to do to fight well?
IN CLOSING: Share with each other some areas of vulnerability. Talk about the places you need to begin winning the battle. Pray for each other and for our church, since we need God’s help to protect us from the Enemy. God is greater than our Enemy, and we need HIS help to fight the battle each day. Blessings!
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