LG Questions :: 11/28/2010

For Further Consideration :: Life Group Questions

November 28, 2010 | Shawn Cossin | Thanks & Giving

You may want to have several people read from the following verses…

Read Colossians 1::10-12

Read Colossians 2:6-7

Read Colossians 3:15-16

Read Colossians 3:17

Read Colossians 3:6-7

What do all these verses have in common?

What principles jump out at you as you read these verses?

Shawn talked about his nephew, John-John, and his love for Buzz Lightyear. (What a great story!) Who do you think of when you think of someone who responds with pure joy and thanks when receiving a gift? How can you more authentically give thanks?

Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:6-10, then take a closer look at verse 8…

Why do we have abundance?

            What are we to do with what we have?

Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:12

Read Luke 12:34

            Why is it important to know and apply these verses?

            How can one apply the “where your treasure is” principle?

            Can you think of ways you have helped properly prioritize your treasure?

Shawn said, “Thanks leads to giving, and giving leads to thanks.”

            How have you seen this principle demonstrated in your own life?

What advice would you give to someone considering how to become a better blessing with the resources God has provided?

What ideas come to mind for you personally? Are there some new thoughts or ideas or giving patterns that could begin showing up in your life?

IN CLOSING :: Pray for each other and for our church, asking God to help us offer thanks and also be a blessing. Thank God for who he is, what He’s doing, and how he would like to use us to bless others!

LG Questions :: 11/21/2010

For Further Consideration :: Life Groups :: November 21-27, 2010

SLW “But God…” series :: Week 3 :: Shawn Cossin

Read Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.” If you haven’t done so already, please take a moment or two to share some of your “But God…” moments. And if you’ve done this already, try and think of a few more “But God…” moments from your life that you haven’t shared yet.

Shawn reminded us of this truth – “What is doesn’t have to be.” How has this truth revealed itself in your life?

Read 1^st Corinthians 3:6-7, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” Does this mean we play no part in God’s plan of redemption? What do these verses indicate about our role? What are we to do? What are we not to do? Who gets the credit?

The Story of Abraham & Sarah – What do we know about the story of Abraham? What about Sarah? What about their interaction as a married couple? (Feel free to flip to Genesis to remind each other of the many stories regarding Abraham & Sarah)

Read Genesis 18:10-15, then review the following questions: What was the promise in this story? What was Sarah’s response to the promise? What was the messenger’s response to her laughter? The question – “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

Shawn said, “God always keeps his promises.” True? If so, how have you seen this revealed through Scripture, life experiences, and in the lives of others?

“But God…” is two things…

  --Not our doing

  --Not an end in itself

  --What does Shawn mean by these two points?

Read Ephesians 2:7, “So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”

As you read Ephesians 2:7, what are the obvious points Paul is trying to help us understand? Take a look at the surrounding verses (both before and after 2:7). How do these verses help us better understand what Paul is communicating?

What new “But God…” moments do you think may be on the horizon for you or someone you know? Who are you praying for to have a “But God…” moment? What recent commitments have you made to God?

AS YOU CLOSE… Please take a few moments to ask God for more “But God…” moments in your own life, in the lives of people in your group, in the Body at SLW, and in the Western PA region and even world.

LG Questions :: 11/14/2010

Life Group Questions :: For Further Consideration

“But God…” | November 14, 2010 | Beth Cossin

Before you get into this study, please take a few moments to share with the group some more of your “But God…” moments. What stuck out to you from the “But God…” video we showed today?

Read John 4:4-42 – Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

Why did Jesus sit down by Jacob’s well?

Jesus said, “I can give you living water.” What was so significant about this?

Why would the Samaritan woman be surprised that Jesus spoke to her?

What do we know about the woman at the well? Take time to discuss this, as well as reflect on some of the comments/insights Beth offered about these descriptions...

-Samaritan

-Woman

-Alone

-Adulteress

-Shamed

What else do we know about her, and why are these descriptors so important to helping us better understand her and her story?

Read John 4:10 – Why is this statement so important?

Beth talked about the “living water” – the gift of God

dorea (Greek) – “free gift”

Used in conjunction with God, Christ, Holy Spirit, righteousness

Why would this be so important to understand?

Notice that the woman deflected the conversation, attempting to turn it into a spiritual/theological discussion. Why is this important to notice? What does it suggest about the woman’s state of mind? And just as importantly, how did Jesus handle her deflecting comments?

Take a moment and compare the conversation of Jesus in John 3 with Nicodemus (go ahead, read it!) to that of the conversation of Jesus in John 4 with the Samaritan Woman. What does this revelation of grace communicate to the woman at the well?

What does the woman do in response to Jesus’ words to her? Read John 4:29, “Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out…” Why is this statement so significant?

Beth said that – when it comes to God – to “be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known.” How has this reality transformed and/or impacted your life?

Read John 4:39, “Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to Him (Jesus) because of the woman’s witness.” Consider her witness – what was her witness? “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out.” If people already knew so much bad stuff about her (and they most likely did), why do you think this made such an impact on the people?

Read 1^st Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

Before you close your group time with prayer, reflect on these questions: Does your life reflect the gift? Are you willing to 'go and tell'? Have you bought into the lie of the Enemy that because you’re not perfect, you have no story to tell? Are there people you could lean into – just like Jesus did – that need to know they’re still significant and salvageable because of God’s love? Do YOU need to know that for yourself?

Pray as a group – for each other and for our church – that God will help us both know grace and also be agents of grace.

LG Questions :: 11/07/2010

Sunday, November 7, 2010 | Shawn Cossin, Lead Pastor

For Further Consideration | Life Group Questions | “But God…” Week 1

As you begin… Read Ephesians 2:4-5, then pray for understanding as you study.

Shawn showed a picture of contractors who got themselves stuck while pouring concrete and inserting post barriers in front of a restaurant. Funny, right? Well, have you ever “painted yourself in a corner,” or done something stupid like that?

Spiritually, we all start out in need of rescue. Read Romans 3:23 – “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are buried beneath sin and need God’s help. Do you think most people recognize this need? Why or why not?

Read Romans 5:6-8. What do these verses convey? And what is your “But God” moment? Take a few moments to share with your group some of your “But God” moments – when you got saved, how he rescued you from something, etc.

Shawn emphasized this reality – “What IS doesn’t have to BE.” God can change us from the inside out – our thoughts, attitudes, habits, words, actions, and more. What has God been up to in your life lately? How have you been conforming to the image of God in recent days and weeks? What’s he teaching you? Share with the group…

The Bible is full of stories – true stories – of people who were desperately in trouble without a “But God” moment. Peter is one of those people. What do you know about Peter? (Shawn mentioned… fisherman, Cephas/Petros, from Bethsaida, brother Andrew, married – what else do we know about him?)

Shawn walked us through a variety of “But God” moments in Peter’s life – what were some of the moments Shawn referenced, and how did God use those moments for Peter’s development?

Take another look at Romans 5:8 – What is the beauty of God’s work in Peter? And what is the beauty of God’s work in us?

Shawn made the statement, “If we don’t make room for ‘But God’ moments, we can end up loving stuff we should hate, and hating stuff we should love.” What are your thoughts about this statement, and how has that truth showed up in your life?

Even as we celebrate the “But God” moments in our lives (and if you haven’t yet done that as a group, please do it now!), we need to be aware of something. If we’re not careful, we can give up on having any “But God” moments. So, be honest – is there anything you’ve given up on? A habit changing? A relationship improving? Something in yourself? God’s ability to change? I encourage you to be honest, and if anyone is willing to please talk with the group about it.

Shawn talked about being a lifeguard earlier in his life, stating that he didn’t wait for someone to be rescued if they needing rescuing. He compared that to God’s love for us, and how he made grace available before we even realized it. What encourages you as you consider that biblical reality?

Look at Romans 5:8 one more time – the word “demonstrates” is in the present tense. What does that mean, and why is it so encouraging to note?

IN CLOSING :: Pray together as a group, thanking God for your “But God” moments and also praying for anyone that has struggled to trust for another “But God” moment.

LG Questions :: 10/31/2010

This week we took time to celebrate Child Dedications, Believers' Baptism, and Holy Communion. As a result, our Life Group questions this week will certainly not be your typical "For Further Consideration" questions. Still, we encourage you to reflect on this past Sunday's celebration and consider a few conversation-starters...

Take some time to reflect on the stories/testimonies you heard from the baptismal candidates (their videos are below in case you'd like to watch any of them again). Which stories struck you the most? What were the statements that jumped out at you?

Let's consider each of the five people who were baptized...

Janae - Don't you just love her enthusiasm and faith? What could most adults learn from this young woman's testimony?

Don - I so appreciated his talk about the "chirping of the Enemy," and how he's learned to "take captive every thought in Christ Jesus." What things does the Enemy chirp in your ear, and how are you learning to submit those thoughts to Christ?

Mikel - What a transformation! And don't you appreciate the role Coleson and Roman and others have had in his life? Who are the people God is positioning you around that might be influenced for the Kingdom through you? (In fact, after you share a few names, take time to pray for the people you mentioned.)

Ray - Love how he found God at a Promise Keepers event! Though you may have discussed it previously as a group, take a moment to share once again (or for the first time) a little bit about each of your stories - when you came to Christ, and the circumstances of your conversion experience.

Shirley - Obviously, this one's a tear-jerker. An 80-year-old lady gets saved one month before her death. But praise God for new life! What aspects of Shirley's story resonate with you the most? What about the moment when she says, "When Ray K gave his life to Christ, that got me to thinking"? What does that say about the influence of our lives?

IN CLOSING :: Take some time to celebrate the good things God is doing at SLW and in our lives. Pray for each other, that we'll increasingly Live Sent and do whatever God calls us to do.