LG Questions :: 04/17/2011

“I AM” Series :: SLW :: Shawn Cossin

04/17/11 :: For Further Consideration

Shawn reminded us about “Crave” – Setting aside at least one thing to focus on Jesus. What have you been “setting aside” during this Easter season? Share with each other some of the joys and/or struggles during “Crave.”

Shawn made the statement, “True surrender to Jesus is a way of life, not a mere moment of decision.” How have you seen that to be true in your own journey with Jesus?

Read John 15:1-8 (Jesus is the Vine)

What is Jesus referencing here?

            :: God loves us, sent Jesus to rescue us, and through Jesus we know God

            :: God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches

            :: We can ask Jesus for what we need, and he will make it known to God

            :: Branches that don’t bear fruit are cut off

            :: Branches that bear fruit will be pruned

            :: What points did Shawn illuminate from this section of Scripture?

Shawn explained that when a gardener “prunes a dead branch, it’s already died on the inside.” How is this true in nature, and how is this true in the human heart?

Discuss this quote from Dr. Joseph Dongell, Asbury Seminary – “The Father’s pruning knife, then, severs not the weak or faltering believer from His Lord, but the branch which has already inwardly and entirely severed itself from the life giving and fruit producing flow of the vine.”

Read John 13:10 – What does this have to say about the “ongoing cleansing of a believer”? How is this connected with the concept of “the vine” in John 15?

What is our part in the John 15:1-8 process? To REMAIN. Why is this sometimes difficult to do?

What are some ways we can “abide… vitally united to Me”? What are your “best practices” for staying connected to God?

Can you think of ways you are prone to wander from remaining connected to Jesus? Anything you’re willing to share with your group? Any ideas you would share with each other to encourage each other toward staying connected?

Birds :: Ever wonder why we don’t see birds fall out of trees when they fall asleep? What did Shawn teach us about birds that speaks to us and our connectedness to God?

Read John 14:13-14 – the purpose of all this is so the “Son may bring glory to the Father.” It’s not about us; it’s about God and his purposes.

What “branches” do you need to lay out in submission to Jesus? Share with each other as a group.

IN CLOSING :: Take time to share honestly with each other as a group – how are you doing at leaning into God and staying connected to the vine? How can you best pray for each other? Pray for each other and for our church, that God would keep us deeply connected to the Vine.

LG Questions :: 04/08/2011

“I AM” Series :: SLW :: Shawn Cossin

04/10/2011 :: For Further Consideration

Shawn reminded us of the Bible Reading Plan through John

:: Check out his blog at live-sent-blogspot.com for more details

Shawn I nvited us to pray for the ICO (Inner City Outreach) Program @ Grove City College

:: Please pray for GCC students who are headed out on these trips

Are you living in the light of who he IS? What would be the motivation for asking such a question?

Shawn talked about being shortchanged. He said…

:: We don’t want to be shortchanged at the ATM

:: We don’t want to be shortchanged at the grocery store

:: Shawn doesn’t like being shortchanged on French Fries

We don’t want to be shortchanged spiritually. We want all God has to offer, and we need to give him the full portion of us. Why is this concept so important to understand?

Read John 14:1-14

:: What truths did Jesus communicate here?

:: How did the disciples respond to him?

:: In what ways are we similar to these original disciples?

The mathematical possibility of 332 distinct prophecies being fulfilled in the life of one man?

:: 1 to 840 with 96 zeroes behind it! (1 in 840 untrigintillion)

The mathematical possibility of only 8 distinct prophecies being fulfilled in the life of one man?

:: 1 to 100 quadrillion (fifteen zeroes following the 1!)

:: If you had 100 quadrillion silver dollars, you could fill the state of Texas two-feet deep with them

:: Then someone could take a walk any where in Texas, with the probability of them reaching down and picking up the exact silver dollar you’d marked ahead of time being 1 to 100 quadrillion!

Jesus is…

:: The WAY (Read John 14:6 and discuss)

:: The TRUTH (Read John 8:31-32 and discuss)

:: The LIFE (Read John 1:4; John 8:12 and discuss)

Read John 14:12-14

Shawn challenged us to not simply focus on one of these realities (the way, truth, and life) to the neglect of the others… “I’ll take the life, the way, but hold the truth.” Shawn encouraged us to not live a “special order Jesus” kind of life. What did you think of this illustration – how did it speak to you?

Two Challenges:

      (1)   Submit Fully – make sure you’re completely submitting yourself to God

      (2)   Invite Clearly – think of others who need to know Jesus and invite them - clearly

Take a few moments to discuss how each of you might respond to these two challenges. 

IN CLOSING :: Pray for each other and for our church, that God would help us lean more and more into him as the way, the truth, and the life. Pray also that those who don’t yet know him would surrender to the great I AM.

LG Questions :: 04/03/2011

“I AM” Series :: SLW :: Shawn Cossin

04/03/11 :: For Further Consideration

A few SLW reminders:

Good Friday Service on April 22 @ 6:30pm

Sunrise Service on Easter morning (7am)

Reading the book of John through April – one chapter a day

Interceding for Impact – Please remember to pray!

Read John 8:23-30 – What thoughts from this Scripture jump out at you?

Who is Jesus?

Son of God

Nazarene

Jewish

Way/Truth/Life

Light of the World

Savior

Lord

What other descriptors of Jesus come to mind?

Shawn took us through an exercise to discover how we think, and what we think at first when he mentions different topics. That being said, what did you initially think of/what came to mind when Shawn said…

Exercise?

Dieting?

Relationships?

Confrontation?

Prayer?

When we look at things, we often look at them in different ways, with different perspectives. Shawn talked about how we tend to look at things with a beginning, a middle, and an end – what was, what is, and what is to come. Go back to your list – which part did you think of first, the beginning, the middle, or the end?

When we think of Easter, we often reflect on the WAS or on the WHAT IS TO COME and often miss the WHAT IS. This is especially important, since we don’t want to overlook who Jesus IS, not just who he WAS or what is TO COME. Take a few moments to discuss this concept as a group.

Read John 8:58 – What does this communicate to us?

Read John 8:24, 28, and 58 – What was Shawn communicating to us about these verses, and why would that be important to understand? (Right below are some notes to remind you…)

“ego aimi” – I AM in Greek

literally means “I… ever, happen, am presence.”

occurs 24 times in John

Shawn said that “Jesus exists in the timeless present of eternity.” Why is this important for us to understand if we are to fully live in the power of God’s presence?

Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 – What hope is offered to us in this Scripture?

BIG Question :: Are you living in light of who He IS? What would that look like for you to do that?

IN CLOSING :: Pray for each other and for our church, that we would live fully in the reality that He IS.