The "Opportunity"

Monday morning I walked Merlin to school, as I do basically everyday. This day I was carrying Finnley in a backpack. I got to the bottom of the driveway when Merlin started asking me a question while trying to hold my hand. I was distracted. I didn't see the ice. My legs went out from under me and down I went. I twisted to keep the backpack from hurling Finnley out. Even still I could sense his being jolted forward. I didn't hurt the left knee that hit the ground and I thought we just had a mildly frightening, embarrasing moment. Silly daddy, pay more attention to what you are doing.
There was just a slight twinge in my back. It was present for the day and grew mildly. For awhile. By about 7 o'clock I was lying on the floor. I stayed there for the night in the living room when I was not having a hot bath.
Long story longer: I'm still lying on my back. Hopefully I will loosen and rest it today. So, yeah, today I think my office will be the floor. Never noticed the ceiling like I have recently. Guess I am turning my eyes heavenward (at least in some medievil worldview). Perhaps I will have another encounter with God? At least I can't run away.

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QUOTE: What should leadership look like?

Ever since uncertainty became our insistent twenty-first century companion, leadership strategies have taken a great leap backward to the familiar territory of command and control. . . . How is it that we failed to learn that whenever we try to impose control on people and situations, we only serve to make them uncontrollable? All of life resists control. All of life reacts to any process that inhibits its freedom to create itself. When we deny life’s need to create, life pushes back. We label it resistance and invent strategies to overcome it. But we would do far better if we changed the story and learned how to invoke the resident creativity of those in our organizations. We need to work with these insistent creative forces or they will be provoked to work against us.

– Margaret Wheatley

FEARLESS 05: David & Goliath Follow Up

Start by listening to the podcast, then get some people together and talk through these conversation starters.

BREAKING THE ICE:
• If you had a ringside seat at the David and Goliath fight, would you have put your money on Goliath because of his size, strength and confidence or on David because of his faith in God?
• Who is a modern day David in your eyes? Why?

CONNECTING:
1. What is your Goliath?
What is there in your life that seems too big to defeat?
Share what you fear most about your giant.
What methods have you tried in the past to defeat this giant?
Why was David so confident he could defeat Goliath?

2. Don’t look at the giant. Look at God.
What did David believe about God that empowered him to take on Goliath?
What do you most need to remember about God when facing your giant?
Describe your giant and then describe your God.
Which one do you think about the most?
How would focusing more on your God change the way you view your giant?

3. Don’t listen to naysayers.
How do you feel when someone casts doubt on your ability to do something?
Do others have more confidence or less in you than you do in yourself?
What do the naysayers in your life say about you? (Encourage one another with the truth of what God says.)
Which do you need to work on more: overcoming the negative opinions of others, building self-confidence or increasing your confidence in God? Explain.
What do we need to do with the negative input we receive from naysayers?

4. Use what you’ve got.
Share how God has come through for you in the past.
What past victories has God already given you?
What spiritual weapons has God given us to defeat our personal giants? (see Ephesians 6:13-18) David was good with a slingshot. What unique abilities has God given you to help you take down giants?
Which is more powerful, God’s spiritual weapons or our physical abilities or talents?

5. The Victory!
What do you think was driving David’s determination to fight Goliath? (1 Samuel 17:45-46) Why is having the proper motivation important in winning spiritual victories?
What is your primary motivation in wanting to defeat your Goliath?
What should be our motivation?

TAKE IT HOME:
1. Identify and write a description of your Goliath.
Now, describe your God. How is God bigger and more powerful than your giant?
Practice boasting in your God this week. By faith, declare how awesome and powerful your God is.
My giant may be _____ but my God is _________.

2. Honestly face your fears regarding your personal giant.
What’s the worst that could happen if you turned and faced your giant?
Now imagine God coming through for you. What would this look like?
Personalize and pray Ephesians 1:18-20 regularly.
Seek prayer support from your Life Support Group.

3. Learn to recognize the taunting voice of the enemy coming through your thoughts and through others.
What lies is he telling you?
Take these thoughts captive and replace them with God’s Truth. (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

4. Like David, write out your own declaration of victory (see 1 Samuel 17:45-46).
Be bold. God has already given us the victory in Christ. (Romans 8:37)
Speak daily this declaration out loud until your giant falls dead to the ground.
Share with your Life Support Group how they can stand with you until the victory is won.

DISCOVERY QUESTIONS:
Read about David defeating Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.
• David had already been chosen and anointed as the next King by the prophet Samuel. (see 1 Samuel 16:6-13) How might this have affected David’s response to the Goliath problem?
What promises and power has God given believers that assures us of victory over the enemy?

• What does Goliath’s armour and weapons reveal about him (vv.4-7)
As an Israelite, how would you have viewed Goliath’s proposal? (vv.8-10)
Why were the Israelites helpless against Goliath? (v.24)

• How did David persuade Saul to let him fight Goliath? (vv.32-37)?
Compare the “kingly” attitudes and behaviour of David and Saul. What do you see?
Where does David find the confidence to fight Goliath?
How did his courage and victory bless the whole nation?
How would your victory over your giant glorify God and bless others?

• What do you think was behind Eliab’s anger at David? (v.28)
Who are the naysayers in your life?
How can you keep from taking their negative opinions and judgments personally?
What does the Lord tell us about judging others? (see Matthew 7:1-5)
Why are we so prone to view family members negatively?
Whose judgment or opinion do you depend on most?

• What do you think motivated David to fight Goliath?
Why do you think he was victorious? (vv.23,25-27,34-37,45-47)
By faith, David believed God would make him victorious (vv.46-47).
What doubts do you have that God will do the same for you?
How will you combat these doubts? (see Romans 10:17)

VERSES FOR FURTHER STUDY:
1 Samuel 16,1-13; 2 Chronicles 20:17; Romans 8:37; 2 Corinthians 3:5-6,10:3-5;
Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 John 4:4

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New Thru30 Weekly Thought #2

New Thru 30 Week 2.
Yeehaw! One week done. How many of you were like me and needed a grace day to catch up?
You will read the second Gospel (Mark) and several of the Epistles, or letters. Keep in mind that each letter was originally written to a different audience and was trying to communicate a different point. For example, James was written to Jewish Believers who had gone too far with ignoring the law of God, while Galatians was written to Gentile converts who were being told that they needed to adhere to the Jewish law. There is strong language in both letters and both letters are completely true for us today.

Daily Key Verses:
Day 1: Mark 8:34-35
Day 2: James 2:14-17
Day 3: 1 Corinthians 8:9
Day 4: 2 Corinthians 8:10-12
Day 5: Romans 8:1-4

Keep reading. Don't Give Up!

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FEARLESS 03: Benaiah Follow Up

Feeling FEARLESS? Week three of the series has passed and the stories of God raising up and backing up His people keep coming. It is awesome to see holy boldness in action. Give a listen to the podcast and then work through some of these questions. Or if you want to just do the questions, then go for it. There are some discussion type questions in here so why not find someone to talk these through with.

KEY POINTS:
1) Who was Benaiah? He was:
• One of the top five soldiers in Israel.
• A General in the Israeli army
• Captain of King David’s bodyguards.
• Benaiah was a lion killer!
2) Lion chasers know that the bigger
their God is the smaller lions become.
3) Lion chasers understand that playing it safe is risky.

BREAKING THE ICE:
• On a scale of 1 (play it safe) to 10 (risk it all) how much of a daredevil were you as a kid?
• What is the riskiest thing you have ever done?

CONNECTING:
1. What is the lion you need to chase and conquer? How did you develop this fear? What ttribute or truth about God do you need to focus, in order to conquer your lion? To chase your lion, you’ll have to take a “first step.” What is the first step you need to take to conquer your fear?
2. Our God is the Indescribable One. Though none of us have words to explain His goodness, try. Who is God to you? “My God is . . .” If this is who we truly believe God is, why are we afraid of the lions in our life?
3. When is taking a risk foolish and when is it honoring to God? Where in your life are you playing it safe? What are you trying to protect? If we are to experience God for who He truly is, we must take risks. What risk are you willing to take in order to trust Christ as your only source of power and life? (see Philippians 3: 8-10) What doubts do you need to overcome?
4. In the near future, over what battle would you like God to cause you to be victorious? Do you feel like you are fighting any battles all by yourself? In what way can we, as a LifeGroup, provide reinforcements?
5. If your funeral was this week, how would others describe your relationship and service to your King? For what do you want to be remembered? What kind of spiritual legacy do you want to leave your children or grandchildren? In what areas of your life would your family say you were “fearless”?

TAKE IT HOME:
1. Name your lion(s) and face your fears. Honestly acknowledge your fears to God and ask Him to help you overcome any unbelief. What truth about God do you need to focus on this week? Each time you are confronted by your lion, shift the focus of your thoughts to how big and awesome your God is and watch your lion shrink.
2. Where in your life have you been playing it safe? What first steps are you willing to take this week? What do you need to risk, long term, in order to accomplish God’s purpose in this area? Ask your Life Support Group to pray for you as you take your first steps towards conquering your fears.
3. Write you own psalm describing how big your God is to you, personally. You might incorporate some of your favorite promises. For example: “My God is always faithful. He will never, ever leave me or forsake me.” (Hebrews 13:5b) “My God is powerful and mighty. Nothing is too difficult for Him.” (Jeremiah 32:17)

DISCOVERY QUESTIONS:
1. Read about other mighty heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:1-3, 6-12, 32-39.
• What is faith according to Hebrews 11:1 and 6? Why is faith so important to God? What does God tell us about the creation of the world? (v 3) How are we to understand or accept what we cannot see? What role does faith play in our relationship with God? (v 6)
• List each hero, the risk he/she took, and the victory experienced. What did they believe about God? Put yourself in their shoes. What fears would you need to overcome in order to trust in God as they did?
• How does this passage disprove the idea that faith always leads to earthly blessing? (vv 35-38) What truth about God do you need to believe in order to trust Him and take risks even if you don’t receive an earthly reward or blessing? Why does the author of Hebrews say that “the world was not worthy of” the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11:38?
2. Read about Benaiah in 2 Samuel 23:20-23.
• Besides killing a lion, what other heroic deeds did Benaiah accomplish? God had called Benaiah to be a soldier and to serve King David. What do you think made Benaiah a great soldier and leader?
• What has God called you to do, in service to your King Jesus? What is the scariest or most difficult aspect in what God has called you to do? What lion(s) do you need to chase and conquer in order to become all God has created you to be?

VERSES FOR FURTHER STUDY:
John 14:27; 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 11; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 5:7; Romans 8:15, 37; Psalm 3:3-6; 56:1-4, 91; Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 12; Daniel 6, 10:19

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Rescuer

So there you are, thousands of people chasing after you, screaming for your death. Is it laser tag? No. I'm actually thinking of Pharaoh's army chasing every last one of God's people into extinction in the Red Sea until God turned the tables. This is how Israel praised Him for that salvation.

Exodus 15:11-14, 16, 21 (New Living Translation)

11 "Who is like you among the gods, O LORD—
glorious in holiness,
awesome in splendor,
performing great wonders?
12 You raised your right hand,
and the earth swallowed our enemies.

13 "With your unfailing love you lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your might, you guide them
to your sacred home.
14 The peoples hear and tremble;

...

16 Terror and dread fall upon them.
The power of your arm
makes them lifeless as stone
until your people pass by, O LORD,
until the people you purchased pass by.

...

21 "Sing to the LORD,
for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
into the sea."

We serve a God unlike any other. When faced with death, you can praise him because he leads you with love. Christ has purchased you with His blood, and He will look after His own.

411God.net


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Provider

A long time ago, actually, 2,900 years ago, Elijah was a prophet. During a drought he asked a widow for a drink and a bite to eat. She basically said, "You're nuts! I've only got enough to make for my son and me, and then we're going to die." But, listen to what Elijah says:

1 Kings 17:13-16 (New Living Translation)

13 But Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you've said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what's left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!"

15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.

God still provides just like that.

411God.net


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