Grace-Snellville - Teachings | gfc.tv

This week, Psalm 23. It is iconic, familiar, transcendent. And though most of us have heard it countless times, its stanzas still don’t sound cliché. We still yearn for green pastures and still waters. The overflowing cup and laden table still beckon. In the valley of the shadow of death, we still long for God with us. But what is the Shepherd’s first concern? What is the gateway into the experience of these promises? The psalmist’s answer may surprise you. It certainly surprised me as I read this poem afresh this week. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title:For Rest // Psalm 23 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes According to Psalm 23, the first concern of the Good Shepherd is rest. God, as our Shepherd, not only creates the conditions in which rest is possible (green pastures), but He then makes us lie down. And from there, the rest of the Psalm flows—quiet waters, a restored soul, no fear of evil, an abundant table, an overflowing cup. All of those blessings begin with rest. From a secular standpoint, we learned the powerful effects of lack of sleep (a lowered immune system, lowered ability to recall positive memories, impaired reproductive systems, increased risk of obesity, lessened brain capacity, and more depressive moods). If that isn’t enough to make you want to sleep, we have the spiritual aspects that are compelling. On the first full day of human existence, there was rest, and in Deuteronomy 5:15, the Israelites are commanded to keep the Sabbath as a way to remember they are no longer slaves. They (and we) are not determined by how much they produced, by what they did. In fact, salvation and the Sabbath have much in common. The essential truth remains that if we can’t trust God to sustain us in rest, then how can we trust Him to sustain us for eternity. Rest is a must. If you miss the rest of your life, you’ll miss the rest of your life. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The gateway to the good life is through rest. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Considering Psalm 23 and Deuteronomy 5:15, why did the Shepherd start with making the sheep lie down in green pastures? What are some of the benefits of good sleep? Why did God command a Sabbath for His people? What does Mark 2:27 mean and how should that guide our pursuit of rest? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How well are you doing at getting adequate sleep each night? Do you take a regular Sabbath? What was the most compelling secular fact and spiritual aspect from the sermon? Do you need rest renewal (regular rest), rest repentance (maybe a lack of trust in God), or rest resetting (become more productive)? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): If you have children, how should this sermon guide your parenting of your kids’ sleep habits? If you’re a boss, how might you ensure that your employees have rest rhythms in their lives? How might knowing that you’re around sleep-deprived people change the way you interact with them? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Recite together the Psalms that have been used throughout church history to usher in sleep—Psalm 4, 90, 133. Consider continuing this practice personally this week. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Talk through specific things you’re committing to doing this week to practice rest—turning off your phone at a certain time each day, regular bedtime, taking a 24 hour Sabbath, playing on the Sabbath.

In Psalm 18, the king faces enemies who are “too mighty” for him (v17). Can you admit when you are facing an enemy “too mighty” to overcome in your own strength? And if you do find yourself facing this kind of battle, what do you do? Where do you go? Who do you call? The Psalmist “calls upon the Lord” and discovers One who not only saves but also strengthens, who not only engages but also equips. I am excited to let the power of this battle Psalm work in our community as we hear from and cry out to and praise the God for whom no enemy is “too mighty.” DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title:For Battle // Psalm 18 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Last week, we learned how the Psalms start with obedience to God (Psalm 1) and end with praise to Him (Psalm 150). Today’s teaching on Psalm 18 shows us how to respond when we are under attack from an enemy. While David certainly had physical enemies, like Saul, we also recognize the overarching enemy of Satan, spiritual forces, and spiritual darkness. David sought God as a fortress and deliverer, and God showed up in dramatic fashion, not only rescuing him but equipping him for the battle. We also learn that we have two responses to our enemies: we are to seek refuge in God, but we are to also follow the ways of God, as David did. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. God is our rock, our strength, our rescuer, and our equipper in the very real battle against spiritual darkness. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): According to verses 4-5 and 16-17, who is my enemy? Are our enemies always physical beings? Describe who God is in this Psalm and what He did for David. According to verses 20-30 and 43-50, who was David? How did he describe his walk with God? In addition to rescuing us, what does God do for us (vs.33-36)? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): When have you seen God rescue you or a family member? How has that changed your relationship with God? In what area of your life (spiritual, health, family, work) do you feel like you’re in a battle? What does it look like for you to take refuge in God in that situation? How can you walk in His ways in that situation? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and Ephesians 6:11-12. How do those verses change the way you see struggles in your life and the world around you? How might “seeing” the spiritual forces change the way you behave? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Jon talked about the power of reading the Psalms aloud. Read all of Psalm 18 aloud as a group, and then spend a few minutes praising God for who this Psalm proclaims Him to be: my strength, my rock, etc. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Who in your group is feeling particularly under attack right now? Gather around him/her and pray for their situation. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes While it’s important to not see a demon behind every corner, it is vital to understand that we are in a spiritual battle. Name the places in your community where you sense particular spiritual darkness. Pray over that as a group. How might God be equipping you to make a difference there? CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.

What do you want more of in 2020? Of all the things you might say (money, happiness, cowbell), I’m guessing poetry didn’t top your list. Much less ancient Hebrew poetry. But for thousands of years, a collection of 150 inspired poems and songs has sustained and served God’s people through every sort of season. Whether we are celebrating or grieving, triumphant or defeated, energized or apathetic, the Psalms offer us the rich language we need in order to live a life dependent on God in exceedingly complex times. And so, this week, we begin by reading Psalms 1, 73, and 150 together as we reorient and regroup for the year ahead through poetry, practical and indispensable. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title:Psalms: A User’s Guide: Psalm 1, 73, 150 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Not merely a collection of poems, the Psalms provide a framework for us to interact with God. They give us words to express our delight, our gratitude, our frustration, our confusion, and our praise to God. Psalm 1 starts off by showing us that a blessed life results from avoiding the ways of the wicked and delighting in the Lord and His Word. While Psalm 1 shows us the baseline of life (obedience to God results in the blessings of God), reality can often resemble Psalm 73, where the author, Asaph, laments his observation of the wicked prospering while he, a righteous man, suffers. Asaph’s experience changes, however, when he enters the sanctuary of God and begins to see the eternal perspective—the wicked will perish but “I am continually with You. You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me and afterward receive me to glory” (vs.23-24). Trust doesn’t emerge until an encounter of absolute honesty with God occurs. Finally, Psalm 150 demonstrates the praise that results from such an encounter. Thus, the Psalms allow us to move from orientation (Psalm 1) to disorientation (Psalm 73) to reorientation (Psalm 150). THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The Psalms are the user’s manual for the soul. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): According to Psalm 1, what brings blessings? In Psalm 73, what frustration did the author express? What was the turning point for him? How does his perspective change by the end of the psalm? According to Psalm 150, how are we to praise God? What are we to praise Him for (vs.2)? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How have you seen the truth of Psalm 1 in your own life? When did you realize that life often looks more like Psalm 73? How comfortable do you feel taking your frustrations to God and having an honest conversation? When have you had an encounter with God that changed your perspective with a particular situation? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How does Psalm 73 affect your perspective of your unsaved family, friends, and colleagues? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Using each letter of the alphabet, take turns praising God for His mighty deeds and His excellent greatness (Ps. 150:2). “Thank You, God, for being Almighty.” “I praise You for Banishing death.” “Thank You for my Children.” Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Have each person share one of their favorite Psalms and how it has allowed them to have an honest conversation with God. If necessary for time’s sake, divide into groups of 3-4.

Sunday is a rare day because it is one of the few Sundays in our lifetime when we will have the opportunity to worship on the final Sunday of a decade. And even though some would say the turning of a decade is simply a trick of the calendar with no real significance, pausing to reflect on all that has come(and gone!) over a ten-year window can be a sobering and centering activity. As these 2010s come to a close, how can we look back on them well? In what ways is this decade shaping the years ahead? And—perhaps most importantly in these days when we are exposed to more words and voices than ever before—are we hearing and heeding the One “who is speaking” and whose “kingdom cannot be shaken?” (Heb. 12:25, 28) DOWNLOADS

Though the stories of Matthew 2 are familiar to many of us, the world in which they occur can seem far-off and foreign. A baby heralded as a miraculous Messiah? Migrating magi? A murderous king? To me, these characters seem better cast for a blockbuster movie plot than a reference point for my own everyday life. And yet… that first appearance of Jesus—Immanuel—“God-with-us”—speaks powerfully about us as humans, at our worst and our best. As such, this passage may be one of the most important in the entire Gospel of Matthew on how to have a truly human Christmas. And that, as we will see, is in fact the best kind of Christmas of all. DOWNLOADS

“With” is a wily word. It can mean “in the presence of,” as in “My dog is with me in the living room.” It can mean “because of,” as in “My cheeks were red with embarrassment.” It can mean “on the same side,” as in “We are with you through thick or thin.”It can mean “against,” as in “The Allied forces were at war with the Axis powers.” So when the book of Matthew tells us that Jesus shall be called Immanuel, God with us… what does it mean? How is God with us? I am so excited for our amazing Gracekidz and the inspired words of Matthew to lead us this week! See you Sunday as we step into the second week of our Advent series, God with Us. DOWNLOADS

Even as I write this email, 400+ middle school students, high school leaders, and adult volunteers are on their way to Fallout, our annual Grace Student Ministries winter retreat. And if you’ve ever gone on a church retreat, you know there is one question that can make or break the experience: Who else is going to be in my cabin for the weekend? Our student team (and especially our Middle School Admin Robin Phillips!) works very hard to craft great cabin chemistry, but because Fallout includes students from across the Grace Family, there’s no guarantee that everybody will know everyone else in their cabin. Matthew 1:23 tells us that when Jesus is born, he shall be called Immanuel, which means God with us. And as I’ve both meditated on that name and prayed for Fallout this week, I keep thinking about that make or break question: Who else is going to be in my cabin for the weekend? Or, to ask it another way, Do I know who’s with us? Now, I know that the leap from cabin assignments to cosmic knowledge is large, but when we sing or say the name Immanuel, it makes me ask another make or break question: Do we know this God who is with us? And what new things might the simple yet staggering story of Jesus’ birth teach us about the Almighty? DOWNLOADS

Every year in our culture and in our homes, the season of Christmas kindles a warm-hearted expectation of family together. For some, this expectation finds sweet fulfillment in the travels and traditions of December. Others find that the expectation of togetherness only sharpens a sense of loneliness or loss. Behind these met and unmet expectations, however, is the truth that Christmas marks the definitive moment of “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). But until Joseph could see the work of God’s Spirit, “God with us” nearly meant the tearing apart of a family before it even had the chance to begin. And so, from the beginning, the arrival of the Christmas season has blended dilemma and doxology, crisis and Christ. What, then, is the key? Knowing where to look. DOWNLOADS

This week, we wrap up our series on the book of Romans, “Together for Good.” We’ll meet the Apostle Paul’s missional family as we walk through this final chapter. It’s a beautiful and unusual section that reads more like a People Magazine than a typical Pauline Epistle, but it’s far from throwaway. These fascinating people from diverse backgrounds and social classes, all knit together in the gospel, have much to teach us about our own lives today. I can’t wait to dive in to this incredible letter together, one last time. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: The Critical Call to Missional Family // Scripture: Romans 16 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes The book of Romans closes with a letter of thanksgiving and recognition for those who have walked so faithfully in the Lord and served Paul and the church in Rome. Each person mentioned is known within the community and has played a key role in the ministry. These people represent ethnic, gender, and economic diversity. It would have been easy for there to have been divisions among them, but serving God together brought unity. Satan divides and causes dissension among us any way he can. But the God of peace crushes Satan’s head. As we continue to live in obedience by welcoming others with hospitality and devoting ourselves to each other by being in missional community, we experience God’s best. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Unity in Christ demonstrates the beauty of Christ to the world. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Who were the names on Paul’s list of his missional family? What groups of people did they represent? What was the purpose of mentioning division within the body? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Do you have a “family” where you can be truly known? Satan wants to tear people, families, communities, and countries apart, whereas God wants to hold all things together. Where are you letting Satan tear you apart? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Is it possible to have community with differences and without division? What would it take to welcome differences, but not division? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP // Worship Pick out a few of your favorite worship songs and sing them together as a group. The power of worship is that people with very different voices sing together in one voice. After you spend a few minutes worshiping together, discuss how worship creates an atmosphere and community where people with different voices sing with one voice. Change IN // Exercise Coming together in unity requires us to love and forgive. Joining together in prayer can be a practice of unity. Spend some time praying for each other and with each other for unity and forgiveness to thrive. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment How are you intentionally loving on your missional family? Brainstorm ways in which you can be overt in showing love and recognition toward the people who are on your list. CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.

In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul gives the followers of Jesus at the heart of the Empire an incredible gift: the Good News of Jesus that can transform people and form communities into a whole new kind of people who are marked by love and forgiveness and generosity. It’s a stunning vision that makes us want to sit back and take it all in for a while. Before we can get comfortable, however, Paul in chapter 15 gives us his version of the classic, “But wait, there’s more!” He makes it clear that this Good News not only transforms people and forms communities around the Jewish homeland or in the Roman capital city… this Good News is destined by God to go to the farthest reaches of the globe. Nearly 2,000 years have passed since Paul shared his desire to go to “those who have never been told” on the Spanish edges of the Empire (Rom. 15:21-24), but even in our day, the frontier remains. Does God’s Spirit continue to press to the edges? And what does it look like when he does? This week, we’ll have a very special opportunity to celebrate fresh frontier testimonies and taste the future of every tribe, nation, and tongue worshipping God together. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: The Limits of Love // Scripture: Romans 14:1–15:13 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes In the book of Romans, apostle Paul gives the followers of Jesus in the heart of the Roman Empire an incredible gift: the good news of Jesus that can transform people and form communities who are marked by love, forgiveness and generosity. It’s a stunning vision that makes us want to sit back and take it all in for a while. In Romans 15, Paul makes it clear that this good news not only transforms people and forms communities around the Jewish homeland and in the Roman capital city, but it is also destined by God to go to the farthest reaches of the globe. Nearly 2,000 years have passed since Paul shared his desire to go to “those who have never been told” on the Spanish edges of the empire (Romans 15:21-24), yet even in our day, the frontier remains. Does God’s Spirit continue to press to the edges? And what does it look like when he does? THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. We go and send support to all nations so that those who haven’t heard can hear the name of Jesus and understand his kingdom. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Paul’s personal calling was to preach to what kind of people groups? What was Paul’s strategy while he traveled from urban center to urban center? How did those local churches support his mission? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Where have you encountered someone who hasn’t heard the name of Jesus? How about someone who doesn’t know someone who has heard the name of Jesus? Paul identifies his personal calling and the calling of the church to make sure all nations hear the gospel. Do you see yourself being called to participate personally or as part of a local church? How have you been living out that calling? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What made you most uncomfortable about seeing the map of unreached people groups? What brings you hope as you hear stories of how God is moving through international workers sent out by Grace? How will you begin to engage or increase your engagement with unreached people groups? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP // Pray Pray for God to share his heart for the nations with you. Pray for the international workers that have been sent out from...

There is a Japanese proverb that says, “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” Without doubt, the book of Romans delivers a compelling vision of people from every background—Greeks, barbarians, wise, foolish, Jews, Gentiles (Rom. 1:14-16)—transformed personally by the Gospel of Jesus and formed corporately under the grace of God. As Paul exclaims at the end of the letter: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (15:5-6). Without doubt, this is an incredible vision for humanity, renewed and restored. But God’s heart is that this be more than a daydream, even if there have been times in history when Christians have treated each other in ways that seem more like a nightmare.So how can we do it? Is it possible to action that lives into Paul’s vision for the people of God? This week, as we read Romans 14:1-15:7, we’ll hear Paul give us his practical yet profound instruction on this very subject. And believe me, it’s instruction we all need to hear, over and over again. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: The Limits of Love // Scripture: Romans 14:1–15:13 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes This week we continued our series, Together for Good, through the book of Romans by looking at Romans 14–15. In this passage, Paul lays out a pathway for community among people with different opinions by calling us to the way of love. Love engages faith with flexibility. But what does flexibility really look like? In this sermon, Jon differentiates between dogma, doctrine and opinion as three categories of our faith. Dogma is the truth that all faith is built upon. It is important and essential for every Christian community in every place. Doctrines are deep beliefs that form a community. However, they are important but not essential—meaning that while they hold an important place in the individual community, they may not be held by every Christian in every place. Opinions are important for the individual but not essential for the community. How every community deals with dogma, doctrine and opinion dictates the health and vitality of that community. So, Paul calls the Christian community to live with a Christ-like attitude, awareness and allegiance. This means not despising those who think differently than you but welcoming them into your community by having a Christ-like attitude toward them. It means getting to know people and becoming aware of why they believe the way they do. And it means living a life of allegiance to Christ in a way that serves others instead of serving ourselves. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The gospel both transforms our individuality and forms our community. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Do you think it is possible for people with different opinions to be part of the same community? Why or why not? How did Jon differentiate between dogma, doctrine and opinion? What does it mean to be Christ-like as we work through differing opinions in our community? What should our attitude be? How can we become aware of the beliefs and opinions of others? How might we live in allegiance to Christ as we create community with those who may believe differently than us? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What keeps you from creating community with people who believe differently than you? Is there anyone that you despise for their beliefs or opinions?

This week as our Grace staff team was planning and praying for our gathering this Sunday, one of our leaders said to me, “Ever since we started this series through Romans, I’ve been waiting for the sermon on chapter 13.” ::Gulp:: If you’re not familiar, chapter 13 contains perhaps the Apostle Paul’s clearest (and most-cited) instruction about the relationship between God’s people and government, Church and state. In other words, Romans 13 is the first Scripture most people quote when defining (or debating) a particular political stance. But what did Paul mean when he wrote it? And what does it mean for us today, when political positions can seem more barrier than benefit to the clear, Christ-echoing command that appears at the end of the chapter: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Rom. 13:9). DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Church and “State” // Scripture: Romans 13 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Romans 13 contains perhaps the Apostle Paul’s clearest (and most-cited) instruction about the relationship between God’s people and government, Church and “State.” This passage is the first Scripture most people quote when defining (or debating) a particular political stance. But what did Paul mean when he wrote it? And what does it mean for us today? Paul sets out a biblical framework for us to understand the source for earthly authority. He guides us in our understanding of the command to “be subject” to that authority in light of the values and issues that may arise at any given moment. The bottom line is that God institutes the governmental authorities we find ourselves under. This implies not just our responsibility to the authorities, but also serves as a warning to those governments of the high responsibility they carry. The authorities are responsible to serve God by rewarding right actions and punishing wrong actions. Government exists under the authority of God to protect the God-given rights of its citizens while being limited by those very rights. As we fulfill our responsibility to governmental authorities, we are to be engaged, but not caught up in that engagement. Our framework, as Paul states, is to demonstrate love to our neighbors and respect to all, while wisely knowing the times we are in. We are settled and clear in our God-given identity as ambassadors of Christ, and are marked by the fact that we know the times, and that those with whom we interact know that they are loved. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Walk in love, not fear; in engagement, not withdrawal, as you subject yourself to governmental authority. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What is the source of authority for all governmental powers? What is the main role and responsibility of those authorities? What does Paul mean when he commands us to “be subject” to those authorities? What is the framework Paul gives us for our response to governmental authority? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Given Paul’s framework for evaluating and engaging with governmental authority: What aspects of Paul’s instruction feel like an invitation that inspires relationship? What aspects challenge and disturb your sense of responsibility to “be subject?” Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): As you think of the people in your sphere of influence at home, at work, and at play, how would applying Paul’s framework change or color your future conversations about government and authority? What impact would that have? Why?

Call me weird, but as a student I looked forward to getting my report card. It wasn’t just because my grades were always good (they weren’t, especially if the class involved numbers!); more than anything, I think I liked knowing the outcome of my studies. These days, I don’t really get report cards, so I have to settle for the satisfaction of that little 30-point diagnostic inspection diagram of my car from the mechanic shop. I like the assurance that my tires are properly inflated, and even if my brake pads are toast, it’s really good to know before I warp a rotor. But what about our lives with God? Is there a report card or diagnostic diagram for that? In fact throughout Scripture there are a number of rich passages that can help us calibrate our lives with Christ, but Romans 12:9-21 is one of my personal favorites. And as we read it together while making space to listen to God’s Spirit, I believe it can guide us toward greater wholeness. And so even if you don’t like getting a report card, I invite you to hear these verses as a compelling call to a better kind of life filled with love, enthusiasm, harmony, and maybe some burning coals. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Together For(med) Good // Scripture: Romans 12:1-8 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes This week in our series Together for Good, we focused on Romans 12: 9–21. God’s continual transformation in us affects our relationship with God, ourselves and one another, both friend and foe. It starts with genuine love. We spend the majority of our time surrounded by imitations of love, and they can confuse and undermine God’s purpose and plan to show us His genuine love and for us to model it. We bend our life to satisfy our own appetites, to gain approval from others and to reach ambitions. And we often miss the opportunity to be love and joy for others. Not only can we love genuinely, but we can be fervent in spirit, seeking to show hospitality and overcoming evil with good. The greater mark of God’s love in our life will radically redefine all of our relationships. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. God’s righteousness radically redefines our relationships. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What does it mean to be transformed by our relationship with God? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): If you could take the temperature of your faith, what would it be? What has dampened your fire? Are there relationships with people or things in your life that God is calling you to repent of, remove, release or reorder? If someone were to follow you for a day, what would they say you serve? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How are your house, family, finances and heart open to serving the Lord through hospitality? Who is God asking you to invite into your home, family and heart? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP – Exercise God can use music to evoke an emotional response in us that sometimes can be difficult to come to on our own. Listen to the words of “Let Us Be Known” by Aaron Keyes. Feel free to sing along or just listen. Are there any other worship songs that call you to an emotional response? Change IN – Group Activity What thoughts, feelings or emotions rose up in you while you listened? Was it difficult to stay with the emotion? How do you believe that God would like you to respond with what you are hearing and feeling? Why do you believe this is important? Share with the group.

When I was in high school, I ran track. I was very competitive and considered myself to be one of the fastest sprinters. However, I cared absolutely nothing about my form. When my coach approached me about my form and about stretching, I told him, “have you ever seen a dog stretch before it chases a mailman?” Needless to say I never came in first place during a track meet. The runner who wins the race is not always the fastest; sometimes it is the runner who has the best form. Form determines overall performance. Like runners, our form is important. Paul has spent much of his letter expounding on the mercies of God and is now asking the Christians in Rome to consider their form in light of those mercies: are they conformed to their surroundings, are they transformed by the Spirit, and are they together for(med) good? This Sunday, we will examine ourselves according to those same questions found in Romans 12. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Together For(med) Good // Scripture: Romans 12:1-8 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes The runner who wins the race is not always the fastest; sometimes it is the runner who has the best form. Form determines overall performance. Like runners, our form is important. Paul has spent much of his letter expounding on the mercies of God and is now asking the Christians in Rome to consider their form in light of those mercies. Are they conformed to their surroundings, are they transformed by the Spirit, and are they together for(med) good? THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. In view of God’s mercy, we offer a bodily sacrifice so we can be present in God’s process of transformation. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What does God’s mercy mean for Jews living in or returning to Rome? In view of God’s mercy, what is Paul asking them to do? What kinds of cultures formed the Jews and Gentiles living in Rome? What does God offer in exchange for their sacrifice? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How are you responding to your understanding of God’s mercy? What makes it easy to conform to the world’s patterns? How have you identified your gift or function as a member of the body of Christ? What kinds of things happen when the body of Christ functions with gifts and presence? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How has your mind been renewed? What challenges you the most reading Romans 12:1-8? Where is God inviting you to be present to add your gifts? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP – Exercise You may not be able to sit down at a piano like DJ did as a high schooler to read, pray, and worship, but you can bring your presence to God in some way in keeping with the measure of faith you’ve been given. Set aside some intentional time this week to present yourself to God completely. Remember, He sees it all anyway. Boldly ask for spiritual transformation in areas where you have settled for conforming to worldly patterns. Change IN – Group Activity What is keeping you from being fully present in the body of Christ? Read Romans 12:3-8 two or more times. Ask God to show you where you can apply sober judgment in your relationship to the body. Seek to forgive individual members where unmet or misplaced expectations have caused conflict in the functioning of the body. Change OUT – Life Application Assignment What challenges you the most about diversity in the body? What challenges you personally about being present w...

Who are the people you would consider “my people”? Who are the ones for whom you’d drop everything if they faced a crisis? The ones you want to spend the holidays with? For me, “my people” are my family, my friends and neighbors, my Grace community, and Aaron Rodgers (though I don’t think I’m on his list… yet). Now, the consider the people you call “my people” in light of what you understand about God and the Gospel. Are there any names on the list that evoke difficult questions for you? Are there any for whom you might ask, “Is there injustice on God’s part with that person?” Or “Why has God made them like that?” Or maybe you see some of their circumstances and wonder “Has God rejected them?” Or perhaps among your list of “my people” there is one who has walked away from faith, and so you ask “Did they stumble in order that they might fall?” In Romans 9-11, the Apostle Paul takes up the list of his people, the Jews, and literally asks these very same questions (cf. 9:14, 20; 11:1, 11). And though they are difficult questions, Paul’s wrestling and reasoning leads us toward hope in God even if we, like him, live with “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” for the circumstances of some of our own people (9:2). I’m looking forward to talking about the Jews, talking about “our people,” and talking about the good and faithful God who is in the midst of both. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Together For Good: Election Connection // Scripture: Romans 8 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes This week we continued our series “Together for Good” through the book of Romans. In Romans 9–11, Paul works out the anguish of his heart for Jews and Gentiles alike and invites us to feel and understand God’s heart for all people. As we have already learned, years before this passage was written, the Jewish community had been kicked out of Rome. Years later they were allowed to return. When they returned to Rome they found their church in a different state than they had left it. Paul writes Romans to this combustible community so that together they become one in Christ—working together for good in their world. But this is no easy task. There are hints that Gentile believers have been marginalizing the Jewish believers. And now Paul takes this situation head on. In a combination of personal passion and strategic insight, Paul graphically demonstrates God’s work of election through the Jewish people for the salvation of the world. Through this election connection, Paul both honors the Jewish roots of the gospel, while demonstrating the way the Gentiles have been grafted into it. In doing so, we find not that God’s mercy is limited but that it is expansive. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Election is not about God’s mercy having limitation—it’s the connection through which God’s mercy expands its mission. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What parts of Romans 9–11 were the hardest for you to understand? Why? (Discuss these questions as a group). How did John define election? (Not about salvation but about task) What role did Paul suggest the Jews have played in salvation history? How does election play into mission? How did Paul (and Jon) use the picture of an olive tree to demonstrate God’s work here in this passage? What does this picture tell us about who God’s people are? How does this picture keep us from arrogance? How does this picture keep us in awe? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Who are your people? (neighbors, family, friends). Paul is in anguish over his people.