Grace-Snellville - Teachings | gfc.tv

We welcome guest preacher Karl Martin, senior pastor of Central Church in Scotland and friend of the Grace Family of Churches. DOWNLOADS

“Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1) At first glance, this command seems simple and even bland, especially if you know you’ve spent much time around Christians. It’s kind of like the “fasten your seatbelt” of the Bible—obviously it’s important, but a lot of us have heard it so many times that we feel free to pay it little attention. Interestingly, Hebrews 13 contains many of these kinds of commands that seem familiar and oft-repeated in Christian communities. And yet… even though we know them and may even strongly desire to keep them, our efforts often result in frustration. For example, I really don’t love my brothers and sisters all that well, all that often. Why is this? There are many possible reasons, but it seems the most significant comes back to the issue of faith. We tend to do what we believe, and when we don’t do what we think we believe, we should consider the possibility that we don’t believe what we thought. How’s that for a confusing sentence? But it’s also a really important sentence as we conclude our Hebrews series on faith and, quite literally, bring it all home. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Running Together // Scripture: Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 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 “Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1) At first glance, this command seems simple and even bland, especially if you’ve spent much time around Christians. It’s kind of like the “fasten your seatbelt” of the Bible—obviously it’s important, but a lot of us have heard it so many times that we feel free to pay it little attention. Interestingly, Hebrews 13 contains many of these kinds of commands that seem familiar in Christian communities. Why is this? There are many possible reasons, but it seems the most significant bring us back to the issue of faith. We tend to do what we believe, and when we don’t do what we think we believe, we should consider how our beliefs are being challenged or overwritten by our culture. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Our behavior reflects what we truly believe. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What seems to be the focus/purpose of Chapter 13? How does our culture oppose the Jesus-focused way we’re commanded to live? (self-serving individualism; society splitting tribalism; soul-quenching secularism) Mirror (Where am I in the story?): In verses 1-13, are there any commands that provoke or discourage you? (for example, about marriage, contentment, obedience, hospitality, diverse teachings) Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): When we live according to these commands, how does it shape our interactions with others? (view others through lens of identity in Jesus; demonstrate radical dependence on God; be the church called into the world, strengthened by grace) BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes We are called to radical dependence on our God. Spend time with Joshua 1:5 and other scriptures that remind you of God’s character. In the silence of meditation, listen to what He’s affirming in you and calling forth from you. Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes God is at work in us and through us. Discuss what He’s putting on your heart and how you think He wants you to walk it out. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes The very nature of our faith compels us to engage with those outside our “tribe.” Share ideas together and make a plan to show hospitality to someone outside of your normal circles during this holiday season.

The Book of Hebrews is packed with inspiration, warning, and exhortation because the author writes with the assumption that the struggle is real. Running the race of faith for the length of our lives is no cakewalk. In fact, at times is seems that the way of Jesus generates more even more hardship than slacking off, giving in, or checking out on faith. And in those times, our hands may begin to fall from their work. Our legs may begin to grow tired as we walk. Our passion wanes. Our resolve weakens. Into the midst of those moments, our Hebrews brings us a bracing exhortation: “Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees!” (Heb. 12:12). They ring out like an alarm that cuts through our dozing. And even though these words refer to spiritual realities, you might want to stand up after reading this email and see how it feels to lift your hands and strengthen your posture physically… When I stand up from my desk to physically lift drooping hands and straighten my slouching posture, I actually feel a jolt of renewed confidence and energy. And that’s what Hebrews 12 gives us—a jolt of renewed confidence in our souls. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Running Together // Scripture: Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 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 What is your metaphor for life? These metaphors guide our perspective for what we should expect about life. For Forest Gump, life was like a box of chocolates. For Doris Day, life was a bowl of cherries. All throughout the Bible we are given images for life. James tells us life is a vapor. In Hebrews 12 the author tells us that life is a race. And in this race, like every race, we should expect hardship. How we handle hardship tells us a lot about ourselves. The author invites us to run our race well enduring hardship through divine discipline and self-discipline, gaining perspective through Jesus who is both the author and perfecter of our faith, and by keeping our eyes on the finish line. In doing so, we join the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us and are standing today to cheer us on. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Our perspective drives our perseverance. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What is your metaphor for life? What metaphor for life does Hebrews 12 give us? (a race) What kinds of hardship does this passage say we will face in our faith race? How are we supposed to work through this hardship? (divine discipline, self-discipline) What does divine discipline look like? What does self-discipline look like? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What hardships are you facing right now? How are you facing these hardships? Describe ways you are tempted to handle hardship that might be less than what the author of Hebrews is calling us to. How can we draft off Jesus in our hardship? Use this week’s Change UP exercise to explore this idea more. Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How might living your life as if there is “a great cloud of witnesses” watching you change the way you think about hardship in your life? How does the grace of running to Zion trump the judgment of running to Sinai? Which Bible character’s story in Hebrews 11 inspires you the most in your own hardship right now? Why? Which person of faith in your own life that has gone before you inspires you most right now in your own hardship? Why? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Draft Day 15 minutes Part of running a race is knowing how to draft off the person in front of you. This week Jon challenged us to “draft off Jesus...

Struggling Secure Brand new Battle-tested Stretched Shrinking Faith can be described by many different adjectives. But as we reach the end of Hebrews 11 this week, I’ve been caught on just one word: “full.” What would it look like to have full faith? DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Running Together // Scripture: Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 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 Hebrews 12:1–2 we find ourselves in a faith relay race. Runners are passing the baton to us while we are already running ahead. Crowds are cheering! Others are running right beside us, but we have to focus on how we’ll grab the baton being handed to us while doing our best to get to the next leg of the race. The pressure is on to run well and there are sins that entangle us, like distractions and extra baggage that hold back a runner from giving their best effort. God’s promises remind us that He is with us and that our perseverance matters. When we fix our gaze on Jesus, we gain wisdom and strength to run a fulfilling race of faith and not simply endure. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. By Jesus’ faith we can run! SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): The book of Hebrews tells us that there are runners behind, beside, and ahead of us running the race of faith. Who are some that have already run? Why was it important for them to remain faithful to the finish? Who has perfected faith? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What is the warning in these two verses? Have you ever tripped while walking or running? Was it hard to get up and get moving again at the same pace? Have you experienced a stumble in your faith? How did you recover? Who is cheering you on? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): When it looks like sin is ever increasing around us, where does Hebrews 12:2 tell us to look? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes On the cross Jesus took on shame so we wouldn’t be overcome by it. Pray the Lord’s Prayer every day this week. (Matthew 6:5–14) Take a few moments each time to pause and be honest with God about any temptation of sin that may be encumbering y Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes Who are you running with? Schedule two meetings this week (or nail down a time for next week) over coffee, breakfast or lunch. Schedule one with someone who encourages your faith and one with someone whom you can encourage. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes Take a walk in your neighborhood or in a place where you spend time frequently. Pray for God to overcome entanglements of sin in those places and to show you how you can be a faithful runner. 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.

Struggling Secure Brand new Battle-tested Stretched Shrinking Faith can be described by many different adjectives. But as we reach the end of Hebrews 11 this week, I’ve been caught on just one word: “full.” What would it look like to have full faith? DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Full Faith // Scripture: Scripture: Hebrews 11:32-40 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 Faith can be described by many different adjectives: struggling, secure, brand new, battle-tested, stretched, shrinking, etc. As we reach the end of Hebrews 11 this week, we can summarize the faith of these heroes with just one word: full. Hebrews 11:32-40 gives us insight into what it looks like to have the full faith of our forefathers. Full faith doesn’t mean we focus on our own agenda and it doesn’t depend on the outcome. In fact, full faith perseveres when everything is on the line … regardless of the outcome. The outcome of our faith can sometimes be dramatic and immediate, but it can also be delayed and even disappointing. What we know with confidence is the God in whom we trust promises we will be delivered through the temporary broken resurrection of restoration in this life, or the permanent and better resurrection into completely new, eternal life in His presence. The focus of our faith is Jesus, who shows us what God is like. The beauty of our faith in Jesus is we have a distinct advantage over the forefathers of our faith. We can not only depend on the promise of future resurrection; we can live as witnesses of the fact of Jesus’ resurrection as demonstrated in the lives of his first disciples. God is inviting each of us, through the examples of the heroes of our faith in Hebrews 11, to allow the roots of our faith grow deeper and deeper. Full faith breaks through the shallow soil of outcomes and agendas and goes deep into God himself so the foundation of our faith and our great reward will be God and God alone. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Persevering faith is trusting God in every circumstance regardless of the outcome. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What kind of people does this passage commend for their faith? What did they all have in common? What were the two outcomes of their faith? What are the blessings of dramatic deliverance? What are the challenges? What are the blessings of delayed deliverance? What are the challenges? What is our advantage over these faithful heroes? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Which faith story in Hebrews 11 do you most relate to in your own life? How has God given you opportunities to learn that type of faith? What sort of faith is God inviting you to demonstrate in your current situation? What is one truth from this passage you can rely on to strengthen your faith now? How are you embracing both types? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How can embracing both dramatic and delayed deliverance in your own life impact your family, community, or workplace? What would it look like for you to strategically and regularly be engaged in the world … in your sphere of influence? What steps can you take to exist together in community in a way that intentionally shows your faith? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Start by speaking out loud words, phrases, or short scripture that describe God’s faithfulness. Spend a few minutes together in prayer thanking God for his amazing faithfulness.

Joshua 2 reads like a Middle Bronze Age version of a James Bond set piece, complete with secret agents, sexual intrigue, blundering villains, and a daring escape. The only thing missing is some kind of advanced spy gadget, unless of course you’re willing to count the flax camouflage (see Josh. 2:6). At the center of it all is Rahab, a prostitute who is commended for her faith in God (Heb. 11:31, see also James 2:25 and Matt. 1:5). And when we get to the bottom of what this story tells us about the wild wideness of God’s willingness to welcome the wayward, my hope is that our own faith will be stirred (and not shaken) into daring action. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith: Rahab / Spy Story // Scripture: Scripture: Hebrews 11:31, Joshua 2:1-24 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 continued the faith story of Israel circling the walls of Jericho as they entered the Promised Land. This week we look at the story of Jericho from a different perspective—through the life of Rahab (those inside Jericho). Looking at the faith story of Rahab engages our faith at the level of loving our enemies and welcoming the stranger into our midst. This message is incredibly important as we try to live by faith in our world today, one that seems marked by the currents of both deep polarization and indiscriminate acceptance. As Christians, how do we hold important deep convictions, while still living a life of vulnerable hospitality? While this story demands us to see that the Israelite conquest is also the Canaanite judgment, it also demonstrates God’s wild wideness to welcome the wayward. This week Jon invited us to move past polarization and indiscriminate acceptance by creating boundaries that open up the opportunity for radical hospitality in all we do. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Living by faith requires us to pursue mercy over judgment. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): How does this week’s story create a different perspective on the story of Jericho? How does Rahab stand out in the story? (smartest, seems to know the most about God in the story, she is a Canaanite, she is involved in an immoral vocation) What does Rahab’s name mean? (wide) How does this story demonstrate God’s wild wideness of God’s willingness to welcome the wayward? (mercy triumphs over judgment) How does God’s mercy reconcile Rahab’s past and recreate her future? (she is saved, she becomes part of the lineage of Jesus) How does Rahab’s story point to Jesus? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How does this story challenge or change the way you think about your past? (Our past messes with us but it doesn’t mess with God.) What parts of your past might need to welcome in God’s mercy? How does God’s reconciliation and restoration of your past create space for your future? How might you welcome God into your future? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How does this perspective challenge our tendency to live in the two streams Jon talked about: the stream of deep polarization and the stream of indiscriminate acceptance? How do boundaries create opportunity for hospitality? How can you practice this posture where you live, work and play? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes (Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week?) Change UP // Jesus Jukes Invite your group this week to think about the way Jesus lived out what Jon talked about this week—both setting boundaries and demonstrating hospitality. Divide your group in two. Have one group look through the gospels to see how Jesus cr...

Hebrews 11:30 tells us that “by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” The well-known churchy children’s song tells us “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho… and the walls came tumbling down.” And while that historical event in Joshua 6 was certainly a one-of-a-kind moment in the history of God’s people, its symbolic lesson repeats almost as often as the chorus of that song (which may or may not be stuck in your head right now). But what happens when it’s not Joshua but you or I fighting that battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho? How can we approach the seemingly immovable barriers and insurmountable walls that stand in the way of our calling and destiny? DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith: Faith for Falling Walls // Scripture: Hebrews 11:30 // Joshua 5:13-6:20 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 historical event of the walls of Jericho falling down was certainly a one-of-a-kind moment in the history of God’s people, but its symbolic lesson often repeats in our lives. What happens when it’s not Joshua, but you or me fighting the battle of Jericho? Today we look at the immovable barriers and insurmountable walls that seem to stand in our way and how we can approach them. It involves waiting, worshipping, watching and walking. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Stuff takes time! SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What was significant about the location of Jericho? What were some factors that made Jericho feel impenetrable? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How do boundaries show up in your life (vertical, external, horizontal and geographic)? What can we imitate from this story? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): When a perceived enemy—or someone who is different than you—turns and aligns themselves with God’s will, what do you do with that? Are you able to be flexible in your perspective of them, offer forgiveness and welcome them in? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes (Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week?) Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes When you are quiet, you are much better at observing. God called the Israelites to a posture of worship as they approached the walls. As we identify walls that need to fall, we come to Jesus and hold up the need to him. Be still and ask God what the wall in front of you is, then ask him to help you see what He wants you to do about it. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes The writer of Hebrews intended to encourage the faith of other believers by reminding them of who God has shown Himself to be over time. Who in your life is hoping for something they haven’t seen? Do you know someone who is stuck or struggling? If so, prayerfully find a way to encourage them in faith this week. A second way to encourage others could be to share communion with your missional community. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 15 minutes Where is God at work in your world (family, neighborhood and social circles)? How can you approach trick-or-treating and other fall activities with a missional purpose? Start planning now so that you can be strategic with those opportunities! 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.

Question: What happens when God tells you to go to the world’s most powerful man who is in charge of the world’s most powerful empire and ask him to let go of his entire slave force–perhaps his most valuable resource? Answer: Many wild things, including countless frogs, vats of blood, and a sea that won’t hold its shores. Hebrews 11:23-29 reminds us of one of the Bible’s greatest stories about God’s heart for justice and freedom. But it also reminds us that this kind of thing requires a particularly potent practice of faith. Fortunately, God has given us everything we need to grow this kind of faith in our hearts, in our families, and in the midst of all sorts of enslaving powers. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith: Decision-Maker // Scripture: Hebrews 11:24-27 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 It may be helpful to remember the circumstances under which the book of Hebrews was written. The Hebrew people were being oppressed by some of their own religious leaders. On top of that, they were being oppressed by the ungodly system of the Roman Empire. Some Hebrew followers of Jesus were tempted to consider that trusting and following Jesus would be too difficult. The writer of Hebrews was reminding them that they were not the kind of people who would shrink back. This story of God delivering His people from the oppressive rule of Egypt was important for them to understand and it is important for us to remember as well. The process was messy, and judgment was necessary to establish the future that God had initiated. The simple act of obedience in putting the blood of a lamb on the doorpost required a simple faith. When our lives feel as though we are caught between an impassable sea and a fierce enemy, what do we do? Faith in the blood of Jesus puts his mark of salvation on our souls. We are called to move forward from sin into freedom where we can worship God and serve Him. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Freedom has two movements. We are freed from the bondage of sin and oppression. We are freed to worship and serve God. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Is God’s covenant with Abraham still being kept when Moses enters the story? What happens when humans resist God or rebel against His ways? What saves the Hebrews from losing their firstborn sons? What were the Hebrew people free to do after God delivered them? What does freedom look like to you? How might you view freedom differently in light of this story? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Pharaoh resisted the rule and reign of God even with the created order changing in front of him. When are you likely to resist like Pharaoh? Do you ever feel stuck between the two movements of deliverance and freedom? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Some may think of freedom as financial security. Some see it as indulging an appetite without concern for consequences. Some may see freedom in an open calendar. What is God inviting you to use that freedom for? Do you have compassion for those who need deliverance? Where are you aware of oppression or privilege at work around you? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes (Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week?) Change UP // Receive What is God asking you to receive from Him? We learned how to use our bodies in praying the Lord’s Prayer this Sunday. In your time with God this week, pray Jesus’ prayer from Matthew 6:9-13. Pray through it again a second time and pause with your hands in a posture of receiving when you pray “give us this day our ...

Life is filled with choices. Every day we make them. Every day we live in their wake. Some choices make very little difference in our lives. Other choices change everything. In fact, part of what it means to be human is the ability to choose. But what we often don’t realize is that the choices we make are actually making us. So what does our faith have to do with our choices? What do our decisions reveal about our devotion? And how might our choices of faith affect our future? This week we continue our series “By Faith” as we look at the life of Moses and the defining decision of his life. We’ll see how his choice of faith created his future and how every day the choices we make create our future as well. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith: Decision-Maker // Scripture: Hebrews 11:24-27 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 Faith is hearing the voice of God and trusting the heart of God enough to act on what you have heard. Life is filled with choices. Every day we make them. Every day we live in their wake. Some choices make very little difference in our lives. Other choices change everything. In fact, part of what it means to be human is the ability to choose. But what we often don’t realize is that the choices we make are actually making us. This week we continue our series “By Faith” as we look at the life of Moses and the defining decision of his life. We see how his choice of faith created his future and how every day the choices we make create our future as well. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Life is a choice. The most important spiritual activity we do each week is not our devotions; it’s our decisions. Our decisions will reveal our devotion. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What life did Moses choose (v. 25)? What were the four decisions that Moses made that determined his path? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): There are two roads in life (life vs. death). Is that a one-time or a repeated choice? When have I chosen faith (life) in my journey? When have I chosen the temporary (death)? Who do I have in my life who is helping me choose what is lasting? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, leading people, is long and hard. Who are you leading/taking on the journey with you? How can you help keep yourself/them focused on the end-game? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes What does our faith have to do with our choices? Our choices reveal our devotion to God. Let’s be silent for one minute, quieting our hearts and asking God to reveal to us places where He is at work as our Abba. He is working, even when we don’t see it. Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes What do our decisions reveal about our devotion? Choices are not just saying “no,” but even more powerful choices are saying “yes” to the eternal. Brainstorm together choices you want to make that reflect the eternal. Write those choices on the whiteboard or a piece of paper, and then pray for each other to press into those places this week. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes How might our choices of faith affect our future? Look for someone in your sphere of influence who needs encouragement to choose the eternal in their everyday living. Walk together toward what is truly significant. 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? This was the question Jesus asked some of his first followers in the Gospel of John (1:38), and it’s a question that continues to challenge us at the intersection of our faith and our lives today. What do you want, really? I mean, many of us know what should be the right answers: God, Jesus, love, truth, peace, etc. But what if the actual desire of our hearts does not align with these “right answers”? What if we mistakenly believe we desire that which we in fact do not? What if we are so caught up in the daily duties and distractions of life that the deeper wants and longings of our souls go untended for months or even years at a time? This week in Hebrews 11:13-16, we will see that the heroes of our faith learned to answer this question well. And at times, their answer held them as firmly as they held their faith. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Faith Overflowing to Next Generations // Scripture: Hebrews 11:17-21 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 Sometimes we refer to a particularly righteous person as a man or woman “of God.” But in the Bible, we often find that script is flipped. Many times, God is called the God of specific people—namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 50:24; Exodus 3:15; Acts 7:32). This week we looked at the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The faith of these three men spans generations and alters the course of the world. But their faith looks different than we might think. Far from perfect, these men show us an unlikely key to not only living a life of worship, but living worship that overflows into the next generation. God blessed each man the same way, with the same blessing, from generation to generation. Each of their stories begins and ends with worship. God fixes his name to each of these men in spite of their brokenness. Abraham’s faith falters out of fear, Isaac’s favoritism fractures his family, and Jacob’s façade brings failure and weakness. But God is faithful to each of them in the face of their failures, for it is in our weakness that He blesses us. As human beings, God designed us with the ability to be vulnerable and open in the face of failure. And God loves when we faithfully wrestle with him and with ourselves, because his goal is to build a people of character who can face their fears, overcome their desires, and live with a vulnerability that points to the faithfulness of God and results in honest, open worship of his name. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. God wants us to become people of faithful character who desperately love him in spite of our weaknesses. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What personal weakness did each person in the story have to face? How did God prove his faithfulness to each of them in spite of their failure? What is more important in the eyes of God: innocence or character? Why? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What is your greatest fear, desire, and/or secret? How is God responding in a way that is surprising? How is He asking you to faithfully wait for his answer? What are you wrestling with God about today? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How are you treating the failures of others around you? How can your own vulnerability help others around you worship God more? What is one way that God is asking you to be vulnerable in your workplace, home, or family? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Read Psalm 34 out loud. Ask God to give you words of hope in the face of your fears,

What do you want? This was the question Jesus asked some of his first followers in the Gospel of John (1:38), and it’s a question that continues to challenge us at the intersection of our faith and our lives today. What do you want, really? I mean, many of us know what should be the right answers: God, Jesus, love, truth, peace, etc. But what if the actual desire of our hearts does not align with these “right answers”? What if we mistakenly believe we desire that which we in fact do not? What if we are so caught up in the daily duties and distractions of life that the deeper wants and longings of our souls go untended for months or even years at a time? This week in Hebrews 11:13-16, we will see that the heroes of our faith learned to answer this question well. And at times, their answer held them as firmly as they held their faith. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith – Faith and Formation // Scripture: Hebrews 11:13-16 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 This week we continued our series By Faith as we focused on Hebrews 11:13-16. In this passage, we saw several characteristics of faith all of the heroes of Hebrews 11 embody. These people were not perfect people, but they practiced their faith in even the most difficult of circumstances. They weren’t too easily satisfied by lesser pleasures and they persevered even when it became apparent they themselves wouldn’t receive everything they had been promised. In a sense they moved from “having faith” to their faith “having them.” Their reward was simply instead of reveling in the gifts of God, they encountered The Giver. Their lives became about something bigger than their lives and “God was not ashamed to be called God” by them. This week Jon challenged us toward this same story of faith by allowing God to discipline our desires and move His promises into practice in order to create a passion and devotion that outlasts our lives. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Faith forms our devotion by discipling our desires. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What characteristics of faith do we see in Hebrews 11:13-16? How do these characteristics describe all the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11? (Think together about all the stories we have heard so far in this series) How do these characteristics stand in contrast to the way most people live? How did Jon say that our practices and disciplines affect our passions and desires? What challenged you most about what Jon said this week? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What difficulty in your life right now stands in the way of living a life a faith? Where are the promises of God standing at a distance for you? How do you handle the gap of expectation (what God has promised) and experience (what you are dealing with)? What practices and disciplines help you most live out your faith? Why? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How might it change the way you see God and yourself to move from “having faith” to your “faith having you?” What is the biggest shift that you would need to make in your life for this to happen? Who have you seen in your life best exemplify this way of life? Why? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Celebration of Discipline In his best-selling book, The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster invites believers to experience a life of faith marked by spiritual disciplines. These disciplines include not only practices like prayer and scripture reading but also solitude, silence, fasting, and simplicity.

If you looked back on your life and had to give yourself a “faith grade” for your different seasons and semesters, what would it be? To what extent have you trusted God in the key moments? In the daily routines? In the tragedies and crises? In your successes and triumphs? When I look at my own life, I definitely would NOT give myself a 4.0. In fact, I think my “faith report card” would have plenty of Cs and Fs. Moreover, when I thought about this silly idea of a faith transcript, the seasons of lacking faith stood out far more clearly than the seasons of bold trust. Interestingly, Hebrews 11:8-12 gives us Abraham and Sarah’s faith report card. And, in spite of the times in Genesis when we see their faith clearly wavering, the evaluation we find of them in Hebrews is incredibly gracious and generous, revealing a God whose heart is not just for one family but all families of the earth. This week, we’ll look at these stories and see that faith has far more to do with the God who calls us than our ability to respond—and that is good news. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith – Family & Families of the Earth // Scripture: Hebrews 11:8 // Genesis 11:27–12:3 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 To what extent have you trusted God in the key moments of your life? In your daily routines? In the tragedies and crises you have faced? In your successes and triumphs? Hebrews 11:8–12 gives us the story Abraham and Sarah’s faith. And, in spite of the times when their faith clearly wavered, the evaluation we find of them in Hebrews is gracious and generous, revealing a God whose heart is not just for one family but for all the families of the earth. This week, we looked at these stories and saw that faith has far more to do with the God who calls us than our ability to respond—and that is good news. God speaks to us through his mighty Word. He invites us to trust him as we leave our places of comfort and familiarity, so that we can both receive his abundant blessing and also release that blessing to others around us. What we learned through the story of Abraham and Sarah is that life has many high points and low points. But God, in his faithfulness, overcomes our faithlessness as He multiplies his blessings for our own good and for the good of the nations around us. God covenants with us by revealing his character so that we can know him, by drawing near to us so we can actively communicate with him, and by redeeming our failures and futures to connect us to the hope of his blessing. As we take this journey of faith in God, we join with Abraham and Sarah to bless the nations. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The word and call is an invitation to journey with God into covenant blessing for ourselves and for others. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): How did Abraham and Sarah approach life in Mesopotamia? How did that differ from the Egyptian viewpoint? What was the basis of Abraham and Sarah’s decision to go? What were the three key aspects of their response to God’s call? What were some of Abraham and Sarah’s ups and downs? How did God treat them in the end? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How are you regularly seeking the word and call of God in your life? As you think of your own story, what are some things God has invited you to leave, receive, and/or release? What are some ways that God has shown his faithfulness and unfailing love in your ups and downs? What can you do to maintain faithful seasons in your life? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?...

Few sights are more stunning and stirring than a brilliant rainbow shining forth against a ragged, storm-darkened sky. Just ask this guy, who actually saw a double rainbow. But have you ever thought about what God thinks when he sees a rainbow? In the aftermath of the Flood, God tells Noah and his family: Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life (Gen. 9:14-15, NIV). This week in Hebrews 11:7, we will see how Noah models faith. But—perhaps more importantly—we will see how God is worthy of our faith, even in the aftermath of a cataclysm like the Flood. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith – Noah and Knowing God // Scripture: Hebrews 11:7 // Genesis 6-9 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 God regretted that He had made humanity because every thought of the human race had turned toward evil. Noah, however, was a man of faith and found favor with God. Noah heard from God, listened to the warning God spoke, and followed the instructions he was given. In Noah’s obedience of building the ark, we see a pattern of faith we can follow to gain clarity and confidence in what God is saying. God shows His power in the rising floodwaters, but we also see his willingness to be present in the salvation of Noah’s family. We also see power and presence converge in the establishing of a covenant built on a desire for ongoing relationship. We get to know the person of God with more intimacy and gain trust in His faithfulness when we understand with reverent fear the next thing God is leading us to obey. Because of the compassionate covenant God made, we can know His heart and trust His words spoken to us. His most compelling word being the person of Jesus. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Faith depends on the person of God. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What was going on in the world when Noah enters the story? What was Noah’s pattern of faith? How do we see God acting with justice and mercy? What does the covenant with Noah tell us about God’s heart? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How does the account of the flood unsettle you?  Why do we need a reverent fear as we try to understand what God is saying? What has happened when you’ve trusted the goodness of God even though you couldn’t see the whole picture? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): When the bad you see in the world is overwhelming, what do you do? What was Noah’s message to those around him?  Where is God leading you to apply mercy? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Hear o trust the truth God is speaking to us we must be honest about our need and have the courage to trust it in God’s hands. You are not alone being in need! Remember the confessional prayer exercise Aaron shared with on Sunday; it will help us ground us in our faith. Pray the prayer below, and when you are done, quietly listen to the truth about forgiveness and how God is asking you to respond to what He is saying. Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. Most merciful God, we confess we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us.

You can learn a lot from watching the way a person walks. You can see… …leisure or hurry… …comfort or pain… …restedness or fatigue… …confidence or timidity. Perhaps this is why the Bible so often uses the image of “walking” to describe what it means to have a personal relationship with God. The first time this idea appears is all the way back in Genesis 5, hidden in the middle of a long list of names and ending with a surprise disappearance. Fortunately for us, the author of Hebrews reminds us of Enoch’s easily-overlooked story and invites us to learn from looking at the way he walks. What do we see? And what does it have to do with the faith without which we cannot please God (cf. Heb. 11:6)? DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: By Faith – Walk, Enoch, Walk // Scripture: Hebrews 11:5-6; Genesis 5:21-24 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 Walking with God brings Enoch to a different destination than everyone else in the genealogy listed in Hebrews. Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden and he provided everything for a good life, including the boundary of not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed by walking away from his provision, their instinct was to hide from God instead of walking with Him. Sin and death entered the picture for humanity, but Adam and Eve still desired to please God. Their grandson, Enoch, found true life by losing himself in his walk with God. Hebrews 11 tells us that “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” Enoch didn’t know for certain where God would lead, but he kept walking in the same direction with Him. Embracing a decision to walk with God for the duration of our lives means that we can trust God with the destination. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Without faith it is impossible to please God. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What started Enoch’s walk with God? What was in Enoch’s past or present that could have led him to a different decision? Who was Enoch trying to please? What was different about Enoch’s destination? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How did your walk with God start, or have you started a walk with God? How would you describe your walk with God? What are some of the challenges you face as you try to walk with God in the same direction for the entire duration of your life? Though we might not have the same destination as Enoch in terms of literally walking out of this life as we know it, what can we know about our destination? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What does it look like to see someone with a faith that pleases God? Have you walked alongside someone on their journey to finding a faith that is their own? Who has God potentially put in your life so they can see your faith? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Direction “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” Time will vary per individual Go on a physical walk with God and reflect on the direction in which you are headed in your spiritual walk. Ask God to speak to you about the truth you need to hold on to in this season and to expose any lies that could cause your life to drift away from what Jesus is calling you toward. Write down any lies and/or truth along with any scripture that comes to mind after your prayer walk. Change IN // Destination “… Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of ...

One of a parent’s greatest challenges is dealing with the concept of “fairness.” “Why did she get the last brownie?” “Why does he get to stay up later than me?” “Why aren’t my eyes blue like hers?” And even as we aim to maintain fairness in our homes, we ourselves sense that our efforts will likely be swept away in a greater tide of unfairness that pulls through all of human life. It’s not just about bedtime and brownies… it’s about the breaks of life that often leave us at every stage of life wondering why or how or what happened to cause that person or this event to turn out a certain way. And this struggle is old… going back at least to the time of the world’s first brothers, Cain and Abel. (You can read about it in Hebrews 11:4 and Genesis 4:1-16). If you asked Cain and Abel about the breaks of life, what would they say? Is life fair? And what does faith have to do with fairness? DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Cain or Abel // Scripture: Hebrews 11:4 // Genesis 4:1-16 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 This week we continued our series By Faith. In this series we are journeying through Hebrews 10 and 11. We are taking time to think through what it means for us as Christians to live by faith. Hebrews 11:4 invites us to consider the story of Cain and Abel found in Genesis 4:1-16. In this passage both Cain and Abel bring an offering to God. Abel’s offering is accepted. Cain’s offering is rejected. This commendation for Abel comes not simply because of what he offered but by how he offered it—He made his offering from his first-born flock by faith. In contrast, Cain’s offering leaves him in a conundrum. His offering is rejected by God, but Cain is not rejected. In fact, God pursues Cain and invites Him into His acceptance. However, instead of moving toward God in faith, Cain takes his life into his own hands when he kills his brother Abel. Possibly motivated by the unfairness of life, Cain refuses to trust God is just, and in the end his actions only lead to more brokenness and unfairness. Hebrews tells us Abel’s life still speaks and even though his blood cries up from the ground, the blood of Jesus speaks a better word. It reminds us even though life is unfair, God is just. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Living by faith means giving by faith SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What does Genesis 4:1-16 tell us about the offering of Cain and Abel? What does Genesis 4:1-16 not tell us about the offering of Cain and Abel? What was the significance of their offering? (It demonstrated they were stewards not owners of God’s good gifts) Why was Abel’s offering accepted? (It was offered in faith) Why was Cain’s offering rejected? (We don’t know for sure) What was God’s response to Cain? How did Cain react to God? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What does your giving tell you about your life of faith? Where are you tempted to act like an owner instead of a steward of your time, talent, or treasure? When in your life have you struggled with the idea of fairness? How did you react in those moments? What do you think it looks like to trust God in the unfairness of life? Who have you seen model this? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What might it look like to give the first fruit of your time, talent, and treasure to God? How might the justice and goodness of God change the way you look at even the unfairness of your life circumstances? What might it look like to move toward God with your giving right now instead of running away from Him?