Grace-Snellville - Teachings | gfc.tv

This year, Americans expect to spend $8.4 billion on Halloween, making it one of the highest-spending holidays of the year. That is a lot of Pixy Stix (which happen to be Georgia’s preferred Halloween treat), and I’m pretty sure the $8.4 billion does not count the cost of dental work resulting from candy excess. Despite Halloween’s popularity, however, many people who follow Jesus don’t quite know what to do with this sometimes fun, sometimes fearful season that blends themes of money and magic. Fortunately, Acts 8 introduces us to a similarly complex world and provides some guidance. When the disciples arrive in Samaria, they meet a strange man named Simon who “practiced magic” (v. 9) until the greater power of the name of Jesus captured his imagination. But this Simon quickly earned a stern rebuke from the Apostle Peter when he offered to purchase the power to give the Holy Spirit. (This is the origin of our word “simony,” which describes any attempt to purchase spiritual power with money.) What does this peculiar and somewhat spooky story have to do with Halloween in two weeks? Podcast Downloads Date: October 23, 2016 // Title: The Great Gift Scripture: Acts 8:4-25 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 Acts 8 introduces us to a complex world and provides some guidance for us in a Halloween season that blends themes of money and magic. When the disciples arrive in Samaria, they meet a strange man named Simon who “practiced magic” (v. 9) until the greater power of the name of Jesus captured his imagination. But this Simon quickly earned a stern rebuke from the Apostle Peter when he offered to purchase the power to give the Holy Spirit. (This is the origin of our word “simony,” which describes any attempt to purchase spiritual power with money.) THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The Gospel is greater: we have nothing to fear! SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What is the difference between miracles and magic? What do signs do? What does it mean that the Gospel is great? And that it is a gift? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): :Is my spiritual walk focused on the miraculous or the magical? What impresses me? Do I have behaviors that indicate I’m trying to manipulate God or earn His free gift? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Since the Holy Spirit provides guidance and power for living, how can He help us unify across cultural gaps during Halloween?  BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise – Celebrate the Light 15 minutes “Why allow Halloween to be a pagan holiday in commemoration of the powers of darkness? Fill the house or church with light; sing and celebrate the victory of Christ over darkness.” (Richard Foster) Light some candles or turn on lights in the room you’re using. Put on some music so you can sing and celebrate the victory of Christ over darkness! Change IN // Focus on the Light 5 minutes As we are on this journey of faith together, sometimes we are waiting for God’s miracle to happen in our lives. In the meantime, we see other signs of God at work and that encourages us as we wait. Take this opportunity to share signs of God at work in your midst. Let these signs encourage you as you wait for Him to move in other areas. Change OUT // Be the Light 5 minutes Again, think about how your group can leverage Halloween as an opportunity for the gospel. Think about how your group can be present in your neighborhood and what that gospel presence might look like (for example,

This Sunday we have the very special privilege of welcoming Buddy Hoffman to the Grace Snellville pulpit! Buddy and his wife Jody planted Grace more than 30 years ago and continue to be significant leaders in the Grace Family. Jody and I are excited to return to Grace Snellville this Sunday, and we are thrilled how well all the Grace Churches are experiencing great favor from God. We look forward to renewing old friendships and seeing new faces. We will continue the commitment that Jon has so faithfully followed in teaching the Scripture as we journey into Acts 8: “The Good News in a Messy World.” It answers questions like: What happens if what we believe isn’t popular? What if what we teach is not culturally attractive? What if what we know to be true becomes unlawful to utter? Abandon worry! The Good News remains Good News! -Buddy Podcast Downloads Date: October 16, 2016 // Title: The Answer is Jesus and the Bible Scripture: Acts 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 welcomed back the founders of our church here at Grace Snellville–Buddy and Jody Hoffman. Buddy continued our conversation through the book of Acts by preaching from Acts 8. In Acts 8, persecution breaks out against the church and the church is scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. The gospel collides with an unlikely person named Simon the Sorcerer, and Phillip is sent in a miraculous way to explain the good news to the Ethiopian Eunuch. In these stories, the gospel continues to spread even when bad things happen, when religion goes rotten, and when people are unsure about the longterm plan. Through it all, we are reminded that Jesus is everything we need and that no matter what happens to us or in our world, that nothing can stop the power of the gospel. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Whatever questions we are asking in our lives, the answer in the person of Jesus and the story of God found in the Bible. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What happens to the church in the opening verses of Acts 8? How does this persecution affect the church? Does the answer surprise you? Why or why not? What does Simon the Sorcerer try to do with the gospel? How does that affect the church? What happens with Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch? How does this affect the church? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): :How has the gospel pressed up against difficulty in your life? How has Jesus taken some of those bad things and worked them for good in your life? What keeps you from believing Jesus is all you need in your life? How have you seen the gospel distorted by religion? How is the power of Jesus different from other power we bump into in the world? Where have you seen the power of the gospel at work the most? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What would it look like for you practically to be dependent on Jesus in your life? How might you expect the power of the gospel to be present in your life, in your family, and in your work this week—in the good stuff, in the bad stuff, in the distorted stuff, and in the wonder of it all? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise: High Points and Hard Times 5 minutes Take a moment to come up with the 10 highest High Points and the 10 hardest Hard Times in the Bible. List these High Points and Hard Times out on a white board or piece of poster board for the group to see. Then go around the group and ask for people to give testimony about how these stories—both the High Points and the Hard Times have been a source of hope in their lives...

It’s easy to romanticize the life of the early church in Acts. Miracles! Breakthroughs! Financial abundance! Angels! Sometimes these victories are so astounding, however, that we read right over some of the very same problems we struggle with today. But when we see the full picture, we begin to realize that the flourishing of the early church was not so much in their ability to maintain a utopian ideal but rather in their reliance on God to sustain them and lead them through every challenge without and within. Now as much as ever, that’s what we need too. This week, we will see in the beginning of Acts 6 how this flawed but resilient early church community sustained their forward movement in the face of a sadly contemporary challenge: unjust discrimination. How might their godly decisions back then shape our way forward with similar problems today? Podcast Downloads Date: October 2, 2016 // Title: Times Are A-Changin’ Scripture: Acts 6:1-7 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 There are no perfect churches. Even the early church wasn’t perfect. This week as we study Acts 6 together, we catch the early church in the midst of all kinds of changes and challenges. As the church increased in its number of people it also increases in its number of problems. The advancement of the church leads to adversity. Extraordinary generosity is threatened by fearsome selfishness. Marvelous wonders are met with jealous opposition. Angelic deliverance is coupled with physical beating. Indefatigable rejoicing is met with prejudice. These problems come from outside the community and from within. And while the problems that come from the outside often leads to the church’s growth, it’s the problems that come within that threaten its entire existence. Thankfully, God gives the church the answer to deal with many of their problems—and his answer might shock you. The problems of the church are solved by the raising up of the church’s people—common people, like us, who root ourselves in the Word and let God do His extraordinary work in and through us. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Increase brings change and change creates challenge. But the answer to the challenging problems present in our community is found in the raising up of God’s people. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): How would you describe the picture of the early church that we have read about in the first six chapters of Acts? Was it perfect? Explain. How did the increase of people coming into the church create problems? What did those problems look like? What was the specific problem addressed in Acts 6? What was the church’s response to these problems? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Do you ever find yourself “looking” for the perfect community? What unfair expectations do you think you bring to the communities you find yourself in? What would it look like for you to do more than identify the community’s problem but instead become part of the community’s solution? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): If the church is dependent upon its people, what do you think it looks like to be a leader in the church? How does Acts 6 affect your thoughts on what leadership looks like? What would it look like for leadership development to be normal in a church? How might you increase your leadership this year at Grace? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Quiet Time 15 minutes One of the ways that we grow as leaders is by spending time in the Word. Take some time to share what each of you has learned in y...

Courage is captivating. Whether it’s a misfit hero rising on a gimpy leg to face overwhelming odds, two friends breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, or Gandalf taking a stand against a fearsome foe, our favorite moments in movies, life, and legend are defined by courage. But how might we live in the courage that so stirs our hearts? Where can we find the fight we need to step boldly into the confrontation between good and evil? The book of Acts chapter 4 provides a path. This week, we will see it, explore it, and perhaps even walk that path together. Podcast Downloads Date: September 18, 2016 // Title: Confrontation and Courage for All Scripture: Acts 4:1-31 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 We continue the big theme from Acts—What does it mean to be “living” God? Peter and John proclaim in boldness the way Jesus taught them to live after a confrontation from a “good deed done” (healing a man). They are brought before the power brokers of their time, who are threatened by the alternative source of power being demonstrated. It is a new King, a new way, through a new temple, with a new hope for a new kingdom from a new Savior. They show us how to walk with a free and fearless confidence and a cheerful courage—not through some individual virtue but through the strength that comes from a community value—a connection to a body that prays together and brings requests to a sovereign God in unity. We aren’t courageous alone. We see that we live not in fearful times, but in times that are an invitation for living in courage, trusting a Good Father, connecting to courageous community and hoping in an unshakeable kingdom. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. We will need courage to continue in “the way” as we are confronted with the friction of the world around us. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): In what ways are the powerful people threatened by Peter and John? How could Peter and John change the way people think about those people? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): We live in a time filled with crisis, consumerism, and celebrity being pushed in front of us 24 hours a day. Do you react with fear and withdrawal from the shaking, or do you trust that God is sovereign, in control and inviting us to join in with him? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What’s shaking you right now? So often we aren’t aware of the things that are affecting us. BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 7 minutes We have a Good Father offering us his hands to give us the courage to run forward (like Jon’s daughter, Bethany, in the video). Take some time to think about where you need to grab on to be able to go in courage. His hands are there. Confess anything holding you back, and in your own mind see yourself taking his hands and leaning forward. Change IN // Group Activity 15 minutes Being with Jesus isn’t an individual virtue, it’s a community value. The community in Acts 4 clearly knew the Psalms. They used them for inspiration, prayer and worship. Find a Psalm (or use Psalm 2) to pray or sing. Talk about what’s been shaking you. Cultivate courage in your community by being united in asking God to move in those things in prayer. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 15 minutes What “good deed done” could your community come together to do that would shake things up? Would it create friction or challenge the normal story we are presented with? Why? CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be part of something big with my life. I’ve wanted to see God do something significant—not just in the world somewhere—but in my life and in those I was doing life with. Some people call it revival. Others just call it “vival”—because to “revive” something it had to be alive to begin with. Still others call it a “move” of God and others simply a “movement”. The truth is, whatever you call it, it was happening in the book of Acts. God was working. His Spirit was moving. The world was changing. The Living God was actively working through a people that were living God. And it is this living reality that became known as the church. Unfortunately, what we see happening in the book of Acts, fewer and fewer people today associate with the institution of the church and the religion that bears Christ’s name. Today the church is often more bent on keeping things from changing then being a force of change in the world. We’ve lost our sense of movement, our sense of “vival”—our sense of life. But what if we wanted to gain back that sense of life? What if we wanted to become that movement again? What if instead of simply trying to keep things from changing, we actually desired to be a force of change in the world? How would we do that? Well, this is exactly the conversation we will dive into headfirst this Sunday. And the answer we will find in the book of Acts might actually surprise us. It might not actually be as complicated as we sometimes think it is. So join us this Sunday—a Sunday that marks 15 years from that tragic morning on September 11th when none of us could deny that there was something broken in our world. And together lets journey toward the beauty that lies just beyond all broken things as we learn to be the people who step into that brokenness and make it beautiful again. Podcast Downloads Date: September 11, 2016 // Title: Ordinary Rhythms, Extraordinary Impact Scripture: Acts 2:42-3:21 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 In the book of Acts God was working. His Spirit was moving. The world was changing. The Living God was actively working through a people that were “living”God; it is this living reality that became known as the church. Today the church is often more bent on keeping things from changing than being a force of change in the world. Let us journey together toward the beauty that lies just beyond all broken things, and we learn to be the people who step into the brokenness around us and make it beautiful again. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Extraordinary impact comes from living a life devoted to what seem like ordinary rhythms. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): At the end of Acts 2, what was the church’s rhythm together? What were the two places (spheres) where the early church functioned? (v.46) In chapter 3 the church looks outward and becomes expectant, and what happens? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Where are the areas in my life that I’m living blind—unaware of what God is doing in the world and my part in it? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Are there broken situations or people around you that have become normal to you? You may not have silver or gold, but what do you have? What did Peter and John have that they gave? (3:1-10) BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 15 minutes Read Psalm 31. Be still and ask the Lord to show you areas of your life where you have not been strong or faithful. Take those and lay them at His feet.

They can be nuclear or extended, immediate or distant. Some are blended; some are step; some are foster. We know we should build them and focus on them. For some they provide the perfect sense of identity and security, while others wonder how they ended up in theirs. But there is little in all the world that is so potentially wonderful and so perpetually challenging as family. Immediately after the cosmos-changing giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the book of Acts shows us that the Spirit has come not only to save individual souls but also our entire society by giving us power to be family just as God intends. Podcast Downloads Date: September 4, 2016 // Title: The Spirit’s Family Practices Scripture: Acts 2:37-47 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 Jon led us to see how Pentecost marks an unprecedented turn in the human story. This week we saw how that unprecedented turn resulted in the church functioning together as a family. Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost had caused a tremendous stirring and repentance among the people and 3,000 had been added to the church’s movement in one day. It was a tremendous moment. But here in Acts 2:42–47 we see how such a great moment translates into a movement—a movement of family. While today the word “family” may bring to mind both helpful and unhelpful images for many of us, it was in the practices of family that the New Testament church found its center and function. Four practices brought and knitted this family together: (1) They devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching; (2) They devoted themselves to fellowship; (3) They broke bread together; and (4) They prayed together. This week Jon challenged all of us to put family into practice at every level of our lives. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Pentecost reminds us that it is God’s Spirit that guides and empowers God’s people. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What does Peter call people to do at the end of his message in Acts 2:37–41? What does the word “repent” mean? How is baptism a part of repentance? How many people responded to Peter’s call? What do you think that response must have been like for the disciples? What does this moment signify? (The beginning of the church). How does Acts 2:42 show us the practices of the church? What metaphor did Jon say was helpful? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Which parts of Acts 2:42–47 have you experienced before? Which parts have you not experienced before? How have you experienced the church as a family—both good and bad? Which of the four practices that Jon mentioned is easiest for you? Which is hardest for you? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What would it look like for the church to function as a family? How would that change your normal perception of church? What advantages does this idea bring? What disadvantages does this idea bring? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Family Prayer 10 minutes Last week we spent some time identifying places where we need guidance and power in our lives. Some groups took the IN Challenge and actually wrote those things down and used those things to pray for one another as prayer partners this past week. If your group did that, have each person report on how the things you prayed for each other about turned out this week. If your group didn’t do the IN Challenge last week, take some time to devote yourselves to prayer for one another by asking where each person might need guidance or power and praying for...

What happens when the living God lives in you? It might get loud. It might get fiery. It might get you accused of being drunk. It might be better than Rosetta Stone. It also surely means renewal and guidance and power. Sunday, we will read one of the greatest stories in the history of the world about the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And even though it was a one-time event that can never be fully duplicated, part of its impact is that it’s still available to everyone. Podcast Downloads Date: August 28, 2016 // Title: Pentecost Scripture: Acts 2:1-41 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 Pentecost marks an unprecedented turn in the human story. It was on this day that God sent His Holy Spirit to His people. This supernatural experience redefined God’s work in the world and reversed much of the human experience we find in Genesis 3-11. The images of fire and wind that we see inaugurating this moment in the church’s history remind us of the way that God had led His people throughout the Old Testament. The symbol of tongues of fire remind us of the pillar of fire that God used to lead the people Israel through the desert—giving them guidance. The blowing wind reminds us of Ezekiel’s vision for the people of God in Exile—giving them the power of life and resurrection to turn their dead bones into a vast army. Here in Acts 2, the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit is given to all of God’s people. And even though this is a one-time event in human history, with it marks the opportunity for God’s people to be filled with the Spirit each and every day. As God’s Spirit works with us, in us, and upon us, we too can live the naturally supernatural life that we see all believers living in the book of Acts. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Pentecost reminds us that it is God’s Spirit that guides and empowers God’s people. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What happens to the believers in Acts 2:1-41? What is Pentecost? How does Pentecost change things? Who is the Holy Spirit? What symbols accompany the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2? Why are these symbols important? What might these symbols point to? What does it mean to blaspheme, grieve, or quench the Holy Spirit? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What has your experience with the Holy Spirit been like? How has He guided you? How has He empowered you? Have you ever blasphemed, grieved, or quenched the Holy Spirit in your life? What did that look like? What do you think it might look like for you to live continually filled with the Holy Spirit? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Where (besides yourself) have you seen the Holy Spirit at work in the world? What did that look like? What kinds of guidance and power did you see in those places? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise – Fire and Wind Fish Bowl 10 minutes Split your group into two teams for a little friendly competition. Name one team “Team Fire” and name the other group “Team Wind”. Then give each group 5 minutes to name as many references, as they can, where they see fire if they are Team Fire or wind if the are Team Wind in the Bible. Have each team read their list one at a time—alternating teams. The team that identifies the most events wins. Change IN // Group Activity – Fish Bowl 10 minutes Pass out a small piece of paper to each person in the group. Ask each person to write down one place in their life where they need the guidance or the power of the Holy Spirit...

Based upon my own very unscientific observations of one particular nine-month-old subject, waiting is not natural for humans. In fact, our daughter Bethany seems to possess an innate toolkit of strategies–crying, crawling, grasping, squirming–that help her avoid waiting any longer than necessary for something she wants. As we grow older, though, most of us learn to wait. One of the great challenges of our times, however, is the scarcity of time itself. We often mistake “instant” for “urgent” and so forget how to wait for anything. The reason that AT&T’s recent advertisements about the crisis of an internet outage at home is so funny is that it is so true. In the Bible, the art of waiting is known as “patience.” And the Church from the very beginning in Acts 1:11-26 has practiced patience. This is part of what it means to follow a God who makes and always keeps his promises. How do we fill the space between now and then in a way that honors God? Podcast Downloads Date: August 21, 2016 // Title: The Lost Art of Waiting Scripture: Acts 1:11-26 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 One of the great challenges of our time is the scarcity of time itself. We often mistake “instant” for “urgent” and forget how to wait for anything. In the Bible, the art of waiting is known as “patience.” The Church, from the very beginning in Acts 1:11–26, has practiced patience. This is part of what it means to follow a God who makes and always keeps his promises. How do we fill the space between now and then in a way that honors God? How do we see God at work and share what we see God doing—even as we wait patiently? The first step is to learn to recognize the presence of God, his reality and goodness, as we wait for his Holy Spirit to break into the chaos (Gen 1:2) around us and bring fullness and life. Waiting isn’t popular when we drive, when we eat or even when we are listening. It is also difficult for us to be patient as we learn to follow and walk with God. The disciples demonstrated that our waiting can be proactive. We can be persistent and unified in prayer, intentionally paying attention to God and making space for him to show up. We can be preparing actively as we take scripturally-shaped steps saturated in God’s truth. And we can be strategically adaptive, investing in godly leaders who will be ready to respond when the Spirit crashes in. This perspective paves the way for the Holy Spirit to cultivate the gift of patience in our own lives and the church. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Living God means attentive, active and adaptive patience that precedes the power and wonders of the Holy Spirit. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What was the expectation of the disciples as they waited for Jesus to fulfill the promise of the Holy Spirit? How does the imagery of Genesis 1:2 reflect patiently waiting for Jesus to bring fullness into the chaos of life? What are the three ways God invites us to wait patiently and proactively? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What comes to your mind when you think about being filled with the Holy Spirit? What are you waiting for God to stir up, to heal, to completely fill, to fully restore or to bring life to? How can you begin to apply the example of Peter and the disciples as you wait proactively for the Holy Spirit to act? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How is a lack of godly patience reflected in you...

Recently, I was in Indonesia with 1,000 Christian leaders from 160 countries for the Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering that is convened once every decade. (Fortunately, at 34 years old, I just barely qualified as a “younger” leader!) The Lausanne Movement first began in 1974 under the initiative of Billy Graham, John Stott, and other key Christian leaders to help focus the Church on the fulfillment of the Lord’s great commission to make disciples of all nations. At the Younger Leaders Gathering, our aim was to take stock of the worldwide evangelical Church, learn from one another, and dream for the future. That future is both exciting and challenging. On one hand, it was amazing to be part of such a diverse representation of the world’s 2.3 billion Christians who are the result of the diligent, Spirit-empowered work of that small band of Jewish disciples who watched the Lord ascend from the Mount of Olives 2,000 years ago. On the other hand, massive change in our world brings new challenges requiring fresh faith to follow Jesus. For the first time in history, more than half the world’s population lives in cities. Technology simultaneously connects us and isolates us. Religion is on the rise–secularism peaked in the 1980s and has been in decline worldwide since. 1% of the world’s population holds half its wealth. There are currently 232 million migrants, a number expected to increase as birthrates, poverty, and conflict drive people to seek security and sustainability. Many of these statistics may seem far, far away from Snellville, Georgia–an idea that quite literally crossed my mind as I traveled two full days to get home this week. But whether we realize it or not, the global connectivity of our world means these massive changes impact our daily lives, even in Snellville or Lilburn or Lawrenceville or Grayson. How might we respond to these changes in technology, politics, urbanization, globalization, and radicalism? As Os Guinness said to us in Jakarta, “The Church goes forward best when it looks backward first.” And so, this fall, we will be looking all the way back to the beginnings of the Church itself to learn how we might shape its tomorrow. Get ready for the Book of Acts! Podcast Downloads    

In the words of the great Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” That’s right—here we are again. I can’t believe it. Summer break is coming to an end. A new school year is right around the corner. Our kids have met their teachers. Summer sleep patterns are starting to be rearranged. Monday is the first day of school. And if you listen closely you can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth in the distance. But beyond the wailing, you can also pick up the excitement and anticipation that is building just below the surface. Thanksgiving is here (that’s what some of us parents call the first day of school)! And as much as we love summer, we know it cannot be our constant state. Sooner or later we all start longing to get back to life as normal. There is just something inside us that believes it’s time to learn and grow. It’s time to get off the couch and into the classroom. It’s time get out of the pool and start being productive again. That’s why you might be surprised to find out that this Sunday I can’t wait to talk to you about “How to Waste Your Life.” That’s right. What you just read wasn’t a misprint! Join us this Sunday as we learn together a fool-proof plan to keep our lives from mattering at all. We will see up close and personal just how all of us can waste the opportunity that stands in front of us at the beginning of this new school year. It’s going to be amazing—or NOT! Podcast Downloads Date: August 7, 2016 // Title: How to Waste Your Life (or not) Scripture: Luke 16:1–13 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 Luke 16:1–13 we have the parable of the dishonest manager. The manager was wasting his own life and his master’s possessions. Before the master let him go, the manager had a chance to take stock of his desires and actions and make some changes. Let’s use this story to inspire us to move from apathy to urgency for sake of the Kingdom! THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Most people don’t plan to waste their life—they just don’t have a plan not to. SEE IT – Questions 10–15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What were the decisions that the dishonest servant made before he lost his position? What do his actions show us about his heart? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What resonates with me about this story? Where have I stopped growing, giving or going? Window (How does the story change how I see the world around me?): Living with a sense of calling, generosity and moving forward will help you be intentional in your interactions with others. Motivated by grace and mercy, think of ways you can see intentionality happening in each area (growing, giving, going). BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Take two minutes to be silent. Ask God to show you areas of your life where you are choosing to live in crisis, scarcity or just maintaining where you are. Jesus invites us to come and learn about His character and competence and then to go out and take that to others. Listen for words He has for you, for pictures He shows you, or for scriptures that He brings to your mind during the silence. Change IN // Group Activity 15 minutes Following Jesus’ example of growing, giving and going, talk through the Extraordinary Norms of Grace (which are listed on page four in the Fall Grace Groups catalog and at http://bit.ly/2aSfF0A). Speak into each other’s lives about an area in which you want to grow this school year. Choose a class or core intensive to attend together and register at http://bit.

We are smack in the middle of convention season during an election year, which means our nation’s political parties are feverishly working to gather as many Americans as possible to their side. Indeed, the rules of democracy teach us, in general, that what matters most is getting the most people together. But in God’s Kingdom, it’s getting the right people that matters most. Gideon learned this the hard way when God told him to pare down his army from an impressive 32,000 to a rather paltry 300. In the end, however, what set these 300 apart made all the difference for a mighty victory. Sadly, when Gideon forgot this lesson, his influence crumbled. So at the core of this story in Judges 6-8 is the essential truth about community that makes all the difference between mighty victory and crumbling influence. Podcast Downloads Date: July 24, 2016 // Title: Gideon, Part 2 Scripture: Judges 6-8 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 rules of democracy teach us; in general, that what matters most is getting the most people together. However, in God’s Kingdom, it’s getting the right people that matters most. Gideon learned this the hard way when God told him to pare down his army from an impressive 32,000 to a rather paltry 300. In the end we learn what set these 300 apart made all the difference for a mighty victory. Sadly, when Gideon forgot this lesson, his influence crumbled. At the core of this story (Judges 6-8) is the essential truth about community that makes all the difference between mighty victory and crumbling influence. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. When you pick your path, you pick your partners. CHANGE 5 questions to help us GROW or SEE IT 1. What are four positive things from Gideon’s life that are worth imitating? (Hint: two were from last week and two are from this week.) 2. What are two things to remember about getting the right team? 3. What are some negative things from Gideon’s life that you would want to avoid in your own life? 4. When we read about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, what is important to remember? How can we possibly put on all that armor? What is something we can remember that will help us with that? 5. What does it mean to be in Christ? When we’re in a battle, how does it help us to remember that? CHALLENGE 3 exercises to help us GO or BE IT (choose at least 1) UP (Our relationship with God) We all face battles that make us afraid. The key is to keep walking with God, into the battle, and watch Him win the victory. Take time to listen to God and receive His divine guidance for a battle that you’re facing right now. IN (Our relationships with each other) Do you have the right team (people you do life with)? Remember that a team is gathered for a common purpose and by Providence. Discuss this together and make a plan for adjusting your team if you need to. OUT (Our relationship with the world) Did you choose the “OUT” challenge from July 10? If so, you walked around your neighborhood and dreamed about what God wanted to do in your neighborhood and how He could use your family to do it. Are you making plans for it? Spend some more time on this challenge now. If you haven’t taken this challenge yet, consider doing it today! 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.

Uncertainty is unavoidable. Our lives are so complex and so dependent on the decisions of others that any notion that we are in complete control is an illusion. Think about driving a car–no matter how careful we are, safety still depends on the other drivers keeping their cars in their lanes. Most of us have grown accustomed to this uncertainty when it comes to driving. But what about your future? Your identity? Your calling? Your community? Life changes quickly, and often we are left scrambling to figure out what to do when certain aspects of life cease to be so certain. This week, we will read about Gideon in Judges 6-8. He was a man who had an absolutely amazing future, identity, calling, and community from God. But he was plagued by uncertainty. Sometimes we think that uncertainty, doubt, or hesitation would disqualify a leader from service in God’s plans. God, however, patiently responds to Gideon’s halting obedience. He shows signs, keeps fleeces dry, and even gives the enemy a dream of a barley loaf going through their camp like a wrecking ball to reassure Gideon that the only healthy destination for his uncertainty is trust in the living, mighty God. Podcast Downloads Date: July 17, 2016 // Title: Gideon Scripture: Judges 6-8 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 What does God see when He sees us? There may not be a more important question to ask or dare to attempt to answer in our lives. Yet, this is the question that forms so much of the story of Gideon. Gideon is hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat, when God shows up and calls him “Mighty Warrior”—exactly who it looks like Gideon is not. But God sees in Gideon what Gideon is incapable of seeing in himself. And as Gideon begins to believe what God sees about him, he begins to become who he was always destined to be. This week Jon helped us face our fears and acknowledge the names that too often try to define us in unhelpful ways by making room for God to speak to us and tell us what He sees in us. As we begin to hear what God sees us to be, our fear gradually turns into faith and our disobedience becomes obedience. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. My best ID comes from hearing what God sees when God sees me! CHANGE 5 questions to help us GROW or SEE IT 1. When was the last time you were afraid? How did you react to that fear? Why was Gideon afraid in this passage? How was he reacting to that fear? *Have fun identifying together how you react to fear in your life. Use that experience to relate to Gideon’s story together. 2. What did God see in Gideon? How was what God saw in Gideon different than what Gideon saw in himself? *Discuss why God calling Gideon “Mighty Man of Valor” was such a stunning thing. 3. What names have you been called in your life—both bad and good? How have these names affected who you have become? *Give space for everyone to talk through the good and bad names they have heard people call them. Affirm the places that God might be using others to speak truth into each person’s life. Correct the places where someone’s words might be hindering each person’s life. 4. How did what God saw in Gideon affect his direction? How does seeing who God says we are affect what we do with our lives? *Discuss together how our identity affects our direction. 5. What is holding you back from becoming who God has called you to be? What would it take for God to turn your fear into faith? *Pray for each other as you identify fears and barriers to beco...

Freedom seemed like an impossible dream. Israel had been “oppressed cruelly” for 20 years (Judges 4:3). It was so bad that the people were afraid to even go out onto the main roads (Judges 5:6). The oppressors were so powerful that change appeared impossible. But then a woman named Deborah arose and delivered the word of the Lord throughout the land. They were words of deliverance and courage. Some who heard the call refused to respond, preferring their coastland comforts and the security of home (Judges 5:16-17). But those who did engage got to see something amazing: God working through an unlikely, impossible team of leaders to change everything. Today more than ever in our nation, we as God’s people need to hear again his words of deliverance and courage in the face of oppression and violence. We need to recall the dreams that God has for his world. And we need to remember how he brings together teams of simple and unexpected people to make those impossible dreams possible. Podcast Downloads Date: July 10, 2016 // Title: Team Deborah, Barak, Jael Scripture: Judges 4-5 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 wants to do amazing things in our world. And if we have learned anything from the events this past week, it’s that our world really needs God to work. But from the beginning, God has continued to do His greatest work through His people—unlikely teams of people who band together to be God’s family and do God’s work in the world. This week, Jon spoke to us from Judges 4-5 about a heroic team of unlikely people who dared to step into the chaotic events of their day and do something to change it. This timely and inspiring message invites and challenges all of us to be God’s team and make is His dream a reality in every area of our world that is struggling to wake up from it’s nightmare. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Teamwork makes the dream work but God’s work makes the team work. CHANGE 5 questions to help us GROW or SEE IT 1. What words would you use to describe our world today? How have you seen those words in the news this week? *have each person pick one positive word and one negative word to describe the world they see today. 2. What words would you use to describe the world that Deborah, Barak and Jael lived in? *have each person pick one word to describe the world of Judges 4-5. 3. How did Deborah, Barak and Jael work as a team to see God restore His dream in their world? *describe together how each of these individuals used their personal opportunities, gifting and talents to do what they could do individually but how it took all of them working together to deliver Israel. 4. How has your team of family and friends worked together in the past to become a team that God has used to do His work in the world? *share your family highlights 5. What places might God be asking your team of family and friends to step into this month? *discuss together places that your team work could make God’s dream work. CHALLENGE 3 exercises to help us GO or BE IT (choose at least 1) UP (Our relationship with God): God’s Work Read Isaiah 6:1-8 together as a family. Notice the way that Isaiah responds to God showing up in His life. Isaiah’s first response is to see himself and see his world (I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips—he sees the chaos of his life and his world). Isaiah’s second response is to repent.

Sometimes, the book of Judges makes me wince. The accounts of rotten human behavior make me wonder, “How did this make it into the Bible??” And, like a piece of rotting fruit, the stories keep getting worse and worse all the way up to to the book’s final verse: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (21:25). The problem here is too much independence–no one is listening to God! Now, you may be wondering why we’d choose to read such a challenging book during our fun, family-style gatherings in July. The answer is that the darkness of rebellion causes the hope of God’s mercy and grace to appear brighter than ever. Against all human expectations, God continually brings revival through the most unexpected leaders. Most of these leaders, called “judges,” should have been disqualified from leadership for one reason or another and yet… God’s grace shines through. This week, we’ll look at one of these judges whose story is incredibly short but incredibly important for us all. Podcast Downloads Date: July 3, 2016 // Title: Disqualified: Shamgar Scripture: Judges 1:1-2:23; 3:31 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 started our journey through the book of Judges—Family Camp Style. In this incredible book we will come across all kinds of unlikely heroes (many that could have felt disqualified), who God used to restore His people back to His intended purpose for their lives. While the people of Israel continue to spiral out of control into a life of chaos, God refused to give up on His people and raised up Judges to lead them. Unfortunately, as the book moves forward these judges drift from culture makers to culture mirrors—gradually reflecting the declining nature of Israel. Yet, in God’s grace, several of these unlikely heroes also demonstrate that God can use even the most improbable of people to do His extraordinary work in the world. This week Shamgar shows us just how God can use a person of unlikely name and heritage to lead His people. As Shamgar used what God placed in his hand, this common man demonstrates just how God can use us to do the extraordinary and uncommon with our lives. THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Be a culture maker—not a culture mirror. CHANGE 5 questions to help us GROW or SEE IT 1. What or who did Jon say was the sound effect, spiral and Savior of Judges? *make the sound effect and talk through the spiral of Judges (reject God→rotten life→repent→restore→REST) and how Judges points to God as the Savior. 2. What is the difference between being a culture mirror and a culture maker? *discuss together how leaders can be either people who reflect our culture like a mirror or people who try to shift our culture like a maker. 3. Why is Shamgar an unlikely hero (culture maker) to bring God’s people back to God? *discuss Shamgar’s name and heritage (He is a Canaanite and he is named after a Canaanite goddess of war). 4. How does Shamgar use what he found in his hand to lead and deliver Israel? *discuss how Shamgar uses an oxgoad—which was an ordinary tool 5. How can you use what God has put in your hand to be a leader who is a culture maker? *discuss the opportunity each of us has to live an extraordinary life in all our ordinary places. CHALLENGE 3 exercises to help us GO or BE IT (choose at least 1) UP (Our relationship with God): Hero Stories Take some time for each person of your family to tell a few stories of ordi...

How do you feel about change? I suppose most of us would answer, “It depends…” If it’s a good change, we love it (usually). If it’s a bad change, we don’t (usually). But lately, I’ve noticed my own attitude toward change is a bit more complicated simply liking it or disliking it. In general, I embrace change–even when it’s challenging–as long as it seems like it’s moving toward a place of stability. With concern, however, I’ve begun to notice the stability I imagine may be just that–imagination. I’m realizing the lives God gives us are much too dynamic to tolerate the changeless stability of my imagination. In this way, life can begin to feel much like my email inbox–as soon as I finish replying to all my messages, the responses I’ve asked for begin to re-flood my freshly-cleared inbox. And so it is with life: we experience change in our surroundings, our relationships, and ourselves as long as we are alive. But is the quest for stability a fool’s errand amidst all the change around us? Or has God provided a way to anchor us through change so that we can always give him praise, even when the changes are difficult? The answers to these questions are at the core of Moses’ last song (Deut. 32) and, in many ways, the entire book of Deuteronomy itself. As we conclude our study of God’s words for Promised Land Living, we will hear God’s counsel to his people facing enormous change. Podcast Downloads Date: June 26, 2016 // Title: Promised Land Living: Change Scripture: Deuteronomy 31-34 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 Is the quest for stability a fool’s errand amidst all the change around us? Or has God provided a way to anchor us through change so that we can always give Him praise, even when the changes are difficult? The answers to these questions are at the core of Moses’ last song (Deut. 32). As we conclude our study of God’s words for Promised Land Living, we hear God’s counsel to His people facing enormous change: it’s constant, challenging, and we have a choice! THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Christ: what holds us fast in spite of change. SEE IT Questions :: 10-15 minutes Picture (what is the story saying?): For the people of Israel, what is the significance of Moses not going into the land with them? What are three things we learned about change? How do we hang onto the Rock? Mirror (where am I in the story?): In the midst of change, what happens when I embrace God? What happens when I choose my own way? Window (How does the story change how I see the world around me?): : In Deuteronomy 33, Moses ends his song by blessing the tribes. Who can I bless this week? What are some words or deeds that I can use to proclaim God’s blessing on others? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 15 minutes Deuteronomy 32:10-11 talks about God keeping Israel as the apple of His eye. Jon helped us understand that to mean He was close enough to see His own reflection in their eyes. Take some time to reflect on some change that is happening right now for you. Ask God to redirect your gaze to His own. Rest there for a minute, receiving confirmation that He is the Rock that meets you, knows you, anchors you, and sustains you. Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes If we were rock climbing, the commands of God would be like the large holds in the rock face. One thing we know is that we cannot hold on to those in our own strength! In your group,