Summary: This week we continued our series on Fasting by looking at the theme of Justice in our fasting. In Isaiah 58, the people of God find themselves in a tenuous position. They are fasting, but not seeing very many results. Their expectation of God’s goodness and their experience of God’s goodness seem to lie in two very different places. Compounded by a cultural current where everyone is believing that every religion leads to the same place, Israel begins to wonder whether following God is worth it. They are fasting, but it isn’t working. And it is into this situation that Isaiah reveals to the people that their motives and practices around their fasting are coming from wrong places. They are seeking God’s blessing on their lives but what they are seeking will produce oppression instead of blessing in others. This week Jon challenged us to become “one just person” by aligning our hearts for fasting with the heart of God—a heart that is moved by injustice and longs to be a blessing to the least in our neighborhoods and communities.<br> <br> DOWNLOADS<br> SEE IT // BE IT<br> (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)<br> Title: Fast 3: Justice // Scripture: Isaiah 58<br> 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.<br> SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes<br> This week we continued our series on Fasting by looking at the theme of Justice in our fasting. In Isaiah 58, the people of God find themselves in a tenuous position. They are fasting, but not seeing very many results. Their expectation of God’s goodness and their experience of God’s goodness seem to lie in two very different places. Compounded by a cultural current where everyone is believing that every religion leads to the same place, Israel begins to wonder whether following God is worth it. They are fasting, but it isn’t working. And it is into this situation that Isaiah reveals to the people that their motives and practices around their fasting are coming from wrong places. They are seeking God’s blessing on their lives but what they are seeking will produce oppression instead of blessing in others. This week Jon challenged us to become “one just person” by aligning our hearts for fasting with the heart of God—a heart that is moved by injustice and longs to be a blessing to the least in our neighborhoods and communities.<br> THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.<br> Fruitful fasting is motivated by the blessing of others, not the oppression of others.<br> SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes<br> Picture (What is the story saying?): What is your expectation of God’s goodness in your life (v. 1-10)? What is your experience of God’s goodness in your life? Where does your score place you on the Expectation/Experience Matrix that Jon shared on Sunday? (Steadfast, Seeking, Sad, Straying) What does Isaiah say is the difference between a futile fast (v. 1-5) and a fruitful fast (v. 6-7)? (blessing vs. oppression)<br> Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What part of Jon’s message this week challenged you the most? How do your motives for life and fasting need to change? What is the difference between fasting for the blessing of others and fasting in a way that oppresses others? What one place in your life might you need to consider changing to help bring justice to others?<br> Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What yokes or systems might need to be broken in your community? How can you become “one just person” helping to break these yokes?<br> BE IT – Practice 15 minutes<br> Change UP // One Just Person<br> Jon challenged us this week amid the overwhelming needs and issues in our world to not attempt to solve all the world’s problems, but to simply become “One Just Person.” At Grace, we have tried to embrace this idea for years.
