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INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
In his sermon Rich began a new series titled Ordinary people, Extraordinary God, and began by looking at why people fail. People often fail because they allow sin to pile up and go unchecked until it becomes something that dominates and overtakes them. Others have not full embraced Jesus and are living off of the faith of their parents or others. The bible teaches that the only way out of addiction and compulsive sin is by laying in the arms of Jesus.

In 5 minutes or less, briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.

GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED
These questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

•Go around your group and allow people to share the high and the low of their week.
•How would you define perseverance? Who in your life exemplifies perseverance? What have you learned from them?
•What is a time in your life when you felt like you persevered successfully?


SCRIPTURE STUDY

Read Joshua 23:1-14

1After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then old and well advanced in years, 2summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am old and well advanced in years. 3You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. 4 Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. 5 The Lord your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.
6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.
9“The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11So be very careful to love the Lord your God.
12“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, 13then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.
14“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. 15But just as every good promise of the Lord your God has come true, so the Lord will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. 16If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.”


•v.1-5 What phrase do you notice is repeated in these first five versus? Joshua is at the end of his life and was extremely successful in fulfilling the role that God had for him in regards to the purposes for Israel. Yet, who do you see Joshua trying to put all the attention on? To whom does he attribute the success of Israel? Think about some of the successes you've had in your life. Who do you attribute that success to? God, or yourself? How often do you find yourself giving thanks to God regardless of your particular circumstances? In light of Rich's sermon, how might not recognizing God have consequence in your life?
•v.6-8 What does Joshua command the leaders in these verses? What is similar about the commands?
•Go back to chapter one of Joshua and read v. 1-7. What is similar about those verses and verses 6-8 of chapter 23? What does God tell Joshua will bring him success?
•What our some of the things around you that may make you turn “aside to the right or the left?” What in our culture competes against God for our worship? Please discuss.
•v.11 Why does Joshua say to be careful to love God? Why should we have a reverent fear of God? What does that look like? Discuss what a healthy fear of God should be.
•v.12 – 13 What are the consequences of allying with the other nations? How does this relate to sin in our own lives? What are consequences of sins that may go unchecked in our lives?
•v.14-16 God has brought the people of Israel much success and they have been faithful. But Joshua knows that they must continue in there faithfulness. Discuss how we can continue to choose God daily in the face of temptation? What helps you in your life to persevere when you are tempted to turn from God? Discuss healthy patterns that you have found to help you “hold fast to the Lord.”


MINISTRY APPLICATION

Below you’ll see some options for ministry time with your group. We always encourage you to reserve time in your group to pray for one another and wait on the Holy Spirit.

•Sit quietly and wait on the Holy Spirit. Think about the last few years of your life and where you have seen the Lord at work. Offer Him thanks and praises for what He has done.
•Ask the Lord to search you. What is something that the Holy Spirit is highlighting in your life that He wants to “put to death.”
•Pray for healthy rhythms in your life. Pray that you would remain connected to Jesus. Ask the Lord to strengthen you and make you courageous in your daily walk with Him.

Can I Miss God's Will?

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INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
In this weeks sermon Pastor Rich deals with the issue of how we view Gods will. We often view His will for our lives as railroad tracks that we can’t get off of or else we are doomed. There is a perfect will for our lives and we must discover it down to the last detail. But Rich points out that God’s will for us has more to do with our sanctification than anything else. God cares more about how we do things instead of what we are doing. God supplies us with the tools and with the model of Jesus and we create together with Him. Rich also offered practical ways to find God’s will: Trusting in His leadership that He has shown throughout history, seeking wisdom and being open to counsel from those who are more mature, being obedient to God in the present and being open to prophetic words that underline that which God has already begun to say.

In 5 minutes or less, briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.

GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED
These questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

•Think about this past week and share one thing that brought you joy and one thing that was challenging…
•Share about a time when someone had a prophetic word for you but it turned out to be a false word. Share about a time when you received an accurate prophetic word.
•Think of times in your life when you knew you were following the will of God. What was that like? What made you sure? Share briefly…



SCRIPTURE STUDY

Study Summary: When we are approaching the issue of God’s will it is crucial that we understand that His ultimate will is our sanctification; our becoming more like Jesus. In this study we take a look at Psalm 139 and we see that we serve a God who is all-knowing, all-present and all-creating. We see that David desires to position himself so that God can search him and lead him on whatever path God chooses.
Psalm 139

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go you’re your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light will become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.


•(V. 1-6) We serve a God who is near to us, who is active and who is searching our hearts. What does this conjure up when you think about it? What does it mean to have God search us? How have you seen that in your own life?
•(V. 3) What is significant about God being “already familiar with all of our ways” before we even approach Him? How does this change the way that you approach God about your weaknesses or your strengths?
•Read vv. 5 &6. We are limited in our knowledge and understanding of the future. Thinking about God’s will for your life, what kind of reaction do you have to these verses? Knowing that God has hemmed us in “behind and before” does that bring you comfort or discomfort? Do you find that you struggle with giving God control or is that easier for you? Explain.
•In verses 7-12 David is emphasizing God’s omnipresence; the all-present God that does not view anything about us as unreachable. Think about some of the patterns of behavior and thought that you have in your life. Are there things in your life that you feel you want God to change but never will? Do you ever feel that these things disqualify you from God using you?
•Read v. 12 again. What truths stand out to you about Gods power to redeem? Why do we often struggle with thinking that there are things beyond God’s reach, whether consciously or subconsciously? Please explain. Have there ever been times when God has redeemed something you thought would never be redeemed?
•(V. 19-22) This is not an easy scripture by any means. What kind of insight does this give us into the sort of attack that David was under as a great leader of God’s people? Try and put yourself in his shoes. What kind of anxiety would that cause you?
•The more we step out into the kingdom of God the larger the target is on our back. The enemy will attack us were we are most vulnerable. In this passage we see how much David desires to have the same thoughts as the Lord. How important is this in our daily lives, to be like minded with God? Thinking back to Rich’s sermon, who holds the responsibility for protecting us from the enemy? For leading us in times of trouble?
•(V. 23-24) After describing the many attributes of God’s character, David asks God to search him test him and lead him. As we discern Gods will for our lives how might the questions that David is asking in these two versus relate to our own lives? What does it look like for God to search us? How do we benefit from God testing us? How have you seen God reveal things that were unknown to you in the past?



MINISTRY APPLICATION

Below you’ll see some options for ministry time with your group. We always encourage you to reserve time in your group to pray for one another and wait on the Holy Spirit.

•Consider how the weekend’s message and the study have impacted the way you view God’s will for your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what he has already been doing in your life and ask him to highlight those things.
•Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal an area of life that God wishes to redeem. Ask the Holy Spirit to shed light on an area that seems dark. Leader: Be sensitive to this and ensure that the members of your group feel safe and comfortable opening up. This may mean praying with individuals one on one.
•Challenge yourself to pray the prayer of Psalm 139: 24-25 this upcoming week.

I’m No Billy Graham, So I Don’t Need To Share My Faith, Right? Romans 10:1-5

Click here to download the Study Guide in PDF
Click here to download the Study Guide in WORD


INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
In this week’s sermon, Insoo Kim reminded us about the “good news” of the gospel. He challenged four main fears we often have that dissuade us from evangelizing more. The four are: the fear of rejection, failure, messing up the friendship, and not having all the answers. He then laid out important elements that will help direct our relationships – he said love matters, prayer matters, proximity matters, our stories matter, service matters, invitation and availability matter, children matter, risk matters, and the Holy Spirit matters.

In 5 minutes or less, briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.

GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED
These questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

•Which fears that were mentioned in this week’s sermon apply to you? How have you dealt with them in the past? Are you encouraged to overcome them after this week’s sermon? Please share briefly.
•Psychologists say that knowing yourself well involves being aware of your motivations. Share briefly what motivates and drives who you are? How might the Holy Spirit want to harness that motivation for the expansion of His Kingdom?
•Can you recall an embarrassing, or funny, conversation you had with someone who you were attempting to share Jesus or just have a deep, spiritual conversation?



SCRIPTURE STUDY

Study Summary: Jesus’ Kingdom and Gospel are radical. While amazing and unsurpassable in many ways, at times it involves “unpleasant” and difficult things. What does Jesus say about the call to discipleship and the invitation to join with Him in God’s mission to the world? At Vineyard Columbus, our mission statement says:
To develop a community of passionate, mature, reproducing Christ-centered disciples; to plant passionate, mature, reproducing Christ-centered churches; and to transform the world by love and good deeds, for the glory of God.
At Vineyard we want to be reproducing - imparting God’s life and love to those around us so they in turn can become passionate, mature, and reproducing disciples. This journey begins by our own radical follower-ship of Christ.

Mark 8:31-38

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? 37 Or what can you give in exchange for your soul? 38 If any of you are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”


•Context: Read 8:27-30 What truth was finally comprehended through Peter’s confession? Who was present? What was Jesus’ response? This experience represents a pivotal shift in the Gospel of Mark – the disciples get it and now Jesus’ zeroes in on his mission. He begins to “speak plainly” (v. 32) rather than in parables.

•Vv 31-32 First of three Passion predictions by Jesus (9:9,12,31; 10:33-34,45). Why did Jesus have to suffer and die – obviously Peter didn’t like it? (Hint - God’s divine plan, Ransom/atonement for all). Have you ever felt like Peter – trying to “convince” God you know better – how did that work for you?

•v. 33 Jesus gives Peter, along with all the disciples, a harsh rebuke. Why, what is Jesus saying? (hint: Peter was suggesting that Jesus reject God’s divine plan, and unwittingly was used by Satan to tempt Jesus). Have you ever experienced the high of a deep or significant encounter with God (Peter v.29) and shortly thereafter the low of a “rebuke” or a rude awakening by God (Peter v.33)? What can we take away from Peter’s experience, or our own?

•vv. 33-34 The phrase “get behind me” and “come after me” is the same Greek phrase. Contrast the two meanings implied by Jesus? (Hint: we can either be a hindrance to God’s plans – serving Satan – we should literally “get out of the way”, or we can follow Jesus, His way, not with the mind of men).

•v.34 Who is the call of discipleship and cross-bearing directed toward? What does it mean “deny yourself”? What does it not mean”? (hint: not asceticism, but our rights and desires - we’re not the boss). What action is Jesus emphasizing in this text? (hint: following him – he says it twice). Describe in your own words?

•Plutarch said “every criminal who is executed carries his own cross” – what is Jesus implying? Would this message have been appealing to 1st century hearers? Why do we often minimize what this passage says? How have you experience this aspect of following Jesus, please share?

•v. 35 This is an important saying to 1st century believer – 4 variations appear in the Gospels (Matt 10:39, Luke 17:33, John 12:55). By “life” what does Jesus mean? For what does Jesus say we should give our life? Have you seen or read about someone, a man or a woman, who lived this paradox? How does your life match up to vs. 35? What might Jesus ask (already asking) you to give up for Him and for his Gospel?

•Vv. 36-37 How does your understanding of Ecclesiastes shed light on this verse? Why is futility embraced as reality by so many? Even by Christians? What does this say to our materialistic era? In what ways has God gifted you to break into to people’s lives with His Truth, His Gospel? Share a recent story of God using you to share the Gospel?

•V. 38. Read Matt. 10:32 and Luke 12:8. Both are positive statements, while v. 38 is a negative statement. Put these verses in your own words? What’s the significance of us being “public” with our faith and relationship with Jesus? Has your relationship with Jesus changed since actively demonstrating God’s love to others and sharing your faith?



MINISTRY APPLICATION

Below you’ll see some options for ministry time with your group. We always encourage you to reserve time in your group to pray for one another and wait on the Holy Spirit.

•Pray together as a group regarding how you can be more welcoming of those outside the church.
•I what ways God has gifted your group to meet the needs of your community in order to share God’s love to those outside the Kingdom?
•Are there any fears you feel you need to receive prayer for in order to overcome?
•What relationships do you feel most pressed to go deeper in? Ask the Holy Spirit for insight and wisdom to move forward.
•What does it mean for you to deny yourself and follow Jesus? Is there anything hindering you? Pray together with someone you trust to break through.

Women Can't Serve As Senior Pastors Can They? (1Timothy 2: 9-15)

Click here to download the Study Guide in PDF
Click here to download the Study Guide in WORD


INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
There are very few teachings in the history of the Christian church that have created more problems then the false belief that God has set up the human race so that woman can not participate in church leadership. Pastor Rich breaks the myth that only men can be pastors by exploring the proper historical setting and meaning of 1 Timothy 2. In this passage we see that Paul does not believe that the criteria for leadership is based on any one person’s human merit, ethnic origin, social status or gender, but instead based on someone’s calling, character and competence. Paul’s writing in 1 Timothy 2 in not a universal prohibition against women at all times, in all places, and in all settings from preaching, leading, or being a senior pastor. What it is in fact is a prohibition against women and against men from doing anything in any place which will undermine the mission of the gospel. The situation that Paul is addressing is specific to the time and setting of Ephesus.

In 5 minutes or less, briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.

GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED
These questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

•Think about this past week and share one thing that brought you joy and one thing that was challenging…
•Thinking about Rich’s sermon, briefly share one or two things that may have surprised you or especially stood out…
•Has there ever been a time where you felt prohibited from doing something based on your gender, ethnicity or social status?


SCRIPTURE STUDY
Read Gen 1:26-29 and 1 Cor 9:19-23:

Study Summary: When approaching the issue of women in leadership, Vineyard Columbus has taken the biblical position that all roles are open to women in ministry. We want to affirm the calling of both men and women into leadership as well as equal access to the gifts of the Spirit. While our church believes that all ministry roles are based upon character, competence, and calling (as opposed to gender) we want to maintain the Bible’s priority on promoting the Gospel, above all else. In this study, we want to look at the equality of men and women, and consider times when women may limit their freedom for the sake of the Gospel.

Gen 1:26-29
26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Gen Chapter 1:
Leader: read the whole chapter for context. Consider what words/phrases are repeated. While a very familiar text, ask the Holy Spirit for some fresh insights into the passage. Genesis 1 is the narrative of the whole of creation.
•What truths stand out about God and his sovereignty? What truths stand out regarding the character of the whole creation and the character of man and his relation to God (Ps 8:5-8)?
•Vs. 26 Read it carefully. How does God describe himself? What does this say about the Trinity? Have you ever tried to explain the Trinity to someone – what have you said? How did they receive it?
•V. 26-27 Man in the image of God; what does this mean in practical terms? (some good attempts to answer – reveals no consensus - we are called to represent God; we are created for community just like our Trinitarian God; we were created with certain god-like attributes (rationality, freedom, holiness)). What does it plainly not mean? Read Eph 2:10 – try to connect Paul’s words to the notion of imago Dei?
•V. 26-27 – 2 times in Gen 1 the writer of Genesis writes about human beings (mankind) – what’s the significance? How does chapter 1 inform our understanding of the nature of men and women before God? What does this understanding of humankind say to us about the nature of God? Is there any difference between men and women at this point? What are the shared roles? What does this mean for the church today?
1 Cor 9:19-23
Leader: read the whole chapter for context. Consider what words/phrases are repeated. While a familiar text, ask the Holy Spirit for some fresh insights into the passage. Focus on unpacking vs. 12(b).
•What did Paul mean he was free from all people? What kind of freedom do we have as Christians? What kind of freedom don’t we have as Christians?
•How did Paul view social roles (hint: Paul was very flexible regarding social roles)? Where would Paul draw the line - or when was Paul inflexible? (hint: when the Gospel was at stake Gal 2, or regarding Christian ethics such as sexual practice 1 Cor 6).
•What was Paul’s aim regarding appropriate social roles?
•How might Paul’s flexibility, and aim of promoting the Gospel, apply to a Christian woman’s role in Pakistan? In New York City, in 2011? At a university campus, like OSU? Or Vineyard Columbus?


MINISTRY APPLICATION

Below you’ll see some options for ministry time with your group. We always encourage you to reserve time in your group to pray for one another and wait on the Holy Spirit.

•Consider how the weekend’s message and the study have impacted your thinking, positively or negatively. Ask the Holy Spirit make safe the positive, and bring peace with anything negative. Ask for wisdom to make things practical for you.
•When contending for the Gospel, what might God be asking you to do? What freedoms might he be asking you to give-up?
•Give space for all women to explore their calling – perhaps all the men (if present) can pray appropriately for the women (if present). Pray for peace in the church, forgiveness for past church abuses, and freedom to live fully called lives.