Abimelech Ordinary People, (Extra) Ordinary Sin, Extraordinary God

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Click here to download the Study Guide in WORD

INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
In this week’s sermon Andrew Oswalt challenged us to take our ordinary ambitions and discontent and make them extraordinary by turning them over to God and becoming ambitious and restless for His Kingdom to come. He told the story of Abimelech and the people of Shechem, whose discontent and ungodly ambition lead to the killing of thousands of innocent people. Are we much different then Abimelech? Do we rely on our own instincts and abilities to pursue are own desires? Are we restless over our current circumstances? God desires us to be content in all circumstances. To hand over our ambitions and to take up the cause of Christ; Andrew reminded us that it is never to late to turn towards God and ask for His heart for the world.

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.

•Can you share something from Andrew’s sermon that had particular impact on you? Did you feel like you could identify with any of his challenges about discontentment or ungodly ambition?
•Think about less-than-desirable situations in your life where you do feel content.
Ask yourself: are you content, or are you only resigned to the way things are? Do
you believe God can still change the situation?

SCRIPTURE STUDY
Study Summary:

One point from the sermon was the discontentment of the people of Shechem and of Abimelek and the lack of truth and integrity in pursuit of their own ambitions. What if instead we were restless for the things that God was restless for? What if our hearts broke for the things that break God’s heart and not for the things that we can store up for our own? God wants us to have lives filled with the longings of His heart and to pursue those things with integrity and character. In this study we will discuss what it means to lay hold of contentment and rid our lives of discontentment.

Read Luke 12: 13-34 (***consider deleting the scripture text to reduce printing pages)

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[a]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


•Where did the rich man’s thoughts go in verse 17 when he was presented with a greater crop than he needed? Were his established riches enough for him? What would a “contented response” have looked like for this rich man?
•In verse 20, God appeals to the unavoidable nature of death to show how fragile our “ownership” of our possessions is. Note all the uses of “I” and “my” in verses 17-19 – how does the rich man’s wrong idea about him “owning” things feed his greed? Do you think discontentment arises when we attach a strong sense of personal ownership to our possessions? Why or why not?
•In verse 21, Jesus finds the rich man guilty of not being “rich toward God.” Notice here, Jesus does not actually decry being rich. Based on verses 22-28, where do we learn how to be “rich toward God?”
•Why is there a passage (vv. 22-34) about worry after a passage on coveting and greed (vv. 15-21)? What is the connection here? What is at the heart of greed?
•Imagine holding a beloved object in your hand. How does your hand hold that object if you’re following God and truly understanding Him? With an open hand, or with a closed hand? (vv. 29-30)
•Look at verse 32. What does Jesus seem most concerned that we have? What happens if we try to fit the kingdom of God inside of our pursuit of material things, and not the other way around, as Jesus commands in verse 31?
•Finally, note verse 34. Which item does this verse imply that we have the most control over – our heart or what we treasure? What does it mean to “treasure” something?

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.

•For ministry time, pray that God would grant the freedom and understanding
to seek His kingdom first over your “treasures.” Spend some time reflecting on
“treasures” by asking some questions and listening to the Lord in response.

Gideon: An Over-comer of Overwhelming Odds (Judges 6-8)

Click here to download the Study Guide in PDF
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INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
In this week’s sermon, Dr. Charles Montgomery spoke about the life of Gideon. Particularly, Gideon was an unlikely hero, who overcame tremendous odds with God’s help to defeat the Midianites. The Midianites had overwhelmed Israel by their vast army’s frequent and severe attacks. They raided their crops, took their livestock, forced them to move off their lands and ultimately made life so difficult that they finally cried out to God for help. Gideon was called by God to lead Israel. Despite his dire circumstances, and those of his people, when God showed up Gideon listened to the Word of God. He also gave to God’s work – he offered himself for God’s purposes and his possessions in worship. He moved in the Spirit of God – when God led him he followed, even though it was unpopular and dangerous. And Gideon connected with God’s people – he needed the right people around him to support what God was doing in his life (as do we). Like Gideon, we too can similarly respond to overwhelming odds.

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.

•Can you share something from the message that stood out to you? Can you identify with Gideon, or not? Please share briefly.
•Have you had a “God moment” recently – some conversation or situation where you knew God was leading you to do something? How did you respond? Please share briefly.
•How do you know God’s voice is speaking to you? Any recent stories? Please share briefly.

SCRIPTURE STUDY
Study Summary:

One point from the sermon was Gideon was able to respond to overwhelming odds by the Holy Sprit empowering and leading him. How does God lead us and direct us? How might the Holy Spirit speak to us today? Paul, and others, in Acts had many significant encounters with the Holy Spirit where they felt God lead them in specific ways. Let’s look together at just two of those encounters with the Holy Spirit and consider what we can learn about how God’s Spirit moves and leads us toward action.

Read Acts 13:1-5 (***consider deleting the scripture text to reduce printing pages)

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

Read Acts 16:6-10

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 13:1-5 (Paul and Barnabas are called to missions)
Context: Paul and Barnabus had just returned from delivering gifts sent by the Antioch church to the Jerusalem churches because of a severe famine in Judea. The earliest churches were in Jerusalem and Judea where the population was mostly Jewish. Paul and Barnabas had been pastors of sorts in Antioch after Barnabas had gone to find Paul in Tarsus because Gentiles in Antioch had begun to hear and accept the Gospel. Antioch was Paul’s first significant church ministry role. But In contrast with the Jerusalem and Judean communities, Antioch was a trading city in the north with a broad mixture of Jews, Greeks, Romans, and others.

•v. 1 Look at all the different names mentioned – try to imagine walking into this church service, what would it have looked like, and felt like? One way to know the Spirit of God is present in a community is to see radical “reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). What do you see God doing at Vineyard Columbus? What has been your experience of reconciliation at this church (positive or negative)? Please share briefly.
•V. 2-3 What sorts of activities were the community in Antioch doing? While this study is not about fasting, prayer, and worship – What happens in you when you engage wholeheartedly in those regular practices? What encourages you toward more practice of fasting and prayer? What deters you? Is there a time where you have fasted and prayed for God to speak about something, and He actually did?
•Whom did the Holy Spirit speak to and how did He speak (Hint: we don’t know)? Have you ever been frustrated by how little the Bible specifically speaks about how people hear and how God speaks? What do we know about the Holy Spirit and how God moves in our lives – try to make it personal?
o Because God speaks and moves in different ways for different people – does it
somehow undermine the reality that our Lord speaks, or does it strengthen it?
What do you think? (John 14:16—17a)
•vv. 2-5, what did the Holy Spirit say? How did the church respond?
•How did Paul and Barnabas respond? Does the text indicate they knew God’s plans entirely? What might this reveal about the leading of the Holy Spirit? How have you seen this principle in your own life?

Acts 16:6—10 (Paul’s second missionary journey)

•vv. 6-8 What did the Holy Spirit direct them to do? How does this differ from Acts 13? What does that tell you about the “way” Paul followed God’s leading? Many Christians at VC describe their walk as a “journey” – how do these 2 texts illustrate that idea?
o How can you foster an attitude of openness and ongoing dependency on Holy Spirit? What has worked for you and not worked?
•Vv. 6-8 How did the Holy Spirit speak to them in these verses? How do we know that circumstances are part of God’s (the Spirit’s) leading or part of the enemy’s plans? Are adverse situations always a sign of God’s leading? How do we grow in discernment?
•Vv. 9-10 How did the Holy Spirit speak to Paul and his companions in these verses? Are dreams and visions always from God?
•What can we do in our small group to increase our ability to discern God’s voice?


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.

•If you struggle to hear God’s voice in prayer, have people lay hands on you and invite the Holy Spirit to “open your ears” to hear God’s voice. If led by God, pray for gifts of the Spirit to be distributed abundantly in your small group.
•Is there something, or some relationship, you’re asking God for discernment about? Pray with one or two others and practice listening for God’s leading. Test words and visions openly and graciously.
•If the whole area of listening for God’s voice, or being led in small and big ways by the Spirit, is really foreign and uncomfortable – consider reading a book or doing a bible study outside of the group with one or two others on hearing God’s voice.

Barak – Ordinary People Who Shrink Back (Judges 4-5)

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, Craig Heselton shared about the story of Barak in the book of Judges. Barak was an Israelite leader who shrank back, and in part, missed the “adventure of faith” in which God had invited him. Craig found five reasons from Barak’s story about why we hesitate and shrink back: 1) “We’re afraid to engage”, 2) “We have good intentions but no action”, 3) “We don’t want to be disturbed”, 4) “We’re too busy to do what God wants”, or 5) “We think we’re ill-prepared or the cost it too high”. There is a cost of shrinking back – we miss sharing in God’s glory. It is possible, due to our own choices and excuses, to miss God’s invitation to participate in His Kingdom - as illustrated in Luke 14 (the banquet feast). Our response instead can be to “join the fight”, and ultimately lean on faith in who God is rather than the perceived challenge standing before us. No matter our age or position or relative worth – God uses “frail, weak, easily smashed clay pots to accomplish his purposes” (2 Cor 4:7). The truth is it’s not too late to engage.

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.

•Share something from Craig’s sermon that particularly stood out to you.
•What is something that causes you to shrink back? What has God already spoken to you about that very thing? How have you responded? Please share briefly.
•Have you heard (or seen) a story recently that greatly encouraged you, and made you want to emulate another’s actions? Please share briefly.


SCRIPTURE STUDY
Study Summary:

David was a man willing to enter the fight. Despite his age, his rank within his family, and his lack of experience – he boldly stood-up to seemingly unimaginable odds. The goal of this study is to immerse yourself into the story of David and Goliath and allow the Holy Spirit to challenge you (Psalm 139:23-24). Ask hard questions of yourself and others in the group. Is there anything hindering you from relying on the Name of God in the same way David did? What can you do to break the fear that keeps us from freely and wholly entering the “fight”? How can you become sold-out, “all-in”, as David was?

Read 1 Samuel 17: David and Goliath (***consider deleting the scripture text to reduce printing pages)

1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.[a] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.
8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. 17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.
25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family line from taxes in Israel.” 26 David asked those standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.” 28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” 29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are little more than a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.
54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent. 55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.” 56 The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.” 57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head. 58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”

Context: In replacing failed King Saul, God tells Samuel he would be looking for a “man after His own heart” (God’s heart – 1 Sam 13:14). In 1 Samuel 16, God leads Samuel to Bethlehem to a man named Jesse who had 8 sons. Samuel passed over 7 of Jesse’s sons until his youngest son, David, was chosen and anointed the next king of Israel.

•Read the passage 2 times (first time out loud, then once silently). The first time through just get the facts down, the main characters and events. The second time through, try to walk through the story as David might have experienced it. We have the foreknowledge of knowing the ending but, but try to walk through the scene like you’re experiencing for the first time (as David would have).
•Would you have been surprised by the Israelite camp? What might have been your reaction to the Goliath experience?
•v. 22 says David “ran to the front lines”…what does this reveal about David’s heart? What would you have done?
•v. 28 Eliab is an interesting character. Already passed over by Samuel for anointing (Ch 16:6-7). At this point in the story, he has experienced days of taunting and disgrace from Goliath. What does David’s presence reveal in Eliab? Have you ever been passed-over, rejected, disgraced, or humbled? Can you make any connection between that experience(s) and how you follow and act on behalf of our God today?
•vv. 34-37 – We read about David’s preparation for this moment. What has God been doing in you lately, and how might God be preparing you for something? Consider big themes and how those themes might weave together. Please share briefly.
•vv. 45-47 Upon what is David’s rock-solid confidence? Do you relate to that sense of “invincibility”? Whether yes or no, think for a moment about the Name of the Lord Almighty. What do you know about the Name of God? Consider “I am, who I am”, “Immanuel”, “King of Kings”, etc.

Application: Is there anything hindering you from relying on the Name of God in the same way David did? What can you do to break the fear that keeps us from freely and wholly entering the “fight”? How can you get sold-out, “all-in”, as David was?

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.

•Like Eliab, have you been passed-over, or felt rejection and disgrace? If you feel you’re nursing a past wound that hinders you from following and acting upon what God wants for your life – share that with one or two others and ask the Holy Spirit to bring freedom and healing.
•Ask God to break any hold that fear has in your life. God may be stirring in you, but you’re shrinking back. God’s perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18), and frees us to be bold in Him.
•At times our faith can wane. If you’re feeling tired, used-up, too distracted or ineffective – we need to return to the true “source”. Invite God’s refreshing and lean on His Name.
•Do you feel you’re still holding something back? Do you have a picture of what your life would look like if you were “all-in”, as David was? What hinders you? Pray with another for encouragement, boldness, and insight.

Lessons from the Life of Deborah

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, Corey Garris shared about the story of Deborah in the book of Judges. In this story we discover that God can and will use anyone who is available and willing to be His representative. God is bigger then all the cultural, societal, economic, and gender rules/barriers we can build and throughout scripture often picks the most unlikely of leaders. We often are resistant to His calling because we are in difficult circumstances or we feel we are not capable enough. But we see in Jesus that it is God’s very nature to meet us in our need and call us out of difficulty and into His kingdom purposes.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.

•Share something from Corey’s sermon that particularly stood out to you.
•Have you ever been asked to do something that you did not feel at all prepared for but you did it anyway? How did that turn out? Please share briefly.
•Have you ever refused to do something that looking back on you feel like you were refusing God’s call? Briefly share

SCRIPTURE STUDY
Study Summary:

God calls us to follow his lead, to be in relationship with him and to love on those who need it; the despised and the destitute. In this study we will look at the call of Matthew and the subsequent celebration that follows. We again get to see another example of God calling someone ordinary into something extraordinary. In this short passage we get an amazing glimpse into who God is, what he is about and how much he wants us to be a part of it!

Read Matthew 9: 9-13

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Context: The religious authorities at the time were becoming more and more hostile towards Jesus, especially because of the company he kept. This was seen as offensive to them, but Jesus was deliberately challenging their view of Gods will. Tax collectors in particular, which was Matthew’s occupation, were notorious for exploitation of the poor and their collaboration with the pagan Roman government. They were essentially ostracized by the Pharisees. For a pious Jew, it was unthinkable to eat with them.

•What does Jesus call Matthew to do? When you picture following someone, what comes to mind? What does that mean to you? Simply following someone who is leading us seems like an easy command. In what ways is following Jesus more difficult? How might we be overcomplicating the call that Jesus has intended for us, which is to follow him? Briefly share
•What is significant about Matthew being called? How does this challenge your view of Gods will for people and who God feels is “qualified” to be called?
•Read v. 12 & 13. Who does it say Jesus’ mission is directed towards? What kind of people does God reach out to? This is a powerful picture of the gospel. Share your thoughts about this.
oWhat does this passage tell us about our mission as followers of Jesus? What does is tell us about the mission of the Church?
oThink about our present culture. Who are the social outcasts (immigrants, Muslims, prisoners…)? Who is not invited to the “dinner table?” What does this passage say our response should be? Who should you be reaching out to and directing towards Jesus?
oOf some of these social groups, do you have any positive experiences in reaching out to them? Briefly share.
oJesus reaches out to just one tax collector but now he is eating dinner with several. How can we as people trying to engage our culture be encouraged by this? Do you have any experiences when a “domino effect” like this has happened? Briefly share.
•Try and put yourself in Matthew’s shoes. You are not someone who is well respected and you are openly called a sinner by religious authorities. You are most likely a social outcast and you yourself may feel like you are missing the mark when it comes to God’s will for your life. Yet, you are suddenly being called by Jesus to be his disciple! Have you ever felt like God has called you in a time when you did not feel ready? In a time when your life seemed “messy?” How did you respond? What was the outcome?
•Read Luke 5: 27-31 (Matthew is also known as Levi in the other Gospels). What is Matthew’s response to Jesus’ call? Does he question or hesitate, or does he follow? What does it say is the cost? It says in Luke that Matthew left everything. How does that make you feel when you hear that? How does this compare to what you feel like you are called to? Have you felt like you have made significant sacrifices to follow Jesus? Briefly share.
•What happens after Matthew is called? Between Matthew and Luke’s Gospel accounts we are told that after Matthews call he holds a dinner or a banquet at his home. Inviting someone into your home for a meal is a highly relational activity. What does this say about what Jesus is calling us into? Does he call us to do a lot of works or call us to relationship? What does this say about the level of intimacy that Jesus desire’s to have with his followers?
•Thinking back to Corey’s sermon, and what we read about Jesus in this passage, why do you think God calls those who are oppressed or seem like they are unlikely leaders? According to this passage who does God regard as nearer to the kingdom, the outcast or the Pharisee? What does this say about his character?


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.

•Who in your life seems overlooked; who seems unlikely to be a leader, but God has placed them on your heart anyway? Pray that they would hear the call of Jesus and follow.
•Pray that the Holy Spirit would give you a heart that breaks for the people that Jesus’ heart breaks for. Pray for opportunities to invite these people into your community.
•Again, pray for each other that you would hear God’s voice and where he might be calling you. Pray against any fear that might be inhibiting that call.

Ehud: God’s Disabled Military Hero (Judges 3)

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INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
In this week’s sermon, Pastor Rich Nathan introduced us to seemingly ordinary and marginal people who surprised almost everyone by their amazing contributions. The story of Ehud from Judges 3 is no different. The book of Judges reveals an important pattern in the life of Israel and Pastor Rich offers these two mnemonic aids – (4 R’s) Israel’s Rebellion, God’s Retribution, Israel’s Repentance, God’s Rescue or (4 S’s) Israel’s Sin, Israel’s Subjection, Israel’s Supplication, Israel’s Salvation. Whatever device you use to remember the cycle - the fact is that Israel is on a life-deadening, boring, predictable treadmill of rebellion, and repentance, and rebellion and repentance. Like Israel, we get stuck on sin’s treadmill and the only way off is to “walk out repentance” – right foot, left foot, etc. In Judges 3 we see God grabbing Israel’s attention by allowing King Eglon (a picture of depravity) to rule over them. This was painful, yet God uses painful and humbling circumstances to raise our dependence on Him and off of everything else - Like Paul (2 Cor 12). Pain can increase our longing for God and our assurance that we belong to Him. Pain can also align us with the Gospel, ultimately with Christ. Through unification with Christ, God’s Grace can invade our lives (Rom 5:20-21). Judges 3 ends by revealing Ehud, disabled and seemingly weak, as God’s unexpected deliverer. The lesson is God doesn’t heal us and then use us. Rather, he uses us precisely at the time we feel most weak, when we feel like we have nothing to say, that’s when God uses us to powerfully share our faith. When we feel like all these people are so much smarter than us, they’re more educated that us, when we feel utterly intimidated, that’s precisely the time the power of God will rest on you

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.

•Can you share a story of when you were used by God at a weak moment in your life? Please share briefly.
•Has anything inspired you recently or motivated your passions in an unexpected way? Please share briefly.
•Share briefly a story or a verse that you regularly use as a source of strength through difficult circumstances.

SCRIPTURE STUDY
Read Acts 9:10-19 Study Summary:

John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard movement, once said, “we’re all just change in God’s pocket – he can spend us as he likes”. No matter who we are or where we come from, God can use us for mighty and powerful purposes. Ananias is an example of such a man. His simple, yet brave, act of obedience altered the course of history through the future witness of the Apostle Paul. Every day, God leads us in big and small ways and call us toward obedience. While we may never fully understand all the plans and purposes of why God leads us, we’ll certainly never know unless we obey Him.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Context: Read all of Acts 9. Paul is still Saul at the beginning of Ch. 9 – “the hard-line, fanatical, ultra-nationalist, super-orthodox, Pharisaic Jew” (NT Wright). He appears earlier at Stephen’s stoning, end of Ch. 7, and in an unprecedented move the High Priest gives authority to the radical young Pharisee to “stamp out” Christ-believing Jews, even in foreign countries. Saul marches off to Damascus, roughly a 140-mile 2 week journey, to arrest Christians. Step into the narrative of the story - he’s zealous for the Lord, “breathing murderous threats”, leading a Jewish jihad, when just outside the city (v. 3) Jesus powerfully invades his life. Consider Paul’s mindset and attitude, imagine the buzz surrounding his bold actions back in Jerusalem and in Damascus (Christ-believing Jews in Damascus knew Saul was coming – vv.13-14).

•This passage may provide an opportunity to have one or two people share briefly their first encounter with Jesus. Was it similar to Saul’s? Was it as surprising and revolutionary for their life? Share briefly.
•v. 10 What do we learn about Ananias? It’s hard to believe any Christians actually remained in Damascus because Saul was coming, but Ananias did. What does that tell you about him? What might you have done?
o Can you think of a time when you could anticipate a confrontation was coming your way - either in school, at work, with a friend or neighbor – because of your faith in Christ, or because you had taken a stand on some controversial issue? Focus on what you wanted to do and what you felt God wanted you to do? Share briefly. Is there is situation you’re currently in where you feel that conflict?
oHow does Ananias respond to God’s voice? (Hint: “yes”, “Here I am Lord”). Do you notice an openness and responsiveness to God’s voice? How would you rate yourself on your openness to God’s voice? Are you in a place, and does your life have space, to hear God speak? Briefly, share something recent God has been revealing to you.
•vv.11-14 What does Jesus ask Ananias to do? Is there any doubt about the task? What’s Ananias’ response? Modern day parallel – a religiously devout Muslim (or Hindu) man moves into your neighborhood and you’ve heard from everyone that he hates Christians and people are scared and suspicious oh his behavior…God tells you to go to into his house to talk with him – how rational is this request? What are some things that might seem un-rational to you, but as a follower of Jesus, Christ might ask of you? What about making your faith public? Ministry to immigrants? Prison ministry? Missions? Working with the homeless or those who are trafficked?
o Notice Ananias’ dialogue with God. When you pray – do you have a dialogue or a monologue with God? Are you quiet and then respond to what God is doing to saying? Is it wrong to question God? How might that kind of prayer affect your prayer life? If it’s already present – what does it practically look like for you?
•vv. 15-16 Bonhoeffer wrote – “when Christ calls someone, He bids them come and die” – so it was with Saul, so it was with Ananias. So it is with you too. What has God spoken to you about where there was no answer, but “okay Lord”?
•vv 17-19 What does Ananias say to Saul when he sees him? Ananias treats Saul like he’s part of the family…while Ananias had special revelation about Saul, he still had a choice about his demeanor and words. What can we learn from his approach? Does it matter how we live-out God’s call on our lives with others?

Conclusion: Ananias had no idea the impact this one act of obedience would have on the history of the world…nor do we know all the implications of our faithful actions when God moves us to act. Regardless, God uses ordinary people to make massive impact. God can use your seemingly small act of obedience to potentially alter the course of History.

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.

•Is there anything you believe God is asking of you? Pray with someone for faithful obedience. If there is any fear or doubt about God’s call, confess it to another and pray with someone about those issues.
•Are you struggling to hear God’s voice? Pray with someone for the Holy Spirit to open your ears and heart. Be will to have God confront things in your life that may be blocking his voice.