30 Days to Live Session 2 Leaders Guide

 

30 Days to Live Group Leaders Guide Session 2 Materials needed:

Mark’s Video Message, there are two options to obtain this. 1. Go online to http://www.cccomaha.org/message-archive.php to “Live in the Moment” message delivered August16, 2015. Cue up the segments using the counter prompts below. 2. Request a DVD with the message segments to Reid Brown at reidb@cccomaha.org or 402-938-1561. Keep in mind these DVD’s won’t be available until later in the week of the message since they are produced weekly.

Participant Guide available on the Journey Group Leader Blog. http://cccomaha.org/blogs/journeygroupleaders/

Total Video Time: 11:28 minutes; Discussion Time: 33 minutes; Teaching: 5 minutes; Application & Prayer: 10 minutes- 60 minutes total.

Session 3 Outline

Launching Question (5 min.): What character qualities do you find most attractive in other people?

Video clip 1: Live how God wants us to live (10:58-16:03) 5:45 min.

Connecting Question 1 (8 min.) If an alien where to observe your life up close for one month, what conclusions might he come to about your convictions (beliefs)? If you could instantly change one thing about how you are living, what would it be? How is your life producing good fruit that will be a legacy to those you love?

Video clip2: Say the words God want you to say (18:14-20:56) 2:42 min.

Connection Question 2 (8 min) If you have lost a loved one, share something you regret not saying to them while they were alive. What are some important things we need to say to others during our time on earth? Why do we put off saying the things that are most important?

Video clip 3: Die when you need to die (26:59-30:00) 3:41 min.

Connection Question 3 (8 min) What would you need to do now that you’re fairly certain God has prepared for you to do? A heathy goal is something you can accomplish without the help or cooperation of others. If you had only 30 days to live, what is one goal you would work towards that would impact others in a meaningful way?

Leave a Legacy Connection Question 4 (8 min) The key to leaving a legacy is to live by convictions God gives us, not by our preferences. What would your family say are your strongest convictions? What godly convictions do you need to develop?

Application & Prayer 10 minutes Circle one option you will work on this week (2 min.) 1. Make a list of people whom you most desire to impact with your life. Beside each name, write out what you want to say by completing the thought: Above all else, here’s what I want you to know. Set a deadline for sharing this with them. 2. Complete the thought: I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may _______________. Write down three things you know God wants you to do with your life. Start praying regularly about how God will accomplish this through you. 3. Ask the Lord to show you any areas where you are not currently living as He has called you to live. Surrender these areas to Him and invite the Holy Spirit to live through you.

Close with prayer (7 min.)

How Do I Know - Message Series beginning September 6th

Hey Journey Group Leader, Here's where you'll find the Study Guide materials that are a companion to the How Do I Know message series.  Below is the link to download the PDF of the discussion guide.  The link to the videos will follow later in the month as we get closer to the launch of the series.

How Do I Know - Journey Group Discussion Guide

Feel free to download, copy and forward not only the PDF of the discussion guide, but also the links to the videos.  Feel free to comment on this blog post or email me directly with questions you have about any of the studies as you prepare to lead them.

Thanks so much!

Tim Perry

timp@cccomaha.org

30 Days to Live Session 1 Leaders Guide

 

30 Days to Live Group Curriculum Session 1 – Leaders Guide Materials needed:

Mark’s Video Message, there are two options to obtain this. 1. Go online to http://www.cccomaha.org/message-archive.php to “Live in the Moment” message delivered August 9, 2015. Cue up the segments using the counter prompts below.

2. Request a DVD containing the message segments to Reid Brown at reidb@cccomaha.org or 402-938-1561. These videos will have an eight second delay with the 30 Days logo in between teaching segments.  Hit the pause button for discussion and play to resume.  Keep in mind these DVD’s won’t be available until later in the week of the message since they are produced weekly.

Participant Guide for group members  available on the Journey Group Leader Blog. http://cccomaha.org/blogs/journeygroupleaders/

Total Video Time: 11:58 minutes; Discussion Time: 33 minutes; Teaching: 5 minutes; Application & Prayer: 10 minutes- 60 minutes total.

Session 1 Outline

Launching Question (5 min.): Would you rather die unexpectedly or see it coming? Explain your answer.

Video clip 1: When into Now (9:59-14:11) 4:52 min. Connecting Question 1 (8 min.) What is your biggest “When – Then?” Be honest and identify how you are missing the moment by hoping for some future event. What does it mean to live in the moment? How can we be fully present to others? What are the external pressures or distractions that keep you from being fully engaged with others?

Video clip 2: Intentions into Actions (16:13-19:33) 3:20 min. Connection Question 2 (12 min) Read James 4:17. What is wrong with planning out our lives? What sinful attitudes was James addressing? How do you feel when you think about your life being a mist that is vanishing away? What is the good intention you have that God wants to turn into a good action? Share specifically what you need to do and when you will do it. Knowing that life is brief, what spiritual changes do you need to make? If you were on your death bed, what regrets would you have about your life? What priorities do you need to change in order to live for what is truly important?

Video clip 3: Whole Heart Toward Jesus (24:21-28:07) 4:26 min. Connection Question 3 (8 min) What does it mean to turn our whole heart towards Jesus? Why do we tend to focus on doing for the Lord, instead of being present to the Lord (relating)? What or whom have you made a higher priority than the Lord? What would it look like for you to live every day simply to know and love Jesus with all your heart?

Teaching 5 minutes Ephesians 5:15-20 How can we make the most of our days on earth? We need to walk in wisdom What is God’s will? Isn’t great when God makes things crystal clear – His will is that we be filled with the Spirit. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? Consider how you make chocolate milk. The syrup will settle on the bottom and it won’t become chocolate milk until it is stirred. In the same way when you believe and receive Jesus the Holy Spirit indwells your life. But it is by faith that we allow the Spirit to enter into every aspect of our lives. We stir it up to through faith by desiring to be filled by:

1. Desiring Matt. 5:6 2. Confessing Sin 1 John 1:9 3. Yielding our lives to Him Romans 12:1-2.

Application & Prayer 10 minutes Circle one option you will work on this week (2 min.) 1. What changes will you make in order to live in the moment and make the most of your days on earth? What future goals or plans do you need to surrender? 2. What has God put on your heart to do that you haven’t done? What action steps will you take this week? 3. What will you do this week to turn your heart more toward Jesus? What relationships or activities have robbed you of living to know and follow Christ?

Close with prayer (7 min.)

30 Days to Live Session 1- Participant Guide

 

On Sunday, August 9th the message series 30 Days to Live kicked off. These group discussion guides will provide your group with questions, Scripture passages and applications to help live for the most important things in life.

30 Days to Live Group Participant Guide

Session 1

Launching Question: Would you rather die unexpectedly or see it coming? Explain your answer.

Connecting Question 1: When into Now What is your biggest “When – Then?” Be honest and identify how you are missing the moment by hoping for some future event. What does it mean to live in the moment? How can we be fully present to others? What are the external pressures or distractions that keep you from being fully engaged with others?

Connection Question 2: Intentions into Actions Read James 4:17. What is wrong with planning out our lives? What sinful attitudes was James addressing? How do you feel when you think about your life being a mist that is vanishing away? What is the good intention you have that God wants to turn into a good action? Share specifically what you need to do and when you will do it.

Knowing that life is brief, what spiritual changes do you need to make? If you were on your death bed, what regrets would you have about your life? What priorities do you need to change in order to live for what is truly important?

Connection Question 3: Whole Heart Toward Jesus What does it mean to turn our whole heart towards Jesus? Why do we tend to focus on doing for the Lord, instead of being present to the Lord (relating)? What or whom have you made a higher priority than the Lord? What would it look like for you to live every day simply to know and love Jesus with all your heart?

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20 How can we make the most of our days on earth? What is God’s will? What does it mean to be filled with the Spirt?

Application & Prayer Circle one option you will work on this week

1. What changes will you make in order to live in the moment and make the most of your days on earth? What future goals or plans do you need to surrender?

2. What has God put on your heart to do that you haven’t done? What action steps will you take this week?

3. What will you do this week to turn your heart more toward Jesus? What relationships or activities have robbed you of living to know and follow Christ?

Close with prayer

EMPTY Easter Sunday 4.5.2015

  1. As Pastor Mark opened his sermon, he identified many of the ways that we look for fulfillment only to be left unsatisfied and empty. Take some time as a group to share ways that you have looked for fulfillment in the wrong places.

2. Even though Jesus predicted his death and resurrection 9 times, the disciples and his closest followers did not understand it would happen. What are reasons you hear today from people on why they don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ? Share together several facts that we know about the resurrection based on Luke 24:1-12.

3. After the death of Jesus, the women bought spices and came to anoint His body, a sad but necessary task. It is obvious by their actions that the women were not expecting to find Jesus gone; resurrected. In Luke 24:5 two angels at the tomb ask the women, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” How do you approach the resurrection? Is your tendency towards skepticism, investigation or do you tend to believe?

4. For those of us that believe in Christ’s resurrection, we have a story to tell. The tomb is EMPTY, and because of that, our empty hearts can be filled with the hope of eternal life through Him. Take 3-5 minutes each to share with each other your story of faith. I once was… Now I am…. You might even want to have each group member write out the ‘Now I am’ section on a piece of paper and take a picture as a group to share on Facebook or Twitter and tag it with #CCCOmaha.

5. At the end of the Easter service we were asked to hold out our empty hands for God to fill. What may you be holding onto that is keeping you from accepting what God has for you? Is there an area in your life that you doubt God cares about? Maybe there is something you need God’s resurrection power to intervene and fill the emptiness in the situation. If you feel comfortable, share with your group. Spend time praying for one another and for belief that the power of Jesus is available for us today.

Exodus Leaders Notes Session 12

This is the end! We have reached the end of our study in Exodus and we have come full circle to the beginning. At the beginning of Exodus, God was "conspicuously absent" and unseen by the Israelites. At the end of Exodus, God is overtly present and seen by the Israelites as He tangibly occupies the Tabernacle. In the sacrifices designed to keep the Tabernacle clean, we have a beautiful picture of God's willingness to encounter our sin and brokeness and His plan to address it so that we aren't stuck there. In an even great way, Jesus' sacrifice cleanses us so that we can become God's dwelling place. God no longer occupies a location, but has moved in to make our hearts His dwelling place!

Schedule note: if your group is continuing beyond these 12 sessions, make sure that everyone knows what the plan is moving forward. If the group is ending, we recommend having one more time together to share a meal and to celebrate the things that God did in your lives and the connections that were made.

Exodus Leaders Notes Session 11

This session deals with one of the more infamous failures in the Exodus account - the golden calf incident. At first glance, this seems like a breaking of the first commandment (you shall have no other gods before me). But when we look more closely, we see that it is actually a breaking of the second commandment (do not make any graven images). The Israelites were not creating a false god as much as they were creating their own way to approach and worship the God that brought them out of Egypt. They corrupted the plan that God had given them and tried to make their own way. We encounter this today when we meet people who have created their own "belief system" that includes things other than God's teaching in the Bible. Or when someone decides that something can't be true because of their life experience (ex. there is no hell because my deceased family member did not believe in Jesus, so I choose not to believe that).

We also encounter this principle when we try to live our lives differently than the way God directs us. When we decide to sacrifice our integrity in order to get ahead in our career or get a better grade in the class. When we decide that the stress is too great and we can't trust God to resolve the situation or provide for the need. When we go our own way we corrupt ourselves and God must guide us back to His path (and that is sometimes a painful process!).

Correction: there is a mistake on page 112 in listing the same 3 set of verses from page 111. The correct verses for page 112 are John 14:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, and Hebrews 3:12-13

Exodus Leaders Notes Session 10

The "slave laws" in Exodus 21 can present difficulty for modern readers. Some see these laws as evidence that God is not the loving person that He claims to be. A loving God, after all, would forbid slaver rather than give rules to regulate it. While this modern perspective is understandable, there are two main problems with it. First, regulating something does not mean that God is endorsing that matter. The giving of regulations is a way for God to protect the vulnerable in the broken world they live in. Divorce is another example of this. Laws are given in Leviticus and Deuteronomy for divorce, but in Matthew 19, Jesus makes it clear that God does not approve of divorce. The laws were given because God knows that divorce is part of living in a broken and sinful world. The laws protect those involved and help prevent things (divorce, slaves, etc.) from getting worse.

The second problem is sometimes called "modern arrogance," meaning that we assume our understanding is automatically superior to an older one because we are modern. In this case, we see that our modern understanding of the word slavery does not fit the practice of those to whom the laws were given. As Dr. Smith points out in the video, we are wrong to insert our understanding of slavery into these verses.

Regardless of the exact meaning of the word slavery, we can, however, say with a fair degree of confidence that we will not need these laws to help us live our daily lives. So do we just skip over them? No! As Dr. Smith shows us, these laws are beautiful and valuable because they are a window into God's character and His love for all.

Schedule note: this is the week that the group needs to start the conversation regarding what will happen after the 12th session. Depending on how frequently the group has met, there may be time for another short study before the summer season hits. If it is close to the summer (June-August) CCC can provide a plan for the group to stay connected through these sporadic months. If you or the group do not want to continue, then celebrate what God has done through the Exodus study and the connections that were made.

Exodus Leaders Notes Session 9

This session is all about the Law. It will focus more on the laws in general than the specific laws in Exodus 22-23. In the video, Dr. Smith wants us to see that many of us have overlooked the legal sections of the Old Testament to our detriment. He reminds us that the laws are good and they are the inspired words of God. Dr. Smith also helps us understand a healthy perspective of the laws, how they matter to our lives today, and how being "in Christ" impacts the role of the law in our lives.

For those in your group (and maybe yourself!) who have always glossed over these sections, encourage them to intentionally study to discover God in the legal sections of the Old Testament.

Exodus Leaders Notes Session 8

The common understanding on "Don't take the name of the Lord in vain," is to not say "Oh, God!" or "Jesus, that hurts!" While this is part of the intent, Dr. Smith helps us see that it is much larger than that. In fact, we may be guilty of breaking this command more than we thought! Dr. Smith suggests that "taking the name of the Lord in vain" is more about how we represent His name to the world (we are God's treasured possession in session 7) and ways that we try to manipulate and control God. Has anyone ever been surprised to learn that you are a Christian based on your behavior? Have you ever been surprised that God didn't do what you wanted Him to do because "you did all the right things?" You were likely guilty of taking God's name in vain in that moment. Schedule note: if your group is meeting every week, this is the week that you need to start the conversation with the group regarding the ending or continuation of your group. As the host/leader, you need to have decided if you want to continue beyond the 12th session or not. If you do desire to continue, invite the group to join you for 6 more sessions and allow people to opt out if that is what they desire.