The God Talk

Series: "We need to talk"
Connection Group Questions
November 28, 2010
“The God Talk”

Take time to go over the church announcements and events.

• The last week of the Fall Semester is December 12.  Plan an end of the year Christmas Party!
• Winter Session will run from January 16 through March 6, 2011.
• Spring Session will run from March 27 through May 22, 2011.
• All participants are encourage to re-register with their current group or a group that works for your schedule.

Opening
Share a life changing conversation you’ve had, preferably a good change.  How did it happen, and how did your life change as a result?

Learn It
Read Matthew 16:13-16.
Who do you say that Jesus was and is?

Romans 10: 9 “...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Have you ever had “the talk” with God?  If so, how and when?  What changed in your life as a result? 

If not, what is holding you back?  What questions do you still have, and would you be willing to talk about them with the group?

Romans 8:14  “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

3 things that give us assurance:
1. Led by the Holy Spirit
Have you had moments when you felt the Spirit’s presence?  Have you ever felt a “nudge” to say something, call somebody, do something?  If you have not, talk about this, and what you can do to “tune in” to the Spirit.

2. Filled with peace
We have a lot of reasons to be stressed out, pessimistic and full of fear.  Where would you rate yourself on the “Full of Fear/ Full of Peace” scale?  Can someone describe what it’s like to be full of peace when going through hard times?  Read John 14:27 if you need assurance of peace.

3. God is “Abba Father”
Do you want to know God as Father?  Do you know God as Father?  Discuss what it means to have this kind of relational connection with God.

Considering these things, would you say you have the assurance of your salvation? 

If not, would you like to have more assurance?  What can you do, according to the bible passages we’ve looked at, to have more assurance?

If you’ve never been baptized, or made a public affirmation of faith, how could that help?

Making it absolutely sure in your heart.
Give group members the chance to have the talk with God.

To learn more about the assurance of our salvation read
2 Peter 1:1-11

Don’t forget about your E100 Bible Reading Plan!

How Suffering Works

Connection Group Questions
November 21, 2010

Take time to go over the church announcements and events.

• The last week of the Fall Semester is December 12. Plan an end of the year Christmas Party!
• Winter Session will run from January 16 through March 6, 2011.
• Spring Session will run from March 27 through May 22, 2011.
• All participants are encourage to re-register with their current group or a group that works for your schedule.

Opening
Ask one or more from the group to share a story of their suffering. What was the source of suffering? How did you handle the suffering? What has the suffering changed in you?

Learn It:
Discuss how many set-up God for a fall with this choice:
God is all good, but not all powerful.
God is all powerful, but not all good.

Does rejecting God eliminate or alleviate our suffering? How, or how not?

Read 1 Peter 4:12-19
Discuss a “Third Way,” as taught in the bible:
God is all good, and all powerful, and we need to understand the reason and role of suffering in the world, while we hold onto the hope of a time when all suffering will be redeemed.

While not all suffering can be explained, we can know the reason why we suffer in the present world. Discuss:

1. We make bad decisions.
2. Others make bad decisions.
3. We live in a broken world.

Discuss this statement from the sermon:
“The bible teaches that God is not the cause of suffering, restrains most suffering, but allows some suffering in our lives for his plans.”

Discuss our Hope in Suffering: Past, Present, Future
God suffers more than we ever could or will by taking our sin to the cross;
by Holy Spirit He stands with us in our present suffering;
in the future all suffering will be redeemed in the resurrection.

Live It:
While few would celebrate or want to relive any serious suffering they have endured, most will say they would not give up the experience (yes, there are many exceptions in extreme cases of suffering and evil). Because of the way suffering shapes and changes us, it is hard to image life with the experience/wisdom gained.
What lessons have you learned from suffering?
Could you say that God allowed the suffering to come into your life for His glory and your good?

Conclusion:
“Christians are like nails- the harder you hit them, the deeper they go.”
When you suffer, how can you go deeper?

Pray for each other.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
~ Romans 8:18

(For more on suffering in the bible read Psalm 23, Job 1, 2 Corinthians 11:22-33, Matthew 5:1-12 and Matthew 27.)

Don’t forget about your E100 Bible Reading Plan!

How Sacraments Work

Connection Group Questions
November 14, 2010
“How Sacraments Works”

Take time to go over the church announcements and events.

Opening
Connections Community Church, as one part of the larger Protestant church tradition, upholds two sacraments: Baptism and Communion.  As “sacraments” we believe these to be sacred traditions, revealed to the church through the Scriptures, taught by Jesus Christ, and administered in the church.   While Jesus taught and commanded his followers many things, this much is clear- baptism and communion are to be practiced by the church.  Each sacrament serves as a “sign” and “seal” of an individual as a part of the visible church.  Each carries with it unique spiritual blessings in the life of the believer and the church.

In Baptism the believer and children of believers become participants in the life and ministry of the church.  In the Lord’s Supper, believers and their households are nourished in grace and faith.

Discussion:  
What do you believe regarding the sacraments?  
Did you grow up in a church that affirmed them, rejected them, or even had more of them (the Catholic Church has 7!)
What does it mean to be, or to make, “sacred”? To be set apart and made pure.
How do the sacraments work?  
When they are part of God’s work in us to make us holy and treasured persons, and people.

Baptism:
Connections affirms baptism as the most biblical and faithful public expression of new life in Jesus and participation in the church.  When an adult comes to faith in Jesus and desires to be a part of the church they should seek to be baptized in public worship at the earliest possible convenience.  Connections also affirms the longest standing tradition in the Christian churches of infant baptism.  Baptism is the sign Christ gave us to symbolize the forgiveness and cleansing He accomplishes in the lives of the people who trust and follow Him.  Baptism embodies many layers of meaning: laying down our life, dying to our “old” self, rising in Jesus, washed clean and pure, renewed and ready to follow Jesus the rest of our life.

Discuss the following:
Believer’s baptism- adults who profess repentance and faith in Jesus as Lord, either after a time of preparation, or in immediate response to repentance and belief. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 8:36-40)
Infant baptism- claiming the promise of faith for a household and the children of Christ-followers. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38-41)
Children’s dedication-  As Jesus blessed the children that were brought to him, so we will bless or “dedicate” all children of believers who in good conscious can not embrace infant baptism. (Matthew 19:13-15)
Re-affirmation of the baptismal vows- for all persons who were baptized as infants, or as adults, who wish to publicly profess their faith in Jesus, we will re-affirm the baptismal vows.  This reaffirmation should proceed only after prayerful consideration and in the understand this is not a “re-baptism,” for we believe in “One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”  (Ephesians 4:5-6)

Communion, or, The Lord’s Supper
The Lord's Supper was directly instituted by Jesus Christ as a continuing practice for the church during this era before the return of Jesus Christ and the consummation of the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). This has been the universal understanding and practice of Christian churches.

As a Sacrament, the Supper is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. It is a means by which true believers may spiritually grow and be nourished when received in faith and in the way God has specified in his covenant promises.  By partaking of the elements we come into union with Christ as a united covenant people. For this reason it is often called Communion.

Discuss the following:
Paul carefully instructed the church at Corinth about the right reception of the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.  Christians are encouraged to participate, persons who do not openly confess Jesus as savior and Lord should not partake.

Discuss the three things that the sacraments work in our lives:
1.  The sacraments invite us to participate with our lives (a sign and a seal).
2.  The sacraments invite us into a “sacramental worldview.”
3. The sacraments work because of the sacrificial work of God.

The sacraments are meant to unify and empower Christians and the church.  In closing be sure to reaffirm the fact that Baptism and Communion are not things to divide over.  We can have different views on the details, if we are in agreement that we are saved only by God’s grace.

Don’t forget your E100 Challenge Readings this week!

How the Church Works

Connection Group Questions
November 7, 2010

Announcements:
Connections Ministry Centre Open House Prayer! 
Monday November 15 @ 7:30pm, 1895 Blue Heron Drive.

Help Wanted:
Outreach Coordinator.  Help us plan monthly community service and outreach events, such as serving at the Ark Aid.
Sound Board Operator.  If you’re willing, we can train you!
Family Ministry- Lead Teacher and Helper positions.  Training date November 7.
First Impressions Ministry.  Greeters, Ushers, Cafe, Information Centre positions.

Opening
What images, ideas, or memories come to mind when you think about “the church?”

Discuss the definition used for the church: “The people called by God the Father; who gather together as one, holy, catholic and apostolic body under the Lordship of Jesus Christ to be built up and equipped; so they may be sent out in the power of the Holy Spirit, in obedience to the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), to fulfill the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-39).

Learn It
The word “church” comes from “ecclesia” which derives from two words, “to be called out” and “to assemble.”   Compare that with some of these bible terms: the body of Christ, the people of God, the family of God, the Elect in Christ, the bride of Christ, the gathering of the redeemed, the communion of saints, the New Israel and the People of the New Covenant. 

• Which one(s) best expresses how you normally think of the church?  How can your understand of the church grow through these other titles?

Read Ephesians 2:18-22

• Where do you see the trinity in this passage?  What does this tell us about the world?  About our present condition?  About things to come? 
• How can we be better built together as a Group, and as a church?

Read each passage and discuss the three “movements” of church:

• Calling (Acts 2:37-41)
• Gathering (Acts 2:42-46)
•     “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church”
• Sending (Acts 2:47ff)

Live It
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”  1 Corinthians 12:27

• What part of the body can you play, and how can your part build up the whole church?  (Think about your gifts, the gifts of the Spirit, leadership in the church, etc)

End with a prayer committing ourselves to the calling, gathering and sending necessary for the church to truly work.

E 100 Challenge Readings, November 7-13
Day 46: Isaiah 51-53
Day 47: Jeremiah 1-3
Day 48: Daniel 6
Day 49: Jonah 1-4
Day 50: Malachi 1-4 (You’re half way done!)
Day 51: John 1
Day 52: Luke 1