Grace-Snellville - Teachings | gfc.tv

In our lives there are “hinge moments.” Hinge moments are critical moments of change and are often accompanied by challenge. In these moments our faith is tested and our fears are revealed. This Sunday we are going to look at three hinge moments in the life of King Hezekiah. Whether you are transitioning from an educational program to a new career or you are transitioning to parenting adult children, God inspired Isaiah to record these moments from the life of Hezekiah that we may learn from them. DOWNLOADS

What could be better than deep, flourishing, God-sheltered peace? Well, double peace, of course. And that’s exactly what Isaiah 26:3 promises: “peace peace” for all “whose minds are stayed” on God. In the Hebrew language, repeating the same word twice is a way of emphasizing it and amplifying it, which is why most translators interpret the phrase as “perfect peace.” If that sounds good to you, I invite you to gather and worship and walk in a double dose of God’s peace this week. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Peace Peace // Scripture: Isaiah 26:3 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes What could be better than deep, flourishing, God-sheltered peace? Well, double peace, of course. That’s exactly what Isaiah 26:3 promises: “peace peace” for all “whose minds are stayed” on God. In the Hebrew language, repeating the same word twice is a way of emphasizing it and amplifying it, which is why most translators interpret the phrase as “perfect peace.” When other empires or circumstances seem to be ruling over us or overwhelming us, it can seem like peace is evading us. By remembering what God has done for us can give us courage to keep faithfully doing what is right while we are waiting on God. Keeping our mind stayed on God is being intentional with the 5% of the conscious interaction we have with the world. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. God’s promise of peace is available. We access it by living what we know is right. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What knowledge of God do the people of Israel have? Do the people have current experience with God’s peace? What is Isaiah saying to a nation whose stories of God’s deliverance seem more like far off fiction? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What are your most deeply held beliefs about God? What habits do you have that keep your mind stayed on God? Are your beliefs and habits bringing the reality of God’s perfect peace? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What are some things that are automatic thinking for you? Are you aware of any stereotypes you have of certain people? What feelings or situations trigger a strong reaction for you? How can you exercise your will to change one thing about your frame of mind? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP // Repetition Our minds are shaped by what we put into them. Our lives will take the shape of the thoughts we allow to become automatic. Spend time this week repeatedly reflecting on Psalm 19. The God who has framed the path for the sun wants to shape your path. Pick a couple of verses God seems to be highlighting for you and memorize them. Change IN // Remembrance Remember the thin spaces we talked about a few weeks ago? How are you remembering God in your time in the cave with him? What about the road where you meet people day today? What about the table where you gather for community? And what about the fire where you invite God to search your heart? Review God’s promises and remember his perfect peace is available in these thin places. Change OUT // Reaction How will you use your willpower? Ask God to help you see one mental or emotional loop that leads you to an over sensitive or extreme reaction. How can remembering Jesus disrupt that loop? CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.

I really don’t like feeling overwhelmed. I don’t imagine you do either. But regardless of our feelings, most of us can relate to the sinking sense that things around us are piling up, moving too fast, or about to wash us away. When I start feeling that way, my natural reflex is to hide, hunker down, run away, or avoid, as if ignorance and distance will alleviate the strain. Isaiah the Prophet, however, knows that strategy doesn’t work in a world governed by a sovereign God. And so in sweeping and stunning Scriptures full of judgment and hope, he gives us a word from heaven about handling the often overwhelming mess on earth. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Overwhelmed // Scripture: Isaiah 8:6-26:19 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Have you ever felt overwhelmed? When is the last time you were flooded, engulfed, or deluged by forces beyond your control? What is it that we need to hear in these moments? This week as we continue our series through the Book of Isaiah, we see Israel in the midst of trouble. They are neck-deep in their reality and they don’t even know it, choosing instead to live in denial of their current situation. They are living unaware of the waters in which they swim. Isaiah chapters 9-24 are filled with oracles of the judgment of God against every empire based upon their own pompous pride. Every empire crumbles in the wake of God’s judgment. But judgment is not God’s ultimate posture toward humanity. During the judgment, the song of the humble and the song of the grateful remains as God swallows up all death and destruction in his reign. And in its place a great heavenly banquet is established. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Every empire built on pompous human pride will crumble, but the song of the humble and the grateful remains. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What empires have you seen crumble in your lifetime? (Think world powers, companies or even religious institutions.) How did people in those empires react when the empire crumbled? What common realities were part of each empire crumbling? What is the difference between a house built on a rock or a house built on the sand when the flood comes according to Matthew 7:24-27? (Read Matthew 7:24-27 together.) Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How can you live humbly and grateful during the flood? How can you anchor your life today in the coming restoration and redemption of God? How does the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus speak to every reality of our lives? What might it look like to anticipate that resurrection today? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What are the greatest fears right now in your family, community, neighborhood, workplace, etc.? What would it look like for you to demonstrate quiet confidence in God in those environments of crisis or unknown fears? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP // Worship 5 minutes Replay the song “It is Well” that we sang on Sunday as a response to Jon’s message with your group. Set the environment for your group to hear the song by inviting them into a posture of worship. Have your group name a few of their troubles to God, and then invite them to open their hands as a posture of surrender while the song is being played. After your group listens to the song, encourage individuals to speak out their emotions and reflections from this exercise. Change IN // Word 15 minutes Invite your group to read out passages of Scripture ...

Fear. It’s a noun and a verb, something we try to avoid but still run into with frustrating frequency. Sometimes it rushes over us in an instant, and other times it grinds away at us from the margins of our minds until we can barely generate an idea that isn’t shaped by its shadow. Around us, people justify our fears, magnify our fears, and at times even amplify our fears. And then we encounter Isaiah, whose words summon all readers to faith in the only God truly worth fearing. This week, we will read Isaiah 7-8, a text drenched in the language of both fear and faith. Is it possible to trust God in the midst of a kingdom of fear? DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Sanctuary, Scorn or Stumbling? // Scripture: Isaiah 7-8 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Isaiah 7–8 is a text drenched in the language of both fear and faith. The question that arises in the story of Ahaz is: how is it possible to trust God in the midst of a crisis of fear? Fear is usually something we try to avoid but still run into with frustrating frequency. Sometimes it rushes over us in an instant, and other times it grinds away at us from the margins of our minds until we can barely generate an idea that isn’t shaped by its shadow. We often find ourselves attempting to justify, magnify and, at times, even amplify our fears to support fearful alliances of our own making. In the face of pending crisis, Ahaz is invited to show quiet confidence in the powerful presence of God for protection. Instead of trusting a faithful God, Ahaz makes a fateful choice to fall back on fearful alliances with future enemies. Trusting God in the tension of wild uncertainty and fear doesn’t free us from difficult circumstance, or even from suffering or pain, but with firm reliance in “God with us” we can confidently choose to become people of faith in the midst of fear, people of trust in the midst of trauma and people of hope in the midst of hard moments. The words of Isaiah summon all readers to a radical faith in the only God truly worth fearing. It is up to each of us to decide if his presence will result in scorn, stumbling or sanctuary as we respond to “God with us.” THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. In a world full of fear, every unknown can be measured against the faithfulness of our well-known God. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What was the decision that fear was pushing Ahaz to make? What was the word of the Lord that Isaiah brought to Ahaz? What was the sign that God gave Ahaz? What was the meaning of that sign? What was Ahaz’s response? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What part of the story do you most identify with? How can you demonstrate faith in the face of fear? When was the last time you chose firm reliance on God over fearful alliances with the world around you? What was the outcome? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What are the greatest fears right now in your family, community, neighborhood, workplace, etc.? What would it look like for you to demonstrate quiet confidence in God in those environments of crisis or unknown fears? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP // Exercise What do David and Solomon say about the fear of God in the Psalms and Proverbs? Share some of those passages together. Spend some time in prayer together. Ask God to help you fear him like that! Invite him to transform your life from one of fearful alliances in the world to faithful reliance on God.

A slow-burning fuse sputtering toward a stick of dynamite is one of Hollywood’s classic tension-creating scenes. Will the hero put out the fuse in time? Or will the dynamite detonate? Isaiah’s first chapters are bursting with the same type of tension. Will the slow fuse of God’s judgment be averted by repentance? Or will God’s people experience the devastation of detonation? But here’s the twist: at times, Isaiah seems to be the only one who is even aware of the crisis. What can we learn from this? And is there a way to avert the explosion of the holy dynamite? These are challenging questions, which is why I’m so grateful we’ll have my good friend and Old Testament professor Brent Strawn teaching from Isaiah 6 this week. The sermon is going to be… explosive! DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Holy Dynamite: How to Understand, Avoid & Survive It // Scripture: Isaiah 6 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Today we looked at Isaiah chapter 6. Don’t we, like the prophets, want to know God’s specific calling on our lives? The calling of God is a process, marked by specific stages. Success in Isaiah’s call is measured by decreasing numbers. So Faithfulness (not Fruit) is his grim prophetic task. We see God’s reassurance to Isaiah was His presence and His work. It wasn’t Isaiah’s doing but God’s. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. God’s call is often unappealing and uncomfortable, but it is always accompanied by His presence and peace. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What was Isaiah’s objection to God’s calling (v.11)? What was God’s reassurance and sign of confirmation to him? What was left after the devastation? What could that symbolize? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What aspects of such a call of God resonate with me? During hard times, what was God’s reassurance to me? How have I experienced His unshakable peace? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How does knowing God’s will help you fulfill His calling in faithfulness and affect your view of the hard things you’re facing? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP // Exercise Pray that the God of resurrection will do His work in and through you. Be still for a minute, listening to His voice. Then share any words or pictures of confirmation He gives you. Change IN // Group Activity Pass out a small piece of paper to each person in the group. Give everyone two minutes to write down something they’re facing that seems bleak or impossible. Have everyone pass their paper to the person on their right. Give one minute of silence for everyone to pray over the paper they’ve received. Then go around the circle and speak words of truth and blessing to the writer of the paper you received. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment Think of a way you can confirm God’s calling and work in one person’s life this week. CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.

In a very well-known scene from Luke 4, Jesus returned to his hometown synagogue on the Sabbath. When he stood to read, verse 17 says, “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.” Literally, that scroll was probably made of some thin leather with ancient words scribed onto its surface. But figuratively, that scroll was like a stick of dynamite, blowing up the false facades of the people of Nazareth with a startling and beautiful vision of God’s heart for the world. And now, as we take up the “scroll” (or book) of Isaiah in the coming weeks at Grace, I wonder again what it is that we will be handling. I expect it may blow up some of our own false facades and lay bare some uncomfortable truth. But I also believe that the prophet’s inspiration will awaken our imaginations afresh with creativity and hope. We will begin with Isaiah’s first 36 verses—verses that have challenged God’s people since they were written but also inspire us to imagine a world where every nation walks not in warfare but in the ways of God. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Isaiah: Imagi-Nations // Scripture: Isaiah 1:1 – 2:5 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes In a very well-known scene from Luke 4, Jesus returned to His hometown synagogue on the Sabbath. He stood to read verse 17; it says, “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.” Literally, that scroll was probably made of some thin leather with ancient words scribed onto its surface. But figuratively, the scroll was like a stick of dynamite, blowing up the false facades of the people of Nazareth with a startling and beautiful vision of God’s heart for the world. We begin with Isaiah’s first 36 verses—verses that have challenged God’s people since they were written. However, they’ve also inspire us to imagine a world where every nation walks not in warfare but in the ways of God. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Transformation requires imagination. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Is God only looking for sacrifices of animals? Are people obeying God? Who is God offering peace and restoration to? Do people believe the right thing? What have they done with the information God has given them to follow? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): If the scroll of Isaiah is like a stick of dynamite what were some ideas that were “blown up”? If it’s like a paintbrush, as well, what are some pictures he paints of the future? What is your picture of the good life? What seems to be more important thinking, believing or loving? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What do your affections have to do with the focus of your direction? What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom first? If God isn’t mainly looking for sacrifices, what kind of worship is He looking for? BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week? Change UP // Information A prophet like Isaiah brings challenge and invitation. Where is the information from God through Isaiah challenging you? Where is God inviting you? Sometimes a musician picks up a different instrument and is inspired by the color of the sound. Try reading Isaiah in a different translation this week or you could read the passage from The Message. Change IN // Imagination ho are you talking with about what you are learning from God? This week get together with two or three family members and read the Bible together using the text from the first chapter of Isaiah or a chapter of one of the Gospels.

Admittedly, the sermon this week will be a bit of an outlier for me. I don’t often preach about money, mostly because the generosity of our Grace community has propelled us into God’s purposes in so many ways. This Sunday, however, our members will vote to approve our 2019 budget, and so the subject is on my heart. Each year, we hold this vote, and each year it only takes a few minutes to pass out the ballots and check the appropriate box. But even though the vote for the budget is brief, the impact of the budget stretches toward eternity. The funds we give and receive at Grace will go in the name of Jesus toward needs and lives and empowerment across our neighborhoods, the nations, and the next generation. So as I’ve worked with our staff and elders to prepare a budget that will fund the vision, I’ve been reading and re-reading the Apostle Paul’s words about giving in 2 Corinthians 8-9. And in these last few weeks, I’ve come across some truths familiar and some new that I’m excited to share. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Choosing to Give // Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8-9 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes This morning the membership of Grace-Snellville voted on the 2019 budget that will fund the vision God has given us. On the topic of giving, Jon shared some thoughts about generosity, based in 2 Corinthians 8, 9. Generosity is not a requirement but a response to God’s grace (8:1-10). Each must determine what he/she can afford to give (8:11-15). Proverbs 3:9 (CEB) Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first of all your crops. Proven relational trust is crucial (8:16-24). We will reap what we sow (9:1-11, cf. Job 4:8; Proverbs 11:24–26, 22:8–9; Hosea 10:12–13; Luke 6:38). THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Generosity is a response to grace received. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What was the story of the Macedonian church at the time Paul wrote these words? What was their commitment to giving? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Are the guidelines given to the early church ones that still apply to us today? More importantly, what can we learn from the guidelines given? Has your mindset changed from a percent mindset to a perspective mindset (giving that reflects your passions + where you have relational trust)? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How does this generosity mindset affect our interactions with those around us? With friends? With strangers? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes After reading II Corinthians 8:1-10 together, pray together, asking God where He wants you to personally press in on this subject of generosity. Change IN // Group Activity 15 minutes Grace is about exceeding expectations (guilt is about falling short of expectations). Talk about how often “grace” is repeated in the passage and about how generosity is a response to grace received (not a response to guilt). Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 10 minutes After looking at your goals, consider what you need to spend, then as you decide what you can afford to give, look at where you have relational trust and give to those opportunities that are around you. Where will you choose to give? CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.

In this space we let go of anything from the day that needs to be left behind. These failures or offenses are burned up with the setting sun. We also use this time to receive more deeply anything from the day that God has spoken to us through our various interactions. This is a time to pray what is known as the prayer of Examen, which is a prayer of surrender, to be searched and known by God. It often involves becoming aware of the presence of God, reviewing or remembering your day with gratitude, recognizing your need for God and receiving his love and power, and finally, looking forward to the coming day with hope. We are reminded of the words of Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” One example of the prayer of Examen is written by Richard Foster in his book Prayer. “Precious Savior, why do I fear your scrutiny? Yours is an examen of love. Still I am afraid… afraid of what may surface. Even so, I invite you to search me to the depths so that I may know myself – and you – in fuller measure. Amen.” DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Rooted Renegades: Fire // Scripture: Psalm 139 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Throughout the last several weeks we have been leaning into our identity as “Rooted Renegades” by looking at four crucial practices that make this identity come to life in our lives. These practices derive from the ancient Celtic way of life and are things we believe are important for each of our lives as well. We have talked about the Cave (the personal space in our relationship with God), the Road (the way our lives impact the lives of others) and the Table (the space for community). This week we added to these practices the Fire. The Fire is the place where we join with God in examining the way we live our life each day. It is the secret to a well-lived life. A well-lived life is a well-examined life, because it is in examination that we learn from the experiences we have each day. Howard Hendricks said, “Experience is not the best teacher. Evaluated experience is.” Too many times we live too much of our lives without examination or evaluation. In the practice of the Fire we learn to examine and evaluate our lives each day with God. This week Aaron Keyes led us through Psalm 139 as we participated in the Prayer of Examen that we see modeled in the life of David throughout the Psalms. Aaron challenged and invited us to join in this practice in our lives as well. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The secret of creating a well-lived life is a to live a well-examined life. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What is the most impactful conversation that you have ever had around a fire? Why? What feelings does the picture of a conversation around a fire bring out in you? What do you think a fireside chat with God at the end of your day might look like? How does Psalm 139 inform your thinking about what praying through your day with God might look like? What things does David pray? Why do you think he prays these things? What are the five steps of the Prayer of Examen from Ignatius? (Light, Thanks, Feelings, Focus and Future) Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What is your current practice of examination and reflection in your life? How do you normally respond to evaluation and examination in your life? Why? Why do you think we often avoid evaluation and examination? How does the Prayer of Examen invite us to bring our real selves and not our pious selves to God?

The Table is the relational place. It is where we intentionally make room for the ‘ones’ and the ‘other.’ The Table is an invitation and a commitment to community. It is a space for questions and conversation. It is where we practice being the body of Christ as we break bread and share our lives with one another. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Rooted Renegades: Table // Scripture: Luke 22:14-23 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes The rhythm of Rooted Renegades radically following Jesus together begins with time alone with him in the cave. As we move out onto the road, we make space for Jesus to work in all the places we go. This week, we considered the rhythm of the table, where we come together to bless and be blessed by our families and others. When we think about the table, some of us might immediately recall a particularly delicious plate of food. Others might think first of the people at the table or even the significance of the meal’s location. Remembering our best meals reminds us that the table is often one of those “thin places” where the distance between heaven and earth seems so small. And perhaps there was no table or meal “thinner” than that of the Lord’s Last Supper in Jerusalem. At its best, the table is a place of presence and peace where we feel safe, at home, and provided for – a “thin place.” The table can be a place of remembrance and reconnection – a taste of eternity. It can also be a difficult place where issues of selfishness, sinfulness, and sadness are clearly revealed. But the hope of the table is in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus which transforms the table into a place of reconciliation. The table is an open invitation to come and make space for Jesus to restore the deepest and truest places of human connection between God and each other. There is no question that all are welcome at Jesus’ table, but the choice to stay at his table and be transformed is up to you. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Jesus invites everyone to his table to experience the deepest, truest aspects of human connection. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?):What is the significance of the table? What are some of the challenges we may face at the table? What is the ultimate outcome of staying at the table with Jesus? How does Jesus invite us to bring the table back into our everyday lives? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Have I accepted the invitation to come to the table? Do I feel welcome there? What makes me feel welcome or unwelcome there? How have I experienced reconciliation and transformation at the table? How does Jesus challenge us to invite others to the table? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Where are the tables that Jesus is inviting me to connect with? Who are the people around me that I am being challenged to invite to my table? How could my neighborhood be transformed if I opened my table to my neighbors? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Read Luke 22:14-23. Who do you have the most affinity to in the story? Share a few reasons why. How has Jesus welcomed you radically, provided for you abundantly, forgiven you completely, or transformed you deeply through your time with him and others at the table. Take time to thank God in prayer for his work at the table. Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes (Prepare the Lord’s Supper prior to meeting) Read I Corinthians 11:23-34 out loud. Make space to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, to confess and be reconciled before him,

The Road is the place of mission and risk. How are you going to make God-space in your life? The Road is an invitation and a commitment to ‘Go.’ While we may have seasons or events in our lives that are more defined by the Road than others, we also want to make space daily to engage with the Road. These are the moments of ministry when we make ourselves available for God to move through us in new ways toward the people and world around us. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Rooted Renegades: Road // Scripture: Luke 9:51–62 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes The cave represents the time and place we spend talking to and listening to God. The road represents the times and places where we live out what we learned and heard in the cave. Being on mission means we have determined the destination and resolved that following Jesus is the only way to get there. Luke tells us that Jesus said some specific things about potential distractions from the destination. Religious influence apart from Christ and complete trust in secular powers are two potential distractions Jesus warns us about. Like Jesus, our focus can allow us to be flexible as we trust God with the destination and allow ourselves to be led on the main highway, sometimes in order to help others on the byways. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The best excuse is not reason enough to delay in following Jesus on your road. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What gives Jesus his focus? What is the significance of the road?  How did the cave prepare Jesus for the road? What do the fox and eagle represent? How did Jesus balance focus and flexibility? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Do you have a firm sense of your destination?  Are you more comfortable on the highway or on the byways?  How have moments in the cave prepared you for the road? Does fear of the rocks keep you from putting your hand to the plow? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How can the concept of “Not on a horse; not in a hurry,” help you really see others? What happens when efficiency becomes more important than presence? BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes Change UP // Fixed Gaze 5 minutes Where is your resolve set? Jesus was determined to do the will of God no matter what. Is there any excuse that is delaying you from following Jesus? Do one or both of these: Take the next 15 days to commit Psalm 23 to memory (or some other scripture passage that reminds you of where your gaze is set). Write in your Cave, Road, Table, Fire Journal. Change IN // Focused Grace 5 minutes The fields we’re called to plow are rocky, and if we’re not paying attention our plow can get stuck or knocked off course. Who in your life can you rely on to gracefully remind you to look where you are going instead of drifting to the side? Is your family on mission together? Are you regularly a part of a smaller community that has common interests and looks for ways to encourage each other spiritually? What is one thing you can do this week to connect with a person or a group that will be intentional about helping you grow in God’s grace? Take a step to get out of the cave and onto the road with others who are following Jesus. Change OUT // Flexible Goal 5 minutes The road can represent one of the thin places in our lives. As we go on our way doing very practical things we may meet someone and become aware that God has put something spiritually significant in our path. Your road may be the hallway you walk down or the coffee shop you frequent.

The Cave is the intimate space, it’s where we habitually make room for God to shape us. It is where we turn off the cacophonous noise of this life so we can hear the voice of God. It may be situated in our day differently for each of us, but many people find that early morning is an effective time to enter the cave. Before the activity of the day begins, when it is just you and Jesus enjoying uninterrupted communion. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Rooted Renegades: Cave // Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-18 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Have you ever discovered something of incredible value in an unexpected place? This week, we began a series that all the pastors in the Grace Family of Churches (GFC) are preaching across our campuses. It is an incredible treasure found in an often-overlooked stream of our Christian history and in our history as a local church family. Today, we began with a reminder to pay attention to the most important things: loving God and loving others. As a family of churches, there are four images that embody the rhythms of Rooted Renegades who are radically following Jesus together: the cave, the road, the table, and the fire. These not only reflect our rich church history dating back to the time of the Celts, but also serve as guides as we move forward into the future. We are committed to deep roots in the Word and to impacting the communities around us through equipping and empowering the church to spread the gospel to the neighborhoods, nations, and the next generation. The journey to these “thin places” where we draw near and pay attention to God starts with Elijah in the cave in 1 Kings 19. After the astounding victory against the prophets of Baal on the mountaintop, Elijah flees to Horeb—the mountain of God, a thin place. Along the way, he is ministered to by the Angel of the Lord even as he increases in vulnerability. There, in a cave on the mountain, we see the pattern of what our daily time alone with God looks like. God comes to Elijah in a thin quiet voice and asks him, “Where are you going?” Elijah responds with authentic, absolute honesty. . . even though he is mistaken in thinking he is the only one left who follows God. We desperately need a regular thin place of honest, open confession to God in the cave. It is here, meeting with the living Word of God, that Elijah gains the clarity he needs to see where God is truly at work and receives the call to obedience as he moves forward to impact the nations around him and to identify the next leader who will follow him. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Do you have a “cave”? Will you choose to go there to cultivate a rhythm of inviting God deeper into your daily life? SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What is the basis for Rooted Renegades? Why is it important to look back on our history at GFC in order to pay attention to God as we move forward together? What three things did Elijah learn and do with God in his cave? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What aspect of the story do you find yourself in today? Are you in the battle, celebrating the victory, fleeing to the cave, or paying attention to God’s Word there? Where is your cave? If you don’t have one yet, where could it be? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How would you look at your family, workplace, daily activities, etc., differently if you visited God in your cave regularly every day? Who is one person you could share this message of encouraging hope with this coming week?

One of my mentors used to say, “Most of us live as if there are three kinds of people in the world. Some people are scenery people—we barely notice them. Some people are machine people—our encounters with them are short and transactional, like the way most of us relate to a cashier or a server in a restaurant. And then, there are people people—the people to whom we are truly present and kind.” Then, he’d say, “For Jesus, there are only people people.” Is it possible that this truth is the most important thing demanding our attention? Jesus seemed to say it was so, and the wise scribe in Mark 12:28-34 agreed. Perhaps we should pay attention as well. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Pay Attention, part 2: Neighbor // Scripture: Mark 12:28-34 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes What are you paying attention to? What captures your mind or captivates your imagination? What kinds of things command your time, energy, or resources? These are the questions our two-week series from Mark 12:28-34 are all about. Living today in an “attention economy” where just about everyone and everything is trying to get your attention, it’s easy to pay attention to all the wrong things. That’s why we have started this year hearing Jesus call us to what is really important and what really matters. Here in Mark 12, Jesus reminds us the most important thing to give our attention to is God. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. In this week’s sermon Jon provoked our hearts by showing us just how much our love for God is tied to loving our neighbor. He challenged us with our understanding of love. He guided us to a new appreciation for our neighbors. And he gently urged us to picture what it might look like to have the same concern for others that we have for ourselves. This is a message of ultimate importance- it’s the thing that grabs our attention that ultimately gains our affection. So, let’s start this year by learning from Jesus to pay attention to God and our neighbor in a way that changes our affection but also affects the very world we find ourselves in. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. We don’t love our neighbors to convert them. We love our neighbors because we are converted. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What kinds of things do people give their attention to? What is the “attention economy”? Why do you think so many people and things are trying to capture our attention today? (attention→affection→action) What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? What does is mean to love your neighbor as yourself? How would you define love? How does Leviticus 19 give us a picture of what love looks like? (margin, value, not exploiting, rebuking) Who is our neighbor? (those who are near us) How does Luke 10 challenge our picture of who our neighbor is? In light of Leviticus 19 and Luke 10, how would you summarize what loving our neighbor looks like? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What keeps you from loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? What is the biggest barrier in your life to loving your neighbor as yourself? Why? How did Jon’s message this week challenge you to live differently with God and your neighbors? What is one new way you could love your neighbor as yourself? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): This week Jon illustrated the way our neighborhood is changing—racially, economically, and socially? What ramifications do you think this change should...

Perhaps that subject line–“Pay Attention!”–causes you to shudder with memories of a harsh reprimand from a parent or a teacher. (Though if you did have that response to the subject line, you’re probably not reading this right now.) In the last few years, however, I’ve become increasingly convinced that this little phrase–pay attention–is one of our society’s most important issues. And it’s important not so much as a harsh command but rather as a piercing question: “Where do you pay your attention?” This week, as we gather for the first time in 2019, we will revisit a very famous conversation between Jesus and a sincere scribe in Mark 12:28-34 for the next two weeks. And as we read, we will hear again Jesus’ essential words about the things worth paying attention to in the coming year. DOWNLOADS

They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year. The air is cold. The nights are long. Music fills the air and lights decorate the houses in our neighborhoods. It seems like everyone is having a party. It’s Christmas season and everyone is anticipating something special. When I was young, Christmas was all about the presents. We made Christmas lists and hoped that our wildest dreams would come true. But as we grow older, Christmas becomes less about the presents and more about the presence. It’s the time when we visit our parents or our children come back home. It’s the time when everyone puts aside their differences and just for a moment there is a hint of peace, joy, hope and love. And something inside of us longs for this. It’s almost as if Christmas is the dream where all of life is as it should be. This week we at Grace we continue our Advent adventure by journeying with the person closest to Christmas—the one who carried Christmas with her wherever she went. We’ll continue to see how God not only spoke to Mary and gave her a dream, but also confirmed that dream through the gift of community. So come join us Sunday, because this week’s Christmas message is one that none of us should experience alone. DOWNLOADS

In the next month, many of us will probably say/text/write “Merry Christmas” more than a few times. But how often have you thought about Mary’s Christmas? Without doubt, Jesus is the reason for the season. The journey of Jesus’ mother, however, may give us one of our the best ways to experience the great Good News of the story. And even though Mary’s supernatural pregnancy was a once-in-forever kind of thing, it is in some ways similar to the kind of thing each of us experiences when God interrupts our lives with a Word that he wants to bring into the world through us and for the good of others (see Luke 1:26-38). DOWNLOADS