Wrestling for Love // October 24, 2024

READ: Genesis 29:1-30

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. What most shocks you about Jacob’s “love story”? What can you most relate to?

3. In the message it was said that the “pull of love” (i.e. romantic attraction) is a good thing designed by God to move us toward the blessing of God’s gift of marriage. As such it is meant to pull us out of selfishness and create a partnership of blessing for the world. Do you agree? Is this what we are thinking and feeling while under the pull or spell of “love”? If no, what are we thinking/feeling?

4. This “love story” is meant to be read in tandem and in contrast to Jacob’s dad’s love story found in Chapter 24. The main contrast is that God and prayer are entirely missing in Chapter 29. What are the results of this in Jacob’s story? What are the results of this in your own experience of the “pull of love”? What role should prayer play in someone’s pursuit of love?

5. The peril of love (that love doesn’t advertise) is that love will show us who we really are. How does this happen to Jacob?

6. How have you handled the inevitable disappointments of love in your life? What has God taught in you in these? How has your experience with the pull of romantic love or in marriage shown you who you really are?

7. Often in the disappointment and difficulties of love, we can blame the other person or just give up. The Bible offers us a different way to discover the purpose of love:

In John 4, we find another encounter of a man and woman at well that has to do with love. It’s known as the story of the “Woman at the Well”. Read the story in John 4:1-42.

a. Why does Jesus bring up her “love stories”? How would you describe her love story? (stay with what we can glean from the text) Can you relate to her?

b. Jesus is presented her as greater than Jacob (the greater Jacob, the true Husband) How? He comes to the well to give – not to take or grasp; he comes to the well to not to meet his need but to serve, he doesn’t come looking at the surface but looking deep within, he isn’t driven away by the ugliness, but it draws him close.

In meeting Jesus, this woman discovered the living water she was looking for. What difference would it make in our struggles with love – if we knew we were loved by Jesus in the same way he loved this woman?

Wrestling for Blessing // October 6, 2024

READ: Genesis 28:10-22

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. This passage tells the story of a major turning point in Jacob’s life. What did God reveal to Jacob that would have led him to pray, worship and make a promise to God – when we have no indication he did any of that before?

3. Do agree with the statement, “What Jacob was searching for his whole life up until this point (from the womb!) was blessing?” How would you – in your own words – define what blessing is according to the book of Genesis. (See Gen. 1:26-31 and Gen. 12:1-3 for some help)

4. Do you think it’s accurate to say, “All our lives what we have really been looking for is blessing”? How might this describe your life/story?

5. Have you ever achieved or gotten what you worked so hard to achieve or acquire only to find it wasn’t the blessing you thought it would be? How did you handle this?

6. When God appears to and speaks to Jacob he essentially says, “The blessing you are searching for, Jacob, only comes from me”. How would you summarize the blessing God promises Jacob in verses 13-15?

7. How would you life be different if you 100% believed that God promised you, “Wherever you go, I’ll be there. I’ll guide you to where I want you to be and I’ll never leave you?”

8. The vision of the stairway from heaven reveals how God gives blessing to Jacob – and to us. How can God give sinful, selfish, deceiving Jacob his blessing? See John 1:47-51 for help. 

Which of these takeaways do you most need to apply to your life today? 

• Tear Down All Your Stairways – ways you are striving and trying to get the blessing on your own. 

• Stop Dressing up to be someone you’re not to get the blessing. Jacob pretended to be Esau to get the blessing, here God gives it to him, alone, as he is in all his sin and brokenness. 

• Look for God Where You Least Expect Him. Do you feel like you are in a nowhere place, in the dark with nothing? This might just be the place where God can get his grace through to you and you say, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!”

“Wrestling with Grace” // September 29, 2024

Read: Genesis 26:34-28:9

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. Read the passage out loud together. Read slowly, allowing space for comments and observations.

3. It was said in the sermon that this story could be summarized like this - Though this family was an absolute mess, God was at work in the mess by his grace. In the passage, what specific aspect of this family’s mess stood out to you? Where do you the signs of God’s grace at work?

4. It was also said in the sermon that the main application for us in this story is - Though we are an absolute mess, God is at work in the mess by his grace. What part of this statement do you most wrestle with? If you don’t have a problem with this statement, how do you see it’s truth working on in your own life? There are 3 truths regarding God’s grace that are revealed in this story. A person will, at some point, have to wrestle with these 3 things to become a Christan, to grow as a Christian and stay a Christian:

   1) The Front Door of Grace – The front door of grace is admitting we are an absolute mess just like this family. Are you able to admit that? Do you resist this? Do you find freedom in this? How do Jesus words in Mark 2:15-17 say the same thing but in a different way?

   2) The Freeness of Grace – Have you ever wrestled with the idea that if grace is free for sinners who are a mess, then does that mean we can do whatever we want?... and get away with it? How does this story address this question?

   3) The Fairness of Grace – We rightly recoil at Jacob receiving the blessing by deceit. That’s not fair! It’s not. This is just a hint of the scandal of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:13-14 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus.

   Jesus takes the curse to give the blessing to those who don't deserve it. Why? So, we can live in the blessing he deserves - the fullness of life in the presence of the Father. We come as we are – with all our mess – saying, “Have mercy on me, a sinner, an absolute mess!” God say, “That’s the life I bless.” What difference would it make if we believed this? (think especially in the ways we dress up and pretend to be something to get or earn blessing from others or from God)?

5. BONUS – Which of the 3 aspects of grace do you most wrestle with? how does it play out in your life. What might it look like if this aspect of God’s grace got a hold of your life?

Because of His Great Love // May 26, 2024

READ: Ephesians 2:1-10

The letter to the Ephesians serves as a foundational text for understanding Christian belief and life. Unlike other New Testament letters addressing specific issues in particular churches, Paul wrote Ephesians as an overview or “handbook” for Christianity. This makes it an excellent guide for both new and seasoned Christians. Our passage is well-known because it most clearly displays the Gospel and how God's plan and power work in our lives, offering a transformative message of hope and renewal.

1. The Diagnosis

Paul begins by providing a stark diagnosis of the human condition: spiritual death. In verses 1-3, he describes humanity as "dead in trespasses and sins." This condition is not limited to a specific group but includes everyone, both Jews and Gentiles. Even though humans are physically alive, all are spiritually dead, unable to live as intended by God. This diagnosis explains the persistent problems of human history—oppression, war, and brokenness—and even our personal struggles. The doctrine of "total depravity" indicates that sin affects every part of our being and existence. There is no pocket of human life outside of this death. Recognizing the severity of our spiritual condition is crucial to understanding the need for a profound remedy.

2. The Remedy

The remedy for spiritual death is found only in God's intervention, driven by His great love and mercy. Verses 4-7 introduce the pivotal phrase "But God," signifying that God acts to make us alive with Christ despite our dire state. This transformation is entirely a gift of grace, unearned and undeserved. The reason behind this gift is God's abundant, steadfast love. Because of His great covenant love, God is fully committed to making us fully alive in Christ. This love that calls us out of darkness and sustains us is a divine gift that could only be reversed if God ceased to love Christ, which is impossible! Keeping the playback loop in our hearts that God is fully committed to making us fully alive can transform our lives, driving out fear, anxiety, and the need for approval from others. It empowers us to trust in God's power and direct all our forces against the idea that sin no longer kills and we can’t earn His love.

3. The Result

Salvation by grace alone leads to a new purpose in life. In verses 8-10, Paul explains that we are created for good works, which God has prepared for us to walk in. We are described as God's workmanship (poiema), implying that our lives are unique works of art crafted by the ultimate artist. This identity as God's poiema, or poem, means that our good works are not efforts to earn God's favor but expressions of the new life and purpose we have been given. Just as Michelangelo's sculpture “David” is a testament not to David but to Michelangelo’s vision and skill, so our lives reflect God's creative power and love. This understanding infuses our actions with meaning and purpose, motivating us to live out the good works for which we were created.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. What does it mean to be "dead in trespasses and sins"? How can we see evidence of this in the world today? In your own life?

3. Why is it important to acknowledge the severity of our spiritual condition before we can understand the need for salvation? Do you struggle with the doctrine of “total depravity”? Why or why not?

4. What is the significance of the phrase "But God" in this passage? How does it change the narrative of our lives? Was there a moment in your life when the “breaker switch” clicked? Are there times now when you forget that the power is already turned on?

5. How does recognizing God's steadfast and abundant love help us combat fear, anxiety, and the need for others' approval? Where is a place in your life where the love of God speaks more powerfully and particularly to you?

6. How does the concept of being God's workmanship affect your understanding of your identity and purpose? What examples in our culture compete for claims upon your identity and purpose? How do we resist these for us and our children?

7. What are some examples of good works that you feel God has prepared for you to walk in? Be specific! Are there concerns, gifts, or abilities you have to contribute that you have leaned into or left off the table? Why or why not?

Powerful Prayer // May 19, 2024

Read: Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians is unique among all the letters in the NT because the apostle Paul wrote it as a general letter to be read and circulated among many churches in one region. He wrote it as a summary of the Christian faith and life, so we should not be surprised to find it saturated with prayer. Prayer can feel intimidating for Christians at any season in their faith. That is why Paul invites us into prayer as he writes about the most precious truths of our faith. Would you listen if someone told you they had something powerful to help your Christian life grow in any season? In our passage, Paul reveals to us that it is prayer.

1. Why We Pray

Paul's unwavering commitment to prayer comes from his understanding that God is constantly at work in the world and our lives. The “I never stop giving thanks” in v. 16 points back to God's loving plan of redemption in v. 3-14. We don’t pray because God isn’t at work but because He is already at work in the world and our lives. We often pray as if He is absent or inactive and needs to intervene. Instead, our prayers should be anchored in gratitude, recognizing and appreciating how God's grace is already manifest in our lives. This posture of gratitude connects our prayers to the praise of God's glorious grace lavished upon us in Christ.

Just as it is unhealthy for any relationship to focus exclusively on what the other person is not doing, it is even more detrimental to our relationship with God. We pray to recognize how God is at work, which guards us against cynicism and disillusionment. We can truly develop eyes to see and discern God's grace at work, even amid many imperfections and struggles in our lives. We find such an example in Barnabas, who rejoiced in seeing God's hand upon the early church in Antioch despite their shortcomings (Acts 11:21-24). 

2. What We Pray

Paul's approach to prayer stands in stark contrast to the customary well-wishes and prayers for health that were prevalent in ancient letter writing. Rather than focusing on external circumstances, Paul directs his prayers to the very core of our being – our hearts. His central prayer is that, by the work of the Spirit, the “eyes of our hearts” would be enlightened to see that “what is” is what is. “What is” the hope of his calling, the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us are not contingent upon the fervor of our prayer or our moral performance. These truths are unshakeable realities for all who have placed their faith in Christ. What if the secret to Christian prayer is not in something you don’t yet have but in knowing what you already have?

If Paul’s prayer is for the eyes of their hearts to be enlightened, then one way to describe our greatest spiritual problem is when our hearts are darkened and our vision is cloudy. Powerful prayer is prayer that clears the fog to help us see what is real and true. It is only because of the Gospel that we have real hope, value, and power. Here is where the fog can become the thickest. It is a “hope of his calling” (v. 18) and not merely our own. Our value is not found in working for our own inheritance but in being God’s inheritance in Christ. Power does not come from us but from Christ’s resurrection (v. 20-23). His resurrection power alone brings life to what is dead in us and light to what is dark in us. Through prayer, we can see our true hope, value, and power in Christ through any fog and thus face anything in this life. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. Read Ephesians 6:18 as a group. Do you find this encouraging or intimidating? What makes it difficult to pray like this? Share something that distracts you from prayer and how you have faced it over time.

3. When you do pray, what do you pray for most? Why do you gravitate toward that? How might your prayers be more “what is” prayers rather than prayers for “what isn’t?” Where is God at work in your life right now?

4. Where have you found pockets of doubt, cynicism, or disillusionment in your prayer life? Is it toward God, others, or both? How can the “why” in v. 3-14 contribute to gratitude in your prayer life as it does for Paul? Is there a promise that stands out most that keeps you oriented?

5. Is there a moment in your life where you realized God had truly provided you with precisely what you needed or more? What about a friend or family member? Did you pray more or less during that time? What does this have to do with praying for God to enlighten the “eyes of your heart” right now?

6. Where is the fog thickest in your prayer life? Is it about a struggle to find hope in your circumstances? Is it in recognizing your value? Are you intimidated by your own lack of power or what seems to be more powerful forces around you in our culture and time? How are these three related in your life?

7. How might this passage provide you with a new powerful way to pray? Where do you need to rely upon God’s resurrection power and not your own? Is it a particular sin, struggle, relationship, work/family situation, or fear about the world?

8. Close your group by praying for one another using this prayer as a springboard. Pray for what was shared in response to question #6.