Sunday, December 30

Psalm 8:  Divine Majesty and Human Dignity

Want to know more about Epiphany?  Click here to watch this fun and short video!  

Before your group talks about the discussion questions please take out a Bible and read Psalm 8.

Also, talk about an aha moment from the sermon on Sunday and a moment that challenged you.   

Small Faith Group Discussion Questions

1. What fun things have you been doing for the 12 days of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus?  
2. Have you every had a time when you have seen the stars and the moon, or some other part of nature and been overcome by the glory of Gods creation?  Tell about that time.  
3. What do you think it means that we have dominion over creation?  What is our responsibility towards creation?  
4. What are 2 or 3 things you can do in 2019 to reduce your footprint in creation?  
5. We are also called to have responsibility for all of humanity, what can you do in 2019 to love other people?  

Journey to Joy - Third Sunday of Advent

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  ~Hebrews 11:1-2

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.  ~John 1:14

There are no sermon discussion questions for this week.  This week simply tell stories.  Tell your stories of faith.  Tell your stories of Eisenhower Rec. Center.  Tell your stories of Lake Deaton.  Tell your stories of Jesus.  And listen to the stories of others.  

Thankful Heart

Colossians 3:12-17

¹² As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³ Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  

Small Faith Group Discussion and Questions

In Sunday's sermon I talked a bit about how we are the image of God.  If you would like to unpack that a little bit I recommend that you and your group click here to watch a video from the Bible Project about The Image of God.  This will help you better understand what it means that you are the Image of God.  When you are finished watching talk with your group about your aha moments from the video.  

Discussion Questions from the sermon

1. Share with your group your most memorable Christmas. 
2. Share with your group things you are most thankful for.
3. Has there been a time in the last month when you have taken off the garment of Jesus?  Tell about that time to the group.  
4. What practices in your live could you take up to help you keep on the garment of Jesus?  
5. What are you going to do during Advent to be a blessing to those who are less fortunate than you? 
6. Have you signed up for Journey to Joy?  If not click on this link and sign up now. 

In your devotion this week or as you meet with your Faith Group discuss the following Wesley Challenge question:  Is Jesus real to me? (p. 19)

Would you like to know more about the book of Colossians?  Click on this link and watch this Bible Project video. 

Made for Shalom: Heart of Peace

Heart of Peace

Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSV)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Watch this TED talk about 10 ways to have a better conversation.  While you are listening write down the 10 ways.  When you finish talk with your group about the 10 ways. 

1. Which ways are you good at? 
2. Which ways are you not so good at?
3. Why is it important to have better conversations?

Take turns with a partner having a better conversation.  Talk about why you are a Christian. Make sure you follow the 10 ways. 

From the Sermon

1. When have you treated a person as an object?  Share about this time. 
2. How could that time have been different if you had a heart at peace?
3. What could you do this week to shift the energy level of the planet? 

In your devotion this week or as you meet with your Faith Group discuss the following Wesley Challenge question:  Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward, or disregard? (p. 117)

Paul's Second Missionary Journey

Paul's Second Missionary Journey 

Acts 16:6-10 (NRSV)

⁶ They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; ⁸ so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

Well Lake Deaton Family, I was not at Lake Deaton this weekend and I am not sure where Pastor Harold went with his sermon.  I am going to offer up questions for discussion based on my sermon (which you most likely didn't see, because you most likely were are Lake Deaton).  However, I think even without seeing my sermon you should be able to talk about these questions.

In my sermon I talked mostly about how Paul had to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the text above.  The Spirit lead him along the way and finally lead him all the way to the man in Macedonia.

Before answering these questions about the Holy Spirit watch this short video about the Holy Spirit.

1. How do you feel about the Holy Spirit?  What is your understanding of the Trinity, God, Jesus and Holy Spirit?  
2. What has the Holy Spirit done in your life or the lives of people around you?  
3. When has the Holy Spirit lead you to do something?  What was that thing? 
4. Has there ever been a time when the Holy Spirit nudge you to do something and you did not do it? 
5. What things do you think you could do in your life to help you tune into the Holy Spirit in a better way?   

In your devotion time this week or as you meet with your Faith Group, Pastor Jim and I encourage you to also take time to open yourself with the following Wesley Challenge question: Did I disobey God in anything? (pages 41-44 in The Wesley Challenge) 


Are you interested in knowing more about all of the missionary journeys of Paul?  If you are I encourage you to click on this link and watch this 8 minute video about the second half of the book of Acts.  Bible Project videos are wonderful resources to use to help you get a "birds eye" view of a book of the Bible.  I of course recommend after watching a Bible Project video that you also read the actual Bible.  

Apostle Paul: A Trailblazer for Christ - Week 2

The book of Galatians is a wonderful read.  However, if you are with your Faith Group right now you do not have time to read it.  Instead, together, as a group, watch this video.  I encourage you to take notes while you watch the video.   

When you finish the video talk about the following things with your group. 

• What do you remember from the sermon on Sunday after watching the video? 
• What new thing have you learned by watching this video? 
• Do you have any times in your life when you feel like you are in and "us vs. them" situation?  How can you navigate these times in a way changes the situation from an "us vs. them" to a type that contains less stress and more love?
• Why is it important to love our neighbors?  What does the video tell us about loving our neighbors?  
• Are there people in your life who are hard to love?  Why are they hard to love?  What can you do in your life to love them?

In your devotion time this week or as you meet with your Faith Group, Pastor Jim and I encourage you to also take time to open yourself with the following Wesley Challenge question: Do I give time for the Bible to speak to me every day? (pages 49-52 in The Wesley Challenge) 

Real Fishing Stories: The Fish and the Net

Real Fishing Stories: The Net and the Fish

The theme of my sermon was that Jesus is telling us all that we need to cast the net of God's love and grace wide and to everyone.  It doesn't matter who is caught up in the net, we are told by Jesus to love God and love our neighbors.  The judging and sorting is left up to those more qualified.  With you group explore and talk about this story and other stories in Matthew with this same theme...

Read Matthew 13:47-50 - The Parable of the Net

Read Matthew 13:24-30 and 13:36-43 The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds

Read Matthew 25:31-46 The Sheep and the Goats

As you discuss remember that we are not in the business of judging people.  Find the radical love in the passages.  After you have read and discussed the passages, answer the following questions.

1. What are you doing to shine God's love into the world?  How could you do more? 
2. Are there people who it is hard for you to love?  Why?  
3. Why is it important to shine God's love towards ALL people?  
4. Is there anyone that we should exclude from an invitation into the love and grace of a relationship with God?  Does anyone have a story to share of someone who they know who has been excluded from a faith community?  
5. Who is one person that you can commit to love this week and invite to church or a church activity?  

In your devotion time this week or as you meet with your Faith Group, Pastor Jim and I encourage you to also take time to open yourself with the following Wesley Challenge question: Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better that I am? (pages 99-104 in The Wesley Challenge)