Sept. 14th- Sept. 19th Life Group Notes
SEASONS AND REST-God's Gift of Sabbath
Isaiah 58:13-24, Mark 2:23-28
LEADERS - Take attendance in the TLC app. Read group guidlines.
Open in Prayer
7. What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”?
8. The Pharisees accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath. Are there people who remind you of the Pharisees? What makes you think they act like Pharisees, and do their actions lead people to do better or do they drive them away? Explain your thoughts.
Next week's passage/story: TBD
Select someone to tell next week's story
Dismiss in Prayer
- Welcome/Introductions/Cast Vision - Remind the Life Group of the Guidelines- See bottom of page.
- Doing the Mission: Did anyone share Jesus or last week's passage?
- Does anyone have a God story?
- Opening Question: Who in your family was (or is) always checking up on you to see if you are “doing it right”? How does that make you feel?
- Share background for the passage: 1st passage – Isaiah 58:13-14 Isaiah is teaching the people to respect the Sabbath. 2nd passage – Mark 2:23-28 See what Jesus has to say about working on the Sabbath.
- Thought/Focus: 1st passage – What is Isaiah trying to teach us about the Sabbath?
2nd passage – Jesus is showing the Pharisees something about their rules.
- Have someone read or tell this week's passage/story: ISAIAH 58:13-14, MARK 2:23-28
- Discuss these questions: Go deeper as led. Remember Head, Heart, Hands.
- As you read the Isaiah passage, what is the conclusion you come to about the Sabbath?
- In keeping the Sabbath, what emotion did God say would happen? See verse 14.
- Why is our “Sabbath” day different from Old Testament times?
- What is your favorite thing to do on a Sunday?
- What are the 2 kinds of “work” the Pharisees accuse Jesus of doing in violation of the Sabbath?
7. What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”?
8. The Pharisees accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath. Are there people who remind you of the Pharisees? What makes you think they act like Pharisees, and do their actions lead people to do better or do they drive them away? Explain your thoughts.
Next week's passage/story: TBD
Select someone to tell next week's story
Dismiss in Prayer
Life Group Guidelines
This needs to be a place where people feel comfortable opening up and sharing with one another. Below are some group guidelines that will help create a safe environment.
CONFIDENTIALITY: What is said in the group stays in the group.
LISTEN: Let's value one another during the discussions by really listening to what is being shared. Try to avoid thinking about how you are going to respond or what you are going to say next.
PAUSE: Allow a pause in conversation after someone shares. Give the person sharing a chance to finish and the group the opportunity to consider what was just shared before responding.
NO "CROSS TALK": Be considerate of others as they are sharing- no side conversations.
NO FIXING: We are not here to fix each other. Jesus does that part. Speak truth is love, give
encouragement, empathize, point to Jesus. You may share solutions God has led you through. The other person should never feel shame or failure, but rather connection & hope.
NO HIJACKING of shared stories.
NO RESCUING: When people are sharing something deeply personal, there can be a tendency to try to make them feel better about themselves or the situation by providing immediate condolences. This will often cause them to stop sharing. Resist the temptation to rescue people.
SHARING: Be sensitive about the amount of time you share.
SILENCE: It is important to allow silence in the group as it provides an opportunity for someone else to share and for members in the group to process the topic or question being considered.
BE SELF-AWARE: Be self-aware of how you are personally affecting the environment through your words, actions, and non-verbal communication.
"I"STATEMENTS: It's easy to talk about the issues of others, but for our purposes, we want you to put yourself on the table. Try to use "I" statements rather than "them', "they", "you", "the church", "us", "we", etc.
FIGHT FOR RELATIONSHIP: We will commit to resolve conflict biblically. When conflict or sin issues arise between group members, we want to make sure that we are honoring God and each other in the way we deal with these issues. We will fight for relationship. I will discuss the struggle with the person I am in conflict with first, & if not resolved, seek wise advice. The following are a few key Scriptures in this regard (there are many others.)
LISTEN: Let's value one another during the discussions by really listening to what is being shared. Try to avoid thinking about how you are going to respond or what you are going to say next.
PAUSE: Allow a pause in conversation after someone shares. Give the person sharing a chance to finish and the group the opportunity to consider what was just shared before responding.
NO "CROSS TALK": Be considerate of others as they are sharing- no side conversations.
NO FIXING: We are not here to fix each other. Jesus does that part. Speak truth is love, give
encouragement, empathize, point to Jesus. You may share solutions God has led you through. The other person should never feel shame or failure, but rather connection & hope.
NO HIJACKING of shared stories.
NO RESCUING: When people are sharing something deeply personal, there can be a tendency to try to make them feel better about themselves or the situation by providing immediate condolences. This will often cause them to stop sharing. Resist the temptation to rescue people.
SHARING: Be sensitive about the amount of time you share.
SILENCE: It is important to allow silence in the group as it provides an opportunity for someone else to share and for members in the group to process the topic or question being considered.
BE SELF-AWARE: Be self-aware of how you are personally affecting the environment through your words, actions, and non-verbal communication.
"I"STATEMENTS: It's easy to talk about the issues of others, but for our purposes, we want you to put yourself on the table. Try to use "I" statements rather than "them', "they", "you", "the church", "us", "we", etc.
FIGHT FOR RELATIONSHIP: We will commit to resolve conflict biblically. When conflict or sin issues arise between group members, we want to make sure that we are honoring God and each other in the way we deal with these issues. We will fight for relationship. I will discuss the struggle with the person I am in conflict with first, & if not resolved, seek wise advice. The following are a few key Scriptures in this regard (there are many others.)
- If someone sins against you: Mat. 18:15-20
- Restoring someone in sin: Gal. 6:1-5
- Forgive a sinner: Col. 3: 12-13
- Reconciling differences: Mat. 5:23-24, Mat. 7:1-5
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