Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four
Part One
God has promised by His Holy Spirit to lead us. When Jesus commissioned us to make disciples, He promised, “I am with you always”. Paul and his companions show what this looks like in practice: absolute abandonment to God’s purposes; intentional obedience to His mission; awesome expectation that He answers prayer. Father God, awaken us to engage with Your mission and to see Your power at work.
Discover
Read Acts 16:6-14. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important, significant or meaningful to you. What does this passage tell us about God? What does this passage tell us about people? How does this passage change how we live?
Discuss
1. How would you explain being led by the Holy Spirit? Discuss.
2. What are some ways that you as a follower of Jesus can engage with our culture? Discuss.
3. What does it look like to be abandoned to the Holy Spirit? Discuss.
4. Would you describe yourself as being intentional with God’s mission? Discuss.
5. Do you experience God’s supernatural activity in your life on a regular basis? Discuss.
6. What is a first step that you can take to be ‘in tune’ with the Holy Spirit’s activity in your world this week?
7. Where are you going to prayer walk this week?
Respond
Ask God to create divine opportunities for you this week to engage with His mission and to see His power at work, specifically through you. Spend time with God both asking and listening for His promptings and His activity in people in your work or friendship network.
Part Two
In order to live well we must realise that we love and serve a generous God. He is in the business of “enriching us in every way” to be bigger people who live our lives for the sake of others. As we understand and experience God’s generous love to us, we find the way to be generous with our time, energy and financial resources.
Discover
Read 2 Corinthians 9:8-11. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important, significant or meaningful to you. What does this passage tell us about God? What does this passage tell us about people? How does this passage change how we live?
Discuss
1. How do we develop a Godly perspective with our own personal finances? Discuss.
2. Why does the Bible speak so specifically about generosity in all areas of our life?
3. How can we show generosity other than with our finances? (2 Corinthians 9:11) Discuss.
4. Share an example of God’s faithful provision for you in an area of your life. (John 1:16; 2 Corinthians 9:8)
5. Where do you find your status and identity? Discuss.
6. What is the difference between learning to give and being generous?
7. Discuss the habits of generous people their systematic, deliberate and proportional giving. (1 Corinthians 16:2)
Respond
Allow God to inspire you with one significant step that you can take this week, which expresses the generous heart of God through you. Remember there is a difference between giving and generosity.
Part Three
If comparison is the destroyer of contentment, how do we deal with our constant drive to compare? How do we know the reality of enjoying the place that we find ourselves despite experiencing challenges. We can know the reality of being a much loved son or daughter of God and the realisation that that relationship is in fact the most important thing in our lives. Our sense of belonging to God and “Whose we are” impacts everything.
Discover
Read Ecclesiastes 4:4-8. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important, significant or meaningful to you. What does this passage tell us about God? What does this passage tell us about people? How does this passage change how we live?
Discuss
1. How would you explain contentment? Discuss.
2. Is it actually possible to be content despite your circumstances, or do your circumstances always dictate your outlook? (Philippians 4:11)
3. What are the driving forces behind comparison? (Exodus 20:17) Discuss.
4. What allows us to celebrate with a friend or colleague who achieves more highly than we do?
5. What can stop us from being able to do this? Discuss (Ecclesiastes 4:4-6)
6. How do we develop/grow an ongoing sense of “whose we are” which actually impacts our life? Discuss.
7. Explain the significance between ‘what is in our hand’ and ‘what we do with what is in our hand’?
Respond
Spend some time reflecting on the joy that you bring to your heavenly Father and His desire and love for you. Allow His voice to drown out the voices which drive your view of yourself to achieve more or be different.
Part Four
Every time we face a decision it is an opportunity to draw near to our heavenly Father. We reach out to Him, seeking His approval and His wisdom. Making “God decisions” also involves walking alongside trusted family and friends, gleaning their insight and perspective on our lives. We look within to sense what is going on in our hearts as well as look around to see how circumstances can inform our pathway forward. The whole time we know we are in our Father’s arms.
Discover
Read Acts 5:33-39. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important, significant or meaningful to you. What does this passage tell us about God? What does this passage tell us about people? How does this passage change how we live?
Discuss
1. Read Acts 5:32. What kind of people experience the power and presence of the Holy Spirit?
2. “If it’s just a good idea – it will fail. If it’s a ‘God idea’ nothing is going to stop it.” Discuss.
3. What role does the “proof of the heart” have in you making decisions?
4. Read Acts 15:28. Have you sensed God’s approval as you have brought decisions before Him?
5. How do trusted friends and family help you in making decisions?
6. “If you want to make a ‘God decision’ it starts with prayer.” Discuss.
Respond
Decision making is always in the context of relationship. What is happening with your relationship with Jesus as you begin to journey toward making this decision? Does it spiral downward or does it fly and blossom because God is in this with you? How is your Bible reading? How is your time with God? Are you still going to church or has that priority been pushed back down the list?