3/23 - 3/27 Life Group Questions
^ Click “Note” ^ Remember to write down some short notes for each of the questions below before heading to life group.
1.
Share 1 thing that stood out to you about Sunday's Message. (1 minute max please) Also press play button in image above to watch or listen to Sundays message if you missed it or just to refresh your memory. (Each Individual)
2. You Are The Temple & Your Life Is The City
Zechariah 1:16-17
16 Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’”
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn asked us to consider the vision God gave Zechariah for the whole city of Jerusalem being rebuilt in mercy instead of just the temple as a comparison to our individual lives. Pastor Vaughn said that God has a vision for our whole life (The City) to be rebuilt in mercy instead of just our Sunday church life (The Temple).
How is your Sunday church/temple life rebuilding in mercy going? Attendance, engagement, growth, joy, encounter, consistency, overcoming, peace, contentment, etc. (Each Individual)
Share ONE area of your city life that you recognize needs more rebuilding by the mercy of God? Thoughts, actions, relationship, posture, attitude, sin, character etc. (Each Individual)
3. The Flying Scroll Of Scripture
Zechariah 5:1-4
1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. 4 I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.
Hosea 4:6
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
At The Way we are consistently encouraged to read the bible. The Elders are aware that it is their call and responsibility to preach and teach the word of God and that God has given them a specific gifting to be able to do so. However, again on Sunday Pastor Vaughn reminded us that the flying scroll in Zechariah’s vision didn’t go house to house asking people about their Pastor’s preaching and teaching. Instead, living according to the word of God or living contrary to it determined the judgement upon every city, household, and individual. Pastor Vaughn said that every Christian should have a version of the bible that they can understand and be reading it consistently. We have been taught that God wants us to understand His word and will help anyone to learn and grow from their devotional reading of the bible if they put forth the effort required to keep reading it. Devotional reading does not require deep study & commentaries, there is no test administered, and you are not reading so that you can teach others. Devotional reading is just about personal growth and encountering God through His word.
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said…
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Go to the “Bible Reading Resources” link on the home page of the app and share ONE resource that you didn’t know was there? (Each Individual)
Share ONE resource from the “Bible Reading Resources” link that you would like to use more moving forward on your bible reading journey? (Each Individual)
When it comes to reading the bible, what is working for us and what isn’t? What do you think will help you and others? What are the major challenges? Are there any resources that are not available that you think should be? Why do you think our Elders want us to primarily use physical bibles and then to use audio & digital versions secondarily? What changes might we expect in a church when the majority of the members are reading their bibles? (Group Discussion)
4.
Zechariah 8:22-23
22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn said that he prays each of us would see ourselves as the hope all of our unsaved friends and family are looking for. He said that in particular over these next couple weeks leading up to Good Friday & Easter he prays that we would all be sensitive to what people around us are saying and doing as some of them will be grabbing the hem of our garments and asking us to come with us because they know God is with us.
Zechariah 4:6b
6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
Let’s lay hands on each individual member of our group. The whole group will pray over 1 person at a time.
Prayer:
1st - Share ONE thing the group can pray for between now and Easter for you?
2nd - Ask God to use this person to bring someone to church on Sunday or Good Friday or Easter Sunday that "in the spiritual realm" is reaching out for the hem of their garment.
3rd - Pray that all of these things would be done not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord!!!
(As a group please pray the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd over each individual)
* Remember to stay in communication here in the app throughout the week in your life group messaging thread!