5/25 - 5/29 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. Recognize A Real One When You See One
2 Kings 13:14-17
14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.”
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn said that Joash recognized that Elisha was a “Real One” in the areas of truly fighting the good fight of faith, having clarity in regards to will of God, and how to move forward in the right direction with confidence. In our lives we have had found “Real Ones” as friends or spouses but in the faith who have you identified as a “Real One” in your walk in this Joash & Elisha kind of way? Who has given you insight and direction and spurred you into action AND wrapped their arms around you and helped you pull back the bow? Is there a difference between that person (or those people) and all the other really good and loving Christians in your life? How does someone become a “Real One” in the Kingdom? Do you think that someone would describe you as that kind of “Real One” in their life today? (Group Discussion)
3. Bothered, Mad, or Incensed?
2 Kings 13:18-19
18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn asked how we “feel” about our enemy the devil. He told us that most Christians recognize that the devil exist but many don’t consider what he’s up to and how that actually affects them and those they love. Some people are very aware that the devil is at work but they are more bothered, irritated or even angry with how their lives are being affected. This is not the same as being angry with the devil himself. To be incensed is to be extremely angry, enraged, or furious. If someone were to crash into your car or punch someone we love or steal your wallet we would react because our lives have been negatively impacted AND we would have a strong emotional response directed at the specific person responsible. We’d be angry, maybe even enraged, and dare I say, some of us might even be furious.
Have you focused more on the impact evil has had on you and those you love, or on the evil one himself? How have you most often related to the devil so far in your Christianity? Bothered, Mad, or Incensed? (Each Individual)
4. Does Proximity Matter
2 Kings 13:20-21
20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
Matthew 27:50-53
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
These stories are both miraculous and true. Amongst other things, they seem to teach us that life and other things of God are in a way contagious. The closer to the person who has something the more likely you are to come down with it. At Jesus’ crucifixion the earth shook and the veil was torn in the temple and dead bodies were exposed in their graves but this was experienced locally not globally. It's as if proximity to the cross mattered. While we know we can’t be saved by standing next to someone who is, it seems to be true that we can grow by standing next to someone who is growing. On Sunday the warning to “Watch where you’re going” meant that who we are bumping into matters. We were encouraged that there are types of people we should intentionally bump into and other types of people that we should be careful not to bump into.
Spiritually, does proximity really matter? Should proximity matter or do you think God should do His work in peoples lives without allowing that work to be impacted (positively or negatively) by other people? In a typical week, what types of people do you bump in to most consistently? Those that build you up and bring love, joy, peace & hope? Or those that discourage you and transfer division, destruction & death, even if they do so unintentionally? What are some ways we can watch where we’re going and be wise & intentional when it comes to our proximity to both types of people? (Each Individual)
* Remember to pray for each other before heading home from life group and to stay in communication here in the app throughout the week on your life group messaging thread!