3/2 - 3/6 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. Prophet, Priest & King
Haggai 1:1
1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the PROPHET to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, GOVERNOR/KING of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high PRIEST:
On Sunday we saw how important Haggai the Prophet, Joshua the Priest, and Zerubbabel the King were to the plans of God for the House of God and the people of God. Pastor Vaughn told us that Jesus is the ultimate and final Prophet, Priest & King of God’s people. All of God’s plans for His house and His people center around Jesus.
As Prophet, Priest, or King, how do you most easily or consistently relate to Jesus? (Each Individual Choose 1)
As Prophet: You commune most with Jesus through reading and meditating upon His word.
As Priest: Knowing that He is the mediator between you and The Father as He makes an ongoing offering for your sin and communicates your heart to the Father and the Fathers love to you.
As King: You recognize His power and authority and love to honor Him through obedience and service and you prioritize the will of King Jesus above all else in your life.
3. 1st Place
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn said we have permission to love the church and recognize all of the Spiritual and Strategic things that God does in and through the church. It is easy to see how each of us benefit from “The House Of God” but often more challenging to recognize our mandate to care for it, build it up, and prioritize as 1st in our lives. There are even many Christians who do not think religion/the church/the house of God is necessary for believers.
Haggai 1:2-10
2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.
Do you believe the house of God should be prioritized over your own house? Why or why not? How do you think most American Christians would answer this question? For those that do believe this, how does your tithe play a role in this? How does serving/volunteering/leading play a role in this? In a day & age where even in smaller churches there are usually more people than there are specific ways to serve in ministry, aside from tithing & serving, how can members be sure that the house of God has 1st place in their lives? (Group Discussion)
4. Perspective
Haggai 2:1-9
3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn drew our attention to the Israelites who struggled to build the church because they were comparing it to another church. This isn’t just an ancient problem, it is a current problem in churches all over the world. How hard will anyone work and how devoted to anything will someone be if they think there is something better somewhere else? Pastor Vaughn said that our tendency toward comparison and lack of commitment can also be seen between spouses and with children towards parents. When it comes to the church Pastor Vaughn reminded us that verse 5 & 9 above tell us that the measuring stick for church value should be the presence of God and the peace of God. Beyond that we may have a preference in size or style but the value is the same. Pastor Vaughn said that every church with the presence of God and people experiencing the peace of God is an amazing church and its leaders & members should feel proud & grateful. No Husband, Wife, Parent, Pastor, Leader, or Church will be perfect but God ensures that they will be sufficient to accomplish His will in the lives of the people under their care or He removes them.
So what’s your perspective, how does your church compare to other churches in your eyes? How have you experienced the presence of God at The Way? Are you experiencing and growing in the peace of God related to your salvation & enduring faith? Is the ministry of the word of God sufficient for your needs and the needs of your family at The Way? Are the resources available to you for the different stages and issues of life adequately provided at The Way? (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!