This week I am endeavouring to conclude our series on Living the Good Life Together. Many of our groups have concluded the sequence of sermons and studies but we like to take one final week after the end of these kinds of series to try to focus on some of the things we have learned together.

The text that comes to my attention this week is 2 Peter 1:3-11. Here the Apostle Peter encourages us to add to our faith those qualities that would make us effective and productive. In other words: Fruitful. We have been given all we need for life and godliness but we must live out our faith in the everyday world. This living out of the faith requires us to be in community with others. After all, who needs "brotherly kindness" if we are not living in proximity to a difficult brother? Who needs self-control if there is nobody around to push our buttons?

The overarching theme of this series has been to challenge us to think more intentionally about our community dynamics. We tend, left up to our devices, to merely think of ourselves in relation to God. We need to be reminded that following Jesus is not a solo event but it is more like a choir rehearsal. We work out our parts together under the leadership of the great conductor and our music pleases the Lord.

The actual sermon this week will be a discussion between a few of us who will be dialoguing about some of the "aha" moments during the series. May the Lord use our thoughts to speak to our hearts.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-20. Review the slides and the various false and true narratives. Take time to review your "aha" moments and discuss how what you have learned might change your behavior and or thinking regarding community life and personal godliness.

This week I am endeavouring to conclude our series on Living the Good Life Together. Many of our groups have concluded the sequence of sermons and studies but we like to take one final week after the end of these kinds of series to try to focus on some of the things we have learned together.

The text that comes to my attention this week is 2 Peter 1:3-11. Here the Apostle Peter encourages us to add to our faith those qualities that would make us effective and productive. In other words: Fruitful. We have been given all we need for life and godliness but we must live out our faith in the everyday world. This living out of the faith requires us to be in community with others. After all, who needs "brotherly kindness" if we are not living in proximity to a difficult brother? Who needs self-control if there is nobody around to push our buttons?

The overarching theme of this series has been to challenge us to think more intentionally about our community dynamics. We tend, left up to our devices, to merely think of ourselves in relation to God. We need to be reminded that following Jesus is not a solo event but it is more like a choir rehearsal. We work out our parts together under the leadership of the great conductor and our music pleases the Lord.

The actual sermon this week will be a discussion between a few of us who will be dialoguing about some of the "aha" moments during the series. May the Lord use our thoughts to speak to our hearts.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-20. Review the slides and the various false and true narratives. Take time to review your "aha" moments and discuss how what you have learned might change your behavior and or thinking regarding community life and personal godliness.

This message this week is on the topic of worship. It's an incredibly vast topic with many different angles to it. In one sense worship is an event (i.e. we come to the Worship service), in another sense worship is all of life. The term worship means to "declare or ascribe worth." If that's true then everyone is a worshiper – to whatever or whomever they ascribe worth or value. We can worship careers, jobs, cars, sports, people – the list is endless. As followers of Christ – what value do you put on God? Your worship is a reflection of His worth in your life.

We begin with a basic definition of worship: Worship is adoration and action. It's not only the words we say, the songs we sing, but it's also the life we live. Then we will look at a story from King David's life (2 Sam 6). He is one of the greatest worshipers in the Bible, and through this story we see how adoration and action were part of the corporate worship experience.

Open your group with prayer. This is only a guide – select the points you want to discuss. Some groups may choose to simply discuss three open-ended questions:

(a) As you sought to apply the lessons from last week to your life – how did it go?

(b) What were the "aha" moments for you during the message this week?

(c)What will you do different as a result of our discussion tonight?

Questions for discussion:

Slide #2

If to worship is "to declare worth or value," what are some common ways people worship today?

Slide #3-4

Read Hebrews 13:15-16, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 12:1 and list various ways we worship through adoration and action.

Slide 7 – 14

Read the Text (2 Samuel 6:12-21)

Slide #15 - 16

Why should one prepare for corporate worship times?

What manner of preparation do you find most helpful? Why?

What manner of preparation do you find most difficult? Why?

Slide #17-19

Why do you think God wants us to include our physical bodies in worship to Him?

Review the list of 'physical expressions of worship' and discuss them. Do you have a favorite? Your least favorite? Why?

Slide #20-22

Why do you think singing/music is such an important aspect of worship?

Slide #23-25

Do you find it easy or hard to participate in our gathered worship times? Explain?

How can you guard your heart from becoming critical?

Slide #26

How do my words and actions reflect worship to God?

Slide #27

Is it possible to be a worshiping believer without a worshiping church? Discuss.

This message this week is on the topic of worship. It's an incredibly vast topic with many different angles to it. In one sense worship is an event (i.e. we come to the Worship service), in another sense worship is all of life. The term worship means to "declare or ascribe worth." If that's true then everyone is a worshiper – to whatever or whomever they ascribe worth or value. We can worship careers, jobs, cars, sports, people – the list is endless. As followers of Christ – what value do you put on God? Your worship is a reflection of His worth in your life.

We begin with a basic definition of worship: Worship is adoration and action. It's not only the words we say, the songs we sing, but it's also the life we live. Then we will look at a story from King David's life (2 Sam 6). He is one of the greatest worshipers in the Bible, and through this story we see how adoration and action were part of the corporate worship experience.

Open your group with prayer. This is only a guide – select the points you want to discuss. Some groups may choose to simply discuss three open-ended questions:

(a) As you sought to apply the lessons from last week to your life – how did it go?

(b) What were the "aha" moments for you during the message this week?

(c)What will you do different as a result of our discussion tonight?

Questions for discussion:

Slide #2

If to worship is "to declare worth or value," what are some common ways people worship today?

Slide #3-4

Read Hebrews 13:15-16, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 12:1 and list various ways we worship through adoration and action.

Slide 7 – 14

Read the Text (2 Samuel 6:12-21)

Slide #15 - 16

Why should one prepare for corporate worship times?

What manner of preparation do you find most helpful? Why?

What manner of preparation do you find most difficult? Why?

Slide #17-19

Why do you think God wants us to include our physical bodies in worship to Him?

Review the list of 'physical expressions of worship' and discuss them. Do you have a favorite? Your least favorite? Why?

Slide #20-22

Why do you think singing/music is such an important aspect of worship?

Slide #23-25

Do you find it easy or hard to participate in our gathered worship times? Explain?

How can you guard your heart from becoming critical?

Slide #26

How do my words and actions reflect worship to God?

Slide #27

Is it possible to be a worshiping believer without a worshiping church? Discuss.

This week our study focuses on encouragement. This is something that apprentices of Jesus do. After all, if the community of faith is not an encouraging place to be, who would want to join? We should be like our founder, who, among many other things, was a great encouragement to those around him. I talk a lot about the atmosphere or the environment of a healthy church and this idea of encouragement fits right in with that kind a metaphor. Church communities should be encouraging environments. A place to grow and thrive; greenhouses for seedling saints.

Our text gives us two reasons for confidence in God's benevolence and three responses he anticipates from us. Since Jesus has made a way for us into the very presence of God and since he is our friend on the inside, we can: 1. Draw near to him; 2. Hold on to the hope we profess; and 3. We can spur one another on to love and good deeds. In order to fulfill this third commitment we must not give up meeting together for we must instead encourage one another. In the NIV translation it appears that "meeting together" and "encouraging one another" are separate tasks we are expected to do, but actually (in the original language) they are descriptions of how to spur one another on. In other words, they are subheadings to further explain something important about spurring one another on to love and good deeds. You can hardly spur one another on without meeting together regularly, and encouragement is key to motivation.

Our souls are shaped by our belonging and participation in the community of faith. When we worship together, we remind ourselves about the truth about God, and about us. When we listen to each other in private conversations over coffee or tea we learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the world. When we listen to sermons we hear the Spirit speaking truth into our circumstances. We encourage one another by being present together.

Encouragement also means holding one another accountable. There is always this other edge to encouragement, for encouragement is not always easy or laidback. Think of those who encourage long distance runners on the side of the roadway. Their words are challenging and sometimes a bit strident, but oh so necessary to the exhausted marathoner.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. What does Jim mean by "high touch" compared to "high tech?"

2. Slide 8. Contrast the Christian’s entrance into God's presence with the Priest's entrance into the Holy of Holies in the Jewish faith? (Exodus 29)

3. Slide 9-10. What has been done to our bodies so that we can enter the presence of God? When were our hearts sprinkled and our bodies washed? What should be our attitude as we draw near? What is an upside-down, inside-out, and forward-backward faith?

4. Slide 11. Why must we be encouraged to hold on to hope? Why are we so forgetful?

5. Slide 12. Why is intentional and regular gathering so important?

6. Slide 13. Why is the false narrative (My church serves my needs) so prevalent in the church? How can we increase the shaping influence we have on one another?

7. Slide 14. How might you intentionally prepare yourself to be a soul-shaper in your gatherings with friends?

8. Discuss who you might choose to be your encourager in a mentoring/encouraging/soul shaping ongoing relationship.

This week our study focuses on encouragement. This is something that apprentices of Jesus do. After all, if the community of faith is not an encouraging place to be, who would want to join? We should be like our founder, who, among many other things, was a great encouragement to those around him. I talk a lot about the atmosphere or the environment of a healthy church and this idea of encouragement fits right in with that kind a metaphor. Church communities should be encouraging environments. A place to grow and thrive; greenhouses for seedling saints.

Our text gives us two reasons for confidence in God's benevolence and three responses he anticipates from us. Since Jesus has made a way for us into the very presence of God and since he is our friend on the inside, we can: 1. Draw near to him; 2. Hold on to the hope we profess; and 3. We can spur one another on to love and good deeds. In order to fulfill this third commitment we must not give up meeting together for we must instead encourage one another. In the NIV translation it appears that "meeting together" and "encouraging one another" are separate tasks we are expected to do, but actually (in the original language) they are descriptions of how to spur one another on. In other words, they are subheadings to further explain something important about spurring one another on to love and good deeds. You can hardly spur one another on without meeting together regularly, and encouragement is key to motivation.

Our souls are shaped by our belonging and participation in the community of faith. When we worship together, we remind ourselves about the truth about God, and about us. When we listen to each other in private conversations over coffee or tea we learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the world. When we listen to sermons we hear the Spirit speaking truth into our circumstances. We encourage one another by being present together.

Encouragement also means holding one another accountable. There is always this other edge to encouragement, for encouragement is not always easy or laidback. Think of those who encourage long distance runners on the side of the roadway. Their words are challenging and sometimes a bit strident, but oh so necessary to the exhausted marathoner.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. What does Jim mean by "high touch" compared to "high tech?"

2. Slide 8. Contrast the Christian’s entrance into God's presence with the Priest's entrance into the Holy of Holies in the Jewish faith? (Exodus 29)

3. Slide 9-10. What has been done to our bodies so that we can enter the presence of God? When were our hearts sprinkled and our bodies washed? What should be our attitude as we draw near? What is an upside-down, inside-out, and forward-backward faith?

4. Slide 11. Why must we be encouraged to hold on to hope? Why are we so forgetful?

5. Slide 12. Why is intentional and regular gathering so important?

6. Slide 13. Why is the false narrative (My church serves my needs) so prevalent in the church? How can we increase the shaping influence we have on one another?

7. Slide 14. How might you intentionally prepare yourself to be a soul-shaper in your gatherings with friends?

8. Discuss who you might choose to be your encourager in a mentoring/encouraging/soul shaping ongoing relationship.

To live the good life together we, as Christians, are called to live out the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19). This is to be our response to our first-hand experience of God reconciling us to himself through the sacrifice Christ made on the cross.

Our Father has forgiven us of far more than we will ever be asked to forgive of others. In light of that, we are encouraged to forgive with grace and joy. In fact, without the action of reconciliation, we as Christians, cannot hope to be the attractive people God calls us to be; to be the light in a dark and lost world (Matt 5:14-16).

Our goal to coexist in harmony with one another doesn't mean that we cannot set boundaries and cautions that protect us from being unnecessarily harmed any further. We need to understand God's forgiveness in order to find internal harmony that naturally results in external harmony (through forgiving others) but we cannot regard others with animosity or fear.

Questions to consider:

Internal harmony

1. After reading a passage like Psalms 103:12 "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed his transgressions from us," do you believe in head and heart that God has fully reconciled us to Him?

2. Is there something you are currently not forgiving yourself for? If so, what is holding you back?

3. When was the last time you allowed the healing power of God's loving forgiveness soak into your very being? What, if anything stops you from doing it now?

4. Take communion together and acknowledge with renewed eyes what Christ's sacrifice of body and blood did for you personally

External harmony

5. Is there currently someone you are harboring bitterness or hurt towards? If so, how can you work towards reconciling with them?

6. Is there anyone in your life right now that reveals an obvious disharmonious coexistence? Consider why that is.

7. When you forgive others, does it come out of natural grace from what God has saved you from or forced because it is the right-thing-to-do? What kind of difference do you think that makes?

To live the good life together we, as Christians, are called to live out the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19). This is to be our response to our first-hand experience of God reconciling us to himself through the sacrifice Christ made on the cross.

Our Father has forgiven us of far more than we will ever be asked to forgive of others. In light of that, we are encouraged to forgive with grace and joy. In fact, without the action of reconciliation, we as Christians, cannot hope to be the attractive people God calls us to be; to be the light in a dark and lost world (Matt 5:14-16).

Our goal to coexist in harmony with one another doesn't mean that we cannot set boundaries and cautions that protect us from being unnecessarily harmed any further. We need to understand God's forgiveness in order to find internal harmony that naturally results in external harmony (through forgiving others) but we cannot regard others with animosity or fear.

Questions to consider:

Internal harmony

1. After reading a passage like Psalms 103:12 "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed his transgressions from us," do you believe in head and heart that God has fully reconciled us to Him?

2. Is there something you are currently not forgiving yourself for? If so, what is holding you back?

3. When was the last time you allowed the healing power of God's loving forgiveness soak into your very being? What, if anything stops you from doing it now?

4. Take communion together and acknowledge with renewed eyes what Christ's sacrifice of body and blood did for you personally

External harmony

5. Is there currently someone you are harboring bitterness or hurt towards? If so, how can you work towards reconciling with them?

6. Is there anyone in your life right now that reveals an obvious disharmonious coexistence? Consider why that is.

7. When you forgive others, does it come out of natural grace from what God has saved you from or forced because it is the right-thing-to-do? What kind of difference do you think that makes?

Last week we talked about Faith, Hope and Love. We discovered that Hope is like the root of a tree and Faith and Love are the branches. A strong and well-nourished root produces good fruit! Faith and Love improve our service in that they influence how we interact with the people around us. People of Faith and Love are attractive and contagious. This week we are continuing along on that theme and focusing on the fact that apprentices of Jesus serve others.

In our text the Apostle Paul points out four incentives for unity and four lifestyle changes that should result from our life in Christ. To put this in terms of last week’s study: "When we live the Gospel story, we act in ways that serve others." Or to summarize our text another way: "Since we are all apprentices of Jesus, we should act like it." After all, Jesus served others. In fact we might say that we could summarize his life by saying: "He came, he served, and he died." He didn't build a church, he never organized a fundraiser, he founded no Bible Colleges or Seminaries; He just came and served and died. It was all for us.

Paul challenges the Philippians to complete his joy by living out the Gospel in very practical ways. This would make him very happy; to see the lifestyle of the people of God look like the lifestyle of our founder. In particular we want to focus on the third and fourth lifestyle changes he encourages: Don't have selfish ambition, but with humility consider others better than ourselves; and look beyond our own interests to the interests of others.

Both of these lifestyle choices are predicated upon our understanding or our safe and secure position in Christ. Once we are assured that we are on the right track and our future is secure, we can look beyond ourselves to the needs of others. Again we see the importance of hope.

When followers of Jesus live a life of service they have the added benefit of enjoying a rewarding and fulfilled life. Wanting and needing to be served by others is not life producing, but soul destroying. We gain by what we give away.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2. What do you think it means to be "in Christ." The Apostle Paul uses this expression 150 times but it is not found elsewhere in the New Testament.

2. Slide 3. Have you found occasions when unity takes a lot of hard work? Was it worth it? Why or Why not?

3. Slide 6. Do some Christians have an especially hard time living out their faith? Why? What do they seem to lack, if anything?

4. Slide 7. Discuss times when you have experiences one of these four incentives for unity that Paul mentions in verse 1

5. Slide 8. Read 1:4 and 4:10 to see the other times Paul talks about his joy. What causes it?

6. Slide 9-11. Of the first three lifestyle issues is one more difficult than the others? Why or why not? If we perceive servants as being somehow lower or less esteemed than those they serve, what does that do for our view of Christ who was the ultimate servant? How do we get over that false narrative revealed in our prejudice toward those serving others?

7. Slide 12-14. Do you see the balance in Paul's comment: "look not only to your own interests?" Some followers of Jesus neglect their own families for the cause of Christ, why? What is Paul's concern? See 1 Timothy 5:8.

8. Discuss how you might serve others: At Work; At Home; At School; and in Your Everyday Life this week.

Last week we talked about Faith, Hope and Love. We discovered that Hope is like the root of a tree and Faith and Love are the branches. A strong and well-nourished root produces good fruit! Faith and Love improve our service in that they influence how we interact with the people around us. People of Faith and Love are attractive and contagious. This week we are continuing along on that theme and focusing on the fact that apprentices of Jesus serve others.

In our text the Apostle Paul points out four incentives for unity and four lifestyle changes that should result from our life in Christ. To put this in terms of last week’s study: "When we live the Gospel story, we act in ways that serve others." Or to summarize our text another way: "Since we are all apprentices of Jesus, we should act like it." After all, Jesus served others. In fact we might say that we could summarize his life by saying: "He came, he served, and he died." He didn't build a church, he never organized a fundraiser, he founded no Bible Colleges or Seminaries; He just came and served and died. It was all for us.

Paul challenges the Philippians to complete his joy by living out the Gospel in very practical ways. This would make him very happy; to see the lifestyle of the people of God look like the lifestyle of our founder. In particular we want to focus on the third and fourth lifestyle changes he encourages: Don't have selfish ambition, but with humility consider others better than ourselves; and look beyond our own interests to the interests of others.

Both of these lifestyle choices are predicated upon our understanding or our safe and secure position in Christ. Once we are assured that we are on the right track and our future is secure, we can look beyond ourselves to the needs of others. Again we see the importance of hope.

When followers of Jesus live a life of service they have the added benefit of enjoying a rewarding and fulfilled life. Wanting and needing to be served by others is not life producing, but soul destroying. We gain by what we give away.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2. What do you think it means to be "in Christ." The Apostle Paul uses this expression 150 times but it is not found elsewhere in the New Testament.

2. Slide 3. Have you found occasions when unity takes a lot of hard work? Was it worth it? Why or Why not?

3. Slide 6. Do some Christians have an especially hard time living out their faith? Why? What do they seem to lack, if anything?

4. Slide 7. Discuss times when you have experiences one of these four incentives for unity that Paul mentions in verse 1

5. Slide 8. Read 1:4 and 4:10 to see the other times Paul talks about his joy. What causes it?

6. Slide 9-11. Of the first three lifestyle issues is one more difficult than the others? Why or why not? If we perceive servants as being somehow lower or less esteemed than those they serve, what does that do for our view of Christ who was the ultimate servant? How do we get over that false narrative revealed in our prejudice toward those serving others?

7. Slide 12-14. Do you see the balance in Paul's comment: "look not only to your own interests?" Some followers of Jesus neglect their own families for the cause of Christ, why? What is Paul's concern? See 1 Timothy 5:8.

8. Discuss how you might serve others: At Work; At Home; At School; and in Your Everyday Life this week.