DIG IN QUESTIONS

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. What is the personality type that annoys you the most? (Millennial Hipster, Judgmental Baby Boomer, Gothic New Ager, Artsy Creative Type, Extroverted Salesperson, Indecisive Introvert, Overtly Wealthy Person, Poor Begger, etc.)

2. How does it feel to know that someone just specifically described you in question #1? If that person never met you, how would you want them to treat you?

3. Read James 1:26-2:13. What stands out to you?

4. James calls us out to not commit the sin of partiality/favoritism. What are some practical ways we may knowingly and not knowingly do this to people in our own life?

5. Perhaps the main problem with the sin of partiality/favoritism is a lack of understanding of the mercy that we have been given. Write down on a piece of paper your answer to the question, "What do I deserve?" Now read, Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23. Based on our sin, what do we deserve? Does that match our previous answer? How would seeing God's unmerited favor on your life change how you show partiality/favoritism to others? Spend some time in prayer asking for God to forgive and to show where we need to grow.

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. What is something that stood out to you about this week’s message?

2. Read James 1:19. James tells us to be quick to listen and slow to
speak. Have you had situations where you did the opposite—slow to listen, quick to speak? What do you think is the problem with that?

3. Read James 1:23-24. Do you really think it’s foolish to hear God’s word without putting it into action? Why or why not?

4. Read James 1:26-27. Why do you think James defines “religion” the way that he does?

5. Practice being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. If you follow that instruction, how will putting your faith into action look different this week?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. Have you ever been in a trial or in a season of suffering that made you question, “Where are you God?” Ever felt like all happiness and joy was just zapped out of your life? Briefly share what happened.

2. How would you define joy? Give an example of what you think of when you think of being full of joy and the opposite of joy.

3. Read James 1:1-4, 12. Look for Purpose, Promises, Perspective in Pain. What stood out to you? Do you think joy is possible in pain? Why or why not?

4. C.S Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Do you believe that statement it true? Why would this possibly bring joy even in our pain?

5. Read Hebrews 12:1-3. How would fixing your eyes on Jesus, focusing on purpose, promises, and perspective change how you are feeling in your trials right now or in the future? Spend some time praying for one another and whatever trials they are going through.

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. How many super close friends do you have? Share one or two ways that having close friends has impacted your life. How would your life have been different if those friends never be-friended you?

2. Post-COVID statistics have pointed to extreme isolation for many. Genesis 2:18 says, "Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” This passage is talking about something even deeper than marriage. Do you believe it is not good for you to be alone? Why or why not?

3. Read Acts 2:42-47. Share an example of how this early church is similar to what you have experienced within Fork Christian Church and your small group. How would you personally and your group as a whole have to change in order to be more like this example of the church in Acts 2?

4. One of the powerful words in the passage of Acts 2:42-47 is that "each day the Lord added to their fellowship." Are you willing to "Personally Include" new people into your group? Are you willing to multiply your group in order to make room to "Personally Include" new people? Are you willing to "Personally Include" new people into your friend circle?

5. In this Just One series we have been challenged to prayerfully consider, thoughtfully invite, and now personally include Just One. How has that gone? Share with one another the one that you are reaching out to, how it went, or how you are planning to reach out to them in the next couple of weeks. Pray for one another.

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. Briefly share who it was and how it went the first time someone shared the gospel with you or invited you to church?

2. Scale of 1-10 (10 being very comfortable and 1 being very uncomfortable) how comfortable are you in sharing the Gospel or inviting someone to church? Share how it went the last time you invited someone to church or shared the gospel with them?

3. Read Acts 8:26-38. What stood out to you about this interaction? How could it serve as a model for us? (For example: Ask great questions, be a good listener, be prepared to give a reason for hope, share the gospel)

4. Time to practice: Many times things are uncomfortable when we don’t do it often. So let’s practice. Who ever was the highest number on question 4 (and willing to participate) pair up with the lowest number (that is willing to participate). Highest number pretend you are a Christian work friend with the lowest number pretending to be an unbeliever but open to the conversation. Engage with each other as if you were meeting for lunch. The rest of the group, evaluate what went well and what you think would help it be better. Feel free to take turns so all can practice that want to.

5. Who is the Just One you feel led to invite to a meal or coffee to begin the process of asking great questions, being a good listener, being ready to give hope and share the gospel? Spend some time praying over this individual and how the conversation will go.

*need help in learning how to share the gospel? Click here: https://www.gotquestions.org/share-the-gospel.html

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. Does showing mercy come naturally to you? Why or Why not? What life experiences or life choices have shaped your answer?

2. Have you ever been shown a lack of mercy? What was your response?

3. How have you either intentionally or unintentionally withheld mercy from someone else? (Challenge: Go to them and apologize!)

4. Read Luke 10:25-37. Are there currently people you intentionally withhold mercy from? How can you move from being one who passes by on the other side to being one who actually shows mercy?

5. How can the world be a better place if we choose to show mercy in our homes, at our work, in our schools, with our friends and with strangers?

6. Read Ephesians 2:1-6 and Titus 3:3-7. How has receiving and recognizing God’s mercy in your life changed you? What are some ways that you can reflect Jesus’ mercy more clearly?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. Have you ever fallen head over heels in love? Ever fallen out of love? What were some of the common reasons why you fell in love, or why you no longer remained in love?

2. Why do you believe that yourself or others fall out of love with Jesus?

3. Read Jeremiah 2:2,5,13. Many times people consider God in the Old Testament as unloving and judgmental. What do these passages express about the desires of God?

4. In this Red Letters series, we have been highlighting the characteristics of Jesus, and how it looks to be Christ-like in our words and actions. Read Rev. 2:2-5. What happened in these passages, and what can we learn about a relationship with Jesus?

5. Have you recently fallen away from your "first love" feelings and actions toward Jesus? What do you do that stirs your affections for Jesus? What do you do that robs your affections for Jesus? What can you do this week to get back to your first love feelings and actions with Jesus?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. How busy are you on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest amount)?

2. Which of these following statistics do you identify most with?

• 75% of Parents are too busy to read to children (if you have any).

• 33% of American adults claim to live with extreme stress.

• 50% of American adults often lie awake due to stress.

• 121 emails per day is the average amount of emails for an American office worker.

• Americans check their phone once every 12 minutes on average, or over 80 times a day, for a total of 5 hours a day.

• 12% claim to have no close friends, and are too busy to invest in pursuing them.

3. Read Mark 5:21-41. How was Jesus busy, yet, "interrupted?" How did he respond?

4. Jesus lived a life on a constant journey from town to town. He was very busy. Yet, during his day-to-day travel, he was frequently interrupted by people in need. Time after time, Jesus stopped and loved whoever was in his path. For Jesus, every "disruption" was seen as "destiny." What would it look like for you to see people in your path as destiny and not a disruption?

5. Is there someone right now you had originally seen as a disruption that you now see as destiny? How could God be using you to impact their life?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. Do you consider yourself more spontaneous or more intentional in life? Why do you think that is?

2. Do you think Jesus was more spontaneous or more intentional in His life? Why do you think that is?

3. In this Red Letter series, we learned how one of the character traits so powerful about Jesus is that he is intentional. Read John 4:1-26, 39-42. What is one thing that stood out to you in this story?

4. Jesus amazingly showed a great intentional evangelistic plan. He intentionally:

• Sought- Went out of His way (Samarian woman)

• Shared Similarities- Found common ground (water)

• Shown Sin- Called out (many husbands/adultery)

• Shared Salvation- The Gospel (I am the Messiah)

Have you ever intentionally shared the Gospel with someone like Jesus? If so, how did it go? If not, what has stopped you?

5. Who (individual or group of people) has God placed in your life that you have been intentionally ignoring vs. intentionally engaging? What would it look like for you to live intentionally like Jesus, and go out of your way to engage, find common ground, share truth in love, and ultimately share the hope you have found in Jesus? Are you willing to live intentionally like Jesus?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

1. First, say the first name of someone you personally know that is not currently a Christian. Next, what would you think they would say if you asked them, "Why do you believe you exist?" Try to be as specific as possible. How would they respond if you followed up with a question, "What if there was something even more that you are here for?"

2. In the message, we saw the illustration of the rope and the tape as a perspective of the timeline of your existence. How did that illustration make you feel about what you are focused on?

3. In this Red Letter series, we learned how one of the character traits so powerful about Jesus is that he is invitational. Read, Matthew 4:18-20. For Peter (Simon) and his brother Andrew, how did this invitation "to something more" change their life?

4. The invitation in Matthew 4:19 was to, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." This was a three-part wholistic invitation involving our head, heart, and hands.

• a. Head. We all have a choice to make in "Follow me." This is a head choice to who we are following. Are you choosing to follow Jesus? If so, how? If not, why not?

• b. Heart. When we choose to follow Jesus, he promises to change our hearts. (Ezekiel 36:26) If you have chosen to follow Jesus, how has your heart been changed by God?

• c. Hands. When we choose to follow Jesus, he changes our hearts. When our hearts are changed, it changes our actions (hands) in being "fishers of men." A great way to see if you are following Jesus and being changed by Jesus is to see if you are helping others to Jesus. Who are you walking with to help them know and follow Jesus?

5. Read Matthew 28:18-20. What is this an invitation to do? Who is one person you love in your life that God is leading you to "Go...Make...Baptize... and Teach?"