Grace Point Church - Topeka

77 Times: Part 1 - The Idol of Unforgiveness

Whenever we are hurt, offended, or wounded our emotional reaction is to feel as if someone owes us something. If we hold onto that, building a case against our offender, we begin a self-destructive pattern. We know God has asked us to forgive but knowing it and doing it are two different things. In part one, we’ll see that God has asked His children to bear a family resemblance.

The [far from] Perfect Family: Part 6 Family Reunion

He started out the son of a shepherd in Canaan. He ended up as second in command in Egypt. That journey was marked by pain, betrayal and loneliness. Sold by his brothers into slavery, wrongfully imprisoned in Egypt and forgotten for dead, Joseph had every opportunity to view himself as a victim. Instead, he acknowledges God’s sovereignty over his life. He saw God working in, through and around his terrible situations. In the moment, the pain of a situation can be debilitating. A cancer diagnosis, job loss or a wayward child are extremely painful seasons. God doesn’t cause our pain, but he is powerful enough to work through it.STUDY GUIDE

The [far from] Perfect Family: Part 5 - Surviving When Stuck

This week, the spotlight is entirely on Abraham’s great-grandson, Joseph. He never could have imagined that he’d be hundreds of miles from home, serving as an Egyptian slave. During long and sleepless nights in this undesirable situation, Joseph surely asked, “How am I going to survive?” Maybe you’ve asked that question too. Maybe you asked it at the end of a long, bitter divorce you never wanted. Or when you found out you’d never have children of your own. Or through the crushing loneliness of not being able to find a spouse. During long and sleepless nights, maybe you too have asked, “How am I going to survive?”STUDY GUIDE

The {far from} Perfect Family Part 4: Sibling RivalryWhat an awful family! Could anything good possibly come from their lying, deceiving, bickering and willful cruelty? The answer is actually “Yes!” All this awfulness is part of a good story that God is working in, around and through these people. Eventually, the sons of Jacob become the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel. From one of these tribes comes Jesus. The promise God made to Abraham that the world would be blessed through his descendants is fulfilled through this awful mess—and God gets all the glory!  STUDY GUIDE

The {far from} Perfect Family: Part 4 - Sibling RivalryWhat an awful family! Could anything good possibly come from their lying, deceiving, bickering and willful cruelty? The answer is actually “Yes!” All this awfulness is part of a good story that God is working in, around and through these people. Eventually, the sons of Jacob become the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel. From one of these tribes comes Jesus. The promise God made to Abraham that the world would be blessed through his descendants is fulfilled through this awful mess—and God gets all the glory!  STUDY GUIDE

The [far from] Perfect Family: Part 3 - The EncounterHe stole his brother’s blessing but was cheated by his uncle and now finds himself in between two family members. If he returns home, he has to deal with his brother; if he stays, he has to deal with his uncle. This family conflict brings Jacob face-to-face with who he is and whether he trusts God. It’s a place we’ll eventually find ourselves too. Whether we cause the conflict or it’s thrust upon us, we can learn to trust God in the midst of it.   

The [far from] Perfect Family: Part 2 - Chasing It

This week our story continues with Jacob, the second born of Isaac. As the second-born, Jacob tricks his father Isaac into giving him the blessing intended for his older brother Esau. With Esau angry enough to kill, Jacob flees to Haran where he stays with his uncle and searches for a wife. Much like the rest of the story, Jacob’s search for a wife creates conflict because everyone involved had a strong desire for what we will call IT: anything—other than God—we believe will give us value, success and happiness. We see the same desire for value, success, and happiness in our own family conflict.STUDY GUIDE

The {far from} Perfect Family: Part 1 - Perfectly Flawed“God’s chosen people” begins with a family of deceivers, schemers and eavesdroppers. He decided that all people on earth will be blessed through them. It’s almost as if he couldn’t have picked a more undeserving group through whom to save the world, almost as if he wanted to convince us he’s in the business of using radically flawed people to accomplish his plan. “Radically flawed” probably describes all our families at one time or another. Maybe that time for your family is right now. If so, take heart in knowing that God’s plan is bigger than the perfection of your family. STUDY GUIDE

The Oikos PrincipleThe world is much smaller than you realize. Who are the 8-15 people the LORD has strategically and purposefully put into your life to share with and minister to?

Choose To Lose: Part 3 - Lose For Joy

The gospel of Luke records that Jesus sent seventy-two of his followers out into the world to minister to others. Jesus had poured into them, and now he expected them to pour into others. He was about to launch a worldwide movement, and sending out his followers was a way of establishing a model. This was how the church would grow. Jesus has invited you the way he invited the seventy-two. You can’t follow him as a spectator. You have to participate. You have to get involved.STUDY GUIDE