SCRIPTURE: Acts 1 (Acts 1:6-17, 20-26)

When Jesus ascends into heaven, he leaves his disciples with a clear plan, but an unclear timeframe: they are going to become God’s messengers not just where they live, but to the ends of the earth. But before that happens, they are to wait on the arrival of the “Holy Spirit” to help and lead them. This week, we want to talk about how we take steps in the directions God lays out for us, and what it means to seek God’s guidance through patience, prayer, and even careful action. We want to be reminded that God’s authority isn’t limited to setting a course for us and sending us on our way; he is with us as we go, and we can have confidence in his authority even when the steps we take are uncertain.  

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What do you think God’s plan is for the church/Christians? Do you feel like a part of that plan? Why or why not?

2. What are your thoughts about the Holy Spirit? If you are a Christian, do you feel like the Holy Spirit is a real part of your life?

3. Can you relate to the moment when the disciples are standing around, waiting for God to do something...and then the two men show up to tell them to “get back to work”? What are you currently “waiting” on from God? What work do you think God might be asking you to “get on with” while you are waiting?

4. In Acts 1, the disciples ask Jesus if it is finally time for him to restore God’s kingdom among the Israelites. But Jesus refuses to answer, instead suggesting that 1) their vision of what God is doing is too small, and 2) the limits they put on who counts as “God’s people” are too narrow. Have you ever had a similar experience, where God ended up pushing you to “think bigger” about his plans for you?

5. How can we act in responsible and faithful ways, even when we aren’t completely sure what God is asking us to do? What resources can we use to help us have confidence we are doing the right thing?

SCRIPTURE:

Hosea 2; Philippians 1; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

SUMMARY:

Perhaps one of the most exciting promises in all of Scripture is that God isn’t done with us yet. Over and over again, God tells the story of how he is preparing a people for Himself. In the Book of Hosea, God uses the story of an unfaithful spouse pursued by her husband in order to remind the Jewish people of His own undying--and unyielding--love for them. In the letters of the New Testament, the leaders of the early church remind congregations over and over that, no matter how bleak things might seem, God has promised to complete the work He has begun in the world, and He will be faithful to His plans for the church. As we imagine what it might mean for us to be a church where Belonging, Believing, and Becoming are central to our ministry, we want to keep those promises--and God’s faithfulness--in front of us. Who is God transforming us into? What hopes might we have for ourselves? And what hopes for “becoming” might we have for our city, if we take God’s promises more seriously?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Do you see your own life on a “trajectory”? Where have you come from, and where do you seem to be going?

2. If you are a follower of Jesus, what journey do you seem to be on, personally? How has God “transformed” you, and what hopes do you have about the future?

3. What do you believe God wants for you? For our church? For our city? Why do you believe that?

4. Are there things that make you anxious about the idea that God is leading us into “becoming” something/someone else? What are those fears? What are they rooted in?

5. What is one area of your life where you long to see growth this year? How can we support each other as we pray for and work towards that growth?

SCRIPTURE:

Deuteronomy 10:12-17; Romans 2:25-29; Mark 9:23-25

SUMMARY:

Belief isn’t simply agreement with an idea; it’s something that only really happens when we act. In the Old Testament, the Law teaches that the mark of being part of God’s people is male circumcision. But in the book of Deuteronomy, and again, in Paul’s letter to the Romans, God warns that circumcision is only part of the picture: true belonging within the people of God only happens when we submit our hearts to Him. The connection here is that our faith in God isn’t only about rituals: instead, rituals are a starting point for a lifelong relationship where we test our beliefs, and as God sustains them, our confidence in His promises deepens. Beliefs are meant to be wrestled with; to be stretched, tested, and corrected. Our hope is that Revolution can be a safe place where we can “work out” our beliefs in community with one another.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are a few of the most important beliefs in your life?

2. Have those beliefs changed over time? If so, what has made them grow stronger/weaker?

3. What do you believe about God? Would you consider yourself a Christian? Why or why not?

4. Do you think you have to have certainty about something in order to believe it? What particular beliefs about Jesus or about God do you wrestle with? How can you act on those beliefs, even as you hope for more certainty about them?

5. How can prayer be a part of the way you explore and test your spiritual beliefs? What can you pray about this month, and what kinds of answers or results can you be looking for?

SCRIPTURE:

Numbers 15:13-16; John 20:24-29; Luke 19:1-10; Revelation 7:9-10

SUMMARY:

In the Bible, we repeatedly see God’s loving interest in inclusion. Among the ancient Israelites, foreigners and aliens were welcome. In the Gospels, Jesus calls into question the boundaries we set up between one another, and encourages us to love everyone, no matter what. And then, in the letters shared among the early Church, we see that spirit of inclusion in the sharing of the Good News with the Gentiles, or non-Jews. The through-line is clear: if we want to follow the example of God, we must be a church where people can belong before they believe what we believe. This means that we want to create a community that is vibrant, open, and welcoming, no matter what. By doing this, we can better imitate the behavior of Christ, who came to us while we were yet sinners, ate at our tables, lived among the impoverished, and gave generously, even to the point of death, for those who did not yet know Him.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How did you initially get involved with Christianity? If you are a Christian, did you feel welcomed in a Christian community before you became a Christian yourself?

2. There are many parts of the Bible that can feel exclusive and divisive. Did the passage we read from the book of Numbers surprise you? What is radical in those verses? What implications do these verses have for the modern church?

3. In the story from the Gospel of John, why do you think Thomas is permitted to remain among the disciples, even though he doesn’t share their beliefs?

4. Read over what Jesus says to Thomas. What do you take away from Jesus’s words? How are they challenging to you?

5. What other stories from the Bible can you think of where people are allowed to “belong before they believe”? What stories can you share from your own life?

6. Do you think it is important to maintain a clear line between what it means to believe and what it means to not believe? How can that line be maintained lovingly?

7. What are the implications of Revelation 7:9-10 for the church? What are the implications for you?

WEEK 1 // WHY CHURCH?

Hebrews 10:19-25; Romans 15:1-13; Revelation 19:6-8

SUMMARY:

The church exists to celebrate Jesus, make and develop disciples, and share God’s love with others. But, in 2019, do we still really need to meet together in a building on Sundays to accomplish these goals? According to the leaders of the early church, the answer is yes! In letters to both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, the cases for gathering together are made separately, and in line with local customs...but both letters have one piece in common: the church exists for good. In other words, we aren’t here for ourselves: if we were, we could find everything this church provides, at a higher quality, somewhere else! Instead, we are here for one another...and for our neighbors. This part of our calling is unique; however, it also requires that we step into our roles instead of simply observing.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Why did you start going to church? What makes church important to you?

2. Have the reasons you go to church changed over the years?

3. What do you believe the church exists to do?

4. Have you served in a church community before in a specific role? What role was it? Why did you step into this role, and what do you feel the value of that work might have been?

5. What are some of the specific gifts or qualities you have that you have seen contribute to various roles or relationships in your life? How might those gifts or qualities serve others in our church community, or in other relationships?

Our theme for the past year has been Identity, and in particular, the identity all human beings share as image-bearers of God. This week, Kenny reviews the teaching from the past year and challenges us all to remember:

1. We matter, no matter what

2. We have gifts, if we want them

3. We have roles to play, if we look for them

SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

SUMMARY: The practice of receiving Holy Communion each week is one of the few traditional liturgical elements that are a regular feature of our services at Revolution. Why is that? What is Communion, and why do we “receive” it? And why do we do this every week? Today, we want to look more closely at the central role Holy Communion plays not only in the life of the early Christian church, but in the closing days of Jesus’s life prior to His execution. We want to suggest that Communion is a ritual reminder: first, of our dependence on the sacrificial body and blood Christ for our own forgiveness; second, of the promise of our own eventual restoration (and the restoration of all things) embodied in Jesus’s resurrection; and third, of the community in which our membership is secured through our trust and surrender to this ancient sacrament.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Do you remember your first experience with Communion? What was it like? What did you understand it to mean?

2. Do you receive Communion at Revolution? Why or why not?

3. Kenny and the other teachers at Revolution routinely talk about Communion as a recognition of certain Truths about ourselves, namely: that we are dependent on Jesus, and that we are participating in the broader Christian community. What do you think about those reminders? Do they seem valuable to you? Why or why not?

4. What practices surrounding Communion do you find most helpful and encouraging as you participate in this ritual (i.e.- music, darkness, physical posture, prayer, etc.)?

5. How does the routine observation of Communion challenge you in your own faith?

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:18-20, Colossians 3:16-17, James 5:13-16

SUMMARY: There are many elements of a traditional liturgical service that can seem strange to us, particularly readings from the Christian creeds, practicing public confession of sins, participating in corporate prayer, and even singing songs together. Why do we do these things? This week, we want to look at the Scriptural and historical reasons why many of the elements of Christian worship services exist. What we hope to find is a compelling story, beginning with Jesus’s closing instructions to His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations [and baptize] them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” and ending in a series of ritualized reminders of what we believe as Christians and why we believe it. In brief, we speak together in our services out of obedience: to the instructions of Christ, to the teachings of our spiritual ancestors, and to the wisdom of the early Christian church.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Why are we sometimes bothered or even bored by traditional elements of a liturgical service, like responsive readings, confession, and communion?

2. Have you ever been part of a church that practiced reading the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds before? What are your reflections on that experience? In what ways was it valuable (or not so valuable) for you?

3. Read through the Apostles’ Creed together as a group. Do you feel like you understand it? Are there parts of it that you have questions about? What can you do to investigate these questions this week?

4. How do you feel about reciting a “confession” together in church? What do you think the goal of this practice is? How is it challenging for you?

5. Do you sing in church? Why or why not? How do you feel about the practice of singing songs together? What do you think the best version of this practice would be?

6. What are you usually hoping to find in a church service? How do your hopes line up with the practices incorporated in a traditional “liturgical” service? What about this disparity is challenging to or for you?