Carlyle leads us through the story of Mary & Martha from the book of Luke.

David looks at the story of Zacchaeus in the book of Luke.

Pastor David is wrapping up our series pulled from Habakkuk speaking on the faithfulness of God.

Joel Thurston is teaching us from Habakkuk Chapter 2.

Hababkkuk 2:6-20
The Final Word
 
1. When have you felt the sting of injustice?  What did you do about it?

2. Habakkuk has questioned God’s choice of using the Babylonians to be instruments of God’s justice, even though they themselves were unjust.  God assures him that they too will get their due. 
Have you ever seen something or someone unjust get their due reward?  Did you feel vindicated or did you have some other feeling?

3. Some relief that we can gain from Habakkuk is that we should know the God of the plan! 
How does knowing God provide relief to oppression and injustice?  How does knowing God while in oppression really help - especially while the oppression doesn’t seem to stop?

4. The Lord IS IN his holy temple.  That means that he is not absent and he is ringing in our present reality.  What injustice are you most looking forward to God taking care of?  Is this personal or bigger than that?

Carlyle is leading us through chapters 1 and 2 of Habakkuk.

We’re starting a new series this week called Waiting In The Dark. David with be leading us through Habakkuk chapter 1.

HABAKKUK (Week 1)

Describe a time when you had a hard time making sense of life. What were some of the emotions you experienced?

What breaks your heart? What fires you up? How does that reflect the image of God?

This week we talked about bringing our complaints to God? Do you find this easy or difficult? What’s the first place you tend to bring your complaints?

Don’t answer out loud… What would you be most embarrassed about others finding out about you? It could be an emotion or an activity? Do you ever talk to God about those things? Why or why not?

Read Isaiah 55:8-9 aloud.

How does this understanding of God change the way you interpret the world around you?

How do you think God’s Justice and Mercy are both at work in your life? What about the world?

For Further Study: Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8; Ephesians 2:4-5; James 2:13 Luke 6:36; Psalm 86

Pastor Carlyle is finishing up our All Things New series on a topic that may or may not be familiar to you. Spiritual Warfare.

Spirits, prayer, and armor – oh my…

Ephesians 6:11-18

1. When it comes to the spirit realm, are you fearful and freaked or apathetic and don’t think about it much?  Have you always thought/felt that way?  
2. Do you think there is space somewhere between freaked/fearful and apathetic?  Do you think this part of Scripture presents middle ground?
3. What do you think about the part of you that is spirit?  How would you describe it?
4. Have you ever encountered something evil, oppressive, and non-tangible?  How did you respond?  
5. How does this passage tell us to respond to the spirit world?  What is our part and what is God’s part?  Does this provide a sense of relief, or does it seem ambiguous to an already ambiguous topic?
6. Here’s a good quote:  “The tactics of intimidation and insinuation alternate in Satan’s plan of campaign. He plays both the bully and the beguiler. Force and fraud form his chief offensive against the camp of the saints.”  If you were dealing with someone with flesh and blood who used these techniques to bring you down, how would you respond?  Does it change if it not flesh and blood?

Pastor David is continuing our study in Ephesians. This week is on chapters 5 & 6.

JOURNEY GROUP QUESTIONS
Ephesians 5:21-6:9
Marriage, Parenting, Work

When you think of the word submission what is the first thing that comes to mind? What has shaped that view the most?
Where is submission difficult for you right now? (ex. marriage, work, family, church)
How does seeing Submission as a choice, an exercise of the will, change the idea of submission?
Where has God placed given you a position of authority? What impact does that position have on your life? How does it impact your emotions, decisions, and actions?
How can you practically be better steward your position of authority or position of submission?
End your time reading Ephesians 5:15-21… What speaks to you the most? How does this passage challenge you to live differently?

Following up last week's topic of sex, Pastor Carlyle is going to interview a guest speaker for another hot topic: money.

Developing and Maintaining a Financial Ethic

Ephesians 5: 3 & 15-17

1. How would you describe the difference between an ethic and a value?  When are you tempted to fudge on either?
2. If ethics were like a hole in a sifter, what are things where you have a small hole?  Big ones?
3. Some things in our lives are accidental first, then become a lifestyle.  Other things are intentional before they become a lifestyle.  When it comes to finances, if 1 were totally accidental and 10 totally intentional, what number would you give yourself.  Was it always that number, or did you slowly move to that number (whether it was accidental or intentional…)
4. Read Philippians 4:11.  How do you do with contentment – in finances or just in general?  What things feed contentment for you?  Discontentment?
5. Followers of Jesus are challenged to be kingdom builders.  What kingdoms have you been a part of building - Jesus kingdoms or otherwise?  Did they last?
6. If you use your finances to build God’s kingdom, have you converted to doing that out of passion and love for God’s work or out of obligation?  Do the 1-10 scale again.  1 is obligation and 10 is total passion and love.

Continuing our study in Ephesians, Pastor David is going to teach on a hot topic: sex.