I. Introduction

A. National Holidays

B. The Wilderness Cycle

II. “Hangry” People | Numbers 21:4-5

A. The Israelites speak against God.

B. God’s provision becomes worthless trash in their eyes.

III. Poisoned People | Numbers 21:6-7

A. The snakes are a physical representation of an inward reality.

B. The Israelites were poisoned long before the snakes arrived.

C. Are we poisoned too? (Rom. 7:15-16)

IV. Healed People | Numbers 21:8-9

A. The God who is faithful to provide food is faithful to heal the poisoned.

B. God uses the most irredeemable moments to bring healing.

C. Christ is lifted up, so that we might be healed (John 3:14-17)

V. Conclusion

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Helen H. Lemmel (1918)

For Further Discussion

• Do you ever feel poisoned and unable to be free from the hang-ups of life? What hang-ups make you feel poisonous?

• Have you ever experienced the redemptive work of Christ in your life when you looked to Him? What was that like?

• Read back through the passage and the song lyrics. Is there a line that stands out to you? Why does it speak to you?

I. The serene Serengeti

A. A foretaste of heaven on earth…

B. A sense of belonging…

II. The struggle for survival

A. When reality breaks in…

B. Survival of the fittest…

III. The sounds of the Spirit

A. Extremely loud and incredibly close…

B. A sound of hope…

For Further Discussion

• What were your first reflections on Phil’s reflections? How did his reflections make you feel? Hopeful? Encouraged? Pessimistic? Doubtful? Why?

• Describe a similar experience that may have given you the same kind of hope and excitement for the broken world we inhabit.

• When reality breaks in, (Orlando, Paris, or the cheetah) what is your default reaction?

• What steps can we take to better hear the sound and see the work of God’s Spirit around us?

Good Reads:

by Jack Levison

At the end of every weekend gathering we offer prayer for any who desire to have someone pray with them. Our team members are trained to pray for others like Jesus, compassionately and simply.

Maybe you or someone you know is struggling through some personal difficulty, whether it’s the loss of a job, the loss of a spouse, or an unexpected diagnosis, and you just need to talk to someone. Our Stephen Ministers would love to help.

Our deacons are trained to serve in any capacity that may require clerical skills or credentials. Deacons are available to meet with families in times of bereavement and are trained to perform funeral services. They are also available to perform wedding ceremonies.

Our marriage ministry offers both Marriage Preparation for engaged couples and marriage mentoring for those couples experiencing difficulties. Both provide one-on-one mentoring with couples who have been trained by the Vineyard and seasoned by years of marriage.

A support-based program that allows you to come and work together with people who truly do understand what you are going through. Whether you’ve been separated or divorced for 2 months or 22 years, DivorceCare can assist you on your journey of healing.

Living Waters is an in‐depth healing group for any Christian seeking healing in areas of sexual and relationship brokenness. Each one of us is a good gift from God. Yet all of us are broken in our ability to love others well. Living Waters lays a biblical foundation for sexual and relational wholeness.

Celebrate Recovery is a place of healing and encouragement for those who are journeying the path to wholeness and recovery from hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Celebrate Recovery is led by trained volunteers and is under the supervision of Vineyard pastors. The group meets every Thursday evening at the Vineyard.

I. Work | John 12:20-27

A. Work on expanding the definition of the community

B. Work selflessly

C. Work Cooperatively

II. Relationships | John 13:1-16

A. Redefining relationships

B. Cleansing relationships - How do we cleanse one another?

• 1. With love

• 2. Humbly

• 3. Intentionally

III. How we choose to meet unavoidable suffering | Mrk 14:34; Lk 23:34; Jn 19: 25-27

A. Effort

B. Suffering in community

For Further Discussion

• How do you define community?

• How might God be challenging you to enlarge or redefine your community?

• What is one thing that personally challenges you about sharing life with other people?

I. Everybody can accomplish more than just a somebody

II. Change and Growth comes with problems

A. Acts 6

B. We can be part of the problem or part of the solution

C. Together we become the representation of God to other people

• Everybody can play their part

III. We should all have kitchen rights

A. This is not someone else’s church, this is our church.

IV. We have been created and gifted to serve

For Further Discussion

• What gifts, passions and/or skills has God given you? How can you use them for God’s mission through the family called the church?

• What would it look like for you to have “kitchen rights” in the community of faith (Church)?

• How could you play a part in welcoming people into the life of Christ and leading them to become fully committed followers of Christ?

I. Ordinary time | Genesis 18:1-16

A. What’s so ordinary about ordinary time?

• Well, there’s that…

B. Where are the miracles in ordinary life?

• “What isn’t a miracle?”

C. Waking up to ordinary time in the Holy Spirit!

• Through the practices of…

1. Prayer

2. Presence

3. Gratitude

D. Ordinary time/life should not be dreaded or disregarded.

• Every moment is alive with the glory of God!

• “…the whole earth is filled with His glory!” | Is 6:3; Ps 33:5; 72:19; 108:4-5

For Further Discussion

• What major point did you take away from today’s talk? Does it call for a response from you? If, what would that be?

• What are your thoughts on the “glory” of God filling the whole earth now? How can that actually be a reality?

• “Everything is a miracle!” Is that statement in any way a denial or diminishing of the miraculous events that occur from time to time? Why or Why not?

• How do you think the practice of prayer would need to change in your life to awaken you to the beauty of the ordinary? Discuss prayer as a formative discipline versus a petition session.

• How do the past and the future interfere with our experience of the present moment and the presence of God?

I. A gift and a promise

A. Baptism with the Holy Spirit (promised)

• Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5-8

B. Baptism with the Holy Spirit (given)

• Acts 2:1-8; 11-19

C. Baptism with the Holy Spirit (reception at conversion)

• Acts 2:38-39

II. An ongoing experience

A. Being continually filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

B. A continual, transformational inner working of the Spirit within

• Plero-o (Gk.) permeating influence

• Ephesians 5:18; John 12:2-3; Acts 6:3; Galatians 5:22

• Welcoming the Spirit

C. A spontaneous empowering for a particular task

• Pimplemi (Gk.) Acts 2:4; Acts 4:31; Acts 13:9

• “…the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12

III. A gift from the Father

A. Luke 11:9-13

For Further Discussion

• How would you describe your relationship with the Holy Spirit? What would you like it to be like? Be specific.

• Would you consider the Holy Spirit more of a resident or president within?

• Are you aware of any areas of your life in which the Spirit is not allowed to permeate and influence? What would it look like if you did allow it?

• Describe a time in which the Spirit spontaneously manifested His presence upon you for a particular purpose.

• What is your understanding and subsequent practice regarding the injunction in Ephesians 5:18 to be continually filled with the Spirit?

Good Reads:

by Jack Levison

I. When questioning leads to running | Luke 24:13-35

A. Moments of light and dark

II. When questioning leads to waiting | Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8

A. Waiting…like children!

1. Still yourself… | Psalm 46:10

• …with hope

2. Wait on the Spirit… | Acts 1:4, 14

• …with passion

3. Stay… | Luke 24:49

• …with expectation and imagination.

For Further Discussion

• Discuss moments of light and dark, as described in today’s talk, that you have personally experienced. What was your response to each? Why do we as Christians still have moments in the dark?

• What is the most difficult thing for you when it comes to waiting…on anything?  What about waiting on God?

• Is the waiting we discussed today a passive or active waiting? What are some of the actions that should characterize our waiting?

• What is your expectation of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit-filled life?

Good Reads:

by Clark H. Pinnock

by Jack Levison

I. Ascension implications

A. Jesus is the world’s true King!

• Matthew 28:18; Mark 16:19; Daniel 7:13-14

B. God’s plan for Israel and the world has reached an unexpected climax.

• Compare Luke 1-2 with Luke 24

C. The kingdom of God has arrived and is yet to come.

• Acts 1:6; Matthew 28:20

D. How? Through Christ’s representatives.

• Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:6-8

E. The physical removal of Christ creates the necessary condition for the gift of the Spirit.

• When you compare Luke 1-2 with Luke 24, what similarities do you see? Here are a couple of clues: Luke 2:32/Luke 24:47; Luke 2:38/Luke 24:21; Luke 2:46/Luke 24:26

• Assuming the primary conclusion of the resurrection is “not so you too can have life after death”, what is the primary conclusion?

• What was Christ’s answer to the disciple’s kingdom question in Acts 1:6?

• What does the worldwide commission say about God’s relationship to national Israel?

• What is the role of the church in all of this?

by N. T. Wright

by N. T. Wright