STORIES WK.O1
1. Stories are powerful. Think of some of your favorite memories/stories from your childhood that involve a family tradition. What sights, sounds, smells, or seasons jar your memory to recall those moments? How have those stories from your past shaped who you are and what you practice?
2. Read Luke 7:36-50. Both Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman relate to Jesus; Simon does so intellectually/ethically (“he thought to himself”), the woman personally. Do you tend to encounter Jesus as a character to be scrutinized, a problem to be solved, or is Jesus a person to be loved, a Savior to be worshipped?
3. Jesus story about the two debtors illustrated to Simon the difference between he and the sinful woman. In what ways have you attempted to repay the debt you could never repay (SIN) through merit or “good” behavior? In other words, how do you attempt to become your own savior?
4. Jesus reveals from his story that our ability to love God is directly related to our acknowledgement of spiritual debt and understanding of forgiveness. Take some time as a group to thank God for the ways he has forgiven you, both little debts and large debts.
5. Jesus finalizes this encounter with the statement that “faith has saved” the sinful woman, therefore, she can “go in peace”. Is peace missing in your life? How can the truth of the story of forgiven debts bring about peace in your life?
WK.O2
1. Our study today involves a metaphor about seeds and produce. Have you ever grown anything (a tree, fruits/vegetable garden, lawn, flowers)? Do you tend to have a “green thumb” or do you have a “wilting effect” on vegetation?
2. Read Mark 4:1-25. Jesus is direct in his request for his followers to listen and use their ears. Jesus teaches that his word will be ignored:
a. Immediately: How have you seen satan come and deceive you from obeying God’s word (fear, sin, guilt, doubt, etc.)?
b. Eventually: Some will receive the word with joy, but will fall away due to difficulty or persecution. Is there an area where you are practicing delayed obedience? What area of your life has yet to be consumed by the Gospel (finances, time, care for neighbor/oppressed, business practices, etc.)?
c. Partially: What are some things that get equal attention in your life with God’s word? Of Jesus list (worries of life, deceitfulness of wealth, desire for things) what keeps you from being fully obedient to God’s word?
3. Jesus offers a stern warning to those listening, that God’s word will either liberate them or judge them. Our listening is important for our:
a. Salvation: Read James 1:21, 1 Peter 1:23-25. The word that is planted in us creates new birth and salvation.
b. Discipleship: Relationship demands communication. How is your prayer life? Is one of the areas of your life that you previously identified (question 2b and 2c) keeping you from communicating with God?
c. Fruitfulness: How is the word bringing about fruit in your life? Think of those in your group. How have you seen God’s word bear fruit in someone else’s life recently?
4. Read James 1:22-25. How can we challenge one another to obey God’s word, not just listen to it and talk about it?
STORIES WK.O3
1. In what area of your life have you been the most persistent (parenting, career, exercise, team loyalty, etc.)?
2. Read Luke 18:1-8. Jesus tells a story that calls his disciples to become people of prayer. What has the trajectory of your prayer life looked like since you have been a follower of Christ? What has shaped your positive experiences of prayer? What has been some of the obstacles and difficulties in your prayer life?
3. What tends to keep you from praying (doubt, sin, indifference, anger, bitterness, time)?
4. Jesus calls his disciples to be a people of endurance as well. When you think of the next 20 years of your life, what would keep from keeping the faith? What is likely to stand in the way of you becoming a person of endurance and faithfulness?
5. Jesus parable shows us that we persevere through prayer and we pray to persevere. How has prayer brought your through difficulty and hardship in the past? How has perseverance shaped your prayer life?
6. Read Luke 22:39-46. Jesus’ disciples failed to persevere and pray when they most needed to. Have you ever given up on prayer or ceased to be persistent because God didn’t do what you wanted him too? How were you attempting to be god over the situation, through your prayers?
7. How can we pray together, persistently, to be formed into the people of God? How can our prayers be offered in faith, because of what Christ has done for us?
STORIES WK.O4
1. The story of the Prodigal Son tells the story of two brothers, a rebellious younger brother and a rule-following older brother. Which brother do you most relate to? Where you the typical rule-follower or the one who always questioned/broke the rules?
2. Read Luke 15:11-32. Jesus tells a story that paints a completely new picture of who God is, a father who pursues his children and embraces them in their need. Have you seen God “run to you” the way that the father runs to his wayward son in the story? When has God’s grace met you in your greatest time of need and brokenness?
3. The father embraces his son before he has a chance to clean up or make restitution for his irresponsibility and sin. Do you accept the grace of God as sheer grace, or do you attempt to “make up” for your sinfulness? What are some of the things that you do to try to clean yourself up?
4. Jesus offers us a new definition of sin in this story, that sin is reckless disobedience (younger brother), but sin is also attempting to be our own savior (older brother). Which type of sin are you prone to, self-discovery (younger brother) or moral conformity (older brother)? How can we continue to call one another to repentance in this area?
5. Ultimately, both brothers were attempting to use their father in order to get his stuff. What are the things that you feel entitled to as a child of God? In other words, what things do you use God for, as a means, rather than being satisfied with God?
6. Jesus models for us the true older brother, the one who gave up his inheritance in order to bring us back from sin and death. How does this story compel you to seek out those who are far from God? How can we embody the mission of the Father that is revealed in this story?
STORIES WK.O5
1. What makes you optimistic about the future of the church?
2. Read Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus tells a story of hospitality leading to judgment. In what ways have you experienced the love and care of the church? How has the church provided for you or met you in your time of need?
3. Here are some of the ‘one anothers’ of the New Testament. Which of these do we practice well? Which ones do we need to begin acting upon?
a. Be at peace with each other Mark 9:50
b. Accept one another, as Christ has accepted you Romans 15:7
c. Honor one another above yourselves Romans 12:10
d. Carry each others burdens Galatians 6:2
e. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ Ephesians 5:21
f. Confess your sins to one another James 5:16
4. Take a few moments and practice your deficient one another’s.
5. When we become the church, we point others toward life lived with God as the center. How can our small group begin to impact our neighborhoods and city? How can we demonstrate life under the Lordship of Christ to those around us?