Bible Study: James

This week we have a bible study to do, but I thought we could take the opportunity to deliver our Christmas leaflets. I know Keith and Jenny have some leaflets and Sue and I do, and if you have some then bring them along and we can do those too. If we do it all together it won't take long. Then we can come back here and have a warm drink, and pray together.

Below is the bible study from Richard, though I don't think we will get a chance to do it.

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This week, we’re reviewing the message of James. Below are some suggested ways of reviewing the letter and applying what it says to our lives as individuals, as a homegroup and as a church.

1) In pairs, look over James again and share which bits of the letter stood out for you – and why Possible examples:

• ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds...’ (1:2)
• ‘...humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (1:21-22)
• ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.’ (1:27)
• ‘... believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism.’ (2:1)
• The teaching on the tongue (3:1-12)
• ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God...’ (4:7)
• ‘The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.’ (5:16)

2) In what ways have you been challenged by this letter?

3) In what ways have you been encouraged by this letter?

4) We can apply the message of Scripture in at least three ways – to our minds, our hearts and our will.

• What truths does James ask his readers to believe (mind application)?
• What attitudes does he want his readers to grow in (heart application)?
• What behaviour does he want his readers to change (will application)?

5) Getting personal

• Think of one area of your life you want to change in response to the message of James.
• Pray for one another that God would change you in these ways.

The Good God - why it is great that God is Trinity

This week, we are going to the Midlands Gospel Partnership event. Please see the flyer below for details. If you need a lift, let me know.

Bible Study: Luke Uncover

This is our fifth Luke Uncover study and we are looking at Luke 22:66-71, 23:13-25, 32-56.

Here is a question to get you pondering from the opening blurb:

Looking forward to seeing tomorrow.

Own Programme: Knickerbocker Glory Evening

This week we are meeting with Pete and Alaine's group at Paula and Adrian's house. Pete and Alaine's group are providing savoury stuff (cheese and biscuits) and we are providing items for the Knickerbocker Glories. Pete thinks there will be 10 or so of them so that you have some ideas of how much to get.

Some ideas:

• chocolate
• sprinkles
• fruit
• cookies
• sauce

Bible Study: Luke Uncover

This week we are looking at the second of our Luke Uncover Bible studies. I really enjoyed the last one and I hope you did too. So it would be great if we can all get together. This week we are at Merry's house. Remember to be praying about who you can give the gospel to, and if you need any more then please let me know.

Own Programme: Games Evening

This week we have our games evening - we talked about playing Carcassone, but feel free to bring another game if you'd prefer.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Own Programme: Video and Pizza

You are invited to our house for some pizza and a video. We could watch:

Please come along. I'll buy some pizzas if you could bring some money to cover the costs.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Bible Study: Genesis 15

For starters
1. Would you describe yourself as a patient person? When do you find waiting for something most difficult in your life?
2. Try to put this proverb into your own words: ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life’ (Proverbs 13:12). Do you agree? How does this help us understand some of the challenges of living by faith in God’s promises in the gospel?

Into the Bible – Genesis 15
3. Recap the story of Abraham/Abram so far by looking over Genesis chs. 11-14.
• What are the promises God has made to Abram? (e.g. 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17)
• How would you describe Abram’s faith in God and God’s promises in these chapters?

Read Genesis 15:1-6
4. How are God’s words to Abram in v.1 exactly what he needs to hear?
5. Look at vv.2-3. Why does Abram struggle to take comfort from God’s words?
6. Can you relate to Abram’s struggle here? When do you struggle to believe God has the power to keep the promises he has made in the gospel?
7. Look at vv.4-5. How does God reassure Abram that he will keep the promises he has made to him to give him descendants ‘from his own body’?
8. Look at v.6. How does God respond to Abram’s faith in him and in his promises?

Look at Romans 4:1-5 & 18-25
9. How does the apostle Paul link Abraham’s faith with the faith of those who trust in Jesus? What can we learn from Abraham’s faith in our Christian lives?

Read Genesis 15:7-21
10. What promise does God reaffirm to Abram in v.7? How does Abram respond to this in v.8?
11. Look at the covenant God makes with Abram in vv.9-21. What is the significance of the cut-up animal pieces in vv.9-11?

[Note: In Near-Eastern countries of this period, this was the most solemn way of making an agreement with someone. The cut-up animal pieces are a sign of the serious consequences if one party breaks the agreement – ‘If I break this covenant, may I end up like these animals and be cut up and killed.’]

12. What is the significance of vv.17-21 – that it is only the LORD (in the form of a smoking brazier) that walks between the animal pieces, and not Abram (who is in a deep sleep – see v.12)?

[Note: By this action, God is saying the he will bear the consequences alone if his covenant with Abram is broken. Of course, both Abram and his descendants break their covenant with God repeatedly throughout the Old Testament – and God finally bears the consequences of that in the person of his Son Jesus at the cross.]

Bible Study: Matthew 11:25-30

For starters

1. Think of a time in your life when you would have described yourself as ‘weary’ (it could be right now).  In what ways is ‘weariness’ distinct from simple tiredness?
2. What things do you generally find yourself worrying about in your life?  What keeps you up at night?

Into the Bible – Matthew 11:25-30

Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:25-30.

3. What do we learn about the Son / Jesus from vv.25-27?
4. According to Jesus, which sort of people respond to him in the right way?  Which sort of people fail to respond to him in the right way?

Look at vv.28-30.

5. According to Jesus, what is the solution to our burdens?
6. In what ways would a first-century Jewish audience listening to Jesus have been ‘weary and burdened’?  (If it’s helpful, look up the following passages:

• Matthew 23:1-4
• Matthew 5:41 (almost certainly a reference to the practice of Roman soldiers of conscripting ordinary citizens to carry military equipment)

7. In what ways might we similarly feel ‘weary and burdened’ as Christians today?

‘I will give you rest’.

8. Look up Hebrews 4:1-11.  What do we learn about the ‘rest’ God offers his people here?  How does this help us understand more fully what Jesus is offering us here?

9. The rest Jesus offers those who come to him includes rest from:

• the burden of not being good enough
• the expectations of other people
• emotional anxiety
• ultimately, physical restriction (in God’s ‘rest’, the new creation)

   
Is this how we think of relationship with Jesus in the gospel?  Is this the invitation we’re    holding out to people in the gospel?

10. Look at vv.29-30.  Jesus speaks of his people being ‘yoked’ to him.  How does being yoked to Jesus result in us finding rest for our souls?

Application

11. “Jesus’ burden is light, because he’s done the heavy lifting.”  What do you most need to remember about Jesus in your life right now?
12. “Jesus’ invitation in these verses is too good to refuse – and too good to keep to ourselves.”  Think of a friend/relative/neighbour/colleague who doesn’t know Jesus – and spend some time praying that they would come to find rest in him.

Bible Study: Review of priorities

For starters
Look over the six priorities for growth we’ve set ourselves as a church:
• Growing in Jesus
• Growing in mission
• Growing in love
• Growing in service
• Growing in prayer
• Growing in hospitality
Following on from our discussions on Sunday – which of these excite you the most? Which of these areas do you find most daunting? Why?

Into the Bible
Look over the following passages from Ephesians (in pairs or smaller groups):
2:14-16
2:19-22
3:10-11
5:25-27
• What different pictures and descriptions of the church does the apostle Paul give us in this letter? How do you think this should affect the way we feel about belonging to a local church like Avenue?

Read Ephesians 4:1-13
• Look at vv.1-3. Why do you think Paul includes calls here to ‘be patient, bearing with one another in love’ and make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit’? What is he presuming about life and relationships within a local church?
• How do vv.1-3 fit with the glorious descriptions of what it means to be the church in the other passages from Ephesians we’ve just looked at?
• Read vv.4-6. What does Paul emphasise here – and why do you think he emphasises it?
• Read vv.7-8. What does Paul emphasise here – and why do you think he emphasises it?
• Read vv.11-13. For what purpose does Christ give his church leaders of various kinds?
• Look at v.13. What are the goals of gospel ministry within a local church? What characteristics should we aspire to?

Reflect for a moment on the life of Avenue as a whole – and of your homegroup in particular.
• How do you think we measure up to the descriptions of v.13?

Read vv.14-16
• What different illustrations does Paul use to depict a mature church? How are these illustrations helpful?
• Look at v.15: what roles do truth and love have in building maturity? What happens if either one of these is lacking?
• “The message of this passage in Ephesians is that in order to grow as a church, we need Jesus and we need one another.” How do these verses teach both truths? Which truth do you think you need to be reminded of in particular at the moment?

Application
Looking over the six priorities for growth:
• How do you think your homegroup has developed in these areas together over the past few months?
• What steps can we take to continue to develop in these areas together?

Discussion: Prayer

Well it seems like AGES since we last met up. So please come to our house this week. We can sort out the rest of term, and I think it would be a good thing to discuss how we are doing with prayer in our Homegroup. I think it would be good to discuss things like:

• How should we pray?
• For what should we pray?
• Different ways to organise prayer
• How can we support each other better in prayer
• How we can encourage more/better prayer in our homegroup

It would be great if you could take a moment to think through Homegroup and Prayer - and be willing to share your views.

Also next week is one of the regular Midland Gospel Partnership events at Oadby Evangelical Church with Graham Beynon 8pm. See the flyer below for more details. It would be good to support this event.