Bible study: 1 Cor 1:1--15

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL IN A MESSED-UP WORLD: THE MESSAGE OF 1 CORINTHIANS

2. The message of the cross

Pray.

Starter: (In 2s or 3s) What opinions do people listen to when deciding how to live? What makes people listen to them?

Read 1 Cor 1:10-25.

What has caused the church in Corinth to be divided?

When does respect for a Christian Leader become unhealthy?

What can we learn from Paul’s solutions to these divisions?

How can the cross seem foolish to people?

How does this passage effect our evangelism and how we feel about it?

Does this passage encourage or challenge us or both?

(prompt to think individually and as a community if necessary)  

Pray.

Bible Study

This week we're meeting at Keith and Jenny's house for Bible study.

Own programme!

This week we're at my house for 'Own programme'. We might watch The Great British Bake Off final, a film or just chat. Hope to see you then.

Mark

Homegroup 'weekend away' 2014

Bible Study: We are worshippers (True Identity)

True identity: Understanding our life and mission as a church.

We are worshippers.

Starter
(In pairs or threes) How do you describe our church to other people? Why would/wouldn’t you describe us as ‘a worshipping community’?

Read Romans 12:1-2.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Questions
What things must be true for these verses to make sense?

Why is important that mercy precedes sacrifice in the passage?

‘Sacrifice’ is a stark word; how can worship be costly for us?

What motivators are there for us to offer our bodies gladly when the sacrifice is great?

If a non-Christian friend asks you about this evening, what things would you like to be able to share?

Own Programme: Evening Walk

This week we will meet at Keith and Jenny's to enjoy a stroll round Knighton Park and then a drink back at their house.

Bible Study: Hosea 5:8-6:6

Hosea 5:8-6:6. God wants a repentant relationships with us not just rule keeping.

Key: italics=sub questions.
(Ephraim=Israel).

Why does sorry seem to be the hardest word?

Hosea 5:8-15 God is our judge

1. How else have Gods people and their leaders acted unfaithfully? (what have they done, who have they put their faith in)

2. What more do we learn about God’s coming judgment? (What does it look like?)

3. What does God want his people to do when they see the effect of sin? (v15).

Hosea 6:1-10. True repentance = True relationship with God.

4. What does Israel decide to do? What is good about what they say?

5. What does God know about their love for him? Can you spot what is missing from Israel’s return. What kind of thing does God still see his people doing (7-10).

6. What does God desire people to display? How does this help us understand the kind of religion he is pleased by?

7. How can we as church members be like Israel was in Hosea’s day? Do you ever ask God for his blessings, and tell him you want him as your God, without being truly sorry for your sins or really being willing to change? How does God’s desire for a real religious attitude of heartfelt mercy rather than hypocritical one of outward performance encourage and challenge you?

Application

During his life on earth Jesus quoted Hosea’s words, which is really helpful to us and really important to understand.

Matthew 9:9-13

8. Why don’t the Pharisees like what Jesus is doing?

9. Why do the Pharisees need to learn the lesson of Hosea 6 v 6? How does Matthew show us a right response to Jesus?

10. What can we learn from Hosea 6 and Matthew 9:9-13 about truly turning back to God?

11. Why, as a follower of Jesus, will we show mercy to others?

12. How can we encourage true, heartfelt repentance among our Christian friends? (what might get in the way, what things might we sometimes say that actually obstruct this repentance?)

Personal taking home questions

When and why do you find it difficult to say sorry to God?

When and why do you find it hard to show mercy to others?

Prayer points: confessing sins will prompt us to say sorry. And it will remind us that we have received mercy and so need to show it to others.

Bible study: Overview of Hosea 1-3

To introduce our new sermon series in the Old Testament book of Hosea, we’re going to read over the narrative section of the book together tonight – Hosea chapters 1-3. Spend some time as a group reading over Hosea 1-3. Then, individually, use the following pictures to guide you (this Bible-study method is sometimes known as the ‘Swedish method’).

A light-bulb: This should be something that shines out from the passage – whatever impacts you most or draws most attention.

A question mark: Anything that is difficult to understand in the passage, or a question you’d like to ask the writer or the people involved (e.g. Hosea, Gomer, the people of Israel...)

A thinking man: A personal application for your life.




Spend 10 minutes or so reading over the passage individually, taking notes against these three headings.
Then share what you’ve found with one another for the rest of your time – trying to spend a good bit of time on the personal application.

How does the book of Hosea help us understand:

• who God is?
• who we are?
• what the gospel is all about?

Bible Study: John 16:16-33

John 16:16-33

1. As a group, review some of the major things Jesus has taught his disciples about the Christian life in John chapters 13-16 – Jesus’ last night with his disciples before the cross.

In John 16:16-33, Jesus focuses his disciples’ attention on his coming death and resurrection.

2. Read vv.20-22. What illustration does Jesus use to help the disciples understand his suffering on the cross? Why is this a helpful illustration?

3. In v.22, Jesus promises that joy will replace their grief. What will be the initial source of that joy?

4. Look at vv.23-24. How does Jesus say the disciples can have an ongoing experience of joy as they live for him? What can we learn from Jesus’ words here for our own lives?

5. Read vv.25-28. What new relationship with God the Father will Jesus’ followers enjoy after the cross and the resurrection?

6. What difference does knowing God as your Father make to your life here and now?

7. Read vv.29-32. Jesus knows the disciples will scatter once he is arrested. What does this tell us about the disciples at this stage in their faith? What does this tell us about Jesus and his willingness to go to the cross for them?

8. Read v.33. What vision of the Christian life does Jesus leave his disciples with here? How does this serve as a helpful summary of Jesus’ teaching in chapters 13-16 of John?

9. Spend some time praying about what you’ve learnt about the cross, the resurrection and the Christian life from this passage.

Social: An evening of Knickerbocker Glory Making

This week is a joint meeting with Paul and Bev Webster's homegroup meeting at our house. We are having an evening of Knickerbocker Glory making - yippee!

Please bring anything from the following selection:

• Ice cream
• Sprinkles
• Fruit
• Sauce
• Cones
• Cream
• Treats
• Chocolate

I can't wait!

Bible Study John 14:15-31

1. How often do you think of God as Trinity in your life as a Christian – of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit? What difference does that make to your relationship with him?

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

2. Take a bit of time to remind yourselves of the context of John 14. Who is Jesus speaking to? What is about to happen to Jesus?

Read John 14:15-31

3. In vv.15-21, Jesus teaches that his departure will lead to the sending of the Spirit to the disciples. What does he tell us about the Spirit here?

4. What does v.21 tell us about the people to whom the Holy Spirit is given?

5. How does the coming of the Spirit help Jesus’ followers to grow in the areas described in vv.15, 21 and 23?

6. In what ways does this help us understand the work of the Spirit in the life of a Christian? Does this add to or challenge any of the ways you’ve previously heard of the work of the Spirit?

7. Look at v.23. What comfort would Jesus’ disciples have taken from Jesus’ words here? What comfort can we take from them today?

The Trinity in John 13-14

John 13-17 contains some of the most detailed descriptions of God as Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – that we find in the Bible.

8. Looking over John chapters 13 and 14 (the chapters we’ve looked at together so far in this series):

• What do we learn about God the Father from these chapters?

• What do we learn about Jesus / God the Son from these chapters?

• What do we learn about God the Holy Spirit from these chapters?

9. Invite every person in the group to take one thing that has stood out for them about God tonight – and give short prayers of thanksgiving for who God is together.

Midlands Gospel Partnership

This week we have no meeting together because there is a Midlands Gospel Partnership event at Enderby. I really would recommend you to go, as they are always really stimulating evenings.

Here is the flyer for the event.

Bible Study: Friendship

Here is the bible study for this week...

Setting the scene

1. Why do friendships matter so much to us? Why do we value friends so highly?
2. How is the theme of friendship related to the gospel?

The book of Proverbs on friendship

3. Look at the following passages from Proverbs on friendship:
• Proverbs 17:9
• Proverbs 17:17
• Proverbs 18:24
• Proverbs 27:5-6
• Proverbs 27:9
• Proverbs 27:17
4. What do we learn from these passages about friendship that honours God?
5. In what ways do these descriptions challenge you to be a better friend?
6. Why do you think we need friendships like this as we live for Jesus in this world?
(You can link that specifically to the current sermon series and how we can help one another remain faithful to God in our thinking and behaviour concerning sex.)

Think it through

7. Can you think of practical ways of developing these sorts of friendships more:
• In this homegroup?
• At Avenue as a wider church family?
• In your friendships outside of church – both with Christians and with non-Christians?

Spend some time praying for more Christ-like friendships to develop in these areas.

Bible Study: John 12:20-36

Here are the questions for this week on John 12:20-36:

For Starters

1. When did you first encounter the idea of the cross – and can you remember what you thought of it?

Read John 12:20-36.

2. Look back at John12:12-19. Jesus is in Jerusalem, having arrived on a donkey as the king promised by the prophet Zechariah. What do you think the crowds expected Jesus to do after entering into Jerusalem?

vv.23-26

3. How does Jesus describe ‘the hour of his glorification’ in vv.23-24? How might his disciples have reacted to this? How might the crowd have reacted?
4. Look at vv.25-26. Jesus links his approaching death with the life his followers can expect. What is daunting about how Jesus describes a life lived for him? What is encouraging about it?

vv.27-30

5. God the Father spoke directly to or about Jesus his Son in two earlier instances in Jesus’ life – at Jesus’ baptism (see Mark 1:10-11) and Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:7). What do we learn about the relationship between God the Father and God the Son from these two episodes?
6. What do we learn about the relationship between God the Father and God the Son in these verses in John 12?

vv.31-33

7. Jesus describes the cross in these verses as both a time of God judging sin (v.31) and saving a people for himself (v.32). Why do those two truths belong together at the cross?

Think it through...

8. What has struck you most about the cross after looking at this passage?
9. Are you ready to be mocked and misunderstood as you trust in Jesus’ death for you?
10. In your life at the moment, what do you most need to remember about the cross of Jesus and what it achieved?
11. Spend some time praying for one another.