Large group - mentoring and teaching

Here are the discussion questions!  Please feel free to reply or reply-all if you see anything that you would like to respond to:

1. What is the point of teaching and mentoring? See 2 Timothy 3:10-16. The word ‘instruct’ is a translation of the Greek word παιδεία [paideia], which means:

1) the whole training and education of children (which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment) It also includes the training and care of the body

2) whatever in adults also cultivates the soul, esp. by correcting mistakes and curbing passions.

2a) instruction which aims at increasing virtue

2b) chastisement, chastening, (of the evils with which God visits men for their amendment)? [Strong’s/Thayer’s Greek Lexicon]

How can this be accomplished? Read 1 Corinthians 4:14-17. Do we need to instruct with our words, our actions, or both? Proverbs 1:8-9. What are some concrete ways to create situations where learning and instruction can happen? In an everyday sense? Can you also think of helpful challenges, ceremonies, rites of passage, etc.?

2. Whose responsibility is it to teach? See again Proverbs 1:8-9 and 1 Corinthians 4:14-17, and also Luke 17:1-4. Are parents responsible for knowing what their children are learning even if they entrust some of their education to others (e.g. a school)? Should we take being a teacher seriously? Read James 3 andEphesians 4:11-16.

3. What about the role of punishment? See Proverbs 13:24, 19:18, 29:15, etc. What do punishment and rebuke look like? See 2 Timothy 4:1-5. See also Titus 2 and 1 Timothy 5:1-2. What does Titus 2:1-8 tell us about a community in which teaching can take place?

Large group - peace, joy, faith, and purpose

Here are the Discussion Questions for today (below). Also, as requested after our talk about money last week, I have posted a budget sheet that you are free to copy and do with as you wish (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z7VH6icr3yxmyqKZGdS5ObzjViqjoCgpqGWgyt_GynU/edit#gid=85882684). Finally, my address is 339 S. Catalina Ave and my phone number is 401-439-6786, in case you have any trouble finding us.

Peace, joy, faith, and purpose:

1. We talk about how God disciplines us through hard times (e.g. Hebrews 12:4-13) so that we may be strengthened in righteousness and peace. For example, David is strengthened through his hardships and grows in faith (Psalm 13). But what about when David is comfortable? Read 2 Samuel 11. Now that David was at ease he began to stray from the Lord’s ways (e.g. he stayed at home instead of going off to war and also fell into covetousness, trickery, murder, etc.). There are many other examples of biblical characters and nations falling away from God during times of ease and comfort (e.g. 1 Kings 11:1-6 or 2 Kings 23:36-37).

2. However, others in the bible were able to be righteous during times of plenty. Consider Job (read Job 1:1-11). Job had great faith during times of both plenty and trouble. What sorts of things did Job do that were pleasing to the Lord? Consider Proverbs 10:4-5 and Ecclesiastes 3. What do they talk about? How do we know what season of life we are in? How do we gather up knowledge to interpret the times and know God’s will for us? Read Matthew 7:7-12, Proverbs 16:1 and 9, Numbers 15:32-36,Mark 2:27. Why does God take the Sabbath so seriously? What happens when we are busy with our own plans?

3. What are some ways to grow in peacetime? Start with Psalm 1:1-3. What does it talk about?  How does it relate to our lives? How do we become a person who meditates on the law of the Lord by day and by night? What does it mean to pray unceasingly (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)? How do we learn to do this? How do peace and joy and prayer and praise come together? See also Phillipians 4:4-9. Are the exhortations in the 1 Thessalonians and Philippians passages corporate or personal; how do the personal and the corporate inter-relate? Do we shy away from being joyful or pretend to be less joyful than we are (e.g. to fit in with complaining about work)? How does Romans 12:15-16 fit in?

4. What is the point of joy and peace and faith? Philippians 2:12-13; God works through us and His will for us is good. So these are good things in and of themselves. What about some concrete examples of Jesus’ will for us? Take, for example, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). We each, as a member of the church have a responsibility toward that goal (e.g. 1 Corinthians 12:28-29). How do Ephesians 4:11-16 and Philippians 4:4-7 relate to what we have been speaking about with joy, peace, faith, and God’s purpose for us?

Feel free to reply-all with comments and discussion!

Faith, hope, and love,

Peter

Large group - Money and power

1. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (1 Corinthians 4:20). Context for this (as always) is important; read 1 Corinthians 4. Focus on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. What does ‘Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful’ (1 Corinthians 4:2) mean? Where does power come from (Deuteronomy 8:17 and Romans 13:1-7). What does it mean to subject to authority? How do these passages connect to the real world? Does the bible describe reality (John 19:11)? How do power, responsibility, and respect connect? What is the purpose of power; why does God give out power (Isaiah 58)?

2. One form of power is money. Is money (or anything) inherently evil (1 Corinthians 10:23-33)? However, can money (or other idols) lead you astray (e.g. Matthew 6:24)? Consider that there are righteous (Acts 13:22) and unrighteous (Luke 23:11) rich and righteous (Mark 12:42) and unrighteous (Genesis 18:32) poor.

3. Money can be used for good (e.g. imagine how much good you could do with infinite amounts of money to feed people with) and is something to be stewarded well. God gives His gifts (including money) based on His own plan (e.g. Job’s life) not as a reward. Beware of both the Prosperity Gospel (e.g. twisting 3 John 1:2) and the Poverty Gospel (e.g. twisting Mark 10:21)! What are pitfalls of both these ‘gospels’?

4. How do these verses work together? 1 Timothy 5:8, Proverbs 13:22, Matthew 6:3, Proverbs 21:20 (compare with Proverbs 10:14), Matthew 25:14-30, Job 1:21. How can we be good stewards of the blessings that God has given us?

Large group - Parents and children

1. We have one Father in heaven (Ephesians 4:6). Clearly our relationship with Him is not the same as with our earthly parents (e.g. Matthew 23:9, Luke 11:11-13, Hebrews 12:3-11). What are some similarities and differences?

2. Exodus 20:12. Honor your mother and your father. This is the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:1-4). What does it mean to honor your mother and father? What do Malachi 1:6-9 and Mark 7:6-13 show us about honor, how we treat God, and how we treat our parents? Do we use words, actions, attitude?

3. Does this mean that we have to always listen to our parents? Read Ezekiel 20:18-19 and Acts 5:29. Can parents be wrong? Read also Colossians 3:12-21. Who do we ultimately have allegiance to?

4. Look at Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 1:8. How are fathers and mothers called to be raising their children; to what purpose? Is this a reflection of how God raises us as His children (e.g. Hebrews 12:10)? What is God raising us for? See Ephesians 4:1-16. In this context, how do we honor our parents?

5. Do parents make mistakes? Read Colossians 3:21 and Ephesians 6:4. Why is there a specific warning? What happens when parents exasperate their children? Can parents harm their children (Jeremiah 19:1-5)? What to do then? Have you had conflict with your parents? What happened? Have you sought to restore damage? Is that always possible (Romans 12:18)?

Large group - The Seemly and the Unseemly (1 Corinthians 12)

Note that we are back to meeting at 8:45pm.

Tonight we will be talking about 'seemly' and 'unseemly' members of the Body of Christ. What's the difference between the two, how does it affect our relationships with each other? What are pitfalls to watch out for? How do we cover each other? How do we give greater honor to the 'unseemly' members (e.g. 1 Corinthians 12:23)? What are our strengths and weaknesses?

This will be an introduction to the topic.  For more insight into this important (and often neglected) concept I highly recommend coming to the CCF prayer meeting that happens every other week (next time: Saturday, July 5).

Faith, hope, and love,

Peter

Large group - The Power of Words

1. God spoke and the world was created (see Genesis 1). The Holy Spirit dwells in us and gives us power, too. Do our words have the power to create as well? What do we create with our words? Let’s explore this in the following discussion questions.

2. Let’s start with a type of speech that is not well understood by our culture: blessings. Do blessings carry power? Do we act today as if blessings carry power? What power do blessings have? Consider one story of blessing: that of Balaam and Balak (Numbers 22-24).

a. Does Balaam really have the power to bless and curse? (Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:12)

b. What gives Balaam this power (Numbers 22:18, Numbers 22:38, etc.)?

c. What are some other examples of blessings in the bible? How do they compare to the story of Balaam and Balak?

3. Consider another example of speech in the bible, Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:4-9, Nehemiah 2:17-18). God speaks, Nehemiah speaks, and King Artaxerxes speaks, and the wall of Jerusalem is rebuilt (Nehemiah 7:1). What aspects of this story are similar to the story of Balaam and Balak? How are speech, action, prayer, and the spiritual realm connected in this story?

4. To bring the discussion closer to our everyday experience, consider James 3:2-12. Why are we given this warning? Does speech have the power to liberate and to ensnare, to build up and to tear down? Can you think of examples from history or your own life? How does this passage relate to the two stories we just talked about?

5. How then are we to use our tongues and speech? Does our speech have power to build each other up, to spur us to grow and the creation of new things? Consider these verses: 1 Corinthians 14:26, Hebrews 10:24, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 4:11-16. How do we speak to each other? How does our speech gain power, how does it relate to God and the truth? How do speech and works tie together (e.g. Ephesians 4:11-16)? What are some practical ways we can put this discussion into practice? In this context how can our lives be centered on Jesus?

FBM 3 Notes 5/31/14

FBM 3 Notes 5/31/14

Present: Yuka, Jams, Lisa, Vivian, Peter Buhler, Madeline, Robb, Alex Hsu, Daniel, Eliza, Andy, Skippy

President:

Eliza and Jams running as Co-Presidents, which isn’t something CCF has really done before, but they will be studying abroad one term each, different terms. They bring to the table both the be-er and the do-er aspects of being president. Make everyone in the fellowship feel wanted (pastoral role). Eliza is a be-er, being there for others and this is something she’s thought and prayed about for a long time. She’s not fully confident she’s ready for the job, but throughout the Bible, God uses people who aren’t ready. Jams was inspired to start thinking about CCF presidency by Francis Chan… serve and lead by example, even when things aren’t going smoothly. Serve rather than complain. Also inspired by Life Together, letting God do the work through Jams…  Jams is a do-er. Excite muchhh!

Interrogation time:

Q. Alex (to both): How do you see CCF next year?

A. Jams: I hope that small groups can be a bigger part of CCF and there will be more people excited to lead them.

Eliza: I’ve seen that this year we’ve been more serious about inviting in non-Christians or people who seem to have fallen away from Christianity. I’d like to see that continue. Maybe not bringing them into CCF but directing them to another community. But helping everyone who wants a community to be in one.

Q. Robb: Biggest fears/concerns

A. Eliza: lack of maturity spiritually and worldly. Hasn’t been reading much of the Bible lately. Not great at organizing things (being on time, keeping papers straight, etc.) Jams probably will help with the organization stuff but don’t want to fully put that on Jams. Faith that God will overcome these weaknesses.

Jam: I’m not a very eloquent person or good at explaining things, so something to overcome for Large Groups, talking to new people. But Bible has many examples of weak people... but it’s about God. Also, being president is a very public thing… representing CCF (at club fair, etc.) so one challenge is not being scared or ashamed in any way in front of people who don’t know about faith – profs.

Q. Vivian (to both): Will you have more time next year than this year? Both of you have been very busy this year. It may not be healthy to  take on this role on top of everything. Robb: would you be willing to sacrifice other things (take fewer classes, etc.) for CCF? Peter: You can’t be there for other people if you’re wiped out yourself.

A. Jams: Probably same amount of time next year and this year. Don’t see much changing. But I’m able and willing to make time if I need to for CCF activities and planning and talking to people. For instance, this year I’ve been going to LCF but I probably won’t be going as often next year.  I don’t have any worries about this.

Eliza: Same amount of time next year in terms of official commitments. Eliza ia considering taking 5 years to graduate, so she can take fewer classes and free up time. It seems like the largest amount of what takes up my time isn’t schoolwork or extracurriculars or socialization but rather aimless worrying. I anticipate this will get better next year. Concerns about “Can I handle roles of mature leadership?”

Q. Vivian: Do you feel you have someone to talk to?

A. Eliza: yes

Jams: yes

Q. Peter: Since you will be working together, do you have any concerns about personality/goals? Have you talked together a lot? Do you have much in common, etc.?

A. Yes, friends, will get to know each other more.

Skippy: spend a weekend together on a road trip or something having fun. Go someplace, do something that’s interesting to both of you. Spend time talking about non-serious matters, to lay a foundation of normality to your relationship.

Vivian: have a council retreat to all get to know each other.

Skippy: I made a series of reservations for time shares, which could include a way to do pre-term retreat.

Eliza: biggest concern about working together is that one will feel the other is not doing as much, and this will breed resentment. But I’m fairly sure we will talk to each other etc. and this won’t be an issue. Also there’s council.

Q. Lisa: How are you a be-er / do-er?

A. Eliza: People open up to me. People feel safe around me. Mercy. Ability to empathize with people who are hurting and marginalized, let them know they are loved.

Jams: I find it fun organizing activities and events. But we shouldn’t seclude ourselves to just one role.

Q. Vivian: how do you want your close friends to support you, and how will you get this support?

A. Jams: I might get caught up in the process of planning and organizing and lose sight of why I’m doing it and neglect to spend time with God alone reading the Bible and praying. So I want my close friends to remind me to do those things and be accountable in those ways. Remind me that God can do it.

Eliza: Keep me humble in the sense of accurately knowing my place, not higher or lower than I am. Identify areas for improvement and affirm areas of strength. Remind me that God can do it.

Voting: APPROVED

Large Group Coordinator:

Large Group coordinator directs all the things that happen in Large Group and organizes plans and the topics and basically what the group is going to focus on, with feedback and suggestions from other people too. Alex is pretty excited to lead it. Even before thinking about large group coordinator, I wanted to do it. I think I would enjoy it, enjoy people having a good time with each other and learning about the Bible.  Welcome more people to come. Occasional ice breakers, constant prayers.

Interrogation time

Q. Peter: how can we best serve you?

A. Advice, insightful stuff to share. Backup during large group discussion.

Vivian: maybe appoint people to help lead small group discussion.

Alex: Yeah, probably have people look over the discussion questions before hand.

Q. Vivian: How much of a part do you see ice breakers playing?

A. I’d like to include all of it. Longer large group perhaps to 10:30. This is where the feedback comes in.

Q. Madeline: Outside speakers?

A. Who was invited? Do people want others to come in?

Skippy: problem with relying on outside speakers overly much… God has put together the fellowship in such a way that people need to mature. To rely on outside speakers overly much is to give up on your calling.

Alex: Outside speakers once or twice a term sounds fine.

Vivian: Have council talk to outside speaker and maybe council teaches based on that or invites the outside speaker to speak to the fellowship.

Madeline: We can also request that people speak about a specific topic.

Peter and Alex can work together to coordinate small and large groups.

Q. Vivian: How many people would you like to come?

A. 20-30.

Vivian: Sam Elder would actively call and text people the hour before large group and keep a spreadsheet of their contact info and date they last came.

Alex: I like service and I also want to focus on fellowship, since that will help bring people together, unite the body, let people enjoy being there. Learning is good too, but I want to make it fun.

Madeline: Maybe deeper icebreakers can help people connect more deeply. I can help.

Q. Robb: Deepest fear? What feels overwhelming?

A. It doesn’t seem overwhelming, I just need to make sure all my time commitments line up well.

Q. Peter: What time are you thinking of holding large group?

A. Same.

Madeline and Peter prefer early, Robb prefers late, we can figure this out later.

Alex: Thanks for being so encouraging.

Robb: That’s why we’re here. We don’t want you to go it alone.

Yuka: If you need help calling people to come, I can be the caller.

Alex: I would really like it if you will all come.

Q. Vivian: You’ll be a junior. Will you be busy?

A. Not too busy.

Voting: APPROVED!

Event Coordinator:

Important job. I really appreciate all the events CCF has. And I want them to keep happening. So I think with enough support it would not be too burdensome. And I have a big support right here. I liked coordinating prayer and Bible study, so now that Event Coordinator is these things plus more, it is a natural extension of what I’ve done.

Interrogation Time

Q. Robb: Delegation?

A. Sit down this summer and schedule everything out. Call up people and asks in the summer if they can lead.

Vivian: At the least, I’d like to continue at least retreats, dig-ins, small groups, and turtle prayer,  discipleships, council retreat, and praise and prayer.  I don’t have much of a passion for blue slip milkshakes but I can delegate that if someone is excited about that.

Peter: It could be good to have a list of all the events/things that could happen.

Vivian : Putting on an event together can help people grow closer.

Q. Yuka: Will you be equally busy?

A. Yes. Not sure if I will graduate on time.

Peter and Vivian will work together  They already know each other well.

Q. Peter: What would you like support with?

A. Putting everything together

Q. Robb: Biggest concerns?

A. Not being able to put things together that are important like small groups, discipleships, prayer.

Q. Eliza: Any specific points of advice from people who have done the job before?

A. Any you feel like giving.

Eliza and Vivian will perhaps meet up one-on-one.

Voting: APPROVED!

Secretary: (Daniel)

Time: I’m not sure if I can commit to prayer meetings or retreats, or anything that goes into the weekends. I can commit to attending council meetings.

Secretary takes notes, takes care of bank account, sends e-mails, update the blog, updating the mailing list.

***Need a prayer meeting email list.***

Having an available directory of phone numbers, addresses, birthdays could be good.

Daniel: Sounds manageable. I’m good with procedures and policies, but working with people is much more difficult.

Jams can help fill out forms, etc. She finds that fun.

Yuka can fill in whenever Daniel can’t make a council meeting.

Interrogation time

Q. Vivian: I want to be your friend. (ditto by all) Peter: There are a lot of people who appreciate you.

A. *nod*I’d like to give back to CCF.

Q. Eliza: Fear/Concern?

A. I will be caught in a dilemma if it comes in contact with my academic career. I have to maintain a very high GPA to continue attending Caltech. At the same time, I want to value Christian community as well.

Voting: APPROVED

To everyone on council: having you be okay > having you do your role. We here for you. :D

Peter wants to be involved and help countil but still let council have their space.

If Peter has something to contribute, please come. Everyone always welcome to council meetings.

Peter plans on helping small groups happen in North/South houses. Is that good with everyone? YES

Any other ways Peter can help/serve/support?

-direct people to join Veggie Tales Small Group

Peter needs support as well, getting in contact with undergrads, etc.

Skippy plans on continuing to be involved in things.

Skippy… CCF emblem history.

Large group - Reliance on God, the gifts He has given us, and the Body of Christ

1. A few elementary truths to begin our discussion. We rely on God to give us strength and life (Phillipians 4:13, Psalm 46:1). We depend on Him and Christ’s transforming power rests on us (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

2. With this in mind, it is apparent that sometimes God asks us to do things on our own (with His help) and sometimes He asks us to do things as a group (also with His help).

a. An OT example of being on our own is Elijah, e.g. 1 Kings 18:16-39. Elijah is the last prophet left and pitted against all the servants of Baal (1 Kings 18:22). The final purpose of this exhibition is the glory of God (1 Kings 18:39).

b. An OT example of being asked to work as a group is the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, e.g. Nehemiah 3:12 (most of Nehemiah 3, actually). Here they rebuild in groups, help each other, and defend each other. Again, the ultimate end is the glorification of God (through the restoration of Jerusalem). See also, in more general terms, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

c. A NT example of being on our ‘own’ is Phillip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts 8:26-40. Phillip was given direct orders to go out alone into the desert and was equipped by God to share the gospel with the Ethiopian; through God’s mercy the Ethiopian was converted.

d. A NT example of being called to work together (Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22, Luke 10:1, 3 John 1-8). In the Hebrews passage we are asked to consider how we can build each other up. In the 1 Thessalonians passage, the entire community was exhorted to support each other. In the Luke passage the disciples were sent out in pairs. In the 3 John passage we are told to support fellow workers.

3. In what areas of your life are you called to be able to do things ‘on your own’ (with Christ alongside you!) vs. called to rely on others (and Christ!). Some potential topics: caring for others, preparing for events, dealing with money, teaching others, proselytizing (not an exhaustive list). This can be different for everyone! Is this a black and white distinction, or do we sometimes rely more on the gifts God gave us and at other times rely more on our friends, even in the same area of our lives? We are each given different gifts and strengths and weaknesses (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).  What are some of your gifts?  What strengths do you have? What weaknesses? How/in what areas can others help you?

4. Christians should be imitators of Christ. How do we learn to be imitators of Christ? We are given spiritual gifts. How do we learn to use those gifts? See 1 Corinthians 11:1 and Luke 6:40. Who do we directly learn from?  Is it good to learn from more than one person (cf. Proverbs 24:6).

Notes from Family Business Meeting #2 - Council Roles and Nominations

Family Business Meeting #2
Saturday May 3, 2014

Present: Peter, Jenny, John, David, Yuka, Andy, Robb, Jessica, Lisa

Council positions open for running:

President –

From Robb: not very well defined role; attends Council Meeting; often prays at things like Council Meeting; not so much doing but rather being… being a spiritual figurehead of the fellowship; taking spiritual responsibility for the fellowship; ‘if something wants to get to the fellowship has to go through the president’; paying attention to how the fellowship is doing, how things are going, looking to the future; helping wherever help is needed. From Skippy: two takes on the job depending on who has the position. Pastoral, Organizational. Be-er, Do-er. Make sure the other members handle the other emphasis. No right/wrong, depends on who you are. From Robb: I used to feel inadequate when looking at all that Peter had done, but then I realized “I’m not Peter.”

Eliza:佤是What is the most difficult thing that you’ve had to deal with?

Large group - What is true and proper worship?

1.  Romans 12:1-2. In this context, consider Mark 12:29-34. What is the nature of true and proper worship?

2. Where do we offer our sacrifices in worship? In the Old Testament these sacrifices were offered in the tabernacle (a short reminder is in Hebrews 9:1-5, but read through Leviticus for a more exhaustive list of proper Old Testament sacrifices). However, this is not system of worship that we have under the New Covenant (also recall our discussion of mercy and obedience, not sacrifice, e.g. Isaiah 1:11-17). Rather, we haveHebrews 9:11-15 (note especially Hebrews 9:14, “So that we may serve the living God!”). So where is the temple at which we worship now? See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, “You together are that temple.” See alsoEphesians 2:19-22. (Note that there is also the true tabernacle in heaven—Hebrews 9:11—but can we go there yet? So where is the temple that is relevant to our worship now?). And rest assured that God is consistent! He wants the same worship of us now as He always did (e.g. Isaiah 1:16-17). What then of the Law (see Hebrews 10:1)? How do we worship God?

3. Some errors in worship: Matthew 15:1-11 (Phariseeism, see the opposite in Matthew 6:1-4), Acts 17:22-31 (ignorant worship, see the opposite in John 4:19-26), Colossians 2:20-23 (self-abnegation, see the opposite of this in Romans 14, which we talked about when we discussed freedom in Christ).

4. What are some ways to remain focused on worship and on God?  See Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

5. Christians are priests and we offer sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5 and Hebrews 13:15-16).  What sacrifices do we offer? What are good sacrifices? How are we enabled to make these sacrifices? What incense do we offer up (see Revelation 5:8)? What praise offerings and songs do we make (see Ephesians 5:18-20)? How will others know we are true followers of God (see John13:34-35)?

6. What about what we typically think of as worship (e.g. singing)? See Psalms 33:3, 42:10, 96:1, 100:1-2,Isaiah 42:10, etc. Is this worship also commendable? Of course! See, e.g., 1 Chronicles 16:23-31, Acts 16:25,Ephesians 5:18-20, Colossians 3:16, James 5:13, etc. But, importantly, with what attitude do we sing, worship, and praise? See Hebrews 12:28-29 and recall Romans 12:1-2. What comes first, songs of praise or acts of love? Can the two coincide?

Large group - How should we pray?

1. As you know, Jesus taught us how to pray, Matthew 6:9-13. What are the main parts of how we are to pray? 1. “Hallowed be your name.” 2. “Your kingdom come.” 3. “Your will be done.” 4. “Give us today our daily bread.” 5. “Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.” 6. “Lead us not into temptation.” 7. “Deliver us from the evil one.” What do each of them mean?

2. There are (at least) five related aspects of prayer.

a. Praise and thanksgiving: (related to “Hallowed be your name”), e.g. Psalm 138 or Psalm 145.

b. Consolation and comfort: e.g. Psalm 88.

c. Healing: e.g. Jeremiah 17:14.

d. Preparation, protection, and the Armor of God: e.g. Ephesians 6:10-17.

e. Praying for others: e.g. Colossians 4:12, Ephesians 6:18-20.

Are there other aspects as well?

3. Luke 11:5-13. “Seek.” Read through the parable; what does it mean? Does seeking imply persistence? What or who are we seeking? Read 2 Corinthians 3:12-18. What is the meaning of Luke 11:11-13?

4. Further instructions on prayer, Matthew 6:5-8.

a. “Do not be like the hypocrites.” Why have they received their reward in full? What is their reward?

b. “Do not babble on like the pagans.” What does this mean? Does it mean that long prayers, formulaic prayers, or repetitive prayers are intrinsically bad? Or does it have more to do with an attitude of the heart? Are there pitfalls for long or formulaic prayers? Are they useful?

5. Matthew 6:8. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Why do we pray then? Well, Jesus tells us to. But, Techers like to understand things (and we are called to chase after God with all our heart, mind, and strength). Maybe the power of words (e.g. Hebrews 11:3, Proverbs 18:21)?  How else does prayer make sense biblically?

6. Is it okay to be angry or sad or happy or serious or scared or exhausted or _____ when we pray? See the diversity of the psalms. However, with what attitude do we come before God (e.g. 2 Chronicles 20:12)? What can we ask for (see Ephesians6:18)? Might the answer be ‘no’ (see Luke 11:11-13)?

7. Are seeking to be more like Jesus (e.g. 1 John 2:3-6) and striving to have an attitude of prayer (e.g. Colossians 4:2) intimately tied? How does one gain an attitude of prayer (asking, practicing, Daniel 6:10)? How does that look practically?

8. Matthew 5:44. Is that hard? Discuss.

9. Prayer and action. Jesus’ life included both prayer time and action (check out the gospels). Read 1 John 3:17. How does this tie into prayer?

Large group - Apologetics

This week we will be discussing Apologetics in Large Group. Apologetics comes from a Greek word that means defense, and is often used to refer to defense of the faith. This week we will primarily be focusing on some basic principles and apologetics toward non-theists (agnostics and atheists); we will probably have at least one other large group about apologetics toward non-Christian theists later in the term. 

Discussion Questions

1.       Why apologetics? Why are they important? Matt 28:19-20 and 1 Peter 3:15.
2.       In what spirit should we take up apologetics? (1 Peter 3:15 is also useful here).
3.       When defending the faith, especially in a discussion with a non-believer, what is the end goal? On what time scale should we expect apologetic work to be successful (if at all)? To what degree is this success, or lack thereof, dependent on the efforts of the apologist?
4.       How do we carry out the command in 1 Peter 3:15 if we are not trained in apologetics? What are some common tactics we can use? How can asking the non-believer questions be useful in apologetics?

Some Questions to think about:

1.       Is the absence of evidence itself evidence of absence? Under what conditions might this be true and under what conditions might this be false?
2.       Does the atheist have to prove his viewpoint or does the burden of proof only fall on the believer?
3.       A common question is “are things good because God commands them or does God command things that are independently good?” Is either of these viewpoints correct? Is there another option?
Feel free to share questions that you have seen or been asked before and discuss them.