Omega Series – The Funeral Announcements 1. Setup Team – We need people who could give up 1 1/2 hours of their time 1 Sunday a month to help set-up for the Gathering. Please encourage your group to consider helping out with this much needed service opportunity. Our goal is to have 4-5 new people helping each week on a rotational basis. Please let your small group leader know if you are interested or put your name on one of the cards this week. 2. Make a Child Happy Day - If you have signed up for this day - we will be meeting at the church at 8:30 a.m. If you have signed up to be a part of this day, but now find that you are unable to come - PLEASE let your small group leader and/or Clay Jernigan know so we can give them a final count. 3. Group Leaders - Please note this is said 'in love' - Somehow 'Send your numbers to Will' must be hard to understand because very few of you are sending them in. So we'll say it this way. SEND IN YOUR NUMBERS TO WILL!!! (thank you).
Introduction This week Will looked at the moments just after Jesus took his final breath. Joseph of Arimathea asked for Jesus' body that he may give him a proper burial. We see this same story told in John, who adds that Joseph is 'a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews.' Will illustrated that many of us today are much like Joseph - we have the title 'Christian or follower of Christ', but we live it in secret. We do just enough to get by, but do others know by our talk or actions that we have a relationship with the Lord. He further went on to challenge us in our walks - whether they lean more toward the secret or are all out there - that to continue to grow in Christ we must be in a relationship with him that is growing. Will challenged us to step up our daily communication with the Lord. It is this call to going deeper, strengthening our relationship with the Lord and spending time with him each day that has prompted a different kind of small group time tonight. Tonight you as a small group leader will walk your group through what a 'quiet time' would like (using the SOAP method that Will mentioned on Sunday). This will be an opportunity for those who have never done had a quiet time to get an idea of how to have one, it will encourage those who are 'hit or miss' to be more intentional and it will give your more seasoned ones the opportunity to share what works for them. Pray for Each Other Begin your time tonight with prayer requests, high-lows, for the members of your group. Discussion Questions 1. What is something few people know about you? (If you'll recall Will's love of baths - not necessarily something that many knew about him. It doesn't have to be something deep, dark... - This is just a fun opener, but as the leader – you should be prepared with your own story.)
2. If you study the Bible consistently - what do you do? Is there a particular method or way in which you most enjoy?
3. Tonight we want to look at one method that you could use to help you study the Bible. It is the SOAP method - mentioned both during service and in the new Journey journals handed out on Sunday night.
1. S – (Scripture) Read through the scripture. Tonight we will be looking at Romans 10:9-10. (For this evening have people in your group read this passage from different translations. After you have read it through - explain that when using this method you will want to read the verse through several times - to get familiar with it. Then go back through and highlight key words or phrases that stick out to you. If the verse is not too long – it is good to even write it down.)
2.
O – (Observation/Interpretation)
1. Observation – what is plainly stated in these verses? • Give group members a chance to ‘plainly state’ what they see in these verses found in Romans. Here are a few examples… 1. Confession happens with the mouth 2. God raised Jesus from the dead 3. Belief happens in your heart. 1. Interpretation – what do you think God is saying to you in these verses (a note - all interpretations should be defended by other scripture.) • Again allow the group to process through the things they observed – then based off of those observations - have them come up with their interpretations. Further examples… 1. Without confession that Jesus is Lord there is no salvation 2. God has the ability to raise the dead. 3. Belief is critical for salvation. 3. A – (application) – Here is where you personalize what you have read by asking how this applies to your life – right now. Once you recognize it – (as they do their own personal study) write down how you will apply what you have learned. (For tonight – open this up and have them share how they could apply these things.) ▪ An example would be…’I need to identify what I believe about Jesus and confess those beliefs to him.’ 4. P – (prayer) – This is where you talk God about what he has communicated to you through the scriptures you have just studied. Ask him to help you apply his truth today – ask him to help with the areas where you struggle to understand. Thank him for his love, grace and mercy. (Close your time tonight by ‘praying by example’ – pray your prayer in this way so that they may experience what it would be like. This will close both your discussion time and small