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Small Groups 2-20-12

1. Check out your “Gifts From God.”
a.  What shows up the most?
b. Is there anything that surprises you?
c. Is there anything missing from your sheet that you wish was there?

2. Read these 2 old testament scriptures

Ecclesiastes 10:18
The Message (MSG)
 A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack;
 A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.
Proverbs 10:4-5
The Message (MSG)
Sloth makes you poor;
    diligence brings wealth.
Make hay while the sun shines—that's smart;
   go fishing during harvest—that's stupid.
When you read these, what is God saying to you?

3. Now, what does Jesus say?
Matthew 25:13-30
The Message (MSG)
13"So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.
The Story About Investment
 14-18"It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
 19-21"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
 22-23"The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
 24-25"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
 26-27"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
 28-30"'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'

4. So how can we use our God given gifts and talents to “Find a Groove” in life?

5. When does staying in a good rhythm if life and not being lazy turn into getting too busy?  How can you tell the difference?

6. Where is the place for Sabbath in a good rhythm of life?

7. As a group, brainstorm 4 healthy ways to break out of boredom.

Get off your duff!

Hey all, it's good to stay in one time zone for an extended period!  This week at youth we'll be taking a look into the theme "finding a groove."  So what's that about?  Let's start in scripture.  First, Ecclesiastes, then a Proveb.

"The roof sags over the head of lazybones;
the house leaks because of idle hands."
Ecclesiastes 10:18

"A slack hand produces nothing but poverty,
but an industrious hand takes hold of riches.
A wise son stores up for the winter months while it is still summer,
But a shameful one lies around even during the harvest."
Proverbs 10:4-5

So, maybe we begin with what these passages DON'T mean.  They do not mean that the homeless and the poor are homeless or poor because they're lazy.  It also does not mean that we should look down on the homeless or the poor.  Dismiss these ideas from your mind, I don't care if you've heard it from your parents, grandparents, or best friend.  God loves people, and Jesus talks excessively about loving and helping those less fortunate than us.  Now that those ideas are squashed, we can move to what these passages DO mean.

The writers of these words clearly value hard work.  This is something I think we can all get on board with.  Don't sit around and do nothing.  Don't wait for anything to fall into your lap.  So, if we value both hard work and sabbath (in theory), then how do we find balance?  Feels like most things come back to last week's idea...moderation.  On Sunday we'll get into what it means to "find our groove" by finding what talents God has given us and how we can actively use those gifts and talents on a consistent basis.  This allows us to not ever be "bored."  This week, ponder on what it means to "find your groove" in God's kingdom.

Mothers Day Announcement - no youth

Attention youth and parents: due to unexpected changes in travel plans, Kim and I did not arrive back in Winston-Salem until 7:00 this morning.  After three time zones in less than a week, our bodies are looking for some rest this afternoon, and our Mothers Day youth meeting is cancelled.  Spend the afternoon/evening with your moms.  Bethesda center visit will take place as scheduled, and those signed up should meet at the church at 7:00 p.m.  Thank you all for your prayers and support through a week of travel and discernment.  See you all this morning, happy mothers day!

Practice moderation

This week as we continue "Exploring Blue Like Jazz" we look at the topic of moderation.  Paul tells us that just because we can do something does not mean that we should.  This idea of moderation could be applied to just about any area of life, whether it be diet, drinking, hobbies, relationships...the list can go on forever.  On Sunday night, Chastan Swain will be speaking on this topic as Kim and I will be out of town.

Pick Your People

Last night we discussed what it means to "Pick Your People."  Are we intentional about who we surround ourselves with or do we simply settle for those close by?  Below are the small groups questions from the evening.

1. How did your friends become your friends?
a. Are you intentional about choosing those around you or does it just happen?
2. Think about your “circle”(Friends, family, people you trust)
a. How many do you want to be like?
b. Are there any you DON’T want to be like?
3. Think about your “circle” (Friends, family, people you trust)
a. How many are a different race than you?
b. How many are a different religion?
c. How many different kinds of family are in your circle?
d. Are most of your friends like you or different from you?
e. How many have different political beliefs?
f. Does your “circle” give you many different perspectives or mostly the same as yours?
4. What is a way you can avoid having negativity speak into your life?
5. What is a way you can introduce more diversity to “Your People?”

Clean Break

Ephesians 4:17-32

We continue our look into community this week with a scripture from Ephesians, which you can find in the link above.  The part of this monologue is in the very last line, where it says that we should make a clean break from all cutting, backbiting, and profane talk.  The writer of this book is desperately seeking a Christian community that seems to be evading him because the church can't seem to figure out how to treat one another.  So how do we go about making clean breaks from that sort of garbage?  Sadly, for many, that clean break comes in the form of leaving the church.  Not just a particular church, but the church as a whole.  What's the most productive way to make that clean break?  It seems to me that possibly even more important than breaking away from negative influence within Christian community is to make positive influence within that community.  You see, the typical "cancerous" person within the church finds it very difficult to act in such a way when they are surrounded by people who promote positive, healthy, community.  So think of it this way...create healthy communities that help you grow as a person and as a follower of Jesus...and then invite those folks who are negative influences to you and others to be a part of that community.  Majority almost always rules.  You will become who you hang around.  So that "clean break" can come in the form of choosing the right people and then letting those who negatively effect you choose for themselves to be a part of that or not.  See you tonight at midweek!