1.  Live It Out  |  10/22/23

Study questions

1.  Please pray for the staff and families at our partner schools, Cascade Middle School and Evergreen High School, as they lead and guide students after the incident that occurred last Thursday. 

2.  We discussed the Engel Scale, a spectrum showing how people are in process before they make a profession of faith.  Think of the three unchurched friends you’re closest to.  Where are they on this scale/spectrum?

3.  Read Luke 10:2.  Discipleship moves us from seekers to followers to coworkers and then disciple-makers.  Why do you think we often stop at the coworker level, serving in the church, but not moving beyond that to disciple others?

4.  What’s the difference between a church of coworkers and a church of disciple-makers in the following areas: 

     a) culture

     b) relationships

     c) schedules

     d) motivation

5.  Have you ever seen yourself as the essential element in making disciples?  What difference would it make if you accepted that was your God-given mission?

6.  Dave said: “We cannot proclaim the good news of Jesus to those who are far from God if we are living far from them.”  Think about the people who Jesus chose to spend time with.  Compare that to your proximity to people who don’t know Jesus.  How can you adjust your schedule to be intentional about developing relationships with them?

7.  What kind of “gospel answers” (Dan Spader) are your friends looking for in their lives?  How can you find out what questions your friends actually have so you can be more equipped to share your faith in a relevant and meaningful way?

8.  Share and discuss your 'Prayer Map'.  Pray for those key relationships.

2.  Live It Out - Sharing About Jesus  |  10/29/23

Study questions

(adapted from: '4 Chair Discipling', Dann Spader and '411 Disciple Making Training', NoPlaceLeft Gospel Coalition)

1.  Optional Video:  'Where It All Began'  -  www.LikeJesus.church/4chair

2.  Look up Luke 6:39-40, John 14:12, and 1 John 2:6 and read them aloud.  What did Jesus expect of His disciples, and what did the Apostle John expect of those people who were disciples of Jesus?

3.  In Jesus’ culture, people who were disciples of a rabbi were expected to become like their rabbi (teacher) when they were fully taught. However, most Christians in our culture seem more willing to accept Jesus as the payment for their sins than they’re willing to make Jesus the pattern for their lives.  What do you think are the distractions and/or obstacles for Christians to making Jesus the pattern for their lives?

4.  Read Luke 6:39-40 again, and Philippians 2:1-8.  Based on these passages, who do you really pattern your life after?  

     a)  Share what keeps you (distractions and/or obstacles*) from wholeheartedly patterning your life after Jesus.  Be honest with yourself.

5.  Read 1 Peter 3:15-16.  What specific things do believers need to do to ensure they are always prepared to give an answer for the hope they have?

     a)  Split into pairs and share Jesus' story (the gospel) with each other (make sure you're communicating the Problem, the Solution, and the Opportunity).

     b)  Now practice sharing your story (your 15 second testimony) with each other try to ensure you communicate a) life before Jesus, b) the moment you began living with Jesus, c) and your life after meeting Jesus).

6.  Pray together asking for help to depend on the Holy Spirit for the power to live with Jesus, and ask God to give you an opportunity to share Jesus' story and your story this week.

3.  Live It Out - Living With Jesus  |  11/05/23

Study questions

(adapted from: '4 Chair Discipling', Dann Spader)

1.  Share and discuss: What is something “new” you started this past year?  What could have improved your experience?

2.  Read John 2:1-12.  Who was with Jesus on His trips to Cana and Capernaum?  

     a)  How did they respond to their time with him? 

     b)  How long were they together?

3.  Read John 3:1-22.  Who was with Jesus when he met with Nicodemus? 

     a)  What did they observe Jesus doing? 

     b)  Where did Jesus “spend some time with them” after leaving Jerusalem?

4.  Read John 4:27-42.  Who was with Jesus on His trip through Samaria? 

     a)  How did they respond to what Jesus was doing there? 

     b)  What did they learn together from being with Jesus?

5.  What do the answers to the previous questions (2-4) tell us about the nature of Jesus’ relationship with His new disciples?

     a)  What do you remember about how you were treated as a new believer?

6.  New Christians need to learn to live with Jesus, so they need to understand who they are as a child of God and how to grow as a child of God.  

     a)  How can we help teach them these things?

7.  What do you think are some of the distractions and/or obstacles for Christians in spending intentional time with new believers and teaching them these things?

4.  Live It Out - Living With Others  |  11/12/23

Study questions

1.  Read Ephesians 2:19-20.  Christians are saved personally, so why are we described with the interdependent relational language of 'family'?

     a)  Read Romans 12:5.  The word 'belong' means we have a reciprocal, mutual relationship with other believers.  What difference should that make to our attitude towards church and other believers?

     b)  What are some ways we can intentionally live in true Christian community?

2.  Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-27.  Identify the specific things we learn about Spiritual Gifts in these verses.  Then discuss the practical implications of each aspect.

     a)  Read Romans 12:3.  Paul says this just before he writes about spiritual gifts.  What insight or 'tip' does this verse give us about what we need to do to use our spiritual gifts and play our part in the family of God?

3.  2 Corinthians 9:10-11, 1 John 3:17 and Galatians 6:10.  How does the attitude in these verses contrast with our world's attitude towards the things we have?

4.  The 'Organizational Health People' (tablegroup.com) have concluded a good team player has 3 core qualities: they're humble—they're more concerned about the team than themselves, they’re hungry—they’ll do whatever it takes for the team to succeed, and they’re smart—they’re wise in interpersonal relationships.  What insights does this give you about how you can be a better member of God's family?

5.  Live It Out - Spirit Led and Reliant  |  11/19/23

Study questions

adapted from: '4 Chair Discipling', Dann Spader, and unknown sources (question 5)

1.  Read Matthew 9:35-38. What did Jesus feel when he saw the crowds—and why? 

     a)  What was His solution to the problem, and what was the role He expected His disciples to play?

     b)  What does it mean to be a co-worker with Jesus?

2.  Read Matthew 20:17-19 and John 6:1-13.   Jesus made training His disciples a deliberate priority.  What specific things did He do in these verses to give His disciples an opportunity to learn and grow?

     a)  What specific things could you do to help the immature believers you know grow to become mature co-workers of Jesus?

3.  Read Acts 1:8 and Ephesians 5:17-19.  Mature co-workers of Jesus are Spirit led and rely on the leading and strength of God’s Spirit. The word translated ‘be filled’ is a present tense of the verb in Greek, which means: “Keep on being filled with the Spirit” or “Be-being-filled with the Spirit.”  What can you do to ensure you’re being influenced and led by God’s Spirit?

     a)  Read Romans 8:5 and Galatians 5:16-17.  According to these verses, what are we actually doing when we don’t obey the prompting or conviction of the Holy Spirit?

     b)  How might this insight help us obey the Holy Spirit?

4. Read John 10:27.  Why is listening to God so essential to living by the Spirit?

     a)  What are the greatest obstacles to you listening to God, and what can you do to remove them?

     b)  Take time to read God’s Word in a way that your spirit is intentionally open to hearing from God's Spirit.   

          - Select a passage of scripture and read it slowly.  

          - Reflect on it.  What thoughts or feelings is it provoking in you?

          - Read it again slowly, maybe twice.  What words and phrases are grabbing your attention?

          - Respond in prayer.  Ask God to reveal why those words and phrases mean something to you.

          - Rest with it.  Meditate on those things.  Let God’s Spirit speak to you.

5. Prayer is a two way conversation with God.  Make time this week to spend time in silence and solitude listening to God…

     i)  Make sure you are comfortable and are still inwardly.

     ii)  Intentionally place yourself in the presence of God.  

     iii)  Choose a simple word or phrase that expresses your desire for him such as, “I am here”, or “I am with you” and focus on it.

     iv)  Be still.

     v)  If you need help focusing your thoughts to engage in a personal conversation with the Lord, try Psalm 139.

     vi)  Thank the Lord for his care for you, maybe detailing specifically what he has saved you from and what he has saved you for.

     vii)  Allow the Holy Spirit to show you the goodness of the Lord that has been following you all the days of your life.

     viii)  Ask the Lord to reveal to you what he loves about you and why he made you.

     ix)  Ask him further questions such as, “God how can I love you deeper”, “Where do I need to grow?”, “What breaks your heart?”, “Where is there sin in my life?”

     x)  In all of this, listen for his response.  Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.” (Jn 10:27). Listen for:

          - An inner impression

          - A verse of scripture

          - A picture may come to mind

          - Meditate on these testing if they are in accord with God’s word and character

     xi)  Close your time in silence with a prayer of gratitude for God’s presence with you.

6.  Live It Out - Equipped and Enduring  |  11/26/23

Study questions

Some material adapted from: '4 Chair Discipling', Dann Spader

1.  Read Ephesians 4:11-16.  According do these verses, how do believers become ‘become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ’?

     a)  What is your part (verse 16)?

2.  No-one matures in a classroom or from just gaining head-knowledge.  We learn and grow from a combination of practice (1 Cor 12:7), stretching opportunities (1 Sam 17:34-37), real-time feedback Acts 13:2, Psalm 119:105, Matt 18:15-20), mentoring (Titus 2:2-8), and the classroom environment (Hebrews 5:12-14).  Which of these ways of growing are present in your life, and which are lacking?

     a)  What can you do to begin developing one of these lacking areas?

3.  Read Hebrews 5:12-14 and 1 Timothy 4:7.  We’re saved by grace—there’s nothing we need to do to gain a relationship with Jesus.  So why do we need to endure and persevere in order to grow in our relationship with Jesus? 

     a)  Read Romans 5:2-4 and Philippians 3:10.  What do these verses teach us about the value and outcome of suffering?

4.  Read Hebrews 12:4-11 and Philippians 3:8-10.  What is the Lord’s view of discipline and hardship? 

     a)  What does discipline produce?  

     b)  How should we view suffering?

5.  Read Romans 5:1-5, 8:1-15.  How are we to respond to sufferings?

     a)  What does suffering produce? 

     b)  What can we expect if we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit?

6.  Draw a horizontal line across it to represent a timeline of your life.  Think of 5-7 significant moments in your life that shaped you as a person (positive or negative) and put them chronologically on the time line.  If it was a really good experience put it well above the line, if really bad then well below it—proportionally.  Let God bring these things to mind and guide you in this.  Now sit and reflect on these questions:

     a)  Where do I see the hand of God in this event?

     b)  What did God teach me through this?

     c)  How did that event shape me?

     d)  How could my response to it have been part of my maturing process?  

     e)  How did God use other believers to help me through it or appreciate it?

Once you finish this exercise, take time to reflect on your current situation.   If there’s something significant going on in your life right now, or about to happen, ask yourself these questions:

     a)  How could God use this to help me grow and mature?  

     b)  How can I best respond so that God can use it to mature me?  

     c)  How could I encourage another believer on their path to maturity?

7.  Live It Out - Disciples Who Make Disciples  |  12/03/23

Study questions

Some material adapted from: '4 Chair Discipling', Dann Spader

1.  Read Luke 10:1-11. What are the implications of Jesus being ‘the Lord of the Harvest’?

     a) What is the main point Jesus was making when He said this?

     b) What are the 3 extra points Jesus made in this instruction, that relate to His main point?  Why did He make them?

2.  Read 1 Corinthians 4:16-17, 11:1.  What does this tell us about the simplicity of a Jesus-like disciple-making way of life?

3.  Read Acts 11:26, 22:4-7, 24:14.  What does this tell us about the relationship between Jesus and His disciples?

4.  Read 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.  What does this tell us about the nature and

impact of a disciple-making way of life?

5.  Read Matthew 16:24-25.  Why did Jesus need to give such a dramatic warning about becoming one of His disciples?

     a) How have you experienced the relevance of this warning?

6.  Read John 15:1-8, Hebrews 12:11, and 1 John 1:9.  What do these verses say can be barriers to us bearing fruit—to making disciples?

7.   If your life ended today, what would your spiritual legacy be—what impact would your life have had?

     a) What could your spiritual legacy be if you were willing to die to yourself and make the mission of the church your mission?

     b) What do you want your legacy to be?

8.  Live It Out - Where is God Calling You?  |  12/10/23

Study questions

Some material adapted from: '4 Chair Discipling', Dann Spader

1.  Read John 15:4-5. What happens when we try to bear fruit in our own strength, without relying on the Holy Spirit?  Can you recall a time when you tried to do just that?  

     a) How can we ensure we are not trying to mature in our faith in our own strength?

2.  Where are you in the journey?  What step are you at?

     a)  How can you each another move forward in your disciple-making journey?

3.  Read Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 78:70-71, and Galatians 1:15-16.  Reflect on your discipleship journey.  What would your version of this description be like?

4.  Review the skills/invitations we learned during this series:

• Practice sharing the gospel with each other using the framework of: The Problem, The Solution, The Opportunity
• Practice sharing your 15 second testimony with each other: before I met Jesus, how I met Jesus, since I met Jesus.
• Do you need to be baptized?
• Are you listening to God as you read the Bible and Pray?
• To ensure you’re living with Jesus, have you made a Rule of Life to that includes spending time with God reading the Bible, journaling, praying, fasting, and having a sabbath rest?
• Are you relying on, and being led by, the Spirit by obeying His promptings and convictions?
• Are you using your Spiritual Gifts to serve?
• Are you enduring and persevering in your discipleship process?

5.  Is there a barrier to you taking the next step in your discipleship process? If so, what is it? What do you need to do about it?

6.  Spend some time asking the Father to help you take a step forward to the next chair with the Holy Spirit’s empowerment.   Ask him to give you the courage to multiply the character and priorities of Christ in as many people as possible.  Ask the Father to reveal to each group member two people they’ll share what they learned this week and when.  Ask him also to reveal to you two friends you could continue this disciple-making journey together.