MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM SPIRITUAL GROWTH - John 4: The women at the well

This week we started a new 9 weeks series looking at "spiritual growth." What does it mean to grow and change and experience internal transformation in our lives? And we looked at the story from John 4 of Jesus transforming a women's life to give us A Vision for Change

We live in a society that is obsessed with change, but it is usually external change. In this story we saw how none of the women’s circumstances changed but because of an internal change in her she had the power and perspective to face her situations. What brought about this change

(1) The Acceptance of Jesus.

Jesus broken down every barrier that should have separated them.

(1) She was a moral and social outcast (alone by a well at midday), society had rejected her and she was hiding from the community - but Jesus puts himself in her eed (vs7)
(2) She was a Samaritan - but Jesus puts aside the years of anger and bitterness and hatred that existed between Jews and Samaritans (cf 2 kings 17.24ff)
(3) She was a women - but Jesus breaks all the cultural norms and gives her dignity and worth.

Why is this important? Because for most people two of the biggest obstacles to change are

(a) Shame - what will people think of me? But Jesus accepts her in her mess and accepts her and loves her. He accepts her before she cleans up her act (he doesn’t even mention the husbands at this stage). Jesus’ acceptance of us will give us the power to open up other people to work through our issues.

(b) Dispair - “I have tried and failed.” This women must have given up hope for change. Yet Jesus pursues her. He initiates. She isn’t searching for him but he comes after her. This is gives us hope for change. He hasn’t given up on us. He doesn’t think change is impossible. He is coming after us (the bible is one big story of God coming after us to transform us).

(2) The living water of Jesus

Jesus does not want to condemn the women but convict her so in verse 17 he brings up the issue of her previous husbands (don’t forget, he had already accepted her - it is a gospel of grace). He wants to show her that she is thirsty but finding satisfaction in the wrong place and it is leaving her in a desert…a relational desert….and she is becoming more and more thirsty. It has become a destructive pattern in her life but that pattern is only the symptom of a deeper issue - the real issue is that she is drinking from another well - the well of approval/status/sex/affection that men give her. For Jesus to give her living water he must expose the well she is drinking from, he has to convict her, so that she can find true satisfaction in the living water he gives. For us to experience spiritual change we must not try and change the symptoms, we must change the well from which we drink, our desires need to change. If our heart doesn’t change then no amount of discipline will help us see growth. If Jesus had said “don’t hang out with men” he would not have solved the issue, he needed to expose her well and then offer her something far more satisfying so that she wouldn’t want men! So to see change we must (1) tackle the underlying issue that reveals itself in destructive patterns and (2) go to Jesus from greater satisfaction (like a kid letting go of a forbidden object for something far more satisfying. Our change is as much about the positives (finding joy in Christ) than the negatives (saying “no” to sin) - see Matthew 13.44. C.S Lewis famously said

    “Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak.
    We are half hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition
    when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on
    making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant
    by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

(3) A bigger picture of Jesus

If we are not careful we can say to Jesus “I want the change….I want the satisfaction, contentment, joy, peace, freedom etc…..but I don’t want you” - “I want your living water but I don’t want you.” But Jesus is the living water (vs10, John 7.37-39). We must come to him to drink. He is the one that satisfies our thirst. What changes this women? What does Jesus give her? An encounter with himself! He becomes bigger and bigger in the story - he starts off as a tired and thirsty man sat at a well, he then becomes a rabbi and a prophet…ad at the end he is the saviour of the world (vs42). In fact, in verse 26 in the original greek, we have the first “I AM” saying referring back to Exodus 3.14. We don’t offer people a set of rules or “7 steps to growth”, we offer them a person (who we now know and experience through the Holy Spirit).How does Paul tell us transformation happens in the Christian faith? 2 Corinthians 3.18 says…

    And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect/behold/gaze upon the Lord’s glory,
    are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
    which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

It is a wonderful story and gives us a fantastic vision for spiritual change. She starts hiding, ashamed, ostracised and afraid and she ends up becoming a spring of water that brings other people to know Jesus. She is not hiding, she is telling people to come and see a man who told her all her sin! WOW!

Reflection and Application

(1) What do you think are the biggest obstacles to wanting change in your life? How does this story help you?

(2) In what areas are you wanting to hide? Why?

(3) Have you given up hope on being able to change? If so where and why? How does it make you feel that Jesus is coming after you?

(4) What are the destructive patterns of behaviour or thought in your life that reveal that you are drinking from another well? What is the deeper issue? Where are you looking to drink from and why? How is the living water Jesus gives more satisfying? What does it mean for you to drink from him?

(5) Do you feel you have plateaued in your faith? Why is this? What well could you be turning to? Would you like to grow?

(6) How do we help each other “gaze upon/behold” Jesus so that he becomes bigger and bigger?

(7) What did it take Jesus to give you the living water? On the cross he cries out “I thirst” (John 19.28). Meditate on Psalm 22 and the cosmic thirst Jesus experienced to give you living water.

(8) Pray for each other and us as a church that we might grow as we gaze Jesus - that he would become bigger and bigger and that would bring spiritual transformation in our lives.

ACTION POINT - listen to Andrew Wilson’s talk from Saturday morning of love nations called “a joyful people” - 12 ways to find joy in God (i.e how to drink from him). Write down any ideas that the talk gives you about how to find joy in God and discuss them as a group at your next Mission Group meeting.

MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM THE ADOPTION SUNDAY - 7/3/10

This Sunday we had the privilege of celebrating with Rich and Pippa Darnton the adoption (& dedication) of Kasey and Ewan and also looking at the magnificent truth that we are adopted as "Son's of God through faith in Christ Jesus" from Galatians 3-4.

Why is Adoption such a powerful image (and reality) of what it is to be a Christian? Because of what it says happens to us - we have

    (1) A new (legal) status
    (2) A new experience

(1) A new legal status. What is our status? It is what makes us significant, what gives us value and worth….our reputation! It could be anything from a family to our job to our abilities to our popularity to our looks…the list goes on. However whatever we make our status/significance will ultimately enslaves us - we will be nervous/anxious about it and jealous for it….because it can be threaten/taken away. However if we are Son’s of God we get given a status that (a) can never be threatened or taken away and (b) is far greater than anything in this world…..we become heirs - one day we will inherit the heavens and the earth, and like Adam and Eve, we will rule and reign with God (cf. Romans 8.17).

(2) A new experience. Not only do we objectively get a new status, from slaves to Son’s. We also get a new experience. An embrace off the Father that transforms us. The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts so we cry “Abba, Father.” Their is intimacy and we know in our depths (not just our minds) that we are his children. Notice how vs 4 + vs6 parallel each other…God sent his Son/Spirit - his Son to give us the objective status, his Spirit to give us the subjective experience.

We also looked at how Paul was being very “pro-women” because by saying “you are ALL Son’s of God….” he was putting women on an equal footing, giving them an equal status and an equal experience - something that was radical and revolutionary for that patriarchal culture.

HOW did God make us our Son’s? His Son lost his status and he lost the embrace of his father - he cried out “Father why have you abandoned me” so that we can cry out “Abba, Father.”

Reflection and Application

(1) Read + meditate on Ephesians 1.3-10. What does it say comes as part of being “In Christ” and being adopted? Thank God for each thing of these things.

(2) What things are seen give people status and significance in our society? What things are you tempted to look to for significance? Can you relate to how these things enslave/control us and how we become nervous about or jealous for them?

(3) When have you known the embrace of the father? Notice how in Romans 8.16 the cry of “Abba Father” is the cry from a believer of what it is to be part of a broken and suffering world (8.18-17) - it does not necessarily mean a “nice gooy feeling.”

(4) Becoming a Christian means that something objective happens (a new status) and something subjective happens (a new experience). Which do we tend towards? What will happen if we are not balanced in our understanding of what has happened to us?

(5) If God has adopted us then an appropriate response would be for us as a church to look to adopt disadvantage children (and care for those that are rejected by society). Have any of you thought about adopting? Did Sunday stir any of you to think about adopting? How can we care for the alien, fatherless, widow and outcast in our society (cf. Deuteronomy 10.17-19).

(6) Pray for (a) Darnton’s and Cartledges (b) any kids and people in your lives that are disadvantaged (c) social workers in our church (d) all the guest that came on Sunday

(7) Pray that we might live more and more as Son’s of God and therefore be set free from all that enslaves us

LOVE:NATIONS

Andrew Wilson asked 'What sort of person reaches nations?'Listen to the talks to discover the answer.

Click on the LOVE:NATIONS page to see photos and hear the talks.

Also, here is an amazing website.  It is called Great Commission 2020.  You can see people reading about the Gospel online all over the world.  It then shows you who wants to make a commitment to jesus and those wanting local church follow up!
It’s a great tool for worship and prayer.

MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM JOHN: 7 Words + 7 Signs - 21/2/10

For our Baptism Sunday we looked at the "8th sign" - the resurrection - and Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene.

John set’s up his gospel as a trial…Jesus is on trial before us (the whole world) - is he the Christ, the Son of God and is there life in his name (Ch20.30-31)? This is the final piece of evidence which makes sense of the rest. If Jesus didn’t rise again “our faith is futile…we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15.17-19). So what did we learn?

(1) Our faith is based on the TRUTH of the resurrection - objective, historical truth! Mary thinks the body has been stolen (vs2), not even the appearance of angels makes her think that God might have been at work. It did not cross her mind that he had been raised on the 3rd day (despite Jesus on numerous occasions saying he would). It was inconceivable to her - he ‘world-view’ wouldn’t allow for it. Neither the Greek thought (body = evil, soul = good) nor the Jewish thought (final resurrection at the end of time of all God’s people - cf. John 11.24) allowed for a resurrection. It was inconceivable to them just as it is inconceivable to them. BUT their world-view was broken by the evidence - Jesus appears and eats and touches and talks with many people after his resurrection, including 500 at one time (1 Corinthians 15) and people therefore had the testimony of the eye-witnesses….just as we do…MARY! Why would you have a women as the first eye-witness since in those days they had no standing in a court of law. The only reason is because that was how it happened! This is so important for us because our faith does not rest on whether Christianity is ‘relevant’ or ‘works for me’ or “feels good’ but it rests on the resurrection of Jesus…and that will never change - so no matter how I feel, my faith need not waver!

(2) Our faith is an intimate relationship with the living God by his Spirit. Jesus says to Mary “do not hold on to me” (vs17). In her joy she must have grabbed Jesus (maybe fell at his feet like many other grateful women do in the gospels) thinking “I have lost you once, I’ll never lose you again” - however she must let go so that Jesus can ascend back to the father (vs17-18) and therefore send the Spirit so that it is not just Mary that enjoys the presence of Jesus and all the blessings that he brings but that all people’s at all times can know the presence of Jesus alongside them through the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16.7). A new era of intimacy with God is about to dawn (Jesus refers to his father as our father) for all those that trust in Mary and therefore Mary must let go and her relationship with Christ must now change. So our faith is (1) based on truth - it is objective and (2) real in experience - it is subjective.

We also saw how the Mary calling Jesus’ the gardener alluded back to (a) Genesis 1-3 where God was the original gardener who brought light out of darkness, order out of chaos and life from the dust - Jesus is remaking the world to be beautiful again and (b) The spice-filled garden in the Song of songs - here Mary is the one who is found by her lover and knows intimacy, security and joy.

Reflection and Application

(1) Read the whole story again, including vs4-9 about Peter and John. How do the different characters respond to the empty tomb? Which character do you most associate yourself with and why?

(2) How does the resurrection of Jesus affect you day to day?

(3) The objective and subjective sides of faith should never be separated - truth and experience belong together. However in reality we often separate them, where do you find yourself naturally tending towards? Why?

(4) If you lose the objective/truth side to your faith, what might happen? What are the dangers?

(5) If you lose the subjective/experiential side to your faith, what might happen? What are the dangers?

(6) Pray for friends or family that are not believers because (a) they do not think Christianity is true or (b) because they feel that God is far away.

MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM VISION SUNDAY - 14/2/10

This week we looked again at our vision as a church from 1 Peter 2.4-12 under the title "Church as God sees it."

We saw that Peter described the church as a spiritual house

(1) Built on Christ our cornerstone. He is our unshakeable foundation (against all other foundations). He sets the agenda for everything. Without him, there would be no church! The church is made up of those who have made him their cornerstone in their lives.

(2) Built together into a tight-knit community which share their lives with each other and depend on each other. You cannot become a Christian and not become part of the church. As you build your life on Christ, God builds you into his spiritual house. It is a community that reflects our cornerstone - humility, boldness, joy, forgiveness etc. To the extent you build your life into the lives of others will be the extent to which the glory and presence and power of God will come into your life. The church is not a meeting to attend but a community/family to belong to!

(3) Living as resident aliens in the world. We must hold the tension of being of deeply committed and involved in the world whilst remaining distinct and, at times, rubbing up against the world. If we do not hold the tension we will not be able to affect the world - because we’ll either be sol isolated that our community life will not affect anyone or we’ll be so similar that our community life has nothing distinct. What is our main distinctive? The good/attractive deeds of the community and particularly our love for each other (Matthew 5.13-16 + John 13.34-35). We long to see communities of light reaching out to all areas of the city and all people-groups in the city. That is our vision. It is not new or clever or flashy. But it has the power to transform Leeds just as the early church transformed the Roman Empire. Just as Matt highlighted last week, the vision is not so much about what we do, but who we are!

How does this affect our special offering? Firstly, Hannah O’Shea is coming on board to help us as a church build more children and youth into the ‘spiritual house’ - they are individual bricks with a part to play. Secondly, we are looking for someone to come on board as Operations Manager - who will be able to organise and facilitate the community to life….so we can spend our time with people and less time on administration/systems.

Thank you to all those who gave over the last two weeks, we will announce the amount at the service next Sunday.

Reflection + Application

(1) What does it mean for us as individuals to build our lives on Christ? What other things are we tempted to build our lives on (to find identity, security etc)?

(2) What does it mean for your Mission Group to share your lives together (or open your lives up more)? How can you practically do this without feeling like you have “lots more to do?” Becoming a tight-knit community will not necessarily be easy - talk through what Paul says to the Colossians 3.12-17. What are the key ingredients to this community?

(3) Where as a Mission Group have you become too ‘resident’ or too ‘alien’? How can you help each other keep the tension.

(4) Read Exodus 19.4-6 + look what Peter says in vs9-10. How does the church fulfil all that Israel was supposed to be? What does each image mean? How does that help us understand who we are as the church? How can you apply this to your mission group?

(5) Pray for us as a church, that we might live more and more as these communities of light scattered throughout Leeds and beyond, bringing people to Christ and into his community, the church. Pray also for Claire Sorely and Hannah O’shea as Claire hands over and Hannah takes over. Pray also for the right person to be appointed as Operations Manager.

VISION SUNDAY AND SPECIAL OFFERING 2010

This Sunday is our annual special offering looking to trust God for £40,000. We sent out a letter to explain the details of this offering. If you didn't receive it, here is the letter for your perusal.

Firstly I want to say a huge thank you for your generous support over the last 5 years.  It has been tough at times, but we have seen God do so much in our own lives and also in the city. 

Currently, Mission Groups are flourishing (we now have 25 groups with 240 people attending).  ‘Intro’ has never been so popular and already 25 non Christians are signed up for the ‘More’ course this term.

We also continue to punch above our weight financially given the number of low earners in our congregation and that is down to you guys trusting God with your finances and giving so generously.

Once again in 2010 we face a financial challenge! Not only are we praying for our normal giving to rise by £2500 a month this year but we will holding two vision Sundays in February where we will be looking at the opportunities that face us in 2010 and holding our annual special offering.  The feedback from last year was that people wanted to know more specific details of where the money would be invested in order for them to sense faith growing for giving sacrificially. So here is what we are planning:

Special Offering:

On 7th and 14th February we will be holding two ‘vision Sundays’ where we will be looking to raise £40,000 for two salaried positions on staff.  We currently looking for people for both these positions.

i) Childrens and Youth Worker
We have grown from 15 children a year ago to over 50 in five different age groups.  We’ve also started working among 11-18’s for the very first time.  This means we need to find someone to bring some focussed oversight and input across these ages. 

Under Claire Sorely’s leadership Mo-kids has thrived but have now grown to the extent where we need to employ someone to be able to provide an excellent children’s program at Mosaic and support our brilliant kids workers. In the future we would like this role to develop an outreach focus as we look to serve children and youth in the community.

ii) Operations Manager
A crucial staff appointment when a church reaches around 300-400 is an operation manager. This is more than just a graduate administrative role but rather we are looking to hire an experienced project manager who can help oversee our finances, building management, offices, administration, staff employment and legal work. 

To give a biblical example, in Acts 6.1-7 the Apostles were overrun with the important work of serving food to widows so they appointed trusted men like Stephen to fulfil this task in order that the apostles could devote themselves to prayer and ministry of the word. Similarly this important yet often unseen role would release church members and staff to focus on the task of outreach, discipleship, study and pastoral care. Our hope is that if we employ someone who could take on this role we would see something similar to what the Jerusalem church saw (v.7) “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly…”

The next five years!

We are amazed at what God has done in the last five years but imagine what God could do if we are faithful to our task to love God, each other and the World.  Imagine individual lives being turned round, think of your friends knowing Jesus as you love and serve them.  Imagine the poor and needy experiencing the tangible love of Christ and becoming missionaries to our broken world. 

Perhaps you dream of your school, your street, your office being influenced by the Gospel? Perhaps you are desperate for your kids to pick up the baton and make Christ famous wherever they go?  Or maybe you are simply ruined for anything but a life of no compromise, radical discipleship, and passion for Christ?

We dream of those things too and ask for your continued support and commitment to pray and give generously this year.

With love,
Matt, Chris and Steve.

MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM JOHN: 7 Words + 7 Signs - 31/1/10

To end our series in the gospel of John we looked at the 7th sign - the raising of Lazarus from the dead

In this sign Jesus is dealing with the greatest problem mankind faces - death! And not just any death, but an early and unexpected death of a friend/beloved brother. The story is full of emotion and focusses primarily on Jesus’ interaction with Mary and Martha.

Jesus had deliberately delayed his coming (vs1-4) and therefore arrived 4 days late (vs17) so it is not surprising that the question on the lips of both Martha and Mary is “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died” (vs21 + 32). However what is interesting about the story is that Martha went to meet Jesus but Mary stayed by the tomb. Why did Mary not immediately go to meet Jesus? It is surely because she is not ready to face Jesus and to ask him “why are you delayed…you if you had been here my brother would not have died.” For her, the suffering and pain she was experiencing was hard enough, talking to Jesus would only make it harder because her grief would turn into anger. Dealing with the suffering is hard enough but dealing with the fact that Jesus could have done something about it but didn’t only makes things worse. If she avoids Jesus, she avoids further pain! However Martha goes back to the tomb to take Mary to meet Jesus (vs28).

Whereas Jesus had given Martha the truth that would bring her hope (vs28), Jesus deals with Mary by giving her anger and tears. Anger at death and the devastation that it has caused and tears of comfort for Mary. Jesus weeps with those who weep and mourns with those who mourn.

But then the story continues and Jesus spectacularly raises Lazarus from the dead in front of the watching crowd. What is surprising is that we do not know how the sisters respond (the crowds are divided). However the next thing we read in John’s gospel (chapter 12) is that a few days later Jesus is back in Bethany and a dinner is held in his honour. Lazarus is reclining at the table with him while Mary and Martha serve. Half-way through the meal Mary pours an expensive pint of perfume on the feet of Jesus and wipes his feet with her hair - it is the greatest expression of love and devotion found in the gospels (cf Luke 7.36ff). What is intriguing is that John gave us the details of Mary before the whole episode began (vs3). He wanted us to have the benefit of hindsight. Why? So that as we read the story, as we feel the pain, as we appreciate the and and questions, we realise that it all eventually led to greater intimacy with and adoration for Jesus. Through the pain and the suffering Mary had seen the glory of God more than she had before - she knew the warm, the comfort, the righteousness, the power and the closeness of Jesus like never before…..and it was only through the suffering that she draws closer to Jesus.

Application and Reflection

(1) Retell the story to each other - from chapter 11.1-12.11 (using bibles if you need to). What does the story teach you about Jesus? How do you relate to the story? How does the story encourage or challenge you? What is one thing you can take away from the story and apply this week?

(2) How does this story prepare you for suffering and death?

(3) When and why do you find yourself wanting to avoid talking to Jesus about your pain because it only makes it harder for you? What happens if your suppress those emotions and questions? How does this story help you? Where do you need to listen to ‘the Martha’ in your life?

(4) Share stories and experiences of when suffering has brought you closer to God. Thank God that in all situations he is able to work for the good of those who love him (Romans 8.28).

(5) Where do you want to see Jesus’ resurrection power in your life? Pray for him to work powerfully!

(6) Pray for each other and those you know who are suffering or who have lost loved ones. Pray that they know the truth and tears of Jesus.

MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM JOHN: 7 WORDS & 7 SIGNS - 24/01/10

This parable is all about the seeing, not seeing and the not seeing, seeing! Jesus heals a man born blind on the sabbath and it sparks a huge investigation. Jesus uses this miracle to show how the pharisee's were blind to the work of God and how the blind man is transformed by the Light of the World so that he can see Jesus both spiritually and physically.

When we let Jesus get involved in our lives it leads to transformation.
This wonderful miracle gives us HOPE because it shows us that Jesus can transform our lives.  If he can create brand new eyes from dust and spit then he can handle our wounds and sin.
Also, it provides an ACID TEST.  If we see change in our lives then we know that God is at work in us. If there isn’t change then we still need to make a decision to follow Christ.
It should also provoke faith for God using us to being healing to other people.

The blind man is let down by his friends, neighbors, leaders and parents.  There is a real sense of rejection surrounding this story.  Jesus expected this to happen.  Matt 10:31-34
“31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows…34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Finally the Pharisee’s had some huge BLIND SPOTS. When you’ve got a spiritual blind spot, God can be doing something fantastic right in your midst and you still won’t see it.

Jesus’ presence divides the world into those who come to the light and allow it to change, heal and direct their lives and those that resist and decide to stay in darkness, even while they claim to see everything clearly.

Which camp do you want to be in?

The blind man represents all of us who know we are blind spiritually and need the light of Christ to help us see?

The Pharisees represent anyone in the religious establishment who thinks they have it all together.

Questions:
Share the story with one another
Who do you connect with in the story?
what does this story tell you about Jesus?
How does it fit within the bigger story of scripture?

Where are your blind spots?
Are you accountable with anyone?
Do you have someone who will speak the ‘truth in love’ to you?