What Hearing God is Not

1. What did this week’s practice look like for you?

2. What about this week’s practice was valuable or difficult for you?

DISCUSSION:

Dallas Willard said, “the desire for control is a primary reason we fail to hear God”.

1. What do you think he meant by this?

2. What are some places in your life that you might desire control over hearing God?

3. How might reading your Bible as part of an ongoing friendship with God differ from reading as a superstitious practice in trying to hear from God?

Read: Acts 17:26-28

1. What might change in your relationship with God if you truly believed that He was not far off?

THE PRACTICE PROMPT:

Each practice week, we will be providing a practice prompt for everyone to do on their own throughout the week. We want to invite and encourage each of us to make space to read, reflect, and use each passage as a journaling/written prayer prompt before our next practice week. You could choose to go through these passages individually or in one sitting a couple times.

1. 1 Samuel 3:6-10: Willingness to hear and obey God’s voice

2. 1 Kings 19:11-13: The still, small voice and its rivals

3. Matthew 25:14-30: The parable of the talents

4. Matthew 6:9-13: The Lord’s Prayer

NOTE: Redemption Church has created a Right Now Media account. Right Now Media is a digital library of video Bible studies, book discussions, conference messages, kids shows, etc.  Since Redemption has set up a church account, everyone in our church can set up a personal account for free also.

Click below to receive an invitation
to join if you haven’t already.

Over the course of this Spring, we are going to be working through a six-week video series led by Dallas Willard titled, Hearing God. The main overall objective of the series is for each of us to grow in our understanding of what it means to relate to God as we make space to be with him

You Were Created For Friendship With God

DISCUSSION:

Dallas Willard said, “God has made you for his presence and seeks fellowship with you”.

1. What do you think he meant by this?

2. Do you think this quote is realistic or idealistic?

3. Assuming this is true, what does this mean for your own personal life?

Read Psalm 32:6-11

1. In this conversational dialogue between David and God, what do you think is going on in verse 8?

2. From these passages, what does it seem God truly desires from his people?

THE PRACTICE PROMPT:

Each practice week, we will be providing a practice prompt for everyone to do on their own throughout the week. We want to invite and encourage each of us to make space to read, reflect, and use each passage as a journaling/written prayer prompt before our next practice week. You could choose to go through these passages individually or in one sitting a couple times.

1. Mark 1:21-39: Jesus’ use of solitude in the midst of a flurry of activity

2. Exodus 24:14-15: The glory of meditation

3. Genesis 3:8: God walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

4. Deuteronomy 6:1-9: The importance of intentionality

5. Matthew 6:9-13: The Lord’s Prayer

Emphasis: Being with Jesus

A COMMUNION CELEBRATION

Leader:
Blessed are you, Lord God of the universe, You are the giver of this bread – fruit of the earth and of human labor – let it become the bread of life.

Blessed are You, Lord God of the universe, You are the giver of this fruit of the vine and of human labor, let it become the wine of the eternal kingdom.

As the grain once scattered in the fields and the grapes once dispersed on the hillside are now reunited on this table in bread and wine, so, Lord, may your whole Church soon be gathered together from the corners of the earth into your kingdom.

All: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Leader: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Leader: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Leader:
It is indeed right, from east and west, from north and south, in all the seasons of our life,
to give thanks to you, O God, O Living One.
Dwelling beyond time and space, you abide among us, embracing the world with your
justice and love.
And so, with all the baptized of every race and land, with the multitudes in heaven and
the countless choirs of angels, we praise your glorious name.

All: Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty.

Leader:
Holy God, Holy and Mighty One,
Holy and Immortal:
You we praise and glorify
You we worship and adore.

You formed the earth from chaos;
You encircled the globe with air;
You created fire for warmth and light;
You nourish the lands with water.

You molded us in Your image,
And with mercy higher than the mountains,
With grace deeper than the seas,
You blessed the People of Israel
And cherished them as Your own.

That also we, estranged and dying,
Might be adopted to live in Your Spirit,
You called to us through the life and death of Jesus,
Who on the night He was betrayed,
Took Bread, and gave thanks;
Broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
“Take and eat, this is my body, given for you.
Do this for remembrance of me.”

Again, after supper, He took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
“This is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for remembrance of me.”

Together as the Body of Christ,
We proclaim the mystery of His death:

All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Leader: United by one baptism in the same Holy Spirit and the same Body of Christ,
We pray as God’s sons and daughters:

All: The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed by thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done
On earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the Kingdom
And the Power
And the Glory,
Forever and ever, Amen.

*Serve each other bread and prepare glasses of juice.

Holy God, Holy and Merciful One,
Holy and Compassionate,
With this bread and cup we remember Your Son,
The first-born of your new creation.
We remember his life lived for others,
And his death and resurrection,

which renewed the face of the earth.
We await his coming When,
with the world perfected through your wisdom,
All our sins and sorrows will be no more.

Send upon us and this meal your Holy Spirit,
Whose breath revives us for life,
Whose fire roused us to love.
Enfold in your arms all who share this meal.
Nurture in us the fruit of the Spirit,
That we may be a living tree,
Sharing your bounty with the world.

Take Communion.

Read: Psalm 100

Petition and Intercessions
Confesstion and Assurance
Encouragement

Benediction:
May the God of peace,
Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,
The great shepherd of the sheep,
By the blood of the eternal covenant,

make you complete in everything good
so that you may do God’s will,
working among us that which is pleasing in God’s sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever!

Leaders Guide for Practice 7: Weeks 1 & 2

DOING THE THINGS JESUS DOES
Eating & Drinking with God

DINING ROOM TABLE CHRISTIANITY

We are near the end of our practice of eating and drinking with the third dimension: eating and drinking with God. The Lord’s supper was originally exactly what it sounds like, a supper. A meal around a table with Jesus and his community. This core practice changed the Roman Empire. How can we let something as simple as eating and drinking with one another change our own communities?

THE MEAL

READ: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

DISCUSS: What role has communion played in your life?

The Lord’s supper, communion, the eucharist – whatever you call this meal, it is at the core of the way of Jesus. In the early church, there’s no doubt it was the center of gravity in the weekly gathering. But a lot has changed over 2,000 years. Originally, it was a meal, not a bite of bread and a sip of juice or wine. It was enjoyed around a table, not in a church building. It was a joyful time spent together more than a quiet, contemplative time alone. And it was about communion with each other, not just communion with God. In fact, it was even a vehicle for social justice, as it gave food to the poor in the church and the city. But over time, the meal became the mass. In this Practice, we explore repurposing our weekly meal with our Community as Jesus’ meal, or “the Lord’s supper.” This practice is split over two weeks – the first week will focus on talking together about communion and the second week will be practicing a communion meal.

DISCUSS:  How can we think about Communion differently?

Liturgy from the Didache, a church manual of sorts, a “how-to” book from the early first century (70 AD-140 AD).

Regarding the Eucharist, you shall give thanks as follows. First, concerning the cup: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of David, your child, which you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be the glory forever.

Next, concerning the broken bread: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge that you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be glory forever. As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and gathered to become one, so may your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For the glory and power are yours through Jesus Christ forever.

And when you have had enough to eat, give thanks as follows:

“We give thanks, holy Father, for your holy name which you have made reside in our hearts, and for the knowledge, faith and immorality that you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be glory forever.

You, O Master Almighty, created all things for the sake of your name, and gave both food and drink to humans for their refreshment, that they might give you thanks. And you graciously provided us with spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your child. Above all, we thank you because you are powerful. To you be the glory forever.

Remember your church, O Lord; save it from all evil and perfect it in your love. And gather it from the four winds into your kingdom, which you prepared for it. For yours is the power and glory forever.

May grace come and this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy let them come (to the Eucharist); if anyone is not, let them repent. Maranatha! Amen.

But permit the prophets to give thanks as often as they wish.

DISCUSS:  How might celebrating communion in this way change your experience?

For next practice: Next week we will be practicing a communion meal through a guided liturgy. The liturgy will have some call and response, scripture reading, sharing about our lives, and taking communion together. The hope is to experience communion as a community around a common table. It might be a good idea to plan now for the coming practice by asking someone to consider leading the practice and designating who will bring the bread and juice for communion.

Leaders Guide for Practice 7: Weeks 1 & 2

DOING THE THINGS JESUS DID: FOOD AS JUSTICE PART 1

1. Have you been able to listen to the past two sermons on the Kingdom and our resources? What did you think?

2. How often do you think about the story behind your resources and food and how it affects the world around you?

OVERVIEW

The entire Bible showcases God’s great concern for the poor and the hungry. In God’s economy, those with much are to sacrifice for those with little. This includes feeding the hungry. Because our relationship with food and how/what we choose to buy and to eat impacts the world in real ways, we want to talk together about creative ways to recapture God’s heart for food as an instrument of kindness, compassion and justice.

When we talk about the way food choices impact the Kingdom, it is easy for things to devolve into new law or self-righteousness. Today instead of making legalistic lists of what foods we should or shouldn’t buy, what grocery stores we utilize, and what restaurants we visit we want to simply have some conversation about food. The discussion is meant to prompt thinking about what it means to live in God’s kingdom, and how food is a part of Kingdom life.

This practice has two parts.The first part is this week. It is a discussion about things to consider when purchasing and consuming food. The second part is next week. As a whole church we will be serving a meal next Sunday (June 12) night at Gap Ministries. We want this to be an extension of the Food as Justice conversation as we experience using food as a tool of mercy, compassion, and kindness.

PART 1

What does it mean/what is the value in considering these things in light of the Kingdom of God?

● Do you regularly give thought where your food comes from before you buy/eat it?

● Have you ever considered the impact or value of buying from local/family farms or farmers markets?

● Have you ever considered the impact of plastics and packaging on the environment?

PART 2

Sign up HERE to serve with us at GAP Ministries this coming Sunday, June 12th.

 

 

DEBRIEF OF PRACTICE ONE

This week we are continuing the conversation from a few weeks back on hospitality and talking about take-aways from Sunday’s workshop on neighboring.

1. Have you had the chance to eat and drink with somebody who doesn’t follow Jesus since we met a few weeks back?

2. If so, how did it go? If not, is there someone you’ve planned on connecting with?

3. What is one step you can take to realistically integrate hospitality like this into the rhythm of your life? How can our community help with this?

 

DEBRIEF OF NEIGHBORING WORKSHOP (PRACTICE 2)

This past Sunday we hosted a workshop about neighboring as a church:

1. What excites you about being a part of a church that wants to be an outpost of the Kingdom as opposed to a castle?

2. What kinds of things did your table talk about at the workshop?

3. What does it look like to take one step towards better neighboring personally?

4. What does it look like to take one step towards better neighboring as a church?

Note: Our goal isn’t to start new things as a church. Rather, it is to consider how we can utilize the spaces that exist to take a single step toward following Jesus in the way he demonstrated hospitality and good neighboring. We want to be increasingly doing the things Jesus did.

 

 

OVERVIEW

In the South, many of us, including those inside the Church, have been so desensitized to the Gospel that we sometimes forget what it looks like in action. People won’t shy away from you if you pray at a meal, say amen, or even say Jesus’ name, but beyond that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, the message that Christ came to radically change and transform our lives makes people more and more uncomfortable. People are more likely to say no to coffee, turn the other way, or try to avoid long chats if they think you are coming to preach to them. People skirting the Gospel is nothing new, we know that Jesus himself faced anger and antagonism in his culture. But how did he overcome that?

One meal at a time. In story after story, we read of Jesus eating and drinking with the lost. In doing so, he set a timeless practice into motion.

This practice is what the New Testament writers go on to call “hospitality.” And while the practice of hospitality is directed at those inside and outside the church, the Greek word literally means “the love of a guest.” Hospitality is expressing the welcome of God the Father to all through tangible acts of love, ideally through giving food, shelter, and relationship.

Our Practice over the next several weeks is incredibly simple: follow Jesus’ example of eating and drinking with somebody who has yet to experience the Father’s welcome. And the beauty of this Practice is that anybody can do it. All it takes is a table.

DEBRIEF & DISCUSSION

1. Did you listen to the sermon? What were your thoughts?

2. Use the questions from the sermon for discussion. These questions will be posted on Instagram under this week’s Sermon Notes.  You can also find this weeks sermon notes and questions here.

DISCUSSION QUESTION REGARDING PRACTICES (see practices below)

1. What are some thoughts or creative ideas about this coming week’s Practice?

2. Have you ever been uncomfortable when invited into someone else’s space? What are some hosting pitfalls to avoid?

3. What are some experiences where you felt truly welcome in someone else’s home? Talk as a group about what it looks like to host well?

4. Discuss some ways you can demonstrate Jesus’ love and care for your guests?

5. Is there anybody in your life who immediately comes to mind that you want to share a meal with?

PRACTICES FOR THE COMING WEEK

Exercise #1: Pray, Consider, Invite.

● If you can, get somewhere quiet for this one.

● Prayer Take a few minutes to invite the Holy Spirit lead and guide your give shape to your imagination.

● Consider who in your life you could make space for around your table.

● Invite: Don’t stop here – make some plans and get it on the calendar!

Exercise #2:  Share a Meal with Somebody Outside of the Church
(over the course of the next two weeks).

● Before the meal: Life is busy but don’t miss this. Make space for you/your family to pray for your guests before they arrive – that God would use this time and your relationship as a stepping stone in their relationship with Him.

● Eat and drink with somebody!

● Ideally, open your home or apartment. If that doesn’t work, invite them to a third space (a restaurant, café, etc.)

● This could be a great time to learn how to cook a few good meals. A quick search of the internet will yield loads of easy-to-prepare, super delicious meals.

● You don’t have to force anything, but consider your discussion with you MC and the ways to host well and demonstrate the hospitality of Jesus.

● Make some plans to hang out again.