Unwrapping Christmas - The Gift Of Wonder

First of all, read Luke 2:1-20. Maybe you’ve read it before and you know the story. But this time, take your time. Read it carefully. Try to put yourself in the scene. Imagine traveling with Joseph and Mary the 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Imagine the sights and smells of the animals in the stall when the baby is born. Imagine yourself sleeping on the ground with the shepherds. Imagine hearing and seeing the angel of the Lord and the celestial choir that comes to praise God. Imagine going into town, to the stable, and seeing the Lord, Jesus, the Christ, who has just entered the world….a baby wrapped in cloths, lying there in the manger. Take time to re-live this WONDERful event that we can so easily miss in all the hubbub of Christmas.

Read Matthew 2:1-12. Imagine yourself traveling with the Magi, following the star in the sky. Imagine your encounter with Herod. Imagine what it must have been like to finally, after all those miles of travel, come face to face with the child, Jesus. Imagine giving this child gifts, gold, frankincense, myrrh. And then the dream they had to return home by a different route. Again, take time to allow yourself to be filled with the WONDER of this incredible, awesome experience.

Go back and read the entire first chapter of Matthew. Matthew is writing for the Jews, and so it is important to show Jesus’ family back to Abraham, the Father of Judaism. It is interesting to note that in this family there is an adulterer/accomplice to murder (David), a prostitiute (Rahab), a foreigner (Ruth) and several other less-than-perfect people. It shows us the very human side of Jesus, the side of Jesus that we all share. As you read the second part of the chapter, Joseph’s story, try to relive the events and to capture the WONDER of what is happening here.

Read the first chapter of Luke. There’s a lot of wonder here. Elizabeth, previously barren, is pregnant in her old age. Imagine how Zechariah must have felt when he was given the news by the angel Gabriel. Revisit Gabriel’s visit to Mary to tell her God’s plan for her. Be there with Elizabeth and Mary as they share their experiences. Take time to read Mary’s song and Zechariah’s song and try to capture some of their joy as they celebrate God. Take some time to appreciate, again, the WONDER the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.

Unwrapping Christmas - The Gift Of Obedience

Kids come in all shapes and sizes. Some find it easier to be obedience than others. Were you a kid that tended to do what was expected, or did you tend to be disobedient more often than not? Has that carried into adulthood. Do you tend to be obedient or do you tend to “fight the rules” most of the time?

Do you find it easy to be obedient to God or more of a challenge? Has God ever called you to do something that was so far out of your comfort zone that you just didn’t feel like you could comply? What was that? Do you wish you had given it a try? Why or Why not?

Have you ever been called by God to something way out of your comfort zone that you did comply with, something to which you were obedient? What did you find when you did what you felt God calling you to do? Did God give you what you needed for the task? Were you able to see that “with God, all things are possible?” Did you have a faith growth, a spiritual growth as a result of being obedient to God’s call?

Other than Mary and Joseph, who is the character in Scripture you feel is most obedient to God? Why do you feel this way? Discuss this with another believer and see who they would say is most obedient and why.

Take some time and give thought to various things God might ask you to do. What is the one thing that you would find most intimidating, uncomfortable, objectionable, out of your comfort zone of all the things you might be called to do. What is it that would make this task one that you wouldn’t want to do?

Think about this…Jesus came not only to comfort the afflicted, but also to afflict the comfortable. Sometimes God takes us WAY outside our comfort zones in order to stretch us and to deepen us spiritually and to force us to fully rely on Him. Keep in mind also that He always equips us for the task to which He calls us.

What is it that God is calling you to now? Are you fighting it? What’s it going to take for you to be obedient to God’s call?

Unwrapping Christmas - The Gift Of Hope

What was the most awesome thing you ever hoped for at Christmas as a kid? Did you get it? If so, was it really as awesome as you thought it was going to be?

What are you hoping for this Christmas?

Have your Christmas hopes changed over the years? How so?

What does Jesus as the Gift of Hope mean to you?

Family Matters- Forgiveness Brings Freedom

Think about the Lord’s Prayer. It’s not just something that was made up. Jesus shared that prayer with His disciples as a model for how to pray. We find it in Matthew 6:9-13.

Think about what we are really saying when we say, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Are we asking God to offer us forgiveness as we offer forgiveness to others? Now that’s a little challenging isn’t it? I know it is for me. What does that mean to me if I am unforgiving of other people? Does that mean God will not forgive me? Wooooahhhhh.

Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past.

No matter how many times we re-live something, it never changes. We can never make the past better than it was. Is there something in your past that has a hold on you? Have you tried to let go? Have you sought help in letting it go? If not, maybe this is the time to seek that help.

It has been said that God never wastes a hurt. I don’t think that means that God brings hurt to us in order to use it for some good. On the other hand, I think it DOES mean that God can take the hurts we experience and bring some good out of them. Have you had hurt or pain in your life that God has brought good out of? Have you shared that with anyone? Is there someone who needs to hear your story in order to help with their healing?

Always remember, when we forgive someone, we are not saying that what they did to us was okay. What we are saying is that we are not going to be controlled by it any longer. It’s interesting….some people are still controlling us long after they are dead, long after they are in the grave. If that is true for you, is it time to let it go? Is it time to stop being controlled by the actions of someone who no longer is with us? If you need some help with this, let us know.

Family Matters- Facing The Tough Issues

Is there a tough issue in your family that you are facing at the present time? Is it new, or something you’ve been dealing with for a while? Have you talked to the other person or people about it? Have you prayed about it? Is there any kind of resolution possible, or is it one of those things that you just aren’t going to be able to change? If you can’t change it, how can you not let it consume you?

King Phyrrus of Epirus defeated the Romans at Heraclea in 280 b.c. and Asculum in 279 b.c. His casualties were so great, though, that he said at the time, “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly destroyed.” Thus, we have the term Phyrric Victory, where the cost of the victory in terms of casualties is so high, that it is hardly a victory at all. Think about some of the battles you are waging in your family. If you win, will it be a “Phyrric Victory?” Will the “cost” be so great, that the victory will look more like a defeat when it’s all said and done. Pick your battles carefully, and be sure the outcome is worth the price that will be paid.

Serenity Prayer

God…Grant me the serenity to accept the things

I cannot change, the courage to change the things

I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

What are some things going on in your family right now that you are not going to be able to change? Are you still trying to change them? What are some things you CAN change? Are you using your energy to do just that?

Here again is the weekly challenge….

Do you need to talk to a family member about a tough issue? Why not this week? If possible, do it face to face and alone. Prepare in advance. Be fair and respectful. Choose your words carefully and speak clearly and have this conversation just once. Don’t nag. Above all else…Pray, Pray, Pray. Remember the Serenity Prayer.

Family Matters- Seize the 3 C's When You Disagreeze

In the book, The Dance of Anger, author Harriet Lerner offers some valuable questions to ask ourselves when we are feeling angry, questions that might help us stay calm as we deal with that anger. Think of someone, especially someone in your extended family, who you are upset with and ask yourself these questions:

• What am I really angry about? What is triggering the anger?
• What is the problem and whose problem is it?
• How can I sort out who is responsible for what?
• How can I learn to express my anger in a way that will not leave me feeling helpless and powerless?
• When I am angry, how can I clearly communicate my position without becoming defensive or attacking?
• What risks and losses might I face if I become clearer and more assertive?

If you have internet access, go to www.youtube.com and search for the song The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics. Listen to the song, paying special attention to the lyrics. Remember this song when you think you have all the time in the world to reconcile the conflicts you have with someone else, especially someone in your family.

What is the major source of disagreement in your extended family? What can you do to help disarm this source of conflict the next time you meet?

Which is the most challenging for you…to be civil, calm, or clear? Pray daily this week for God’s help with all of these, but especially for the most challenging.

Family Matters - Having Realistic Expectations

Much information for this message series was found in the book, Loving Your Relatives (Even When You Don’t See Eye to Eye by David & Claudia Arp and John & Margaret Bell, including these Re-mix questions.

“To grow up, it is necessary to forgive your parents. When you do not forgive them it means you are clinging to them in the hope that if you can make them feel guilty enough they will finally come through with more parenting.” (P. 35)

Do you agree, disagree, or a little of both, with what is said here? Is there anything for you to forgive your parents for? Have you done that? If not, what are you waiting for? Take some time an pray about it. If your parents are not still alive, do you still think it is possible to forgive them? Dead or alive, try writing a letter to your parents in which you forgive them. If they are alive and you need to share the letter with them, do it. Otherwise, dead or alive, just put it in a drawer. The act of writing the letter often is enough.

On p. 36 the Arps and the Bells say this:

Let us encourage you to never end a family relationship—even if you feel deep hurts from past offenses by family members. Realize over time things change. If you cut off the relationship and refuse reconciliation, the seeds of bitterness will remain and your heart will harden. Yuour anger and frustratin wil not go away just because you refuse to forgive or seek forgiveness.

Give some thought to what is written here. Is there a family member that you need to reconcile with? What would it take to make that happen? Pray, pray, pray about the situation.

On p. 38 we read:

Understand where your expectations come from by processing your history with your own parents and in-laws. Is your relationship with your own parents and in-laws positive or negative? If they have passed away, what was your relationship like before they died? Those relationships have a direct bearing on how you relate to the younger generation. If we were not affirmed and supported growing up, we may slip back into looking to others and affirmation and approval as if we were still children. If we were manipulated emotionally, we may unintentionally do the same to others. You might need to go beyond the examples of the family in your life and choose different role models to follow.

Give some though to what is written here. Does any of it ring true for you? If so, it might help to talk to a close friend about it, to share your feelings, to kind of bring it out and deal with it. And as always, pray.

iServe - Open the Floodgates

When it comes time for the offering at church, do you think of it as a necessary evil, an act of obedience, an opportunity for thanksgiving, an extension of worship, or a combination of more than one of these?

Is putting money in the offering bag like putting a donation in at the Little League field? How is it similar? How is it different?

When you hear talk about money at church, do you react negatively, positively, or neutrally? Take a couple of minutes and consider WHY you react as you do? What causes that reaction? Do things from your past affect how you feel currently?

As we said in the message, tithing is giving 10%, ideally the first 10% of what comes in. Think about how much you give and calculate what percent that is of what you make. How close are you to tithing? What would it take for you to begin tithing? Do you need to ease into it, a few percentage points at a time, or are you willing to plunge all in?

As we said in worship, what would happen if for a month or two you tried tithing, taking 10% right off the top? What’s the worst that could happen if you tried this and it didn’t work out for you? What’s the best that could happen if you tried it and it DID work out for you?

iServe - Partnering with God

Read Luke 1:26-38. The story of God partnering with Mary to bring Jesus into the world is the greatest example of God partnering with a human being. Other than this one, what is your favorite example from Scripture of God partnering with someone. What makes it your favorite?

What is your favorite example outside of Scripture of God partnering with someone, someone well-known? What makes that your favorite?

What is your favorite example of someone you know personally who God has partnered with? What makes it your favorite?

Is God currently partnering with you? In what area? Are you using your Spiritual Gift(s)? Are you passionate about where you are serving? If not, where could you use your Spiritual Gifts and be passionate about where you are serving?

iServe - Cruise Ship or Battleship

Have you ever been on a cruise ship? If so, what did you like best about it? If not, does the idea of a cruise appeal to you? Why? What is it about cruise ships that is so appealing?

Are there aspects of a cruise ship that make it appealing as a metaphor for church? What are they? What are the aspects that make it not such a good metaphor for the church?

What is the closest you’ve ever been to a battleship? Served on one? Had a tour of one? Seen one on TV or in the movies? What thoughts/images come to mind when you think of a battleship? Are these positive or negative? Is the battleship a good metaphor for the church for you? Why or why not?

On Sunday, we compared the church to a battleship and said the crew members should be equipped to succeed in carrying out their mission. Are you so equipped? If not, who are you going to share that with so that they can help you get equipped?

We also said that crew members should be able to contribute in significant ways to the mission of the ship. Are you able to so contribute? If so, how so? If not, what would it take for you to be able to so contribute? Are you willing to share that with someone?

iServe - Team United vs Team Untied

What does it mean to you to be part of a team? Are you currently part of a team? Where? Is that team “united” or “untied”?

During your lifetime, what is the best team you’ve ever been a part of and what is the worst team you’ve ever been a part of? What made the teams so good or so bad? Can you use this knowledge to make any current teams you are a part of better?

Oftentimes in traditional churches, the term “committee” is used when talking about a group of people working together at the church. At Connection we like to use the word “team” instead. What images come to mind when you hear committee? When you hear team? Is there much difference?

Are you currently part of a team at Connection? Is the team “united” or “untied”? What is it that is making it one or the other? If you feel it is more “untied,” is there anything YOU can do to change that?

How about your home team? Is that team “united” or “untied”? If you answered “untied,” what can you do to change that? If “united,” what is it that makes it united and how can you help that to continue?

iServe - Anatomy of a Servant

If you hear the word “servant” what images come to your mind? Are they positive or negative? In our culture, is being a servant something people would strive for, or something they generally would want to avoid? What about you? Does the idea of being a servant appeal to you?

Read John 13:1-17. Now close your eyes and imagine Jesus washing your feet. How do you feel? Does it make you uncomfortable to think that God’s son is on his knees, washing your feet? How can we serve others sacrificially without making them feel uncomfortable?

When was the last time someone served you, other than a waiter or a waitress in a restaurant? How were you served? Did they do a good job? What was it about the way they served you that made it a good or a not so good experience? What can you learn from that will help you serve better?

Other than Jesus, who do you think is the ultimate servant in the Bible? Why did you choose that person? Do you share any qualities with them? What can you learn from them to make you a better servant?

Where is God calling you to serve? At home? At work? In the church? In the community? Not sure? Keep praying, seeking God’s direction and guidance.

Unbound - Successes

READ Genesis 32 & 33.

When Jacob encounters his brother, Esau, he seems different than he was prior to his wrestling match with God. How is he different?

Have you ever wrestled with God? If so, did your life change as a result? If not, is there anything you need to wrestle with God about now? What’s holding you back?

How would you define success for your life? How would Jesus define success for your life? Are the definitions different? How so?

Are successes in your life getting in the way of you receiving all God has in store for you, getting in the way of fully connecting with Jesus and the life He offer? What can you do to change that?

God blessed Jacob, even though Jacob was a conniver. He blessed David, even though David was an adulterer. He blessed Moses, even though Moses was a murderer. What does this tell you about God? What does it tell you about your relationship with God?

Unbound - Sins

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift

of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Think about the key words in this Scripture passage. Think about “wages.” It’s what we get for what we’ve done. What we get for what we’ve done. If what we’ve done is sin, then what we get is death. But we all die, right? What kind of death is Paul talking about here?

Think about the word “gift” in the passage above. What are the necessary conditions for something to truly be a gift? Freely given, no strings attached? So what is the gift God wants to give us and what is the cost? If you haven’t received the gift, why not?

If we claim to be without sin, we

deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

I John 1:8 (NIV)

The simple fact is, we are all sinners. When we think otherwise, we deceive ourselves, just as we are told in this passage of Scripture. Have you accepted the fact that you are a sinner? Have you acknowledged that to God? Or are you still trying to pretend otherwise, somehow thinking that God doesn’t know, while only deceiving yourself? If you haven’t had a heart to heart with God about your sinful nature recently, perhaps now is the time.

On the other hand, it isn’t difficult for many of us to admit that we are sinners. What is difficult is to accept the fact that God is that God gave His one and only Son so that we might be forgiven of that sin. That gift is so extravagant that it is difficult for many of us not only to understand, but to accept. But until we accept it, it’s not ours. If you haven’t accepted this gift, what is keeping that from happening? If you have, have you offered a prayer of thanksgiving today for that gift?

Unbound - Secrets

Have you ever had a secret that you tried to hide from God, or at least, didn’t talk to God about? Did you end up sharing it with the Holy One? If so, what happened? If not, why not consider doing that?

Have you ever been bound by a secret? Did you finally share it with someone? If you did, what happened when you shared it? How did you feel? If you haven’t, do you need to share it with someone you can trust?

Who is it in your life that you could share your deepest, darkest secret with? If you don’t have such a person, would you consider praying to God to help you develop such a relationship with someone? Would you consider making that prayer right now?

Read the 10^th chapter of the Gospel of John. What is Satan’s reason for being? What is Jesus’ reason for being?

Sometimes we allow someone else’s secrets to bind us up, especially those of family members. Loyalty to family members is important, but not when keeping those secrets binds us and keeps us from enjoying the life we’ve been promised by Jesus. What will it take for you to be truly free to enjoy the life Jesus has to offer? Are you ready to pray for God’s help with that?

Play Ball - Swing for the Fences

Why is lukewarm so bad? Have you felt that from other people in your life? Why is lukewarm worse than cold?

Where is it in your life that you are neither hot nor cold, where you are lukewarm? Home? Work? Church? Relationship with Spouse? Kid?

What would it take to change that relationship from lukewarm to hot, to swing for the fences? Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to pray for God’s help in doing that?

Read Revelation 3:17-18

Do you ever feel that you are rich, that you kind of have it all together and don’t need anything? Or do you realize that you are wretched, poor, blind, and naked, at least, without Jesus?

In this passage, Jesus counsels those he is talking to to buy from him “gold refined in the fire…..white clothes to wear…..and salve to put on your eyes.” What is Jesus talking about with this gold, these clothes, and this salve? If we were to buy these things from Jesus, what would the price be? How would we pay the price?

Are you willing to Swing for the Fences in your relationship with Jesus? What does that look like for you? What needs to change? Are you willing to pray for that change?

Play Ball - Stepping up to the plate

Think of at least three examples from the Bible of people who stepped up to the plate (other than the ones we gave on Sunday).

What happened as a result of their stepping up? What would have happened if they HADN’T stepped up?

Was there a time in your life when God has called you to step up to the plate and you did? What was the result? Did it make you want to step up again?

Can you think of a time in your life where you felt God calling you to step up to the plate, but you chose not to? What was the result? Were you sorry you hadn’t stepped up?

Where do you feel God is calling you to step up at this point in your life? What is it that is keeping you from doing that? What’s it going to take to step up?

In the story of the paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through the roof to see Jesus, it was the friends who really stepped up to the plate to help their friend. Do you have a friend who needs you to step up to the plate to help them find Jesus?

Play Ball - Spring Training

In your Spiritual Spring Training, what Spiritual Discipline needs your most immediate attention? Prayer? Fasting? Tithing? Bible Study? Meditation? Solitude? Other?

All Scripture is inspired by God…. That’s how the New Living Translation of the Bible translates 2 Timothy 3:16a. The New International Version translates it like this: All Scripture is God-breathed…. What does this mean to you? What is the connection between God and this book we call The Holy Bible?

Sanctifying grace is that aspect of God’s unconditional love that draws us ever closer to God’s holiness. What is it in your life that needs to change to allow you to better realize God’s holiness in you? In other words, what is it that is keeper you from getting closer to God?

If you limit [Jesus] by your experience, your theology, and your hopes and expectations, your will end up with something less than a Savior and more like a carpenter.

M. Craig Barnes

An Extravagant Mercy (p. 214)

How are you limiting Jesus? What is it in your life that is keeping your from experiencing all that Jesus has to offer? Are you looking for the carpenter to fix things in your life, or are you calling on the Savior to transform your life?

For God so loved YOU that he gave his one and only Son, that when YOU believe in him YOU shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NIV w/ some minor adjustments)

What’s keeping you from fully accepting this verse? Can you pray to God to remove whatever it is that’s keeping you from making it yours?

Beach Party - The Sun

Are you surprised with Jonah’s response to God’s kindness to the Ninevites? Do you think Jonah had good reason to be upset?

Do you ever feel resentful when something good happens to someone else? When someone else gets a second chance? Where do those feelings come from?

What temporary things are YOU more concerned with than the eternal destinies of other people?

What can you do to keep yourself from becoming uncaring about others, especially those outside the faith?

As you review Jonah’s story, are there areas/relationships in your life in which God is inviting you to move beyond your comfort levels to extend kindness and compassion, to extend a second chance?