Discussion Questions: August 17, 2014
Did you leave after hearing Sunday’s message and think, “Well, now what?” Each Sunday, we will provide a discussion guide for our church body designed to create a conversation about what we’re learning. We encourage you to prayerfully gather with your family, friends and community group and dive into how to apply Sunday’s teaching from God’s Word to your life.
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- There is a difference between committed and submitted people. Committed people tend to follow rules and act out of a motivation to perform and compete with others. Submitted people maintain a posture of humility and dependence on Jesus; they abide in him and walk in the Spirit. Which of these two best describes the posture of your heart and why?
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Committed People
Submitted People
Partner with God
God is Boss
God is their co-pilot
God is the pilot, they don’t want the stick anymore
The goal is the all-consuming end
Results are important, but equally so the process
God is there to help them succeed
Success is being on God’s agenda, not our own
Work before worship
Worship before and during work
Their identity is in what they do
Their identity is hidden with God in Christ
Bend circumstances for their objectives
Yield to circumstances for the Lord’s objectives
Desire (secretly) to share in the glory
Know God shares His glory with no one
Do good things & good works
Yields fruit that lasts into eternity
Laugh less as life goes on
Laugh more as life goes on
Tend towards judging (legalists w/rules)
By grace; grow in forgiving others, even enemies (lovers in relationship)
Time with God is another thing to do
Time with God is life itself
Are around God when need be
Abide! Abide! Abide!
Rarely, if ever, enter God’s rest
Lie down in green pastures with restored souls
- Todd made the statement, “Your life is so loud I can’t hear what you say.” What are some ways your actions don’t match up with your words? What do your actions say about your motivations and priorities?
- James talks about two different kinds of wisdom, the wisdom that is “earthly,natural, demonic” that results in a heart full of envy and selfish ambition and the wisdom of God that has a heart of purity, mercy and sincerity. It is not enough simply to perform external acts of righteousness; we must act out of a heart that is being transformed through a relationship with God by the Spirit. In other words, it does not just matter what we do but why we do it. What type of “wisdom” motivates you to act? Which drives you to serve?
- James tells us that godly wisdom is marked by purity, peace loving,consideration, submission, mercy, good fruit, impartiality and sincerity. Is your life marked by this wisdom? Ask your community group to help you see specific ways your attitudes and actions do not reflect godliness.
- Compare James 3:17 with Galatians 5:22-23 and as a group, pray that the Spirit would continue to transform your hearts, then commit to holding one another accountable to the daily relational investments with God that produces godly wisdom.
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