Life Group Weekly Challenge

Life Group Family & Friends:

If you are like me, you may have a tough time remembering names, forgetting where you placed something, or missing some evening event on your calendar.  You may even have a tough time learning the word of God and committing it to memory. 

But why is it that I can quote movies like Office Space or Dumb & Dumber and remember verses to songs from the late 80s?

In our study of Exodus 12 and 13, we see that God instructs His people to Remember, Celebrate, and Teach their children of His mighty salvation.  Parents were to tell their children that the reason for the festival that includes eating bread without yeast was to help the people remember that God delivered them from Egyptian slavery. 

As we focus on how to be intentional with our challenge this week, ponder on these 2 questions:

1.       Why is it important for us to remember what God has done in our lives?

2.       How would you rate your effectiveness in teaching the children that are a part of your life about how God can deliver us from the slavery of sin?

My challenge to you is to take one time this week as a family to make a list of what God has done in your lives and to celebrate together.  Go get Fro-Yo together, enjoy Sonic happy hour, maybe a special breakfast.  Tell your children how God saved/delivered you.

Be Intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge -Promises

LG Family & Friends:

In Life Group on Saturday we heard Naked Eyes singing Promises, Promises, I knew you’d never keep,  and we saw Gru pinky promise to show up to the dance recital but he failed.  This must have been how Moses felt about God’s promises.  God laid out a detailed vision and plan for Moses and gave him the tools to succeed.  Moses relayed the plan to the other leaders and everybody had buy-in and worshipped God.  Then Moses went to Pharaoh with the message.  Pharaoh laughed at the idea, made fun of Moses, and forced the Israelites to work harder.  The Israelite leaders turned on Moses and told him that he would be judged by God and to leave them alone.  God told Moses to go back to Pharaoh and Moses started singing the Naked Eyes song (rough interpretation).

So what does that mean for us as believers?  God has a plan and God has given us promises.  We can pack up when we hit adversity or we can stay in the game and be a participant in God’s plan that will happen with our without us. 

I handed out a list of 365 promises of God to the LG and asked you to circle one or two promises that were meaningful to you.  Our LG chose 41 of the 365.  My challenge to you this week is to claim these promises and have confidence that God will follow through.  Read through these at dinner with the family.  Meditate on a couple each day. 

1.       If you search for Me with all your heart, you will find me.             Jeremiah 29:13

2.       My love will persevere through every situation.                              1 Corinthians 13:4-7

3.       Not one of My promises will ever fail you.                                       Joshua 23:14

4.       I have chosen the weak things of this world to confound the strong.           1 Corinthians 1:27

5.       I have brought you close through the blood of Christ.                     Ephesians 2:13

6.       Commit all that you do to Me and your plans will be successful.   Proverbs 16:3

7.       I will never abandon you.                                                                 Hebrews 13:5

8.       Humble yourself before Me and in time I will exalt you.                1 Peter 5:6

9.       I have cancelled all your sin and made you alive in Jesus Christ.    Colossians 2:13-14

10.   My Spirit will help you in your weakness.                                         Romans 8:26

11.   You can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives you strength.             Philippians 4:13

12.   I will teach your children My ways and give them great peace.     Isaiah 54:13

13.   I will not forget the love you have shown Me by serving others.    Hebrews 6:10

14.   I will repay those who are kind to the poor.                                     Proverbs 19:17

15.   Nothing will be impossible for those who have even a little faith.  Matthew 17:19-20

16.   I will reveal My secrets to those who fear Me.                                Psalm 25:14

17.   When you walk through the fires of adversity, you will not be burned.       Isaiah 43:2

18.   My love for you will last forever.                                                     Jeremiah 31:3

19.   Do not be sad, for My joy is your strength.                                      Nehemiah 8:10

20.   I will strengthen you with feet like a deer so you can reach great heights.              Habakkuk 3:19

21.   If you share with the needy, My glory will guard your back.           Isaiah 58:7-8

22.   I am near to you whenever you cry out.                                           Deuteronomy 4:7

23.   When problems arise, call to Me and I will answer you.   Psalm 86:7

24.   If you walk in the light, the blood of My Son Jesus will cleanse you from all sin.      1 John 1:7

25.   Trust in Me, and do not be afraid of what others can do to you.    Psalm 56:11

26.   I give power to the exhausted and I strengthen the weak. Isaiah 40:29

27.   I bind up the brokenhearted and I will comfort all who mourn.      Isaiah 61:1-2

28.   I will forgive your sins and then forget them.                                  Hebrews 8:12

29.   I carry your burdens every day.                                                        Psalm 68:19

30.   I will always be close when you need My comfort.                         2 Corinthians 1:3-4

31.   When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will be with you.         Psalm 23:4

32.   I love to sing over you with loud shouts of joy.                                 Zephaniah 3:17

33.   My angels will surround all who fear Me.                                        Psalm 34:7

34.   I watch over you and I listen for your prayers.                                 1 Peter 3:12

35.   I have chosen you to be My own precious possession.                    Deuteronomy 7:6

36.   My love is patient and kind, and does not keep track of wrongs.    1 Corinthians 13:4-5

37.   I am your rock and your salvation, a fortress that cannot be shaken.          Psalm 62:2

38.   I am very close to those who have a broken heart.                         Psalm 34:18

39.   If you pray to Me in secret, I will reward you openly.                     Matthew 6:6

40.   I will provide what you need every day.                                           Matthew 6:11

41.   Nothing in all creation will ever separate you from My love.         Romans 8:35-39

Be Intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge

What a beautiful dialogue between the members of our class last night...and what a beautiful dialogue between the Lord and Moses.  At a quick glance it may seem hard for us to relate the story; we aren't accustomed to God showing up to speak to us through a burning bush, we have no real context of what living in physical bondage under an abusive polytheistic king is like, I doubt any of us have ever killed anyone and had authorities seeking to kill us.  However, despite all of these things we found many aspects of God that remain true in our context today because our God does not change.


The Lord HEARS us.
The Lord is PATIENT and LONGSUFFERING
The Lord LOVES his children
The Lord has HIS OWN TIMING
The Lord is in CONTROL and is SOVEREIGN
The Lord commands OBEDIENCE
The Lord utilizes PARTICIPATION from His children
The Lord is WITH YOU
The Lord has GIVEN TOOLS (the Word, the Holy Spirit)
The Lord uses our WEAKNESSES to glorify His name
The Lord CALLS US AS A UNIFIED COMMUNITY
The Lord MAKES THE PATH
The Lord's WILL WILL BE DONE

The Challenge:
Reflect over these attributes of God and discuss them with your spouse and children.  Talk about how you have experienced these characteristics during trials, successes and all aspects of life in the past.  Discuss how knowing and meditating on these things can prepare you for the future.

In Him,
Aaron