Weekly Challenge -Security through the Trinity

LG family and friends:
You have been chosen, redeemed, and sealed!  Amen.  In our study of Ephesians 1:3-14, we learned:

• God the Father chose you
• God the Son redeemed you
• God the Spirit sealed you

Your salvation is a done deal.  God's desire now is that you participate with Him.  He wants you to live a holy and blameless life, be intentional, and make a difference for Him today.  This goes back to our challenge last week regarding Ephesians 4.

The challenge this week is talk to someone this week about the security you have because of what the Trinity has done for you.  Describe the hope, joy, and peace you have and how your life is different. 

People are naturally seeking.  As the news story we read in LG, some people will believe in Jediism to give them some type of higher power.  But they will not find security.

Be intentional.

Travis

Happy New Year Life Group!!!

As we start a new year and a new series, it is time to review the purpose of our Life Group.
There are several phrases we like to use in our LG such as:

• Be intentional
• Community of Unity
• Be authentic
• Relationships are messy
• Grow and help others grow

These phrases all came from Ephesians 4.  As we read each verse, Andi wrote the words or phrases which Paul used for the new believers in Ephesus. 

This is a beautiful picture of what we are as a community of believers.  We can live this way because of Jesus. 
In our lesson, we learned that Jesus told all his followers that they will fail.  They said they would not.  But they all deserted him. 
Jesus knew this of them and of us, yet He still died for all of us.  We will fail, but God will redeem. 

Challenge:   Pick a couple of the words/phrases below and meditate and pray on them this week.  For you, in your family, and in our LG.

Be intentional.

Travis

Weekly Challenge -Isaiah 63:7-14

Great discussion in LG on Saturday.  So glad that we have a LG where people talk about real issues and have a desire to participate in the discussions.

Isaiah started this passage by telling others, or praising God.  We used his list and added our own praises to get the following:

Provision, Kindness, Blessings, Protection, Hope, Steadfast Love, Compassion, Strength, Peace, Grace, Faithfulness, Goodness, Mercy, and Love. 

Just as the Israelites praised God when they remembered the Good Old Days, we should take time to talk to each other and tell stories to our kids about what God has done for us. 

Challenge:    Remember what He has done and then praise Him.


Be intentional.
Travis

Weekly Challenge: Be Like Joe

LG Family and Friends:
Our passage of study last week was Isaiah 61:1-9.  We read how God the Son was stating He was Anointed (Hebrew -Messiah, Greek -Christ) by God the Spirit and will bring good news to the poor, bind and heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, release the prisoners of darkness, comfort mourners, etc.

It is a great passage of hope and encouragement.

This is the same passage Jesus read in church as described in Luke 4:14-21.  Someone handed Him a scroll to read, he read this passage out of Isaiah (of His own words), and then told the audience that He read about Himself!  Awesome.

We ended with a story about a guy named Joe who lived a very hard life.  Then he decided to follow Jesus, changed his life, had a new purpose, and began serving others.  The people he served did not know Jesus.  But they knew Joe and they saw how he changed and they wanted to be like Joe. 

My challenge to you this week is to be like Joe.  When you are around your family, friends, and enemies during Thanksgiving, be like Joe.  Help people see Jesus through you.

Be intentional.
Travis

Weekly Challenge -Isaiah 52:13-53:3

Weekly Challenge -Isaiah 52:13-53:3

This passage of scripture is an amazing summary of the grace that is the good news of the gospel:

In this passage we are shown just how unfathomable God's ways are to us.  He warns us that we must pay close attention if we are to fully "see" Christ because He is not going to be or do the things that we expect. 

This week my challenge is to really seek Jesus Christ - investigate what he looks, speaks and acts like.  Intimately comb the word to find the real Him!

Be intentional.

Jamie

Weekly Challenge -Isaiah 48:17-22

In this section of scripture God says several things to us:

1.  He reminds us of who He is.

2.  He reminds us that His ways are not only good but also good for us.

3.  He makes a promise to us of what will happen if we listen to Him.

4.  He tells us to be free from captivity even when we can't live up to our end of the deal and to proclaim the greatness of Christ and the freedom He provides.

5.  Finally He reminds us that we can not do this on our own and that to be truly free we must hand over whatever is holding us captive to Him and return to His arms.

My challenge to all of us this week is to meditate on whatever has or is holding us captive.  Put a name to it, put it at the foot of the cross and then live fully in the freedom that Christ has bought for us.

Be intentional.

Jamie

Weekly Challenge -Isaiah 45

Life Group community:

Quick summary of the last few weeks:

Chapter 43 –God says you are my redeemed.  You are my witnesses.  Gave us a message of comfort, protection, hope, steadfastness.  We will be tested, but God will remain faithful.

·         The question to you is, are you a good witness for God?
·         If you were on trial, would you be convicted of being a Christian?

Chapter 44 –Idolatry is a lie.   Recognize that God is the Creator, and that He has not left His creation to determine its own path.  God is continually working within creation. Though the events, powers, and strategies of the world may hide God’s work, God has made promises to His chosen people Israel to remind them that God has not abandoned them.

Chapter 45 starts off with a big intro to Cyrus.  He was mentioned in 41 but now we see more detail.  The surprise to the Israelites is that Cyrus is called the Lords shepherd and his anointed.  For Cyrus himself was a pagan idolater!  God may disapprove of idolatry but use an idolater for some good purpose. The fact that he uses someone in a specific way does not mean that he approves of that person’s total lifestyle.   That is great news for me.  It means that He can still use me even though I have idols in my life!

In Isaiah 45, God is explaining why idols get in the way of allegiance to Him.  So my challenge to you this week is to repeat the challenge from last week.  Spend time identifying what you place more importance than your Creator.  Where is your security?  Where is your control?  What can you not live without?  Where, what, or who do you go to for rest, hope, security, etc.?

Be intentional.

Travis