The Proposal (Part 1)

This week as we journey further into our topic of "The Question!" of believe, we will be looking at God's proposal. Please take some time to consider the discussion questions below. Be prepared to share your thinking with others in the group.

• At various times from the late 1800's through the mid-1900's, the phrase "IN GOD WE TRUST" has appeared and disappeared from our US currency. Describe what you think this phrase meant to our nation then and what it means to you now. How is our nation's response different today from what you believe this phrase means?
• After reading Psalm 73:25-28 - especially, the last sentence - how has God become your shelter and what wonderful things or works has God done?
• If time, money, physical ability and any other necessary resource was available in unlimited amounts, describe what you would do.
• In Genesis 9:13-16 (NCV) it states "I am putting my rainbow in the clouds as the sign of the agreement between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and a rainbow appears in them, I will remember my agreement between me and you and every living thing. Floods will never again destroy all life on the earth. When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and I will remember the agreement that continues forever between me and every living thing on the earth." Describe what this means to you and what you think of when you see a rainbow.
• In reading Romans 4:19-25 about Abraham, Sarah and their offspring, verse 21 (NLT) states "He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises." Based on what you know about Abraham and his actions, share something that might be similar in your life.
• In Woodie Guthrie's song God's Promise, there is a line: "All that I promise is strength for this day." How does this line up with what the Bible says that God promises? (Hint: see Psalm 138:3 and Matthew 6:34)
• When you consider what 1 Corinthians 10:13 says about God keeping His Word, how do you see the actual fulfillment of the promise working?
• According to Titus 1:2 (MSG) "… life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn't break promises!", God doesn't break His promises. Briefly describe how you have been caused harm by another because of a broken promise. Have you kept all of your promises?
• How does 2 Corinthians 1:20 change your thinking on the concept of God's promises? How does it change the way respond to God's promises?
• God's supply to you is partly described in Philippians 4:19. What does this mean to you in your daily living for Him?
• It has been said that a person's promises reflect his or her character. Describe how this is true in your own life. How does this reflect God's character?

Blessings!!



"… O brave new world ..."
- The Tempest, Act 5, scene 1, 181–184

The Agreement

In our continuing exploration on "The Question!" of believe, we will be looking at agreements this week.  Please take some time to consider the discussion questions below.  Be prepared to share your thinking with others in the group.

• How close is what you believe to what you think? Explain your answer.
• How does the "heart" differ from the "mind"? How are they similar?
• On a scale from 1 to 10, with descriptors identified below, how to you rate yourself? Why?
       (10) A person who makes a snap decision.
       (5) A person who takes time and considers many angles before making a decision.
       (1) A person who seems to never make a decision, no matter how much time, information, or resources they have.
• Do you have to agree with someone for them to be right? Why or why not?
• Can you agree to disagree with man? With God? Explain your answers.
• Describe a situation where you didn't agree with God. How did it turn out?
• How many agreements can you have at one time? Explain your answer.
• Describe an agreement that you have made with God. Is the agreement fulfilled?
• How is your decision-making influenced by God?
• What is a decision you have made without considering God? How did it turn out?
• After reading James 2:19, how do you explain the difference between the intellectual acknowledgement of God and to believe God?
• It is claimed that Socrates said: "No man voluntarily pursues evil …". Describe why you agree or disagree with this.
• The latter part of Romans 14:23 states "If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. (NLT)" and "If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong. (MSG)". How does this portion of scripture line up with the way you think and the way you live?

I'm looking forward to our time together!!



"… the marriage of true minds ..."
- Sonnet 116

The Contract

Ok, here we are, meeting to begin a process to evaluate our thinking on the topic of "contracts".  We'll be spending some time on this topic over the next couple of weeks, so don't worry that you'll miss something as we dig into this concept.

Below are the questions which will be used during our small group breakout.

• In your understanding, what is a legal contract?
• What are the elements of a contract?
• How many parties are involved in a simple contract?
• What validates a contract?
• What is a breach of a contract?
• What constitutes a breach of a contract?
• Who commits the breach of a contract?
• The Bible speaks of an Old and a New Testament. What does this mean to you personally?
• What does one have to do acquire faith?
• Does the unbeliever have faith?

I'm so excited to continue our discovery on this whole topic.  We've talked about the scripture in Romans 12 about "changing the way you think".  Another scripture to consider is Proverbs 4:23 (NCV) "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life."

 

"I'll not budge an inch ... "
- The Taming of the Shrew