Northgate FMC

Family Man

Main Point: No one has done more to make things better for women, children and families, than Jesus
Take away: Jesus will make things better for any family committed to listening to and following his ways.
Suggested Memory Verse: “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15b

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Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever read Matthew 12:46-50 or Luke 14:25-26 and been puzzled by what Jesus was saying? How do you understand these verses now? 

2. Jesus’ teaching and example made things better for women and children, but we are still learning how to live those out. What are some issues facing “people groups” in our society today (including women, children, immigrants, the elderly, the poor, etc.)? Which ones are of particular interest to you? How does Jesus speak into those and what are some Christian responses we might make to address them?

3. What are some places where you see Christian influence on the family? Based on your knowledge of Jesus’ teachings, do you think families would be better off or worse off for following Jesus? (I know the answer to that is assumed, but why do you think what you think? Would the family be better off if there were no religion, or no focus on God?) 

Table Discussion Question – What do you like best about your family? What is Jesus’ influence on your family like?

Matchless Messiah

Main Point: Jesus insists that we be “all in” with him.
Take away: If you want to save your life, put yourself aside, pick up your cross and press on with Jesus.
Suggested Memory Verse: Mark 8:34 - Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

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Discussion Questions

1. How do you (or how would you) feel when you are part of a team and a member of the team wants to do their own thing, rather than what is best for the team? What do you want to say to them?

2. Can you think of a time when you wanted something to go one way, but God clearly meant for it to go a different way? How easy, or how difficult was it for you to accept God’s way? 

3. Think of some examples of what it means to “deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Jesus.” What do you think Jesus meant by “losing your life” in order to save it? Why is it important that he says we need to be willing to lose our lives “for him and for the gospel”? 

Table Discussion Question – Jesus says that it’s possible to get everything we might want and lose our self (our soul) in the process. What do you think he means by “lose your self”?

Truth-Teller

Main Point: Jesus is all grace and all truth, all of the time. 
Takeaway: As Christ-followers we are called to be people who speak the truth, in love.
Suggested Memory Verse: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

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Discussion Questions: 

1. Do you tend to be more of a grace person or more of a truth person? 
2. Has anyone ever told you a difficult truth in love? Looking back, what stands out to you about that interaction? 
3. Does reading about this brutally honest side of Jesus change your opinion of him or feelings about him in any way? 

Table Discussion Question: What happens when people speak the truth, but fail to do that in love? On the other hand, what can happen when people do it well? 

Lord Over All

Main Point: As Jesus gets bigger fear will get smaller

Take away: Don’t be afraid of fear; take it to Jesus 

Suggested Memory Verse: Isaiah 41:13 - For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you”.

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Discussion Questions

1. When are you most likely to feel afraid? What kinds of things frighten you most? Storms? Thoughts? Anticipation of illness or death?

2. If God gives us all of our emotions for a purpose (i.e., He didn’t make a mistake when he created us with the ability to feel fear) what purpose does fear have for us? What good can come from fear?

3. As you grow in your faith do you find your fears lessen, or weakened, or do you find that you struggle as much as ever with fear? Do you ever wrestle with “old tapes” that cause you to feel afraid? 

4. Which fear response is most natural for you: to run, hide or fight back? How are you learning to run to Jesus, be covered by Jesus, or invite Jesus to fight your battles?

5. Of the three (or four) stories told today from Mark 4:25-5:43, which one speaks most loudly to you? Why? 

Table Discussion Question – Read the scripture memory verse together - Isaiah 41:13 - For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you”. What would you like to ask God to help you with today?

ICCM - Linda Adams

Forgiver

Main Point: Our greatest need is to receive God’s forgiveness.
Take away: Come to Jesus for forgiveness, and help others find that forgiveness too. 
Suggested Memory Verse: Psalm 103:2-3 - Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
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Discussion Questions

1. While the text does not connect the man’s physical state and his sin, we know that in sometimes there is a connection. How can our sin impact our physical health? How can forgiveness?

2. This man had a great group of friends: people who would do anything to get him to Jesus. What did they have to face/overcome in order to help him? What are friendships like that worth to you?

3. At first the paralyzed man didn’t get what he had been brought to Jesus for. How do you think he felt at that moment, or what might he have been thinking? What do you think he might have been thinking as he walked out of the room a few minutes later?

4. Jesus’ authority to forgive sins was questioned. Do you ever question that? Do you ever doubt that Jesus has forgiven your sins?

Table Discussion Question – Read this verse together - “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.” (Romans 4:7 - New Living Translation). Tell a story about a time you experienced forgiveness for disobedience, and how that made you feel.

Inviter

Main Point: Jesus was constantly inviting people to something greater than their current situation. 
Takeaway: The invitation of Jesus is for each one of us, but it doesn’t stop with us. Who are you inviting?

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Discussion Questions 

1) Of all of the invitations you have received in your lifetime which are the most memorable? 

2) Read Mark 1:16-20 — what stands out to you about these interactions? What do you think drew Simon, Andrew, James, and John to Jesus’ invitation? 

3) Do you honestly believe that the invitation of Jesus is to those looking for more? Does your life portray that? 

4) Is there anyone in your life that you consciously or subconsciously don’t feel is deserving of the same invitation that you have received? 

Table Discussion Question — Are there any people in your life who fall into the “3 nots”(not in church, not going well, not prepared for) that you could be inviting? How can the other people around the table help you do that? 

Servant

Main Point: Jesus’ self-proclaimed identity was to be a servant
Takeaway: Seek ways to serve as an expression of the love you’ve received
Suggested memory verse: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
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Questions
1. What are some ways you can serve others out of the love that Jesus has shown to you? In your marriage? As a parent? As an employer or employee? As a friend?

2. What are some of the negative human attitudes that get in the way of us embracing a servant’s attitude? What makes that hard sometimes? What cultural messages might we be hearing that trip us up in this?

3. Think of someone you know who has been to you an example of a great servant? What makes them come to your mind? In what ways would you like to be like them?

Table Discussion Question: What is one way you could consciously, deliberately serve someone before you go to bed tonight? Will you follow through on that?

Gahanda Team Stories

Memory Verse: “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3

Main Point: We will be a church that sends people into the world to change lives.

Takeaway: Whose life will be impacted for Christ by you? 

Discussion Questions: 

1. Who are the people that you find most difficult to have conversation with about Jesus? Family? Co-workers? Strangers? Others? What challenges do they present?

2. Have you ever been on an international mission trip? If so, what did you experience and what did you learn about God? If not, would you ever consider going on one? Why, or why not?

3. When have you felt most out of your comfort zone? What were the circumstances and how did you respond to that? What do you think God was trying to help you understand?

 Table Discussion Question: How can we declare God’s glory every day?

The Problem With Sin is Solved!

Main Point: Jesus’ death and resurrection has provided us the bridge we needed to a relationship with God and escape from sin and death.
Takeaway: Celebrate the risen Christ!
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Discussion Questions:
1. Are you experiencing victory over sins through a relationship with Jesus? Are there sins you struggle with that you need to specifically name and ask God to set you free from?

2. Have you made the step of faith from relying on yourself for your salvation, to trusting in Jesus? When did you take that step? How has it made a difference in your life?

3. The Bible says that when we have a relationship with Jesus we no longer need to feel or fear being condemned and we have eternal life as a promise from God. If we really believe that, how will it change the way we live?

Table Discussion Question — What do you think about what Ephaste did, in seeking a marriage that would glorify God’s work in the world? How can our relationships with each other bring hope into the world?