Reel Faith - 'Yes Man' 31/01/2010

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Your Personality and Attitude
Are you naturally someone who likes doing new things or do you like safe and comfortable routines? Have you always been like this? What is your trajectory as you get older – are you becoming more free, or more set in your ways?

WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?)
Read Matthew 25:14-30. What is Jesus’ attitude to risk? Is the Kingdom of God a safe or a risky place? What ‘talents’ (gifts, abilities and resources) do you have? What are you doing with them? What do you think Jesus would do with them, if he were in your shoes?

Further reading and reflection – Luke 9:57-62. Luke 19:1-10 (especially verse 7).

Final Thought
Theologian Harold Thurman wrote, “Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

What makes you come alive? It will be different for each of us, but these verses may offer some helpful context: John 10:10 and John 17:3.

Homework
This week take a risk. Try saying ‘yes’ to something where you would normally say ‘no’. Look for opportunities to feel alive, instead of feeling safe. What happens?

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Luke 2:21-40 – Expectation 24/01/2010

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Alternatively you can listen to the "Godly Expectation Brings Hope for the Duration" message on your computer by clicking here (or right-click to download) (by Dave Vinall, 24 mins).

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The Expectation of a Christian Life
Think back to before you decided to follow Jesus. What was your expectation of what life would be like once you became a Christian? How was it different?

When you talk to people who aren’t Christians, what expectation do you give them of what being a Christian is like? Is it accurate and balanced?

Waiting on God
Are you a patient person? How do you find waiting for something? Is there something that you are waiting for God to do? What is your attitude? Do you feel peaceful and confident or panicked and anxious?

How can we tell when we are meant to wait patiently and when we are to let something go and move on?

Waiting and Suffering
Read Romans 8:18-39. How does this passage help encourage us if we are struggling? (If you really want to get a good understanding of a passage like this from a New Testament letter, try writing it out again in your own words, avoiding any religious language – as if you were writing so it made sense to someone who had never been to church before.)

Overflowing with Hope
Do you feel like you’re overflowing with hope at the moment? If not, ask God to change this. Look for opportunities to let your hope have a positive impact on someone who doesn’t know the hope we have in Jesus.

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Wordle.net image of Dave's notes for this talk

Luke 2:8-20 Our Church and the Good News 17/01/2010

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Church Isn’t For Us
Are there ways that a consumerist attitude has crept into your view of church? How do you react when there is music/a talk/activities that you don’t like? Why is this?

How can we find the balance between what is a reasonable level of sacrifice and what is ridiculous?

The Good News
What do you understand the phrase “Good News” to mean? If you had to explain to someone why Jesus is “Good News” how would you do it?

How has God been good news to you recently? Can you think of something in the last week, month or year? If you can’t, why not? How could you rediscover that God is good news? What could you be doing to see how good God is to you?

Pray and keep your eyes open for opportunities to be some form of good news to someone else this week.

Invest and Invite
Who’s on your radar as someone who hasn’t discovered that God is passionately in love with them? What are you doing to help them towards that discovery? How do you spend time with them? How do you incarnate (put flesh and blood on) the good news for them? How could you do these things better?

What could you invite them to? If there’s nothing, what could you start (big or small) that would be enjoyable and allow you to invite them so you can spend time with them?

Going Cross-Cultural
How could you help the good news go to those people who you don’t immediately have a connection with?

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Wordle.net image of Dave's notes for this talk