Posts with the category “uncomfortable-season-1”

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add or subtract or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENCan you remember a time as a kid when you’re mom or dad did something for you in public that in retrospect, they did out of love for you, but at the time was horribly embarrassing?HEADRead John 15:13, Galatia...  Read More

Jonah 1:7-177 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of he...  Read More

Hebrews 12:5-115 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,  and don’t give up when he corrects you.6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child. 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever hear...  Read More

Hosea 1: 22 When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.” Wow. Wow. The very beginning of this book and this text is shocking. “Go and marry a prostitute, so that...  Read More

1 John 3:1616 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. What are other types of real love? What does love look like in a church community? How can we experience real and true love together as brothers and sisters in Christ? What does a Christian community look and feel like that reflects and expresses the lo...  Read More

Galatians 2:2020 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. We use the term “crucified with Christ” often in Christian circles, but what does it really mean? Why would we follow Christ to our own crucifixion? Are we really wanting to die that badl...  Read More

John 15:1313 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.This is the kind of text that we have come to love. We love the idea that this is the kind of love that we have from our God. However, it becomes a great deal more uncomfortable when we start thinking about how much love that takes for us to give our lives for those around us. I think that because the language is t...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add or subtract or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENHave you ever experienced a miracle? What was it and what was it like to experience it? Did anyone ever doubt or question your experience?HEADRead John 2:1-11; Exodus 7:14-24; John 14:6; and 1 Corinthians 3:1...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:11-1511 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder wil...  Read More

John 14:66 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. Here is an uncomfortable truth. And this text has been used often to show the exclusionary nature of Christianity. Only, I am not so sure that taking this text out of context, without putting into the greater flow of what was happening in John is appropriate. The whole of the 14th ch...  Read More

Exodus 7:19-2419 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt—all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.’”20 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his offic...  Read More

John 2:9-119 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” 11 This miraculous sign at Cana in G...  Read More

John 2:1-82 The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”5 But his mother told the serva...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add or subtract or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENAs we explore “holiness” this week, we find out that the word “holy” means set apart.  Think of the people of your past, or those that you encounter today.  Is there someone you would describe as holy and if ...  Read More

Leviticus 9:23-2423 Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. 24 Fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground. Here we have another instanc...  Read More

Isaiah 6:1-76 It was in the year King Uzziah died  that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! ...  Read More

Matthew 9:20-2620 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.”And the woman was healed at that moment. 23 When Jesus arrived at the of...  Read More

1 Peter 1:15-1615 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” What in the world does it mean to be holy? How can we be holy like God is holy?These questions have been around for a long time. And these questions, these texts make us feel uncomfortable often. Let me set up a scenario that maybe you...  Read More

Exodus 3:1-12"3 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to him...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add or subtract or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENHave you ever experienced something that was known to be bad turn out to actually be good? What was it and what was that experience like?HEADRead 1 Cor. 1:18; Mark 8:27-35;  Hebrews 13:13-16; Phil. 1:21; and ...  Read More

Mark 10:37-4537 They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”39 “Oh yes,” th...  Read More

Philippians 1:2121 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. Who thinks dying is even better than living? What kind of sense does that make? This statement is deeply uncomfortable. Did Paul want to die? Was he really okay with no longer living? Why would he say such a thing? Can I be comfortable with what is being said here?I don’t believe that Paul went through his life...  Read More

Hebrews 13:13-1613 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that pl...  Read More

Mark 8:27-35"27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.” 29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah. 30 But Jesus warne...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:18"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." When he spoke of the Cross, Paul was a very courageous preacher. Why? Because as you can see the Cross was not considered something that made much sense at all.The question would sound something like this: How can the gospel of Christ be a fo...  Read More

Every religion and ideology has a visual symbol. Something that illustrates a significant feature or development in its history or beliefs. For the Jewish faith, it is the star of David. For Buddhism, it is the lotus flower. For Christianity, it is the Cross. This symbol has been used for the last 2000 years as a symbol of sacrifice, of salvation, and even a fashion symbol at times. But every time...  Read More

Week 1 of 5INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add or subtract or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENCan you remember a time and place where you felt deeply uncomfortable, out of place?  Where were you and how did it feel?HEADRead John 12:25, Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:59-62 and 14:26, John 15:20, 2 Ti...  Read More

Galatians 2:20My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And this is it.It is about giving our lives to God for his will and bidding. We have given them up when we accept Christ, but this text is an excellent reminder that we are now living the li...  Read More

Luke 9:58But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Do you like the house where you live?A simple question for you, do you like where you live?When Sara and I married, I promised that I wouldn't take her to live in the Inland Empire. We had been given our first church in San Diego, and I loved living there! It was wo...  Read More

2 Timothy 3:12Yes, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.John 15:20Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. So as we are to understand these texts, persecution is part of the discomfort of living a Christi...  Read More

Luke 9: 59-6259 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts...  Read More

Matthew 16: 24"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." Fleetwood Mac's song "go your own way," Frank Sinatra's "I did it my way," "Shake it out" by Florence and the Machine, and "Good as Hell" by Lizzo; all of these songs have one thing in common, the way I go about things is the right way, and don...  Read More

John 12:25"Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity" C. S. Lewis once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”This first text lays out the dilemma that ...  Read More

When my daughter was four years old, we lost my mother-in-law's dog at our house. She had been visiting for Christmas break, and her dog, Little Bit, got away. It was one of those little teacup kinds of dogs, so it would not survive in the wild by any stretch of the imagination. You can imagine how my four-year-old daughter, who loved animals, felt. She was distraught. I mentioned that she should ...  Read More