Adventure - End of Week 1

SMALL GROUP STUDY GUIDE

Introduction
The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.

OPEN
Share a favorite Christmas tradition as it relates to the holiday story.  It may be a favorite song and why, or an ornament on your tree, or a family tradition, or anything else that you look forward to that connects the season with the story of Christ.

HEAD
  1. Read Isaiah 9: 1-7, Luke 2: 1-7 together and share any wisdom, insights, or thoughts from the reading.
  2. Describe what kind of darkness you think the Israelites were experiencing in captivity?
  3. If all you had was Isaiah 9 to go off of, how would you have imagined the Messiah was to come?  What would you have been looking for?
  4. Those names, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, what about those names do you think the Israelites found hope in?  What about us today?
  5. If Joseph took Mary with him out of fear of what might happen to her if he left her in Nazareth, what do you think their daily lives were like there in their situation?
  6. Can you think of one fear Mary and Joseph may have had or talked about concerning raising the Messiah?

HEART
  1. Think of all the risks Mary and Joseph took from day one of agreeing with the angels to participate in this Adventure.  What risks can you think of?  Do you think Mary and Joseph were aware of all the risks, or just some?
  2. Do you think they knew this Jesus was God?  Explain.
  3. Bethlehem was an underdog city, Mary and Joseph were an underdog couple.  What are some of your favorite underdog stories from Scripture and how do they encourage you in your journey of faith?
  4. How do you and I seek to live incarnationally? What practices help Jesus come to life in us?
  5. How do we practice living incarnationally in our homes, and not just at church or when we’re “on mission”?

HANDS
Two challenges for this week.  The first is to lean into a spiritual practice this week that helps Jesus come to life in you; whether that’s Scripture reading, or listening to worship music, or time in nature, or journaling, or confession, etc…. And second, think of a way to help someone in your home, or in your immediate circle of influence, know that they are loved.

LIVING WORDS FOR YOUR WEEK
“““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:16-17 NLT

Pastor Paddy and the Series Guide Writing Team

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