Archives

Date: November 27, 2005
Passage: Habakkuk 1:1-2:4
Message: Miracles 301 – Waiting
Series: What Do You Expect?

1. Discuss the whole culture of “instant”
Give examples of things we now get instantly that we used to have to wait for.
How has this impacted on our ability to wait?

2. Read Habakkuk 1:2-4
Habakkuk is the prophet who wrestled with God.
He stands in a biblical tradition of wrestlers.

Job, the upright man who suffered, wrestled with God in his pain and grief.
Jacob, the wiley conniving cheat, wrestled with God about his future.
David, the man after God’s own heart often wrestled with God about the stresses and injustices of life.

Date: November 20, 2005
Passage: Matthew 17:24-27
Message: Miracles 201 – Believing
Series: What Do You Expect?

“Expectation without explanation [Bible] is wishful thinking – leads to new age spirituality rather than Biblical reality.
Explanation without expectation is intellectual pride – leads to self righteousness rather than humility!”
Discuss

There is a book referred to as the JEFFERSON BIBLE. The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth was released to the public in 1904. Compiled by the Unites States of America's third president, Thomas Jefferson, around 1819-1820

Thomas Jefferson could not intellectually digest the miracles in the gospels so he extracted them. Everything that was left he compiled into his own version of the Bible called the Jefferson Bible. It’s a MIRACLE-LESS Bible

Date: November 13, 2005
Passage: Acts 1:6-14: 2:1-13
Message: Miracles 101 – Seeking
Series: What Do You Expect?

“Everywhere I read in the Bible I see God doing the UN-EXPLAINABLE and the UN-CONTAINABLE!”
Take a few minutes and brainstorm as many of these
things /events as you can.

“ I believe many of have consigned God within the realms of predictability because our lifestyles don’t have room for the unpredictable works of God.
We can’t afford for faith to get messy.
Our diary doesn’t have room for God to be creative.
We are trying to fit faith in with everything else we want in life!”

Date: November 5, 2005
Passage: Philippians 4:14-23
Message: Give ‘till it Helps
Series in Philippians [15]

Why is money such a touchy subject to talk about?
Jesus talked about our money and possessions all the time.
Can you think of examples from the gospels?

What does it mean to honour God with your life and possessions? What specific ways can you honour Him through your wealth and influence?

Read v14-17
What does God hold you accountable for in regard to your money and possessions?

How does your wealth affect you?
How does giving affect you?
How is generous giving a blessing to the giver?

Date: October 30, 2005
Passage: Philippians 4:10-13
Message: How Much is Enough?
Series in Philippians [14]

How much is enough?
Share some examples of where you have had to try and answer that question. [Refer Matthew 18:21-22,
Exodus 16:11-20]
Why do we have trouble working out when and where we have enough?
How much of this dilemma can we attribute to the materialistic, ‘must have’ world in which we live?
Or is it more personal than that?

1. Contentment is GRACIOUS Read v10
Paul was in prison and it seems that in recent times the care from the Christians in Philippi had dropped off.