Bible Discovery Series

Date: March 20, 2005
Passage: Matthew 20:20-28
Message: The Pecking Order
Bible Discovery [33]

1. The ‘Pecking Order’ is a long established metaphor for working out our position and status in any group or community.
# Share experience of where you have seen this process happening.
# What subtle ways does the ‘Pecking Order’ affect the way we think and act about others. Give examples.
# Read Philippians 2:1-10 What does this tell us about Jesus attitude to all this?
# Read Matthew 20:20-24 How can the disciples after listening to Jesus for 3 years, still be so far from the heart of what he has been teaching them?

Date: March 13, 2005
Passage: Malachi 1:1-10
Message: Bored With Grace
Theme Bible Discovery [32] – Majoring on Minors

Familiarity is both a friend and an enemy. We would not survive without things everyday that are familiar to us. We need familiarity to give a sense of security and belonging. Yet the old saying has truth that says “familiarity breads contempt”. We become accustomed to what we have and can very quickly lose the wonder of it all.
Share where this might have happened with you.

1. Read Malachi 1: 2, 6-7, 12 “When you are bored with grace you don’t necessarily become an unbeliever, you more likely become a cynic”. Discuss.

Date: March 6, 2005
Passage: Zechariah 4:1-10
Message: The Weakness of Strength
Theme Bible Discovery [31] – Majoring on Minors

Share a time when you started something with great enthusiasm but somewhere along the way it all went wrong or didn’t get completed. What happened? Is there anything you would do differently if you had your time again?

1. Read Zechariah 4:4-8 The Jewish people had returned from captivity and started re-building the temple with great enthusiasm. Then it all stopped as they became preoccupied and distracted by many things. Now there was a “mountain” [v7] of obstacles to the job getting done. What are some of the major obstacles we face in serving God as we really want to?

Date: February 20, 2005
Passage: Habakkuk 1:1-11, 3:16-19
Message: The Passive/Active God
Theme Bible Discovery [30] – Majoring on Minors

We all have questions.
One of the first things we learn to do when we can talk is ask questions.
Exercise: Have two people sit opposite each other and have a conversation. The only rule is that they are not allowed to ask each other ANY questions.
Discuss.

1. Read Habakkuk 1 Habakkuk is left wondering whether the cure is worse than the illness. He is left wondering whether it is better after all for God to remain passive than active. He is left wondering what are the theological implications of God using evil to discipline his people. Discuss how faith grapples with this.

Date: February 13, 2005
Passage: Micah 6:1-8
Message: Great Expectations
Theme: Bible Discovery – Majoring on Minors

1. “Whether we mean to or not, we tend to create an “abridged” Bible of sorts, one that includes more passages from Matthew, Romans, Psalms and Proverbs, than from Ezekeiel, Zephaniah and Philemon!” Discuss

2. Share what you know from any of the ‘Minor rophets’

3. Review the historical setting of these prophecies. What was happening between the 800 BC and 400 BC.?

4. Read Micah 1:8-11. What does this passage tell us about Micah?

5. Read Micah 2:1-2. What does this passage tell us about other prophets around at the same time? What are the similarities to today? What sorts of things would some people rather us not preach today?