Matt Zainea                                                      Rockford Campus                                               Feb. 25, 2024

 

Storytellers

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

 

[back to Group Discussion main page]

 

REMINDERS

Leader Development Class (Sunday nights)

We relaunched the LDC this Winter and so far, it’s been GREAT dialogue. This Winter, we’re going after topics that are incredibly relevant to your leadership including:

• Crucial Conversations (March 3, 10, 17)
• Gospel Conversations (Apr 7, 14, 21, 28)

 

Service Opportunities Needed

Our 5/6 middle schoolers are in need of a few service ideas for March 10 from 6:15-7:00pm that are relatively close to the church or could be done here and then later delivered elsewhere. If there are any ideas you have that you could share, please let us know ([email protected])

 

Administrative Help Needed

We are in the process of hiring a new assistant for Groups Ministry. If you or someone you know is highly organized and has a heart for Groups, please send them to take a look at the details here: https://magnifychurch.org/jobs/

 

 

TOGETHER IN LIFE

 

Tonight, we celebrate and sharpen our volunteers across all church ministries and campuses at IGNITE.

 

Share about 1 or 2 volunteers from your life that have made an impact on you.

Talk about what has been meaningful in the moment as you were being served and also about what that has looked like to reflect back on that person later in life.

 

How does this help motivate you to love and serve others?

 

 

TOGETHER IN THE WORD

 

THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: Luke 4:31-44

 

Note: We encourage you to read the entire text together as a group out loud.

 

 

A HEALER IN HIS HOME BASE

 

QUESTION: After reading the passage, ask and answer:

• What came right before these passages (quick summary)?
• Who is involved in this story? How does that impact this story of the early parts of Jesus’ ministry?
• What actions (previous and directly mentioned) are involved in this part of the story? Especially note the structure:
  • TEACHING
  • DELIVERANCE
  • SPECIAL HEALING
  • GENERAL HEALING
  • PREACHING

 

SHARE: If God gave you 1 miracle He would do in your life right now, what would it be? Why?

In this story, Jesus is said to possess unique power and authority. From Matt’s teaching we learned that rabbis of the day would preface their teaching with “the rabbi says”, as a call to the authority within the line of rabbinical priests and their authority “in the line” of those who have come before them. Jesus makes no such claim and the people are in awe because of it.

QUESTION:  On whose authority does Jesus speak and act? Why is this important to knowing who Jesus is? How does this help us understand the context of the story better?

 

JESUS HAS AUTHORITY OVER THE SPIRITUAL REALM

READ: Luke 4:33-37

 

QUESTION: What happens in this story? What is said at the end of the story (v37)? How does v37 help us understand the meaning behind v33-36?

• Share an experience from your life where Jesus did something powerful in “the Spiritual Realm” that challenged you, confused you, changed you, and/or grew your faith.

 

 

JESUS HAS AUTHORITY OVER THE PHYSICAL REALM

READ: Luke 4:38-41

 

QUESTION: What happens in the first part of the story (v38-39)? What is Peter’s mother-in-law’s response to Jesus’ healing?

• How does our response to Jesus’ divine intervention in our life reveal our hearts true longings? What does this tell us about our relationship with God?

QUESTION: What happens in the second part of the story (v40-41)? Why would Jesus tell the demons not to share truth about His status as the Son of God? (cf John 10:10a as an example)

• Who was Jesus healing? Just His “inner circle”? Just those who confess Him as Lord and Savior? Only those from the “religious community”?
• Why does it matter that Jesus would do good to all who came to him?
• How do we sometimes create barriers for ourselves or others before coming to Jesus? Why is this so dangerous?

 

The power of Jesus’ love for us extends beyond only those who get all the answers right. His love is not merely for those who have a certain “badness” of sin, but there are other sins that are “too bad”. The only condition Jesus has for us to approach Him is that we would “come”. “Come to me, all who labor and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28). It is wrong to believe we must “get ourselves fixed up” before we come to Christ. We go to Jesus to be cleaned, healed, and made right. Our posture of humility in coming to Jesus as our rescue is what is needed and nothing else.

QUESTION: When you sin by hurting others or serving yourself first, what is your “knee-jerk” reaction to Jesus’ invitation to come to Him? Do you feel shame, guilt, pride, apathy? What is it like for you to go to Jesus to be made whole?

 

 

JESUS IS LORD OVER ALL

We can sometimes mistakenly believe that “the Spiritual realm” and “the Physical realm” exist independently from each other: as if our physical needs have no overlap with the Spiritual or vice-versa.

QUESTION: How does our physical suffering reveal our spiritual need? How does our spiritual suffering reveal our physical need?

 

Sometimes we want Jesus to heal us, help us financially, come through for us in our relationships because in these (and other situations) we are experiencing pain and heart-ache.

QUESTION: What things have you brought to God lately to heal, solve, or make right? How has He come through for you? Are there areas where you feel like He hasn’t done anything? Are there prayers you are tired of praying because it doesn’t seem to matter?

 

In our longings for healing, restoration, and hope, our hearts cry out because of some kind of pain or something missing or being unjust. These are symptoms of living in a broken world.

 

READ: Matthew 7:7-11

QUESTION: What does this passage remind you to do? If it seems like God isn’t giving you what you need, how does this passage speak to that?

 

If God is always going to give us what we need (Matt. 7:7-11, John 10:1-5) and work for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him (Rom. 8:28), we can know what we are facing is not because God is holding out on us or isn’t listening. He cares, He sees, He knows, and He provides – even if we cannot see or understand what He is up to.

 

QUESTION: How does knowing this help us have peace and joy in the face of overwhelming circumstances?

• How does God providing for us in miraculous ways help us trust Him?
• How can moments in life where it feels like God isn’t answering our prayers help us trust Him more?

 

THE GOSPEL UNDERSTOOD

QUESTION: Matt gave 2 Cor. 5:21 as an example of a summary of the Gospel. What other passages would you point to as an example (e.g. John 3:16)?

QUESTION: When was the last time you shared the Gospel message? What was it like? If you’ve never shared the good news with someone else, think about some of the reasons why and discuss as a group.

Matt shared 5 different ways to understand and experience the Gospel.

 

THEOLOGICALLY: Understanding the worldview of Christianity as opposed to other ways of processing the world around us.

PERSONALLY: Understanding the good news for ourselves and internalizing the implications of what that means for our lives.

RELATIONALLY: Developing new habits and attitudes as a result of internalizing the good news and how that affects our relationship with God (vertically) and others (horizontally).

SORROWFULLY: In view of our lives and our sin, knowing just how broken and messed up the world is, and how we also are an active player in that brokenness.

JOYFULLY: In view of God’s grace and mercy on us, in spite of our sin and because of His love, we can have joyful hope and optimism.

 

QUESTION: After thinking through this list: what ways do you naturally experience more than others? Which are harder for you to relate to/understand the Gospel of Jesus?

 

TOGETHER IN ACTION

Practice as a group, take turns sharing the Gospel in 2 minutes or less. Then, take a few minutes to share your testimony. Then, invite someone to further dialogue. It can sound like this…:

“The Good News is…”

“There was a time in my life…”

“…but then Jesus…”

“…and since then…”

“…do you have a story like that?”

 

Your group can be one of the best, most helpful places for you to learn not only to share the Good News of Jesus, but also to help each other do so in ways that are both true to Scripture and loving to your neighbor.

 

Challenge discuss the Good News with someone in your life. Whether a believer or not, whether you know them well or you don’t. One of the best ways of doing this is listening deeply to someone’s story and sharing how God offers them hope, life, and meaning in the midst of their pain.

 

 

TOGETHER IN PRAYER

Pray for each person’s ability to share the Good News. Often times, we need the reminder of Jesus’ love for us as much as others around us do, too!