Matt Zainea Rockford Campus October 30, 2022
THE GLORY OF THE SON
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
REMINDERS
- Fall Leader Refresh – 13, 10:45am in Portable 3 – Come gather with other leaders to be refreshed, filled up and encouraged in your leadership! RSVP to [email protected]
- Tale of Two Cities – Nov. 3-5 – Dramaseats.com for more details
TOGETHER IN LIFE
**On Sunday, Matt discussed the worst trades in the world. He had brought up the example of the Boston Red Sox trading off Babe Ruth to their rivals, the New York Yankees. What examples of other terrible trades can you think of?
TOGETHER IN THE WORD
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. John 17:1-8
**Take time to read the full passage together (John 17:1-8).
QUESTION: What does “glory” mean? What picture comes to your mind as you consider the “glory of God”?
GLORY OF THE LORD
**Take time to find and read passages below regarding the glory of God. Include others that you may have discovered this week…
OLD TESTAMENT
- Psalm 19
- Exodus 24
- Exodus 33
QUESTION: What do these passages say about the glory of God?
QUESTION: What do these passages reveal about who God is? About who we are?
NEW TESTAMENT
- Luke 2:8-15
- John 17
- Revelation 5:6-14, 7:9-17
QUESTION: What do these passages say about the glory of God?
QUESTION: What do these passages reveal about who God is? About who we are?
OT/NT
QUESTION: How are the passages of the Old and New Testament different? Related?
QUESTION: Matt made the statement that, “Jesus is not only having a conversation with the Father in this passage (John 17), but he’s also revealing something to us about himself.” What do you think he meant?
QUESTION: How did Jesus glorify the Father? (see John 17:6-9)
TO GLORIFY GOD IS TO OBEY
**Read the following passages and discuss the questions below:
- 7:24-29
- John 15:9-17
- James 1:22-25
QUESTION: What do these passages say about glorifying God?
Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain tothem. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:19-23)
QUESTION: What does this say about the “worst exchange ever”?
| GOD’S GLORY: | WHAT WE TRADE FOR: |
| Beauty | Independence |
| Perfection | Control |
| Love | Pleasure |
| Justice | Power |
| Mercy | Manipulation |
| Wisdom | Our Way |
QUESTION: This chart comes from Matt’s teaching. What else would you add?
QUESTION: What trades have you made in your life?
**God knows you and loves you, even while you are making a bad trade. Return to the Lord and He will make you whole!
TOGETHER IN ACTION
Take some time this week to search the word glory in Scripture and see what God teaches you.
Then ask God to show you the ways you trade His glory for idols.
TOGETHER IN WORSHIP
When we think of “glory” we can often think of “fame”. But Jesus shows us that the Kingdom of God is an upside-down world where the first will be last, and the last will be first; where the least will be the greatest. Take time together in group to think of ways to encourage one another to glorify God this week. What does that actually look like in your day-to-day life? In what ways can you with your words – and more importantly – your attitudes and actions show others the glory of God?
