Community Group Discussion Guide: Why Reformation?
Read: 1 Peter 1:22-25 NASB95 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, [23] for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. [24] For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, [25] BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you.
Icebreakers:

• When it comes to your wardrobe, are your choices in clothing driven by more by fashion or practicality?  (Why?)
• Are you more inclined to "throw out" clothing because it is worn out or looks dated?
  
• Fashions are changed on a regular basis, for the purpose of making money in the clothing business; what are some of the other things in life that seem to change and shift on a regular basis?  (Do you personally like or dislike change?  Why?)
  

Big Idea: The idea for a Reformation had been brewing for some time, but it officially launched on October 31st, 1517 when Martin Luther (an Augustinian monk from Germany) nailed his "95" Theses" to the door of "All Saints' Church" in Wittenberg, Germany.  The Reformation was not a call to "reform" into something new as much as it was to recapture and return to something that was ancient.  The Reformation was about returning to Biblically based Christianity.  According to Luther, the Catholic religion had drifted away from some of the important practices and beliefs of Biblical Christianity.  The Reformation was a call for Christianity to return to its roots.  Since the Word of the Lord endures forever, Believers in Christ should treat the Bible as the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

Scripture Exploration: In the 1st Chapter of 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter expounds on the importance of God's Word and covers some of the great truths of our faith.  Peter takes on "Grace," "Holiness," and "Love."
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1. How would you describe or define the concept of grace?
2. Why is it essential to "fix our hope completely on grace?"  
   
3. What are some of the theological differences between a "saved by grace" and a "saved by grace and works" theology?  (This was one of the theological points that led to the Reformation)
   

1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, [15] but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; [16] because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

1. Holiness is largely viewed as spiritual perfection.  However, holiness is more about being set apart for the purposes of God.   (The vessels in Solomon's Temple were considered Holy.  Why?  Because, they were set aside to exclusively serve the purposes of God)
   
2. What is the correlation between holiness and human behavior?  (In other words, does being set aside for God's purposes change human behavior?)
3. The Apostle Paul brilliantly describes holiness in Philippians 3:13-14. "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  How does pressing forward help us leave the "things" of the past?
   

1 Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.

1. How important is love, as in forming agape-based relationships, in the Church?
2. How does the love expressed in our relationships within the Church serve as a witness to those that are without Christ?
   
3. How would you describe love (Agape) in the context of our conduct towards one another?  (Refer to 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a) 

Wrap-up: All of these great Bible themes are essential to the Christian Faith.  The salient call of the reformers was a call to return to a Bible-based Faith.  Peter tells us that the "Word of God endures forever."  Without the proper Biblical foundation, our faith becomes subjective and false.  When we move our thinking away from the truth that is God's Word, we are walking in a gospel of our own creation and that is not the gospel that has the power of salvation.

Community Group Discussion Guide: The Mission
Read: Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Icebreakers:

• What age were you when you accepted Christ and how did it change your life?
• It has been said that "becoming" a disciple of Christ is a life-long process, in what areas of your life do you see transformation taking place?
  
• Could you, without reserve, declare, "Follow me as I follow Christ?"

Big Idea: When the Elders were pondering about how to determine and then articulate our Mission Statement as a church, we prayed about it and consulted scripture.  We asked the question, "Since Jesus is the head of the Church, what instructions did He deliver to us?"  The answer (for us) centered on a passage of scripture commonly referred to as the Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20.  The Elders are convinced that Jesus' statement supplies us with our marching orders.  There was a second scripture that also impacted our Mission Statement.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 details the greatest commandment and then emphasizes the importance of passing down this value to our children.  After carefully considering these two scriptures our Mission Statement reads as follows:  "We are dedicated to developing fully devoted followers of Christ in every generation."

Scripture Exploration:
Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

1. What is the significance of Jesus declaring His authority before giving "us" the command to go and make disciples?
2. How can the local church involve itself in making disciples of all the nations?  (How can you personally get involved in world missions?)
   
3. Why is the "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" portion of the Great Commission so crucial and important to the discipleship process?
   

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children (sons) and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

1. How do we know that "loving God" is the greatest of all the commandments?  (Refer to Matthew 22:36-40)
2. What advice would you give a new convert as to how to put the greatest commandment into action?  (What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul and might?)
3. ​There seems to be an extravagant effort that is required in passing down our spiritual heritage to the next generation.  What does the idea of "teaching them diligently to your children" mean to you?
   

Wrap-up: It is common for an organization to state what their mission is without walking in that mission.  At Believers Church, we sincerely want to organize around our stated mission and keep it in the forefront of our thinking as we organize and plan.  Please pray for the leadership of our church, and when needed remind us of the mission.

• What are some of the distractions that cause church organizations to veer off course?
• ​How can you actively involve yourself in the mission to make disciples?
  

Community Group Discussion Guide: The Light
Read: John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. [4] In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. [5] The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Icebreakers:

• How would you describe or define "darkness?"  (How would you describe spiritual darkness?
• Were you afraid of the darkness as a child?  (Why?)  Fear of the darkness is a very common fear among people.  It is intensified among children.
• What are some of the practical ways light makes our lives better?  (Could we even exist without light?)  Since photosynthesis depends on light, plant life would not survive without it.

Big Idea: The default position or natural state of the universe is darkness.  It takes energy to produce light.  (My opinion: The energy that is fueling the expansion of the universe is God.  It is His power that is the power source that lights up the universe)  In a spiritual sense, the default position of the world is also darkness.  Jesus came into this world as the light.  In fact, speaking of Himself, Jesus stated, "I am the light of the world."  Jesus is not "a" light, He is "the" light.

Scripture Exploration:  (We are going to read some passages of scripture from the Gospel of John as he talks about the light)
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. [4] In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. [5] The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.​

1. Why do you think John refers to Jesus as the "Word?"
2. What was Jesus' involvement in the creation?  (Can you think of other New Testament writers who talk about Jesus being involved in the creation?)
3. What do you think John is talking about when he states, "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it?"  (Why does the darkness have an aversion to Jesus?)

John 3:19-21 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. [20] For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. [21] But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

1. Why are people draw to the darkness?  (Does a life filled with darkness have any benefit to those who practice it?)
2. Why do evil people hate the light?  (How does the light expose darkness?)

John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “ I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

1. How would you describe "Jesus as the light of the world," to a non-believer?
2. How does the light of Jesus bring life to those who believe in Him?
3. Jesus told His disciples that they were also the light of the world, in what sense does the church carry on the legacy of Jesus?

Wrap-up: 1 John 1:5-7 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. [6] If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; [7] but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

• How do we actually walk in the light as Jesus is in the light?
• What are some of the benefits of walking in the light?

​

​Community Group Discussion Guide: No Fear
 
Read Text: Isaiah 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
 
Icebreakers:

1. Do you have any phobias?  (Fear of heights, snakes, spiders, public speaking, etc.)  Do you think that your phobias are justified or are they the result of imagination?
2. There is a glass bridge in China (Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge) that is almost 1,000 feet above the canyon floor and covers a span of 1,400 feet.  Would you cross that bridge?  (Why or why not?)  Personally, I would rather sky dive.
3. If God has not given us a spirit of fear, where do you think fear comes from?  (I know, it is a loaded question)

 
Big Idea: Fear has its origins in the fall of man.  When sin entered the world and brought a curse upon the earth and the inhabitants thereof, all living things became vulnerable.  Just the threat of harm, of injury, of pain, of illness, of death, or trouble of all sorts; is cause for fear.  Mankind tends to fear both the known and the unknown.  Some of our phobias are unjustified, simply figments of our imagination.  Other fears are based in reality, where the source of our fear is a threat to our well-being.  That said, the most common command in the Bible tells us “not to fear.”  For the Believer it comes down to this: Our faith in God must be greater than our fear.
 
Text Exploration:
Isaiah 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
 
               Our text contains two commands and 3 promises from God.  (Let’s break it down)
 
Two Commands:

1. Do not fear (for I am with you)
2. Do not anxiously look about you.

 

• We are not arbitrarily told “not to fear.”  We are not to fear, for God is with us.  How does the knowledge that God is with you help allay your fears?
• What are some of the “things about us” that can cause fear?  (Example: How can we stay informed without becoming fearful when watching the news?)

 
Three Promises:

1. God will strengthen you.
2. God will help you.
3. God will uphold you.

 

• Can you think of any other scriptures that talk about God being your strength?  (Phil. 4:13; Psalm 27:7,8)
• How does God “help” us? 
• Notice that the promise of “upholding us” is based on God’s righteousness.  What is it about the righteousness of God that is cause for faith?

 
Wrap-up: Courage is a Christian virtue that we express in times of stress.  Why are we courageous?  We are courageous for God is with us and for us.  This does not make us passive; it causes us to pray with confidence.  Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.