Shuffle: Westside

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Westside Venue Life Group Questions

[expand title=”Applying The Gospel To An Offense”]
2.July.2017
Romans 13:1-4, Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18:15-22

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from Romans 13:1-4, Romans 14:2-3, Galatians 6:1, 1 Corinthians 6:1-7, Matthew 18:15-22. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
How do you typically respond when an “offense” has been committed against you? Do you lash out? Power up? Become defensive? Are you more likely to react quickly, or are you able to step back and apply Biblical wisdom to your situation?
**For this question, please be careful to avoid gossip as you describe any specific people or situations.** Do you currently hold bitterness against another person because of a past “offense”? Was there sin involved? If not, are you able to let it go? Can you choose to forgive? Are there any necessary steps you haven’t yet taken?
Read Matthew 7:3-5. Do you have a log in your eye?
How is the way we handle “offenses” a Gospel issue? How can you example the Gospel by handling personal conflict in a Biblical way? How can you example the Gospel by NOT taking offense when an unbeliever sins against you? Take a few moments to pray for one another, to develop the heart of Jesus in situations like these.

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[expand title=”All Things To All People (AKA Building Bridges To The Bridge)”]
9.July.2017
1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Matthew 4:19, Proverbs 11:30, 2 Corinthians 5:11, Hebrews 12:14, and Colossians 4:5-6 . What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
How was the setting of 1st century Corinth similar to that of the United States in 2017?
Considering 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, what was Paul’s purpose (or passion) in his ministry? What did Paul try to do to accomplish his purpose? (Hint: consider his approach with Jews, gentiles, & ‘the weak’)
Do you naturally expect people to relate to you or do you often go out of your way to relate to others (so that they might eventually be inclined to receive the Gospel)?
Who in your life (whether specific individuals or general types of people) seems farthest from God? How can you build bridges with them to produces opportunities for the Gospel?
What actions steps can you take (e.g. befriending, active listening, studying, getting outside your comfort zone, ) to become all things to all people?

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[expand title=”Contentment”]
16.July.2017
Philippians 4:10-13, Proverbs 3:5, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Psalm 131

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from Philippians 4:10-13, Proverbs 3:5, 2 Corinthians 12:10, and Psalm 131. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
Do you feel content, if not why? If so what has a tendency to shake that contentment?
How can the Gospel help you to believe that God is in charge as sufficient for your needs?
Do you think it is harder to be contented in God when you have plenty or need?
How can our contentment in God lead to opportunities to fulfill our mission to “proclaim the liberating power of the Gospel?”

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[expand title=”The Doubt Dilemma”]
23.July.2017
Mark 9:14-29

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from James 1:5-7, Mark 9:14-29, and James 1:17-18. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
What are some aspects of the Christian faith that are hard to believe? What are some aspects of Christianity that people tend to doubt?
What type of doubt do you have (unbelieving or believing)?
What are some ways you can bring clarity and understanding to the doubts you have?
Where are certain areas in your life where you need to say, like the man in Mark 9, “I believe; help my unbelief!?”
What role does faith play in dealing with our doubts? Read Hebrews 11:1 and discuss this as it pertains to doubt and uncertainty in your life as a Christ-follower.

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[expand title=”Unshakeable”]
30.July.2017
1 Corinthians 15

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from 1 Corinthians 15. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
How does the Gospel help us be unshakeable in shaky times?
On what truth do you stand when your faith is shaken?
How does your eternal hope in Jesus shape how you live every day?

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[expand title=”The Plight Of Man, The Power Of God, And The Hope For Christian Mission”]
6.August.2017
2 Corinthians 4:2-6; Philippians 2:5-11; John 14:8-11

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from 2 Corinthians 4:2-6, Philippians 2:5-11, and John 14:8-11. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
What is the gospel? (see 2 Corinthians 5 or 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
In what ways are you tempted to change the message of the gospel to make it more acceptable?
Do you ever find yourself trying to get people to follow Jesus by pointing them to something other than the gospel? Like what?
Paul points to God’s light creating power as evidence that God must do something similar in the minds of unbelievers. What does this tell us about our need for God’s power as we share the gospel with others?
What attributes of God give you greater confidence in his ability to save people blinded to the glory of the gospel?

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[expand title=”Heaven And Earth”]
13.August.2017
Genesis 1-3, Genesis 12:1-3, Luke 7:36-50, Revelation 21:1-7

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from Genesis 1-3, Genesis 12:1-3, Luke 7:36-50, and Revelation 21:1-7. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
How does thinking about earth and heaven’s counterpoint affect you?
How do you imagine ‘being filled’ with God’s personal presence affects you family and/or work life?
Check out 1 Thessalonians 4. How can you grieve with others but differently as well?
How does Earth and Heaven’s count point change how you think about hope?

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[expand title=”Counter-Cultural Marriage”]
20.August.2017
Various Scriptures

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:26-27, Ephesians 5:22-33, Matthew 19:3-9, and I Corinthians 7:1-5. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
During the sermon “Counter-Cultural Marriage,” did Noel say anything that surprised you? Challenged you? Frustrated you? Encouraged you?
If you are married, are you selfless in your marriage relationship? Do you serve your spouse? If you are not married, is that the picture you’ve had of marriage? Are you hoping to find someone for whom you’d be willing to lay down your life?
If you are married, does your marriage proclaim the Gospel How can you be more intentional in this? If you are not married, do you have Gospel marriages you can look to as examples?

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[expand title=”Suffer Well”]
27.August.2017
Matthew 26:36-46 & Matthew 27:45-46

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from Matthew 26:36-46 and Matthew 27:45-46. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
What are some Scriptural words of encouragement you can give to those who are in seasons of suffering? What are some words/phrases you should NOT say to those in seasons of suffering?
Think of a time you were in a season of suffering (or maybe you are in one right now). What were some things that helped you get through it? Or if you are currently in one, what are some things that could be done to help you go through it?
How does the Gospel message of Jesus give Christians hope and allow us to go through a season of suffering, well?
Suffering is a topic that turns most people away from Christianity because they wonder how God could allow such things to happen. How do you reconcile this in your own mind and heart? How would you lead someone through a question such as this?

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[expand title=”Spiritual Amnesia”]
3.September.2017
Deuteronomy 6:4-13, Joshua 1:1-9, Joshua 4:19-24, Luke 22:14-20

Conversation with your Life Group:

Take a few minutes to review the Scripture from Deuteronomy 6:4-13, Joshua 1:1-9, Joshua 4:19-24, and Luke 22:14-20. What verses or ideas stand out to you from these passages? What questions do you have? What would you like to remember and apply to your life?
What are the biggest distractions in your life, that pull your focus away from living a life that’s faithful to Jesus? How you you typically respond when you realize you’ve drifted in a particular area of your life?
How often do you “bump into” God’s Word? How can you create more “remembrances” in your life, that will remind you to dig into the Bible so you can encounter Jesus there?
Are you a “standing stone” for God? When people who don’t know Jesus see your life, are they likely to ask questions that will then enable you to tell them about Jesus? What specific opportunities do you envision you’ll have this week to live in such a way that it will prompt a Gospel conversation?

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