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Series: The
Gospel According to Jesus New Hope
EFC Aug 30, 2009 Our True Older Brother Intro:
*** In Luke 15 Jesus seeks to move & melt us to _________the heart of the
________. In Luke 15 Jesus seeks to move &
melt us: II. ... with a shocking, gracious of______.
III. …with an amazing al1-satisfying _________ about ____________.
Concl:
Digging Deeper into today’s Bible verses & themes A. Here are a few questions to help families & small groups spend more time reflecting on this past Sunday’s Bible passage & theme. Adapt them as you find helpful. 1. What insight, principle or observation from Sunday’s message did you find to be the most helpful, eye-opening or troubling? Explain. 2. How have you normally thought of sin ... as “breaking the rules” or as doing things (even good things) but from the basis of bad motives? How does Jesus presentation of the 2 brothers in Lk 15 give you a different &/or deeper understanding of sin? 3. How do you think we as a church currently relate to the “younger brothers” around us? How could we minister to them more effectively? 4. How do you think we as a church currently relate to the “older brothers” around us? How could we minister to them more effectively? 5. What motivates the repentance of the younger son in Luke 15? Compare the response of the 2 sons of Luke 15 with that of the woman & Simon in Luke 7:36-50 & with Zacchaeus in Lk 19:1-10. What do those scriptures say seem to motivate genuine repentance? What keeps genuine repentance away? 6. How is Jesus like a “good older brother” (in what ways does He act differently than the older brother in Lk 15)? 7. How often in your experience are Christians both theologically sound (Biblical & orthodox) and also wonderfully kind & gracious? • Why is this such a precious combination? • Why is this such a rare combination? (why do we often embody one or the other of these qualities but not both?) • What can the fellowship of New Hope do (what can you do) to develop both of these qualities in proper balance? 8. What is the main application point for you that flows out of your study of Lk 15? B. Additional Questions mainly for individuals: 1. Ask I or more of these questions in order to reflect on Sunday’s worship service: • How did God speak to you or reveal Himself to you in Sunday’s service? • How did God use you at our worship gathering (to speak through you or use you to touch someone else)? • During the worship service was there anyone God seemed to be laying on your heart for whom to pray? Is there anyone God is calling you to write, phone or meet with soon? 2. Digging Deeper for yourself: • Last week I recommended both: The Prodigal God by Tim Keller and Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal. This week I would add Contagious Holiness: Jesus’ Meals With Sinners by Craig Blomberg which is a Biblical theology that examines Jesus’ wonderful alarming love for sinners! (especially by eating with them) • Once again I also hold up the following scriptures as worthy of reflection & as those which overlap with Lk 15 including 1) the many different times Luke refers to “tax collectors” &/or “sinners” (Luke 3:12, 5:27, 5:29-30, 7:29, 7:34, 15:1, 18:10-11, 18:13 & 19:2). What do you make of this repetition? What do you think Luke is trying to teach us as your read these verses & their context? And 2) compare the 3 parables of Lk 15. What “connections” do you notice in all 3 parables? What is God trying to say to us? |