Year of the Book: Questions

 

JANUARY 14, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: "The drama of the flood gives way to a new beginning, marked by the 'sign of the covenant' (v17). God takes the bow, an instrument of violence, and hangs it in the sky as a reminder to God that the peace of the covenant shall not be broken. God bends toward humankind beckoning a renewed contract, a covenantal relationship of mutual responsibility. God will never again destroy the earth with a flood; humans have renewed responsibility to care for one another. This covenant reminds us of the ever delicate balance in the divine-human relationship. God creates and blesses, judges and re-creates. We are invited to respond worshipfully and responsibly." (p. 29)

ICEBREAKER

• When you think of or see a rainbow, what does it bring to mind?
• What does the rainbow signify in this day and age?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• What does God promise to Noah, his sons, and their descendants in this covenant He is establishing?
• God's covenant also includes "every living creature" (v.12). What does this communicate to you about how God views and values creation?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• God's covenantal promise to Noah's family and descendants indicates that community is important to God. In fact, the Church is often referred to as the covenantal community. As you think about the unique relationship you have with God, why is it important for you to gather regularly with the church family? 
• As Christians, what does it mean to be in a covenantal relationship with other Christians? How is that different from other "regular" relationships?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• How does God's promise to "every living creature" change or strengthen the way you see others in your neighborhood/community?
• How would you talk about the rainbow when you see one with your neighbors?

JANUARY 21, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: "This child Isaac was a pure gift, born beyond the time of human possibility. The unfolding of the future is a gift as well. Abraham learns, and so must we, that life with God is an ongoing journey that demands both fearful and grateful response. Abraham's obedience here is born of a life of deep trust in the God who calls new futures into being. The ways of God may well be mysterious, yet God remains faithful. Ultimately, the God who tests will be the same God who graciously provides." (p. 46)
On Ephesians 2:8-9, from the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: "by grace you have been saved through faith. Like a portrait beautifully framed, in a single sentence our best nouns are put on full display: 'grace,' 'save,' 'faith.' Take these words out of the Christian vocabulary, and our holidays have no celebration and the Blessed Sacrament itself is a child's tea party. The big realities of the Christian life are not things we wrestle from the hand of a parsimonious God; they are things God gives gladly with all joy of a parent on Christmas morning." (p. 2121)

ICEBREAKER

• Share a time when your beliefs and convictions were tested, as you were asked to do something with which you did not agree or fully understand.
• Did you end up doing it and why or why not?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• Verse 1 states that God tested Abraham. What do you think God was hoping to see in Abraham's response?
• From Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: "In the story of Abraham and Isaac we find obedience and worship intertwined: Abraham was obeying God's command to sacrifice Isaac as an act of worship. What do you think comes first, obedience or worship? Or are they inseparable?" (p. 46).

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• Because of Abraham's obedience, God declares that we, as his descendants, are blessed. Through Jesus, however, we are blessed as salvation is granted by faith through grace (Eph 2:8-9). Thus, our blessing moves from something earned to something gifted. For Christians, how do/should we respond to God's gift of Jesus Christ?
• As Abraham's "offspring", and ultimately as believers in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are blessed in other amazing ways. Can you either share how God has blessed you personally, or how others in your group have blessed you?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• How can we help each other within our groups to live out what God has already promised to us as His children- to be "blessings" to others?
• What are you willing to sacrifice in order to love and serve your neighbors and the community well?

JANUARY 28, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: "With the death of their father, the brothers finally seek the forgiveness of Joseph (v 15-18). Joseph responds with a dramatic pronouncement in verse 20. There is no need for fear. What humans may have intended for harm, God intended for good. The will of God has always been to preserve a people." (p. 85).
From The Christbook: Matthew 1-12 by F. Dale Bruner: "In rabbinic thought, every sin created a deposit of debt before God, the accumulation of which formed a separating wall between the person and God. On the other hand, every righteous deed contributed to the believer's accumulation of assets before God and so created a kind of bridge to God. Sins were demerits that separated, righteous deeds merits that connected. The corporate name for these separating demerits was 'debts.' Jesus takes this well-known word and the set of ideas connected with it and tells us that we can ask the Father to wipe out our debts!" (p. 308)

ICEBREAKER

• Why is forgiveness so difficult to ask for and so challenging to extend to others?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• In response to the brothers' request for forgiveness and after telling them not to fear, Joseph asks, "Am I in the place of God?" (v. 19) Why do you think Joseph posed that question to his brothers?
• Joseph states that God intends for good what man (his brothers) intended for harm (v. 20). For what good purpose did God intend in the situation between Joseph and his brothers?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• Can you think of a time when something harmful was done to you by someone in the Church, and yet something good came out of it?
• In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask God to "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matt. 6:12), highlighting the importance of incorporating forgiveness into our daily lives. Why do you think forgiveness is so important for Christians?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• It is easy to think that the world is getting worse as time goes on. While that may be true to a certain degree, we know as Christians we are part of a larger story – one in which we see and experience God's larger plan unfolding. How does our understanding of God's larger plan impact how we interact with people who are not part of the Church?
• So much of how we behave (what we say and do) in our relationships with others offers a witness to what we believe. What role can forgiveness play in the witness (either in word or action) you offer to your neighbors?

FEBRUARY 4, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.' Part of the richness of the Bible is the variety of names it uses to address and speak of God. This story describes how Israel came to know unique and cherished name it had for God- Yahweh, Jehovah (traditional translation), or the Lord...Though the name occurs earlier in the biblical text, here it is given to Moses and Israel for the first time and connected to the 'God of your ancestors,' whose presence and faithfulness Israel already knew." (p. 102).
On John 20:21, from The Gospel of John: A Commentary by F. Dale Bruner: "Representing Jesus Christ in the world is a responsibility too heavy for even believing and commissioned disciples to bear. Therefore the requisite gift. This gift comes with Christ's coming. The Holy Spirit is not a 'second blessing.' Nor are the disciples given conditions of this gift…Jesus here gives his Holy Spirit as he gives himself- as sheer gift. (p. 1164)

ICEBREAKER

• Do you remember where you were during the solar eclipse of August 2017? Describe what it was like looking into the sun. Were you afraid? What kind of precautions did you take and why?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• Upon encountering the burning bush, Moses is instructed by God to take off his sandals (v. 5). Why must he take off his sandals and why does he hide his face (v. 6)? What does this reveal about God?
• What does God observe about the Israelites in verse 7? What does God promise to do for them in verse 8? What does this tell us about the character of God?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• God specifically mentions the misery, cries, and suffering of His people (v. 7). As the covenantal community-the family of God-how can we be an encouragement to one another in our sufferings?
• God's promise to lead His people out of Egypt is met with a question from Moses: "Who am I that I should go...? (v. 10) God's response that He will be with him (v. 12) offers great assurance that Moses and the Israelites will not be alone in His endeavor. Knowing what you do of God (especially revealed in this story), what assurance is it knowing that God is with us?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• In John 20:21-22, Jesus says to His disciples, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you... Receive the Holy Spirit.” Throughout the Scriptures, God continues to send His people to others who are suffering. What would it look like if you viewed the places you worked, visited, studied, shopped, vacationed, etc... as places God has sent you? Would that change the way you interact with others?
• The promise of the presence of God with Moses is furthered today to us in the person of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean for us (as the Church of Jesus Christ) to be equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Knowing that the Spirit works in and through you, does that give you confidence or peace?

FEBRUARY 11, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: "The important thing for us to understand for our spiritual formation is the way in which grace precedes law. God first acts in grace and mercy by delivering the people, and then the people respond in gratitude and thanksgiving by obeying the commandments. Put succinctly: the crossing of the Red Sea comes before the giving of the Ten Commandments." (p. 125)
From Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters by Tim Keller: "Two Jewish philosophers who knew the Scriptures intimately concluded: 'The central...principle of the Bible [is] the rejection of idolatry.' The Bible is therefore filled with story after story depicting the innumerable forms and devastating effects of idol worship. Every counterfeit god a heart can choose- whether love, money, success, or power- has a powerful biblical narrative that explains how that particular kind of idolatry works itself out in our lives." (p. 4)

ICEBREAKER

• What were some of the "laws" or rules you had in your households as you were growing up? Why do you think your parents/grandparents had the rules in place?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• God is precise and clear in His giving of the Ten Commandments. The first four of the ten are focused on keeping the relationship with God intact. As you think about these four (no worship of other gods, no idolatry, no abuse of God's holy name, and abuse of God's holy Sabbath), which one is heeded more than the others? Which one is neglected? Why do you think this is?
• The first commandment forbids the worshipping of other gods, while the second forbids the worshipping of idols. What might that "worship" look like in this day and age? Why do you think this is important to God?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• The fifth through tenth commandments is focused on keeping our relationships with others intact. As you think about these six (honoring parents, honoring marriage, honoring the lives of others, honoring the possessions of others, honoring the truth, and honoring what God gives others and us to live with), which one is heeded more than the others? Which one is neglected? Why do you think that is?
• The fifth and seventh commandments focus specifically on the family unit (honoring parents and marriage). Do you think this is significant? Why is it important to keep our familial relationships intact?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• In Matthew 22:36–40, scholars suggest that Jesus reveals the heart of the Ten Commandments- to love God and love neighbors. These two commandments are intimately connected to one another. Why can't you separate the commands to love God and love your neighbors?
• What are ways you can be more loving toward your neighbors?

FEBRUARY 18, 2018

CONTEXT

From The Challenge of the Disciplined Life by Richard Foster: "Giving frees us from the tyranny of money. But we do not just give money; we give the things money has purchased. In Acts the early Christian community gave houses and land to provide funds for those in need (Acts 4:32-37). Have you ever considered selling a car or a stamp collection to help finance someone’s education? Money has also given us the time and leisure to acquire skills. What about giving those skills away? Doctors, dentists, lawyers, computer experts, and many others can give their skills for the good of the community.
Giving frees us to care. It produces an air of expectancy as we anticipate what God will lead us to give. It makes life with God an adventure of discovery. We are being used to help make a difference in the world, and that is worth living for and giving for." (need page number).
On Matthew 6:1-4, from The Christbook: Matthew 1-12 by F. Dale Bruner: "Of the many illustrations Jesus could have selected for relations with others he chooses charity. (The words 'giving alms,'...mean any good deeds intended to serve others...'almsgiving' is an old word that could be translated in many different ways; doing charity, social-justice work, giving money, helping the poor.)" (p. 284)

ICEBREAKER

• What is the most valuable (monetary or sentimental) item you have ever given away? How difficult was it to let it go and give that item to someone else?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• The concept of "first fruits" may sound foreign to us today, depending on where we live and whether or not we live in an agricultural-based economy. Nevertheless, the expectation that we offer our first and best to God is clear. Why do you think God requires our first fruits?
• In the same way that obedience and worship are intertwined in the story of Abraham and Isaac (please see week 2), the giving of our first fruits is also intertwined with worship. What is the connection between giving and worship?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• Last week, we examined the Ten Commandments and even explored Jesus' summation of the commandments (Matt. 22:36–40) in that we are to love God and love neighbors. Do you see a connection between the Ten Commandments and this command on first fruits? How can giving God our first fruits help us to better love Him and neighbors?
• Not only is giving an act of worship, but it is also a way through which we help our community. Giving to those in need is assumed by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount in Matt. 6:1–4. Why do you think Christians should join together in their giving efforts to those in need?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• What kind of impact should our larger congregation have in helping the greater Orlando community?
• When it comes to your own giving, what is one action you can take this week to better foster a spirit of generosity?

FEBRUARY 25, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: “From the wilderness perspective, the food in Egypt seemed exciting, desirable, and physically satisfying. By contrast, the manna God provided seemed mundane and simple, even though it was nourishing and good. Those who pursue spiritual growth must pay careful attention to the people with whom they interact. We are all influenced by the people around us. What God offers as food for our spiritual health may not be as exciting or exotic as what the world offers. Spiritual food may seem unsubstantial and simple. Indeed, Jesus Christ, who is the ‘bread of life’ (John 6:35), might to some seemingly simple yet he satisfies our deepest hunger and can make us whole.” (p. 212)
On 2 Tim. 4:3-4, from the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: “The gospel’s ‘sound doctrine’ (v. 3) is demanding upon those who would understand it and live it. What keeps us working in our teaching is not that out teaching is always received with gratitude, but rather the power of Christ in the gospel to make the kind of people he deserves. So, whether it’s a good time for Christian formation and renovation or a bad time, favorable or unfavorable, we are to keep at it, confident that God’s grace is sufficient to the task.” (p. 2173).

ICEBREAKER

• Have you ever had a craving for a particular food? Perhaps it was something you ate as a child and longed for it as an adult. Or maybe it was something that you simply haven’t had in a while. What was it like when you finally had it? Did it live up to your memory or expectations? Did it fall short of what you remembered?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• God poses the question to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power limited?” (v. 23) The implied answer to this rhetorical question is, of course, no. If the Lord’s power is not limited, why do you think the Lord did not provide more than manna?
• God then states, "Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not." (v. 23) To what is God referring? To what do the Israelites have to look forward? Why might this be better than fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, or garlic (v. 5)?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• Sometimes when we go through difficult times, it's easy to remember the old days through "rose-colored glasses." In other words, we see more of the good than the bad of the past, while seeing more of the bad than the good in the present. What are some of the things you miss about the past? How have those things changed in the present? Why do you think they've changed? What was God's role in their changing?
• Paul warns in 2 Tim. 4:3–4 that "the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." To what extent do the opinion of others shape your thinking about the condition of your life? Do your interactions with others shape your opinion of events more than your study of Scripture?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• Many would characterize the world (and our country) today as divided and fearful. Why do you think it's important for Christians to offer a witness in this world? How can we do a better job at witnessing through our words and deeds in our community?
• How can you, either as an individual, a family, or a group, find out more about one of our FaithServes (mission) opportunities?

MARCH 4, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: “8:12-18 When you have eaten your fill. Deuteronomy astutely warns its readers to beware of the complacency of success. God blesses us and we stop praying or caring about our relationship with God. We become self-sufficient. When life goes well, we forget God because we think we don’t need him. However, life is such that it isn’t too long before our complacency lands us in trouble and we desperately seek God again.” (p. 262)
From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: “8:17 My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth. So speaks the doomed arrogance of those who mistake their own resources for the blessing of God. In the West today self-reliance is considered a virtue. Not so in the Bible, where the emphasis is on a community in dependence upon God.

ICEBREAKER

• Have you ever forgot the birthday or anniversary of a loved one? How did that make them feel? Has anyone ever forgot your birthday or anniversary? How did that make you feel?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• Why does God say that the Israelites should observe His commands? Why do you think God connects the commands with what He is doing in verses 7 through 9?
• God warns against forgetting Him in verse 7. What is a consequence of forgetting Him offered?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• What has God done previously for His people (v. 14-16)? Why do you think God wants His people to look back and remember?
• As you think about your own personal history, what has God done for you? What has God done for your group? What has God done for First Presbyterian Church of Orlando?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• God emphasizes that the ability to produce wealth comes from Him (v. 18). As you reflect upon the wealth you have, such as it is, why is it important to remember that it comes from God? What responsibility do you think we have to those who are in our community? How might this be connected to God’s commands?
• We have said in worship that real economic success is about how much value you create, and not about how much money you make. Thus, the connection between faith and work continues to be an important part of our Christian witness. When you think of your work (whether that’s paid or not) what value do you create as you labor?

MARCH 11, 2018

MARCH 18, 2018

CONTEXT

From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: “24:14-15 choose this day whom you will serve. Joshua left his people with the choice to serve the God who had chosen, liberated, and provided for them (v. 2-13) or to lapse back into the worship of the false gods of their ancestors on the other side of the Euphrates before God called Abraham. This choice is the one left for us as well; we must ‘choose this day whom we will serve.’ If we choose false gods, such lapses today are a reversion to what we too had once been for the grace of God.”
On Matthew 6:24, from The Christbook: Matthew 1-12 by F. Dale Bruner: No one can serve two masters. "The commonest god in the world is Success, and the Christian no less than others want to be successful in something. But this saying teaches that we cannot work largely for God and then moonlight for Gain – it is one or the other…thus, once again disciples are asked to give their faith either to God or to people. For Jesus ‘makes it clear that whoever fails to do his duty as he should on account of Mammon – money or pleasure, popularity or favor – will not be acknowledged by God as His servant but as His enemy” (p. 325)

ICEBREAKER

• If someone were to look at either your calendar or bank account, would it be obvious to them what you value most in this world? What do you prioritize?

GOD: WHAT IS GOD SAYING/DOING?

• The tribes of Israel are faced with a choice as to whom they will serve. In making their choice, the people reflect upon what God has done for His people. What do they say God has done (v. 17–18)?
• God is revered for the protection (v. 17) he has provided to the Israelites against their enemies. Why was this important for them in their journey?

GATHER: WHAT IS THE COVENANTAL COMMUNITY DOING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

• From the Renovare Spiritual Formation Study Bible: As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (24:15) “Joshua declares his intention to serve the Lord and tells the people to choose whom they will serve. Meditate on the phrase…What does it mean for a family to ‘serve the Lord’? Is it more difficult today than it was in Joshua’s time? Why or why not? (p. 339)
• Jesus states in the Sermon on the Mount that "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matt 6:24). Why do you think Jesus' disciples are cautioned against this? Why might this be significant for the Church today? What gods might tempt disciples (and even churches) today?

GO: HOW CAN THIS SCRIPTURE SHAPE YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS?

• Based on our study so far, what did it look like for the Israelites to serve the Lord? What does it look like to serve the Lord today? How do you personally serve the Lord Monday through Saturday through either your vocation or in other ways?
• What are the ways First Presbyterian Church of Orlando serves the Lord in the greater Central Florida area? How might you, your family, or your group become involved in what the church is doing across the community? How might you find out more?