Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

 Open

Please share your response to one of the following:

• As a kid, what did you find difficult to confess to your parents?

• I can explain my life as an animal and that animal is a ___________

Study

Please read Nehemiah 8:18 – 9:5 and share your response to the following:

• Why do you think it is important to confess God’s greatness? What may happen if we don’t?
• Why do you think it is important to confess our own shortcomings? What may happen if we don’t?
• What is the significance of the 3 parts of their worship in this instance? (i.e., Instruction from the Word; Confession of God’s greatness; and confession of sin)
• What is significant to the setting of this account (return from Babylon)?

Apply

• Why do you think confession is so difficult for us?
• Why do we hesitate to praise God for victories in our lives?
• What things can we as a church do to make confessing sin (or praise) easier? How can this group help?
• How does it help you to recount “God’s story” with Israel in regard to confessing His greatness and your weakness?

 In his accusation of Job, the Adversary makes an important point. He asked, “Does Job fear God for no reason?” (Job 1:9, ESV). We often operate under the assumption that if we serve God, we receive. When difficulties come, we tend to stop serving and start complaining. Job ultimately comes out of his trial realizing that God deserves our worship regardless of what we “get” from him.

Jesus was the ultimate example of the correct attitude. He came to serve God – period. Note his teaching on serving in Matthew 20:25-29. A key to following God is not to seek reward but God.

The night of his betrayal and arrest was action-packed. He met with his disciples and ate their final Passover meal. As the meal unfolded, Jesus demonstrated the power of God in the emblems that he would use regarding his death, burial, and resurrection.

During the supper, Jesus also took off his outer robe, put on the towel and washed the FEET of the disciples to demonstrate the right thing in serving one another. He washed the feet of his betrayer. He washed the feet of the one who would vocally deny him. He also washed the feet of the “disciple whom he loved.”

Jesus did not pick and choose. He did not decide to wash John’s feet and then omit Peter and Judas – or the others who fled for their lives. He served them all with no strings attached – either to them or to God. It is always right to do right things. We may not always receive a reward for it, but it is right to do right.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

  Open

Please share your response to one of the following:

• Would you say you have a “green thumb,” a “brown thumb,” or you are “all thumbs”?
• What is your favorite “success story”?

Study

Please read Luke 8:4-15 and discuss the following with your group:

• Why do you think Jesus uses this parable?
• How would you describe the soils in modern terms?
• Which of the soils do you think is the most difficult to change (either for the good or for the bad)? Which is the easiest?
• What role does the word of God play in impacting the soils?
• Why do you think it is important to keep sowing the seeds of God’s words on ALL soils?

Apply

• How would you describe the soil of your heart right now? Five years ago?
• How would you say your heart has changed over the years?
• What will be helpful for you to produce 100 times more than has been sown?
• What are some ways you can sow the seed of the kingdom on all soils?

Open

Please share your response to one of the following:

• What are three words that you hope people would use to describe you in ten years?
• What is something you enjoy doing? What makes it fun?

Study

Read Ecclesiastes 5:8-12 and discuss the following with your group:

• Why do you think there is a constant oppression of people in the world? In what ways is the “chain of command” a comfort? How can a king/leader be a good thing? (vv. 8-9)
• What would you say is meaningless in vv. 10-11-12?
• Why do you think we have so much trouble being content with what we have?
• Why is this especially true about money? Why do we want more and more?
• How can workers have “sweet sleep”? What keeps the wealthy from it?

Apply

• What applications can you make from the writer’s observations in 5:13-17?
• Where do you put the pursuit of wealth in your life?
  • At the Top
  • In the Middle
  • On the Bottom
  • Off the Chart
• Playing the “devil’s advocate,” defend the pursuit of wealth. How much is “enough”?
• Which of Jesus’ teachings helps you the most in regard to the issue of wealth and contentment? (example – Matthew 6:28-34)
• In your experience, how does contentment feel? What suggestions can you give to help the group achieve it? (see Philippians 4:12-13)

 Open

Share with the Group one or two of the following:

• If I could throw caution to the wind and really risk, I would. . . . .
• The comic character I would like to be like is. . . . .
• The most important decision of my life was/is. . . . .
• As a child, my favorite game was. . . . . .
• My favorite movie of all times is. . . . . .
• What makes me laugh is. . . . . .
• Today, I like to play by. . . . . . .
• I cry when . . . . . . . .

Study

Read Mark 10:35-45 and discuss the following with your group:

• What do you think motivated James and John to make this request?
• How do you think they saw the “kingdom”?
• If you had been James or John, how would you have felt about Jesus’ response?
• What were the cup, baptism, and glory Jesus spoke of?
• Why did the other disciples respond to James and John as they did?
• Jesus did not” waste the crisis.” What lesson does he teach? How does it go contrary to the norm?

Apply

• When have you seen a sacrificial spirit of service? A submissive spirit of service? How did you feel about that kind of person?
• What values has Jesus turned upside down in your life? How has it impacted your life?
• In following the example of Jesus, what is one way you can display a servant’s heart this week?

 Open

Please share your response to one of the following:

• How do you respond when someone cuts you off in traffic?
• Which animal most describes the way you tend to settle disputes?
  • Ostrich – Ignore them
  • Tiger – Confront them
  • Parrot – Gossip about them
  • Monkey – Joke about them
  • Gazelle – Run from them
  • Other ____________

Study

Read Matthew 5:21-24 and Matthew 18:15-20 and discuss the following with your Group:

• Why do you think this is such a difficult issue for us?
• When have you seen someone ignore a problem and “it went away”?
• What do you think of the “procedure” that Jesus details in 18.15-20? Why will this work? What happens if we don’t follow it? What is a “supernatural by-product” of the process?
• Why is it important that we “straighten out” matter is we are the offender OR if we are offended?
• What do you think is the relationship of resolving our conflicts and worship?

Apply

• For you, what is the hardest part about asking for forgiveness from another person?
• What is the hardest thing about giving forgiveness?
• What is the hardest thing for you about any kind of conflict?
• What do you need to do to improve?
• As a community of faith, how can we do better at resolving our issues?

  As Passover and Easter are closing in on us, I thought this lesson might be helpful in thinking about Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. Of course, his death, burial, and resurrection occurred during Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits. God’s timing was “spot on.”

Open:

Please share your answer to one of the following:

• If you have given blood, tell us about the positives and negatives (pun intended) that you experienced.
• Tell about an unusual mess or stain you had to clean up. How did it turn out?

Study:

Read Hebrews 9:11-28 and discuss the following with your group.

• In what ways was Jesus’ priesthood different than the Old Testament priests? (11-14)
• How was his cleansing of people different than the old? (15-22)
• In what ways do you think Jesus’ covenant is new? (15-22)
• What is the significance of Jesus’ entrance into heaven on our behalf? (23-28)
• How do you think his sacrifice is superior to the old way? (23-28)
• What is significant here about Jesus’ return? (23-28)

Apply:

• When you hear of the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins, how do you feel?
• Humbled
• Bored
• Grateful
• Knowledgeable
• Other ___________

• What do you think people outside of church think when they hear the story?

• What analogies can we use to help people grasp the seriousness of sin and their value to God?

 Open

Please share your response to one of the following with the group.

• Apart from Bible characters, if you could be related to a famous person, who would you choose? Why?
• Who was your favorite teacher in elementary school? Your hardest teacher?

Study

Read Galatians 3.21-28 and discuss the following:

• In what ways do you see the “Law” as a “prison”?
• What were God’s intentions in the Law?
• How is “faith” a release from “prison”?
• Why do you think people wanted to go back to the “Law”?  
  • It was familiar territory
  • It was easier for them
  • Family/Peer Pressures
  • They trusted themselves more than God
  • They misunderstood about Grace
• How does Christ use our faith to break down the barriers we set up?
• What is so important about being Abraham’s descendants?

Apply

• What has been your experience with rule-keeping? When has it been good? Bad?
• How has your faith grown from rule-keeping to faithful obedience? What is the difference? How have you accomplished it?
• What can you do personally to expand the kingdom of God beyond “us”?

OpenPlease share your responses to one of the following:

• If you could visit one place you have never been, where would you go?
• Who would you like to meet (living or dead)?

Study

Please read Romans 1:1-17 and discuss the following:

• What do you think is significant about Paul’s use of the words, servant and apostle? Of called and saints?
• What are some implications you can see about the “gospel” (good news)?
• Why do you think God chose NOT to reveal who started the church in Rome? What does this say about “regular people” and church work?
• Why do you think it was so important to Paul to go to Rome?
  • He wanted to preach to Caesar
  • Rome was key to the spread of the gospel
  • He wanted to encourage young believers
  • He wanted to be like Jesus
  • Other ___________________
• What do you think Paul included in his prayers for the Romans?
  • Spiritual Gifts
  • Conversions
  • Courage
  • Harmony within the Church
  • Other _______________

Apply

• How have you seen or experienced the power of the gospel?
• How have you been mutually encouraged in the faith?
• In addition to heaven, what practical, day to day things can be impacted by the gospel? (v. 17)
• What mission or task do you sense God is leading you to do?

*Group Option: Spend the majority of your time together telling your spiritual stories. Let everyone answer this question:

How has God transformed your life?

Then close in prayer.

As I mentioned last week, I believe that it is important to have a biblical basis for what we do as followers of Jesus. It has been said that a good rabbi learns the text; lives the text; teaches the text; prays the text; and dies the text. Jesus did these perfectly. We also need to learn and live the text in our lives. The following is a list of ideas regarding HOME Groups and supporting scriptures. Take a few minutes and prayerfully read these scriptures. Can you see your place in a HOME Group?

Scriptures Supporting HOME Group Ministry

• God values relationships – Genesis 1:26; 2:18
• Moses’ use of the ” Jethro Model” for Ministry – Exodus 18:13-26
• Jesus’ Use of the Rabbinical Model – Mark 3:14
• The Early Church’s Use of Jesus’ Model – Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:42
• Churches in Homes
• o The Example of Philippi – Acts 16
• o The Example of Rome – Romans 16:3-15
• o The Example of Corinth – 1 Corinthians 16:19
• o The Example of Colossae – Colossians 4:15
• Paul’s House – Acts 28:30-31
• The 20/20 Vision – Acts 20:20

Scriptural Values for HOME Groups

• Discipleship – Matthew 28:19-20
• Outreach – Matthew 9:17; 9.37-38; John 4:35; 2 Timothy 4:5
• Mutual Encouragement and Relationships – John 17:3; 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 4:16
• Ministry Opportunities – John 14:12; Ephesians 4:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:2
• Spiritual Multiplication – Genesis 1:28; Acts 6:1, 7; 9:31
• Mentoring – 1 Corinthians 4:15-17; 1 John 2:12-14

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene