God in Five Minutes!

Small Group Study Questions1) How far back can you trace the names of your ancestors?2) Who is the most curious, successful, colossal failure, or otherwise interesting ancestor in your genealogy?3) Do you think genealogies define us? What do they tell us about ourselves?4) How would including these four “scandalous” women in Jesus' genealogy define who Jesus is? How do you think early readers of Matthew's Gospel responded to this?5) What does the inclusion of these women in Matthew's genealogy mean for the church community today? Are we doing a good job of including the scandalous?

Small Group Questions1) Growing up, did you feel like there was a time when you felt people around you had expectations of you simply because you were a boy or girl – expectations that you thought were unfair?2) What are the roles in life you have assumed? Which ones do you enjoy the most? Which ones are more of a burden to you?3) Jesus seemed to indicate that the role of Disciple or Follower of Jesus is for both men and women which was not typical for religious disciples in his day. Does this make Jesus a culture-changer?4) You may think: “Well, this means I'm supposed to accept women as equal to men as disciples of Jesus. Ok. Not a problem.” Now, what else does this mean in terms of being a disciple and other social roles? How do we apply this more broadly today?5) Martha was “corrected” in a tender way by Jesus. Do you ever feel “corrected” by God? If so, how do you sense it?

Small Group Questions1) Who was the meanest kid in your elementary school?2) Have you ever sensed God speaking to you or otherwise communicating with you? How so?3) Has anyone ever been like Ananias to you – someone who bravely made peace with you?4) Can you think of a time when you were like Ananias to another person – reaching out to make peace with someone?5) Why do you think it takes so much effort, or revelations, for us to change?

Small Group Questions1) When you hurt yourself but it's not serious, are you more likely to: a. Stop everything, take care of the hurt (e.g. band aid, etc), and tell those close to you how painful it is. b. Ignore it and stay busy. c. Somewhere in between those two.2) Can you think of a time when a boss, family member, friend, or colleague acted in a hypocritical manner? How so?3) Why do you think it is so easy to see the hypocritical behavior in others but not in ourselves?4) Nathan the prophet confronted David about his sin of adultery and murder. Do you have anyone in your life who challenges you when you go off course?5) To be a “Nathan” to another person seems so judgmental and confrontive and yet can help yank a person out of self-deception. Is there a way to be a Nathan without coming across harsh or superior?

Small Group Questions1) Have you gone to a high school or college reunion? If so, did people change much? Have you changed much?2) Share a time in the past when you went through a breakup (with a friend, spouse, company, etc.). Was the breakup: a. Like Paul and Mark: we just agreed to go our separate ways. b. It was super painful and I'm still trying to recover from it. c. I'm over it, but it was really hard at the time.3) Reflecting on #2, or another breakup in your past, do you feel you walked away from the breakup having learned something about yourself? Was it ultimately helpful in some ways?4) Sometimes people are so fiercely divided on issues they fight each other and people get hurt – even in church “splits.” How can breakups be less hurtful?5) Do you think people can change? Become better and improve over time? Can you think of an example?BONUS QUESTION: Why do you think Pastor George used the title of Brad Paisley's song -- I'm Gonna Miss Her (But I Love to fish) -- for the title of this episode?

Small Group Questions1) What was your best Halloween costume growing up?2) What do you think Pastor George means when he says we disguise ourselves to get blessings (affirmations) from others?3) Have you ever worked for a company where someone took credit for something (s)he didn't do? Do you think some people get promoted for work they didn't do and didn't credit those who did? How does that relate to this story in Genesis?4) Is there lingering pain in your life because you didn't get a blessing from a parent, boss, or significant other?5) If we believe we get blessings (more salary, affirmations, etc.) because we earn them, does that affect our view of God's grace?

Small Group Questions1) Do you remember a time when you were sad or greatly disappointed as a kid?2) These two disciples read the Bible (Old Testament) such that they believed the Messiah would come with great power and might to destroy Israel's enemies. Jesus did a Bible study with them to show they were wrong. Can you think of ways you thought the Bible said one thing but later felt God was showing you a different way to interpret it?3) Have you ever experienced God walking with you through a sorrowful experience? What was that like?4) If you have experienced God walking with you in sadness, how has that affected the way you see other people in sorrow and depression?5) Isaiah predicted a savior who would be “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” How can a Messiah like that redeem you and the world?

Small Group Questions 1)   Who was the shortest kid in your 4th-grade class? Tallest? Where did you fall between them? 2)   What do you know about tax collectors in biblical times? (Google it if necessary). What kinds of people or occupations are the equivalent of tax collectors today? 3)   Why would Jesus go out of his way to go to a tax collector's home for a meal? What do you think it cost him in reputation? Did he care about what others thought of him? 4)   Inspired by his time with Jesus, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord (as in prayer) and said he would give half his wealth to the poor and pay back four times those he defrauded. What in the world would cause a normal person to do that??? 5)   What does it mean that “radical grace results in radical generosity'? Have you experienced the kind of radical grace that Zacchaeus did?

Small Group Questions 1)   When you were a kid, were you ever on a team or in a social group where you were aware of the top people versus those who were on the bottom of popularity? Describe your experience. 2)   Are there similar "hierarchies" in our adult relationships at work, church, or other social interactions? How can you tell? 3)   In the parable Jesus told in Luke 12, those of equivalent social ranking refused the invitation to the party, so the host invited those who would never get such an invitation and could not pay him back. How is this in contrast to your answers to #1 and #2, and do you think this is difficult to do? 4)   Pastor George suggests we do social ranking unconsciously and need to bring this up to awareness. Do you agree? What would it look like practically if we did away with social rankings in our minds? 5)   Have you ever thought of throwing a dinner party like the one in this parable?

Small Group Questions 1)  Have you ever said or thought something “stupid” that turned out to be the solution to a problem? 2)  Are there examples in industry or other walks of life where the unexpected even ridiculed idea saved the day? 3)  What's the fear behind not living a generous life? How do you balance that fear with generosity? 4)  Jesus had very little and gave freely. The poor boy in this Bible passage had very little and offered what he had. Why do you think it is harder for people with more to give? 5)  Do you believe a giver gets joy and satisfaction from giving while a hoarder gets more miserable? Or, is that a lie to get people to give up some money? Have you experienced one or both of these feelings, the joy of giving and the misery of being a miser? 6)  Do you think the word misery comes from “miser”?

Small Group Questions 1)   When you were growing up, was there a time your family struggled financially? Were you aware of it at the time? Describe that time. 2)   Have you ever been broke and barely able to pay your bills? What do you think were the positives and negatives of that time in your life? What did you learn? 3)   Do you think it is true that when we have little we are more grateful than when we have enough? Why or why not? 4)   What does it mean to you to live a generous life? 5)   Is it just “pastor-talk” or do you think Pastor George is right: that the best antidote to greed is generosity?  What does that look like practically? And what is scary about that?

Small Group Questions 1)   When you were a kid, did your family ever have meals together? What was a Thanksgiving-type meal typically like in your family? 2)   What is the most lavish banquet you've ever attended? What as it like? 3)   Can you think of a time when you were invited to a meal and some of the other guests were quite different from you? Or, maybe you served in a soup kitchen for the homeless? Did the meal help bring people together? 4)   Do you think the Lord's Supper is mostly about your personal meal and forgiveness; or mostly about breaking down walls between people by creating a large, common meal? 5)   “Eucharist” means Thanksgiving. The Lord's Supper is supposed to be a celebration of thanksgiving for God's grace and love. Is communion in your church more like that, or more like a somber funeral? Somewhere in-between?

Small Group Questions 1)   When do you feel the most free? The most enslaved? 2)   To what degree does the meeting of physical needs result in freedom? Have you ever been in a situation where your physical needs were pretty much fulfilled but you didn't feel free? 3)   Are freedom and happiness the same thing? Explain how they are the same or different. 4)   How do you experience freedom in Christ? 5)   Have you ever had the experience of trying to love someone unlovable to you? What was that like?

Small Group Questions 1)   When you were a youth, who was your first love? Did you bring that person gifts? 2)   Do you think you tend to love God more with your mind, or with your deeds? 3)   If knowing God is about experiencing God, how do you experience God? 4)   What do you think it means to love God out of gratitude as opposed to loving God out of obligation? What makes this so hard to do? 5)   How are you generally loved “in the world” or at work, and how does this affect how you love?

Small Group Questions 1) Who was in charge of your household when you were growing up? What happened when that person was challenged to do things differently? 2) Have you been a part of an organization that was resistant to change? Why was it so stubborn? Have you been a part of an organization that welcomed change and new ideas? What made that happen? 3) We often think it is those people who are resistant to change by new ideas from new people around us. But do you see that resistance in you sometimes? What do you think that stems from? 4) Pastor Ryan's sermon is similar to many sermons preached at Highrock over the last year. What is the common theme? Why is this message important? If outsiders and newcomers who are "different" from current Highrockers became a part of our churches and participated in leading our teams, would that make us different? How so? 5) One could say if you draw the Christian circle too big we lose our identity, and if we draw it too tight we exclude those Jesus would have included. How would you draw it?

Small Group Questions 1) As a kid, who was your favorite superhero? How about now? 2) What would you do first if you had superhero powers? 3) What do you think the difference is between the way Jesus exercised power in the Bible and superhero power? 4) Pastor John in his sermon, and Pastor George in this podcast, talk about the power of the Spirit of God. Do you think that power is real? Have you had any experiences with it you can share? 5) Pastor George suggests there are very difficult times of life that only the power of God can get you through. Do you think that is true?

Small Group Notes 1) Do you feel like you “matured” early as a kid, about average, or as a late bloomer? 2) Do you think personal development ends at 21 or do you think there are other developmental steps as you get older? 3) In 1 Corinthians 3:21, the Apostle Paul said he was giving milk to spiritual babies; that they weren't ready for “meat.” What do you think the difference is between spiritual milk and meat? 4) How is your spiritual diet going? Are you “eating” milk, meat, or somewhere in between? 5) What is the next step for your spiritual maturity?

Small Group Questions 1) Growing up, were you an insider -- popular kid -- or outsider, or somewhere in between? Were you an insider in one group (e.g. Debate Club) and an outsider in another (e.g. Sports)? What defined these kinds of groups and who was inside and who was outside? 2) When you look at your faith, did God make you an insider or outsider in God's family? How so? 3) How can we live out the answer to #2 (if we think that is worthwhile to do) in relationships with others? 4) What do you think happens if we define Christianity too broadly? Too narrowly? What happens if we have no boundaries of faith versus narrow boundaries of faith? 5) Ultimately, at the end of time, are there Insiders and Outsiders to heaven?

Small-Group Questions 1) When you were a kid, how were disagreements settled in your group of friends? 2) When you are around political disagreements, in person or online (e.g. social media), what is normally the tenor of the conversation and the ability of people to hear each other? 3) What communication skills have you practiced -- or would like to practice -- to create understanding with people you disagree with? Is this easy or hard for you? 4) Highrock church allows for the expression of opposing views by committed Christians and values the humility needed to listen to each other. Does this frustrate you? 5) Sex is such a charged issue. Why do you think it is so hard to talk about sexual issues in church?

Small Group Questions 1) Tell an experience when the airlines failed you (e.g. canceled flights), or, tell a story of the worst restaurant experience you ever had. 2) Have you ever been in a situation where another person's disorganization hurt your work? 3) What method, app, or device do you use to keep track of what you have to get done? 4) What is your "White Space" status now? a) I have too much of it; b) I am just right with it; c) help!!! 5) If you're pretty good at life-work balance, how did you get there? What works for you to keep white spaces clear?

Small Group Questions 1) When you were a kid, what was the best or most expensive candy you could buy? How much did it cost? 2) Have you ever had to value something(s)? E.g. tag sale, products for sale, your own labor, etc. How do you determine what something is worth? 3) The heart of the Christian message is God loves us simply because the Lord made us as children of God -- you can't earn it. Are you able to love yourself like that? Is it hard to change your thinking from your answer to question 2 to your answer to question 3? 4) Do you think Pastor Dave's sermon, and this podcast, are a cop-out: that everyone should be either pro-life or pro-choice? 5) How do you apply your faith to the answer to question 4?

Small Group Questions 1) Growing up, was your group of friends diverse or very similar? 2) What do you find now to be interesting about a diverse workplace or neighborhood or church? What do you find challenging? 3) Pastor George said he doesn't think political ideologies are the answer to bringing diverse people together in the kind of harmony pictured by the Bible. Do you think he is right? Wrong? 4) Evolutionary biologists describe our tribal nature as a survival mechanism learned thousands of years ago. That's a tough trend to break! How can we live out a biblical vision that goes contrary to that? 5) The USA is the most diverse country in the world. It is an experiment in multi-cultural government and society. What role does the church in the USA have in leading our nation to a better understanding of one another? a) No role. b) only a spiritual role. c) as activists. d) through God changing hearts. e) Other. Explain your answer.

Small Group Questions 1) Where are you in the birth order growing up? 2) What was your family of origin like? What warm memory do you have of it? 3) Pastor George quoted a church leader who called church "corrective family." What do you think that means? Why do you think that can happen? 4) The power of God's transformation seems to center around God's unconditional acceptance of us. Is it hard for you to believe in that kind of love? 5) The spiritual power of this "corrective family" would appear to be in the church's ability to share and live out this unconditional love. What are ways you can live this out in your life? In our life together as a church?

Small Group Questions 1) When you were growing up, were kids your age with disabilities in your class? Why or why not? 2) Have you ever had, or have now, a visible disability? What was or is your experience with that? 3) Pastor George mentioned a time when he was uncomfortable around a person in a wheelchair. Have you ever felt uncomfortable around someone with a disability? Or avoided them? If so, where do you think that comes from inside of us that we feel uncomfortable? 4) Pastor Meghan said all of us are created out of the same ground in Genesis 2. All of us. What does it mean that we share "common ground" with those so different from us or appear in a body not like ours? Can you think of ways we can live out a faith that "sees" differently? 5) Are there barriers to the disabled in your place of work, or in your home? What can be done about that?

Small Group Questions 1) Growing up, did you play a sport, dance, do recreation (fish, camp, etc), or other way you used your body? 2) Some people divide the human person up as: Mind, Body, Soul...some add Spirit. Where do the emotions come into this? 3) What do you think really drives human behavior: reason, mind, or gut? 4) Can you describe a time when your "parts" were divided and out of alignment? What was that like? How did you get better? 5) Do you have a method that brings back together the divided parts of who you are in a prayerful way? Can you share it?

Small Group Questions 1) As a kid growing up, what messages did you receive from parents, school, or significant others about your future? For example, what you might be or do later in life? 2) Describe a time when you felt really directed -- you knew each day what you needed to do; and a time when you felt like a boat without a rudder. What did those two different times feel like? 3) The Bible says each one of us is gifted for a purpose. Are you able to share one or two gifts or attributes you have that serve a meaningful purpose? (e.g. I help people feel welcomed in our home as guests; I help organizations grow and thrive; etc.). 4) Pastor Lee says that the Christian story is about more than we are sinners who are forgiven by Christ ("the Fall and Redemption"). He says the story is about so much more especially that we are created with a purpose to participate with God in the renewing of creation. Wow! That seems lofty. Can you narrow that down to you -- what you are doing, or could imagine doing, to help bring about the renewing of your world? 5) Do you know one or more of the people in your group such that you can identify ways they seem to live out a divine purpose?

Small Group Questions 1)   Did you play war games as a child? 2)   Do you think war and aggression are just part of human life? 3)   The Apostle Paul seems to take our warring spirit and re-direct it, away from people, and to those things that are evil and hurtful. Do you agree with his strategy in using the war analogy in this way? What do you think Paul meant that we fight against principalities and powers in the heavenly realms"? 4)   Pastor George believes churches need to proclaim Jesus boldly because of the power of God to change lives that, in turn, can prevent bodily hurt and fight evil instead. How can churches do that? 5)   If you feel comfortable doing so, what is in your own heart (anger, jealousy, etc.) that needs to be addressed to bring peace to you and those you influence?

Small Group Questions 1)   When you were a kid, were you in a group you really liked (Scouts, youth group, group of friends, etc.)? What made it so enjoyable? 2)   Were you ever in a group as a kid or adult where you felt inclined to be someone you weren't? What made it that way and how did you feel about it? 3)   If A is rugged individualist and E is communal lover, what letter are you between A and E (e.g. C would be in the middle)? 4)   Churches are often filled with similar kinds of people though they may encourage all kinds to come – why do you think this is true? 5)   Describe an experience when a person different than you challenged you to think differently.

Small Group Questions 1)   In elementary school, were you more likely to be the bully or the one fighting/running away from the bully? 2)   Do you remember the names of any bullies in your school? 3)   Can you think of an experience where you saw someone else, or perhaps yourself, in an adult bullying situation such as at work or another context? 4)   What are the “tools” Christians have when faced with hostile environments? 5)   While the New Testament seems more often to talk about Christians being peacemakers, what are appropriate times for Christians to fight: physically, mentally, spiritually? How do or should Christians fight?

Small Group Questions 1) When you were a child, what kinds of name calling went on with other kids? As a youth, how were groups of kids identified (e.g. jocks, nerds, etc.). What group did you identify with? 2) Reflecting on question 1, why do you think we separate people into groups, or name-call people different from us? 3) What do you think it was like in Paul's day when Gentile Christians, who did not observe Jewish laws (e.g. washing, work rules, etc.), went to a church that was predominantly made up of Jewish Christians who did? 4) Pastor George suggests embracing people who are “different” is actually harder than we think, and he bases this partly on evolutionary trends (we inherently distrust the outsider). Do you think he's right? Is it really that difficult? 5) Jesus teaches us to expand our margins and see all people as children of God. Pastor George suggests really listening to people who are different is a way to respect these differences. What are other ways? What works for you to break down walls of hostility?

Small Group Questions 1) What is the most expensive or coolest thing you ever won? 2) What does religious pride look like? What does humble faith look like? 3) What are ways we could re-tell the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector in today's language? 4) Why do you think it is so hard for people to believe God's salvation is a free gift? 5) What does it look like to live lives of gratitude?

Small Group Questions 1) What kind of activity gives you a rush? (e.g. sports, concerts, etc.). 2) If feeling your faith is on one end of a spectrum and thinking about your faith is on the other end, where do you fall on the spectrum: toward feeling your faith, toward thinking about your faith, or in the middle? Would you say you are all the way over on one side? 3) Pastor George used the analogy of stepping out on ice to show you believe it will hold you up. Can you think of a biblical person who stepped out on faith? 4) Was there a time you stepped out and took a risk? What was that like? 5) In what way is God calling you to step now a little further out and trust?

Small Group Questions 1) Right now, is your life: a) busy; b) very busy; c) super busy; d) off the scale! 2) What one thing or activity brings rest and restoration to your mind, body, and soul? 3) Pastor George indicated the people were too busy with religion to see Jesus. Is there a way to be so religious you can't see Jesus? 4) What do you think it means that springs of living water will well up within us? What does that look like? 5) Moses was a liberator, Mohammed was a warrior, and Jesus is depicted as suffering and dying on a cross. Jesus seems out of place in this trio: a suffering God. Why do you think this difference is significant?

Small Group Questions 1) Did you play on sports teams or in the band, or a similar group when you were in school (at any age)? Describe. 2) Have you ever been on a team when everyone had a role or position to play except one person who seemed not to be able to contribute to the team? Has that ever been you? What do you think that would feel like? 3) The Bible says every one of us has a spiritual gift(s). Do you have any sense of what yours might be? 4) When Pastor George says his job is to coach and enable the gifts of the people of the church and not do ministry for the church, which of these is most true? a) He's trying to get out of work; b) Yeah, but we pay him and the staff to do our jobs for us! c) It's a nice idea but probably won't work. d) I'd love to see the staff enable the gifts of more people. 5) How long do you think Bill Belichick would last if he started as the quarterback at the next New England Patriots game? What is the point Pastor George is making

Small Group Questions 1) When you were young, did you have a crush on someone? 2) How would you say the marriage covenant and the covenant between God and us are similar? Different? 3) Sometimes the Church historically seems to have made romantic love feel wrong or bad. Why do you think? 4) Often, in a marriage covenant, romantic love goes down over time. In a best-case scenario, what replaces it? Do you think there is a parallel to this experience between people and our covenant with God? 5) What do you think Pastor George meant when he said, “When was the last time you went on a date with God and got reacquainted?”

Small Group Questions 1) Growing up, did you live by a body of water? Did you fish in it, swim, skim rocks, swing over it on a rope and drop in, or other? Describe it. 2) Not everyone grew up having those idyllic dreams Pastor George mentioned, and some didn't come to faith until later in life. For you, did you have an early idea of life as sweet and safe, or was it always a dangerous place? 3) It is said we often bring our beautiful selves to present to God, but not our ugliness. What does that mean and is it the best way to pray? 4) This message describes how God works through our wounds and vulnerabilities to receive and share new Life -- it seems to be a form of wisdom. Why can't wisdom like this be taught and thereby the wounds avoided? 5) What are practical ways we might become conduits of this Living Water to places around us?

Small Group Questions 1) What is the most refreshing water experience you ever had? (Examples: swimming in a lake, drinking from a spring, etc).  2) Describe the first church you ever attended. Was it a good experience? Did it help you grow in your faith? What was positive about it? Negative?  3) Have you ever done a mission trip or community service project or some way to benefit the community? What did you do? How did it make you feel?  4) Why do you imagine it is difficult (or not) for churches to engage in meaningful community-transforming (impactful) experiences? What would be the challenges and how could they be overcome?  5) Someone once said, “If you've done a mission trip for a few days, and did meaningful things that inspired you and made a difference in a community, then why not see your life every day as a mission trip?” What do you think this means? Would this be hard to do?

Small Group Questions based on John 4 1) What is your favorite restaurant? Describe why. What is your favorite meal there? 2) Pastor George suggests that Living Water is meaning and purpose in the Lord. Do you think that's true? What else, or in addition to this, could it be? 3) Pastor George hopes that the tasting of Living Water by the villagers resulted in changed behavior toward the Samaritan woman, including her in their new community. If we truly taste of the Living Water, how would our lives be different? Our church? [OK to send Pastor George your ideas to GeorgeC@Highrock.org]. 4) If the Israelites collected more manna than they needed, it turned to worms. What do you think the signs are of a church that keeps Living Water for itself only?

Small Group Questions 1) Describe the culture of the town or neighborhood you grew up in (e.g. farm town, etc.). 2) Did you grow up in a religious community? If so, did it reflect the culture you were a part of or was it more diverse? If more diverse, how do you think that happened? 3) Pastor George said he wondered if a church is racially diverse but the same culturally, does that make it inclusive? How so? How not so? 4) If different church cultures create defining walls as described in the podcast (through music, location, type of cars, etc.), is it possible for a church to become more “well-ish” and less “wall-ish”. If so, how? 5) Some say that white churches trying to diversify seem to do so on their own terms, and to make themselves feel better, but sincere engagement seems lacking. Reflect on this statement as a group. If your church is not a white church, how would you dialogue with a white church attempting to establish a relationship with yours? What would "authentic" engagement look like?

Small Group Questions 1) Who do you know whom you would call courageous? What did you observe to consider this person courageous? 2) Have you ever been in a meeting or a social gathering where you were arguing an unpopular viewpoint? What was that like? 3) What do you think the difference is between standing up courageously for what you believe, and being arrogant about your viewpoint? Is there a way to communicate your contrarian view without being superior to others or thinking they are ridiculous? 4) Why do you think Álvar Cabeza de Vaca was so successful at winning the hearts of the people of cultures that were so different from his? 5) Pastor Prashan said that Christianity grows when persecuted. Why do you think that's true?

Small Group Questions 1) How did one of these things change your life?            a) Moving to another town.            b) Getting married (or divorced).            c) Having Children            d) Leaving a job/Getting fired.            e) Other? 2) Have you ever tried to break a bad habit e.g. smoking? How did you do it? 3) Can you describe a person you know whose life was changed for the better? How did that happen? What learning can come from that? 4) Pastor George mentioned two ways we change, a slow process and a fast one. Is there a third? 5) Of the ways we are changed by the Spirit, which one do you see happening in your life most often?

Small Group Questions 1) What is the most fascinating place you've visited? Why was it so cool? 2) Can you think of an example of a religious community that is too narrow, or rules-oriented, or cold? What are the defining features of this religion? Why do you think some people prefer it? 3) What are the ingredients that make a faith community loving and united in Jesus yet free and diverse? How is that practically lived out? 4) Pastor George argues that it's ok to dislike some people in your religious community because you have the opportunity to learn to love them and manage the dislike for a greater good. But is that always right? Does conflict sometimes go too far? What does it look like when it does?

Small Group Questions 1) Which one of these were you as a child:            a) Sat at my desk and did my school work.            b) Could not sit still and sometimes didn't finish my school work.            c) Was often hanging from the rafters.            d) I would answer this question but I can't read it because I skipped out of school.  2) What were you successful at in high school? What gave you status there? (Ok to say “nothing, really”).  3) Have you ever heard someone in person or on TV who seemed to say that the offering was a way to buy God's favor? Do you think that works?  4) John Mury began his message with, “How much are you worth?” How much do you think God is worth?  5) If we really believed that all the wealth, status, and fame we need is in our identity as Child of God, what difference would it make in our lives? Do you think this is true? Sorta true?

Small-Group Questions 1) It is said that no matter who you are, you have power over others (or another person). Do you think that is true? 2) Do you prefer to lead or be led? Can you identify the kind of situations where you like to lead versus be led? 3) What are the characteristics of excellent leadership? And what are the characteristics of leadership that tend to be destructive? Feel free to share personal experiences with both. 4) Have you ever had an experience where you addressed wrongful leadership? How did you do that and how did it go? 5) What is God trying to teach you about leadership?

Small Group Questions 1) Do you have a black thumb or a green thumb? Have you ever tried to grow plants or vegetables? 2) What was the first job you ever did to make money? How did you do? 3) Money is valuable to us. Does it make you nervous when you are asked for money for a church or charity? 4) Are you more likely to give to a cause in the moment, when you see the need; or, in a planned out way? 5) What are other ways to be generous besides giving money? 6) Pastor George told a story about a generous farm couple. Do you have a story to tell about generosity?

Small Group Questions 1) Does the root of your name mean anything? Is your name a family name? Why were you named with that name? 2) Did you ever go through a time when you wondered what group you belonged to? (E.g. jocks in high school, etc.). 3) Describe an experience when you “crossed boundaries” to another group. How did that go? What did you learn from it? 4) How do you think Christians can be better at viewing the Kingdom of God as universal and not specific to one group? 5) Do you think the church does a good job of being in proximity with people who are different? What could the church do better about that?

Small Group Questions 1) Who are the people you love the most? How do you show it? 2) Do you think the power of the Holy Spirit is present today or was it just for biblical times? 3) Are you able to share a story about someone it was hard for you to love? How did you handle it? What worked, or didn't work, in trying to love that person? What did you learn from it? 4) Have you ever had a moment, in a daily exchange with someone, when the conversation went from the obvious (e.g. buying gum) to something deeper and personal? Do you have any suggestions for the group about how to be aware of these opportunities to show God's love?

Small Group Questions 1) What do you do with spare change? 2) On a scale of 1 = 5, how well do you accept change? 1 is you don't like change at all while 5 is you thrive on it. 3) Describe a major change in your life. What did it feel like? How did you cope? 4) Have you ever gone through a change in your church that made you feel uncomfortable? Or perhaps you felt better? (There is no right answer to this question!). 5) When it comes to a family, or business, or church: how do you think one can keep a balance between preserving traditional anchors that anchor you, while making changes to adjust to a changing culture?

Small Group Questions 1) What kind of environment did you grow up in? E.g. Urban, Farm, Suburban. How do you think it influenced you? 2) Were you ever in a situation you felt you needed to get out of quickly? 3) Were you ever in a situation you disliked, but you stayed in it? Why did you do that? What did you learn through that? 4) What do you think really changes people:            a) Listening to sermons            b) Learning about God and the Bible            d) A crisis            e) Stepping out in courage to live your faith in an unpopular way.            f) Other:            g) I don't think people ever really change. If you're comfortable doing so, describe your answer.

Small group questions: 1) Do you get depressed at Christmas time? Why do you think people do? 2) What myths and fantasies were told to you when you were young by your parents, and you now tell to your children, if you have them? 3) What do you think is that deep longing inside of us that yeans for Something magical and fantastic? 4) How is the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem like a Disney story…and unlike a Disney story? 5) What one thing do you think you should change about the way you celebrate Christmas?

Small Group Questions Based On Luke 2:8-20 1) Have you ever spent time on a farm or in a barn with farm animals? What was it like? Can you imagine sleeping or having a baby there? 2) Angels broke into the normal evening for these shepherds. Have you ever experienced something like that? An unusual premonition, or startling thought, or some way you felt heaven break into your everyday life? 3) It's easy to “rate” people based on their social stature. We all do it to a degree. Have you discovered any ways to try to keep from doing that? 4) In what ways do you think the church could do a better job of “leveling the playing field”? 5) When we die, we can't take it with us. What will be the basis for God letting you into heaven?