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Unstoppable Final

Unstoppable | Week One

Unstoppable – Week One

 

Pastor Josh mentioned that the Church is meant to be an unstoppable force, both individually and collectively, based on Matthew 16:18. What does it mean for the Church to be an unstoppable force for God?

 

The sermon provides an overview of Acts, explaining the connections between the life of Christ, the establishment of the early church, and the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  What can we learn from the early Church as we strive to be unstoppable in our faith today?

 

Pastor Josh highlighted the event at Pentecost, which marked the beginning of the normative lifestyle of a Christian, characterized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the ability to proclaim the gospel with boldness. How does the Holy Spirit currently empower you in your life to be a witness for Jesus?

 

In Acts 3, Peter healing the lame beggar in the name of Jesus demonstrated the power and authority that Christ followers possess. The passage was emphasized to show the transformative power that Jesus has in the lives of believers. How can we shift our perspective from a mindset of earthly lack to kingdom abundance and pray boldly for miracles and healing?

 

Pastor Josh encouraged believers to spend time with Jesus, meditate on his teachings, and strive to be known as people who have been with Jesus, like the early disciples. Why is it important to spend time with Jesus and be known as people who have been with Him? And what practical steps can you take to strengthen your relationship with Jesus and invite His transformative power into your life?

 

Unstoppable Final

Unstoppable | Group Resources

Unstoppable | Group Resources

Easter smaller

Easter at Lakeland

Easter 2024 DG

Pastor Josh pointed out how the encounters Jesus had with Mary Magdalene, the disciples, and others on the first Easter marked them and set them on a mission. We saw a video of Jeremy Southgate sharing how he encountered God one Sunday sitting in the auditorium. Can you share an encounter with Jesus that has had a significant impact on your life?

***For Leaders – Answers will vary.

 

 

Pastor Josh referred to Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians and explained that experiential knowledge of God’s love is available to all believers. How can we experience the love of Christ that surpasses intellectual knowledge?

***For Leaders – Pastor Josh gave the example of skydiving. You can know about skydiving in your head, but it’s another thing to “know” skydiving by experiencing it. For the Christ follower, it all begins with a daily commitment to meet Jesus in daily devotions and prayer so we know Jesus on a personal level. That can look different between people as some meet the Lord in the morning and others at other times of the day. Bottom line is to be as consistent as possible because that is the hallmark of a growing believer in Christ.

 

 

 

Pastor Amstutz shared the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and scriptures like John 6:44 and John 12:32, which speak of God drawing people to Himself. What are some ways that encountering God might stir a desire in individuals to seek Him?

***For Leaders – Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, it is important to stay in step with Jesus as he speaks to us. We can’t walk physically walk side by side with Jesus on the road, but his Spirit resides in us and is regularly speaking to us. So often we make growth too complicated in our own minds. What we need most is to stop and spend time listening to Jesus in the quiet of our devotions and then journal what we believe he is saying to us. Start writing when you get just few words and you’ll find the rest will flow quickly. Jesus promised us rivers of living water will flow from our hearts and often the best way to open the valve is with a pen or a laptop while we journal.

 

 

 

 

Pastor Josh said there is no way that 11 of the 12 apostles would have died for a lie. So reflecting on the martyrdom of the apostles for their faith, how does such unwavering commitment challenge you?

***For Leaders – Reflecting on the extreme sacrifices made by the apostles, and their willingness to endure persecution and death for their beliefs challenges us to consider the depth of our own faith and commitment. Ultimately, we are inspired to deepen our own personal relationship with Jesus and to stand firm in our beliefs, even in the face of adversity. The apostles’ sacrifices serve as a powerful reminder for us that the transformative power of encountering Christ resides in us and we must walk in it.

 

 

Easter smaller

Easter at Lakeland | Group Resources

Easter at Lakeland | Group Resources

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

War Within – Week 5

 

1. How did the story of the successful businessman illustrate the destructive power of bitterness and unforgiveness in one’s life?

2. Reflecting on the biblical passages mentioned, what insights did you gain about the nature of forgiveness and its importance in our relationships with others and with God?

3. Discuss the practical steps outlined in the sermon for choosing to forgive. How do you think these steps can be applied in real-life situations?

4. What distinctions were made between bitterness and unforgiveness in the sermon? How can recognizing these differences help us address and overcome these issues in our own lives?

5. According to the sermon, why is confession and repentance essential in dealing with bitterness? How can we support one another in the process of healing and forgiveness?

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday | Group Resources

Palm Sunday | Group Resources

The War Within (Presentation)

The War Within | Week One

Week 1 

The War Within 

All actions in life begin with a decision in the mind before it becomes a physical reality. 

If we are yearning to experience the transformation in our lives that Jesus is offering, it can only happen by addressing what we believe in comparison to what scripture says.   

 

Our “why” is our motivator to experience the change we are after. 

In Romans 12:1, Paul exhorts us to have a right understanding of the mercy that has been lavished upon us.  God’s mercy and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross are our “why”. 

 

Often, we will have an unbalanced view of ourselves and our sin, even when it comes to the mercy God has given and continues to give us.   

Some of us may say “there is not enough mercy to cover the wretchedness of who I am and what I’ve done” while others may believe that “I wasn’t really that far off track, and my sin hasn’t had that much of a damaging effect”.  We must look to the Word of God for our only source of truth.   

 

  • Give an example of a thought pattern or behavior pattern that God has delivered you from and how believing what God’s word says has propelled you do something that you had previously not thought possible. 

 

  • If you’ve been born of the spirit, (you’ve made the declaration to renounce your sinful ways, received the gift of life by way of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and have made a conscious decision to follow the way of Jesus as Lord), explain how God’s mercy has been on display in your life.   

 

Once we know our “why”, our next step is our “what”.  Paul said in Romans, our “what” becomes a life that is “freely given as a living sacrifice to God.”  

 

We may look at what we may be giving up living a life that follows the way of Jesus, however, as Pastor Josh explained, these sacrifices produce results where we find ourselves not lacking but gaining.   

 

A large part of living our lives unto the Lord means being able to differentiate between the things of this world, and the things of God’s Kingdom.   

This is where needing a new map comes into play.  Our map is the Bible and discipleship relationships. 

 

 

In home renovations, the cheapest and quickest results come by way of layering.   

Putting new flooring on top of the old flooring, new siding over old siding, or painting over a wall covering.  These are most times quick fixes that can never allow the new product to operate as it’s intended due to the inadequate foundation it’s placed on. 

 

“we have to be willing to tear down each piece of drywall and each 2×4 that is rotten…and everything that is attached to my old self”-Josh Amstutz 

 

  • Thinking in terms of a home renovation, is there a belief that you’ve been trying to justify, that may need to be completely removed from it’s structure?   

(use the comparison chart presented, to help assist) 

 

Lie:  Where’s my struggle? Truth: What’s God’s perspective? 

 

Identity: What do I believe that feeds Identity:  What does God’s word say? 

this lie? 

 

Behavior:  What behaviors do I do that Behavior:  What behaviors must I change to  

Feed this lie? find freedom in this? 

 

 

  • Has God been asking you to dive into a deeper discipleship relationship with someone to either be a discipler or to grow deeper by being discipled? 

 

                 “God’s truth is tangible and everlasting, while a lie is a mere tainted version of it”.  

The War Within (Presentation)

The War Within | Group Resources

The War Within | Group Resources

In God We Trust - Title Slide3

In God We Trust | Week One

In God We Trust – Week One DG

 

Would you consider yourself as someone who’s strong political opinions puts you in political conversations? Being honest, how much influence have you had in those conversations? Have people ever told you that they voted differently because of conversations with you?

 

***For Leaders – answers will vary.

 

 

 

Have you found yourself looking at this coming election with the mindset, “We are going to be in an irreversible decline if my political party doesn’t get elected.” What were some things going on in your mind to give you that perspective?

 

***For Leaders – Answers will vary. Overall, when we get into the mindset of doom or gloom then we have to be honest with ourselves that we are trusting in man’s role in government more than the Lord. It’s humbling to realize that we don’t rely on God from a national perspective as much as we think. We can suddenly find ourselves banking on government more than God.

 

Follow up question: Being honest, have you had the “irreversible decline” mentality with an election in the past? If you could go back in time after hearing today’s sermon, what would you say to yourself?

 

***For Leaders – The reality is every election feels like a slippery slope, but it’s not in the end. God is still in control.

 

How should Proverbs 21:1 influence our perspective on elections in the future?

 

Take time to share your biggest takeaways from today’s message if they have not been discussed yet in the Group.

In God We Trust - Title Slide3

In God We Trust | Group Resources

In God We Trust | Group Resources

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