Jacob's Well

Sunday, May 31, 2015

As You Go: Your Story

May 30/31, 2015

READ Acts 26:12-29
Saul turned Paul has one of the most powerful stories in the Bible.

What are the points of Paul's story that you find most compelling?
Do you feel that you need to be speaking to kings to make a difference?
Would you agree or disagree that through the lens of Paul's transformation, there's hope for all of us to become more like Jesus as we go?

SHARE with each other a story from the Bible that means a lot to you. What is it about this story that touches you? What have you learned as you've spent time contemplating this story? What makes you passionate about it?

What about your story? How does that fit into God's story? Can you define your story and explain it simply? Maybe it's time to come to know your own story. CHECK out the next steps below for some ideas. HELP each other fine tune your stories.

What about other people's stories? How do their stories intersect with your story and with God's story? Often, the best way to share our story with others is to listen first to their story. Are you intentional about building relationships and getting to know a person? Do you seek to LISTEN and ASK good questions to clarify and draw out a person's story?

How do you LIVE OUT your story as a way of sharing with others? Are you aware of those people God places in your life each day who need to see Jesus?

SPEND TIME with your small group sharing your story.
SHARE with your group how your story has intersected with another person's story. CELEBRATE those moments God has brought you together for His purposes.
MAKE A LIST of people in your lives who need to hear God's story. TAKE this list with you this week to continue praying for people as they journey.
PRAY Colossians 4:2-6 together.
PRAY for opportunities to share with others.

As You Go: The Power of Story

May 23/24, 2015

READ Matthew 5:13-16
What do these verses say about how we should go about living our lives? What does that mean to you?

Have you ever thought deeply about what it means to be salt and light? Have you ever gone long periods of time without salt or light? It's hard to imagine because we have such easy access to both. Historically, salt and oil for light have been used as currency. That's how valuable they were to people. TALK about the correlation of our value to God and to others as it relates to salt and light.

So how do we go? How do we share the power of God's story? Do you have a clear picture of God's story? Have you stepped into God's story? The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith gives a great picture of who God is if you want to dive deeper into that topic. EXPLAIN the difference between sharing a story and sharing facts. Why is there more power in the story?

Let's LOOK at some other stories. REFLECT on each character, how they come to Jesus, how Jesus responds, and the power of the story as they go. DISCUSS in your small group.

READ Matthew 8:5-13 - a man with power and authority
READ Mark 1:40-45 - a man riddled with disease and shunned
READ Luke 19:1-10 - a greedy man

So what's the power of your story? in light of God's story? intermingled with the stories of everyone in your small group? How does God work them all together for His good?

SPEND some time praying together as a group thanking God for the beauty and power of His story. CELEBRATE your stories together. PRAY for His hand in the continuation of your stories that you may be salt and light in a dull and dark world.

As You Go: A Fresh Look at SHARE

May 16/17, 2015

READ Matthew 28:16-20
What does evangelism mean to you? What does Jacob's Well mean by SHARE? What do you think of when you hear the term "The Great Commission?" We all have a preconceived notion of these meanings. Please CHAT with your small group about what these words mean to you and where those ideas came from.

* * * * *

At Jacob's Well, we are always talking about the commitments of WORSHIP, BELONG, GROW, SERVE, and SHARE. Many of us can admit that SHARE is often the commitment we let slide most often. It's just the easiest. When someone asks you if you're in a small group or your serving, it's a yes or no answer. Not too many people ask if you're sharing God's story with others. There's very little accountability with that commitment. It doesn't mean we're not sharing, but it's probably not as frequent as when we serve or get together with others.

So what does the Bible teach about living out the Great Commission? GO OVER each of these items with your small group. Why is each item important?

It begins with worship - v.17
Doubters welcomed - v. 17
Jesus gives the authority - v.18
Do it as you go - v.19
Make disciples - v. 19
Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - v. 19
Teaching them to observe all I commanded - v. 20
I am with you until the end of the age - v. 20

What surprises you about these verses that you never noticed before? What makes you uncomfortable? How do these verses change your idea about the Great Commission?

* * * * *

ASK yourselves these questions in your group. What does it mean to call people to a faith relationship in Jesus? Pastor Paul spoke over the weekend about being called to boldness and intentionality. What is your current idea of bold and intentional? Does that fit your personality? What if bold and intentional can also look like friendly and inviting? What if it's less like a cold call and more like a relationship?

REREAD Matthew 28:16-20 with fresh eyes. PRAY for God to prepare your heart for His next steps for your life. PRAY for wisdom and courage as you go. PRAY for those you know who need Jesus.

A New Name

May 9/10, 2015

READ Luke 8:1-3
What was Mary Magdalene like before she found Jesus? Scripture says she was possessed by seven demons, but let's imagine what that would look like. DISCUSS with your group:

What would her behavior maybe have been like?
How did she speak?
How did she dress?
To whom did she relate with?
What would her attitude have been like?

It's important to understand what she was like before she met Jesus to understand how great her transformation was after she began to follow Him. Jesus was someone, maybe even the first person, who valued her and allowed her to Be-loved. He spoke to her, looked her in the eye, found the best in her so that she could find the best in herself. He forgave her, and she could let go of her past. There was nothing she could do to make Him love her more. There was nothing she could do to make Him love her less. Beloved.

READ John 19:25
We can see in this one verse that Mary Magdelene didn't just follow Jesus, but she followed Him right up to the cross. Many of His disciples didn't even make it that far. We can sense her desperation in this verse. Women in this day and location didn't have rights. They depended on parents or a spouse to take care of them. She not only didn't have family or a marriage to fall back on, she had a questionable background that would have kept her at a distance from most people. Jesus had given her hope to rise above all of those limitations, and now He was gone. She didn't want to go back to who she used to be, but she didn't know how to go forward without Jesus.

Have you ever felt that alone?
Have you ever been that desperate?

READ John 20:1-16
And so Mary Magdelene was out walking to the tomb in the dark of the night. Had she slept at all in the past couple of days? How great was her despair? What drew her to the tomb of Jesus? What questions were going through her mind as she came upon the open tomb? Could the others help find the body of Jesus? And then, when the others simply gave up and went home, the layers of despair were overwhelming and she began to weep.

Many of us have been in this place of being overwhelmed. THINK back on a time when life brought more than your coping skills could handle. SHARE with your group how you got to that place and how you were feeling.

* * * * *

And then He called her name. IMAGINE the shock and wonder and joy that she would have felt all at once. It's no wonder the first thing Jesus said to her was, "Do not cling to me." In other words, "I'm here but I'm not staying long." Instead, He gave her an errand. He sends her off to bring hope to others.

Mary had hope again. She was still beloved. She didn't have all the answers, but Jesus still loved her. He was still alive, and she was still dear to Him.

Do you feel this way too? Do you have the sense that you're dear to Christ?
Do you feel that you have to earn His love?
Do you feel that you can lose His love by doing or saying the wrong thing?
Do you stop during the day to sense His love for you?

TALK with your group about where you're at on your journey. Is there someone in your group who needs to know that they are beloved? Precious? Cherished?

TAKE a moment to pray together as a group. SIT for a moment. TAKE a deep breath. LISTEN for His voice. THANK Him for His love and His presence. FEEL His love for you. You are beloved!

* * * * *

By giving her the new name Beloved, Jesus filled Mary Magdelene with joy and hope and sent her off to share it. We're called to do the same. When we're empty, we don't have any hope to share. REMEMBER to continue coming back to the presence of Jesus to be renewed. SEEK Him. READ His word. FEED your soul.

The Consequences of Ideas: The Church and LGBT

May 2/3, 2015

READ Ephesians 4:1-2

PRAY as a group to that God's love and truth will co-exist in us and in the church. Together, may we speak truth in love with gentleness and with all humility.

Take Time to Discuss:

Many say the discussion about LGBT is a simple issue is this true? What are some of the aspects of this topic that makes it so difficult?

Embracing an attitude of humility will help in dealing with people with same sex attraction and gender confusion, especially if these are issues with which we have never personally struggled. What questions in regard to these issues do you have?

Do you know people who are LGBT? How has this impacted your relationship with them?

Do you think it is possible to be in a relationship with a person who is LGBT even if you believe that LGBT behaviors are outside God’s will?

Would you be willing to walk with people who are struggling with same sex attraction or gender confusion?

READ Romans 1:24-2:1

How does Paul use this passage of Scripture to show that we all are in danger of God’s judgment and need his mercy and forgiveness? Notice how he uses the words “They” and “You.”

What would you say to the claims “Christians are judgmental” or “Christians put homosexual sin in a special sin category?”

How has your use of humor about LGBT behaviors or even outright bullying added to the perceptions that "Christians hate gays?" What needs to change in you for God to use you to be a friend to someone struggling with gender confusion or same sex attraction?

READ James 1:19; Jude 1:3-4

Many Christians are reacting to the LGBT debate by becoming afraid or getting angry. Others are giving in to the pressure of popular culture and endorsing LGBT lifestyles and gay weddings. What is your natural tendency to react regarding the LGBT issue?

How should Christians respond to the aggressive LGBT lobby?

READ 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

What would it look like for our church to respond to those struggling with same sex attraction and gender confusion with love?

How does the Jacob’s Well Vision guide us as a church as we seek to minister to people with complicated life situations like same sex attraction and gender confusion?

Wherever we are on our journey,

we will take steps together

to know and become like Jesus.

SPEND some time with your group discussing things you've learned over the past few weeks. What has God revealed to you about your own life? How has your heart changed about marriage and sexuality and the LGBT community? What's your next step?

Bonus: Watch the short Film called The Third Way: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church. http://brandonvogt.com/third-way-homosexuality-catholic-church/ We should be clear that we are not endorsing the Catholic church and its doctrine but this short video does a good job showing the struggle many face with same sex attraction and the healing that is possible. The people in this video found healing in Jesus through the Catholic Church. What would it take for people to experience this type of healing at Jacob’s Well?

Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Consequences of Ideas: The Christian and Sexuality

April 25/26, 2015

The Christian Covenant of Marriage

We believe the Christian covenant of marriage by which one man and one woman establish a lifetime partnership for the protection and well-being of the spouses and the procreation and bringing up of offspring is to be honored as holy. This covenant should only be entered into by two professing followers of Jesus Christ. This is a binding covenant between the man, the woman and God.

Jacob’s Well Church believes that the Bible mandates that sexual activity is to be enjoyed exclusively between a man and a woman that have been joined together in holy matrimony. All other sexual activity violates the Biblical standard for Christians.

This covenant may only be broken in the extreme cases of marital infidelity, abuse or abandonment.

There's a lot to talk about in this declaration. It can be a very passionate topic for many of us as we try to balance our belief in God's word with loving people. What are your beliefs about marriage and sexuality, and where have those ideas come from?

READ Matthew 5:27-30
Jesus uses hyperbole in these verses to make the point that sexuality is powerful. It often begins with a look or a touch, and our lustful imaginations are set into motion. Unless we guard our minds from these thoughts, the power of our sexuality and our imaginations can quickly take us down a road of pain and heartache. Our ideas begin to take action, and our actions can have devastating consequences. If you're open to sharing with your group, how have you seen this concept play out in your life or the lives of those around you (without naming names)?

Paul spoke this past weekend on a few points. One by one, DISCUSS with your group what these mean.

Our culture is broken in regards to sexuality.
You and I are all born broken in regards to sexuality.
Sexuality is powerful and needs the safety of marriage.
We need to rediscover the purposes of sex.

1. Establishing, renewing, and deepening of the covenant of marriage
2. Reunion of the separate complementary genders
3. Creation of children within the safety of family

READ 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

"And such were some of you." Yep, you and me. Many of us have practiced sexuality outside the covenant of marriage or outside the scope of God's intentions. But more than that, this passage includes other ways that we may have sinned in our past, or maybe even our present. Do you idolize something or someone? "Thieves, the greedy, and swindlers" can refer to the lust for money. "Drunkards" speaks for itself. "Revilers" or "slanderers" (depending on your version of Scripture) refer to those who speak abusively. "And such were some of you."

And then there's this beautiful word, "but."

"But" means it's not the end of your story.

"But you were washed."

"But you were sanctified."

"But you were justified."

All under the new covenant of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Have you accepted that gift of life yet? Have you faced your past with God's guidance? Have you been forgiven yet? What a glorious freedom there is in choosing to follow Jesus, to know Him, to become like Him, to be washed and sanctified and justified. God may be calling you to this take this step on your journey. If so, reach out to those in your small group and ask them to walk alongside you. Let them help you heal.

Christ's healing is for all believers to become chaste

LOOK up the word chaste and TALK about it as a group. Many of us have preconceived notions of this word. What does it mean to you? What does it mean for God's children to live a chaste life in today's culture? How difficult does our culture make living a chaste life? How does Christ's healing help us live chaste, and how does His healing heal us?

GO DEEPER

If you have time and are interested, READ Hebrews 11. NOTE those people from the Old Testament who were sexually immoral. This may require looking up a few of their stories for reference.

And yet, after failing to live within God's plan for marriage, they made a choice to change direction and live a chaste life. "These all were commended for their faith." (v. 39a) You and I can choose every day, through thick and thin, to live within God's guidelines of sexuality. Then, when all is said and done, we can be "commended for our faith" too.

The Consequences of Ideas: The Christian Covenant of Marriage

April 18/19, 2015

Recapping last week:

ideas > beliefs > actions > consequences

As Christians we define right and wrong based on

the nature and character of God

as revealed in Jesus Christ

as described in the Bible

READ John 4:1-42

You may know Jacob's Well is named after this story. Jesus meets this woman where she's at and offers her life like she's never known it before. That's who we want to be...people who journey together to know and become like Jesus. It's a great story to remember that people have been living outside God's idea of marriage for centuries. This is nothing new. It's also a great example of the consequences of living outside of God's best for us and how God can always redeem less than ideal circumstances.

We recognize that everyone comes with different perspectives on marriage. We want to be sensitive to the fact that each person has their own story. Some people are in great marriages, some marriages struggle, and some have lost a spouse they loved dearly. Some are single and happy, some are single longing to be married, and some are single knowing that they're "window of opportunity" has closed. Some are students who want to be married someday, but it's so far off it's hard to comprehend. Some are divorced, maybe not of their own choice, having to make sense of it all.

Take a few minutes to CHAT with each other about your past thoughts on marriage. Then let's look at scripture.

READ Matthew 19:1-6
where did you get that idea?
In our culture, marriage is often seen as a contract to be entered into or dissolved at will. There's an expectation that's developed over the years that our spouse is meant to "complete" us, as a famous movie quote states. We've lost the sense that marriage is a sacred spiritual covenant, where two become one and should not be separated.

the purpose of family...

to reflect the nature and glory of God

and thus…

create a foundation for society

create a safe place for a man and a woman to compliment one another

create a safe place to raise children

Do you agree or disagree with this statement in light of the scripture given? Is this statement on the purpose of family different than what you've sometimes thought about marriage?
If you're familiar with the Old Testament, how does the formation of the people of Israel parallel this statement on the purpose of family?
Notice in this scripture that people are looking for rules to justify doing what they want. Jesus' replies essentially saying, "That's not what God intended for your life. He has a better plan. He made a different rule for you." What are your thoughts to Jesus' response? DISCUSS this underlying idea of marriage as God intended.

READ Matthew 19:7-9

but that’s socially backwards

If some of us are honest, we'll admit this is a great question. Moses is this great leader, so why is he telling people to get divorced? What gives? There's so much of scripture that we read and don't understand. Don't we all have questions? Thankfully, Jesus gets to the point and helps us see that our hearts are at the center of our relationships with God and with each other.

How do we keep our hearts from getting hard even through all the difficult circumstances that we encounter?
"But it was not this way from the beginning." How does going back to the beginning, before sin entered the world, help us understand how God intends our marriages to play out? Would it be safe to say that there's a spiritual, emotional, and physical intimacy that binds a man and woman together allowing them to love one another through all sorts of circumstances? How does a hard heart make life more difficult?

READ Matthew 19:10-12

are you serious?

Jesus is calling some people to being single, whether by circumstance or choice. What's beautiful about this passage is that he doesn't force it on people. "The one who can accept this should accept it." Although being single can sometimes be lonely, companionship and meaning can still be found in friendships and serving for God's purposes. Those who are single can serve others in special ways that those who are married aren't able to accomplish. The apostle Paul is the perfect example. If he would have had a family to support and look after, he wouldn't have traveled and reached as many people with the Gospel. Being jailed for his faith was easier to do without providing for a family. Focusing on all of the churches he had spent time in wouldn't have happened if he would have had to focus on a family. Jesus tells us in this passage that the calling to be single has to come from a greater vision for God's Kingdom.

Have you ever thought about singleness is this way?
We all have a story of being single, even if it was from only from our high school years. What was your experience?
Can you think of other circumstances where being single rather than married could benefit the Kingdom? How so?

* * * * *

So what do we take away from all this? What's our next step? How can we improve our marriage ... prepare for marriage ... heal from a broken marriage? If we're living outside God's idea of marriage, how can we get back in line with His vision? How can we encourage each other? How can we pray for one another and for our families? TALK over some ideas with your small group. WRITE down prayers for one another and ways to take steps this week.

next steps

worship
PRAY for people this week, for those that come to mind. THANK God for these people, and PRAY for their growth in being single, married, or divorced. ASK God to heal what needs healing and show His love in meaningful ways.

belong
Summer softball teams are now forming, both co-ed and men's teams. Call Tony Engedal at 715.559.9548 or email him at tony@jacobswellec.org to find more info about spring practice and summer games.

grow

Check out the @home Center at JW for resources on being single, preparing for marriage, improving your marriage, or recovering from divorce. These resources are available for sale or to check out.

serve

Mother's Day is around the corner. We'll have six services again, and JW Kids will need a few more people to help that weekend. If your small group is willing to step into that role, we would love to have you join us for a little fun and laughter. Maybe childcare isn't something that fits your group, but you're willing to greet or make coffee or serve in some other way. Let us know and we can find a place for you. office@jacobswellec.org

Know someone who's loves technology? Invite them to serve on the JW Tech Team as a camera or media operator or sound tech. Contact Syd at 715.833.2050 or syd@jacobswellec.org.

share

Builders for Christ summer work trips are coming up soon. If this is something you’re interested in, there’s a planning meeting Saturday, April 25 in the Prayer Room at JW from 4-5pm. Email Rick Podolak at rpodolak@prodigy.net as soon as possible with any questions you may have. In the subject line write "interested in BFC."

Jacob's Well

Sunday, May 31, 2015

As You Go: Your Story

Sunday, May 24, 2015

As You Go: The Power of Story

Sunday, May 17, 2015

As You Go: A Fresh Look at SHARE

Sunday, May 10, 2015

A New Name

Sunday, May 3, 2015

The Consequences of Ideas: The Church and LGBT

Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Consequences of Ideas: The Christian and Sexuality

Sunday, April 19, 2015

The Consequences of Ideas: The Christian Covenant of Marriage

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