MISSION 2014: Defying the Gravity of Normality

MISSION 2014: Defying the Gravity of Normality Study Questions for Small Group Fellowship – Part 1

Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-2; John 21:15-19 Recommended Background Reading: Xealots, by Dave Gibbons, pp. 9-29

1. In his powerful little book, Xealots (spelled with an X instead of a Z as an allusion to the Greek letter chi – X – an abbreviation for Christ), Dave Gibbons writes:

Can you hear it? A song is playing in your heart right now . . . It’s a hunch inside you. It whispers, “You weren’t meant for the ‘normal’ life’ . . . You were meant to live with a zealous, radical belief in the supernatural power of God. You were designed to unleash beauty. But the status quo induces a mesmerizing, trancelike state. People walk around distracted, captivated by the superficial, ignorant of what is real, of eternal value. You must take a stand when gravitational forces try pulling you down. (p. 10)

What “song” is playing in your heart right now? What kind of message are you hearing deep down in your soul? Circle one of the well-known songs below:

 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”  “Here Comes the Sun”  “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend”  “Is That All There Is?”  “This is My Father’s World”  “O What a Beautiful Morning”  “Comfortably Numb”  “How Can I Say Thanks”  ______(Other)

As you prepare to enter into 2014, what is weighing you down and discouraging you … and what is lifting you up and inspiring you? What are your fears and hopes?

2. Read Romans 12:1-2. In popular culture today (in books, movies, and television shows) there is a renewed fascination with Zombies (The Walking Dead, etc.). Many are comparing it to the deadness and mindlessness of our appetite-driven modern culture. The Zombie has become the icon of an age of self-indulgence in which nothing needs to be thought out or well considered but simply acted upon by impulse. The worst fate that can befall the victim of a zombie – far worse than being eaten – is to be turned into a zombie oneself. What seems at first like merely an external physical threat can get inside us, corrupt our humanity, and turn us into just another mindless, ravenous drone.

Dave Gibbons compares what we tend to call “Normality” to living like Zombies! If you are “normal,” he says, you do stuff because you feel like it; you sleepwalk through routines; you live for the weekend, you talk about your future and live in the past; you treat people as a means to accomplish your goals; you yearn for intimacy, but few people actually know you; you never have enough. “Little by little, we are hypnotized by the normal life. We become entangled by distractions. We swallow the illusions of decadence. We are spoon-fed, afraid to take risks … We find ourselves in a rut, eyes half open.” Compare this to the Spirit-filled lifestyle Paul describes in Romans 12:1-2: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.” Do you tend to live with eyes half open, or with your attention fully fixed on God? What are some of the specific challenges of “Normality” for you, and how is God challenging you to defy its downward pull?

3. After Christ’s resurrection, Peter and the Apostles tried to return to their “normal” way of life – simply fishing (rather than “fishing for men”). Read John 21:15-19. What specific mission does Jesus give Peter, and how might it empower him to defy the gravity of normality? What is your mission in life?

In John 21:18-19, Jesus totally redefines the meaning of “maturity.” Normally, we think that when we’re young, we have to do what other people tell us. Growing up means gaining more independence, what we call “freedom.” But Jesus turns such thinking upside down. According to this passage, what does true spiritual maturity look like?

How do you respond to this? According to this definition, how are you progressing towards maturity … and how are you still stuck in adolescence?

4. Three ways to help us defy the gravity of normality through the Holy Spirit’s power:  Practice living a life that is Countercultural (see Romans 12:1-2)  Practice living a life that is Counterintuitive (see Mark 10:41-45; Gal. 2:20)  Practice living a life that is Counterproductive (see Luke 10:38-42) Discuss with your group how you might specifically put one or all three of these actions into practice this week? Brainstorm a practical action-plan together, and then pray for one another that God will be glorified through each one of your lives.