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Full Workbook A lost son returning home. A farmer First, we can’t be satisfied with sowing seeds. A traveler helping a surface-level relationships: we person in need. Jesus told stories must know people more deeply that, at first glance, seemed and love them more deeply, pretty straightforward and simple: investing time and energy into ordinary people performing truly purposeful connections. And familiar tasks. But below the secondly, in order to see genuine surface of each story are truths life transformation, we’ve got to of incredible importance. These dive deep into the foundational, stories are called parables: tales spiritual principles of these that use familiar examples to lead parables, applying them to our people’s minds toward spiritual everyday interactions. Only by concepts. They are earthly stories combining this spiritual depth with with heavenly meanings. relational depth can we make a lasting impact on the world. After his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus left us with One of the reasons Jesus taught in a seemingly simple task: Go and parables was mystery. (No, not the make disciples. But in order to do Scooby-Doo variety.) In Scripture, that, we have to go deeper, paying mystery refers to “heavenly close attention to two areas of life. truths concealed from human 2 understanding until they are made As we seek to influence our relational known through divine revelation.”1 world, let’s approach these stories From Daniel’s interpretation of the with fresh eyes, exploring below the king’s dream (Daniel 2:28-30) to surface to discover the profound Paul’s calling to make known “Christ wisdom that Jesus imparts. Only then in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians will we encounter His truth, experience 1:27), God reveals essential spiritual His grace, and embrace His mission. truths to “anyone who has ears to hear” (Luke 8:8). Neil Downey Pastor of Community Life The mystery that Jesus’ parables Fall 2020 reveal is the kingdom of God: His rule and reign in the hearts and lives of people. And that’s what He has called us to declare: Jesus is Lord and His love conquers all injustice, oppression, and evil. 3 This workbook is intended to help you encounter spiritual truth, engage with your oikos, and experience meaningful community. It contains group discussions, a daily devotional plan, and a place to keep sermon notes. This workbook is designed to be used by anyone but is intended to be used in the context of your LifeGroup. A LifeGroup is the best place for you to be cared for and challenged to deepen your faith in Jesus. Be sure to take time before your first meeting to familiarize yourself with this format so you can get a sense of the journey on which you are about to embark. OUTLINE OF EACH SESSION It can be easy for small groups to struggle with this very basic question: What do we do when we meet? That is why we've tried to provide more than enough content and questions for you. Inside this workbook you will find teaching, discussion questions, and even some verses to explore on your own during the week. 4 A typical group session for Below the Surface will include the following: SERMON NOTES Be sure to take this workbook to our weekly services to jot down notes from that week’s sermon. Your sermon notes will help add to the discussion in your weekly group experience. If you miss the weekend message, Central’s sermon archive is available online at centralsf.org/sermons and message podcasts are available on iTunes (centralsf.org/itunes) and Spotify (centralsf.org/spotify). CONNECT Our lives weren’t created to be lived in isolation. It’s essential that we connect with others as we follow God together. Relationships are built when we are around trustworthy people with whom we can be real and honest about life. It might be a while before you get to that level, but we encourage you to take the risk and share some of your story with the group. Ideally, everyone will share no more than a few minutes each. LAUNCH Read this section aloud to help set up the discussion portion of your time together. This short segment will help introduce the main concept you will be discussing that particular week. VIDEO & DISCUSSION In this section, you’ll read aloud relevant passages of Scripture, watch the video, and use the questions provided to discuss the topic. In this study, you’ll have an opportunity to go beyond Bible study and into biblical living, moving from observation and interpretation (the Explore section) to life application (the Apply section). Our hope is that you’ll be challenged to a deeper faith that makes a tangible difference in your life and, as a result, the lives of people in your relational world. 5 WEEKLY CHALLENGE At Central, we want to help you share the love of Jesus with your relational world. With that in mind, we’re giving you a new challenge each week, brought to you by our Outreach Pastor, Nathan Pruett. Based on the components of our Oikos Prayer Card, each weekly challenge will ask you to live out what you’re learning by taking an intentional action step, helping you effectively engage with the people God has placed in the front row of your life. QUESTION FOR REFLECTION If we want to see our lives actually changed by what we are learning, we need to chew on it throughout our week. We have developed a reflective question to help you do that. You might consider copying it on a sticky- note or keeping it as a daily reminder on your smartphone, so you can ponder that question, pray about it, and put it into action. PRAYER & PRAISE Life can be tough. Every week it’s important to spend around 10-15 minutes hearing about the things that are weighing on your hearts. Be sure to use the space provided to jot down your group’s prayer requests and praises so you can be praying throughout the week. "WE WANT TO HELP YOU SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS WITH YOUR RELATIONAL WORLD." THE DAILY During the week, these daily scriptures and questions will help you continue to solidify the truth of the study into your life. This provides you with a chance to begin building a personal devotional time by slowing down and reflecting on a small portion of scripture each day. Use the space provided to answer the devotional questions or write out prayers. We encourage you to take this opportunity to gain even more insight and confidence into how God can work in you and through you for His glory. 6 7 SERMON NOTES _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 8 ___________________________________________________________________________ MOTIVATION THE PARABLE OF THE TWO DEBTORS CONNECT Leader: If your group is new, make introductions (you may even want name tags for the first meeting). Allow each person to share: 1. What they do with most of their time (work, play, etc.) 2. How long they’ve been attending Central 3. What they are hoping to get from this LifeGroup experience Open your group with prayer. This should be a brief, simple prayer inviting God to be with you as you meet. LAUNCH Read the following excerpt from The Gospel-Centered Life: The starting point of the Christian life (conversion) comes when I first become aware of the gap between God’s holiness and my sinfulness. When I am converted, I trust and hope in Jesus, who has done what I could never do: He has bridged the gap between
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