Ordinary People, Extraordinary God – Week 5 2. You don’t have to stay where you are John the Baptist 2 Peter 3:9, John 1:29 Teaching Notes The Process Of Repentance:
• Honesty with yourself Hebrews 12:1 • Humility before God Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge • Tangible change crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the 3. Lasting change is only possible with Jesus race God has set before us. John 14:6, John 3:1-5
Mark 3:1-6 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the Small Group Discussion Guide kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his Overview waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole Jonah is a unique prophet in the Old Testament whom region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were God used in an extraordinary way to teach us about baptized by him in the Jordan River. rebellion and repentance.
Truths from John the Baptist Opening Question 1. You’re not as good as you think you are. In what areas are you rebellious? Romans 5:12, Romans 8:22
Read & Discuss might we respond when we experience the consequences resulting from the disobedient choices 1. Read Jonah 1:1, Psalm 119:105 of those who are closest to us?
Discuss The Scriptures emphasize that when God Discuss Given what we know about history, the speaks, we need to listen and obey. Share an culture, and norms for those times, we know that experience when you knew the Lord spoke to you Jesus broke a barrier that would have typically personally and instructed you to do something separated Him and the Samaritan Woman. What specifically. barriers prevent you from sharing God’s truth with others? Discuss What gets in the way of you hearing God?
3. Read Jonah 1:15-17, 2 Peter 3:9 2. Read Jonah 1:2-5, Psalm 107:17 Discuss These Scriptures illustrate God’s love and Discuss Jonah heard the Lord but did not obey. patience with us. We’ve all messed up, yet God is Think about a time when you heard from the Lord there waiting to forgive us and welcome us back. and you did the opposite, you obeyed and followed How has God shown patience with you in your sin? His instruction. How did he provide or bless you through your actions of obedience? Discuss Share an example of when God used your mistake or poor choice for good. Discuss Disobeying God or not following His directions always causes turmoil for us and often Discuss Which aspects of the story of Jonah those around us. Share a time when you knew what encourage you to trust God in a greater way? God was saying to you, yet you chose to go your own way. What were the consequences of that rebellious For Further Study choice, and how did your disobedience affect those around you? Read
Discuss Jonah’s disobedience and resulting Book of Jonah consequences affected more than just himself as he attempted to escape the Lord’s instruction. How