Devotion and Small Group Discussion Guide 1 40 Days with Jesus is a series that will explore the way Jesus saw the world and reacted to it. Each daily reading begins with a verse of Jesus’ very words and is followed by a short devotional reading illustrating each passage. Also, included in this devotional are optional small group study guides that are based on the previous Sunday’s sermon. At the end of the devotional, we have included a list of local community ministry opportunities. The hope is that you and your group will choose one or more of these opportunities and help reach the goal of showing Jesus’ love to 40,000 people in 40 days. Thank you for walking with Jesus for 40 days! 2 3 40 DAYS WITH JESUS Devotions WEEK ONE ‐ Luke 4:18‐19 Day 1 ...He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives. Luke 4:18 I remember the day my toddler accidently locked himself in the bathroom. He had no idea how to get out and immediately began to cry for help. It took me less than five minutes to find the key and free him, but the relief I felt at having him once again safe in my arms was enormous. I held him, saying over and over, “You’re safe, I’ve got you.” Can you imagine the joy in Heaven the day Jesus spoke these words? Day 2 ...friend, your sins have been forgiven you. Luke 5:20 I’d been sick and without thinking, I’d made a mistake and said something I shouldn’t have. The thought of how this would hurt my friend overshadowed the nasty virus my body was fighting. The weight of those ill‐timed words sat in the pit of my stomach like a stone. It took me all day to work up the courage to confess my mistake to my friend. When I did, the assurance of his forgiveness and continued friendship came almost immediately. With it came release and the realization that the illness of sin far outweighed any physical infirmity I could ever have. 4 Day 3 To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God... Mark 4:11 It used to always make me uncomfortable when someone asked me a question about God or the Bible. I never felt like I was qualified to answer. But time and time again I’d find myself in this situation and I’d say a quick prayer in my heart for wisdom and answer their question. Inevitably the answer would be the one the questioner sought. Now, when asked about God or the Bible I realize I don’t have to be qualified because the Spirit of God dwells inside me and already knows what must be said. Day 4 ...it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Matthew 9:12 I was checking my list of Twitter followers and came across three new ones with suggestive pictures and foul language in their descriptive tags. I knew their comments wouldn’t show up in my Twitter feed, but anyone who looked at my list of followers could see them. Because of that, I blocked them from following me. But after my action I stopped. As followers, their comments would never show up on my Twitter feed, but they could read what I and other believers posted. With this verse firmly in my mind, I went back and unblocked them. My Twitter feed might provide their only access to God and I definitely didn’t want to get in the way of that. It made me wonder, are there other times I block people from seeing God in me? 5 Day 5 ...and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John 8:32 Doubt continually plagued my father, making him argumentative and cranky. He couldn’t understand anything about my faith, especially how I could be so certain I’d end up in Heaven. For years I prayed, talked and explained, all with no result. His college professor background wouldn’t let him believe it was that easy. Then the dementia set in. As his mind deteriorated, his heart grew more and more open to hearing about God. Finally the day came when he prayed and turned his life over to Jesus. With that came a profound sense of peace and an end to the struggle. He didn’t have to understand everything, he knew and now he was free. Notes: 6 Small Group Discussion Guide Week 1 “Set Free” ‐ Luke 4:18‐19 Big Idea—Jesus’ trophies are souls set free Key Truths in this session – repentance, fellowship Intro We all love receiving accolades for our achievements. Our trophy racks are dotted with life’s accomplishments. We enjoy them because they represent success that we have experienced. There is nothing wrong with achievement and recognition of those achievements. It’s what we measure our success by. Jesus had a measurement. For Him, it was souls set free. He counted those as His highest achievement. If it matters to Jesus, it should matter to us. Warm Up • What is the success or achievement that you are most proud of? • If you have time, ask each group member to write down the success on a 3x5 card, collect them, and see if the group can guess to whom it belongs. • Why do we assign value to things that are not eternally significant? Discussion Select one or more of the following questions to discuss in your group time. 1. Read Luke 4:16‐20. 7 2. Was it out of the ordinary for Jesus to teach in the synagogue? What made this such a significant event? 3. Verses 18 and 19 attach certain qualities and characteristics to Christ. List these qualities and discuss which of these may have been the most difficult for the religious leaders to acquiesce to. 4. Jesus says of Himself here that He was “anointed” and “sent” to do these things. Would you say that these things sum up Jesus’ purpose on earth? Would you add anything else to this list if it is not exhaustive? Why? 5. After Jesus finished reading, it said that every eye in the synagogue was “fastened” or “fixed” on Jesus. Then He says something that is interesting…what is it and what did He mean by this? 6. Why would such a statement that Jesus makes in verse 20 upset many of the “religious” in that day? Would it make any of the “religious” angry today? Why? Application • Of the things that Jesus said He was “anointed” and “sent” to do, which one(s) describes your condition before He “found” you? • Illustrate each of these categories: (i.e. give modern day examples for each) o Preaching good news to the poor o Proclaim freedom for the prisoners o Recovery of sight for the blind o Release the oppressed o Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor • Why is it hard for us to recognize what these look like sometimes? • How can we place more importance/value on the things that Jesus placed value on? 8 Cool Down & Prayer Time • Some evaluation… o As an individual, do you value the saving of souls as important? o As a group, do you think the salvation of souls is important? Why or why not? • What are some things we can, as a group, do to raise the value of this in our group? For Next Week • Part 2, “Transformational Teaching” Luke 17:1‐10 • Remember to read the devotional between discussion times. This greatly increases the amount of interaction during group time each week. • Check out the ministry opportunities section in the back of this devotional for ideas on how your group can help us reach 40,000 people with the love of Christ. Notes: 9 WEEK TWO ‐ Luke 17:1‐10 Day 1 ...come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while. Mark 6:31 It had been a stressful few months and I knew I was approaching burn‐out. The longer my to‐do list got, the shorter my devotion time, and the more intense the stress. It took a wise friend to point out the cause and effect my lifestyle had developed before I could see the toll it was taking. But her advice was more than words, with it came the offer of a weekend away to refocus and regroup. How amazing to realize that Jesus offers us this on a continual basis. Day 2 ...If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 I think we all have regrets in our life, no matter how old we are. I have things I regret doing and not doing. I also have things I regret going through. I used to spend a lot of time in prayer asking God why and I got frustrated because God often didn’t seem to answer. Then one day, while reading my Bible, I came across this verse. Now I’ve read this verse many times before, but this time God’s Spirit spoke to me. He showed me that God doesn’t like the pain I’ve been through, but He’s used it in a powerful way in my life. He showed me that I wouldn’t be the person I am, without those times I regret. They are, in effect, my cross.