2.7.21 HUDDLE

Zach Below   -   February 7, 2021

INTRO

One of our values at One Life is, “We believe you can bring your brain to church.” As such, we always want to provide resources that show that the Christian faith is intellectually beautiful and defensible. This week, we will open up with a short video from Sean McDowell on the reliability of Scripture. But first, we will start off with a few intro questions.

 

  1. What has been your relationship with the Bible over your life? Was there a time when you viewed it as mere fiction or doubted its reliability? Maybe you have never really engaged with it because you couldn’t understand it. Or, has it always been easy for you to believe and trust?

 

  1. What do you think of when you hear the value, “We believe you can bring your brain to church?” Is this value counter to your experience or perception of faith growing up? Is this value appealing to you at all, or, is it not an important factor for you when it comes to faith?

 

 

WATCH “IS THE BIBLE RELIABLE?”

 

VIDEO DEBRIEF

  1. What is your reaction to the video? What stood out to you?

 

  1. Sean McDowell gave us “5 Reasons to Trust the New Testament.” Which of the following reasons encourages you the most?
    • The authors claim to be eyewitnesses
    • They report accurate information
    • They were willing to die for it
    • There are many early manuscripts (more than any other ancient work)
    • Archaeology continues to support it.

 

 

BIBLE ENGAGMENET INTRO

Jesus had a primary message he preached that all other messages connected to . . . the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is not talking about Heaven, but God’s reign both in heaven and on earth. Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God when he came to earth. Dallas Willard describes it, saying, “God’s own kingdom of rule is the range of his effective will. Where what he wants done, is done.”

 

As we explore Luke 8:16-21 together, it is important to know that this is a message about learning to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God, not trying to earn your way into the Kingdom of God. You cannot earn entry, you simply come with empty hands and receive the Kingdom of God as a gift. In Luke 8:16-21 Jesus talks about what it looks like when people (who are already citizens) are living to the fullest in the Kingdom of God.

 

 

READ LUKE 8:16-21

A Lamp on a Stand

16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

 

 

  1. What stands out to your from this text?

 

BIBLE ENGAGEMENT QUESTIONS

This week, Pastor Bret gave us 3 characteristics of citizens of the Kingdom of God based on this text. Read each principle and then answer the follow-up questions.

 

  • CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM—LET OTHERS KNOW
  1. Where/How is this characteristic supported in the text?

 

  1. How can you do this without being “the weird Christian guy/girl?” Share a time where you feel like you have done this successfully or have-not done this successfully.

 

 

  • CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM—LIVE WITH AUTHENTEGRITY
  1. Where/How is this characteristic supported in the text?

 

  1. Authentegrity is one of our core values here at One Life because “no one likes a phony, least of all Jesus.” This week, Pastor Bret shared two stories counter to authentegrity.

 

The first was about an adult that struggled with faith for a long time because their dad was terrible at home. He was mean and angry. BUT, every Sunday plaster a smile on his face, walk into church, and act like he was the perfect Christian. The second their family got back in the car, he switched back.

 

The second story was from a server at a restaurant that left the church. This person said in the food industry world, the after church crowd on Sunday was notorious for treating the wait staff terribly and being the worst tippers.

 

Does that type of hypocrisy damage the church? Did it put any negative weight on your faith growing up?

 

  1. When you being the worst version of yourself, what inconsistent actions tend to surface when it comes to how you treat people?

 

 

  • CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM—LISTEN, DO, REPEAT
  1. Where/How is this supported in the text? (Hint . . . verse 18)

 

  1. Read Luke 6:46-49. These are the last words of one of Jesus’s most famous teachings—the Sermon on the Plain. How does this text speak similarly to the idea of “Listen, Do, Repeat?”

 

  1. What have you heard from Jesus’s words this year that you have struggled to do/repeat?

 

 

 

CLOSE IN PRAYER