Community Group Guide
> Why We Gather
At The Springs Church, we desire for community groups to be a place where we BEHOLD JESUS, BECOME LIKE JESUS, and BELONG IN COMMUNITY. This means that our primary goal for groups is to gather around the transforming presence of Christ. As we gather around the transforming presence of Jesus, we believe by faith that we will be incrementally transformed into His image and likeness. With that in mind, let's begin in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to lead our time together, move on our hearts, and help us behold Jesus, become Like Jesus, and experince the gift of belonging in community. Let's pray.
> Announcements
Join us for Fall Fest on October 25 from 5 PM-7 PM!
Fall Fest is a church-wide celebration for the whole church family! Trunk or Treat + games and booths + a Chili Cook-Off + a petting zoo & more!
We need your help to make Fall Fest happen! You can participate by entering the Chili Cook-Off or hosting a trunk for the Trunk or Treat portion of Fall Fest!
Click here to sign up!
> Give Thanks
Take a few moments to briefly share about anything that you are thankful unto the Lord for? Perhaps you've witnessed God answer a prayer or experienced a moment that strengthened your faith. Feel free to share any recent occurrences that have encouraged you or instances where you've felt God's presence at work in your life.
> Scripture Reading
Have someone read Acts 1:15-26.
> Discussion Questions
What this passage teaches us about the Old Testament [Have someone read Psalm 109, which is quoted in the Acts 1 passage.] One thing we learn from the story in Acts is that the disciples were learning about how the Jewish scriptures, which we call the Old Testament, was largely about Jesus. As they read this ancient poem about king David being persecuted and calling for God to give him justice, the disciples understood that this was primarily about Jesus. Jesus was truly righteous, deserving no such opposition. Jesus was not only opposed by the religious leaders of his day, but was betrayed by Judas who was one of his closest friends. God predicted this in various ways in the Old Testament. David, who wrote the psalm, was not only betrayed by the king Saul whom he served faithfully, but also by his own son Absolom who tried to steal the throne (after David became king). We hear in the psalm how David called for God to inflict harsh punishment on his enemies because they attacked the innocent. This may strike us as unmerciful. However, if we look at the life of David, we see that he never attacked Saul or Absolom to take vengeance, but trusted in God to give him justice. Jesus also never attacked his opponents, but waited on God’s justice.
Reflection Question: What do you notice and what do you wonder about Psalm 109 in relation to the stories of David and Jesus?
What this passage teaches us about sin and judgment
To call for judgment on our enemies may sound harsh to some of us. Certainly, in many encounters in his life Jesus was gracious and forgiving. However, toward his opponents he was often critical. What was the difference? Jesus was gracious to those who knew they were sinners and were open to turning away from their sin. Jesus was harsh to those who thought they were righteous and were unwilling to change. All of us have sins that we need Jesus to save us from. The key question is whether we are willing to turn away from them or not. The judgment on sin described in Psalm 109 and in the life of Judas remind us that God is right to judge sin. As Alberto reminded us in the sermon, our sin is what required Jesus to die on the cross. We should never make peace with the sin that cost him so much. The mark of the Christian is that even when we struggle with sin, we keep repenting and turning back to Jesus. Jesus does not forgive our sins saying, “it’s ok, it’s no big deal.” Jesus forgives our sins saying, “I am willing to pay the price you couldn’t pay to bring you back to me.”
Reflection Question: How can we give thanks for God’s judgment on sin?
Reflection Question: How do sins in your life appear different if you think about them in light of the cross?
What this passage teaches about God’s Kingdom Jesus is the King of Israel, born of the family of David. He fulfills the promises that God made to David that he would have a son to sit on his throne forever. Many details of his life showed how he was the perfect fulfillment of Israel’s story. One detail that was important to the disciples was how Jesus choosing 12 disciples reflected the historical significance of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Spirit revealed that they needed to select a replacement for Judas so they could continue to represent Israel in this way. Jesus dedicated much of his teaching to explaining how his Kingdom would be quite different from what people expected. Rather than founding 12 families who would occupy regions of land, the disciples became 12 witnesses to the good news who would convince many to follow him. They would not lead military conquests to overthrow rival powers, but they would change the Roman Empire from the inside out by transforming human hearts. Jesus is still in the practice of bringing his different kind of kingdom by restoring broken lives to experience God’s peace and God’s purpose.
Reflection Question: How do you think Jesus has equipped you to bring restoration in the world as his disciple? How do you pray you will experience restoration this week?
> Confession and Prayer
Reflect and Pray: As we sit with this passage, ask God to bring to mind anything you need to confess or need prayer for. Take a moment to share and pray for one another. Feel free to split up into pairs depending on the group size.
> Leader Form