Deep Walk

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It's funny how much some things stay the same. More than 2,000 years ago, people wondered and debated about who Jesus is. They were confused by people who claimed to follow Him but didn't look much like Him, and their confidence was shaken as to whether the life of a Christ-follower could really be known, experienced, and depended on. As the first century was coming to a close, the Apostle John penned a letter to affirm the truth of the Gospel and the way it can transform our lives, relationships, and faith!

9. Reassured

NOV 25--Uncertainty seems to be one of the only things of life we can be certain to experience. On the other hand, confidence is the foundation on which we most easily move into the truly transformational activities of life. God desires for us to walk out life confidently, but not the kind of confidence that is based on our own efforts.
  1. Do you ever struggle with feelings of guilt? Why?
  2. How would you distinguish the difference between unnecessary guilt and healthy conviction?
  3. What are your prayers aligned with? How do you know?
  4. Describe what it means for you to be in God. How about God in you?

8.  A Tale of Two...

NOV 18--Once there were two brothers, each with a different heart born of a different choice and a life that fulfilled their hearts' desires. One grasped the heart of God, the other the heart of self-preservation and self-fulfillment. One life is the path to what is true, the other to frustrated hopes, fleeting dreams, and empty promise. Who are you? What will you choose? Which life is yours?
  1. Do you feel like your heart has more “Cain tendencies” or “Abel tendencies”?
  2. Have you chosen the Gospel or yourself as your love source?
  3. How has the truth of gospel changed what you feel about those around you?
  4. How do your actions describe your love? Why?

7.  Whom Do You Look Like?

NOV 11--In 1 John 3:4-10, John tells us that as God's children, we are meant to look like Christ. He speaks strongly in regard to sin's incompatibility with the life of a child of God. But, as followers of Jesus today, we often find sin still present in our lives. So how are we to understand and react to John's strong words about sin?
  1. As a child of God, do I look like my Father?
  2. What are my defining characteristics?
  3. Whose work am I relying on in the battle to defeat sin?

6.  Loved, Misunderstood, and Transformed

NOV 4--Deep down inside, we are looking and longing for a meaningful life. We pursue so many avenues that promise a lot but deliver little. Gaining a healthy, life-changing perspective on what we have received from God is the foundation to the life you have always wanted.

5.  For or Against

OCT 28--Sometimes there is a tremendous genius to the word and. You have to admit that Peanut butter and chocolate is a pretty great idea. But sometimes it can't be and. You can't be married to your spouse and dating that coworker at the office. Nope...there are times when you can only be loyal to one or the other. What about Jesus? Is it okay to say my way to God is Jesus and Buddha? Do all roads lead to God?
  1. Who is Jesus to you?
  2. How do you know you are anointed?
  3. Describe a time that the Spirit was making truth evident to you.
  4. How can you continue to draw on the Spirit of truth?

4.  Stockholm Syndrome?

OCT 21--In 1973, the world was fascinated by a group of hostages who became emotionally attached and loyal to their bank-robbing captors. It seemed impossible that people could become friends with the captors who had threatened their lives, abused them, and used them. While we struggle to grasp the psychology that informs that moment in history, is it possible 
that in our own way, we have fallen into a similar trap with the world in which we live?
  1. Where would you say your identity comes from:  What you do? What others say about you? God? The Gospel?
  2. How does the source of your identity inform the way you live?
  3. Do you see the world system as being generally benevolent or generally opposed to God? Why?
  4. Would you say that God or the world has more of your affection? How can you tell?

3.  Revealed by the Light

OCT 14--When the light shines into your life, what does it show--a life that is authentic? How can we look at our own lives and have a clear picture of the state of our relationship with God?
  1. When it comes to your spiritual life, do your actions describe you as a liar or a lover? Why?
  2. Take a deep look at the motives behind the way you live your life. While none of us are perfect, how would you describe what motivates the pattern of your life?
  3. What has helped you to maintain a strong love relationship with God?
  4. Describe how you have experienced the difference between God-empowered living and your own human striving.

2.  Life in the Light

OCT 7--When we grasp the deep identity issues of how we view ourselves, it changes the way we live. Neil Anderson once said that no one consistently behaves in a way that is inconsistent with who they perceive themselves to be. In other words our understanding of our true identity has a radical impact on the way we live. The Gospel has the potential to impact our lives deeply. The nature of God and the every day implications of the work of Jesus on our behalf is a game changer!
  1. Would you characterize the way you live as being in the light?
  2. Pray and ask God to reveal something in your life that moves you away from the light. What is that thing?
  3. How are you willing to respond to the reality of that sin in your life?
  4. Is the idea of your righteousness from Jesus defining the way you see yourself? Why or why not?

1.  Deep Walk

SEPT 30--It seems that someone is always coming up with another way to peace, happiness and true life! Is it found in some new mystical state of mind? Is it discovered through the pursuit of our appetities? Can we uncover it by protecting our own dreams and desires at the expense of others? Or can we have any confidence in faith at all?
  1. Who is Jesus to you?
  2. Would you say you are walking in fellowship with God? What does that mean to you?
  3. Describe the ways that you walk in deep fellowship with others around you. How do they participate in your life and you in theirs?
  4. If you died tonight, are you certain that you would go to heaven? If God asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?