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Acts 2:42-47

You that are members of the church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a Church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all! And the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect Church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us. - C. H. Spurgeon

Big Idea: The closest we get to “on earth as it is in Heaven” is when His people are dedicated to His Word and each other. 

1. The Church is where God Transforms us
• All People - Nothing matters more to God than people.
• Process - Transformation is not a one-time event.
• Authentically Safe Community - A safe place to process the dangerous gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Audacious Humility - Confidence in God's desire and ability to use us powerfully in spite of our brokenness.
• Health - We believe "healthy" is the most important adjective and should accurately describe every facet of our lives and relationships.

2. The Church involves you and is not all about you

“God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God himself accordingly. He stands adamant, a living reproach to all others in the circle of brethren. He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community, as if his dream binds men together. When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure. When his ideal picture is destroyed, he sees the community going to smash. So, he becomes, first an accuser of his brethren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself.” - D. Bonhoeffer

3. The Church should be attractive

Response:
• Dedicate yourself to God’s Word, Prayer, and awe of Him
• Pursue developing healthy relationships with one another
• Live out of the overflow of God’s grace and love for you


DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY
► This week's passage: Romans 14:8-12

► Connection questions:

1. What are you thankful for?

2. What is a challenge you are facing?

3. How did you do with last week’s “I will” statement?

► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words

► Individual answers to five questions:

1. What stands out to you?

2. What does this passage tell us about people?

3. What does this passage tell us about God?

4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)

5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” - Brennan Manning

What cancer is to the body, hypocrisy is to the church.

Big Idea: Living authentically means committing to transparency that reflects God's truth and love.
Romans 2:1-16

1. Love the sinner, Hate YOUR sin 

Romans 2:1
Matthew 23:3-4
Matthew 23:13

“Of all bad men, religious bad men are the worst.” - C.S. Lewis

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

2. You’re a terrible judge! 

Romans 2:2
John 7:24

3. Live Transparently 

Romans 2:16
Luke 12:1-3

“We cannot pray in love and live in hate and still think we are worshiping God.” - A.W. Tozer

Response:
• Search your own heart.
• Pursue Jesus, not better behavior.
• Embrace Truth.


DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY
► Connection questions:

1. What are you thankful for?

2. What is a challenge you are facing?

3. How did you do with last week’s “I will” statement?

► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words

► Individual answers to five questions:

1. What stands out to you?

2. What does this passage tell us about people?

3. What does this passage tell us about God?

4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)

5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)

Matthew 18:21-35

BIG IDEA: Forgiveness is hard, yet freeing.

“Stop beating yourself up because of your past bad decisions. No one's past is spotless. Learn from your past and start over. God's mercies are endless." -Terraine Francois


1. Forgiveness is a Priority

Ephesians 4:31-32

Everyone has the right to be bitter, but none of us can afford to be bitter.

Matthew 6:12


2. With Forgiveness Comes Freedom

Matthew 6:14-15

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” - Corrie Ten Boom

“When you initially forgive, it is like letting go of a hot iron. There is initial pain and the scars will show, but you can start living again.” - Stephen Richards

Want freedom from your feelings?
Pray for your offenders. 


3. Restoration is a process, forgiveness is NOT.

“When forgiveness is seen as a work in progress, it seldom becomes a work in practice.” - Nancy Leigh DeMoss

There are no boundaries to forgiveness.
There are boundaries to relationships.


Response:
• Allow yourself to be healed of the pain of being wronged
• Choose to forgive
• Walk in Forgiveness


DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY
► This week's passage: Genesis 50:15-21

► Connection questions:

1. What are you thankful for?

2. What is a challenge you are facing?

3. How did you do with last week’s “I will” statement?

► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words

► Individual answers to five questions:

1. What stands out to you?

2. What does this passage tell us about people?

3. What does this passage tell us about God?

4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)

5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)

Big Idea: The Church: Ordained by God, messed up by man, still God’s plan.

Matthew 16:13-18

1 - The Church is different from any other organization or organism.

The Church originated with Christ.

"Church" comes from the word "ekklesia" meaning “Called out ones”

Christ is The Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22)
Christ is Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18)

The Church has both eternal & present purposes

Matthew 28:19-20
Acts 2:42-45

2 - The Church has its flaws and it is YOU and ME

The Church is divinely ordained & humanly flawed

3 - God calls us to ALL PLAY
• Fight the urge to be selfish and only consume
• Fight the urge to be safe and hold back

“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.” -C.S. Lewis

“Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse than we do. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation.” - Charles Spurgeon

Response:
• Thank God for The Church 
• Be open to healing throughout this series
• Be open to play your role in The Church


DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY
► This week's passage: Hebrews 2:11-22

► Connection questions:

1. What are you thankful for?

2. What is a challenge you are facing?

3. How did you do with last week’s “I will” statement?

► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words

► Individual answers to five questions:

1. What stands out to you?

2. What does this passage tell us about people?

3. What does this passage tell us about God?

4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)

5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)

Lamentations 5

Big Idea: As anointed people, we still fall to the pitfalls of sin.

1. Anointed, and still afflicted

Lamentations 4:20
Psalm 20:6
Psalm 28:8
1 John 2:20
Romans 8:11
2 Corinthians 1:21-22

2. History repeats, His story redeems

Lamentations 5:19-22
Proverbs 26:11
Proverbs 16:6

3. Hidden hope

John 10:28
John 5:24
2 Chronicles 7:14
Lamentations 3:22-26
Psalm 30:5

Response: 
1. Live into your anointing 
2. Live into the proper body 
3. Live into hope


DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY
► Connection questions:

1. What are you thankful for?

2. What is a challenge you are facing?

3. How did you do with last week’s “I will” statement?

► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words

► Individual answers to five questions:

1. What stands out to you?

2. What does this passage tell us about people?

3. What does this passage tell us about God?

4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)

5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)

BIG IDEA: No matter our circumstances, we can, in Christ, live with hope
Lamentations 3:25-33, 40-42

1. God wants us to Live with Hope in Him 
Psalm 130:1-2

Depths without hope can lead to despair
Depths with Jesus can lead to hope

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Life is:
Never so good - it couldn’t be better
Never so bad - it couldn’t be worse

3 Quick Steps to Help Nurture Hope
• Reflect on the goodness of God
• Limit your junk food intake 
• IV yourself with the promises of God 

 2. God wants us to seek Him with purpose

May require admittance of guilt & repentance
Psalm 139:23-24

May require some Spiritual Disciplines

3. God wants us to Worship with Passion (v41)
Lamentations 3:22-23

Response:
• Know that where Jesus is, there is hope. 
• Commit to a lifestyle of Worship.


DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY
► Connection questions:

1. What are you thankful for?

2. What is a challenge you are facing?

3. How did you do with last week’s “I will” statement?

► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words

► Individual answers to five questions:

1. What stands out to you?

2. What does this passage tell us about people?

3. What does this passage tell us about God?

4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)

5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)