LiSTeNeRs w/ Time

If there are new people, you might want to review the covenant.

7:00-7:20
Connect: Can you think of an instance where the value of time was known to you? Or how have you come to view the idea of “time?”

Example: As a teen, I turned the clocks back an hour b/c I didn’t like my curfew time and wanted an extra hour.

Perhaps others will have stories about something taking a long time or short time. Stories about a watch or other time piece, stories about daylight savings, time zone changes, being on time or late.

This produced great discussion in Sunday’s group with people sharing what time means to them and reflecting back in life on why they view time the way they do.

7:20-7:35
Surrender: In John 11:1-7, Jesus was confronted with a crisis (death of Lazarus). What situations are you currently dealing with that need to be viewed as opportunities for "God's Son [to] be glorified through it" (v. 5)?

After hearing people’s concerns, this is a good time to break up into groups and pray for one another inviting God into these situations and the group meeting.

7:35-8:05
Grow:

1. After listening again to the story of Jesus and Lazarus in John 11:1-7, what differences do you see in the way you respond to "crisis" situations and the way Jesus responded?

2. Go around the room and discuss how people in your group deal with the time constraints on their lives?

How are people doing in "standing out" from the world around them regarding their use of time?

3. When Jesus invited His followers to "Come with [Him] by themselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mk 6:31) -- how do you respond to His invitation to the same in your life today?

Which is the hardest for you…
Being alone?
Being quiet?
Or resting?

How can this situation be confronted?

4. God commands us to a Sabbath rest (on of the 10 "commandments"). Why is this one commandment so easy to ignore?

How might we re-capture God's heart for the Sabbath in our lives? (Discuss practical things here -- not fluffy, ideas).

5. How does 1 Peter 4:4-5 challenge you regarding the way you use the time God has given you?

8:05-8:15
Develop/Share:

Are there elements of the meeting you would like to delegate?

Has someone in the group been blessed by someone else? Ask them to share this.

OUTREACH PROJECT
This would be a good week to begin a brainstorming session on what your group could do to reach out together.

The only request I have, at this point, is that you focus their attention on personal type outreach (something that will touch people personally as opposed to impersonally).

Example: Instead of just collecting books for the local hospital waiting room, ask if you could host a story time when the room is full of anxious children waiting for a doctor’s visit. Instead of just raking leaves for the elderly, ask if you could throw a party for them too.

Brainstorming: Ask people to throw out ideas, and write them on a whiteboard or poster board. DO NOT evaluate whether or not the idea is a good one, just write it down. Ask them to think outside the box. You can come back next week and evaluate which ideas make the most sense for the group. People will come up with better ideas if they know no one is going to judge it on the spot.

If you don’t have time to do the brainstorming, you can do it next week. But time is running out (we only have around 5 weeks left).