Consider this scenario: You’re hiking with your husband and your kid. There is a sharp drop off to the right. Some rocks slip and your husband and kid start to fall. You are able to grab both of their hands. They are now both hanging below you as you struggle to pull them both back up. You only have the strength to pull one of them back to safety or all will perish. What do you do?
Study Guide Questions:
1. What are the things outside of your normal bills that you like to spend your money on? Clothing, vacation, your kids? Take a quick look at your hobbies and pleasures in life that cost money and jot those down.
2. Would you consider yourself to be a people-pleaser? Why?
3. Do you find some of your value in helping others?
4. How do you feel when someone won’t let you help them?
5. Describe the last time you allowed someone to help you?
6. How did it make you feel to let someone help you?
7. How do you think it made the person who helped you feel?
8. Describe Generation Z? Do you know any?
9. How do you think God feels about Generation Z?
10. Share a time in your life when you got lost as a child? Describe how you felt.
11. Describe how you felt once you were found.
12. What main points stood out to you from Jen’s Testimony?
13. What do you think “fruits of salvation” means?
Read Matthew 7:21-23 ESV
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘‘Lord, Lord,’’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’’ And then will I declare to them, ‘‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’’
14. Share your thoughts on Matthew 7:21-23 above.
Read all of Luke 5:1-11
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
15. Why do you think Simon (Peter) wanted Jesus to go away from him in verse 8?
16. What specifically caused Simon to realize Jesus is God?
17. What was their response to Jesus in verse 11? What exactly did they leave behind?
Imagine you come into a huge inheritance. Or let’s say you get a massive promotion.
18. Would you be able to walk away from everything, including a financial windfall, like they did? Why or why not?
Individual and Group prayer for the week:
Pray that God would help you to understand His will for your life rather than yours. Ask God to provide clarity in hard situations. Ask that He would give you mercy and that you would find grace. Pray that God would fill you with the Holy Spirit and help you to be calm.
Verse to memorize this week:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes!” (Romans 1:16 ESV)
Verses to meditate on this week:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘‘Lord, Lord,’’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’’ And then will I declare to them, ‘‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’’ (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
NEXT WEEK:
The Book Club Session Two is on February 23, 2020 at 2pm pacific (3pm mountain, 4pm central, 5pm eastern) on my author page: www.facebook.com/jenosullivanauthor
Holy. Just. Love. 