Know Grow Show

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.18-26

Know
Have you experienced God delivering you from something spectacular or extreme?
Grow
(1:19) What is the connection between the prayers of Christians, the presence of Jesus and the deliverance of Paul?
(1:20) Why would Paul be afraid of being ashamed – what would the cause of this shame be?
(1:21) Contrast Paul’s anticipation of serving Jesus in life and death with your experience.
(1:21) Meditate on what it means “to live is Christ”.
(1:21-23) In what ways do you think that Paul’s death would bring glory to Jesus?
How does Paul’s desire to see Jesus in death differ from someone who is suicidal?
Show
Who has God put in your life that you can say “I will remain and continue, for your progress and joy in the faith”?
Think of one or two steps can you take to advance their progress and joy. Give yourself a deadline to get these steps going.

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.12-18

Know
Who is the person in your life who has suffered the most?
Grow
1:12 Why does Paul not get into the details of ‘what has happened’? Compare this verse with 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Take some time to look up Joni Earekson Tada’s story on line. You can also buy it on the amazon store. You can watch her share her story here gl/Y6nzWg.
1:12 Think of all he could have told the Philippians in this first informational sentence of his letter. Why did he choose to tell them this first?
What suffering Christians have you been inspired by? How has their story changed your life?
If you are suffering as a Christian, how can you inspire others to greater faithfulness in advancing the gospel?
1:15 Why were some Christians preaching out of rivalry? What does this even look like? How do we know if the preacher is preaching from good motives or not?
Take some time to meditate on the following stats from the Opendoors USA website:
322 Christians are killed for their faith,
214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed and
772 forms of violence are committed against Christians (including beatings, rapes, abductions, arrests and forced marriages). [i]
Show
Visit www.opendoorsca.org or persection.org and start praying Phil 1:12 over the people written about in the accounts. Pray this pray for Christians in your life who are going through hard times or feel that they have been side-lined or ‘put out to pasture’.
Pray this prayer throughout this week: “Lord, show me how what has happened to me can advance the gospel! Redeem this situation. Bring some God-glorifying good out of the terrible circumstance I find myself in”
 
[i] https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.9-11

Growgroup questions
Know
Would you rather go to jail for 4 years for something you didn’t do or get away with something horrible you did but always live in fear of being caught?
Would you rather your shirts be always two sizes too big or one size too small?
Grow
Am I pursuing knowledge of Christ with passion?
Am I valuing knowing Christ above everything else?
Am I in a church that teaches the Bible faithfully?
Am I doing what is best with my life, with my time, with my money, with my mind, with my kids, with my ministry, and in my relationships?
Am I doing good things or gospel things with my life?[i]
Show
Memorize this prayer and start praying it for those around you:
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
 
[i] Merida, Tony; Chan, Francis. Exalting Jesus in Philippians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (Kindle Locations 1055-1058). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Joe Ocran: What's going on in Ghana

Joe Ocran shares about the work that God is doing in Ghana and Burkina Faso. 
To find out more, visit this page - http://worldhope.ca/projects/ghana/. 

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.1-8

Know
Did you have a penpal when you were younger? Who was he / she, where did they live and how did that go?
Grow
Have you ever experienced the joy of partnering with someone for a worthy cause? Describe what it was and how it went.
What do the words ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ mean to you?
1:3 Why does Paul use the words ‘all’ and ‘every’ so much? What is he trying to achieve?
Who is someone that you thank God for everytime you think of them? Who is a joy-bringer in your life?
What do you think of Dan’s advice to start living a life of ‘giving to others’ as a way to deeper relationships?
Do you think as a church, that Cornerstone a partnership of the gospel? How do you see this? What could you do to help us grow in this?
Do you partner with missionaries in the gospel financially? Why or why not?
1:6 What is the good work that God has begun in Cornerstone that you believe He will bring to completion?
 Show
As you go through your week, try to be present to the truth that you are a servant of Jesus. As you encounter others, be present to the fact that they are either saints in Christ or potential See how this alters your behaviour.

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Intro to Philippians

Know
Are you someone who loves wearing flip flops? Why or why not?
Grow
Acedia is defined as “a gloomy combination of weariness, sadness, and a lack of purposefulness. It robs a person of his capacity for joy and leaves him feeling empty, or void of meaning”. Have you ever felt like this? What led you to feel like this? How did you get out of it?
The church at Philippi started with three key people:
a wealthy Asian woman who feared God,
a native Greek slave girl who was in spiritual turmoil
a blue collar Roman jailer who was most likely very practical and indifferent to spiritual things
Who do you identify with most, and why?
Philippians is full of verses that are worth memorizing - 1:6, 1:21, 2:5-8, 2:12, 3:7, 3:10, 3:13-14, 4:6-7, 4:8, 4:11, 4:13, 4:19. Choose one to memorize and increase your joy level!
Take 10 minutes and watch this EXCELLENT summary video of Philippians - gl/7ckSv3
Show
Think about your life right now. Spiritually, do you identify more with the Lofoten Islands or Murmansk? Find a place and take some time to be honest with God about how you’re doing. Spend time in his warmth, forgiveness and unconditional love.

Knock Knock - The Tempted

Growgroup questions
Know
What tactics do big companies use to tempt us to buy their produce?
Grow
How would you define temptation to someone who is unchurched?
How do you feel when you give in to temptation?
How is a temptation different from a trial?
In Matthew 26:41 discuss how Jesus tells us to deal with a temptation.
Is temptation the same as sin. Was Jesus tempted (Matthew 4:1-11).
Is it best to resist (James 4:7) or flee (2 Tim 2:22) temptation? When should we flee? When should we resist?
Show
If you are struggling with overwhelming temptation in your life take some time to read John Piper’s ANTHEM (goo.gl/HfB41K). Though it’s written specifically about battling lust, it’s also applicable to other forms of temptation.

Knock Knock - The Humble

Know
 Someone google “humble bragging definition”. Read it out. Someone else google “humble bragging examples”. Read out a couple. Have you ever ‘humble-bragged’ on social media (be honest!)😊. Why does social media bring out the humble-bragger in most of us?
Grow
In Luke 14:1, why do you think the people at the dinner were watching Jesus carefully. What do you think they were watching for?
Think of a modern-day example where we could apply Proverbs 25:6-7
Who has been an example of humility in your life?
What are some of the criteria we use to assess someone else’s value. What does this tell us about ourselves?
Think of a time when you, in the quiet of your heart, put a price tag on someone and marked them as ‘less valuable than yourself’. What do you think God was thinking / feeling at that moment in time?
Dan quoted William Farley ““Here is the great paradox: the proud man thinks he is humble, but the humble man thinks he is proud”. What do you think? Was Farley right? Why or why not?
Why can we never attain humility by chasing humility? Why is it so hard to be humble?
Tim Keller said that we don’t need more self-esteem or less self-esteem. We need to forget ourselves (he calls this ‘gospel humility’). Share your thoughts about Keller’s conclusion.
How can we forget ourselves? Think of some practical ways.
Show
What’s one thing that you can do this week to help you forget yourself?

Knock Knock - The Comforted

Know
What is one thing that you have bought because it advertised itself as ‘the most comfortable’?
Do you have any scars? What’s the story (if you feel OK with sharing)?
Grow
What do you think of Vladimir Putin’s statement: “Our aims are absolutely clear: They are a high living standard in the country and a secure, free and comfortable life. A secure, free and comfortable life.”? What do you think were the aims or goals of our ancestors (in the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages etc)?
What is the connection between living for your own comfort and living a meaningful / satisfying life?
Read 2 Corinthians 1:4-5. Discuss the idea that the concept of Biblical comfort develops resilient people in the face of difficult circumstances. How have you seen this in your life, or in the lives of Christians you know?
How is joy different to happiness? Can you have the one without the other?
What’s the difference between false comfort and true comfort?
Read Isaiah 40:31. Do you ever think “God, you don’t care or understand”. How do we know this thinking is wrong?
Read Romans 8:32. Often we think of the cross as the ultimate in God’s giving. However in Romans 8:32, Christ’s death is shown as the start of God’s giving. What does this verse mean by “all things”?
Read 2 Corinthians 7:6-7. Dan talked about comfort cascading down from one person to another (The Church at Corinth > Titus > Paul). When did you experience comfort from a believer that, in turn, you could pass on to someone else?
Why is when we are least comfortable that we are most able to comfort others? What’s the connection here?
Show
Think of ways that you have been comforted. Think of one person this week that God would have you reach out to with the comfort with which you have been comforted.

Knock Knock - The Labouring Pastor

know
Paul’s passion for the church was that Christ would be formed in them. What’s one passion that you have that you want to pass on to the next generation?
 
grow
Paul is writing in a passionate way in the book of Galatians. When you hear a Pastor speak or write in a fiery / impassioned way, does it get you fired up or make you uncomfortable? Why do you think this is?
Paul was fired up about Christ being formed in the church (Gal 4:19). What are some things that as Christians we should be getting fired up about in our church?
Why do you think that Paul, a man, used the image of labour and childbirth to describe what he was feeling toward the Galatian church? What other images could he have used to get a similar effect?
In Luke 18:1 Jesus told the parable of the unjust judge to encourage his listeners to “pray and not lose heart”. In your experience, why is it easy to lose heart when praying?
How does the account of Aaron and Hur lifting up Moses’ hands in Exodus 17:11 encourage / challenge you? How can you apply the principles in this passage into your life?
Think about how the phrase “until Christ is formed in you” can help us live out the three aspects of our Church purpose: Know, Grow, Show. Share your thoughts.
Labour is a time of pain and of promise. What do we need to be ‘in labour’ for as a church family?
Is Christ formed in you? To what degree? What’s one more area of your life that Christ can be formed in? Share your thoughts with your group.
show
In Luke 18:1 Jesus told the parable of the unjust judge to encourage his listeners to “pray and not lose heart”. What’s a situation / person that you need to pray and not lose heart about?