Advent
Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit.” During the season of Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. We remember Israel’s, and our, longing for a Messiah, to save and deliver us. Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward anticipating the second coming of Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised by His first coming. This year we will be studying through the book of Micah to see how it prophesies and points towards the coming of Jesus. The title for this guide comes from Micah 5. We know that during this season that there are many things competing for your attention and your time. We pray this guide helps you to celebrate the season, to let Jesus be your peace. Each week includes a candle lighting scripture and prayer. These are the same readings we will be doing each Sudany during the season. Each week also includes a devotional for use in your personal study or in missional community groups along with discussion questions.
Best Practices for Missional Community Bible Study Facilitation
- As you begin each study, pray that God will speak to you through his Word.
- Listen attentively to other members. Encourage only Bible reading from phones during the study.
- Work to include everyone’s voice by asking follow-up questions, restating what you heard someone say, and asking for more details to thoughts given by group members.
- It is often helpful for someone to take notes of the discussion and send them out afterwards to reinforce key learnings from the study.
- Pray for one another and be accountable to applying the word of God to your lives.
General Questions:
- What does this scripture communicate about the heart of God?
- What does it teach us about ourselves?
- Does it challenge our thinking/beliefs in a new way?
Sermon Specific Question:
- How does the idea of simultaneous fulfillment and yearning for fulfillment sit with you? How do you explain it to others when you share your faith?
- Do you view your personal salvation as a finish line or a starting line in ‘the race’ described by Paul in his letters?
- Knowing there is much more work to be done by the Church to establish God’s Kingdom here, how does that make you feel? Discouraged? A part of it? Wanted? Overburdened? Talk about why.