Be Rich Week Three

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BE RICH: Week 3 – The Strange Logic of a Dinner Party Open in Prayer W elcom e/Introductions/Cast Vision Rem ind the Grow Group of the ground rules Share context/sum m ary of the story [Provide context by sharing the information below.]

In the setting of this passage, Jesus was at the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees. Jesus observed that some of the invited guests were seeking the more honorable places to sit at the table. Jesus declares that the person who exalts himself will be humbled while the person who humbles himself will be exalted. Jesus then speaks about inviting the poor and crippled to dinner because they most certainly cannot repay the host’s generosity. Tell the story – Luke 14:7-24 [Have someone tell the story.] Rebuild the story [Group members tell the story together based on what they remember.] Read the story out loud [Read the scripture passage to see if anything was added or omitted.] Discuss these questions:

1. What do we learn about God from this passage? [God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6); God saves us by His grace and not based upon our good works (Eph. 2:8-9); God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (I Tim. 2:4); God pursues an intimate and personal relationship with us; God gives me the freedom to either accept or deny His personal invitation; God encourages us that “today is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2); etc.]

2. What do we learn about Man/Us from this passage? [I sometimes treat others with kindness and generosity only thinking about what I’ll get in return from them; it is often a struggle for me to deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23); I honor and please God through my faith-filled acts of obedience (Hebrews 11:6) and not my lame and shallow excuses; I can allow the frivolous and unimportant to stand in the way of me following Jesus; etc.]

3. What is God saying to you specifically through this passage as it pertains to your life, marriage, family, and work? 4. In light of what you’ve learned today, what do you need to do to obey God? Other questions specific to this passage:

1. Sometimes we downplay the urgency of sharing the gospel with others. What specifically causes your urgency to be more heightened than usual? 2. With whom do you need to have a gospel-centered conversation? Assign next week’s passage – Luke 1:5-25 [Ask someone to tell the story next week.] Close in Prayer

BE RICH: Week 3 – Leadership Coaching The purpose of this page is to help you sharpen your skills as a Grow Group leader. Each week, we will include concepts, challenges, and resources designed to assist you as you lead and shepherd your Grow Group and grow as a disciple yourself.

Leading [learn to facilitate your group more effectively] Do you struggle with the flow of your Grow Group meetings? Here is a great outline for you to follow to help you. (1) Welcome everyone, find a fun way to introduce one another when new guests are present. (2) Open with prayer, remember the Holy Spirit is the teacher and our guide. (3) Go over the ground rules, remind everyone of the vision, and make any other announcements to make sure everyone is on the same page. (4) Tell the story, rebuild the story, and read the story. (5) Use open-ended questions that walk through what God is revealing to everyone in your Grow Group through the scripture. (6) Close with prayer, thanking God for what He has revealed and asking each one in your Grow Group to act in the Spirit this week.

Shepherding [know the sheep, feed the sheep, lead the sheep, protect the sheep] Here are 6 questions to ask yourself, as a leader, every week after Grow Group: (1) Who am I intentionally praying for this week? (2) What needs can I or someone else in the group meet? (3) Do I need to have a follow up conversation with someone from Grow Group this week? (4) Who was absent from group or from service? (5) How is my Grow Group growing a heart for lost people? (6) How are our relationships deepening?

Developing [grow as a disciple yourself] As a leader, sometimes it can be hard to get your Grow Group members off your mind. But God calls us to continually grow in our own personal relationship with Jesus. So make sure that as you are studying the scripture this week, you are asking yourself how the scripture applies to you and how God wants to change you.