Promise Keeper: Down to Earth, Pt. 3
Every time we gather as a group, these are some ways we ensure the best group discussion:
We make the circle safe by staying honest and transparent - leave the masks at the door.
We keep it inside the circle. Each person’s story is theirs alone to share.
We look to the Bible for wisdom and truth, and work together to let it shape how we see the world.
We don’t try to fix each other in front of each other or give unsolicited advice. We lovingly save hard conversations for private moments.
We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.
We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.
Numbers 23:19-20
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”
Luke 2:10-12
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
2 Corinthians 1:20a
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.
Evidence
1400 BC - Moses
67-68 AD - Paul
Data Points
The odds of your ID being stolen: 1 in 33
The odds of rolling snake eyes at a Vegas craps table: 1 in 36
The odds of you hitting a slot-machine jackpot: 1 in 262,144
The odds of you becoming a billionaire: 1 in 790,000
The odds of you making it to the NBA: 1 in 6,864,000
The odds of dying in a vending machine accident: 1 in 112,000,000
The odds of a meteorite landing on your house: 1 in 180,000,000,000,000
Character References
Faith
MUD: Memorable + Understandable + Doable
What was the most memorable part of the message or service this weekend for you personally? Why?
Did anything you heard challenge or influence how you think about God or your life?
How can what you learned influence or change how you live in everyday life? What tangible steps would it take to make that change a reality?
Additional Questions
Jodi pointed out that there are 400 years between the end of the Old Testament and Jesus’ birth. That is a LONG time to hold onto a distant promise of a savior.
When have you waited for a long time on a promise, a solution, or turnaround? How did it affect your faith?
Jodi talked about the the evidence and data points of our faith - the miracle of the Bible’s consistency over thousands over years, the vast collection of ancient manuscripts that show us the accuracy of the New Testament, and the insane amount of predictions that came to be in Jesus’ life.
What have you thought, heard, or believed about the Bible’s trustworthiness throughout your life?
Does all this info change how you think about the Bible?
What are your own personal character references for the trustworthiness of Jesus? How have you seen God’s promises
Jodi said faith is like a chair. We know that a chair will hold us up. But we don’t trust that chair until we choose to sit in it. Faith comes when we trust that God will hold us up and come through for us in otherwise hopeless situations.
Where are you waiting on God’s promises in your life? What do you need to learn about what God actually does or doesn’t promise us?
