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“Life in the church comes from God and catches fire in community” (Acts 3)

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Rebuilding-full

One to Another in Christ: Week 7, A “Good Sam” Fall Focus 2013

October 27, 2013  Acts 3   (Reformation and life in Christ)

Theme

Coming together and offering what we have (life and blessings in Christ) are a signs of Jesus living presence.  These gifts shared in community begin to flow into the abundance that always comes with God’s giving.  Life in Christ will always express itself in abundance and hope shared in community.  This work of the Spirit will always bring sustenance and reformation to the church.

Prayer

Lord God, continue to pour out your healing and reforming presence among us.  Allow us to share that life together and in the community around us.  In this way, may your work in the world continue through us and through our community together. Amen.

Lesson

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar, Acts 3

Bible Study

1) Why would you look straight into the eyes of one who is sitting and begging, as you pass?

2) Why does Peter ask the man to look at him?  What does the beggar expect?  What do you think his gut level response is to Peter’s gift?

3) How and why might this offering of Peter have entered Peter’s mind?  Is there something about this beggar that suggests he might want and be ready for this gift?  Do you think Peter has reason to think this his gift will be received?

4) As the beggars ankles and legs are strengthened and he begins to walk and leap, is there a second part to this healing that comes?  What happens when they enter the temple?

5) What do the crowds think about this leaping and jumping about in church?

6) Who do you think this miracle is really for, the beggar who is healed or the crowds who now have there full attention on Peter and John who are telling them in some detail about the gift and healing of believing in Jesus.

7) Who does Peter really think accomplished this whole setting from the miracle to the hearing of the word?rebuilding-of-the-temple-granger

8) (In light of this lesson) If you felt led to give the gifts you have to give to another, what might you expect to happen because of it?

9) Do you recognize this pattern of activity? (a healing or noteworthy event followed by a conversation about life and hope and faith in God’s working through Jesus?)  Where might you have heard it before?

10) How might the church today continue to do what Jesus is doing in the world?  How might we better make ourselves available for this work of Jesus among and through us?

11) What gifts of God that have faithfully been given here among people at Good Sam are we faithfully sharing with the wider community around us?  How can we grow or improve at offering these gifts?

12) Where have you been giving the gifts you have received from God with others?  How have you experienced blessings yourself from the experience and what were these blessings?

13) Of the things that we might typically have in abundance; time, money, friendship, welcome (hospitality), cooperation, understanding, acceptance, standing with others before God.  which of these do you have or could you have in abundance and then offer to others in intentional acts of kindness?  How might you know that God had made use of this gift giving?

Sermon from Worship at Good Sam on October 27, 2013

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz5Ak7QvrCo&w=480&h=360]

Objectives

  • To pray for the richness of Christ’s gifts among us in community together.

  • To prepare ourselves to offer these gifts freely to those who cross our paths, that God may reach those who are ready through our invitation and open sharing.

  • To see the gifts we receive from Christ individually and communally are also the gifts we must learn to freely share and offer to others.

Action Step

  • What abundance have you been given that you could happily share with another?  Go and give it.  Now ask, “what happened, how did God use the event?”  Tell someone else of your experience?  What did you learn about community in faith?

DevotionrebuildingNewOrleansRebuild[2]

Larry came through looking for help with electric bill, back rent and phones turned off.  Talking for a bit about the situation, it became clear that Larry was experiencing fear, anxiety and the sense that there didn’t seem to be anyone who cared about what was happening to him.  He wondered where God was in all this trial and testing?  As we talked I felt very unable to help fix his situation, so quietly and in the spirit of standing with him, I asked “Larry, Can I pray with you?”  To my surprise, he exhaled deeply and said, Oh, would you please!”  We prayed together, first me and then Larry prayed too.  When we finished I asked to introduce him to a friend of mine who might understand what he was going through, he said yes.  I asked if I could look a little bit for a way to find help with his financial issues.  We were able to help him a little financially.  But Larry will tell you that the financial help was not near as important to him as the time, the listening ear, the praying together and the welcome and care of community.

Additional curriculum and ideas

Where might we go to look for opportunities to tell Jesus’ story?  How is the telling of the Good Sam Story also a telling of the Jesus story?  How can life and activity at Good Sam better give us opportunities to share Jesus’ story?  How might we better prepare ourselves to know the gift that Jesus is to us, so that we might invite others to see how Jesus can be a gift to them as well?