LifeGroup Notes

BIG IDEA
This week we learned about the burial of Christ, and as we approach Easter and reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, let us consider the purposes and impacts of His mission that continue to move forward through His indestructible and bountiful life.

Passages we’ll review:
John 12:24-26, Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 4:11-12; Isaiah 43:1-13

OPENING
What stood out to you from the message this week? What led you to really think? Did anything challenge you?

READ
*Read John 12:24-26*

What are some reasons Jesus may have used this metaphor of a wheat kernel to describe His work and His followers?

What has the Lord done in your own life and the lives of those you know through His death and resurrection? What has He freed you from or blessed you with? Be specific.

When Jesus died and was resurrected, we saw a scattering of new life in the form of His disciples, like the scattering of seed onto the ground. They were men and women who knew God, had been forgiven by God, and had been empowered by Him with the new life sown in them, and through them, God did some incredible things. In the book of Acts after Jesus’ resurrection, we see just how much God had changed His people by pouring His Spirit out upon them. He gave them new hearts that wanted to honor Him as well as take care of each other. They also wanted to share the life changing news of the Gospel, and we see that the church went from about a hundred and twenty people to several thousand in a matter of a few weeks.

After the passage in which many thousands come to know the Lord, we read not only about significant numerical change, but about personal and cultural change as well as how God empowers His people to live out the values of His kingdom.

Read Acts 2:42-47

What are some things we see that the Spirit invokes in His people?

How do you think this kind of culture promotes the spreading of God’s kingdom?

Read ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭12

Here, the word “saints” means “God’s holy ones,” and is used to refer to anyone made holy by faith in Christ, referring to any believer.

Who is commonly viewed as doing the bulk of the work in a church?

What is the function of the leadership in the above passage?

What problems can the local church encounter when the pastoral staff are the only ones doing the work of the Lord?

While we should not all officially become teachers (James 3:1), according to the passage we read we all have a responsibility in the kingdom. We will see the fruit of our labor multiply and keep multiplying by the grace of God as we follow Him and He uses our efforts to mold others, who in turn mold others, and so on. We can all have an impact, and we all have a story to share and lives to spend to serve the Lord and people who desperately need Him.

What are some ways we can help make disciples in the church without being in a pastoral or leadership role?

Like the example of the wheat mentioned above, we see that when the Church is completely engaged in the Lord’s work, His wonderful influence will spread and multiply. We see that one life can do so much when a person engages others in God’s power. God wants everyone in His Kingdom to take the life-saving Gospel to the world, as well as to encourage, advise, and serve their fellow believers. When a pastor or church staff are the only ones sharing the Gospel, it is as though we only get only a fraction of what God intends from His people, and you cheat yourself from seeing His glory while making a genuine, long lasting impact in the world. So how are you sowing seeds in faith for the Kingdom?

DIGGING DEEPER

As we read through the Bible, we are constantly reminded that God’s ways are not our ways! He will choose to work through ways that bring Him the most glory and draw others to Him. In Isaiah, the people of Israel had been defeated. They had no land, no Temple, and no power. Yet they served a God who would use a pagan king to rebuild His Temple and restore His people to a land of their own. Even though things seemed hopeless, God assured them that He was at work through it all!
—Editor’s Note

Read Isaiah 43:1-13

What does this passage tell us about God’s character and about His relationship with His people?

What was God’s ultimate purpose in creating us (verse 7)? How can we live out this purpose?

Why does God repeatedly remind His people that they had been redeemed for His own glory? How can knowing your purpose in God help you face challenges this week?

Why did God promise to be with His people during their trials rather than to deliver them from their trials? What impact can this have on us as we face difficult times?

God promised His people that He would be with them during times of adversity. The same is true for those who choose to follow Him. How would you explain what God has done for you to someone who doesn’t know Him? What should be our motivation in witnessing to others of God’s grace in our lives?

We must always remember that we are not to follow Him simply for the ways it benefits us. We are to follow Him because He alone is holy, mighty, and worthy of praise. Regardless of what we encounter in this life, God promises us an eternity with Him! He will use our circumstances to make us more like Him and to fulfill His purposes in and through us! And in all things, He will bring glory to Himself! —Editor’s Note

LET’S PRAY

Consider the following as you pray together:

1. Will the life you’ve been given end when your earthly life is finished, or will you have produced a harvest of new life in the power of the resurrected Jesus?
   

2. Are you making a lasting impact on those around you? How are you sowing seeds for the Kingdom of God?
   

3. What personal obstacles are keeping you from glorifying God with your life? Remember these promises from Isaiah 43 as you allow God to help you overcome them: you belong to the family of God, you are not alone, you have been redeemed, and you are loved by God.