Acts 4 - Outspoken Communists!

THE WARM-UP:
In what circumstances do you feel bold? Are you naturally bold or shy?

READ Acts 4
Peter and John have had radical life change since their days of walking with Jesus! Remember Peter who ran when the men came for Jesus? Now, he is standing up to the religious leaders of the day! He is telling them with BOLDNESS about Jesus and performing miracles in Jesus’ name! In verse 31, we see that the people who believed in Jesus were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God BOLDLY! When we have God’s Holy Spirit in our lives today, we too are filled with that same Boldness that took Peter from being the man who denied Jesus to being the man who has preached boldly to thousands and seen thousands come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
At the very end of this chapter, we see how the early church lived. They shared everything with each other. They made sure that no one was in need.(vs 34) They sold property and gave all the money to the church which was used to take care of the widows, orphans, handicap etc. (In that day, healthy males and married women would never be considered to be part of the “in need” group.)

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. How are we doing in boldly speaking out about God?
2. How are we doing with looking out for those in need?
3. What is something we as a Home TEAM can do to reach people for the Lord?

Acts 3 Miracles- R -Us

THE WARM-UP:
Have you ever seen a very real miracle – Something that can only be explained by admitting that something supernatural has occurred?

READ Acts Chapter 3
One big thing to notice in this chapter is that after the miracle, God used Peter and John to talk to the people there about Jesus! God doesn’t do miracles just to impress people. He does them to draw people to Him! God did amazing things in the first century, and He continues to do amazing things in this century! Note that it was Peter’s faith, not the faith of the man being healed that was in play when God healed the crippled beggar. (vs. 6) Not only was the man’s useless physical body redeemed, restored and healed completely, but it also opened up the opportunity for Peter to redeem many others from spiritual uselessness through the power of Jesus Christ! He calls on the people to repent! Vs. 19 – “Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” The beginning of Chapter 4 (vs 4) lets us know that a few more thousand people got saved!
Also notice that Peter was talking to his audience. The people he was speaking to were Jews, so he used many scriptures from the Old Testament which that audience would know well. To preach the same sermon in modern day South Carolina might not have the same affect. The message of Jesus doesn’t change, but the method of conveying that message must change to reach a new audience. Peter knew this and we see the results!

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. How do miracles affect the church in this century?
2. Are you ready for thousands of people to get saved and radically changed for the Lord?
3. How do we get ready?

Weird Noises and Crazy Preachers

THE WARM-UP:
Why is it important to get together with other Christians? What are you waiting in anticipation for God to do in your life?

READ Acts Chapter 2
(For the Leader: The gift of Speaking in Tongues has unfortunately been a divisive issue in the modern church. I would like for it not to take over the conversation as we study this section. Here is one point that might make people think, yet stop any division. In Genesis, God confused the languages because of sin at the tower of Babel. In Acts, God is restoring languages through His Holy Spirit, to defeat sin. It is an act of redemption reaching out to multiple peoples instead of just the Jews. Feel free to scripturally answer honest questions, but keep it from becoming a debate.)

The disciples were waiting, just as Jesus had told them to back in Chapter 1 (vs.4). The Holy Spirit shows up, just like Jesus said He would. The emphasis here isn’t on all the signs, but that God gave HIS Spirit to ALL His people to witness and prophesy. The Holy Spirit living in us gives us the boldness to share Jesus Christ with other people; even those people we normally wouldn’t want to talk to. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, people are never brought to faith in Jesus Christ!
Peter, who is most remembered for denying Jesus on the night of His trial, preaches his first sermon. (Vs. 14-41) Having never been to Bible College or Seminary, we can’t be too hard on Peter. His sermon only was able to lead about 3,000 people to the Lord when he gave the altar call. We see the power of the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives to start the church! Imagine a church plant that has 3,000 people show up the first day!
Then in the last part of the chapter, Vs 42-47, we see how all the believers came together to help each other out. They took care of each other in very real and tangible ways. In verses 42 &46, we see that the early church took part in the “breaking of bread”. This can have two distinct meanings. One is communion or the Lord’s Supper. The other meaning is that they ate together just as here in our Home TEAM we connect through eating together. (Leader: Feel free to celebrate the Lord’s supper at the conclusion of this lesson – some good scripture to read for that is 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. How can you apply Peter’s message to your own life?
2. Are we looking out for other believers?
3. Do you know the power of the Holy Spirit?

The End of Jesus? Acts 1

THE WARM-UP:
Have you ever felt abandoned by someone you looked up to? Do you like to wait? Does God ever answer prayers in a way that wasn’t at all what you anticipated?

READ Acts Chapter 1
Acts chapter 1 starts out with the end of the time of Jesus. He has walked with the disciples for three years; He was crucified, died, laid in a grave for three days, rose from the dead and then hung out with the disciples for a while before taking off to heaven to be with His Father again. Now the disciples are left to figure out life without Jesus. They begin by following his directions from verse 4: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait…” They watched Jesus go and then stayed in Jerusalem. Is it hard to wait on God? The disciples thought that Jesus was going to build a kingdom here on earth, but when Jesus left them, they set about continuing with His ministry. How can we continue on with the Ministry that God has empowered us with?(Re-read Acts 1:8) In addition to Jesus no longer walking with them in the physical sense, they dealt with the fact that one of their own, Judas, had committed suicide and was no longer with them. They chose Matthias to replace him. So they got together and took care of business and then began to wait on the Lord to figure out what to do next. Next time we get together, we will dive into some of the incredible miracles that unfold in the book of Acts.

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. Do you ever feel like you are waiting on God?
2. What would you have done in their situation?
3. What does Acts 1:8 mean to you personally?

The Blessed Life: Guaranteed Financial Results

THE WARM-UP:
This is the last lesson in our series on “The Blessed Life”. So we warm up with the question:
Why do we give?

READ John 2:5
The context of this verse is the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine. His mother tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. As soon as we hear God telling us to do something, we should do it! When we give just to give, then God works through our gifts. Remember though, the trap that Satan wants us to fall into is worshiping the blessings rather than the Blessor. When we come to the Lord with a heart to simply Give to Him rather than worrying about what we will receive, the Lord chooses to bless us in great ways! What are some ways that you and your family have been richly blessed by God?

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. Why is God searching for hearts that are completely His?
2. How can you keep from seeking after the blessings that come from God’s hand rather than seeking God’s face?
3. What do I identify as the key to guaranteed financial results?

The Blessed Life: God Rewards Generosity

THE WARM-UP:
Who is the most generous person you know?
Do you think you are a selfish person or a generous person?

READ John 12: 1-8
Was Judas selfish or generous? Did he really want to give the money to the poor? Judas was the money keeper for the disciples. Why do you think Jesus would ask someone to lead in their area of weakness? We are frequently temped in our area of weakness. When we successfully defeat the temptation, God helps us to grow stronger!
We also see in these verses, an act of true outlandish generosity here. Mary doused Jesus’ feet with very, very expensive perfume. A year’s wages for a bottle of perfume seems like a lot of money and it was! She poured it out on Jesus! This is much more than a simple tithe or even a normal offering. She was giving an extravagant offering to Jesus! If you can, give an example from your life, or from the life of someone you know, of a gift to the church or to someone else that fulfilled a specific need unknown to the giver.
Points to Ponder:
• A selfish person will always find good reasons not to be generous.
• Selfishness always looks after self by pointing at someone else.
• Wherever you find generosity, you will find selfishness battling for control
• God wants to help us turn our area of greatest weakness and potential defeat into our area of greatest victory.
• True riches are souls!
• Generosity is extravagant.
• It’s not the amount; it’s the heart.
• God has a purpose for every gift.



THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. Is it harder for selfishness or generosity to have the upper hand in our lives?
2. Think of areas over which you have responsibility…are any of them in areas of weakness?
3. Define these three levels of giving: Tithes, Offerings, Extravagant offerings.

The Blessed Life: Need, Greed or Seed

THE WARM-UP:
Just an interesting point. The two biggest philanthropists in the world are also the two richest men in the world. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Do you think this is just a coincidence? Or do you think God blesses those who bless others? Gates and Buffet don’t claim to be Christians, but they have embraced the idea that God has given us to be generous with their money and help others with what they have been blessed with.

READ 2 Corinthians 9: 6-11
This scripture passage suggests a relationship between sowing seed and bearing the fruit of righteousness. Do you believe our ability to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit is tied to our stewardship?
Some Points to Ponder:
• It all comes down to the heart.
• God is able.
• All grace, abundance and sufficiency are a direct result of sowing bountifully from a cheerful heart.
• It is at the level of sufficiency and abundance that we are all tested.
• Financial growth is a by-product of bountiful sowing.
• You reap after you sow.
• You have to start where you are.
What do these points make you think? Do we often sow sparingly and yet expect God to give us a plentiful harvest?

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
2. Do you want to be rich? What does “rich” mean to you?
3. What does “rich” mean to you?
4. How do you think that fits into God’s plan for your life?

The Blessed Life: God Rewards Good Stewardship

THE WARM-UP:
What is something you absolutely love doing?
If you could do anything in the world, and money was no object, what would it be?

READ 1 Corinthians 3:8 & Hebrews 11:6
We see in these verses that God has given us natural talents and he also gives us spiritual gifts. He rewards those who seek Him. The gifts He gives us are for use in growing His kingdom. What are some of the natural abilities and spiritual gifts that God has given you? Are you using them for His kingdom? Have you ever noticed that poor stewardship can hinder our ability to use our gifts and talents for God? We know that God uses imperfect people all the time to advance His purposes, but can you think of an example from the Old or New Testament in which God uses someone who is financially irresponsible?
Each of us has different talents, but we are responsible for laboring in the area of ministry that God has given us. Look at 1 Corinthians 3:8 again. “Each is rewarded according to his own labor.” Notice that no one is rewarded for the talent God gave them; they are rewarded for what they do with that talent. We must be responsible with what God has given us.

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:

1. Is it possible to be financially irresponsible in our giving to God?
2. Does today’s lesson change your views of good stewardship any?
3. Are you earnestly seeking God?

The Blessed Life: The Gift of Giving

THE WARM-UP:
How do you respond when you feel like people are taking advantage of you? Have you ever known someone who seemed to have a gift of giving?

READ Romans 12:6-8
Verse 8 talks about people who have the gift of giving generously. Do you think this gift of giving is only talking about financial gifts or is it broader than that? Each of the gifts mentioned are things that we can do well and as unto God. Whether your gift is prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, or showing mercy…we are called to use our gifts. In this series on “The Blessed Life” we are mostly focusing on scripture as it relates to money and blessings. How could each of these areas of gifting be a blessing to both the giver and the receiver? Sometimes we are tempted to see some areas of gifting as “more spiritual” than other areas. God wants us to work in the gifts He has enabled us with and not covet the gifts of others. Those who have a gift of giving are not always rich. Many are middle class or poor, but have a way of knowing when others are in need and have a passion to help them. If God is laying on your heart to help others through giving, it can be a rewarding experience when you obediently follow his plan.

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:

1. Who is the most giving person you know?
2. Would you want your children to have the gift of giving?
3. What gifts to you feel that you have?

Community

Michael McKinney, author of a blog called "Leading Blog: Building a Community of Leaders" recently wrote:
"Earlier in my career I was an executive recruiter, and what always
struck me is just how lonely these men and women were. Not Tom Hanks
on a desert island lonely – these people were surrounded by people
clamoring for their attention. Rather, they were lonely in the sense
that they rarely if ever could find a safe place to collaborate with
peers around real problems."
Doesn't that sound like a lot of people in our community? It isn't only powerful executives who are lonely in the midst of many people. Look around you. People are lonely! If your Home TEAM is a friendly place where people are getting to know each other in great Christian community, then invite others to join with you! Lots of lonely people would love a place where they can get together and have a safe environment in which to share their dreams, triumphs, failures and shortcomings. A place where they can grow together with others and in their relationship with Jesus Christ!

The Blessed Life: Do the Right Thing

THE WARM-UP:
What is most valuable to you and where is it?

READ Matthew 6:21
“For where your Treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This simple verse only has eleven words, but the truth behind those words is astounding! It is often said that the last things a person relinquishes control of when they give their lives to the Lord is the tongue and the wallet/purse. This week, we are talking about attitude. When God asks us to be obedient is that hard to do? When our attitude is right, we will instantly obey the promptings and commands of God. In marriage counseling, couples are often told to act like they love each other, trusting that the true feelings will eventually follow. Can we use this same advice toward use of our treasure? If we begin to put our treasure where God wants us to, won’t our heart soon follow?
We store up treasure in heaven through the work we do here on Earth. Once we have died, it is to late to give to the poor, help a neighbor, pay a tithe, say a kind word, give a hungry person some food…We must take care of our treasure while we are here on earth. The question we ask is, what is our treasure?

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:

1. Can you give an example when God tested your obedience? What was the outcome?
2. Have you ever considered the idea of being “financially obedient”?
3. How can we make sure our heart is in the right place?

The Blessed Life: Heart Transplant

THE WARM-UP:
Is it better to give or to receive? Why do we have fences and alarm systems or even door locks?

READ Deuteronomy 5:29, Deuteronomy 15: 9-10 &14-15, Proverbs 16:2, Luke 6:38 & James 4:3
In the second part of James 4:3 God tells us that we don’t get what we ask for because we ask with wrong motives. Those wrong motives are so that we can spend what we are given on our own pleasures. We all like certain things, and we all have needs. God promises to care for our needs! When He gives to us beyond our needs, He expects us to share with others. Our attitudes toward possessions have a powerful ability to expose the true nature of our hearts. One key to having right motives is to renew our minds and to understand that selfish thoughts are more than just unkind; they are wicked. (Deut15:9) Think about a time when you lost some money. Maybe it was in the stock market, or a misplaced wallet or you made a bad purchase. What did that experience tell you about the importance of money in your life? Some people, have something similar to buyer’s remorse. We will call it “giver’s remorse”. If we give with expectations that God or the people we give to are going to act in a certain way, and then they don’t do what we expected, we are likely to experience “giver’s remorse”. That is why we must give with a cheerful heart and no strings attached.


THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. What is something you can do in advance of making a gift or offering to prevent “giver’s remorse”?
2. What are ways to make sure we are giving with right motives?
3. Now that we are halfway through this series, do you have any testimonies of how God has made changes in your life?

Small Group of One!

This is just a funny video about a Small Group of ONE! Enjoy!

The Blessed Life: Breaking the Spirit of Mammon

THE WARM-UP:
Stocks are down, unemployment is up, and cars break down…What is your reaction to these situations? When these kind of financial setbacks occur, how can we look to God rather than men for provision?

READ Deuteronomy 8:18 & Matthew 6:24
Points to Ponder –
• The spirit of mammon says, “You don’t need God. Trust in riches.”
• Greed, covetousness and selfishness are all manifestations of the spirit of mammon.
• Sprit-led giving simultaneously diminishes Satan’s kingdom and makes us more like our heavenly Father.
• Giving is not a get-rich-quick scheme; it is a lay-down-your-life challenge.
• The spirit of pride says, “Wealth comes from hard work.” The spirit of poverty says, “Wealth comes from the devil.”
Mammon tells us that money is the answer to every problem. We often hear about “throwing money” at a problem to indicate that money can be the easy solution but not always the best solution.

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. Can you think of examples when making more money available has led to disappointing results?
2. Are there aspects about money that make you afraid? What are they?
3. Would you continue to give tithes and offerings even if the only reward is your salvation through Jesus Christ?

Our Home TEAMS!

Last night, I was at one of our Home TEAMs and had a wonderful time! The people there were sharing in real community the way we hope it gets done in all the Home TEAMs! It was good to see the group planning how to reach out beyond the walls of their Home TEAM in much the same way 5 Point Fellowship as a church is attempting to reach out beyond the walls of our congregation! As our Home TEAM ministry grows, it can be tempting to hang out with "our group"! After all, we have invested time and energy in those people and they are now our friends. Don't forget that once you were strangers too! Reach out to include others in your Home TEAM. A while back, I mentioned the idea of "Operation Lunch". It was a simple idea, ask someone/a couple/family that you don't know to join you for lunch after church. Also invite someone who is active in your Home TEAM. That way, when later, you invite that person to Home TEAM, they aren't just showing up at someones house to meet a bunch of people that they don't know...they are seeing friends they already have a connection with. That is what Home TEAMs are all about; building connections. Have an Awesome week!

The Blessed Life: Principle of Multiplication

THE WARM-UP:
Do you ever try to figure out in advance how God is going to provide for you? Can you give an example of how God provided for you and it wasn’t at all how you thought He was going to do it?

READ Luke 9:12-17
Points to Ponder:
• Something must be blessed before it can multiply
• Only what is given away can multiply
Notice in this scripture passage that Jesus prayed over the loaves and fish, but it wasn’t until the disciples began giving the food away that the miracle takes place. They kept giving and giving, and everyone was fed. If the disciples had tried to hoard the food and not give it away, the great miracle would never have happened.
“Worry” is what we do when we try to figure out on our own how God will take care of a problem in our life. He is ultimately in control of our life, so shouldn’t we trust Him to look out for us and give us what He believes is best for us? Most people find God when they realize that doing things their way only lead down a path toward destruction and misery. It is only through doing things God’s way that we find peace, joy and fulfillment in life. God’s way is to give of ourselves to others. When we give away our time, money, possessions, He promises to take care of us and to bless us just like He blessed the disciples when they gave away the loaves and fish. Note that they then collected many baskets full of “leftover” fish and bread.

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. Why do you think people worry?
2. What are things that keep us from trusting God?
3. Can you think of a time when you gave something away and then God blessed you?

A Letter that made me cry and made me proud of you guys!

The following is a letter that was sent to the church this week. The author of the letter doesn't go to 5 Point, but here is what she had to say.

Dear Pastor Dean,

Enclosed is a memorial gift to 5 Point Fellowship in memory of my sister __________. Thank YOU - AND the BODY OF BELIEVERS that make up your fellowship - for being Christ to ______________. Through _____________________ many struggles in life, she always seemed to be trying to hang on to God - she KNEW that was important. But I do not believe she experienced the TRUTH to often that GOD was hanging on to HER!!! That is, until she found the love and acceptance at 5 Point that showed her the reality that God had redeemed her and made her his own - May God richly bless your faithfulness in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to ALL people

In Him,
______________

I have deleted the names for privacy reasons, but those of you who knew this woman's sister will know. Thanks so much for all you did in the Home TEAM ministry to show the love of Christ to ALL people! Without the great Home TEAM leaders and members, people wouldn't be touched in this way. Thanks for all you guys do!

The Blessed Life: Life, Not Law

THE WARM-UP:
What are your thoughts about ownership? Can we truly own anything?

READ Matthew 6
Here are a few thoughts to ponder after having read Matthew chapter 6.
• We need to acknowledge that we are stewards, not owners
• Tithing blesses God; and in return, He blesses the one who tithes, creating an upward cycle of blessing.
• True tithing comes from the heart – not from a legalistic mind.
• Tithing is not law – it is life.
• The devourer is rebuked!
• The righteousness of grace always exceeds the righteousness of the law.
While through this whole series on “The Blessed Life”, we emphasize the importance of giving to God first and giving to others, we learn here that it is useless to do so if our heart isn’t in it. Giving grudgingly or because it is what is expected isn’t what God wants from us. In 1 Corinthians 13:3, Paul tells us that even if we give everything to the poor but have no love, it profits us nothing.

THE TEAM WORK-OUT:
1. What are some ways God has blessed you?
2. What are some things our church could do if everyone were to tithe and give?
3. Why do you think we are held to a higher standard under grace than under the law?

Stuffing Eggs

With real eggs, they come pre-stuffed by the chicken. We thought it would be a bit messy to drop a half million real eggs from a hot air balloon, so we decided to use plastic eggs. You have heard/read from Dean, Tim, and I on our blogs and in person that we need lots of plastic eggs. Well, we still need more, but we also need a piece of candy put in each egg and the seam taped up so that it doesn't explode when it hits the ground. Yesterday, three ladies came in and volunteered to stuff eggs. They worked hard, but three people can't stuff 500,000 eggs between now and April 4th...so we need help. I am encouraging our Home TEAMs to find a time when the whole TEAM can come in and work on stuffing eggs together. Saturday the 14th of March, we as a church are planning to stuff eggs. The more the merrier! Ann is taking care of Volunteer coordination, so feel free to call her at the church to set up a time when your TEAM can volunteer.

Home TEAM Report - Finley Home TEAM

Last night, I went to the Home TEAM at the Finley's house! It was a great time for all! Good food, great fellowship, and Ann led a wonderful, biblically sound discussion. One point that she stressed that I want each Home TEAM Leader to work with even if you are using a separate curriculum is: Get your Home TEAM involved in some area of ministry serving outside the group, and preferably outside the church as well. We should all be serving in our church, but the point here is to look for a way to serve the community. Volunteering together at one of the other missions in the Picken's county area is a great way to build a group identity and strengthen the bonds between Home TEAM members. There were lots of great ideas at the Finley Home TEAM last night, and I expect many more great ideas to come as we all get involved in sharing the love of Jesus Christ with others!