Ivy MCR grow group notes; content inspired by Graham Cooke/ Keys to the City
You can grow up with a negative and positive part of your personality. You’ll act out of either –
maybe you’ll be judgemental, fearful, prone to deception, or too self conscious.
OR you can be someone who loves a challenge, a risk taker, trusting, self aware.
Both of these personalities are in us, to a greater or lesser extent.
Jesus wants to bring out all those positives in us.
DISCUSS: Which of these two personalities is usually dominant in you?
Read Mk 827 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples,“Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him,“John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
This is an occasion where Peter got it RIGHT!
DISCUSS: Can you recall the times he got it wrong?
GC: ‘Don’t worry about things you haven’t been able to do perfectly. You learn by failing.’
Why do we find it easier to recall failures than successes?
Jesus was always making I am statements.
So was God the Father.
Because when we have an identity we have to declare that so others know how to relate to that.
Read Exodus 33:12-end
Moses was asking to see the glory of God. God says ‘My goodness will blast you – I’d better just show you my back.”
Then he declares his IDENTITY – God says, ‘I am compassionate. merciful, slow to anger etc…’
DISCUSS: What other words would you want to add to describe God? What’s his identity to you?
Look at Luke 4:16 Jesus came to his home town, stood up to read – and read from the wrong place! Isaiah 61. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
What was he saying? ‘This is how I am known in heaven…’
In John 16, Jesus says ‘It’s better for you if I go away.’ They’re saying, ‘No way.’
Jesus replies, ‘Yes it is – so HE can come!’ Who? The IDENTITY of the Holy Spirit is described:
Here’s how he is known in heaven: He’s going to convict the world of sin and righteousness. He’ll lead us into all truth. He’ll glorify Jesus in us and to us. He’s a comforter and helper.
Discuss: What would you like to be known in heaven for? What are you going to do with this one short life to make a difference?
Luke 1. The angel shows up to talk to Zechariah about how his son John is known in heaven – and he’s not even born yet!
– ‘He’ll be great in the sight of God. He’ll make a way for the Lord.’
When you get a prophetic word, it’s God describing you. God is telling you, ‘This is who you are.’ Then for the next while, everything in your life is training you for who you are. If you get a word that you’re a warrior when you’re a wimp, you’re on a journey now! In the place between prophecy spoken and fulfilled there’s some boldness to walk in now. Every situation is designed to help you become that. AND even if you don’t accept that word, he’s going to do in you.
He also gives us scripture. He loves to tell us who we are from his word. He wants you to have very specific passages that are talking to you about how he sees you.
DISCUSS what passages and words have been spoken to you and resonated recently? Pray that you’ll co-operate to become who you’re known in heaven to be!