Tag: Jesus

How can say we belong to Him when all our longings are for more belongings?

      This is the Ivy Grow Group Notes for this week. I rounded off the Colossians series last night but only spoke on one verse of it so not really much point in me going over that again…   Well what an amazing day yesterday was at Ivy MCR Here are a few highlights from the things I personally witnessed, and I’m sure Ivy Fallowfield was great as always; 1030am service at Kingsway – I had more than a few people come and tell me, ‘We’re getting full again…’ There were some spare seats – but the received wisdom I’ve found to be true is that when your meeting room is 80% full, you’re full! SO… Do we need to hire another screen? When? What’s the answer? Please THANK GOD for growth and PRAY for wisdom and provision. 4pm at Ivy Sharston This service is getting more than 70 people a week already. Emily Bowyer did a great talk on ‘TOUCH’ and then an outbreak of hugging happened! SUCH a great time! . One new first time visitor […]

Ivy MCR GG notes on Colossians 3

Dead and Alive  – Colossians 3   Read Col 3:1-3 If your version starts with ‘If’ in verse 1, I think the versions that start with ‘Since’ make more sense, following the flow of argument from the previous chapter. ‘SINCE you have been raised with Christ…’ Discuss:  You only get raised with Christ if you died with Him first! Do you know or are you aware of anyone who had a ‘near death’ experience, a close shave with death etc (like Fabrice Muamba for instance) and got a second chance at life? Anyone in the GG had that kind of experience personally? How would you live after you experienced such an incident? How might your perspective, priorities and plans change? Read Col 3;1-17 Paul is probably referring to baptism here as a symbolic experience of ‘putting to death’ the old life and passing from death to life. The early church actually gave baptismal candidates a new set of clothes to symbolise the new life they were entering. Discuss:  This is a very dramatic picture If you were baptised as an […]

LOOK BACK WITH WONDER – TO LOOK FORWARD IN FAITH

Notes for Ivy Grow Groups based on my talk to be given Ivy Kingsway 4th November   (Actually it’s officially MOVEMBER and I’m going for it. Will you join my team or sponsor me please at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/4760473 )   Start the night with an online memory quiz like this one http://www.allthetests.com/tests/flipmatch/puzzle.php3 (Or do it with a pack of cards?)   Or even the Christian version!  http://www.biglightgames.com/-bible-games-for-christians/21339/12-apostles-quiz-and-memory-game.html   Who’s your GG Memory champion? READ Joshua 1;6-9 DISCUSS What promises has God given you recently or in the past that you need to remember?   Read Joshua 3:14-17 Discuss: In what ways do we have to sometimes get our feet wet in faith before we see the miracle? Why does God work like that? Read Joshua 4:1-7 All the ‘Memory techniques’ I’ve ever read about all boil down to three simple steps: and I believe you can see them in what God had Joshua do so the people would remember.   1. Concentrate   You have to pay attention. Lots of the time we spend our energy trying to remember what we […]

Matty Hawthorne – What’s the point of church

These notes from Matty’s talk at our new gathering at Ivy Sharston form our discussion notes for this week’s grow groups Church is about people with a purpose It’s not about a building Discuss: Why do people HATE church? One of the worst things Christians have done is make God boring One Internet thread Matty found described Christians as the most judgemental people Read James 2:14-20 Maybe it’s not about being more relevant but more real. We talk as if we have the monopoly on love – but the world wouldn’t agree. We talk as if we have the monopoly on generosity. People love to do good works and give. We should encourage and recognise that. Read Matt 5:14-16 What does ‘shine’ mean to you? The message version says be generous with your lives. It’s not (just) about the money! Discuss What makes a church a church? The Bible word ‘oikos’ we translate in the Bible as household is really a gathering of community, extended family. Is your grow group an oikos? What matters? 3 things Love one another Get […]

We don’t need Divine Rehab but Divine Rescue

CENTER CHURCH – Tim Keller  (Ivy GG notes – much of this material comes from today’s Ivy GG Leaders Day; thanks so much to all who made time to attend and for all you’re doing at ‘the church that meets at your house.’) I have been very inspired as I read Tim Keller’s latest book, Center Church. Check out the video summary at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_ZWlPUmVug I downloaded it on my Kindle and began to highlight in yellow important phrases and concepts as is my usual practice, but there’s so much there it ended with what looks like a Christian version of the Yellow Pages! DISCUSS: Do you read regularly or is that something you find hard to make time for? If so how might you overcome that challenge so you keep on growing? What have you read recently that’s encouraged, inspired or challenged you? I outlined my understanding of what I’d read in the book to our leaders as follows: The ‘model’ of church isn’t what’s most important. We have at one end (D.F.) the DOCTRINAL FOUNDATION. What we believe – and as […]