Isaiah 6:1-8 (NIV)

⇒ We need to be and in order to see the vision and hear the message of God.

⇒ God wants to have every day two-way conversations with us.

John 10:27 (NIV)

“The best way to start praying, therefore, is actually to stop praying. To pause. To be still. To put down your prayer list and surrender your own personal agenda. To stop talking at God long enough to focus on the wonder of who He actually is. To ‘be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him’.” –Pete Greig, 24/7 Prayer Movement from U.K.

John 5:19 (NIV)

⇒ We should be of our sins.

Q:  This week, will you listen for God’s invitation and bring your full self before Him, and say, “Here am I. Send me.” even if it’s awkward and timid? Receive and respond to the message, trusting in a loving, gracious and holy God.

Theme:  Prayer Works

Reflect Together  

What impacted you the most from last Sunday’s message?

Share Together  

How was prayer a part of your upbringing?

Read and Discuss Together   Isaiah 6:1-8

• Have you ever received an important text message or voicemail that you didn’t respond to? What happened?
  
• What do you think your response would be if you saw a vision like Isaiah did?
  
• Share a time you felt unworthy or ashamed to be with God in prayer.
  

• What keeps you from having an everyday conversation with God?
  

• What might you be afraid of God asking you to do if you reply “Here am I! Send me.”?
  

Pray Together 

Share what God has been doing and how can we pray for one another this week?

John 14:10–14 (NIV)

1 John 5:14 (NIV)

⇒ God wants us to ask specifically because He wants us to His activity.

Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV)

Matthew 6:11 (NIV)

⇒ Prayer beyond just making requests is all about preserving towards a relationship with Jesus.

Luke 11:9–13 (NIV)

John 16:33 (NIV)

Romans 5:3b–5 (NIV)

⇒ Jesus’ accomplishment on the cross and then conquering death became THE to our every prayer.

Matthew 26:38-39  (NIV)

Communion Reflection
Lord, if it’s possible, take this ____________________ from me, but may your will be done in and through me to fulfill your Kingdom.

Theme:  Knocking On Heaven’s Door

Share Together  

What is your first or greatest memory of a prayer being answered? How was it?

Reflect Together  

What impacted you the most from last Sunday’s Message? What action steps you have taken or will take along with the “As in Heaven Prayer Guide?”

Read and Discuss Together   Luke 11:5-13

• What do you think Jesus is trying to convey through the parable of the persistent friend? Why did he keep knocking on the door at midnight? 
  
  
• What is Jesus’ meaning of the nuance of the man who owned the house answers the door not because it was his friend, but because of his “shameless audacity” by affirming the persistence of man to get what he needed?
  
  
• How does this parable relate to the concept of persistence and desperation in our petition to God? Why is persistence important in our prayer life?
  
  
• Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock. What are some practical ways we can apply these principles in our own prayer life and in seeking God’s guidance and prayer through situations? How does persistence mature us?
  
  
• How does this passage reveal God’s character as a loving and generous Father? How does it impact the way we approach God in prayer for what we feel are good gifts over God’s good gifts? 
  
  
• Why is prayer important in the life of a believer? Share a personal experience where prayer had a significant impact on your life.
  
  
• In v.13, Jesus says, “how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” What do you think this means, and how does the Holy Spirit play a role in our prayer life as we grow in Christlikeness?
  
  
• What are some common barriers or obstacles that people face when it comes to prayer, and how can we overcome them especially when we don’t feel like our prayers are being answered in a way we want? 
  
  

Pray Together 

Share how God might answer prayer but also be challenged by the persistence in requests still remaining unanswered and how we can pray for those situations.

This Week’s Prayer Guide: Outward

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor
Josh Lease, Student Ministries Pastor
Katie Hjort, High School Director
Jake Hruza, Young Adults Pastor

Your notes…

James 4:1 (NIV)

Romans 7:15–20 (NIV)

Our souls are conflicted by:

⇒ Unconfessed sin that produces and shame.

Psalm 38:3–4 (NIV)

⇒ The lies that we believe can cause  to creep in.

John 8:44-45 (NIV)

Romans 7:24–25a (NIV)

Today’s Truth: Confession is a cure for the conflicted soul.

⇒ When we come clean by confessing our sin to God, we are .

1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Romans 8:1–2 (NIV)

⇒ When we come clean by confessing our sin to God, we can receive .

James 5:16 (NIV)

Q:  Where is your “safe place and people” where you can share your struggles?

Some practical steps to find safe places and people for Confession:

• Ask: Ask God to guide you to the right people and setting.
• Agree: Make an agreement of confidentiality with that person or group.
• Walk: Walk in relationship with prayer.
• Name it: Confess your specific struggle and sin.
• Setup accountability: A person who can ask you “how are you doing, really?”
• Pray:  Allow others to pray for you for healing.

Theme:   An Epic Battle Within

Reflect Together  

What impacted you the most from last Sunday’s Message and what action steps you have taken or will take along with the “As in Heaven Prayer Guide?”

Share Together  

What was one of the most physically painful things you’ve ever endured? How well did you handle the pain?

Read and Discuss Together  

Psalms 38:3-4

• How do you relate with the writer of this Psalm? How have you experienced a conflicted soul?
  

John 8:44–45

• What lies have you or others believed that have conflicted our soul, even as Christ followers?

  
• Why do you think so many of us allow our souls to be tortured by the things we’ve done and the lies we believe?
  

Proverbs 28:13

• How have you seen unconfessed sin be poisonous to your soul or the soul of another? 

  

1 John 1:9

• What are the results of confession of our sin to God?
  

James 5:16

• Why is it vital to confess our sins not just to God, but also to trusted people?
  
• Review and discuss the above “practical steps to find safe places and people.” What is most helpful from these lists? What would you emphasize or add to provide accountability both to yourself and others?
  

Galatians 5:1

• From what things has Christ set you free? 

  
• What steps will you take to allow Christ to set your soul free this week?
  
• What does the opening phrase, “Our Father in heaven,” reveal about the nature of our relationship with God? How does this address impact your perception of God?
  

Pray Together

Share what God has been doing and also How can we pray for one another this week.

This Week’s Prayer Guide: Inward

Q:  Do you struggle with Prayer?

“If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn’t act the way we want God to, and why I don’t act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge.”  –Philip Yancey Prayer

Matthew 6:9–10 (NIV)

Our Father in heaven:

⇒ Prayer is having a close personal  with our dad.

Hallowed be your name:

“Hallowed” in Greek = hagiazo means “to make holy, purify or consecrate”

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV)

⇒ Prayer entering and enjoying His  fully.

It is the lifting of the heart and the mind to God asking nothing but to enjoy God’s presence. –Book of Common Prayer

 “In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.” –CS Lewis

John 15:15 (NIV)

Your kingdom come, your will be done:

⇒ Prayer is not convincing God to act on our wishes, but us intentionally to his will.

On earth as it is in heaven.

⇒ Prayer is bending our wants to God’s wants and living out those holy intentions so that they become as on earth as they are in heaven.

Q:  How does God need you to change your perspective of praying for His Kingdom to come?

Theme: Thy Kingdom Not My Kingdom

Reflect Together  

What impacted you the most from Sunday’s message?

Share Together  

Where do you find benefit or challenge with being a person of prayer?

Read and Discuss Together   Matthew 6:9-10

• What does the opening phrase, “Our Father in heaven,” reveal about the nature of our relationship with God? How does this address impact your perception of God?
  
• What does it mean to hallow God’s name? How can we practically do this in our daily lives?
  
• How do you interpret the phrase “your kingdom come?” What significance does the concept of God’s kingdom hold in your faith journey?
  
• Discuss the idea of seeking God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven.” What challenges do you face aligning your will with God’s will?
  
• How can prayer help us better understand and accept God’s will in our lives? Share any personal experiences of discerning God’s will through prayer.
  
• In what ways can we actively participate to bring God’s will on earth?
  
• Do you believe that God’s will is always for our ultimate good? Why or why not? How can we trust in God’s plan, even when it may not align with our own desires?
  
• How can we encourage one another to pray more fervently and consistently for God’s will to be done in our lives and in the world?
  
  Pray Together  Share what God has been doing and also How can we pray for one another this week.

This Week’s Prayer Guide: Upward

Your notes:

Your notes:

Your notes:

Your notes:

Matthew 13:44 (NIV) Today’s Kingdom Truth: The value of the treasure is worth every bit of the sacrifice. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) ⇒ The Kingdom of heaven is a boundless and bottomless . Romans 14:17 (NIV) ⇒ The gospel is the gem ever to receive but never ever earned. ⇒ You can’t see what you don’t . Matthew 6:33 (NIV) ⇒ The true treasure lies  abandoning everything else to secure it. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. —Jim Elliot- Martyred Missionary in Equator

Purpose: Summer is a perfect opportunity to flex our schedules and our locations where we can invite people to join us at the beach fire, backyard, or patio to gather as a group, family, or friends and share what God is doing and through us. Share Together: What has been a highlight of your week or this summer season? Read Together: Matthew 13:44-66 Discuss Together What is Jesus’ Kingdom principle or lessons from this parable? How can we take this Kingdom principle and lesson from it that can apply to our lives today? Pray Together: How can we pray for one another to experience His grace and courage to have the grit to live out what Jesus taught? What other prayer requests do we have as a group?

Q: What has been a “key” that you have been entrusted with? Matthew 16:19 (NIV) Today’s Kingdom Truth: Life is a trust that what we do today will matter tomorrow. Matthew 25:14 (NIV) Some keys in living a life of trust: ⇒ Everything we have, even our very lives, is a from God. 1 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT) ⇒ It’s not about what we don’t have but what we do have. Matthew 25:15 (NIV) Q: How do you feel when others succeed or fail? ⇒ Being faithful is about taking a of faith. Matthew 25:16–17 (NIV) Q: When have been entrusted that God is calling you to take a risk with? Matthew 25:24–25 (NIV) Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) ⇒ We eventually will be for what we did or didn’t do with what we were entrusted with. Matthew 25:19–23 (NIV) Q: What do you need to trust God for?

⇒ ANSWER KEY: gift | discovering | risk | accountable Purpose: Summer is a perfect opportunity to flex our schedules and our locations where we can invite people to join us at the beach fire, backyard, or patio to gather as a group, family, or friends and share what God is doing and through us. Share Together: What has been a highlight of your week or this summer season? Read Together: Matthew 25:14-23 Discuss Together What is Jesus’ Kingdom principle or lessons from this parable? How can we take this Kingdom principle and lesson from it that can apply to our lives today? Pray Together: How can we pray for one another to experience His grace and courage to have the grit to live out what Jesus taught? What other prayer requests do we have as a group?

Wendy Powell, Community Outreach Pastor

The Psalms are the Bible’s .

The Psalms are a form of worship that .

When we voice our beliefs out loud together, we remind each other of .

Praying the Psalms together reinforces our as the Church, the people of God.

Psalm 138
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
          before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
          and will praise your name
          for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
          for you have so exalted your solemn decree
          that it surpasses your fame.
When I called, you answered me;
          you greatly emboldened me.
May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
          when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
          for the glory of the LORD is great.
Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
          though lofty, he sees them from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
          you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
          with your right hand you save me.
The LORD will vindicate me;
          your love, LORD, endures forever—
          do not abandon the works of your hands.

The Psalms help us find God .

God’s people have found their own experience of reflected in the Psalms. 

The Psalms help us find God and connect to him—not in spite of but because of in us, to us, and around us. 

Psalm 62:5–12
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
          my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
          he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
          he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
          pour out your hearts to him,
          for God is our refuge.
One thing God has spoken,
          two things I have heard:
          “Power belongs to you, God,
          and with you, Lord, is unfailing love.”  Amen.

Three simple ways to make the Psalms more accessible, more available to you:

1. Read a psalm a day so you become familiar with them.
2. Categorize Psalms by the emotion or situation each describes and start a directory of Psalms so you can easily find one that fits.
3. Daily Prayer Pauses that start with a Psalm.

Praying for someone else from the Psalms
centers our prayers on the solid foundation of .

Small Group Questions

1. What church background, if any, do you have? Was reading Scripture together a part of that church’s services?
2. On a scale of 1 to 4, how would you describe your familiarity with the Psalms?
3. Which phrase or verse from the Psalms above do you resonate with right now? Why?
4. Does anyone in the group have other ideas or resources for reading through the Psalms? If not, which suggestion above would you consider trying for the next 30 days?
5. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Acts 1:9-11 (NIV)

Matthew. 24:36 (NIV)

Matthew 24:3 (NIV)

Matthew 25:1–13 (NIV)

Preparing for His Returning:

⇒ Expect the .

Matthew 25:5 (NIV)

Q: Are you spiritually ready at any given moment for what God may want to do?

Titus 2:13 (NIV)

⇒ You are for you.

Matthew 25:6–9 (NIV)

Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)

⇒ Timing is .

Matthew 25:10-12 (NIV)

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

⇒ ANSWER KEY: unexpected | responsible | everything

Purpose:

Summer is a perfect opportunity to flex our schedules and our locations where we can invite people to join us at the beach fire, backyard, or patio to gather as a group, family, or friends and share what God is doing and through us.

Share Together:

What has been a highlight of your week or this summer season?

Read Together:

Matthew 25:1-13

Discuss Together

• What is Jesus’ Kingdom principle or lessons from this parable?

• How can we take this Kingdom principle and lesson from it that can apply to our lives today?

Pray Together:

How can we pray for one another to experience His grace and courage to have the grit to live out what Jesus taught? What other prayer requests do we have as a group?