In the Workshop--Lesson 4--Entrusted with Power--John 14 + Various Passages

Discussion Questions:

1.  What is the definition of being human?  Does your definition come from God’s holy plan for you or from the brokenness sin has caused in this world?  Why is it important to see ourselves from God’s perspective of humanness rather than the world’s?

2.  Why do you think the 1st heresy about Jesus was over His being human rather than God (Docetism)?  Does this hold significance for us today?  Do you have any struggles with believing Jesus was completely human, and that He had no advantage over you in respect to dealing with your human flesh? 

3.  Discuss how the miracles Jesus did show that He was from God.  Did the miracles prove Jesus was God?  If so, do the miracles the apostles do prove they are God?  If not, what is the discrepancy, and what do we learn about dependence upon God from this?

4.  How is our apprenticeship and our fulfillment of the “good works which God prepared in advance” (Eph. 2:10) all tied to our level of connection to Him through Jesus?  What are some specific areas in your life that attempt to unplug or loosen your connection to Him?  Are there some things you need to confess and repent so your light will shine and glorify the Father in greater ways?

5.  What does it mean that we will do greater works than Jesus?  How many miracles have you accomplished in your lifetime?  If it is not miracles that are our greater works, what does Jesus mean?  The works of Jesus were to lead us to belief in Jesus and the Father.  What kind of works are present in your life that are leading people to belief in Jesus and the Father?

6.  What does it mean that Jesus offered anticipation, and we offer completion?  How does this enable us to do greater works than Jesus?

7.  What is the beauty of the Holy Spirit being “another Helper”?  How are we at an advantage because of living in the time of the Holy Spirit instead of during the physical presence of Jesus on this earth?

8.  How often are we guilty of not using the power available to us?  What would you like to see accomplished in your life and/or in this church with the power that raised Jesus from the dead?  What hinders that from happening?

In the Workshop--Lesson 3--Jesus is the Template--Various Passages

Discussion Questions:

1.  Why does mankind struggle to trust God and stay close to Him?  Why does God keep seeking to have mankind return to Him? 

2.  Do you agree that sin makes a person less than human?  Why, or why not?  How does Jesus provide more than salvation (redemption & atonement) for this problem?

3.  How do you know what to build in your life to be fit for the Kingdom of God?  What template have you been taught to use?  Why is Jesus a better template than the Bible?  How did Jesus’ time on earth reveal what the image of God should look like in our lives?

4.  How have you seen people adopt ways of the world for building their life that are like swinging a hammer at a nail with a blindfold on?  Why do we fall so often for the world’s ways of doing things?  How are we like the starving pelicans?

5.  Why does God seem different in the Old Testament versus the New Testament?  What is the difference in knowing God based upon Law and knowing Him based upon grace & truth?  Was there any grace & truth in the Law?  Why is it different in Jesus?

6.  If you are being completely honest and vulnerable, what percentage of your life would you say is built upon what Jesus teaches versus the ways of the world?  Why this percent?

7.  What does it mean that Jesus loves us “to the end”?  How do you feel about God stooping to serve you?  If Jesus is your template (and He is), what does this example say about the way you should stoop to serve others, and love them “to the end”?  What responsibilities does this place upon us?

8.  Jesus models dealing with temptation, and He models living by faith. What are some other things He has modeled for you that help you build a life worthy of the Kingdom of God?  How is your life better because of the template He has provided?

In the Workshop--Lesson 2--A Call to Transformation--John 3

Discussion Questions:

1.  What is repentance?  What makes changing difficult to do?  Do you have some areas of your life that you don’t want Jesus messing with?  Why do you suppose God created us where we would need to be changed?

2.  What causes others to be resistant to our changes?  Why does the whole system need to be changed for one to be more capable of changing?  How does this show God’s design for us to be community beings?

3.  Why would Nicodemus struggle with a Jew, and particularly a leader of the Jews, needing to be born again?  How have you struggled with substituting doing more works for letting Jesus change you?   In what ways have we tried to replace repentance and being made new with religious activities?

4.  In what ways have you tried to tack Jesus onto something that is broken instead of being made new?  Why do you think mankind continues to fight against listening to what God says to us instead of surrendering to His wisdom and insight?

5.  How do you think being partially born again effects your ability to see God and His Kingdom?  Why can’t flesh evolve into Spirit?  Does Garden Ridge have some blind spot where we encourage evolving from flesh to Spirit instead of surrender and being made completely new?

6.  What does it mean to be born of water and the Spirit?  How is this a demonstration of us and God working in unison to bring about change in our lives?  How does this concept tie into the importance of becoming apprentices of Jesus?

7.  How is will power, the guidance from the teachings of Scripture, and allowing God’s presence to work in our life all important aspects of changing into what God desires us to be?  How can each of these elements be dangerous if they are misapplied?

8.  How have you seen the Spirit blowing where it wishes and leaving a path like a tornado in your life or the lives of those around you?