Ethos Devotional Final 3 - westwoodgroups.com · ETHOS The Environments of Westwood Study &...

ETHOS The Environments of Westwood

Study & Devotional Guide

A booklet designed to guide your personal daily devotionals in preparation for your weekly

small group meeting.

By Jay Gordon Pastor of Small Groups

Schedule

Monday, August 6 Devotional Lessons Begin Sunday, August 12 ETHOS INTRODUCTION LESSON Sunday, August 19 CONNECT WITH GOD Sunday, August 26 GROW WITH BELIEVERS ABS Class Connections Sunday morning Just hop in. Visit www.WestwoodGroups.com or grab a ClassFinder brochure!

Connection Event in Room 213 at 6:00 PM for New Home Groups Join us for this if you’d like to be a part of a Home Group.

Sunday, Sept. 2 SERVE IN THE CHURCH Sunday, Sept. 9 LIVE ON MISSION Sunday, Sept. 16 FULLY OBEDIENT & MAPPING SPIRITUAL GROWTH Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version (NIV) (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.

About This Guide

• Although I’ve written teaching procedures many times, this is my first attempt at writing a Study Guide. I trust that if my thoughts don’t connect with yours, or if I’ve made some great blunder, that at least a look into the Scripture will of valuable!

• The Scriptures referenced in this Study Guide will often be the same verses used during the small group study time and possibly during worship.

• This Study Guide often mentions small groups. The Small Groups Ministry at Westwood includes both on-campus Sunday morning classes, ABS Groups, and our meet-anytime Home Groups.

• The intent of this Study Guide is to help you prepare for weekly small group study. Therefore, your small group lesson and worship will finalize a week of study before moving to the next topic.

• The Study Guide is designed to get you into specific Scriptures regarding our environments and to guide you in a process of interacting with the Word of God. It will not be an in-depth Bible study, but an introduction to each of the environments. You’ll have the opportunity to record your thoughts. You’ll also be asked some questions just to help you to think through the passage.

• Also, for many of you, we hope to help you get into the habit of a personal, daily devotional time. Let it become a lifelong habit to promote your connection with God and your spiritual maturity. After this study, pick a book and read a chapter a day or pick up some other study with daily assignments. Ask someone in your small group to keep you accountable for continuing to have a daily time with God.

• We strongly recommend you find an adult small group for maximum benefit of this study. Spiritual growth occurs more readily as we give and take in the environment of a small group of believers. We give by sharing what God is doing in our lives and we take when we hear what God is doing in the lives of others. Also, there is something about sharing with others that helps us clarify and solidify what God is speaking to us. It’s almost like pouring fertilizer on our spiritual growth. So, bring something to share that God is doing in your life!

• Prepare an area where you will have your daily devotion. Have a pen and notebook handy.

• When I’m teaching a class, sometimes no one answers a question. It usually breaks the ice to say, “That’s not a rhetorical question!” I want to let you know that when there are no blanks provided, it actually is a rhetorical question. Just give it some thought!

Week 1 Overview Introduction to Ethos August 6-12 Daily Study Completion

� Monday � Tuesday � Wednesday � Thursday � Friday � Saturday � Small Group � Worship attendance

Weekly Memory Verse

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 Prayer Time

• Pray for the church staff as they seek to lead Westwood to be a church that produces mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

• Pray for members of your small group that they will each experience spiritual growth during this study. Write the names of five people here.

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

• Pray that God will speak to you during this study and that you will be obedient to His word.

• Other needs in your life:

What on earth is ethos? Monday, August 6 What on earth is ethos? And why would our church choose to do a study on a word that’s not even in our vocabulary? As you’ll see in the definition, we don’t have a single word that expresses the meaning accurately, but hopefully by the end of this study we will have used enough words that we all clearly understand. Ethos is a word of Greek origin that means “the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group or institution”. The phrase guiding beliefs is probably most relevant to the church. Another definition includes the words “fundamental values”, and yet another “the fundamental and distinctive character of a group… typically expressed in attitudes, habits, and beliefs.” Today we will begin by looking at the Ethos of two separate cultures. Read Daniel chapter 1, and jot down a few thoughts about the differences in the culture and ethos of the Babylonian society versus that of the Jewish society. _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ What do you think is the source of ethos for a culture? _____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ What are the things that have shaped your values, attitudes, habits and beliefs? List some of these below. ______________________ ______________________ _______________ ______________________ ______________________ _______________ As we reflect on the story of Daniel, let’s explore the basis of what we believe about church. Many people confuse tradition with the Bible. We should always do things the same way if the Bible prescribes it, but we must be careful to evaluate our values and habits against Scripture! Is the ethos of the church exactly as God would have it? Do some things need to be valued more than in the past? How would you do if faced with an ethos challenge like Daniel? Would you have the strength of Daniel and his colleagues?

New Testament Ethos Tuesday, August 7 Today let’s look at the culture or ethos of Westwood. What is it now? What should it be? If you had to tell someone what it means to be a member of Westwood, what would you say? Is it attending on Sunday mornings, reading the Bible two hours a day or what? Jot some notes. _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Unfortunately, the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what the church of the twenty-first century is supposed to look like. Our best glimpses of the New Testament Church are found in Acts 2. Read Acts 2:42-47 and list some of the components of church life that you see there. Yes, there are lots of blanks! ____________________________________ ________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ Which of these traits do you see lacking in the church today? _________________________________________________________________________ Which of these traits do you think the church has retained the best? _________________________________________________________________________ The goal of this study and of composing the four environments for Westwood is that we help believers to be equipping to successfully live the Christian life and that the church look more and more like the Acts 2 model. We want to create an ethos at Westwood that is very distinct from the world.

Choosing a Pattern Wednesday, August 8 Today we look at this week’s memory verse, Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will.” This verse and the one before it is so packed with truth that we could spend the rest of the series here. Let’s take some time to think on each portion of the verse. First of all, what is the pattern of this world that we are not to conform to? What comes to your mind? _____________________________________________________________________ How successful are you at being a non-conformist? How much pressure do you feel to conform? The verse tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That leads us to think about how we were formed (the old way). How did we get in the state that we were in? How does an entire culture get into the state it is in? List some factors that were an influence on the old you, the you that God is telling you to be transformed from? __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Some or all of these things need to be left behind or dealt with in different ways. Now, how can we renew our minds? Do you realize that thoughts come before feelings or actions? Therefore, how we think is very important. Read Philippians 4:8 and see what it says about how to renew the mind. What are some ways we can be the boss of our thoughts? _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Can you think of some situations in which the things that you have allowed your mind to think have led you to wrong actions? We are the boss of our thought-life. We can’t keep a bird from flying over our head, but we can keep him from building a nest in our hair! Let’s make the thought choices that honor God.

The Importance of Example Thursday, August 9 Let’s begin today by looking back at the Acts 2 ethos from two days ago. As you look over the list, what items do you believe most need to be in our church ethos? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Read Titus 2:7-8 and summarize the verse here. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Some preachers have said jokingly that they are afraid to put new believers in the church today because they will be taught how to be a Christian by seeing how Christians in the church act. Unfortunately there is some truth to this. What behaviors do you see in the church today that certainly don’t need to be passed on to the next spiritual generation? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Do you think we actually ruin new believers when we bring them into the church? Looking back to the first question of today, how are you doing at setting the example for those behaviors? In your opinion, what are the best ways for a godly Christian culture or ethos to be established in the church?

A Look at Process Friday, August 10 The Westwood staff has been looking this past year at how we can set up an assembly line as God commanded. Do you know which verse tells us we are to set up an assembly line? Maybe an assembly line is a stretch, but let’s look at the Great Commission one more time, trying to ignore the typical missions emphasis, it reads like this: “Make disciples… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20) Wow, that is certainly a new twist and helps bring out the truth that the church is to be about making disciples. Have you ever wondered just how the church, and believers, are to be about making disciples? It seems that far too long the church has been content with doing the same things year after year, decade after decade, and not being overly concerned about looking at the product the church is producing. Could that be why modern statistics tell us that the divorce rates, and many other measurements, show that there is little difference in the Christian community and the culture as a whole? A major purpose of the Ethos series is to look for a simple plan that will help us to define discipleship, to help the church know what to do and how to do it, and to help believers evaluate their lives and to establish a road map for becoming a mature disciple. We realize that no plan is perfect, but surely if God has given us a command He would be pleased with us giving significant energy in discovering how to fulfill that command. What is a process? It is a plan to get from point A to point B. Ford has a plan for making cars. Wendy’s has a plan for making hamburgers. Why shouldn’t the church have a plan for making disciples? What processes can you name from the Bible? Do you see any places a higher plan seemed to be in place? (Some answers will be provided in your small group this week.) __________________________________________________________________________ Brainstorm your own discipleship. What factors have helped you to grow as a believer that you believe should be a part of a plan for spiritual growth? __________________________________________________________________________ What Bible verse do you know that gives us a formula for growth? __________________________________________________________________________

Simplicity Saturday, August 11 As your church staff has prayed and planned this year, one book that we studied together was Simple Church, by Eric Geiger and Thom Rainer. In the book which researched churches that were considered highly successful disciple-makers according a number of measurable components, a couple of truths seemed to surface: 1. Highly successful churches have a similar thread: easy, understandable process. 2. Most churches do so many things that the disciple-making process is hard to see. So, now we’d like to introduce you to Westwood’s process for spiritual maturity. It is a process that involves steps, but the mature Christian is going to have all of these components evident in his or her life. As one advances in spiritual maturity, he is going to desire to walk through these steps, holding on to each as he acquires the next step. In that way it is easy to think of them as environments. It is our belief that Scripture leads us to live in all four environments simultaneously. Read the verses with each step and record a summary of the passage: Connect with God Psalm 95:6 ________________________________________________________________ Grow with Believers Hebrews 10:24-25 __________________________________________________________ Serve in the Church 1 Peter 4:10 _______________________________________________________________ Live on Mission 2 Cor. 5:18-20 ______________________________________________________________ At the end of the series, you’ll have the opportunity to take an evaluation to help measure your maturity according to this process. What are your initial thoughts about where you are strong or weak? __________________________________________________________________ Please be in prayer about areas that show a need for growth.

Small Group and Sermon Notes Sunday, August 12

Week 2 Overview Connect with God August 13-19 Daily Study Completion


Weekly Memory Verse

I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word. Psalm 119:16 Prayer Time

• Pray for Westwood’s worship leaders and praise team as they seek to help us connect with God each week.

• Pray that God will help you be diligent in finding personal devotional time for this study.

• Pray for needs mentioned during your small group this week.

• Pray that God will speak to you during this study and that you will be obedient to his word.


The Basis of Connection Monday, August 13 Connect with God? What do we mean by that? Are we going to talk about evangelism and the initial connection or are we going to talk about worship and the ongoing connection with God? Those are good questions, because the phrase “connect with God” can be unclear. But in this step we are going to talk about the worship connection and how we weekly, daily, hourly and even constantly stay connected with God. But we really can’t launch into this section without talking a little about salvation, which is the basis of any type of ongoing connection with God. We’ll actually speak about evangelism some during the final step of the process, but that will be from the perspective of believers actually doing it. Having become a Christ-follower is a prerequisite to this step like having access to a car is to driving. You just can’t connect with God if you don’t have the means to do so. Now may be a great time to evaluate that true basis for worship. Many have found eternal life during a time of life evaluation. The true basis for worship is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We must first know that we are sinners and deserve the eternal separation from God to which we are destined without Christ (Romans 3:23). We must realize that man cannot work his way to God by being good (Galatians 2:16), therefore God had to reach out to man. He did this by coming to earth in the form of Jesus Christ and dying on the cross to pay the price for our sin (Romans 5:8). When we turn from our sin (Acts 3:19) and accept the work of Christ personally (John 1:12), we enter a personal, faith relationship with God. It is this relationship that gives us the basis for true worship, for when we have received eternal life in Christ, we are living life according to God’s plan. If you have never entered this relationship, review the verses mentioned above to have a full understanding from God’s own words. Then, it may be helpful to express your decision to God in a prayer similar to this: “Dear God, I realize that I have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. I know that I can’t

work my way to heaven, but I’m dependent on the work Your Son, Jesus, did for me on the cross. Therefore, I accept eternal life through Christ. I want to turn from my sin and to follow Your plan for my life. Please help me to follow You faithfully. Thank you for saving me! Amen”

Now you are ready to worship! If you said this prayer for the first time, or for the first time with real understanding and intent, please do a couple of things. First, sign your name beneath the prayer and date it if you are not reading on the assigned day. Secondly, tell someone in your family and someone at church what you have done. You will want to follow Christ by being baptized.

What is Worship? Tuesday, August 14 What exactly is worship? How would you define it? _________________________________ Sometimes we talk about a boy worshipping a girl. Our first thoughts on the spiritual plane are of church worship on Sunday. Yet we’ve heard sermons about how we worship God with the way we live our lives. So what is the most accurate view of worship as regards to our relationship with God? The word literally means “to show worthiness”. One picture of worship in the Bible is found in Isaiah 6:1-4. Read that passage and use the space below to write some words that describe the overall setting pictured in Isaiah’s vision of heaven. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ From that setting, it’s easy to see a picture of the “worthiness” of God which defines true worship. How would you feel if you were Isaiah standing before the throne of God? ___________________________________________________________________________ What picture do you have in your mind of God when you think of Him? Is it something like this or some other picture, maybe an old man, or maybe one of the characters in the recent movies Bruce Almighty or Evan Almighty? ___________________________________________________________________________ When you come before God on Sunday morning in worship, what hindrances do you face? What invades your mind to keep you from seeing God and connecting with God? ___________________________________________________________________________ Use the blanks below to describe a pinnacle moment of worship in your life. It may have been seeing the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, experiencing worship and the beauty of a newborn baby, or maybe it was in a Sunday morning worship when God was really so close to you that you could almost touch Him. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

What Jesus had to say about Worship Wednesday, August 15 Sometimes we focus entirely too much on the externals: the place, the time, the type of music being played, and we focus too little on the internals: our attitude, our heart and our thoughts. Jesus sought to communicate this truth with a woman at a well. Read John 4:5-29. Record below some truths about worship from Jesus’ words. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Although worship is a secondary issue to this dialogue, whenever Jesus speaks on an issue His followers should listen and learn. We are following the example taught in the old E.F. Hutton commercials. What principles do we draw from looking at Jesus’ words about worship? Do you draw anything from these truths that challenges your present practice? How about where we worship? Do you only worship on Sunday mornings? Anything else that challenges you? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ This passage is so rich with truth. It is almost humorous how Jesus reveals Himself to this woman through the dialogue and through His revelation about her life. But that is how it often is in our life. Worship seems to be the time when we most see who God is and we most see who we are. He is holy, we are sinful. It seems illogical that some of the times of sincere worship are when we are dealing with the reality of our sin. Have you had any such times when you really realized the vast distance between you and God, yet He seemed right there with you? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ More on this tomorrow.

Dealing with Sin Thursday, August 16 As we finished yesterday, we were looking at times when God reveals our sin and how worship is sweet when we “come clean” before God. One of the struggles of the Christian life is dealing with sin. We are set free from the bondage of sin when Christ saves us, but we will battle the flesh until arriving in heaven. As believers, to maintain our spirit of worship, we must stay close and clean. Please read 1 John 1:9 - 2:1 and summarize this passage below. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ How does it make you feel to have One who speaks in our defense? Read also Psalm 103:8-14 How does verse 8 describe God? ________________________________________________ How great is His love for us? ___________________________________________________ How far has He removed our transgressions? ______________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ How awesome as well that the passage ends by saying that God knows how we were formed. 1 John 3:9 says that if we are born of God, we will not continue in sin. For many reasons we should seek to live as holy as possible. But it is good to know that because of Jesus death, God sees us as spotless. For this reason, it is very important to take time every day to confess your sin and to make plans for success the next time you encounter the situation in which the failure occurred. Take a few minutes and think through the last day or two. Confess the failures that come to mind, ask God to show you ways to honor Him next time you are in the situation, and accept God’s forgiveness for the confessed sin.

More Plans for Success Friday, August 17 Christianity is about relationship, religion is about rules. That’s not to say that rules are unimportant. They don’t save us. Our relationship with Christ is the source of our salvation. But knowing the expectations are important to any relationship. Psalm 119 offers a glimpse of the psalmist talking to God about obedience and about how to be successful in this area of his life. As described earlier, sometimes we make no plans regarding our spiritual lives, but just trust everything to fall into place by itself. We should recognize that if something is worth doing, it deserves the effort to do it right. Read Psalm 119:1-18. Record some tips for success below. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ To live the life of a Christ-follower successfully, we need to focus on God’s word. We should read it, meditate on it, memorize it, and share it with others. Verse 4 talks about the precepts or guidelines that God has given. To what degree are God’s words to be obeyed? ______________________ Verse 9 tells us that a young man can remain pure by living according to God’s word. How can we know the word unless we spend time reading and studying? How are you in that area of discipleship? How many days a week do you open God’s word and study? Verse 11 says that the psalmist has hidden God’s word in his heart. I know, you are too old to memorize anything. That is for children. As adults we can memorize the things that are important to us. It probably just takes more effort because our lives and our minds are much more crowded than those of a child. But didn’t Jesus remind us to come to Him like children? What plans are you willing to make to plan on obedience to God. Spending time in His word is Plan A for success. As you do, pray verse 18… “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.” I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word. Psalm 119:16

Lip Service Saturday, August 18 We have all heard the story about the little boy whose dad made him sit down when he didn’t want to. The little boy said, “I’ll sit down, but I’m standing up on the inside.” What goes on inside us with our attitude is important. In fact, that’s much more important than what is on the outside. Before you challenge that statement, give some thought to the fact that our actions usually flow from our heart. Therefore we should make sure our heart is right, and then the right actions will follow. Let’s see what Matthew 15:8-9 has to say about that. Read that passage and diagnose the problem below. _____________________________________________________________________ We see that sometimes the outside appearance is right and the inside is wrong. This occurs when we want to appear right before people, but have little concern about our appearance before God, because He sees the heart. Can you think of some situations when you have seen this in others? _____________________________________________________________________ Probably a lot of the times we don’t know people’s motives, but sometimes we get a glimpse into them. Now how about you. What are some times that you have looked right on the outside, maybe saying the right things, but your heart was far from God? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ It is sometimes said that we worship God by the way we live our lives. This statement is very true, but true worship cannot happen when our heart and our lips are on a different page. But when we get both together, worship is on a different level. Certainly we don’t want our worship to be in vain.

Week 3 Overview Grow with Believers August 20-26 Daily Study Completion


Weekly Memory Verse

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16 Prayer Time

• Pray for people in Westwood who are not yet in a small group. Ask the Holy Spirit to impress on them the need to be involved with others for spiritual encouragement.

• Pray for needs mentioned during your small group study this week.

• Pray for yourself, that you would be open to new levels of vulnerability and accountability in order to help your spiritual growth.



The “One Anothers” of the Bible Monday, August 20 Many years ago a pastor of mine did an entire sermon series on the “one anothers” of the Bible. It is absolutely amazing how many times God’s word talks about how we treat one another (or each other). We can learn a lot about relationships within the body of Christ by looking at just a portion of these verses. Let’s just proclaim today a Bible drill day and see what we can learn from these passages. Write a brief summary of each. I’ve saved my favorite few for later in the week. Prov. 14:12 ______________________________________________________________ Rom. 1:12 ______________________________________________________________ Gal. 5:13 ______________________________________________________________ Eph 4:2 ______________________________________________________________ Eph. 4:32 ______________________________________________________________ Col. 3:13 ______________________________________________________________ Heb 3:13 ______________________________________________________________ James 4:11 ______________________________________________________________ 1 Pet. 3:8 ______________________________________________________________ 1 Pet. 5:5 ______________________________________________________________ 1 John 3:11 ______________________________________________________________ James 5:9 ______________________________________________________________ 1 Thess 5:11 ______________________________________________________________ Col. 3:13 ______________________________________________________________ Gal. 6:2 ______________________________________________________________ Phil 2:3-5 ______________________________________________________________ Let’s love and encourage one another!

Don’t Neglect It! Tuesday, August 21 When small groups are discussed, one of my favorite passages is Hebrews 10:24-25. I like the verse because we usually quote it for one so very obvious reason that we don’t take time to look at what is around it. Read that passage now and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Write below the reason you most often hear this verse quoted. ___________________________________________________________________________ If you are like me, you’ve heard this verse quoted a million times to those who say, “I can worship God just as well on the lake or on the golf course.” Sometimes when we come to a verse so familiar, we just skim over it, almost thinking, “I know, I know!” But what was really interesting to me one day as I read is that we are told the reason we need to be in church! It is for encouragement. Now let’s pursue another thought here. We often quote this verse with worship attendance in mind. That’s what we think of first when we read “meeting together”. Both before and after the meet together part, we are instructed to “spur one another on” and to “encourage one another”. How much of that encouraging one another goes on during worship services? Of course the New Testament church, often meeting in homes, probably looked a lot more like our small groups do today. Our current worship environment is designed to be interactive, but much more so with God than with one another. Therefore, to be obedient to this verse to meet together for encouragement and spurring, that is going to be in an interactive, small group environment! (I know some of you think you get plenty of spurring at home!) It is my hope that as you read this, you will realize that this really is God’s plan for helping believers walk in faithfulness and obedience. God designed us, so He knows what we need. It is also my hope that you will decide to be obedient to God in this area of your life and get involved in a regularly meeting group for this purpose. For those of you already in a group, I hope you will ask yourself, “Is this occurring in my group?” If not, maybe your small group isn’t small any more! Maybe the size or different people there from week to week cause people to remain distant. You may want to consider forming a smaller group where this can occur. We’ll talk more about that tomorrow. Let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb. 10:25b)

Transparency Wednesday, August 22 The verse for today is James 5:16. Read it now and fill in the blanks below. Therefore confess your sins _________________________ and pray ___________________ so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is ____________________ and ________________. Wow! This is a scary verse. I got in trouble with this one just last month in a cell group meeting on a mission trip to Peru. As I referenced this passage, one of the church members questioned me about confessing our sins to one another. I immediately recognized the question arose because of the predominant Catholic culture there. On top of that, I had no clue exactly what my interpreter had communicated. I assured the group that only God could forgive sin, but there was value in being open and honest with one another. So then, what value is there in confessing our sins? Why does God encourage us to do that? Why is being transparent so difficult? Here are some various thoughts about transparency: 1. To be transparent with a group, there has to be trust and consistency. No one (in their right

mind) wants to be open with people they don’t know and trust. 2. To be transparent is to establish at least some degree of accountability with other believers.

At that point others are at least free to ask how we are doing. 3. To be transparent is an act of humility. It is to say that we don’t have our act together and

we may need the help of God or others, at least to pray for us. 4. When people have been transparent, we have an obligation to respect their privacy and to

share the information only with those to whom we’ve been given explicit permission. 5. One value of transparency is that it allows us to drop the façade we so often have in church

and encourages others to be real about their life and their walk with God. One final thought about transparency is that the act of verbal confession helps us individually to deal and process the struggles in our lives. Admission of the truth is the first step to making things right. There is value to actually saying the words, “I’ve failed.” If your class is so large that people don’t choose to be transparent, you may need to get some class members together and form a smaller accountability group or an E-Group (see Preface). It is hard for me as a minister to get to this point with people, but I’ve found a small group of three other men that I call my accountability group. We meet every week or two and pray for and encourage one another. I hope you will too!

We must grow smaller! Thursday, August 23 “As the church grows larger, it must grow smaller through small groups.” That is a mantra that I have heard many times at church related conferences. Just today I was with a long-time member of Westwood who said, “You know, there are so many new faces that I hardly know anyone that I see at Westwood anymore.” It’s really not that different for staff members. Years ago when I came to Westwood, we had one Sunday School with an early and a late worship. All of the staff had the opportunity to serve as greeters for the two worship services. During those years I could often call a guest by name the second time they visited. Now I’ve learned never to assume someone is a first time guest because I don’t know them. So, isn’t a church a place where everyone knows your name and something about you? Many of us came from churches that were smaller in number and we grew up during a less transient time as far as family moves were concerned. But our Scripture passage for today shows us that dealing with hundreds or thousands of people is not a new issue for the church. Check out Acts 2:41-42. How many came to faith in Christ in Jerusalem after Peter’s sermon? ___________ What were four things to which they devoted themselves? ____________________________________ __________________________________ ____________________________________ __________________________________ In later passages, we see places where the New Testament church gathered to meet. Check out these passages: Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15 One neat thing about being on mission trips is that it is much easier to picture life in Bible times. As I walk the dusty streets and enter the dirt floor homes the thought crosses my mind, “This is pretty close to what life was like in Jesus’ time.” In the New Testament they didn’t have funding for large worship centers. Also, unlike our culture, their homes were only a living and cooking area, nothing more. All these factors, while we may look at them in a negative way, actually contributed to the church staying “small” as it grew. In other words, when believers outgrew one house, they likely started a new group in another house! Even though we’re blessed with the ability to do more, let’s make sure that our groups serve the function of staying small! They went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Acts 16:40

Bible Study, Fellowship, and Prayer Friday, August 24 Today let’s look at the three purposes of group life: Bible study, fellowship and prayer. I think we have a pretty good idea about what Bible study and prayer are, but what is fellowship? None of the secular definitions I read seemed to adequately define the word in the church context. Of course, if you ask a Southern Baptist in good standing to define the word, it has something to do with eating fried chicken after a singin’. In looking at church related definitions, the word fellowship is translated from the Greek word “koinonia”, which reflects our shared relationship in Christ with other believers. Although it is something we already have, it is something we do as well. The do part I like to define as “relating to other believers for the purpose of encouraging their walk with Christ.” Since we’ve discussed encouragement earlier, it seems sufficient just to say that we should see those two as interchangeable for the purpose of our small groups. So how do we fellowship? To one another… we listen, we are interested, we talk, we share, we are concerned, we help, we serve, we go the extra mile, we love, we help, we speak God’s word to one another, we pray, we motivate, we touch, we cry with, we believe in, we commit to… How long could this list get? I believe you get the idea. As you have read so far today, has God placed anything on your heart that you need to do for someone in your group? Write it here so you won’t forget to follow through. ___________________________________________________________________________ Now let’s focus on Bible study. Read 2 Timothy 3:16. List the four things for which “Scripture is useful”: ______________, _______________, ______________, ____________________. We’re good with the first one, but I don’t know about those last three! They sound like a challenge! According to the passage, what is the end result of all of this? “that the man of God may be _____________________________________________.” As we conclude today, let me encourage you to think of Bible study, fellowship and prayer as three overlapping circles, particularly Bible study and fellowship (encouragement). Our small groups should be a place where we talk about God’s word and what is going on in our lives as our lives are being changed to conform to God’s word. We already have a sermon every Sunday, so our small group times should include times of sharing with one another. Allowing others to see what God is doing in our lives is an encouragement to everyone else. Don’t just live life in a vacuum. Allow others to be motivated and encouraged by your life! Open up the blinds and let them see that God is changing you!

Life Change Saturday, August 25 We closed yesterday with the encouragement to let others see how God is changing you. Today I’d like to talk with you about life change. I want to challenge your inner-most thinking about why you even come to church. Let’s start out with some self analysis. What are the reasons you come to church? Let’s assume there are some pure motives like worshipping God and learning His word. Now list all the rest, and be honest! (For me, I’m paid to be there.) What are your reasons? ________________________________________________________________________ One pastor I have heard a number of times uses the words “counter intuitive”. The first time I had to stop and think about what that meant because I hadn’t heard the phrase before. Then I thought, “Why doesn’t he just use the word “illogical”? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that often the ways of God are illogical or counter intuitive to the ways of the world. (Proverbs 14:12) That means if we are to follow Christ, our thinking and our actions need to be changed by Him. Remember Romans 12:2? We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds! True we come to church and to small group to worship and to study the Bible, but if we don’t come away with life-change, there is something amiss. Both of these activities should challenge us to evaluate our lives and to seek to become more Christ-like in every way. I have heard it said that people can’t sit on the fence in their Christian walk. They are either growing (life-change) or they are back-sliding (to use an old word we don’t hear often). That’s a hard phrase, but I believe it is true. We drift away from God quite naturally if we are not intentionally doing the things that keep us connected. And as in the case of Isaiah’s vision that we already studied, being in the presence of God causes us to see both who we truly are and where we need to be (holy, like God). So, where are you today? If you had to check one of the boxes, which would it be? � Growing - My life is changing to be more like Christ than it was last week. � Sliding - My life is coasting and coming no closer to Christ. Close today by reading Matthew 19:16-22. Is there anything in your life more important to you than your walk with Christ? Don’t go away sad, give it all to Him! What does Jesus ask you to give? _______________________________________________

Week 4 Overview Serve in the Church August 27-September 2 Daily Study Completion


Weekly Memory Verse

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 Prayer Time

• Pray for the people in the church who have not yet found a place of service.

• Pray for new members of your small group that they will each feel connected to the group and will experience spiritual growth during this study.


• Pray for openness to evaluation of your attitudes toward church and actions toward fellow believers.

• Other needs mentioned in your small group:

• Other personal prayer needs:

Cruise Ship or Army Platoon Monday, August 27

A few years ago I attended an E3 Partners missions seminar that sought to challenge people’s view of the church. Somehow me and another guy were “volunteered” to stand in front of the church that night. I was elected to be the army private and was given military fatigues and a helmet to wear. The other gentleman was to be a tourist on a cruise ship and was given a Hawaiian shirt and flower lei to wear around his neck.

Once we were fully clad, the speaker set about to differentiate the attitudes and expectations of each of us. The tourist expected a warm bed and a comfortable room. The private expected only a sleeping bag and hard ground. The tourist expected all-you-can-eat buffets and the private expected only sea-rations. The tourist expected activities like shuffle board, shows, and tours. The private expected grueling physical exercise, tasks to accomplish, and a “tour of duty”. The tourist expected complete freedom to plan his day and do what he wanted. The private expected little freedom, and even to have orders to change in the blink of an eye.

Bottom line, the view of the tourist is “Life is all about me.” Yet the view for the private is “Life is all about the mission.”

It doesn’t take much imagination from this point to know that the speaker equated most of North American Christianity to be the cruise ship model. We go to our churches and want what we want when we want it, yet that attitude doesn’t match the spiritual warfare we see described in the New Testament.

This summer in Gulf Shores I saw a sign for a “Counter Culture Tattoo Shop”. I believe that the North American Church has to pay great attention to being counter culture. I’m sure we’ll want to do that in a different way than the tattoo shop would propose! The Health and Wealth Gospel that is preached by some wouldn’t fly in the New Testament times, nor would it fly in many places outside North America. We are blessed with so much material wealth that it is almost a curse. Daily we see ads telling us we deserve this or that.

So, what is your attitude about the church? Is it a place to have your needs met or is it a place to serve. Do you park at the mall, ride the shuttle, come at 8:00 AM, teach preschoolers, have class in a restaurant, and serve as a greeter? Or do you sleep in, arrive at 9:40 AM, expect to find a great parking place, are frustrated if a seat is hard to find and the temperature isn’t just right? Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

What have you done recently to serve someone else (in the body of Christ) in love? ___________________________________________________________________________ Many of us will have an empty blank here. That is why this chapter is for us!

Jesus Example Tuesday, August 28 Today we look at the example set by Jesus in washing the disciple’s feet. Let’s read John 13:1-17 and see what we can learn from that. Make some notes of anything that inspires you. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ It is important to know that it would have been common in that day to have a servant at the door who would wash feet of the guests. That not being done, someone commonly would have stepped up, or rather down, to the lowly task. So maybe there was some pride on the part of the disciples and no one was willing. It is interesting that elsewhere in Scripture Jesus said “The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12) Maybe they had missed that the first time. How would you feel if you were one of the disciples? ______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ How embarrassing it must have been to each disciple for Jesus to take off his outer clothing and to take the basin and water and begin to wash their feet. I can’t imagine the conviction each one must have felt as Jesus performed this lowly task. This passage is rich with many other truths about Jesus, but space doesn’t allow for all that the Holy Spirit probably whispered in your ear as you read. Today we just focus on the fact that Jesus chose to wash their feet. We could ask the question “why”, but fortunately we don’t have to because Jesus gives that answer within the passage. What does he say about that in verses 15 and 17? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ So, here is the question for the day. Is there anything that pride keeps you from doing? What are the lowliest jobs at church? If you know Jesus was asking, or that it needed to be done and nobody else was willing, would you do the task? May God grant us the humility to do what needs to be done for the glory of God!

Created to Serve Wednesday, August 29 Have you ever heard the phrase “You are a real work of art?” The times I have heard it used have seldom been in a positive light. Most commonly I’ve heard it in reference to something totally unbelievable that someone has done, usually referring to emotional abnormalities! But it is a true statement in regard to our creation by Christ. We are a work of art! In a good way! Read Ephesians 2:10 and fill in the blanks below. For we are God's _________________, created in Christ Jesus to ____ __________ _______________, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10 In context, the verse follows the “saved by faith” passage, so a part of the meaning is that the good works we do won’t save us, but still we are to do good works. Certainly that takes away some of the motivation to do good works. I think we as Baptists might get more out of people if we could tweak our theology just a bit. Shucks, we might be able to get many more thousands on the mission field if it made the difference in heaven and hell! But we can’t be unfaithful to the Scripture. And I must say that I do like the plan of knowing that my salvation is secure and that there won’t be any scale weighing my good works and my bad on judgment day. So, is it any motivation to get to work if you know that you have been created to do good works? Can you imagine a car sitting in one’s driveway with the owner not quite knowing its purpose? Can you imagine the joy that the driver would feel and the blessing to he and his family to know that he wouldn’t have to walk everywhere he goes? Pretty absurd, huh? God must look at us the same way. We’re down here sitting in the driveway when He has designed us to run! What’s more sad is that there are things that God wants to accomplish, so sometimes He has to use a different vehicle to do His will! Do you believe that God has a job for you in the church? __________ Are you willing to seek to find what that job is? _________ Often God has a way of letting us know what we are to do. Sometimes it is through the words of others, or the joy that we feel when we serve God in a certain way. To the best of your knowledge, what has God created you to do? ___________________________________________________________________________ Your church staff is anxious to help you discover your calling. Please pursue the joy that God offers when we are working for Him!

What body part are you? Thursday, August 30 A spiritual gift is a divine enablement provided by God for use in His kingdom work. Every believer is spiritually gifted. Today we want to follow the same line of thought and look at Romans 12. Take a few minutes and read the entire chapter. List some additional truths about spiritual gifts that you glean from this important chapter. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ What are some of the gifts we see mentioned in the two different sections of the passage? ___________________________________________________________________________ This chapter compares the parts of the body of Christ, the church, to the human body. The point is clear that every part of the body is important. Can you think of any part of your human body that you’d be willing to give up, other than some excess fat cells? I can’t. If you had to think of a body part that describes your role, what would it be? ______________ In the same way, every part of the body of Christ is important. Some parts seem more important, like the pastor or your small group leader, but God’s word teaches that all parts are important. It also wouldn’t be fun or productive If we were all the same part! I love the part that says God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. That means not only that God has provided every need for our church, but also that He has placed each of us individually here with a mission to accomplish. What do you read in verses 25-26 about concern about others? _______________________ __________________________________________________________________________ When we think about the human body and how truly dependent each part is on the other, we see that the church falls far short of this. Logically the shins would be very concerned if the eyes couldn’t see. Let’s don’t forget how important every part of the church is to each other. Do you know what any of your spiritual gifts are? If not, you may wish to visit Westwood Groups.com for a link that will lead you to a spiritual gift inventory. This may be the first step to helping you discover your gifts and place of service in the body of Christ!

Me? Administering God’s Grace? Friday, August 31 As I was growing up in a Baptist Church, I often heard of “the calling”. As I got a little older I actually saw some men in our church called into the ministry. It was a very special thing… men who were chosen by God to do His work. My dad used to tell me that preachers put their pants on one leg at a time, just like everybody else. That was his way of telling me that even though they are servants of God, they are still men with a sin nature and who make mistakes just like the rest of us. I also grew up with a profound respect for the disciples. These men of God actually got to be with Jesus and know Him personally. They were even trained by Him! But later, the glow wore off of that as well. Even in Scripture, we see many cases in which the disciples just didn’t get it. It is sad, but a little humorous. Ultimately, I came to the realization, just as Scripture teaches, that God uses ordinary people to do His work. And often He seems to pick those who don’t seem to be the ones we’d pick if we were God! That’s a scary thought, because most of us view ourselves as people God wouldn’t pick, which actually means God has his bull’s eye right on us! Most of us could never imagine God using us, but that is exactly what He wants. Read 1 Peter 4:10-11 and answer some questions below. We should use our gifts to __________ ______________. We actually administer ___________ _____________ when we do this. The next phrase means that we should use our gifts with passion and conviction, and in God’s ______________, not our own. In all things, God will be ________________. So, believe it or not, God wants to show His grace to others and He wants to do His work through us. We can not do this with the passion and conviction referenced in this passage, unless we accept this as truth for each of us within the church. Yes, even you. What are some ways you have seen God’s grace shared in the lives of believers, from one to another? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Your SHAPE Helps You Find Your Place of Service Saturday, September 1 For a number of years, Westwood has offered classes to help people find their place of service using something called a SHAPE Profile that was developed by Saddleback Church. It is based on the following traits of an individual: Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. Spiritual Gifts we have discussed already. Sources of discovery include spiritual gift

inventories, listening to others, and being drawn to certain tasks. Heart means the things that you are passionate about. For some it is children, for some it is

missions, or for others it may be helping shut ins or running the sound system. Are there any areas with which you are passionate? __________________________ Abilities are not spiritual gifts, but many times we confuse them because they may look similar.

Abilities are traits people hold whether or not they are believers. It may be ability to organize things or to sing or even public speaking.

Personality is the most interesting of the categories. Many different researchers have

categorized four basic personality types. Briefly, they can be categorized as the Leader, the Relationship Person, the Organizer, and the People Person.

Which best describes you? ________________________ Experiences that affect our service in the church are usually the painful experiences. For

instance, those who have been through divorce or the death of a loved one often feel like they can help others who deal with similar experiences.

Finally, let’s look at possible reasons that might keep you from serving in the church. Read the following and check any that might apply to you. Then, in light of this week’s devotional truths, talk with God about how you will deal with these hindrances so that you might be obedient. � Lack of relationship with God. � Crowding you life with too much stuff. � Not believing you have anything to offer. � Refusing to give God the right to use you. � Being selfish with your time and resources. � Being stuck in the wrong position. � Not accepting God’s forgiveness for past sins. � Lack of faithfulness and involvement in the church. � Being unwilling to serve due to some hurt in the past. � Feeling burned out from any combination of the above items.

Small Group and Sermon Notes Sunday, September 2

Week 5 Overview Live on Mission September 3 - September 9 Daily Study Completion


Weekly Memory Verse

Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 Prayer Time

• Pray for Westwood, that we would make an impact on our community through helping people find and follow Christ.

• Pray for people you know who may need Christ. Pray that God will help you to be open to the possibility of sharing Christ with them.


• Pray for items mentioned during your small group time.

• Other personal prayer needs:

What Does It Mean to “Live on Mission”? Monday, September 3 Living on mission happens when we go through life with our eyes open and our hearts willing to act in relation to people in a way that will help them grow in relation to God. In short, relating to people in ways that encourage them to relate to God! Our verse for today is Ephesians 5:15-16. Read that passage and summarize it below. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ In this later part of the book of Ephesians, Paul is giving some good basic advice on living the Christian life, resisting sin or even the appearance of it. Verses 8 and 10 encourage us to “live as children of light… and find out what pleases the Lord.” On a scale of one to ten, how careful would you say you are about how you live your life? Are you living it wisely or unwisely? Are we investing it or wasting it? Give your life some thought and list a number of opportunities in your life that you can make the most of. _________________________________ ______________________________________ _________________________________ ______________________________________ I thought of marriage, parenting, relationships with unbelievers, positively influencing believers around me, my job, my ABS class, etc. I hope you are aware of the opportunities God has given you! The passage references our days as being evil. Certainly we are aware of the evil all around us and temptations coming our way in new and bigger ways. As our culture gets farther and farther from moral living, more and more wisdom is required of believers in how we deal with the evil around us. As we close today, give some thought to the opportunities listed above. What would God have you do differently to positively impact those relationships and tasks? Talk with Him about those opportunities today and make some decisions regarding how you live.

The Highest Purpose, The Greatest Cause Tuesday, September 4 Yesterday we talked about living life on purpose to positively and intentionally impact people and opportunity around us for the kingdom of God. The highest purpose in which we can be involved is to help people find a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have heard some Christ-followers say that their life goal is to go to heaven when they die and to take as many people with them as possible. To me there would be no greater thing than to get to heaven and see people there who wanted to thank me for telling them how to find eternal life in Jesus Christ. Today’s passage is found in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. Read that passage and answer these questions. What did God do for us? ______________________________________________________ What did God give us? _______________________________________________________ Does this verse name anyone else to whom God gave this ministry? ___________________ The word reconciliation means to stand in between two people and to join them together. It’s like we as believers stand in between God and lost people. Our task is take the hand of God, take the hand of the lost, and to bring them together. One of the things that I’m going to ask God when I get to heaven is why in His infinite wisdom He chose to give such an important task to such weak people. I know that He empowers us with His Holy Spirit, but if I were God, I think this would be plan B or C. But like it or not, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. As best that I can read in Scripture, that task has been given to no one else. That means that were are it! We are plan A, plan B, and plan C! Can you accept the fact that YOU sharing Christ with others IS GOD’S PLAN? __________ If yes, then what keeps you from getting started? Let’s do it! We also read that God committed to us the message of reconciliation. Could you share with someone else the message of reconciliation? Later in the week, we’ll share with you an outline of the message of reconciliation. I hope you’ll prepare yourself to share the message when needed.

Life is short! Wednesday, September 5 Ready for a plan to share the gospel? It doesn’t have to be long and complex. One of my favorites is just using John 3:16. It’s easy to remember if you have John 3:16 memorized. Just quote the verse and point out the nouns and verbs. The outline would be like this… God loved, God gave, We believe, We (have) or receive. Add an explanation of those points along with repentance and lordship and you have a great gospel outline. What is the gospel? Literally, it means “good news”. What an understatement! We deserve death and hell because of our sin and God Himself provided the payment for our sin. One verse that really makes the gospel clear is 2 Cor. 5:21. Look it up and write it here. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Another way to say that verse is that God made Jesus like us so that ultimately we could be like Jesus. God allowed Jesus to be punishable, so that we could escape what we deserved. Yet another gospel outline that I really like I read on a T-shirt recently. It said, “Life is short, death is sure. Sin the cause, Christ the cure.” If you can just remember life, death, sin and Jesus, you can remember a good gospel outline. You can start with others by just sharing with them what Jesus did in your life. No one can argue with a testimony, especially if it is backed up by a life well lived. Your testimony should include: 1) your life before Christ, not necessarily the gory details, but verbalizing what your life lacked without Christ. (My testimony focuses on a lack of peace, particularly about where I would spend eternity.) 2) how you realized you needed Christ and that He was the answer, and 3) what your life is like now with Christ. You can then ask if they would like to know how to receive Christ and the life you’ve found. If so, then go into a gospel presentation with them. Jot some notes for your testimony below. My life before Christ _________________________________________________________ How I realized I needed Christ _________________________________________________ My life now ________________________________________________________________

The Value of Scripture Thursday, September 6 This week we’re talking about sharing our faith with others. Another matter to consider in effectively sharing is the presentation of Scripture. We’ve already discussed the importance of Scripture memorization to us. We should also realize its importance to others. God said that His word would not return without accomplishing its purpose. (Isaiah 55:11) Bringing God’s word to the table just seems to open the Holy Spirit valve a little wider! Now let me give you a caution. Please don’t wait until you have any or all of these passages memorized before you share. God will give you the words whenever you speak for Him. But for your long-term effectiveness as a witness for Christ, memorizing these and other verses you find will certainly help accomplish that. Today is another Bible drill. Read the verses below and summarize them. Choose one or two to begin memorizing and write them on an index card to keep with you. Isaiah 53:6 ________________________________________________________ Isaiah 59:2 ________________________________________________________ John 10:10 ________________________________________________________ Romans 3:23 ________________________________________________________ Romans 5:8 ________________________________________________________ Romans 6:23 ________________________________________________________ Galatians 2:16 ________________________________________________________ Ephesians 2:8-9 ________________________________________________________ John 3:16 ________________________________________________________ Romans 5:1 ________________________________________________________ Acts 3:19 ________________________________________________________ John 1:12 ________________________________________________________ Romans 10:13 ________________________________________________________

Walk Across the Room Friday, September 7 Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Church in Chicago, recently wrote a book entitled Just Walk Across the Room, Simple Steps to Pointing People to Faith. In the introduction to the book, Hybels talked about meeting a former Muslim who had become a Christ-follower. The man shared his testimony and his path to faith had begun at a dinner party.

At one point, I saw a man on the other side of the room engrossed in discussion with a few people of his own kind, if you will. Suddenly he looked away from that particular group and noticed me standing alone by the far wall. This is exactly how it happened, Bill. He extricated himself from his conversational clique, walked clear across the room, stuck out his hand to me, and introduced himself.

I think with this story and the title of the book, Bill Hybels just wanted to say to us, “Just start!” We don’t always know what we will find in the “zone of the unknown”, but we must go there if we are going to make an impact for God. So often we as believers get in our group or conversational clique and we never look up. It all begins with noticing people, wondering if they have a relationship with Christ, and caring enough to build relationships and find out. Let’s look again at the woman at the well who encountered Jesus. Read John 4:4-10, noticing barriers to even having the conversation and then how the conversation starts. There were a number of reasons Jesus might have chosen not to speak with her. One was a difference in gender. A greater reason was that he was a Jew and she was a Samaritan. But the big one, mainly because it is convicting to me, is that Jesus was tired! How many times have I let some little excuse keep me from speaking a word for Christ? Often I think, “I just want to get home. I don’t have time to get into anything.” Christ set the example for us. We’ve got to allow our concern for people to outweigh the inconvenience of changing our schedule or our comfort patterns and people! Let’s take a few minutes today and list a few people who might need to hear about Jesus. To help you think, look at the different areas below and write names. Pray for these people and look for opportunities to talk with them about their faith. Family ______________________________________________________________ Friends ______________________________________________________________ Neighbors ______________________________________________________________ Work ______________________________________________________________ Recreation ______________________________________________________________

Defining A Win Saturday, September 8 During our time together in the Ethos Series, we’ve defined ethos and we’ve defined what it means to live on mission. Now let’s define a win. How do you know when you have been successful in living on mission? Let’s look at Matthew 13:1-8. Read that passage now. List the four places that the seed fell: __________________________________________________________________________ Although I asked you to list the four places where the seed fell, I really don’t want to focus on that very much other than to say that there are really only two categories. The seed either fell in a place where it would take root and grow, or it didn’t! I would like to argue that in defining success, we are basically done in verses 3 and 4. Verse 3 says that the farmer “went out to sow his seed”. We see there that he goes out with the intention to sow and in verse 4 we read, “As he was scattering the seed”. Mission accomplished. In summary, we are to sow the seed. The condition of the hearts on which it falls is God’s work. We are only called to be faithful and sow the seed of the gospel. During my seminary days, I attended Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. We participated in an evangelism ministry there. On many nights I would be tired and just not be in the mood to go. I always would and it didn’t take long to recognize that as I drove home I would be excited and energized regardless of what happened during the visits. I would feel in my heart as if God was saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” William Faye, who wrote the book Share Jesus Without Fear, says that “God can use our poor attempts at evangelism, but He cannot use our silence.” Therefore, when we are out doing our part, that is a win. When we try to do God’s part is when we can get too pushy or obnoxious with the gospel. One pastor friend used to remind us, “Don’t bruise the fruit.” If it is not ripe for picking, let it stay on the tree and allow God to do His part. So what is a win? It is a win to establish relationships with people so that we might ultimately be of spiritual influence. It is a win to ask God to reach someone you know. It is a win to speak about Jesus. It is a win to share with someone how they can know Christ. And if we keep doing our part, eventually it will be glorious to see someone with whom we’ve been investing actually come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Small Group and Sermon Notes Sunday, September 9

Week 6 Overview Obedience September 10 - 16 Daily Study Completion


Weekly Memory Verse

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 1 John 2:3 Prayer Time

• Pray for complete faith in God as we deal with obedience this week.

• Pray for members of your small group that they will each experience spiritual growth during this study.


• Pray for needs discussed during your small group.

• Pray for other personal needs:

Doing Our Best to Please God Monday, September 10 Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1. In this passage we are instructed to live in order to ___________ _________. Then we are urged to do this ___________ and _____________. So, how important is it to please God. Having children really helped my relationship with God, because it helps me to look at them as God must look at me. Sometimes in the course of a day I get really upset with one of my children and then later realize that I haven’t been obedient either. It makes me hope that God has much more mercy than I do. It is refreshing to remind myself that He does! Then I’m encouraged to be more like Him. I believe that living the Christian life effectively is the most important thing we’ll do on this earth. It will certainly last longer than our profession or our possessions, or any of this other stuff that now looks so important. So if it is the most important thing, let’s go all out! I have a picture of Coco Crisp, not the cereal, but the center-fielder for the Boston Red Sox. All you see in the picture is the outfield wall with two legs visible and pointed skyward. You immediately recognize that he has gone over the fence after a ball that would have been a home run. You also recognize that getting the ball was considered more important than playing it safe and protecting his body. It inspires me to go all out! Let’s finish today by reading Matthew 25:14-29, then we’ll consider some questions about the passage. What was the master’s reply to the man who had gained five more talents? __________________________________________________________________________ What was the master’s reply to the man who just returned the one talent? __________________________________________________________________________ When we read this passage, each of us is clear on knowing that we want to be a two or five talent person. Both gave a return to the master based on their abilities. We’re not all expected to have the same return, but we are expected to do something with what we’ve been given. Tomorrow: Tuesday, September 11 Tomorrow, please take the spiritual growth evaluation. Don’t get caught up in the numbers too greatly, just allow it to show you some areas where you might consider what you are doing with what you’ve been given.

Your commitment to Spiritual Maturity: An Evaluation

How would you rate your commitment and effectiveness in the following areas?

Scale: 0 = No, low commitment; 5 = Somewhat; 10 = Yes, committed

Connecting with God 1. Certainty that you are saved and will spend eternity in heaven? Score: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. Worship attendance on a weekly basis Score: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3. Regularly spend time involved in spiritual disciplines such as reading the Bible and prayer? Score: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Growing with Believers 4. Participation in a small group each week for Bible Study, fellowship and prayer? Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

5. Using your small group study as a catalyst for your personal spiritual growth? Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

6. Sharing your life with a Christian friend other than your spouse who helps you to grow spiritually?

Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 Serving in the Church 7. Discovering my spiritual gifts in order to know how God has designed me to serve. Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

8. Using those spiritual gifts to serve within the church on a weekly basis. Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

9. Stepping in and serving when you see a need that is not being met at the church. Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 Living On Mission 10. Intentionally choosing activities that allow

you to build relationships with non-believers. Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

11. Initiating spiritual conversations with people in order to discover their spiritual need.

Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

12. Praying, giving, and personally going in so that the world hears about Jesus Christ?

Score: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Evaluation Results Total each section (30 points in each).

Sectional Totals Q1-3: Connecting with God _____ Q4-6: Growing with Believers _____ Q7-9: Serving in the Church _____ Q10-12: Living on Mission _____

Total Maturity Score : ______

Mapping Progress Wednesday, September 12 Sometimes when I need to go somewhere new, I use a map to plot the course. Now days I love the computer programs that tell you how many miles, how much I’ll spend on gas, and exactly what time I could expect to arrive if I drive the speed limit. How often do we map things out in our Christian life? It seems sometimes we get so busy and often place other priorities first, that we just give the leftovers of our time and energy to successful Christian living. Today we will take a few of the items from yesterday’s evaluation and suggest a few things you could do to map out a plan for Christian maturity. Check the ones that you would like to pursue in the next month, then follow your map! Connect with God � Make sure your salvation is sure. (See August 13 or talk with your group leader.) � Commit yourself to participate in worship at church. � Make plans to continue daily devotions and read one chapter of the Bible each day. Grow with Believers � Join a small group. If your group is large, form an accountability group of 3-4 people. � Prepare for your Bible study lesson each week. � Build relationships with believers and make them your closest friends. � Find an individual to be a spiritual growth partner. Serve in the Church � Use some online tools to discover your spiritual gifts. (The church also has some available.) � Experiment by serving in different roles until you find your place. � Listen to what others say about your service. Are people blessed? Live on Mission � Plan some activities with people who are not believers. Invest in their lives. � Learn one of the gospel outlines to share. (See September 5.) � Make a list of people you already know and can talk to about Christ. � Ask your accountability partner or group to help keep you accountable to share. Who would be a good person in your life to share your plans with? ____________________ It will be an encouragement to them as well.

Obedience is the Key! Thursday, September 13 To begin today, read 1 John 2:3-6 and complete the blanks. We know that we have come to know Him if we _________ ________ _________________. The one who knows God but does not obey is a ______________. When we obey, God’s love is made ________________ in us. We know we are in Christ if we __________ as Jesus did. Wow! These are some pretty strong verses. Needless to say, obedience is crucial to our Christian life. First let’s talk about disobedience. As we’ve mentioned, every Christian will disobey from time to time. We will mess up and fall as is made plain in Scripture. But this passage casts doubt on the salvation of someone who continues to walk in sin. Secondly, when we sin, Satan takes away the assurance of our salvation. And if that is accomplished we are totally off-focus in the rest of our life. That’s why I encourage people to read God’s word every day. It allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us in ways that either assure us that we know Christ or that we need to know Him. Now regarding obedience. When we obey we know that Christ is alive in us. We have supernatural power to live above sin and to do things the flesh does not have the power to achieve. God also just gives us peace when we are in the center of His will. When we live in peace with God, we are able to relax in ways that non-believers can never imagine! Obedience is also a positive witness to the world. When others see us living in ways that others do not, they are curious about why and how we do this. The obedient life will also back up our Christian witness when the time comes to share Christ. Let’s finish today with some more self-evaluation. Prayerfully take some time and list some areas of struggle. You may wish to abbreviate or write in code if you are concerned someone might see this book. This is for you and God only. __________________________________ _________________________________ __________________________________ _________________________________ Consider sharing this with your accountability partner as well!

The Burden of God’s Commands Friday, September 14 Let’s look at 1 John 5:1-3. Read that passage now. If we look in context, the passage is actually talking about God’s command to love our brothers in Christ. “Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” The passage goes on talk about the weight of his commands. And his commands are not _______________________. (1 John 5:3) The dictionary defines burdensome as “oppressively heavy”. That’s what the Pharisees did when they wrote additional laws to supplement God’s law. They desired to please God, but created something that was truly oppressive. Sometimes we get too caught up in the rules and regulations of Christianity. We must remember that the basis of our faith is our relationship with Christ. When we begin to focus too much on the rules, we can forget about Christ. Read Galatians 2:16. Who will be justified by observing (obeying) the law (the Ten Commandments)? ______ __________ By what are we justified? _____________________________________________________ These verses bring a stark reality to many people--that obeying the Ten Commandments will not get us in to heaven. Yet we are justified by our faith in Jesus Christ. Let us be reminded to focus on worship and following Christ, and if our heart is right we will most likely get the rules right as well! His commands are not to be a burden! Have you been seeking justification by obeying God’s commands? Are there any of God’s commands that you feel you can’t live up to? Could it be that you need to change your thinking about how to live in obedience to God?

Hitting on All Cylinders Saturday, September 15 Sorry to use another man illustration, but that’s what I am. But come to think of it, if knowledge of cars is equivalent with manhood, the jury might still be out. Regardless of your knowledge of engines, it doesn’t take much imagination to picture what it would be like to drive a car whose engine wasn’t hitting on all cylinders. It wouldn’t be a smooth ride, as the car would not be performing as designed. Today let’s take yet another look at the Great Commission. Read Matthew 28:19-20. Again I want to focus on the non-missions part of the verse, but this time more specifically. We already referenced this passage when we talking about making disciples, now let’s look at what those disciples are to do. What are new disciples supposed to be taught to do? “____________ _________________ I have commanded you” That second word sure carries a lot of meaning. I have heard it said that in the Greek everything means everything. Pretty easy to understand isn’t it? Your staff recognizes that this plan for spiritual growth that includes four environments isn’t the only way to look at spiritual growth. There are many other ideas and great plans out there, but we believe that if we make these environments part of the ethos of Westwood, many believers will be more effective in more fully obeying all of Christ’s commands. This will not be a come and go emphasis like 40 Days of Purpose. It is here to stay. You will see the four environments in our publications and on our walls and quoted from the pulpit. It is our hope that these environments will be part of your road map for following Christ. We hope that they are so engrained in your mind that we could call you in the middle of the night and you would be able to quote them! (We don’t have plans for that… yet.) Please don’t stop here. Make plans to continue daily devotions with God as you Connect with God, Grow with Believers, Serve in the Church, and Live on Mission!

Ethos Devotional Final 3 - westwoodgroups.com · ETHOS The Environments of Westwood Study &...

Documents

Transcript of Ethos Devotional Final 3 - westwoodgroups.com · ETHOS The Environments of Westwood Study &...