LIVING IN THE STRETCH

THE COMMUNITY
1. What was the highlight of your holiday season?

2. How did you grow closer to God through Sunday’s Corporate Worship? How did God reveal Himself more to you? What did you learn from the people, the music, the sermon and/or through serving?

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Hebrews 11:1-40. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. According to Hebrews 12:1-2, what actions are to be taken to “live in the stretch”?

THE APPLICATION
5. In what area(s) of your life are you “settling into” like a resident instead of anticipating, encouraging and embracing change like a stranger?

6. What is your attitude toward change? Why? Give examples.

7. What is your typical response to being stretched (our muscles, time, resources, faith)?

8. In what way(s) are you being stretched in your faith journey? In the way you see and trust God?

PICTURES OF CHRISTMAS: THE WISE MEN

THE COMMUNITY
1. Which person in the Christmas story would you like to have been? Why?

2. How did you grow closer to God through Sunday’s Corporate Worship? How did God reveal Himself more to you? What did you learn from the people, the music, the sermon and/or through serving?

 

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Matthew 2:1-25. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. What was Herod’s response and motivation to the Messiah being born? The Wise Men’s? The priests?

 

THE APPLICATION
5. Which response and motivation do you currently relate to most? Why?

6. What is currently discouraging you?

7. Are you encountering the risen Jesus daily? Why or why not?

8. What do you need to do for your daily response to the King of Kings to be similar to that of the Wise Men?

PICTURES OF CHRISTMAS: ISAIAH

THE COMMUNITY
1. If money was no object and you could give one gift to one person for Christmas, who and what would it be?

2. While you worshiped at Coastal this week, what touched your heart thru the message or music? What engaged you and got your attention? What challenged your thinking or what did you wonder about?

 

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Isaiah 9:1-7 each day this week. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. What was the significance of each name in Isaiah 9:6 to the people of Isaiah’s time?

 

THE APPLICATION
5. In what does your future hope lie? How is this lived out in your life?

6. How does Jesus guide your life? What guidance has he given in the past? How did he give it?

7. What is the purpose of Jesus’ reign in your life? In the world?

8. What area(s) could you use peace to rest in right now (i.e. health, provision, relationships, fear, etc.)? Have your Small Group pray this for you this week

Practical, Powerful Prayer

THE COMMUNITY
1. What was your highlight of this Thanksgiving holiday?

2. From your time at corporate worship – the people, music, sermon, serving in a ministry – what encouraged, moved, or excited you? What questions came up for you?

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Luke 18:1-14 this week. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. How is God like and unlike the judge In Luke 18:1-8?

THE APPLICATION                                                                                                                   5. What keeps you from prayer? How can you change that in order to intentionally pray more?

6. Do you ever come before the Lord to “drop off your list” and then leave? What might it look like in your prayer life if you entered into prayer simply to be in His presence? How might you be more focused on who God is and what He is like?

7. How does it change your perspective knowing you have enemies, antagonists and adversaries? How will you fight these opponents?

8. What keeps your prayers from being powerful? How can you grow in this area?

STRENGTH & COURAGE: Joshua’s Last Words

THE COMMUNITY
Memorize Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1. If you were to live anywhere in the world other than the United States, where would you like to live?

2. At Sunday’s Corporate Worship, how did you grow closer to God or how did God reveal Himself more to you? What did you learn through the people, the music, the sermon and/or through serving?

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Joshua 24:1-33 this week. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. What does it mean to fear the Lord? What does it mean to serve God?

THE APPLICATION
5. What keeps you from carrying out the command to “serve the Lord alone”? What divides your loyalty?

6. What idol(s) do you need to put away, either from your past or that you see people around you currently serving?

7. Is it possible to remain spiritually neutral? Why or why not? What happens if someone actively chooses to serve neither the Lord nor any false god?

8. What is a healthy and appropriate way to “warn each other” of unbelief or a hard heart (Hebrews 3:13)? What part do you want your Small Group to play in this? What other way, other than living in community, can we live out this passage?

JUSTICE, KINDNESS, HUMILITY

THE COMMUNITY
Memorize Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1. What was your favorite birthday?

2. While you worshiped at Coastal this week, what touched your heart thru the message or music? What engaged you and got your attention? What challenged your thinking or what did you wonder about?

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Micah 6:1-8 this week. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. Read Luke 4:14-21. How does this passage relate to Micah 6:1-8?

THE APPLICATION
5. What does it look like in your day-to-day life to “do justice” or “act justly”?

6. What does it mean to be kind? Give some recent examples of times you were kind as well as some missed opportunities to be kind.

7. What does it mean to “walk humbly”? How do you live this out?

8. What is the one main takeaway for you from this sermon and Small Group discussion?

STRENGTH & COURAGE: Ambushed

THE COMMUNITY
Memorize Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1. What is the last book you read?

2. How did you grow closer to God through Sunday’s Corporate Worship? How did God reveal Himself more to you? What did you learn the people, the music, the sermon and/or through serving?

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Joshua 7:1-26 this week. (For the entire story, read Joshua 8, too!) Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. Why was it such a big deal that Achan took just a few things from everything that was destroyed? What exactly was Achan’s sin? Why do you think he did it even though he knew God’s orders?

THE APPLICATION
5. How would our daily lives and our relationships be different if we realized the gravity of our sins against God?

6. What was a moment in your life that God encouraged you to keep moving forward even though life was overwhelming??

7. In verse 21, Achan hides what he wanted the most (i.e. robes, gold, etc.). Why do you hide cherished sins that prevent you from being obedient to God? What do you need to do to reveal these?

8. Like Psalm 30:5, tell of a time when you experienced the weight and darkness of the night and then the relief that comes in the morning.

Singing The Gospel

THE COMMUNITY
Memorize Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
1. What was your favorite Halloween/Fall Festival tradition you and your family participated in?

2. While you worshiped at Coastal this week, what touched your heart thru the message or music? What engaged you and got your attention? What challenged your thinking or what did you wonder about?

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Psalm 73:1-28 this week. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. In Psalm 46, how does God show Himself as our defender or fortress?

THE APPLICATION
5. At times, in what other ways do you answer the question, “Where else can we go?” What brings you back to the only true answer?

6. In your life, how has God shown that He is good?

7. What does it look like for you to be near to God?

8. When did you connect the resurrection of Christ with your own victory over death? What difference has that made to you in terms of hope and courage? What new sense of purpose does this give you?

STRENGTH & COURAGE: Devoted

THE COMMUNITY
Memorize Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
1. What childhood achievement are you most proud of?

2. From your time at corporate worship – the people, music, sermon, serving in a ministry – what encouraged, moved, or excited you? What questions came up for you?
THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Joshua 6:1-27 this week. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. How did the Lord’s battle plan test the people’s patience and self-control?

THE APPLICATION
5. In what way(s) is the Lord currently testing your patience and self-control?

6. Which of these approaches to serving God do you most often use: (1) to make the best plans you can and hope they succeed; (2) to make your own plans and ask God to bless them; or (3) to ask God for His plans and then do what He tells you to do? Why is that your strategy?

7. What are some weekly things to which you find yourself absolutely devoted? What changes need to be made?

8. Tell of a time in your life when God called you to walk in obedience and faith and others questioned you. What was the result?

STRENGTH & COURAGE: For or Against?

THE COMMUNITY
Memorize Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1. What was the last song you listened to on your radio/iPod?

2. At Sunday’s Corporate Worship, how did you grow closer to God or how did God reveal Himself more to you? Through the people, the music, the sermon and/or through serving?

THE BIBLE (Websites – biblegateway.com, blueletterbible.org, biblos.com, ccel.org)
3. Read Joshua 5:1-15 this week. Use the websites above to read it in different versions. What observations do you have? What words or phrases stand out to you?

4. In Joshua 5:2, circumcision was the first act of preparation. What did circumcision represent? In what sense do we today need to have the same thing done to our hearts?

THE APPLICATION
5. What spiritual preparation do you need for the tasks you face in the near future?

6. In what way(s) do your actions reflect your heart when worshiping God?

7. How has God rolled away a past “reproach” or shame in your life? If you are holding on to a past shame, what step of humility through Christ do you need to take (i.e. obedience, confession, forgiveness)?

8. Tell of a time when obedience to Jesus looked very different from what everyone else expected you to do.