Gcf Austin

Life Group Questions 1.  Pastor Ryan described the doctrine of defeat (dispensationalism) which didn’t exist prior to the 1850’s. Because of the Scofield Reference Bible and other influences, the American church adopted a defeatist mentality. What do you believe about the future? 2.  What is the difference between a sub-culture and a counter-culture? What is the church called to be? 3.  The Jews in biblical times thought in two time periods. The age of the law and the prophets and the age of the messianic kingdom. Both ages existed simultaneously between 30-70AD. Why did this happen and what does it mean? 4.  When we read “last days” in the bible, what is it referring to? 5.  The kingdom of God is referenced over 160 times in the New Testament. What is your understanding of God’s kingdom and the role you are to play in building it?

Life Group Questions 1. Who brought you to church? Share your testimony. 2. Our “Find, Tell, Bring” series has inspired us to invite people to church for Easter and beyond. Have you thought about who you would like to invite yet? If so, have you already extended the invitation? If so, how did it go? If not, what’s holding you back? 3. Pastor Rob said to “keep it simple” when inviting others; to share simple truths from scriptures and how they changed your life. What simple truth can you share from scripture that will inspire others to come and join the party? 4. Building relationships is crucial. Pastor Rob shared a life-changing story from a church member about how an invitation to a Cody Johnson concert transformed his life. If it wasn’t for his Christian friends who invited him out, he would still be an atheist. This story highlights the significance of inviting people into our community and making them feel loved and accepted. What could you invite someone to outside of church to further your relationship

Life Group Questions1.       According to 1 Corinthians 1:29-30, saving people is not your job. Instead, it’s God job. Does this truth relieve some pressure? Why?2.       If you haven’t already done so, make a list of unchurched people that you know. Tell us about the main person on that list that the Holy Spirit is highlighting for you to focus on.3.       Kasey suggested that we should create curiosity in how we live our life and to love people until they ask you why. What do you think of this approach? How do you accomplish it?4.       Please share a 3-min version of your story (…how Jesus made a difference in your life)? It doesn’t need to be polished or ready to go. Whoever is most scared, should go first.5.       What is one of your favorite Jesus stories? Please share it and tell us why it is your favorite. For example, I love the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) parable.

Life Group Questions 1.  Let’s talk about a time when a friend showed up for you in a time of need. How did it make you feel? Did it make the situation better or worse? 2.  Job’s friends began as well-intentioned comforters but turned into miserable ones. Have you ever been a miserable comforter? Share from your experience and what you learned. 3.  Pastor Rob shared a powerful story about a difficult conversation with his brother while his mother was hospitalized with Covid. He ended up calling his brother back to apologize and restore their relationship. Months later, his brother gave his life to Christ! Do you have anyone in your life that you need to make amends with? If so, share who it is, pray for them, and make a plan to “show up” for them. 4.  Pastor Rob mentioned 5 ways to have someone’s six. -      Prayer-      Show up-      Listen to understand, not respond-      Don’t assume-      Encourage them Which of these ways resonated with you the most and why?

Life Group Questions 1.  Read Genesis 26:2-5. Why did God carry forward the blessing of Abraham to his son, Isaac? 2.  God chose to make a covenant with Abraham because He knew He could trust him. God has kingdom-building plans for your life. Can He trust you? 3.  Read Matthew 6:33. This is a conditional promise from God. What is the promise? What is the condition? Do you want this promise for your life? If so, what do you need to change moving forward? 4.  Pastor Ryan shared three components to Abraham’s obedience. a.  Without seeing the blueprintsb.  Without limitsc.  Sacrificial When considering your life, which one of these stuck out to you the most and why? 5.  Read John 14:23-24. Do you obey Jesus’ teachings? There is another conditional promise here. What is the condition and what is the promise? How will this change your outlook on life?

Life Group Questions:1. What did you learn from this teaching, and how will it impact you moving forward?2. Do you feel hopeless in any areas of your life, such as your marriage, finances, children, career, or health? If yes, please share. If not, share some victories.3. During the teaching, Pastor Rob shared three wrong sources of trust: ourselves, other people, and money. Which one resonated with you the most as an area for improvement, and why?4. Jesus offers hope to those who feel hopeless by providing them with a new perspective (vision), a new source of power (JOY), and a new purpose (glorifying Him). What is your new vision and purpose? Additionally, please share an example of your superpower (JOY) in action.

Life Group Questions 1.    What was your main takeaway from this week’s teaching?  2.    Pastor Ryan described three components of the year of jubilee.a.    Rest from Labor (Soul Rest): Taking a sabbath & reflecting on what matters most. b.    Restoration from what was lost (All debit forgiven & original inheritance restored) c.    Release from slavery (Born-again believers are set free from slavery to sin) Which of these spoke to you the most, and how will this change how you live your life?  3.     Is there an area where you have accepted defeat in your life? If so, how will you take a stand to claim the blessing of Abraham in every area of your life? 4.     One of the biggest things that holds Christians back is not believing that the word of God is true for them. What is holding you back from believing that God’s word is true for you?

Life Group Questions 1.  What has God called you to do? 2.  Read Isaiah 61:1. Jesus came to proclaim freedom for the captives. The Greek word translated to “freedom” or “liberty” means “free run.” Is that how you would describe your life? “Free run,” with no limitations and nothing holding you back from your God-given destiny?  3.  Do you currently feel like you are held captive to something or someone? Remember that this can be mental, emotional, physical, and/or spiritual captivity. 4.  Pastor Ryan said that one of the devil’s primary tactics is to whisper toxic thoughts into your spirit. These are lies, deceptions, and errors. Share about a time in your life when you experienced this and won victory over it. 5.  Pastor Ryan listed four types of lies that the devil tries to get us to believe: -      Lies about God-      Lies about ourselves-      Lies about sin-      Lies about others Which of these lies are you currently struggling with and how can the group pray for you?

Life Group Questions 1.  What was your main takeaway from this week’s teaching on brokenness? 2.  Pastor Rob talked about some causes of a broken heart:·     Abuse (Verbal / Physical / Sexual)·     Loss·     Neglected / Rejected·     Failure·     Betrayal Which of these have you experienced victory over and how can you use that testimony to bring someone else closer to Jesus? 3.  One of the most common coping mechanisms is denial. You see this with people who might “put on a happy face” or say, “I’m good” instead of being honest with themselves and others.  Read: Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus clearly and lovingly invites us to release every wearisome burden, and if we allow Him to guide & direct our lives, He guarantees rest for our souls. Are there areas in your life that you need replaced with the rest Jesus offers? Share them with the group. 4.  Pastor Rob shared this quote from Bill Hybels: “What if you knew that by simply crossing the room and saying hello to someone, you could change that person forever? Just

Life Group Questions 1.  What is “The year of the Lord’s favor?” 2.  Pastor Ryan said, “So many Christians only experience half of their life in God.” They focus only on receiving from God and miss opportunities every day to minister to others. Described the last time you ministered to someone. 3.  Read Col. 1:27. People all around us have been devastated by circumstances in life. Their only hope is the local church (Christ in you, the hope of glory). How has your perspective changed since hearing this truth from scripture? 4.  Pastor Ryan encouraged all of us to “see people differently.” What did he mean by this? How does this apply to you? 5.  All people are born separated from God and have a God-shaped hole in their life because they are spiritually empty until they invite Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Do you know that Jesus is your Savior? If not, is there anything holding you back from surrendering all to Him so that you can be healed and set free? If you are a born-again believer, who has God put o

Life Group Questions1. What was the main thing you pulled from this relationship principle?2. Share a time when you did not believe the best about someone and how it affected your relationship with that person. 3. Pastor Rob talked about relationships being our church's thing. Do you remember when you first walked in grace? Share how you felt and how you are mirroring that for others in our church. 4. Out of the five relationship principles, Faithfulness Principle, Four-day Principle, Friendship Principle, First-word Principle, and Final-word Principle, which one is the most challenging for you at this moment and why? 

Life Group Questions 1.  In your own words, what is the First-Word Principle? How does it help maintain and grow relationships? 2.  Read Matthew 18:15. This verse provides five key points about resolving personal conflicts. What are they? Please discuss.3.  Do you recall a situation in your life where you were seemingly the last person to know about someone having a problem with you? If you can, please talk about that. How did it affect those relationships? 4.  In Matthew 18:7, the English word “offense” is translated from the Greek word “skandalon,” which means the trigger of a trap on which bait is placed. Discuss how this biblical fact colors your understanding of what an offense is. 5.  What is a secondary offense? What is gossip? How are they damaging to relationships…the church? Have you experienced gossip, as the subject of the gossip or a participant? If so, please share what happened.

Life Group Questions1.   What are some of your biggest personal takeaways from the relationship principles series so far? 2.  Why is it important for our church to remain in unity? Bonus question: What are the key bible verses for this series? 3.  In week one, Pastor Ryan taught the faithfulness principle. What is the faithfulness principle and how does will this challenge you moving forward? 4.  In week two, Kasey taught the four-day principle. What is the four-day principle and will you commit to following this in your relationships in the church? 5.  Last Sunday, Pastor Ryan taught the friendship principle. What is the friendship principle? Do you find yourself to be someone who makes every effort to keep the unity in your relationships or do you avoid confrontation and hold grudges?