Men's Small Group: Love And Respect
Panera - Yorkville
Wednesday Night
1/27/10
This week Josue continued teaching through the Joseph series. The Senior High learned 3 Final Things You Must Experience About Faithfulness. Together they studied Genesis 48. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
God's faithfulness and your faithfulness to him will make you...
1. Have a future that is secure (Judah) Genesis 49:8-12
2. See fulfillment of God's promises (Jacob) Genesis 49:29-32
3. Be forgiving through God's Plan (Joseph) 50:19-21
Family Time Questions:
• What has stuck out most to you about God's faithfulness throughout this series?
• What troubles you most about your future? Do you believe God's faithfulness can influence that? (Give you a secure future?)
• What do you think are some of God's promises in your life? Have you seen any fulfilled? How?
• So what about forgiveness? Is there anyone you need to forgive? Do you need to be forgiven? Is not now the time? (Leaders: encourage students to talk to one another if they need to 'do business' in this area. Also, great moment to share the Gospel.)
• How has this series influenced the way you will be faithful to God in all circumstances?
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Wednesday Night
1/27/10
This week Mario continued teaching through the Joseph series. The Senior High learned 3 Values to Cling to This Side of Heaven. Together they studied Genesis 48. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
Value 1- Cling to the COVENANT promises of God
(Genesis 48:3-4; Hebrews 8:7-13; Luke 22:20; Matthew 26:28)
Value 2- Cling to godly CHARACTER
(Genesis 48:5-14; I Chronicles 5:1-2; Genesis 35:22)
Value 3- Cling to God’s COMPANIONSHIP
(Genesis 48:15-16; Deuteronomy 30:16; 2 Kings 19:10-19; Micah 6:8)
Family Time Questions
-What are things teenagers cling to?
-What are some promises of God we can cling to?
-Would you say that godly character is prevalent in our society? Why or why not?
-How does one develop godly character?
-How do we practically walk with God each day? What does that look like?
-Share prayer requests and pray for each other.
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Wednesday Night
1/13/10
This week Mario continued teaching through the Joseph series. The Senior High learned 4 Principles To Make Sure that You Finish the Race Strong. Together they studied Genesis 46-47. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
Principle # 1 Worship God 24/7 (46:1, 47:28 - 31)
Principle # 2 Follow God no matter where He tells you to go (Genesis 46:2-7, 26-30)
Principle # 3 Always seek to bless others (Jacob blessed Pahroah)(46:31-47:12)
Principle # 4 Trust that God will take care of you until the end
A. He gave Jacob’s family the land of Goshen, the best land in Egypt
B. God made sure that Jacob was buried back in Canaan (46:4, 47:28-31)
Study Questions
1. What does it mean to worship God “in spirit and in truth”?
2. How does one practically worship God 24/7?
3. In what situations might it be hard to follow God?
4. How can we as believers bless others?
5. How does God take care of us?
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Wednesday Night
12/2/09
This week Mario continued teaching through the Joseph series to both the Senior AND Junior High. Together they studied Genesis 45 and learned 4 Ingredients you must apply to be reconciled to someone who has hurt you. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
Ingredient #1 - Actively pursue reconciliation (Genesis 45: 1-4)
Ingredient #2 - Look at your situation from God's perspective. (Genesis 45:10-23)
Ingredient #3 - Bless those who have hurt you. (Genesis 45:10-23)
Ingredient #4 - Don't make others feel bad. (Genesis 45:5, 24)
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Wednesday Night
11/11/09
This week Mario continued teaching through the Joseph series. The Senior High learned 4 responses you should have when God gives you a second chance Together they studied Genesis 44. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
Response #1 Always be prepared (44:1-12)
Response # 2 Check the condition of your heart (44:13-16)
Response # 3 Don’t run away from the trial (44:17)
Response # 4 Take initiative to do the right thing (44:18- 34)
FAMILY TIME QUESTIONS
1. Really challenge your child to invite friends to AD VIVUM & the Turkey Hunt
2. Share your name and your blessing and burden of the week.
3. How can we “prepare ourselves” for second chances? Read I Timothy 4:6-16. What does this say about training and how we are to do it.
4. How can we honestly check the condition of our heart?
5. What does true repentance look like?
6. What situations do high school students tend to “run away” from?
7. Why is it important to take initiative to do the right things?
8. What happens if we delay taking initiative to do the right things?
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Wednesday Night
11/4/09
This week Mario continued teaching through the Joseph series. The Senior High learned 4 Principles you need to live out to experience life at it’s best Together they studied Genesis 43. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
Principle # 1 Be willing to give up anything and everything (Genesis 43:1-10)
Principle # 2 Don’t view life vertically rather than horizontally (Genesis 43:11-15)
Principle # 3 Don’t fear the unknown future (Genesis 43:16-34)
Principle # 4 Walk with uncompromising integrity (Genesis 43:6-7, 19-23, 26-28)
FAMILY TIME QUESTIONS
1. What are some things that teenagers value?
2. Why is it hard to let those things go?
3. What does it mean to view life horizontally rather than vertically?
4. How can we start viewing life vertically?
5. Why does the unknown future cause fear?
6. What verses can give us peace in the midst of an uncertain future?
7. Define integrity.
8. How does someone achieve a life of integrity?
9. How is integrity destroyed?
Share prayer requests and then pray
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Wednesday Night
10/28/09
This week Brian taught the Senior High. They continued through the Joseph series by studying Genesis 42. The lesson was 3 Ways God Uses To Get Our Attention When We Live In Sin. We encourage you to continue conversation and study of this passage and lesson throughout the week, among and with the students!
Way # 1 External Circumstances - Famine in the Land
Way # 2 Strained Relationships - With Joseph
Way # 3 Our conscience - v . 21, 28
In what ways is God convicting you of sin?
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Wednesday Night
10/21/09
This week Mario continued teaching through the Joseph series. The Senior High learned 3 Character Traits to apply when God blesses your life with success Together they studied Genesis 41. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
3 Character Traits to apply when God blesses your life with success
Genesis 41
Trait # 1: Stay humble and dependent on God (Genesis 41:16, 25, 33-40)
Trait # 2: Be faithful with your time talent and treasures (Genesis 41:46-49, 53-57)
Trait # 3: Remember to show gratitude to God (Genesis 41:50-52)
1. Is it harder for you to follow God when things are going well or when things are tough?
2. Why might it be harder to follow God when God blesses us with success than when things are difficult?
3. What does it mean to be faithful with your “time,” “talent,” and “treasure?” Take time to define each term.
4. How as a high school student can you practically apply faithfulness to each of the three categories in the previous question?
5. What are some things that you are thankful to God for? (Everyone should share one thing)
Share prayer requests and then pray through Psalm 136.
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Wednesday Night
10/14/09
This week Mario continued teaching through the Joseph series. The Senior High learned 3 Ways to Spend Your Time Wisely While Waiting . Together they studied Genesis 40. The following are teaching notes from the lesson. Feel free to seek out opportunities to continue discussing and teaching these truths with the students, remembering to seek all wisdom and knowledge from the Word of God by His Holy Spirit.
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How would you like to spend 2 years making phone calls to people who aren’t home? Sound absurd? According to one time management study, that’s how much time the average person spends trying to return calls to people who never seem to be in. Not only that, we spend 6 months waiting for the traffic light to turn green, and another 8 months reading junk mail. http://bible.org/illustration/our-time-well-spent
We waste a lot of our time entertaining ourselves.
God has given us the gift of time, are you wasting it or using it for God’s glory.
When we turn to the story of Joseph, we see that he is a good steward of his time while he is waiting for God to release him from prison. We know that from the time he was sold into slavery to the time he became 2nd in charge of Egypt is a span of 13 years. Joseph was waiting on God, but he didn’t waste his time.
Often you will find yourself spending a lot of time waiting. Waiting for the employer to call you back with a job. Waiting for that acceptance letter to a college. Waiting for God to show you who he wants you to marry. Waiting for the customer service representative on the other end of the phone to pick up your call.
Just yesterday, I had trouble with my online bank account, so I called customer service. It took about 15 minutes, and they walked me through ad gave me a new password. I hung up with that representative, I went to the web site only to find out that the password didn’t work, so I had to do the process all over.
What did Joseph do with his time while he was waiting?
Let’s read Genesis 40 and find out.
Way # 1 Be faithful to serve and care for others
In what ways are you serving and caring for others? Sometimes we use the excuse that we are in transition and waiting so we don’t serve and care for others.
Way # 2 Nurture your relationship with God (40:8; 41:38-39)
When was the last time you took time to nurture your relationship with God in a moment of waiting?
Way # 3 Don’t become impatient with God’s timing and take things into your own hands (Genesis 40:14-15, 23)
Are there situations where you have taken things into your own hands and not trusted God?
The following are questions that were discussed during Family Time after the message was given.
1. Share your name and your blessing and burden of the week.
2. What makes it hard to serve and care for others while we are in a waiting period in our lives?
3. What are some practical ways that we can nurture your relationship with God?
4. Why do we tend to take things into our own hands instead of trusting in God’s timing?
5. How does God use those waiting periods to grow us?
Share prayer requests and then pray through
Praise
Admit
Request
Thanksgiving
Wednesday Night
10/7/09
This week Mario continued teaching the Senior High through the new series, "Joseph: Faithfulness in All Circumstances". Together they looked at Genesis 39 and discussed 3 Keys To Survive and Thrive When Life Get's Tough: Following each of the main points is a grouping of the general information and further research which was used to illustrate the "Key".
Key #1 - ___LOOK____ for the hand of God in your life (Genesis 39:1-5, 21-23)
The clause "the Lord was with Joseph" occurs four times in this chapter (vv. 2, 3, 21, and 23) and explains the reason for his success.912 God had previously promised to be with Isaac and Jacob (26:3, 24, 28; 28:15, 20;
31:3). Yahweh is the name for God used; the covenant-keeping God of the patriarchs was with this son of Jacob far from home.
Jesus promises to be with us.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
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Solomon Rosenberg and his family were placed in one of the Nazi work camps where every person who could no longer work was taken to the gas ovens. The first to go in his family to be gassed were his aged parents who were well into their eighties and verysoon broke under the inhuman conditions of long hours, lack of decent food and miserable hygienic conditions.
Solomon knew that the next to go in his family would probably be their youngest son David. David was slightly crippled and was able to work less and less each passing day. Each morning the family separated for their work assignments, and then returned to huddle together in the barracks at night. Each evening Solomon returned with tremendous fear, wondering whether this might be the day their youngest boy David would be taken. So, each night as he entered the barracks his eyes would quickly seek out his little boy, David; his oldest boy Jacob, and then his wife, the mother of his children.
At last the night came that he had feared. As he walked into the barracks he could see none of his family. Solomon became frantic. His eyes searched for the precious faces of his family, and then, at last, he saw the figure of his oldest boy Jacob, hunched over and weeping in a corner. But he still could not see David or his wife. He hurried to Jacob and said, "Son, tell me it isn't so. Did they take David today?" "Yes, Papa, today they came to take David. They said he could no longer do his work."
In desperation heasked, "But, Mama, where is Mama? She is still strong. Surely they wouldn't take her, too?"
Jacob looked at his father through tearful eyes and said, "Papa, when they came to take David, he was afraid and he cried. So Mama said to him, 'Don't cry, David. I will go with you and hold you close.' And so the mother went with her son to the ovens, so that he wouldn't be afraid, so that he wouldn't be alone."
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~ What are some ways you can see the hand of God in your life?
~ How come so many believers fail to see God’s hand in their life?
Key #2 - ___RUN_____ away from temptation. (Genesis 39:6-18)
Joseph had a fine physique and a handsome face, features that he shared with his mother Rachel (cf. 29:17).
Joseph was evidently in his mid-twenties at this time. He was in a "no win" position with Potiphar's wife. As a slave he had to obey her, but as a trustworthy and moral servant of Potiphar he had to refuse her. The typical male clothing in patriarchal times consisted of mid-calf length shorts and a tunic that resembled a long T-shirt (cf. 3:21; 37:3).914 Joseph regarded obedience to God as his primary responsibility (v. 9) and therefore chose as he did (cf. Ps. 51:4).
Success in temptation depends more on character than on circumstances. Character rests on commitment to the will of God. We can see Joseph's character in his loyalty to Potiphar concerning what his master had entrusted to his care (v. 9). We see it in his responsibility to God for what belonged to someone else (v. 9). It is also obvious in his responsibility to God respecting his special personal calling (37:5-9; 45:5-9).
Furthermore we see it in his responsibility to God concerning his sacred vocation as a member of the house of Israel.
Joseph's integrity had obviously impressed Potiphar, but he may also have had questions about his wife's chastity (cf. Ps. 105:18).
In duty he was loyal, in temptation he was strong, and in prison he was faithful. When this spirit actuates our life, difficulties become means of grace and stepping-stones to higher things. On the other hand, if difficulties are met in a fretful, murmuring, complaining, disheartened spirit, not only do we lose the blessings that would otherwise come through them, but our spiritual life suffers untold injury, and we are weakened for the next encounter of temptation whenever it comes. There is scarcely anything in the Christian life which reveals more thoroughly what our Christianity is worth than the way we meet difficulties by the use of the grace of God."917
39:6b-10. Yet God tested Joseph with Potiphar’s wife to see if he was obedient. When she tempted handsome Joseph, he refused to go to bed with her for that would be a sin against both God and his master. He then deliberately and wisely sought to avoid her daily advances by refusing even to be around her. His refusal was strengthened because he was convinced that God had called him to a special task—he had seen evidence of that in his rise from slavery. If one is to fulfill God’s plan, he cannot sin against the God who will bring it about.
39:11-20a. Potiphar’s wife, humiliated by Joseph’s refusal of her, fabricated a lie to accuse Joseph of assaulting her. She showed to her household servants and then to Potiphar the garment that Joseph left when he fled from her persistent advances. This was the second time Joseph’s clothing was used to bring a false report about him (cf. 37:31-33). In both cases he had been serving faithfully. But in both cases Joseph ended up in bondage.
Whereas before it was the beautiful wife (yepath mar'eh 12:11; tobat-mar'eh 26:7) of the patriarch who was sought by the foreign ruler, now it was Joseph, the handsome patriarch (yepeh-th o'ar wipeh mar'eh 39:6) himself who was sought by the wife of the foreign ruler. Whereas in the earlier narratives it was either the Lord (12:17; 20:3) or the moral purity of the foreign ruler (26:10) that rescued the wife rather than the patriarch, here it was Joseph's own moral courage that saved the day. Joseph's reply explicitly laid bare his motives: "How then could I do such a wicked thing [ra`ah lit., "evil'] and sin against God?" (v.9). The purpose of this reversal perhaps lies in a change of emphasis on the part of the writer in the Joseph narratives. Whereas in the preceding narratives, the focus of the writer had been on God's faithfulness in fulfilling his covenant promises, in the story of Joseph his attention is turned to the human response.
~ Have you ever been curious about sin?
Sin will take farther than you want to go
Keep you there longer than you want to stay
Cost you more than you want to pay
Key #3 - ___SERVE___ God faithfully no matter what circumstance you find yourself in.
(Genesis 39:19-23)
Rather than being executed for rape (as dictated in, for instance, the Middle Assyrian laws), Joseph was put into a royal prison holding political prisoners.
This chapter shows that Joseph was a faithful servant of God. With the dreams of prosperity in his memory (37:6-7, 9) he remained loyal to God rather than yield to temptation at the first glimpse of his rise to power. Wise rulers recognize that allegiance to God is the first requirement of an ideal king. Israel too would learn that she should remain faithful to the Lord in spite of the consequences, which included the suffering of the righteous.
This story is similar to the advice given frequently in Proverbs by King Solomon. It is folly to yield to the temptations of a flattering woman or man and ruin all prospects of a life of service to God. The way of wisdom is to consider the cost of sin. Joseph did not yield to temptation because he was convinced God had something marvelous for him to do. Joseph would not throw away God’s blessings for the pleasures of sin. Nor was he troubled because he suffered for his faithfulness. God would ultimately honor him as He had promised.
Joni Erikson Tada
As a teenager, Joni loved life. She enjoyed riding horses, loved to swim. One summer in 1967, however, that all changed. While swimming with some friends, Joni dove into a lake not knowing how shallow it really was. She broke her neck, paralyzing her body from the neck down. For the next two years during her rehabilitation Joni struggled. She struggled with life, she struggled with God, and she struggled with her paralysis.
Today, she is an internationally known mouth artist, a talented vocalist, a radio host, an author of 17 books and an advocate for disabled persons worldwide
~ How are you serving God?
The Following are group discussion questions which led the Senior High "Family Time." Feel free to continue discussions that may arise with these questions throughout the week. Seek all wisdom knowledge and understanding through God's Word!
1. (warm up/getting to know you question) Share your name and the favorite thing you like to do in the fall? (Watch football, go to the pumpkin patch, go to fall camp)
2. How come so many believers fail to see God’s hand in their life?
3. What are some ways you can see the hand of God in your life?
4. How have you seen the hand of God in your life?
5. Why is it good to run away when you are tempted?
6. Why is it so hard to run away from temptation?
7. Why is it good to keep serving no matter what our circumstances?
8. How do you generally respond when bad things happen?
9. Why is it difficult to trust God when bad things happen?
10. How did Joseph make the most of the bad situations in which he found himself?
11. Why is sexual purity so important?
12. What are the consequences of sexual sin?
13. How can we resist sexual temptation?
Share prayer requests and then pray through:
Praise
Admit
Request
Thanksgiving
Wednesday Night
23/09/09
This week Mario gave a message to the Senior High. He introduced the new series that the group will be going through, "Joseph: Faithfulness in All Circumstances" Together they studied Genesis 37 and sought God's answer to the question "What Do You Do When Your Life Ends Up In The Pits?"
We encourage you to seek opportunities to not only study or re-study this lesson but to take time to discuss it with, and among, the students themselves.
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What do you do when your life ends up in the pits?
Genesis 37
Response # 1 Trust that God’s plan is best for your life (Genesis 37:1-11)
Response # 2 Allow God to grow you through the trials (Genesis 37:12-36)
Response # 3 Remember God’s revealed Word in your darkest hour (Genesis 37:12-36)
What promise do you need to ask God to bless you with?
God’s presence – “Never will I leave you” (Hebrews 13:5)
God’s protection – “I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1)
God’s power – “I will strengthen you” (Isaiah 41:10)
God’s leading - “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them” (John 10:4)
God’s purposes – “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
God’s rest - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
God’s cleansing – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
God’s goodness – “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11)
God’s faithfulness – “For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.”(1 Samuel 12:22)
God’s guidance – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
God’s salvation – “[9] That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
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Family Discussion Questions
1. Share your name and if you could pick the perfect plan for your life, what would the next 10 years look like? (Would you go to college, what would be your occupation, would you be married, have kids, where would you live?)
2. Why is it hard for some Christians to believe that God’s plan is truly best for their lives?
3. Are there any verses or testimonies that show that God’s plan is always best?
4. How do trials grow us?
5. What should be a proper attitude and response when trials come your way.
6. What’s one thing in life that you dread? (ie. Failing a test, not going to homecoming, parents’ losing a job, drafted into a war, death of mom and dad)
7. What are some verses that can help in those fears?
