MAIN POINT:

We can’t stay here!

ICEBREAKER:

Celebration of our past leads us to anticipation of our future. What do you celebrate in your past? What are you looking forward to in the future?

INTRODUCTION:

When things are comfortable and life is going well it is tempting to sit back, relax, rest and stop moving forward. This applies in all areas of our lives, whether it be fitness or career or our church life. Faith Promise has been growing and going strong for 20 years this month. It would be easy to say “We’ve arrived! We don’t need to do anything more.” But, as Pastor shared this week, “We can’t stay here!” If we stop moving forward we will miss out on seeing gifts that Faith Promisers have to share, we will miss out on reaching our full potential, and we will miss out on pointing our friends and family to Jesus. One way to keep moving forward is to make sure that we are all serving the body of Christ. If we are to keep growing, we must have servants in childcare, group leaders, youth leaders, tech team, worship ministry and many other areas.

ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH BIBLE STUDY:

1. Pastor shared that he was asked by a reported “What does Faith Promise provide its members?” When you attend church do you expect benefits?

2. Do you think that you are more of a consumer or a servant at church?

Read John 2:1-10

3. According to the story, who was aware that a miracle had taken place?

4. What are the benefits of being a servant? Are you serving in some way at Faith Promise?

5. What miracles have you seen at Faith Promise?

Read Genesis 28:10-17

6. Where was Jacob when God met him?

7. Are you in a time of transition currently, or can you share about a time of transition in the past? What is difficult about transition?

Read Genesis 28:18-21

8. Using Jacob’s example what can we do in times of transition?

LEADER NOTES

1. Pastor answered the reporter that Faith Promise provides a place for members to lay down their lives for Jesus. The point is that we are called to be servants and not consumers at church.

2. This question is not meant to induce guilt if people are not serving. It is meant for people to assess where they are and where they want to be in the future.

3. According to verse 9 the servants knew where the wine had come from, but the head waiter, the bridegroom and the guests did not.

4. A servant gets to see the fruit of their labor. When we serve and God moves, we get to be a part of that process. Use this question as a jumping off point in talking about serving opportunities. If people are not serving why not? If people are serving, what do they like about the ministry they do?

5. Make sure God gets the glory! Praise God for what he has done!

6. Jacob was in between Beersheba and Haran. He was in transition between living at home with his parents and Esau (who wanted to kill him) and living with his Uncle Laban.

8. For many people the unknown of what lies ahead is what makes transition difficult/scary. Jacob did not know the details of all that lay ahead, but he knew his God and what God had promised. He trusted God. During times of transition we can lean on what we do know-God!