May28/29,2016:BeBrave
2Timothy1:6–7
SteveCarter
Quick-ConnectGuide
Usethequestionsinthissectionifyourgroupisalreadystudyingsomethingelseandwon’t
beusingthefulldiscussionguide.
• Whocomestomindforyouwhenyouhearthewordbrave?Why?
• HowdidSteve’smessagechangeyourunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobebrave?
DiscussionGuide
Inthissection,youwillfindanopeningprayer,discussionquestions,nextsteps,anda
closingprayer.Thediscussionquestionsareseparatedintothreecategories—Getting
Started,TheBasics,andALittleDeeper—andaredesignedtoallowthegroupdiscussionto
deepenasyoumovethroughthem.Usetheprayers,questions,andnextstepsinwhatever
manneryoufindhelpfulbasedonyourgroup’sneeds.TheMessageRecapmighthelpyou
andthegrouptoprepareortorememberkeypoints.
OpeningPrayer
Fatherinheaven,thankYouthatweareabletogatherandthankYouforeachpersonhere.
OpenourheartsandmindstoYouaswelistentooneanotherandstudyYourWord.
HelpusnowtoknowYourpresenceamongus.Amen.
LeadingaNewGroup?
Askthisquestioninorderforyourgroupmemberstogettoknoweachotherbetter:
• Shareyourfavoritesummermemory.Whyisityourfavorite?
Allowforfiveminutesmaximumforeachperson.Asktheothermembersofthegroupto
listenandinvitethemtoaskquestionsandaffirmthepersonwhoissharing.
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GettingStarted
• IceBreaker:Whocomestomindforyouwhenyouhearthewordbrave?Why?
• IntroducingtheDiscussion:HowdidSteve’smessagechangeorenhanceyour
understandingofwhatitmeanstobebrave?
• NextStepFollow-Up:Whatnextstepdidyoucommittolasttimethegroupmet?
Howdiditgo?Whatwastheoutcome?Wheredidyougetstuck?
TheBasics
Read2Timothy1:6–7aloudasagroup(ItiswrittenoutatthebeginningoftheMessage
Recaponpage4).
• Trythisexerciseasagroup:Startwithoneperson(PersonA)andhaveeveryother
personidentifywheretheyhaveseenGod’simageinPersonA.(Thiscanworkeven
ifyoudon’tknoweachotherwellyet.Forexample,“Eachtimewegather,youoffer
eachofussomethingtodrinkandthisfeelslovingandwelcoming.”Or,“OnetimeI
wasreallystrugglingandyousaidsomethingthatwascomfortingandkind.”)Give
eachpersonaturntohearhowthegroupseesGodinhim/her.
o Aftereverypersonhashadanopportunitytobeblessedinthisway,askthe
grouptoreflectontheexercise:Howdidthatmakeyoufeel?Didanything
anyonesaidsurpriseyou?Howso?
• Whenyouconsiderthethreewordspower,love,andself-discipline,whichseems
mostevidentinyouonadailyorweeklybasis?Whichseemsleastevident?Explain.
ALittleDeeper
Stevesaidthat“beingbraveistounderstandandtochoosetobeexactlywhoGodmade
youtobe.”
• ShareatimeinyourlifeyoutriedtobesomeoneotherthanwhoGodmadeyouto
be.Whatwasthattimelike?Whatwastheoutcome?
• Whatpartsofyourselfareyouafraidtoshare?Wheredoesthatfearcomefrom?
• InwhatareaofyourlifeisitmostdifficulttobewhoGodmadeyoutobe?Why?
Whatisonewayyoucouldbegintoleanmoreintowhoyouareinthatplace?
NextSteps
Reviewthenextstepsbelowandconsiderwhichoneoroneseachmemberofthegroup
wouldliketocommittofortheupcomingweek(andbeyond).
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•
•
o Yoursection.AskyourSectionLeaderhowyoucangetinvolved.
o PromiselandandMidweekforKids.LearnmoreontheNextStepspageat
willowcreek.org.
o TheCareCenter.Gotowillowcreekcarecenter.orgtolearnmore&signup.
•
PrayandJournal.Writedownyourtopthreespiritualgiftsandwhatyouneedto
reallyunleashthosegifts—isitpower?Love?Self-discipline?Maybeyouneedmore
clarity.Maybeyouneedaplacetousethosegiftsorhowyou’regoingtousethem.
Maybeyouneedtodeclarethatyou’regoingtodevelopandusethemmoreand
more.AskGodforwhatyouneedandcommittodoingyourpartindevelopingand
deployingthosegifts.
StartServing.Summerisanidealopportunitytobeginexploringtheuseofyour
spiritualgifts.Herearethreeeasyfirstoptions:
ContinueyourPaul/Timothyrelationship.Haveyoustartedtomeetwithyour
“Paul”or“Timothy”yet?Remember,thebookof2Timothyisabouttheartof
mentoringandyourfaithwillgrowthroughmentoringandreceivingmentoring.
Herearequestionstouseduringyourmentoringtimethisweek.
o Ifyouarethe“Paul”:Inwhatareasofyourlifeareyouactingoutoffearor
failingtoactbecauseoffear?Wheredoyouthinkthatfeariscomingfrom?
o Ifyouarethe“Timothy”:Wouldyousharewithmewhatgiftsyouseeinme,
orthewaysyouseeGod’simageinme?AretherewaysIcouldbeusingmy
giftsmore?
ClosingPrayer
Prayforwhateverdifficultiesorneedsweresharedduringyourtimetogetherandhave
someoneclosethattimebyreadingtheprayerbelow.
Fatherinheaven,thankYouforYourwordandfortruththroughthewritingsofPaul.We
longtobepeoplewhohavemoreofYourpower,loveandself-disciplineinourlives.Please
giveuscouragetobeexactlywhoYoudesignedustobe.InJesus’name,amen.
MessageRecap
SteveCarter
Scripture:2Timothy1:6–7
Godwantseachofustobebrave.HoratiusCocleswasaRomansoldierinthelate6th
centuryBCwho,withthehelpofjusttwocompatriots—therestoftheRomanarmyhaving
fled—defeatedRome’senemyClusium.Horatiuswastheonlymaninthearmybrave
enoughtostandfirmagainsttheenemy.Whywasthisonemanwillingtotakeastand
wheneveryoneelseran?Similarly,Paulsufferedgreatlyforstandingfirminhisfaith—
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prison,floggings,shipwrecks,andeverykindofdangerimaginable(2Corinthians11:23–
28).WhywasPaulwillingtoendureallofthissuffering?
Stevesharedastoryofplayingdefenseduringfootballgameswithfriendsincollege.Every
threedowns,thedefensewouldblitzthequarterback,meaningtheywouldrushathimto
putpressureonhisthrow.Inthefaceofablitz,inexperiencedquarterbackspanickedand
ranawayfromthepressure,butexperiencedquarterbacksstoodtheirgroundandcalmly
madeaquickpass,avoidingbeingtackled.Weallfacethis“blitz”inourlives.Someofus
panicandrunaway,butthebraveamongusseethe“blitz”comingandcontinuetomove
ahead.
WhenPaulwasinprisonforthelasttime,amessengercametohimtoreportaboutthe
churchinEphesuswherecynics,critics,andhereticsthreatenedtodestroythechurch.Paul
receivedwordthatTimothyhadbecometimidinusinghisgiftsandhadbegunrunning
fromwhatGodcalledhimtodo.So,PaulremindedTimothy:
ForthisreasonIremindyoutofanintoflamethegiftofGod,whichisinyouthroughthe
layingonofmyhands.ForGoddidnotgiveusaspiritoftimidity,butaspiritofpower,oflove
andofself-discipline.(2Timothy1:6–7)
The“layingonofhands”isoftendonetocommissionsomeoneorsendthemoutby
identifyingtheuniquewaysinwhichthe“imagoDei”orimageofGodappearsinthem.In
Paul’sday,theeldersofthechurchwouldhavesurroundedTimothy,settheirhandsonhis
shoulders,andcalledoutthegiftstheysawinhim.PaulremindedTimothythatnoneofus
isalonewhenitcomestousingourgiftsbecauseGodhasgivenusnotaspiritoftimidity—
orcowardice—butaspiritofpower,loveandself-discipline.
Self-discipline
Spiritual
Gifts
Power
Love
Wecanbebravewhenweallowourspiritualgiftstobeenabledby
• God’spower—thesamepowerthatraisedJesusfromthedead;
• love—perfectlovecastsoutfear;and
• self-discipline—theabilitytoseewhatGodhasgivenustodoandthenchoosing
everydaytolivethroughthatgiftmix.
Godhascalledeachofustobebraveandwehavebeengiftedandempoweredtodothisby
ourspiritualgifts.Steveconcludedhistalkbyplacinghisfeetintoshoesthatwereaffixed
inconcreteasareminderthatthebravestthinganyoneofuscandoistostaygroundedin
thegiftsGodhasgivenus.
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Thepeoplewhoarethebravestarethosewhotrusttheirgifts,andtheydosobydecidingto
leanintotheirgifts,defininghowtheywillusethosegifts,anddeclaringthatwhenthe
pressurerises,theywillstandintheirgiftsinsteadofrunning.
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requirespermission.ContactKellyeFabianatWillowCreekCommunityChurchwithyourrequest.