SESSION 04 - AUTHORITY GIVEN TO ALL BELIEVERS - THE GRACE OF GOD
ARRIVAL
Arrival, sharing life, munching snacks.
SESSION 4 - GROUP VIDEO
Watch 10-20 minutes of a GROUP video teaching, that correlates with the full Workshop semester topics.
GROUP CONVERSATION GUIDE
REDEMPTION: What CHRIST did
AUTHORITY: What WE do
HOLY SPIRIT: Our HELPER
STORY: PRAYING PROTECTION OVER MITCHELL NORRIS
VETTING PROCESS
- Fear? Or Faith?
- Weakness? Or Strength?
- Hopelessness? Or Hope?
DO SUCH THINGS REALLY MATTER?
- Does such activation of spiritual authority REALLY AFFECT changes and outcomes?
- WOULD IT all have worked out anyway?
- How do we really KNOW if spiritual authority is causal? How do we know it isn’t just a COINCIDENCE?
- If we DON’T ACTIVATE spiritual authority WILL WE be living under the reign of a fallen world, and victims to its degeneration?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO BUILD YOUR LIFE?
- How do you know anything??? (the Word)
- Consider the risk/benefit ratio
- What if you don't pray? Do you really want to know?
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS SESSIONS
BIG IDEA QUESTION AGAIN:
Does God use human agency to fulfill His purposes,
OR does God arbitrarily dictate outcomes via His sovereign determination?
DEFINE SOVEREIGNTY:
God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants,
without being accountable to anyone.
CONSIDER THE QUESTION:
If God delegated His rule on earth to His people,
and His people are delinquent to those responsibilities,
how much pain and sorrow have we unduly endured,
and how much of our understanding of God has been skewed?
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY?
The responsibility to rightfully govern and enforce justice.
WEEK SESSION 4: JESUS DELEGATES THE AUTHORITY TO BELIEVERS
THE GREAT COMMISSION
THE KINGDOM
THE GRACE OF GOD
ROMANS 5:17-21 NKJV For if by the one man’s offense DEATH REIGNED through the one, much more those who RECEIVE abundance of GRACE and of the gift of righteousness will REIGN in LIFE through the One, Jesus Christ.) … 21 so that as sin REIGNED in DEATH, even so GRACE might REIGN through RIGHTEOUSNESS to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMPLIFIED VERSION TRANSLATION 17 … REIGN as KINGS in LIFE through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
REVELATION 1:6 NKJV and has made us KINGS and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
DE CHARIS THEOS – “BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD”
1 CORINTHIANS 15:10 NKJV BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God [which was] with me.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:57-58 NKJV But THANKS (charis – grace) [be] to (or from) God (Theos), who gives us the VICTORY (conquer or utterly vanquish) through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be STEADFAST, IMMOVABLE, always abounding in the work (ergon – ergs - energy) of the Lord, knowing that your labor (intensity) is not in vain in the Lord.
2 CORINTHIANS 2:14 NKJV Now THANKS (charis – grace) [be] to (or from) God (Theos) who ALWAYS leads US in TRIUMPH in Christ, and THROUGH US diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
AUTHORITY CONFERRED ON ALL BELIEVERS
- GREAT COMMISSION
- THE KINGDOM
- THE GRACE OF GOD
- RAISED TO SIT WITH JESUS
- THE NAME OF JESUS
- THE WORD OF GOD
- THE HOLY SPIRIT
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Take a few moments to discuss your answers to these questions with the Group.
ICE BREAKER
What’s your favorite thing about your job?
MY MEMOIR STORIES
IMPORTANT: If the Group would like to continue telling one Memoir Story per week until they are completed, that might allow for a more congruent transition. Please be sensitive to the Science of Freedom content and discussion. It is important that our people are exposed to the possibilities in their potential that this content will provide. Please take no more than 20-25 minutes for the Memoir to leave time for the rest of the content below.
MEMOIR: PREPARING TO TELL MY STORY (Scope Timeline) worksheet to help you think through your story. You can download the SCOPE TIMELINE WORKSHEET at the link. There is a longer version of the worksheet, that gives an extra step to dig deeper into your story, which can be downloaded at LONG VERSION WORKSHEET (RECOMMENDED). You can also watch the WRAP UP video from last week that explains how to use the worksheet. Each person's Memoir should be 10-15 minutes long.
QUESTIONS
- After watching this session’s video, what is your biggest takeaway, “ah ha” moment, or challenging thought? Why?
- Pastor Patrick opens the session with a story of praying protection around Mitchell. How would you answer the following questions (same as last week):
- Does such activation of spiritual authority REALLY AFFECT changes and outcomes?
- WOULD IT all have worked out anyway?
- How do we really KNOW if spiritual authority is causal? How do we know it isn’t just a COINCIDENCE?
- If we DON’T ACTIVATE spiritual authority WILL WE be living under the reign of a fallen world, and victims to its degeneration?
- What feelings or thoughts do you have when you consider what “grace” means? Describe what it means to you?
- What feelings or thoughts do you have when you consider that grace also includes spiritual authority?
- What does it mean to you that the abundance of grace is always available, yet the believer must activate it by receiving it? If the believer doesn’t activate it, it will be as if it was never provided in the first place. Share how this makes you feel and think.
SESSION 4 - WRAP UP
This is a 5-10 minute section for MOVING FORWARD, GOING DEEPER, use of worksheets and periodic church-wide announcements.
MOVE FORWARD
Receive the challenge to “move forward” by applying what was learned this week.
SUGGESTIONS:
- IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, PREPARE TO TELL YOUR STORY, your MEMOIR, to the rest of us over the next few weeks. Use the MY MEMOIR: PREPARING TO TELL MY STORY (Scope Timeline) worksheet to help you think through your story. You can download the SCOPE TIMELINE WORKSHEET. There is a longer version of the worksheet, that gives an extra step to dig deeper into your story, which can be downloaded at LONG VERSION WORKSHEET (RECOMMENDED).
- PRAY FOR GROUP MEMBER - Pray for at least one person in the Group. Try to identify someone who hasn't been prayed for, or given an encouraging Scripture. Don't worry about feeling inadequate as a prayer. No one feels like they are professional prayers, at least not when they look into eyes of the Almighty God. Praying the Scriptures over people is the best way to learn how to pray effectively. Simply find a Scripture, put the person's name in the text, and pray those words out loud. Then ask the Lord to help you think of things to say to Him about them that would help their lives.
- ASK FOR A SCRIPTURE WORD - Ask God to give you a Scripture to give them to encourage, comfort and edify them. You can Google search "God's Promises" and find a plethora of appropriate texts. Look for one that seems to give you a spark of energy as you think about the person you have been praying for.
- DELIVER THE WORD TO THEM - Then send them an email, text or phone call to encourage them. This is how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. As you practice these movements you will expand your own capacity with God, all while giving people much needed hope and strength.
GOING DEEPER
Encouragement to engage the FULL WORKSHOP SEMESTER experience. While this is not required, nor is the Group discussions connected to the full workshop, it is an option for everyone.
PRAYER / DISMISS GROUP
Prayer time with the Group.