The Power of Believing

 

Study Guide for Week of December 12, 2021 

This Week Reading: Luke 1:26-45

Crossroads Community Group Guide:
A. Welcome: Welcome everyone especially new persons and read out loud the purpose of your group
B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time: Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use   (or pick your own on YouTube make sure it has the lyrics on the screen)

D. Ten Minute Recap video for this study:     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt3yyT_S33z1ToZkTBuTUHQ                                                                           

       

E. Weekly Resources and Upcoming Events:     Crossroads Web Site        

F. Review   

1. How did you do with what you wanted to apply from last week?
2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?

G. Opening Question (a simple question to introduce the main theme - called an icebreaker): When was a time you believed God for something and it happened?

H. Background Information for this study: 

This is the first scene in the birth of Jesus. Luke was not present but he carefully invesitagetd everything and wrote it down under the power of the Holy Spirit so we can be certain this is accurate (read Luke 1: 1-4). 

The angel gabriele was a personal messager of God who stood in God's presence. He delivers important messages from God. He appears first to Daniel (Daniel 8:6), to Zecheriah (Luke 1:19) and here he appears to Mary. 

When gabriel refers to King David as jesus' father he is refering to ancester through the line of Joseph who was Mary's fiance.

Note Mary's surrender to God's plan and word.

As you go through this study note well the occurances of the words belief and believed as well as the idea of God's promise and fulfillment - make them applicacable to our lives today.

I. Verse Outline: Some Key Points to Discuss - Key Charachteristics of Believing

       I.        I. First Characteristic: Believing is a Difficult Challenge – verses 26-34

Key Concept: Believing is required when our circumstances and abilities do not match God’s promise.

Key Verse: John 20:29 blessed are they who have believed and not seen – Jesus to Thomas

Community Group Application: When we become followers of Jesus we start to learn how to believe in God’s promises and not in our abilities

Not

       I.      II. Second Characteristic: Believing Requires a Response – verses 35-38

Key Concept: The power to believe is God gift to us.  The power to believe is a key that opens the door to all that God has for us.

Key Verse: Luke 1:37 (Amplified) For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.

Community Group Application: Meeting together in church on the Lord’s Day and in a community group during the week is essential to experience all God has for you. 

Fi      III. Third Characteristic: Believing Impacts Others – verses 39-45

Key Concept: Your example of believing God’s promise in situations beyond your power will impact others deeply.

Key Verse: Luke 1:45 (Amplified) And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.

Community Group Application: Followers of Jesus make it their goal to be examples to those around them of the power of believing 

     II.    I. Word: - read the scriptures above in portions - break it down into smaller portions to read. Read it in portions aloud together several times. (Goal is that everyone understand the Bible story or verses by retelling them in their own words - keep at it until everyone knows the story or verses)

1. What key (important) words do you see in these verses?
2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.
3. What are the details?

4. What jumps out at you - catches your attention?
5. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?

J. Discuss the following general questions together (Goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion - the leader should not speak more than 30% of the time - let the group discover what God is saying to them).
1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?
3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story?
4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?

 
K. Commitment - Obedience - Application  (This is the key - have everyone answer this question): 
1. What in specific will you commit to apply in your life from this study? 

K. Prayer Time:  Break up into smaller groups of 3-4 - groups of the same sex           1. Pray for your group to multiply.

       2. Ask each other how you are doing spiritually               

       3.Pray for the needs of the members of the group. .

L. For Next time:                
1. Ask each person the name of a person they will invite to the group                                         for next week.