Posted on September 30, 2018 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
September 30 – October 6, 2018
Growing Up: Jesus, The Head
By Grant Houske
Have you ever wondered what could have happened to the Bad News Bears if it were not for coach Morris Buttermaker? Now, full disclosure, I really don’t know much about the movie of the Bad News Bears and I had to Google it to refresh my memory on a few details, but we all pretty much know how the story goes. A group of misfit players come together and succeed when they tended to fail. Also, coach Buttermaker is far from perfect and seemingly one of the least likely to coach the team. But, he does something for them in a weird way . . . Coach Buttermaker equips them to play better baseball together, gain confidence, and actually win a baseball games.
If Coach Buttermaker could do that for those players, imagine what our Heavenly Father can do for us! The ace card in our back pocket is Jesus. God sent a baby . . . which could be considered the least likely way to save the world . . . who grew to become the perfect leader. Jesus possesses those “stereotypical” qualities like: strength and toughness, commanding vision, confidence, greater-than-this-world persona. But leadership qualities like humility, stillness, and gentleness? He had those, too. A good leader simply makes us better at what we do and who we are. The same thing our supreme leader has done for us. God provided our guide, our visionary, our coach, to equip people and build the church through his word and example.
As Dan pointed out, life and purpose go beyond us. We are drawn together in a community–Heartland–and invited on mission together. We have the capacity to learn and grow; and we have the guarantee that Jesus will never waiver, never fail, never give up. From this series, we have learned that God has equipped each of us to do his missional work. Take a minute to think about how God’s Kingdom could grow, how his people could inspire, how we could flourish as a community if we quieted our hearts, humbled ourselves, identified our role and used it serve and honor him.
As we were called each week throughout the series, rise up, you apostle, you evangelist, you teacher, you prophet, and you shepherd. Rise up, come together and let’s be the body, the church, together. We have Jesus and we can do anything through him.
“A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” John C. Maxwell
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Where do you fit in the body of Christ, and specifically, in our community at Heartland? What have you discovered you bring to the table through this series? What is one thing you could do in the next month to share your unique gifts and experiences with the community? How can we help you? (Stop by The Hub on Sunday and we will work with you to make a plan!)
CLICK HERE to learn more about all of the roles and choose an opportunity to explore them on our Growing Up page.
CLICK HERE to take the 10-15 minute five fold gift assessment.
{personal reflection and bible reading plan}
As you read the verses each day, make notes of questions you have about what you’re reading as well as answering the reflection questions below. Grab a friend or two to discuss what you are learning and what God is doing in your lives.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Why is it significant that the Samiritans are mentioned in this scripture. Who do you imagine are the “Samiritans”of our culture? What are you doing to make them feel welcomed by Jesus?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Why do you think in some instances Jesus is willing to do a miracle to help someone believe but not in other instances? Is Jesus just inconsistent or does he approach each circumstance in its own way based on what it needs? How do you approach sharing Jesus’ love with people?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: A sick man had been waiting for 38 days by the pool in hopes of getting well and Jesus ask him if he wants to get well. It seems pretty obvious he would, but Jesus still asks the question. I don’t think Jesus asked the question for his knowledge but for the sick man to understand. Imagine Jesus just asked you this question too. Do you want to get well?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: The Judeans did not the like the way Jesus was fulfilling what God was doing. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of people throughout history that don’t like the way someone else is fulfilling God’s work. Have you ever felt judged or harassed for trying do something God asked of you?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Jesus is arguing by a chain of logic that made sense in his time and culture. If you believed in Moses you would believe in him. That logic argument falls short in our modern culture. What logic argument would make more sense to today’s culture?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: After the miracle Jesus performed in feeding five thousand people he had to withdraw because they wanted to make him King. Why would Jesus not want to be King and make changes to the world by political power?
{community discussion questions}
We weren’t meant to experience the life of Jesus alone, so we encourage you to rally a few others to discuss what you are hearing, reading, and reflecting on together. Whether you are meeting as a Journey Community group, talking with a few friends throughout the week, or bringing up spiritual conversations around your table at home, feel free to use some of these questions as conversation starters on your journey.
Can you name a takeaway or challenge from the Sunday message?
How has that been relevant, challenging, or meaningful to your life this week?
What have you observed about God, Jesus, yourself, others, or God’s plan for you from these readings?
Where do you need a breakthrough from God this week?
Who do you need to share what you’re learning about God with?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources).
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get a free Bible for your phone, tablet, and computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
Please visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and share what you are learning, questioning or experiencing. We love conversations!
