07 Jan Discussion Guide: What’s Next
PRAYER
Take the first few minutes of your time together to listen to what God is doing in one another’s lives and pray for any specific needs people in your group may have.
Today’s Discussion
This week we kick off 2018 with a stand alone message from Pastor Morgan Stephens. 2017 brought with it many challenges as well as many moments of celebration. 2018 will certainly bring it’s own ups and downs as well. So, the question we face is how can we be prepared for what’s next? In this discussion we will take a look at what it will take for us to be ready for all God wants to do both in, and through, Mosaic in 2018.
Discussion Questions
What is one of your New Year’s Resolutions for 2018?
Que estas esperando que sea diferente en 2018 comparado a 2017?
James 1:22-25
‘But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. ‘
What is something you’re hoping will be different in 2018 compared to 2017?
What changes might you need to make in order to see that happen?
Why is it easier for us to look for some kind of outward change to solve our problems rather than looking in the mirror at what internal change might need to take place?
Santiago 1:22-25
‘Sean hacedores de la palabra y no solamente oidores que se engañan a sí mismos. Porque si alguien es oidor de la palabra, y no hacedor, es semejante a un hombre que mira su rostro natural en un espejo; pues después de mirarse a sí mismo e irse, inmediatamente se olvida de qué clase de persona es. Pero el que mira atentamente a la ley perfecta, la ley de la libertad, y permanece en ella, no habiéndose vuelto un oidor olvidadizo sino un hacedor eficaz, éste será bienaventurado en lo que hace. ‘
Que cambios tienen que pasar para que eso suceda?
It’s easier to look to outward change, or to point the finger at our circumstances or other people, when things don’t go our way because that allows us to see ourselves as a victim, and victims deserve justice. Victims deserve sympathy. Victims have a right to demand change. If we have to take responsibility and ownership for our circumstances, on the other hand, then that requires something changing in us rather than in someone or something else. If we have responsibility regarding the situations we find ourselves in then that takes away our ability to demand others change. It takes away our ability to demand justice, and it requires that we ourselves begin to act more just in our view and treatment of others. In other words, it demands we change, and change is never easy. Change requires us to get out of what’s comfortable and familiar and predictable. Change puts us in a vulnerable position. Change means we must admit that we don’t have it all figured out and that we’re not “doing fine,” in our current situation. It is always easier to claim that reality about others.
Why is it essential for us to allow God to examine and change what needs to change in our own hearts?
Porque es indispensable que dejemos que Dios nos examine y cambie lo que necesita cambiar en nuestros corazones?
It is essential that we allow God to examine our hearts to reveal what responsibility we may have in the difficulties we face, and that we actually take that responsibility and make the necessary changes, because if we don’t then we will continue to do what we’ve always done and get what we’ve always got. Like Morgan said on Sunday, the old adage, “wherever you go, there you are,” is entirely true. If we only point the finger at others and put ourselves in the position of being a victim anytime life doesn’t go our way, and we never examine what needs to change in our own hearts, then we will continually find ourselves in that same kind of scenario over and over again in life. We must be willing to face the fact that the only common denominator in our difficulties may just be us. Allowing God to reveal those areas of our heart to us opens up the door to the possibility for change. Scripture says it is the lovingkindness of God that leads us to repentance. It is in His love that God wants to help us see the fears, insecurities, pride and selfishness that lay at the root of many of our struggles. And, it is in that same love that God wants to uproot those things to help us become the kind of people who love Him and love others and represent His Kingdom well.
Es esencial que dejemos que Dios examine nuestros corazones para revelar la responsabilidad que tendremos al encarar las dificultades, y que realmente tomemos esa responsabilidad y hagamos los cambios necesarios, porque si no lo hacemos, continuaremos haciendo lo que siempre hemos hecho y obteniendo lo que siempre hemos obtenido. Como Morgan dijo el Domingo, el dicho viejo, “adonde vayas, allí estarás,” es muy verdadero. Si solo estamos fijándonos en otros y nos ponemos como víctimas cuando la vida no sale como queremos, y nunca miramos lo que necesita cambiar en nuestro corazón, nos seguiremos hallando en la misma situación una y otra vez en nuestras vidas. Tenemos que estar listos para encarar el hecho que el denominador común en nuestras dificultades puede que seamos nosotros mismos. Dejando que Dios revele esas áreas en nuestro corazón deja abrir la puerta hacia la posibilidad de cambio. Las escrituras dicen que el amor misericordioso De Dios nos lleva hacia el arrepentimiento. Es en su amor que Dios nos ayuda a ver nuestros temores, inseguridades, orgullo y egoísmo, los cuales son la raíces de muchas de nuestras luchas. Y, es en ese mismo amor que Dios quiere arrancar esas cosas, para ayudarnos a que nos convirtamos en la clase de personas que lo aman, aman a los demás, y representan su reino bien.
Matthew 22:35-40
‘And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” ‘
How does committing to loving God and loving others help prepare us for whatever we may face this coming year?
Mateo 22:35-40
‘Uno de ellos, intérprete de la Ley (experto en la Ley de Moisés), para poner a prueba a Jesús, Le preguntó: “Maestro, ¿cuál es el gran mandamiento de la Ley?” Y El le contestó: “A maras al S eñor tu D ios con todo tu corazon , y con toda tu alma , y con toda tu mente . Y el segundo es semejante a éste: A maras a tu projimo como a ti mismo . Este es el grande y primer mandamiento. De estos dos mandamientos dependen toda la Ley y los Profetas.” ‘
Como el comprometernos a amar a Dios y a otros nos ayuda a prepararnos para lo que sea que pasemos este año que viene?
The commitment to love God and love others is at the same time a commitment to trust God in every circumstance and believe the best about others regardless of how they may treat you. The reason this prepares us for whatever we may face is because what typically happens when we face difficulties is an accusation towards God begins to rise up in our hearts which then leads to an accusatory and defensive posture towards others. When we don’t get that promotion, or when that relationship comes to an end, or when our health takes a hit it is easy for us to feel like God has failed us or abandoned us. When we feel that way we no longer want to trust God and by default we then look to ourselves, or to something else, to be our god. And, if we become our own god then we have to be able to see ourselves as the righteous one, which means we must see others as less righteous, as the problem. This cycle simply produces more pain, more isolation, more rejection, more anger, more bitterness. However, when we choose to obey Jesus’ command to love God and love others then we are choosing to trust God’s goodness and faithfulness regardless of what we face. We are choosing to let who God is define our circumstances rather than letting our circumstances define who God is to us. When we hold fast to God’s lovingkindness then we will be able to look for the growth God wants to produce in our hearts and lives in the midst of our difficulties rather than accusing God of failing us. And, when we are able to look for that growth then we will also see the people we may have wanted to blame as people who are broken and just as much in need of love as we are. We begin to see them through the eyes of Christ. This allows us to navigate through any and every circumstance with an unwavering joy and an unbreakable love that will carry us through whatever storms we may face.
El compromiso de amar a Dios y a los demás es al mismo tiempo un compromiso de confiar en Dios en cualquier circunstancia y creer lo mejor de los demás no importa como te traten. La razón por cuál esto nos prepara para cualquier cosa es porque típicamente lo que pasa cuando estamos pasando por tiempos difíciles es que una acusación en contra de Dios empieza a crecer en nuestro corazón, y después empezamos también a acusar a los demás. Cuando no obtenemos la promoción, o esa relación se acaba, o cuando nuestra salud se deteriora, es fácil sentirnos como que Dios nos ha abandonado. Cuando nos sentimos así, no queremos confiar en Dios y comenzamos a confiar en nosotros mismos, o en otra cosa para que sea nuestro dios. Y si nos convertimos en nuestro propio dios, tenemos que vernos como lo mejor, lo que significa que vemos a los demás como menos y como problemas. Este ciclo simplemente produce mas dolor, mas aislamiento, rechazo, rabia, y amargura. Sin embargo, cuando optamos por obedecer el mandamiento de Jesús de amar a Dios y a los demás, entonces estamos confiando en la bondad y fidelidad De Dios, no importa lo que estemos pasando. Estamos escogiendo que quien es Dios defina nuestras circunstancias en vez de dejar que las circunstancias definan quién es Dios. Cuando nos aferramos al amor misericordioso De Dios, podremos ver el crecimiento que Dios quiere producir en nuestros corazones y nuestras vidas en medio de nuestras luchas, en vez de acusar a Dios de habernos fallado. Y cuando busquemos ese crecimiento podremos mirar a las personas que queríamos culpar como personas quebrantadas y necesitadas de tanto amor igual que nosotros. Comenzaremos a verlos con los ojos de Cristo. Esto nos ayuda a navegar a través de cualquier circunstancia con un gozo y un amor inquebrantables que nos cargaran sobre cualquier tormenta que vivamos.
Martin Luther King Jr.
“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals.”
What might it cost you to love God and love others this year?
How does God’s sacrificial love for us give us the courage and freedom to love others sacrificially as well?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Ahora hay una razón final por la cual pienso que Jesus dijo, “ama a tus enemigos.” Es esto: que el amor en eso tiene un poder redentivo. Y hay un poder ahí que eventualmente transforma a los individuos.”
Cual sería el costo de amar a Dios y a los demás este año?
Como el amor sacrificial De Dios por nosotros nos da la valentía y la libertad para amar a otros con sacrificio también?
God’s unconditional love for us frees us to love others sacrificially because it ultimately satisfies the longings of our heart. We are made in the image and likeness of a God who is love, which means our hearts greatest need is to be loved. The need to be loved, or seen as significant, is at the core of every sin we ever commit. We lie because we want to be seen as important or because we want to avoid being seen as wrong. We covet because we want a reputation that is envied by others. But, when we realize the Most Important Being in the Universe has said we matter to Him, that we are loved by Him, that we are seen as significant in His eyes, then the opinions of every other person begin to take a back seat and pail in comparison. When we understand how loved we are by our Creator then we no longer need the approval or acceptance of other people and this, then, allows us to truly love others without expecting, or needing, anything in return.
El amor incondicional De Dios nos libera para amar a los demás sacrificialmente porque básicamente satisface los anhelos de nuestro corazon. Somos hechos en la imagen De Dios, quien es amor, lo que significa que la necesidad más grande de nuestro corazón es el que sea amado. Esa necesidad de ser amado, y ser visto como importante, esta en el centro de cada pecado que hemos cometido. Mentimos porque queremos ser vistos como importantes, o porque queremos evitar estar equivocados. Codiciamos porque queremos la reputación y que nos tengan envidia. Pero, cuando nos damos cuenta que el Ser Mas importante en el Universo dice que le importamos, que somos amados por El, que somos importantes en sus ojos, entonces las opiniones de cada persona empiezan a importar menos y no se comparan. Cuando entendemos cuanto somos queridos por nuestro Creador ya no necesitamos la aprobación y aceptación de otras personas, y esto, entonces, nos deja amar a los demás verdaderamente sin esperar, o necesitar nada en retorno.
Closing Thought
Who is God calling you to love that way in 2018? What might loving that person look like this year?
Pensamientos de Cierre
A quien Dios te esta llamando que ames así en 2018? Como amando a una persona así se miraría este año?