Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Ideas to liven up a dull Christian life group

Here are a few questions for life/lively group discussion that roll around in my mind.

How much of what you believe about God, Jesus, the Christian life is based on KNOWING or revelation to you from the Word  . . .either Logos or Rhema . . .? and how much of what you believe is because you were taught that from the pulpit, family, friends, etc?

If you are taught something from a leader in the church who has many initials after his name are you more likely to believe it as true?   Do you ever hear your own leader say something and think to yourself "mmmmm.  He's off base on that".    

If you think your leadership is "off base" do you feel the freedom to just go up to them and tell them you think they are in error?

How does your world view influence your Christianity view?
How much does your Christianity view influence your worlds view?

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most anxiety . .
what is your immediate level of anxiety at the thought of considering some that some/part/all/most of what you believe might be "not true"?

Is it faith shattering or faith building to question what you've been "taught" versus what you know/feel/sense in your heart?

Does God care if you're wrong about doctrine?
Does God care about doctrine?

What would/could you get a group of ten or 20 Christian friends to sit down with you and write a short "confession of faith" of what things you all collectively KNEW to be true.

Of all the sects/denominations in Christianity today, are you "in" your particular sect/denomination because
you have determined it is the most likely to be doctrine correct?

Martin Luther was a catholic priest.   How much of what he believed did he decide was just taught to him and incorrect?   He didn't seem to object to the idea of many doctrines of the Catholic church.   Just the idea of sanctification.   So was he in error?

When ML reached a point of deciding that much of what he believed was wrong . . .why did God choose him to be a singular voice to raise the 95 points instead of putting it on the minds of the leadership of the church?

What if ML had decided that he could not question points of his "faith" because it would be heresy and did he say to satan "get behind me"  when he first began to have idea he might have been in error?

How did ML know that it was not satan but the Holy Spirit directing him?

If the Catholic church then/now was in deception . . .and ML decided he had seen a revelation of truth and correction . . . how likely then could it be that something truthful could come out of any other organization
that the church today believed in error?   In other words, might a new revelation for the church today come from a Catholic priest or did the Catholic use up their one free "get of Jail free" card with ML?

And then of course . . .if ML was deceived why did he not know it before he did?   What was his illumination?

Does/would/might God still be in the business of illumination?

Am I/you/others open to the idea that illumination might come from a prophet of any source?  Or would we as "enlightened evangelical protestants . . only be receptive to a Word that came forth from another "enlightened evangelical protestant".   '

would the church today be open to the idea of a prophecy coming forth from a donkey for instance?   Why not perhaps me?  Or you reading this?  Is the church today open to the idea of some one person being a modern day Luther?   

Do we attend a fellowship because we believe it is doctrine pure?

And lastly, do you feel very uncomfortable inside of you right now considering these questions?

final note.   might not be a good idea to try and bring up ALL these points in one single night of life group?  :-)

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