Doug’s Foggiest Ideas

OPENER QUESTION:
•    What is the craziest, most risky thing you’ve ever done for God?
•    When have you had an idea that might be from God, but didn’t do it?
•    If you could do one thing for God, and know you would not fail, what would you do?

Read Acts 8:26-35
•    Try to imagine being Phillip. What is the most challenging part of this story if it happened to you?
•    How do you imagine the Spirit spoke to Phillip? Describe the scene in your imagination.
•    How do you suppose the Spirit would speak to you?

Read Acts 10:9-19
•    Believing God wanted to redeem Gentiles, and not just Jews, was a radical idea to Peter. In what way would God like to blow apart your theological box?

Read Acts 13:2-3
•    What jumps out at you about this scene?
•    What can we learn from this scene, as a church?

Read Acts 21:10-15
•    If you were Paul, do you think you could go on to Jerusalem if you knew what awaited you?
•    What might God call you to do that could be risky for you?
•    What is your view of God leading His people into suffering?

•    What if the Holy Spirit stopped speaking?
•    What if we stopped hearing the Holy Spirit?
•    What if we refused to obey the Holy Spirit?
•    What is your primary take-away from this discussion?

I just thought I would post a couple of thoughts from our trip to Africa.  I am still trying to recover from the time zone changes.  I keep getting up at 3:30.  Who needs sleep anyway???

Some Foggy Ideas…and a few pictures…
First - It has been an honor for our church to be part of what God is doing through World Orphans to facilitate partnerships with local indigenous churches.

Second - Mike Vinson’s leadership was a blessing to me personally, but also to those who were part of this incredible missions team from Plum Creek. God is using you powerfully. Thanks for using your gifts to lead!  You can read some of his thoughts here…

Third - It was incredible to watch Plum Creekers in action. I am blessed to pastor such an amazing church. Our people are committed to “going into all the world” and it fires me up!

Fourth - Participating on this trip with the crew from Waterstone Church was a lot of fun. Pastor Andy, who is my brother, and his team did a wonderful job allowing God to use them to touch a lot of lives in Africa. Great job Andy & the Waterstone team!!

Fifth - This was my third trip to Africa and I really appreciated the opportunity to have my wife and oldest son on this trip with me. I am grateful to have had this chance to watch God do amazing things in and through them!

Sixth - Plum Creek’s partner church, Fountain of Life, is poised for, “such a time as this” to make a significant difference in the community that God has placed them in. It was really amazing to participate in their first service on their new property. This is the property that our church helped them purchase!! God is up to something and we have a rare opportunity to be part of what God is doing. Lets keep praying for the Fountain of Life church, their staff & their people. There were hundreds of people at this first service and this is just the beginning.

Seventh - The 40 former orphans that Fountain of Life is caring for touched me more than I was able to touch them!!

Eighth - WE TAKE SO MUCH FOR GRANTED!!

Ninth - I am grateful that we have the chance to be part of what our Global God is doing!!

Tenth - As we have learned and live at Plum Creek, CHURCH ISN’T ABOUT A BUILDING!! IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE, WILLING TO DO WHAT GOD IS CALLING US TO DO!!

Week 3 - GOD IS PERSONAL

1. What comes to mind when you hear someone say God is personal?
2. Do you believe most of the people view God as personal?
3. Which one of the three main points was most pertinent to your life currently and why?
God is Personal
-He is Relevant
-He is Romantic
-He is Rewarding
4.  How would your life be different if you really embraced these truths?
5. What can you do to consistently remind yourself that God is personal, with you always, and always thinking about you?
6. What is God asking you to do as a result of these truths?

Just wanted to give you all a heads up.  I am going to have very spotty internet coverage for the next 10 days or so.

I am heading to Africa with a team from Plum Creek.

We would appreciate your prayers!!

One Prayer – Week 2
God Is…Love

1.    What were your beliefs of God when you were growing up?  Why?

2.    This week we answered these two questions:

• Why would God love someone AS BAD as me?
• Why would God love someone so INSIGNIFICANT?

3.    When have you ever felt unworthy of God’s love or too insignificant for God’s love?

4.    Why do we so often view our moral performance as the reason for whether or not God loves us?

5.    How are your beliefs about God different or similar to what they were growing up?  Why?

6.    The Answer to the two questions this week are:

• God is LOVE.
• God’s love COVERS your sins.
• God’s love make you SIGNIFICANT.
  For God so loved…(your name).

7.    Why is it important that God IS love rather than just something that He does?

8.    Share with your group how you came to experience or discover that performance had nothing to do with whether or not God loved you.

9.    Pray with one another for the opportunity to share with others about the fact that God is love!

Journey Group Questions
One Prayer Pt. 1

1. Can you remember the prayer from our childhood that we used to base our message this week?  Share with your group if/how some of these types of prayers are part of your heritage.

2. In the beginning of our time together this weekend I shared 2 quotes that help to set the tone for this year’s One Prayer series.  We are spending 4 weeks completing the sentence, “God is…”.  Here are those quotes:

• Luther – “Your thoughts of God are too human.”
• A.W. Tozer - “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

As you reflect on these quotes what are your thoughts?

3. The title of our message from this weekend was the “G2 God”.  Read Psalm 62:11-12a.  Talk about how it is vitally important that God is a Great & a Good God.

4.  We briefly discussed that God is GREAT because…

• HE is PERSONAL.
• HE is LIFE.
• HE is INFINITE.
• HE is CONSTANT.

Talk as a group about how these things reflect God’s Greatness, and how they affect your life.

5.  We briefly discussed that God is GOOD because…

• He is HOLY
• He Is RIGHTEOUS
• He is LOVE

Talk as a group about how these things reflect God’s Goodness, and how they affect your life.

6.  If we don’t make effort to apply these things to our lives it is just “good information”.  How can we take these truths and apply them to our daily lives?  Finish this week by praying for each other that we will apply them well.

1. This week what are some steps that you can take to help you remember that everything that you have is God’s?

2. What are some ways that you personally can invest in eternal things?

3. What are some ways that you can invest corporately, in the church, to invest in eternal things?

4. What is a story from this week of how you seized an opportunity to embrace eternity?

Hey guys -

I wanted to put something on your radar.  Every year Beth and I head up to Camp Timberline, outside of Estes Park, to be part of a parent’s panel for the new batch of summer counselors.  It is a wonderful time for the counselors to begin to develop a better understanding of the “parent’s perspective” related to dropping your kids off at summer camp.

I also get to speak to the counselors for their night session as well.  I love doing this!  If I can help them be prepared to use their talents and abilities the very best they can, then there will be thousands of kids who’s lives will be touched and changed for eternity.

Camp T is an amazing camp for kids of all ages.  I know they are nearly full for the summer already, but if you are looking for a great place for your kids to go to camp THIS IS IT!!

If you think of it I would appreciate your prayers today.

Journey Group Questions
Pt. 6

1. What were your thoughts about the “rock video” from this weekend?

2. Why do you think that we often struggle to forgive?  What do you think we typically hope to accomplish by not forgiving?

3. Read Matthew 18:21-22 have you ever felt like you had reached the limit of your ability/choice to forgive?

4.  Read these verses and talk with your group about the complete forgiveness that we have been shown by God.  (Romans 3:10, Colossians 1:20-22, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13)

5. Re-read the parable that we looked at this week.  Matthew 18:21-35.  We talked about this “New Standard of Forgiveness”.

• I am EXPECTED to forgive.
• I am ACCOUNTABLE to forgive.

When you reflect back on these, how does this impact your heart related to the way you typically forgive?

6. What can you do this week to intentionally “put down your rock of un-forgiveness”?

7. Conclude your time together by praying for each other that you will develop a style of forgiveness that will honor God.

Journey Group Questions
Pt. 5

1. Have someone in your group share about a time in your life when you received or gave love in an extravagant way.

2. Re-read John 13:35 Why do you think that “loving well” exemplifies to our world that we are Christ followers?

3.  This week we talked about three 3 ways to activate loving deeper. Read John 12:1-8 and talk about how Mary…

• Loved UNEXPECTEDLY
• Loved EXTRAVAGANTLY
• Loved URGENTLY

When you reflect back on these, which one sticks out to you the most?  Why?

4. God provided the greatest example of loving “unexpectedly, extravagantly & urgently”. Read Romans 5:6-8 again and talk about how He has done this for us.

5. Why do you think that following Christ’s example by loving “unexpectedly, extravagantly & urgently” surprises people so much?  How can you be intentional to love others like this?  How does our way of “loving others” direct people’s attention to God?

6. It is critical that each of us personally begin to take seriously the challenge to love deeply. Before you conclude, take the time together as a group pray for each other to intentionally love deeper this week.