Doug’s Foggiest Ideas

1.     Outside of the context of our message this weekend, when you hear the words, “Going Public” what comes to mind?

2.    When you think about “Going Public” with your personal faith what kind of emotion does this evoke?

3.    How did you learn about God and the importance of having a personal relationship with him?  Talk about who shared this with you and how this happened.

4.    This week we talked about the “Guilt-Fear-Guilt Cycle”.  Basically this is where you feel guilty about not “Going Public” with your faith so you decide to do it, then fear overwhelms you so you freeze or choose not to, and then you feel guilty all over again.  Have you experienced this in your life?  Are you experiencing this cycle now?

5.    What are some of your greatest fears related to “Going Public“?

6.    Read Matthew 5:14-16 and Romans 10:13-15.  What are the main things from these passages that stick out in your mind?  How do they speak to you personally?

7.    This weekend we took a brief True or False quiz that helped gauge the “Going Public Temperature” in our lives.  The questions I asked were:

• I have compassion for people far from God.
• I intentionally build relationships with unbelievers.
• I have had 2 or more un-churched people in my home during the last 30 days.
• I have invited someone to church in the last 30 days.
• I have shared my story with someone in the last 30 days.
• I have shared the gospel with someone in the last 30 days.
• I regularly pray for people who don’t know Jesus.

As you re-read this list how many of these are true statements in your life?  What does this say to you?  Which of these statements is the most challenging to you?

8.    Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-20.  What is the “Good News“?  What is God’s expectation for us related to the “Good News“?  In your mind what does it mean to be an ambassador for God?  How do you feel you are doing with this?

9.    Read Luke 15.  This chapter is describing God’s heart as it relates to lost people.  What things stick out most in your mind?  If we are to care like He cares, what does this chapter say to you?

10.  I concluded this weekend’s message talking about 4 Things We Need To Commit To:

• Think Clearly
• Observe Compassionately
• Connect Regularly
• Pray Consistently

Which of these 4 is the greatest challenge to you?  Why?  How will you respond this week?

11.  Finish your Journey Group or time of personal reflection praying for the people on your “5 Second Prayer” lists.  Also pray that God will work in each of us at Plum Creek to boldly take steps in “Going Public” with our faith.

1.    The Foundational Truth of this series is:  What I believe about death and eternity will determine how I live. How has this truth changed or influenced the way you think and live?

2.    Read the last two chapters of the Bible…Revelation 21-22.  What excites you about eternity?  What questions do you still have?

3.  When you hear the phrase, “live with eternity in mind”, what is your understanding of what this means?  How has this series challenged you to do this?  What are some things that you can do this week to live this way?

4.    If you are comfortable share with your group who you have been including in your 5-Second Prayer.  Have you been remembering to pray this prayer whenever you hear the word hell?  Continue to pray the 5-Second Prayer for those you want to come to Jesus.

Dear Father,
By Your Holy Spirit, please draw _______ to Your Son, Jesus, and put him/her to work in Your Kingdom.  Amen.

Pray and then watch for opportunities God gives you to share!

Pray for your heart to be ready for our next series.  It will help us be better prepared for the opportunities God gives us to talk about Him.

1.  What common clichés do you frequently hear when people talk about heaven?

2.  What do you imagine heaven will be like?

3.  What do you think has influenced your ideas of heaven the most?

4.  What activities (hiking, biking, golf, etc.) do you enjoy here on earth that you hope you’ll also get to do in heaven?

• How might the experience be even better in heaven?

5.  Read what Jesus says about heaven in Matthew 7:13.

• This passage says that the gate to heaven is narrow, how could someone who is choosing the easy way be deceived into believing they were going to heaven?
• What do you think are some common misconceptions about heaven?

6.  Read 1 Corinthians 2:9

• How does this verse affect your ideas of what heaven will be like?

7.  Read Revelation 21:4-5

• What pain are you experiencing today that will be absent in heaven?
• Does this help you in dealing with the pain? Why or why not?
• How does your understanding of what heaven will be like affect your life right now?

8.  How has this series on death, hell & heaven impacted you?  How should it impact you?

• How should it motivate you to prioritize and also care about those that haven’t heard the message of the gospel?

9.  What are some things that you can do to live with a view of eternity in mind?

10.  Finish off the time with your group or your time of personal reflection praying about any specific needs and also that God would help you and those in our church live with an eternal perspective.

Don’t forget if you have any questions

you would like to have submitted

for the question and answer next week

get them to us ASAP!

1)    How has this series challenged your beliefs so far?

2)    What has been or is your current belief about Hell?  What do you base your belief on?

3)    Does it surprise you Jesus spoke about it so often and used such terrifying language?  Read from this sampling of statements…feel free to read the full context Jesus shared them in.

• Matthew 25:30, 41, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 13:49-50
• Mark 9:48
• Luke 16:24

4)    If an unbeliever doesn’t believe in Hell, he is likely to reject Christ without any fear of God. If a Christ-follower doesn’t believe in Hell, he won’t be motivated to share Christ. How have you seen this to be true?

5)    Read Matthew 25:41, Thessalonians 1:8-9, Revelation 20:12-15, Revelation 21:8.  There’s a lot we don’t understand about Hell, but we do know Hell exists to punish Satan, his demons and those who reject Christ.

6)    What I believe about death and eternity will determine how I live.  What areas of life is God speaking to you about?

7)    Who do you know and love that isn’t following Christ? What are you going to do to reach out to them?

8)    Spend time praying for these people using the 5-second prayer:

Dear Father,
By Your Holy Spirit, please draw _______ to Your Son, Jesus, and put him/her to work in Your Kingdom.  Amen.

9)    What questions do you have about this sermon series?  Encourage one another to submit your questions by next Sunday, October 16^th.

1.  Describe the first funeral you attended. What memories do you have?
How did it affect you?

2.  Read Ecclesiastes 7:2 and Hebrews 9:27.

• Death is certain, so why is it so difficult for many of us to talk about death?
• How can this reluctance to talk about death affect the way we live?

3.  How does your view of death and eternity affect the way you live today?

4.  Using the Dot and Arrow Illustration from Sunday, how would you describe the way you are living?  Are you living for Today o are you living for That Day.

5.  Read Ephesians 2:8-10, 2 Corinthians 5:10 and I Corinthians 3:10-15,

• If you died today and stood at the Judgment, when your works and motives are revealed, how would you feel about your life?

• Since you still have an opportunity to change, what is God showing you to do differently?

• How should knowing the future impact of your good works affect your attitude toward your service for the Lord?  Explain.

6.  Read Revelation 20:11-15.

Share your concern for people you know and love who do not know Christ.

7.  Pray for your fellow Christ-followers to live for “That Day” and not just for today.

Commit to praying regularly for friends and loved ones to come to faith in Christ.