la regencia community group

I was condemned to die. Jesus stood in my place and took the punishment for me. I was saved. I was given a new identity and given a charge to live my life in perpetual realization of this incredible grace with a promise that this life with this new identity was my purpose and that I would accomplish many things, go through many trials, fulfill my capacity and live out a life glorifying the one who saved me because He loved me indefinitely. Truth.  

This week, we studied Elijah at Mount Carmel.  This is  very famous passage of Elijah’s interaction with the prophets of Baal.  

Describe the way Baal prophet worshipped

Describe the way Elijah worshipped.

Describe what happened when God answered Elijah’s prayer

Observations:

·      The people were waiting and were not totally committed to Baal (They were wavering)

·      Elijah is the only one of the Lord’s prophet left and Baal has 450 prophets

·      Prophets of Baal shouted out to Baal until evening

·      Vs. 29: no one paid attention to Baal’s prophets while they were worshipping their god outlandishly

·      Significance of numbers: 12 stones to build the altar and four jars of water

·      Elijah is being very intentional especially when he says whichever god is true will bring fire

·      All of Baal’s prophets in the end were captured and slaughtered at Kishon Valley

·      The prophets frantically prophesized and Elijah was calm

·      Baal’s prophets might have been losing hope so they were frantically prophesying. In contrast, Elijah is confident in his actions because He knows God will reveal himself. Elijah had intimate experiences with God

·      In verse 30,  the people are obedient to Elijah and all the people saw him worship God

·      There was a drought for 3 and ½ years, but Elijah uses four jars of water first, which is very precious during the time to prove that God is control over everything

·      The difference between the prophets of Baal and Elijah is that the prophets of Baal was all about their actions and what they were doing, but Elijah was confident in God’s actions 

Interpretation questions:

1) Why did Elijah ask the Israelites to decide on who is the true, supreme God?

Because the people were indecisive and lukewarm
(Revelations 3:16, Leviticus 4:13)
The first commandment: Worship God wholeheartedly

2) Why is there such a contrast between the rituals performed by the Baal worshippers and those performed by Elijah? Why does the author of this passage highlight this?

It’s not about the rituals, but it’s about a relationship.
Baal’s worshipers are more violent, desperate, and the focus is more on themselves.

Parallel to the story Jesus tells about the posture of prayer, and how you should be humble instead of shouting and being a hypocrite. (Matt 6:7)

Elijah’s worship and prayer is so humble. Everything is for God’s glory and is a reminder for the people to turn back to Him.

Worship God wholeheartedly and not just when He answers prayers.

Don’t have any other gods or idols in our lives other than the one true God. Follow just one God.

Take Elijah’s example of prayer; all he did was prepare a place for God to work.
Be certain of God’s power.
Nothing can be accomplished through our own efforts.
Self destructive things are in and of itself self destructive

Application Question

1)   What things can be thought of as “false idols” in your life, and how do they affect your life?

Star point:  Having false idols and indulging in them can lead to self-gratification and self-centeredness.  This pleases the body but at the same time is cruel to it.  Making God our one and only idol frees us from those cycles which corrupt our being.

This week, we studied Rebekah and Isaac, but mostly Rebekah.  Here are the notes: 

Observations:

• Abraham is very old so he needs an heir
• The title says Isaac, but he’s not really in the passage
• Abraham doesn’t want Isaac to marry a Canaanite
• The name of the servant isn’t mentioned in the passage, but his name is Eliezer
• Abraham told the servant to find a wife for Isaac
• God had promised Abraham an oath
• Abraham is adamant that the servant doesn’t take Isaac with him (says it twice)
• Abraham is rich (10 camels + goods)
• The journey was very far
• The servant is very specific and he prays to his master’s Lord
• Before he even finished praying, God answered
• Rebekah was a virgin
• Rebekah is related to Abraham
• The well is like the facebook of this age
• Rebekah is doing so much for someone she doesn’t really know
• The first thing the servant does after he meets Rebekah is bow down and praise the Lord
• True and faithful servant

 Application Questions:

1)   At critical times in your life, do you actually pray?

2)  Think about the “what ifs” in your life? Have you truly committed those in your prayer?

3)  After you pray, do you keep a discerning eye out – expecting to see God fulfill His promises?

4)  When God moves in your life, how do you respond? Do you respond like the servant?

This week we studied Haggai 1: A Call to Build the House of the LORD

Here’s a little background: 

The prophecies of Haggai were given during the time of the return of Israel from the Babylonian captivity in about 520BC. Israel had been a very strong nation around 1000BC, under the rule of the kings David and Solomon, but since that time had been in a decline.  Finally, at about 600BC, God declared that the nation was to be punished for their wickedness. (Jeremiah 1:15).  The punishment was that they were to be taken away in captivity to the nation of Babylon, which is in the modern Iraq. This captivity, however, was to only last seventy years, as Jeremiah again recorded (Jer. 25:11).  At the conclusion of those seventy years, they were to again rebuild the nation of Israel.  The book of Haggai was set sixteen years after the first return of captives. This was before the reconstruction of the temple or the walls of Jerusalem. It was a time when the Israelites were strangers and pilgrims in their own land. 

Questions to consider and discuss in groups: 

1. What were the reasons that Haggai gave for rebuilding the LORD’s temple?

2. Why do you think God wants them to rebuild His house?

(1 Corinthians 6:9) and (1 Peter 2:5)

3.  What were the people doing instead of rebuilding God’s temple?

4. Why do you think God blew away what they brought home?

 Observations:

·      The word was first spoken on the first day of the sixth month, and the people didn’t work until the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month

·      In verse 12, it says that the “whole remnant of the people obeyed”

·      Verses 5-6 is talking about material, worldly things such as clothes, drinks, money

·      Verse 8: The reason why God wants the people to rebuild the temple is because He takes pleasure in it

·      The people were building and spiffying up their own houses

·      Repetition: 7/15 “This is what the LORD Almighty said” Very specific that the message is coming from the Lord.

·      Repetition in verses 5,7: “Give careful thought to your ways”

·      There was a first temple that was destroyed

·      The house of the Lord needs to be rebuilt

·      In verse 10, it is an explanation of cause and effect: Because the people disobeyed, there was drought

·      Even throughout everything that happened, the Lord reminds the people in verse 13 that He is still with them

·      The Lord empowered Haggai, the governor, Joshua, high priest, and the people

·      The Lord specifically told the people what to get and how to build the temple (verse 8)

·      God responds why everything is happening, and He is doing much of the talking

·      Lifestyle observation: Lack or insatiable desire, misfortune, living very glamorous/luxurious lifestyles

·      Interesting fact: All wood is from Lebanon; Cedar trees takes a long time to grow

 Questions:

·      Is this a new thing?

·      What are paneled houses?

o     Luxurious homes

o     Panels are imported from Lebanon

o     Paneled = finished

 Interpretations:

·      Since only 24 days passed since they heard the prophecy, the people obeyed really fast

·      The people are misguided and not bad people. God is a merciful God. Instead of banishing the people again, He gives them a second chance to rebuild his temple.

·      God helped the people by bringing a drought, which physically prevented the people from doing what they did.

·      God has full control

·      God wants to remind the people not to focus on other things because He will always provide for them

·      The food, drinks, and money weren’t necessarily bad, but it was because the people placed it before God

·      The people are not taking pleasure in the Lord, but rather they are putting value in earthly things

·      How would you describe God’s relationship with the Israelites?

o     In the first couple of verses, He refers to them as these people and not my people (There is some distance)

o     God is really frustrated because He waited for 14 years

o     As the passage goes on, the people feel more comfortable with God because God assures them that He is with them

o     It wasn’t until the people feared the Lord that He gave them the message that He is with them

·      The people’s idols were themselves and their comfort

o     The people became busy with their own things

·      Verse 2: Reminds Chris of the story of Cain and Abel

o     Cain didn’t think about the Lord when the first fruits came out

o     Same with the people and how they didn’t give their best to God

·      God spiritually transforms the people in verse 14

o     Partnership: the people had to have the will to do it with open hearts

Applications:

What are our misplaced priorities?

How have we misplaced it?

*Star Point*
God calls us to turn away from our daily idols and desires for us to be in a relationship with Him. 

This week, we studied Ananias and Sapphira and how they lied about keeping the money that they were to give to the community of God.  

Here are the notes: 

What was the idol that Ananias and Sapphira had?

How did they respond to the Holy Spirit’s calling?

What happened as a result to their disobedience?

Observations:

-       Their idol? Money

-       They LIED.

-       DEATH.

-       Ananias brought the money to the apostles’ feet (literal?)

-       Sapphira had full knowledge of Ananias’ dealings.

-       Ananias caused his wife to stumble too.

-       Correlation between Acts 5 and Genesis 2 (the Fall of Man)

-       They kept part of the money..wonder how much it was…

-       Peter was the apostle who said all this

-        men who carried Ananias’ body out were “young” men. 

-       Repetition: events happened twice. Questioned…then died…

-       They died at Peter’s feet instantly

-       V.9: Peter prophesying she will die…which she does.

-       Sapphira affirms her lie

-       Ananias didn’t get to respond, but his wife got to.

-       V.3: “Satan filled his heart” – the Holy Spirit might have been trying to speak gwith him, but Ananias could not hear

-       Peter’s tone: accusing, unbelief, angry, sad – Peter sad because he can relate as he denied Jesus 3x.

-       Ananias perhaps smug about his generous donation…

-       V.4: the couple didn’t recognize that their belongings came from God.

-       Donation to look good?

-       Instant, immediate punishment

-       Ananias’ burial hasty and unceremonial

-       The young men didn’t wrap her body. Subtle differences between the burial of the man and woman. 

INTERPRETATIONS:

-       The importance of money: the couple choosing world security over security provided and promised by God

-       The passage left out the amount of money kept because it was not important in the context of this passage

-       How to explain the harsh punishment – how is this justified?

-       Recognition of the weight of sin – sin on equal terms – sin is sin. 

I’m in the process of looking for this application part! :) 

ENJOY!

Hello La Regencia Go-ers!  

Happy SPRING QUARTER!  I hope you are all doing swell!  We just had our first bible study yesterday and it was amazing!  Please come next week if you weren’t able to come this week! We all missed your beautiful faces! 

As for this quarter, inspired by the No Secrets outreach, we decided to further explore the theme of “Sins” this quarter.  So, please come next week as we will be discussing the sin, “Flesh”.  

before all that wonderfulness, I must update you all on what we studied last quarter:  

Last quarter, Winter 2011, we decided to go with the theme of Idolatry because we all struggle with it.  We explored the different idols that we have in our lives.  An idol is ANYTHING in our life that takes the place of God.  

So, here is the first study.  We first studied Gideon; a very unlikely person that God used to lead the Israelites out of their suffering.  We also explore the first idol:  fears and uncertainty.  

Judges 6: we broke this passage into 3 parts: (1-6), (7-10), and (11-24)

 QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FOR THESE PASSAGES:

Who are the Midianites?

What are the two things that the prophet tells them? (FOCUS on the main message of what the prophet is saying.)

Gideon was threshing a winepress.  Why is this significant?

How does God respond to Gideon’s questions during their encounter?

What does Gideon do after God tells him to save Israel?

Gideon questions God and his actions.  What does this tell us about him?

Observations:

-Oppression of Midianites was bad enough that they had to hide and God allowed that to happen.

-They did cry out to God after 7 years. 

-They never say who the prophet was.

-They mentioned what they did wrong.  God say not to worship other gods, but they didn’t listen.

-conversational: between Gideon and angel and God.

- Israelites cried out because of the Midianites

- casual angel:  He didn’t know

- God chose Gideon: the “bottom of the bottom” – the least

- The beginning of their conversation similar to Moses’ story

- Evidence that Gideon didn’t know: “Pardon me…”

- He brought the offering under an oak.

- What was the point of an offering? Trying to make sure this person was who he claimed to be? What the angel did with the food?

- Offering included a lot of food…most likely very scarce.

- Context: the Israelites worshipping a lot of gods…

- A lot of doubt in Gideon’s questions: a theme in his questions: Why? Where? Perhaps in his questions he wants reassurance and proof?

- It’s not that Gideon doesn’t know who God is – he has heard of Him.

- Repetition of “you” – followed by “I will be with you”

- The Israelite’s response for 7 years – hiding and trying to deal with the problem on their own terms. Tried to do it on their own for 7 years before crying out to God.

- God’s answer to Gideon: comforting and encouraging. But actually, He didn’t really answer Gideon.

 Interpretations:

-       The importance of God’s word more than the angel, or the prophet – God’s word coming through no matter what. John 1: the inevitable presence of God’s Word.

-       Gideon experiences uncertainty before fear. First uncertain, then fearful “how am I going to do this?” But then uncertain again of angel’s identity – back and forth back and forth.  Then afraid again because he might die…but GOD’S WORD GETS THROUGH – and Gideon certain it is God and makes an altar to remind him of this encounter.

-       He uses the weak so that when God uses us, we know its from God.

-       Why did Gideon need to provide an offering? We can infer that his ancestors most likely taught Gideon what to do when you encounter God. Reasonable for Gideon to be doubtful, as he’s living in a context where there are all sorts of gods that people worship – thus the need of proof through an offering.

-       God continuously gave Gideon encouragement throughout this encounter. Also, God concurred with Gideon’s needs and requests – understanding that we have uncertainties and fears, but God meets us at where we are.

o      Acknowledge God’s capability and not your ability

o      God provided reassurance, but ultimately, He made it clear that all this could only be done through God.

o      Trust in Him alone and not just in his blessings. Gideon kept referencing back to the “good times” – but God showed Gideon that he was with him even during the hard times.

STAR POINT: God uses the weak to lead the strong so that we will not acknowledge our own ability, but trust in God’s capability.

Application: What areas in your life are there a lot of uncertainties and fears? And how have you responded to God or how has He responded to you?