WAYMAKER Leader’s Study Guide for the week of October 18, 2020 copy PDF Version
This guide is designed to give helpful hints in preparing & leading your group in discussion.
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LEADER NOTES |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS ⇨ Finalize PLANS FOR YOUR SOCIAL and / or SERVICE PROJECT We have COVID-SAFE service projects for your group. Currently, we are offering the Candy Trail for your CG to do as a service project and also the men’s softball as a social. Much more to come! LEADER INFO ⇨ MEETING REMINDERS
⇨ ATTENDANCE Submit your group’s attendance online in the email sent to you this week. ⇨ HELPS FOR GROUPS Check out our Tips and Tutorials for groups in our weekly email. Pastor Chris and Annie offer help in areas of prayer, deepening communication with members and much more! |
ABOUT POLITICS IN LIFE GROUP – We believe it is important for Jesus followers to think through and process how they are going to vote and engage in politics. But due to the polarizing nature of our current political climate, we want to keep our Community Group meetings free of politics and focused on relationships with each other and God’s Word. Presenting the Good News of Jesus’ saving grace to all, and the unity we have as believers is vitally important to us. In light of this, remember to keep politics completely out of your Community Group discussions. We exist to minister to everyone who wants to know Jesus. Every election cycle we have Christians who become divided over issues and can be deeply offended by comments, jokes, and even prayer requests. We do not want to send the message that people who vote a certain way or have differing political views are not welcome. If someone in your group starts to take things in a political direction (be it with humor, a rant or even a “prayer request” for a specific outcome), gently remind them that the body of Christ (and South Tampa Fellowship) is made up of followers of Jesus – some of whom are Republicans, Independents, Democrats, etc.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
While we provide two “My Story” questions and three “Digging Deeper” questions, there is no expectation that you cover all of them. We provide them so you have options to choose from to customize your Community Group session to your group members. We have always said that if you cover all of the questions in the session, you’re not going deep enough to find all the good stuff in the questions.
1. When it comes to thank you notes are you: (a) Miss Manners? (b) Sir Sometimes? (c) Father Forgetful? Why?
Additional Question: Is there one of these you haven’t tried that you’d like to try?
2. Who do you know who is grateful to God for everything?
QUICK REVIEW
Looking back over your sermon notes from this week’s sermon, which particular point or passage of Scripture most challenged, confused, or caught your attention?
DIGGING DEEPER
For the following questions, we will be focusing on Luke 17:11-19.
1. Why did Jesus send the lepers to the priests rather than healing them on the spot?
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He was testing their obedience |
He wanted them to exercise faith themselves. |
He wanted too how that healing doesn’t always happen instantly. |
other: |
Jesus had healed several individuals who had leprosy or some type of infectious skin disease (Luke 5:12–14; Mark 1:40–42; Matthew 8:2–3; 11:5). In Luke 17 ten men who were part of a leper colony approached Him together, but they remained at a distance, as per the law. They called out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Without seeming to do anything to heal them, Jesus merely gave the instruction to go show themselves to the priest. At the moment of Jesus’ instruction, the men were still lepers. No physical change had yet taken place. But, in faith, the men obeyed, As they began to walk to the priest, they were healed. Jesus always required faith on the part of the person who asked for healing. Many times He asked those who wanted to be healed, “Do you believe that I can do this?” (e.g., Matthew 9:28; Mark 9:20–24). He required a demonstration of faith on the part of the lepers in asking them to walk away, even before He had healed them.
2. Why do you think all but one of the lepers failed to come back and thank Jesus?
Luke makes special mention of the fact that the one who returned was a Samaritan, a person despised by the Jews (Luke 17:15). Jesus expressed disappointment that the other nine had not thought to give praise to God for their healing. From this we learn that God desires for us to express our thankfulness to Him for all He does in our lives.
3. What was significant about the man who did return to thank Jesus?
Even though Jesus did not withhold healing from the nine who did not thank Him, He made a point of noting their lack of gratefulness (Luke 17:18). Because they had faith, all ten were physically healed. But Jesus’ final words to the grateful Samaritan imply that this man received spiritual healing in addition to the cleansing of his skin. After the man was already healed of leprosy, Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well” (verse 19). It could be that the man’s return to fall at Jesus’ feet gave him spiritual wholeness in addition to the physical wholeness he had received. When we take time to acknowledge the Giver and not just the gifts, we please the Lord as well as enjoy the spiritual healing that comes from gratefulness.
TAKING IT HOME
1. Who do you need to thank for something they have done for you?
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Jesus |
my parents |
my spouse |
my children |
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a friend |
a teacher |
a pastor |
a doctor |
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a coach |
a mentor |
other: |
This is Pastor Appreciation Month. One thing you can do this week in your group is have a card for our pastors and have each member of your Community Group sign it/write a note of thanks. Our pastor staff names and emails can be found here: https://stfchurch.com/staff/ You can mail the cards to 97 Biscayne Ave. Tampa FL 33606
2. How has Jesus healed or “cleansed” you in the past? How do you need healing or “cleansing” now?
This is a question that may be best asked once men and women have broken up into smaller groups.
3. Looking back on this week’s sermon and study, what is most important for you to remember?
Additional Thoughts on this passage:
The story of Jesus healing the ten lepers in Luke 17 appears immediately after a teaching conversation Jesus has with His disciples after one asked Him to “increase our faith.” In this conversation, Jesus indicates that obedience to God is not something extra we do to receive His thanks and rewards. Rather, it is our duty to serve Him, just like it is a servant’s duty to serve his master. Our pride sometimes twists this truth and tells us that we should expect God to thank us for all we do to serve Him. But Jesus teaches here that true faith is total dependence on God and a willingness to unselfishly do His will. This conversation, combined with the story of the ten lepers, puts gratitude in its proper perspective. Christians who’ve been going to church for years and years probably think of themselves as good people. We have probably put time, effort and money into being a Christian. We might well have given things up that we might have enjoyed doing. And with all of this comes a sense of entitlement: in some way we deserve to be blessed by God. But this story reminds us that it’s those who are most conscious of what’s been done for them that are closest to the heart of God. God does lots of good things for everyone, whether they acknowledge it or not. He makes the sun shine on the righteous and unrighteous and the rain fall on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). There are many people who are not Christians, but who are still blessed. At one level, Christians ought just to be the people who acknowledge what God’s done for them, and turn back to say “Thank you.” There is a “common grace” God gives to everyone. Whether we are Christians or not, we can take pleasure in beauty, in family, in creation and work, in love and in friendship. These gifts are unconditional; they don’t depend on us acknowledging God as our Savior, though they may be enriched by it. Sin is a great spiritual need that requires healing. We seem to recognize physical needs better than spiritual needs. When we’re hungry, we eat. When we’re sick, we go to the doctor. When we’re tired, we sleep. In each of our lives, there are sins like hate, anger, greed, lying, and selfishness. Just like leprosy is a physical disease, these sins are spiritual diseases that need to be healed. When Jesus asked, “Where are the other nine?” He clearly was asking, “Why aren’t they giving thanks to God?” The same question could be asked of us today: “Why aren’t these people giving Me thanks?” Colossians 2:7 “Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.”
PRAYER REQUESTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Candy Trail Volunteer Registration October 25, 2020
STF’s Candy Trail is coming up Sunday evening, October 25, and it will look a little different this year. We are having a drive-through Fall Festival!
In order for our Candy Trail to be successful, we need your help! Here are the opportunities to serve:
Trunk-or-Treat Vehicles – 50 vehicles
Check-in Team – volunteers to check-in cars and hand out bags
Candy Team – volunteers to restock candy at the various trunks
Game Team – volunteers to assist guests playing the various games and collect game cards
Welcome Team – volunteers to make guests feel welcomed and connected around the parking lot
Missions Food Drive October 23, 2020, 11:00am – 2:00pm
Thank you for giving so generously to needy families during our food drive. You have helped a multitude of needy kids and families in our community.
STF Softball Outreach, October 30, 2020, 6:00 – 7:00pm
The Men’s STF Softball Outreach is just a few weeks away from our re-gathering season game! This is a great way to fellowship with other families from STF and invite a friend or neighbor to come and join the crowd to cheer or play on a team.
Opening game: Oct 30th Time: 6-7 p.m. Place: Gadsen Field, 6901 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33611
Cost: $50 covers city league registration fee, jersey, and equipment. The cost is $30 if you have a jersey already, or you can pay the full $50 to donate for a guest jersey.