Mark 4:23-24
“If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear!” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.”
Connect Group:
· Choose ONE EVENING a week to host your connect group.
· Ask each member of your connect group to bring their Bible.
· If you wish, you can take communion together again.
WELCOME
Welcome: Welcome each group member.
Icebreaker: Choose one of the following topics and discuss it:
a) Have you ever sat outside by a warm fire in the cold and rain? Share how that welcoming heat felt.
b) Sometimes you make an effort to do something good (like gathering wood for the fire, just like Paul did) and then something bad happens as a result. Have you ever encountered an
unexpected “snake” or setback in your life when your intentions were purely good?
WORD
Prayer: Open with prayer. (Give everyone an opportunity)
Read: CORE TEXTS FOR TODAY:
Colossians 3:1-2:
Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Leviticus 6:12-13:
The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood, arrange the burnt offering on the fire, and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
Acts 28:3, 5:
Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand… But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
2 Timothy 1:6:
For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Discuss the following in your Connect Group:
CALIBRATION is the fine-tuning of an instrument to a given standard so it can provide reliable, accurate measurements.
This week we look at the fire in our spiritual lives. Our God is a consuming fire. Just as in Leviticus, it is our responsibility to ensure that the spiritual fire
on the altar of our hearts is kept burning and does not go out. We must fan the gifts God has given us into flame.
But we must be vigilant, because as we become zealous and “gather wood,” the heat can drive things out. In Acts, we see a snake come out of the heat and bite Paul on his hand while he was throwing wood onto the fire.
This snake can represent: Gossip, Immorality, Taking Offence, Negativity, and Greed.
When these things enter our lives, we must do what Paul did: shake them off into the fire and not let them affect us.
Read Today’s texts again and discuss them:
a) Leviticus 6 encourages us to keep the fire on the altar burning. What does it practically mean in today’s life to pack “wood on the fire” every day so that your spirit stays warm? What role do church gatherings play in keeping our fire warm (Heb 10:25)?
b) Think about the mentioned elements: Gossip, Immorality, Offence, Negativity, and Greed. How do you handle it when one of these things unexpectedly tries to “bite” your peace, and how can the decision to set our minds on things above (Col 3:1) help us to immediately “shake off” these things?
WORSHIP & WORKS Worship – https://woordenlewe.com/connect-worship/ Make time to worship God today. Use the playlist on our Woord en Lewe website under Connect or use the worship from Sunday’s service.
WORKS: APPLICATION and QUESTIONS
Now take Communion together as a Connect Group:
Love for God, Love for People. As a Connect Group, spend about 5 minutes in silence before you adjourn, and let each member answer the questions below for themselves. Create a peaceful atmosphere and allow the Lord to speak to each one individually.