Give 30 minutes of time to eat and fellowship



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Life Group Lesson for May 2013

Title: “Man In The Mirror”

Give 30 minutes of time to eat and fellowship. The “Span of Care” person should be ready to remind the group of any birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Celebrate these events during this time of food and fellowship.

1. Give announcements. Make sure you have a complete list of the upcoming church events.

2. During this time your secretary should record the names of the people attending (always contact those who aren’t in attendance in the next day after the meeting.)

3. Before starting the lesson, please start with prayer & a brief time of worship.

4. Start Lesson (Ideas: Funny Story relating to lesson, Leader personal testimony relating to lesson or Interesting facts or statistics relating to lesson

Wow! The month of April was amazing. Pastor Tony’s series “I Love My Church” helped changed the way we see our church and gave us a greater appreciation for each other. We literally saw families and marriages restored, many baptized and most importantly people born again. The “I Love My Church” series also prepared us for something wonderful, revival with Jonathon Ziegler. Many of us had never experienced such a powerful revival as this. We were ready to receive and receive we did.

As we prepare our hearts for another great month let us not forget what has happened just this year. Sometimes like the children of Israel just out of Egypt we find ourselves forgetting the awesome miracles God just performed in our lives and the in the lives around us. As we celebrate another month with the Lord let us continue to let the Holy Spirit work in us.

The month of May certainly celebrates a lot of things. Mothers Day, Memorial Day, End of School, Dead Horse Lake Golf Tournament, warmer weather but look at these crazy celebrations that are in the month of May. Fungal infection awareness, national hamburger month, national egg month, national salad month, national good car care month and my favorite zombie awareness month.

I don’t know about you but now that I know it’s zombie awareness month I’m going to do a better job looking over my shoulder. The month of May will never be the same for me. Speaking of celebrations, Memorial Day is an important Holiday for most families. Not only is it a great weekend to be with family it’s an important time to recognize those who have gone on before us, especially those in the armed forces.

Brief personal testimony. Use this one below or use your own.

Ever since I can remember we always would meet at different cemeteries in the month of May in North Carolina. We would put flowers on the graves of relatives and friends and we would talk about whom they were, their profession, who they were married to, how many kids they had, funny stories, scary stories and how they passed away. These stories were passed down from generation to generation and even today like looking it up on the internet my Mother walks from grave to grave telling the stories of old.

It was and still is very important to my Mothers side of the family to remember those that have passed on. We tend to find out what their names are but we never investigate further. Knowing who our relatives where can help better explain who you are today. Even if you don’t know who your real parents, grandparents or great grandparents are it’s important to examine your own life.

End testimony

What does the word examine mean? Critical evaluation; a means of determining the presence, quality or truth of something; a trial; a to administer a test.

Why is an examination of my own life important? This is the main reason to start an examination of your own life.

Has anyone in this group ever questioned your salvation or just your relationship with Jesus?

It’s important to dig into to God’s Word and seek out some answers to some questions that you may have. You might be saying, Brother or Sister ______ I know were I’m going and I know 100% that I’m saved. Hallelujah! It’s truly amazing however the number of people who think they’ve been washed by the blood of the Lamb and are not. It’s not a popular topic but it’s important to discuss. Why do self professing Christians act like lost people most of the time? It doesn’t mean they may be unsaved but it does mean they need to draw nigh to God and examine their own life.

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves (not Christ). Do you not yourselves realize and know that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are (counterfeits) disapproved on trial and rejected?”

Matthew 7:13 & 14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is straightened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.”

Read Matthew 7:21-23

1.) Do I really know if Jesus lives in me? Ro 10:9-13 & St. John

6:44.

2.) Do I really know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me?

Eph 2:4-10 & St. John 3:16.

3.) I’ve always feel like a failure, what does God want me to become? Ro 12:4-21 & 2 Tim 1:9.

4.) I realize I can’t work my way into heaven so help me to

understand God’s grace and mercy? St.John 1:17 & Eph 2:8

5.) Help me to understand that if everyone turns their backs on me

God will never leave me or forsake me? Rom 8: 35-

39 & He 13:5.

When you become born again or saved by the grace of God through His Son Jesus we’re no longer condemned but under Grace. Please get rid of the “under the law” mentality and recognize that we’re under Grace (in Christ).

If you still don’t think you’re good enough to receive Christ into your heart you have to ask yourself, why do you think like that? Even after total repentance of sins and believing in Jesus with all of your heart, soul and mind you still question your salvation or question if God still loves you.

When you get saved your flesh doesn’t change. The carnal (flesh) is corrupt and will battle with your spiritual man all the days of your fleshly life. Satan wants to deceive you and convince you that you’ll never be good enough for God’s love even after receiving Christ into your heart.

Read Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing perfect will.”

Read Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

***If you run out of time during your Lifegroup meeting you can read the rest of this lesson later.

From generation to generation we all are taught in many ways as children. A lot of us think the way we do because of the rules and roles we learned growing up. Some of these rules and roles passed down are good and some are bad but we’re not here to play the blame game stay focused on you and what you need to do from this point.

What are some of those rules that you learned as a child?

What are some rules that you still use?

What are some roles you played as a child?

What are some of the roles you still play?

Examples of some roles: hero, caretaker, rebel, peacemaker, dad or mom’s buddy.

Examples of some rules: don’t talk about anything that upsets the parents, don’t think for yourself and form your own convictions, don’t feel emotions and be tough, be perfect, don’t make mistakes, be loyal to the family system, don’t reveal family secrets.

In addition to the rules we learned and the roles we play, we may have shame-based parental messages recorded in our minds. Sometimes when you make a mistake you immediately hear your Mother or Dad’s voice saying “you should be ashamed of yourself”, “you’ll never learn”, you’ll never amount to anything.”

Some common shame messages given to children:

1. You’ll never learn.

2. Who do you think you are?

3. Just look what you’re doing to your mother!

4. Stop acting like a baby.

5. I’ll give you something to cry about!

6. You’re good for nothing.

7. You’re just like (some despised relative).

8. Why can’t you be more like (your sibling)?

9. You’re so stupid.

10. You’re just a little sissy.

As you think about the unhealthy rules, roles, and recordings you grew up with, which of these affects your adult life, your relationships and your walk with God?

Let’s look at a man that thought he was truly doing God’s will but truly wasn’t. He had been highly educated and gleaned to be a model Pharisee. He thought Christians were evil and should be imprisoned and even murdered. This man was Saul or as we better know him, Paul.

Saul (Paul) was a murderer of Christ followers. Ahhh, but on the road to Damascus Jesus appeared to Saul and said unto him, “Saul, Saul why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who are thou, Lord? And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (useless resistance to a greater power).

You see Saul (Paul) thought he was playing the religious “Hero” role by bringing shame and death to Christians. But after meeting Jesus “trembling” and “astonished” Saul (Paul) said “Lord, what will you have me do.”

Hallelujah!!! Paul was beginning to rewrite a NEW life script. The negative rules that he had learned and the negative role models in his life were not going to influence him any longer.

It didn’t matter anymore what the Pharisees would say, it didn’t matter anymore what his Mommy or Daddy would say and it wouldn’t matter anymore what his old friends would say---all that mattered was what Jesus wanted him to do and what Jesus would say. GLORY!!!

Allow the Holy Spirit to begin to help you rewrite the rules or roles of your life. How do I start? By asking the Holy Spirit to teach you out of God’s Word. Please don’t wait another day to become secure in Christ Jesus. This could be the day that you truly come to know our Savior. Stop listening to the negative voices from the past and start listening to that still small sweet voice.

In closing ask for prayer requests (written down by the “Secretary” and emailed or texted to the group later) allow time for the Holy Spirit to speak to the group. Don’t rush but pray and worship in the spirit and watch the glory of the Lord shine.

***Lifegroup Leaders*** Please don’t forget to send a report of the meeting on the website (go to “Ministries” click “Lifegroups” on the drop down screen and scroll to the bottom right hand corner and click “Life Group Leader Reporting”. Thank You!

FOOTNOTE: Michael Jackson wasn’t the first to think about examining the man in the mirror. God told Moses to build the Bronze Laver or the BRAZEN LAVER, or basin made of brass mirrors, to be positioned between the altar and the Holy Place. The brass was taken from the mirrors of the women. A mirror or looking glass represents examining yourself, and it was an act of great sacrifice for the women to sacrifice their highly polished brass mirrors for the construction of the Laver. At this place the priests could look at themselves while they washed their hands and feet before entering into the holy place to worship Jehovah! They not only washed ceremonially but could also judge their motives of the heart while looking into their own eyes.

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