Connect Group Study Notes:   26 June 2022

Theme:   Living the Holy Spirit Life (Week 4)! The Path to Life!

Readings:  Psalm 16:7-11, and 1 Kings 19:19-21 and Luke 9:51-62

Fellowship (10 min)

Begin with general conversation and sharing about how the past week has gone. Try not to go over time.

Worship and Prayer (15 min)

Click on the link below on your smartphone, Smart TV, or computer, to select songs to sing; and then spend a few minutes in song and prayer.

PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL SONG’S PLAYLIST:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbsAkwbV_S1vXdZVPkZ0_tQW5n9RqeZX0

And if you need to check on the Message for the week again, then click on:

PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL (MESSAGE): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU1X4YYw1KLpda1yGnqKgfw/videos

This time of worship and prayer will encourage you to move your thoughts from daily worries and pressures to our time of Bible study and prayer.

Read: Psalm 16: 7-11

Use this Psalm as part of your opening prayer.

What verse speaks the most to you?

Read:  1 Kings 19:19-21

  • Why do you think Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha? What does it mean?
  • Why do you think Elisha behaved in the way he did in vs.21?

Read:  Luke 9:51-62

Discussion Questions (Approx. 30 min)

  • Why do you think the Samaritans behaved in the way that they did in vs. 53?
  • What does it mean to say that Jesus’ face “was set toward Jerusalem”?
  • What do you think of the disciples’ reaction in vs. 54? Why did they react in this way?
  • Think carefully about the responses of Jesus to those in the story vs. 57-62. Was Jesus being fair to them? Was Jesus too blunt and direct?
  • If you were in Jesus’ shoes in the story, and needed to respond to those would-be followers yourself, would you have said things differently? How?
  • Focus now on vs 60[i]:
    • What do you think Jesus is saying when he says to “let the dead bury their own dead?” How do you understand him?
    • When in your life have you found yourself making precisely this type of choice? To follow Jesus, or to “finish doing” something else first? For you is this a question you struggle with often, even every day?
    • Can you think of times when you have given yourself over to “burying the dead” in a way that was less than faithful in terms of your walk with Jesus? What did that look like for you? Did you know it at the time or only now as you look back on it?
    • Can you offer a time or times when you chose to leave ‘burying the dead’ behind and chose instead to be about “proclaiming the kingdom of God?” What did that look like for you?

Faith Building (Approx.30 min):

  • What do we learn about God from this passage? What does this passage tell us about ourselves?

Prayer (10 min). Share prayer requests and then pray together.

Sending Prayer (2 min). End by praying the following or a similar prayer:

God our refuge, we are only truly present when we are in your presence. Empty us of ego, power, and the need for status or fame. Empty us that we might be filled with the presence of your Spirit to see the hurts and needs in others that we might be present with them, trusting that you are already present and inviting us deeper into your love. Amen.

Have a great week.

God bless,

Tim.

Acknowledged and with thanks to: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/

[i] http://words.dancingwiththeword.com/2016/06/choices-letting-dead-bury-their-own-dead.html