Don't take that away!

Here's the link to the Sermon: What is the thing you can't live without?

Reading: Amos 8

1. What did the Lord show to Amos in Amos 8:1-2, what did it mean and how does those verses apply to us today?
2. In Amos 8: 3-6 there is a description of the Israelites attitude to the Sabbath and other holy days.
   1. Discuss the difference between the Lord’s Day and the Sabbath. How should we keep the Lord’s Day?
   2. What was the thrust of God’s words through Amos in these verses?
3. What does the Lord say in Amos 8:7?
   1. How does that fit in with other verses offering forgiveness?
   2. Which verses can you find where God promises to forgive?
4. What is the Lord going to do in Amos 8:11-12? Has this happened already or is it a prophecy, yet to be fulfilled? Discuss and explain.
5. Amos and some of the other Minor Prophets can be a bit challenging in places. What would we miss if we didn’t tackle the less well known parts of the bible?
6. As a group consider whether there are areas of teaching which people would like to (or feel they ought to hear), [Group leaders – please feedback any comments]

God always hit's the bullseye!

Here's the link to the Sermon: God always hits the bulseye!

 Reading: Amos 1-2 

1.  If you were being interrogated by the "bible police", what could you tell them about Amos? i.e. who, when, what, where, why, how...
2. look at the pattern laid out in Amos' imagine what the original hearers of the message would have felt as the message unfolded?
3.  Describe the society in Amos' day; how does it compare to the UK today?
4. God will judge all nations and all people:
1. discuss what this means;
2. what responsibility do we have for shaping our society?
3. how does this impact us as individuals?
5. How does God judge believers compared to non believers? (Luke 12:48)
6. God cares about the attitude of our hearts, what wrong attitudes might we have and how can we encourage/challenge each other over these (in love!!)

 

God, You're right!

Here's the link to the Sermon: God, You're right! 

 

Reading: Jonah 1:17 - 2:10

This week the study is less directed, but there is a lot in this passage, so please don't rush through, but take some time to look at the things we didn't have time for in the sermon and also to remind each other of those things we did look at...

1. How long was it before Jonah prayed?
2. Take a look through Jonah's prayer and discuss any points that arise as you read through, line by line.
3. In the sermon we looked at a number of important points for us to apply to our lives today, and there may well be others, spend some time discussing these as a group.
4. What was the question we were left with at the end of the sermon?

Running Away From God

Here's the link to the Sermon: Running Away? 

 

Reading: Jonah 1

1. What do we know about Jonah (more detail from the sermon)?
2. What did God want Jonah to do? Why?
3. Consider what it means for God to be omnipresent.
4. Who might be your equivalent of the Assyrians (people you struggle to love as God loves)
5. Whose life/lives was Jonah endangering by his actions, and what should we learn from this to apply to our own lives?
6. Sometimes in a church it is right for us to throw the Jonah's out of the boat. Discuss this statement. What does it mean for the life of a church? What is the result if we fail to handle church discipline properly.
7. What were the main points that came out of this passage for you, either as a result of the sermon or in your own personal study? discuss some of them as a group.