Rebuilding Hope: Part 9 - The Failure
MICRO CHURCH GUIDE
October 30, 2022
YouVersion
_____________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OneLife’s Angel Tree, Starts Nov 6
The Christmas season is approaching! It’s the perfect time for us to give back to those less fortunate. This year OneLife is continuing our partnership with the McNabb Center’s Dear Santa program as well as providing angel tree gifts for children on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. The Angel Trees will be up in the lobby starting Sunday, November 6!
OneLife Students #Friendsgiveback - Nov 16
On Wednesday, November 16th, OneLife Students will be out serving in the community for our annual #Friendsgiveback night. This night is designed to help our students see a need in the community, feel compassion, and take action - plus, they get to do it together with their small group! For more information or to make sure your student gets to be a part, simply write #Friendsgiveback on your Connection Card.
Jingle Jam, Nov 27 & Dec 4
Jingle Jam is a Christmas Party big enough for the whole family! It’s an interactive Christmas presentation for kids and parents that’s full of exciting music, fun characters, and a unique perspective of Christmas like you’ve never experienced before! Join us at 6pm on November 27 at the North Campus or December 4 at our East campus for this exciting night. And be sure to invite another family to join you. We can’t wait to see you there!
Christmas Parades are Coming!
This year, OneLife will participate in the Downtown Knoxville Parade on December 2 and the Powell Parade on December 3. This is an awesome way to represent our church in the community, plus, it’s a lot of fun! There are opportunities to help with float construction and decorating, as well as walking in the parade alongside our float and other OneLifers! Sign-ups are available now at onelifeknox.com/parade, or you can write “Christmas Parades” on your Connection Card and we’ll send you the link to sign up.
Join a Volunteer Team
Did you know it takes over a hundred volunteers every week to make a service at OneLife happen at our campuses? So if you haven’t started volunteering, then it’s time to get on the team! From First Impressions & Security, to Kid City, to Production & Worship, to OneLife Students, weekday teams, and more - there’s plenty of opportunities for everyone to serve. Mark the Volunteering box on your Connection Card to get started!
Baptism
If you’ve given your life to Jesus but haven’t gone public with your story through baptism then it’s time to take that step! Mark the baptism box on your Connection Card and we’ll help you get started.
Stay Connected Through the OneLife App
From watching services, to Micro Church discussion guides, to online giving, family resources and more - the OneLife app has everything you need to stay connected to what’s happening among our church. The app is also available on Apple TV and Roku so you can watch services on your TV at home! Download the mobile version of the app on your phone by going to onelifeknox.com/app on your phone’s web browser. And on Apple TV and Roku simply search the app store for “OneLife” and look for our logo.
____________________
GIVE BACK
Give Jesus your best! Make a one-time tithe or offering or to set up a recurring tithe or offering: Click Here To Give Online.
http://www.onelifeknox.com/give
_____________________
BOTTOM LINE: Success without faithfulness leads to failure.
Nehemiah 13:1-3 NLT
1 On that same day, as the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the passage was found that said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be permitted to enter the assembly of God. 2 For they had not provided the Israelites with food and water in the wilderness. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When this passage of the Law was read, all those of foreign descent were immediately excluded from the assembly.
Five Pitfalls of Success:
1. Legalism
Nehemiah 13:4-5 NLT
4 Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, 5 had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, the frankincense, various articles for the Temple, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil (which were prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers), as well as the offerings for the priests.
2.Favoritism
Nehemiah 13:10-11 NIV
10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts
3. Apathy
Nehemiah 13:15-18 NLT
15 In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. 16 Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that! 17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”
START TALKING
When have you experienced success at something that was hard to maintain once you got there? How did you "take your foot off the gas" and what happened to your success once you did?
If you have experienced success longterm (aka "faithfulness" to whatever it was), what was different that allowed you to continue stay dedicated?
START THINKING
Read Nehemiah 13:1-3. While the people of Jerusalem were following this law very strictly (no Ammonites or Moabites are to be among their assembly to the tenth generation), they were ignoring other promises they made to God, and at the same time some of them were marrying Ammonites and Moabites! How is this "legalism"? What are similar examples of legalism that we see in our current culture among Christians and churches?
Read Nehemiah 13:4-5. Why do you think they even had an empty room to put him in? What do you think this means about the connection between faithfulness and generosity? How does this show how legalism leads to hypocrisy when you consider that they were excluding people from certain nations but yet allowing an enemy governor to live in the house of God?
START SHARING
Read Nehemiah 13:15-18. This passage shows us the pitfall of ambition. The people became more concerned about their own wellbeing, their own pleasure, and making profit than they were concerned about obeying God. What are subtle ways that we allow ambition to take away our faithfulness?
Talk through each of the five pitfalls we see in Nehemiah 13, and share how you experience each of these threatening your own faithfulness and how you see each of these creep in. Which one is most likely to threaten your own personal faithfulness?
Legalism
Favoritism/Influence
Apathy
Ambition
Compromise
START DOING
Now talk through each of the pitfalls and share how you can guard your faithfulness in each of those areas. What are practical steps that you take or that you can take that will help you to remain faithful to who God has called you to be and what He has called you to do?
Read John 3:17 and Romans 8:1. What can you do as a response to these verses to repent when you see pitfalls without falling into feeling like you are a failure and are condemned as a result?
START PRAYING
Pray for each other in the microchurch to remain faithful and to experience the continued "success" or growth in their spiritual walk by growing closer to Jesus and looking more and more like him each and every day!
_____________________
CONNECTION CARDS
Be sure to fill out the online Connection Card to let us know next steps, prayer requests, or other information you'd like to share, Click Here.
_____________________
MULTIPLICATION
Share spiritual/missional conversations you've had where you live, work, and play:
- Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
- What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
- How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
- How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
- Who in your life do you think could be disciple-able or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
_____________________
WHAT'S NEXT?
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?/giveback/giveback
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?
October 30, 2022
YouVersion
_____________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OneLife’s Angel Tree, Starts Nov 6
The Christmas season is approaching! It’s the perfect time for us to give back to those less fortunate. This year OneLife is continuing our partnership with the McNabb Center’s Dear Santa program as well as providing angel tree gifts for children on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. The Angel Trees will be up in the lobby starting Sunday, November 6!
OneLife Students #Friendsgiveback - Nov 16
On Wednesday, November 16th, OneLife Students will be out serving in the community for our annual #Friendsgiveback night. This night is designed to help our students see a need in the community, feel compassion, and take action - plus, they get to do it together with their small group! For more information or to make sure your student gets to be a part, simply write #Friendsgiveback on your Connection Card.
Jingle Jam, Nov 27 & Dec 4
Jingle Jam is a Christmas Party big enough for the whole family! It’s an interactive Christmas presentation for kids and parents that’s full of exciting music, fun characters, and a unique perspective of Christmas like you’ve never experienced before! Join us at 6pm on November 27 at the North Campus or December 4 at our East campus for this exciting night. And be sure to invite another family to join you. We can’t wait to see you there!
Christmas Parades are Coming!
This year, OneLife will participate in the Downtown Knoxville Parade on December 2 and the Powell Parade on December 3. This is an awesome way to represent our church in the community, plus, it’s a lot of fun! There are opportunities to help with float construction and decorating, as well as walking in the parade alongside our float and other OneLifers! Sign-ups are available now at onelifeknox.com/parade, or you can write “Christmas Parades” on your Connection Card and we’ll send you the link to sign up.
Join a Volunteer Team
Did you know it takes over a hundred volunteers every week to make a service at OneLife happen at our campuses? So if you haven’t started volunteering, then it’s time to get on the team! From First Impressions & Security, to Kid City, to Production & Worship, to OneLife Students, weekday teams, and more - there’s plenty of opportunities for everyone to serve. Mark the Volunteering box on your Connection Card to get started!
Baptism
If you’ve given your life to Jesus but haven’t gone public with your story through baptism then it’s time to take that step! Mark the baptism box on your Connection Card and we’ll help you get started.
Stay Connected Through the OneLife App
From watching services, to Micro Church discussion guides, to online giving, family resources and more - the OneLife app has everything you need to stay connected to what’s happening among our church. The app is also available on Apple TV and Roku so you can watch services on your TV at home! Download the mobile version of the app on your phone by going to onelifeknox.com/app on your phone’s web browser. And on Apple TV and Roku simply search the app store for “OneLife” and look for our logo.
____________________
GIVE BACK
Give Jesus your best! Make a one-time tithe or offering or to set up a recurring tithe or offering: Click Here To Give Online.
http://www.onelifeknox.com/give
_____________________
BOTTOM LINE: Success without faithfulness leads to failure.
Nehemiah 13:1-3 NLT
1 On that same day, as the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the passage was found that said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be permitted to enter the assembly of God. 2 For they had not provided the Israelites with food and water in the wilderness. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When this passage of the Law was read, all those of foreign descent were immediately excluded from the assembly.
Five Pitfalls of Success:
1. Legalism
Nehemiah 13:4-5 NLT
4 Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, 5 had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, the frankincense, various articles for the Temple, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil (which were prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers), as well as the offerings for the priests.
2.Favoritism
Nehemiah 13:10-11 NIV
10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts
3. Apathy
Nehemiah 13:15-18 NLT
15 In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. 16 Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that! 17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”
4. Ambition
Nehemiah 13:23-24 NIV
23 Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah.
5. Compromise
_____________________START TALKING
When have you experienced success at something that was hard to maintain once you got there? How did you "take your foot off the gas" and what happened to your success once you did?
If you have experienced success longterm (aka "faithfulness" to whatever it was), what was different that allowed you to continue stay dedicated?
START THINKING
Read Nehemiah 13:1-3. While the people of Jerusalem were following this law very strictly (no Ammonites or Moabites are to be among their assembly to the tenth generation), they were ignoring other promises they made to God, and at the same time some of them were marrying Ammonites and Moabites! How is this "legalism"? What are similar examples of legalism that we see in our current culture among Christians and churches?
Read Nehemiah 13:4-5. Why do you think they even had an empty room to put him in? What do you think this means about the connection between faithfulness and generosity? How does this show how legalism leads to hypocrisy when you consider that they were excluding people from certain nations but yet allowing an enemy governor to live in the house of God?
START SHARING
Read Nehemiah 13:15-18. This passage shows us the pitfall of ambition. The people became more concerned about their own wellbeing, their own pleasure, and making profit than they were concerned about obeying God. What are subtle ways that we allow ambition to take away our faithfulness?
Talk through each of the five pitfalls we see in Nehemiah 13, and share how you experience each of these threatening your own faithfulness and how you see each of these creep in. Which one is most likely to threaten your own personal faithfulness?
Legalism
Favoritism/Influence
Apathy
Ambition
Compromise
START DOING
Now talk through each of the pitfalls and share how you can guard your faithfulness in each of those areas. What are practical steps that you take or that you can take that will help you to remain faithful to who God has called you to be and what He has called you to do?
Read John 3:17 and Romans 8:1. What can you do as a response to these verses to repent when you see pitfalls without falling into feeling like you are a failure and are condemned as a result?
START PRAYING
Pray for each other in the microchurch to remain faithful and to experience the continued "success" or growth in their spiritual walk by growing closer to Jesus and looking more and more like him each and every day!
_____________________
CONNECTION CARDS
Be sure to fill out the online Connection Card to let us know next steps, prayer requests, or other information you'd like to share, Click Here.
_____________________
MULTIPLICATION
Share spiritual/missional conversations you've had where you live, work, and play:
- Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
- What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
- How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
- How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
- Who in your life do you think could be disciple-able or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
_____________________
WHAT'S NEXT?
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?/giveback/giveback
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?
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