Hello lovely gals!
I'll give you all another week to post through page 17. I don't want to get to far ahead of what you are posting.
I'll post questions for the next section (pages 20 through 31) next week - May 2nd.
Let me know how this process is going for you.
Love,
Jere
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Part Two - Pages 10 through 17 - Due Monday, April 19
I love the story about Gary, the young life leader. Not because I can relate, but because I am jealous. I wish I had a Gary, or more appropriately a woman, who took that kind of interest in me as a young teenager.
WHEN YOU WERE STEVE'S AGE DID ANYONE INVEST IN YOU LIKE GARY DID TO STEVE? IF SO, TELL US ABOUT IT. IF NOT, WHAT ARE YOUR REFLECTIONS ABOUT THAT?
I remember singing about the Year of Jubilee, but I never knew what it was all about.
So it seems it's all about trust.
CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN YOU TRUSTED GOD FOR SOMETHING AND THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO BUT WATCH GOD MEET YOUR NEED?
At the beginning of this section Steve shares a bit of how he felt prior to Gary connecting with him. It's obvious that Gary filled a big void in Steve's life. Now we know that he had loving parents, but as teenagers we don't identify with our parents as someone who meets our needs and makes us feel important.
Are you guys too young to remember the TV show 'Cheers?" The theme song went like this:
Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LONELY...OR FELT LIKE NO ONE WAS THERE FOR YOU? IF SO, WHAT BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THAT PLACE?
WHEN YOU WERE STEVE'S AGE DID ANYONE INVEST IN YOU LIKE GARY DID TO STEVE? IF SO, TELL US ABOUT IT. IF NOT, WHAT ARE YOUR REFLECTIONS ABOUT THAT?
I remember singing about the Year of Jubilee, but I never knew what it was all about.
So it seems it's all about trust.
CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN YOU TRUSTED GOD FOR SOMETHING AND THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO BUT WATCH GOD MEET YOUR NEED?
At the beginning of this section Steve shares a bit of how he felt prior to Gary connecting with him. It's obvious that Gary filled a big void in Steve's life. Now we know that he had loving parents, but as teenagers we don't identify with our parents as someone who meets our needs and makes us feel important.
Are you guys too young to remember the TV show 'Cheers?" The theme song went like this:
Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LONELY...OR FELT LIKE NO ONE WAS THERE FOR YOU? IF SO, WHAT BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THAT PLACE?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Part One - Foreward, Introduction - pages 1- 9
Read Hosea so as to have some context.
The way I see it the Bible is full of stories.
Meaningful stories for sure: but none the less, stories.
Jesus loved telling stories too! In fact, story telling was the entertainment medium of the day.
In the New Testament there are numerous stories that tell about a persons conversion. From the lepers to the thief on the cross, there are stories that tell of people coming to believe and know Jesus as their savior. Lives changed.
??What is YOUR coming to Jesus story?
One of the things Christians like to do is group themselves together, those who are like minded with similar values and beliefs. They find others who like the same 'flavor' of Christianity as they create church. For me, the problem with this is that it creates a culture of exclusivity and when someone comes into the group that acts, looks or sounds different, rather than embrace them human nature tends to convert those 'outsiders' into thinking and being just like the collective group.
??Can you think of a time when you experienced a similar response that Steve gave to John? Which part of this story do you relate to the most?
A wise man (Wade) once said to me, "We cannot begin to understand God, so why do we try?"
On page 6 Steve hits the nail on the head: Referring to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, he says that thousands of pages of theology have been written trying to nail down what all that meant.
??So why do you think so much time and energy (and conflict) is given to trying to understand the magnitude of God? Especially in light of the fact that Jesus told us to come to him as a child?
The way I see it the Bible is full of stories.
Meaningful stories for sure: but none the less, stories.
Jesus loved telling stories too! In fact, story telling was the entertainment medium of the day.
In the New Testament there are numerous stories that tell about a persons conversion. From the lepers to the thief on the cross, there are stories that tell of people coming to believe and know Jesus as their savior. Lives changed.
??What is YOUR coming to Jesus story?
One of the things Christians like to do is group themselves together, those who are like minded with similar values and beliefs. They find others who like the same 'flavor' of Christianity as they create church. For me, the problem with this is that it creates a culture of exclusivity and when someone comes into the group that acts, looks or sounds different, rather than embrace them human nature tends to convert those 'outsiders' into thinking and being just like the collective group.
??Can you think of a time when you experienced a similar response that Steve gave to John? Which part of this story do you relate to the most?
A wise man (Wade) once said to me, "We cannot begin to understand God, so why do we try?"
On page 6 Steve hits the nail on the head: Referring to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, he says that thousands of pages of theology have been written trying to nail down what all that meant.
??So why do you think so much time and energy (and conflict) is given to trying to understand the magnitude of God? Especially in light of the fact that Jesus told us to come to him as a child?
Reading Instructions
Each week I will post the discussion questions.
As you read take notes, underline, write in your book - whatever works for you.
Write your own questions to post, ideas, questions you think of, ideas you love, ideas you disagree with. These thoughts that you have should be posted in response to my initial post.
Each week I'll start with the discussion questions and ideas from the section we are reading. Along the way I will suggest different portions of scripture to read to give you more information and supplement the part of the book we are reading.
If something is confusing, please let me know. I am open to suggestions to make this easier for everyone.
My hope is that we can get together at the end of the book for a 'week-end' with just us 'prodigal girls' to reflect and share.
As you read take notes, underline, write in your book - whatever works for you.
Write your own questions to post, ideas, questions you think of, ideas you love, ideas you disagree with. These thoughts that you have should be posted in response to my initial post.
Each week I'll start with the discussion questions and ideas from the section we are reading. Along the way I will suggest different portions of scripture to read to give you more information and supplement the part of the book we are reading.
If something is confusing, please let me know. I am open to suggestions to make this easier for everyone.
My hope is that we can get together at the end of the book for a 'week-end' with just us 'prodigal girls' to reflect and share.
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