Creative Community

Read James 1:19-27. James 1:19 gives three keys to life. Read the following passages and talk about how they flesh out each of the keys: "quick to listen" -- James 1:21-25 "slow to speak" -- James 1:26; 3:2-12 "slow to become angry" -- James 4:1-3 Have each person talk about which of these three they most need to work on in their own life. A command to "do" something implies a choice to be made (you either do what you are commanded or you do something else, possibly nothing). What is the choice James is giving in 1:22? What do you think is the point of James' mini-parable in 1:23-24? What must you do if the Word of God is going to change you? According to James, what is true religion? What does that mean for you? As a group, pray that God will help each of you to take action on one of the truths you discussed during this time.

Read James 3:13-18. Wisdom is knowledge acted upon. If you know something to be true and don't act upon it, you are foolish. If you know that God hates sin, how should a wise person respond? According to 3:15, what is one source of "wisdom"? Is this true wisdom? Why or why not? What are some characteristics of the life lived based on this kind of wisdom? What is the ultimate result for those who live based on this kind of wisdom? As a group, list several examples of "earthly wisdom." According to 3:17, from where does true wisdom come? How can you find true wisdom? If the characteristics of earthly wisdom all find their root in selfishness, where would you say the characteristics of heavenly wisdom find their roots? According to 3:13, in what frame of mind should we do our activities? What do you think this means? Give some examples. How will you pursue the "wise life" this week?

Use the following questions with your group to help you figure out a missional project. 1) How has God been moving in your heart over the past few months? What people has he been impressing you to love? 2) What gifts are obvious in our group? What kinds of things are we good at? 3) What needs in the community are we aware of? 4) Do we know any people who are currently meeting needs in the community? Do they need help? 5) What resources do we have available to us? What times do we have available to us? 6) Who can we contact that might point us in a good direction? 7) What is our next step? It may be that after a good discussion you don't sense you've made great progress. Encourage everyone to live the next week with their EYES WIDE OPEN to the needs they might see around them. The following week, repeat this discussion and see if people's OPEN EYES creates more ideas.

Talk about a time you were lost, and how did you get "un-lost". Which would you rather have with you on a journey, a map or a guide? Why? (Likely people will be split on this. Talk about the benefits and drawbacks of each) In the journey through life, God has provided us with both a map and guides. The map is His Word, the guides are those people with whom we have relationships. Give an example of a friend who provided you with good guidance in life. Give an example of someone you've seen who has been given bad guidance in life. Read Proverbs 13:20. In your own words, explain what you think it means to "walk with someone." Make a list of the benefits that result from walking through life with a wise person. Make a list of the possible harms that result from being the companion of a foolish person. (here is a list according to Proverbs of some of the things a fool does:commits adultery, babbles, slanders others, does wrong for fun, quick-tempered, talks proud...

What are three things you've pursued in the past week? According to Proverbs 1:2-3, what are some of the benefits of attaining wisdom? What do you think it means to live a "disciplined and prudent life"? Who is someone you would describe as a prudent person? What makes them prudent? Four kinds of people are listed in Proverbs 1:4-5. With which of these people do you most identify? Why? Which of these four people would you most like to imitate? Why? Proverbs 1:7 names the one kind of person who will never attain wisdom. In your opinion, what kind of behavior makes someone a fool? What advise would you give to a fool? Proverbs 1:7 says "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge". What do you think it means to "fear the LORD?" Talk about something in your past about which you were obsessed. How did you demonstrate your obsession? Read Proverbs 2:1-4. What obsession is the author of Proverbs encouraging? How would someone behave who was ...

by Carl Simmons If your meeting place weren’t your meeting place, would you want to hang out there? If the answer is no, then here are some more questions to ask yourself and members of your group. In what kind of environment would they like to learn? To what kind of environment would they want to bring their friends? How can your environment be a place people feel welcome from the moment they walk in? Be creative. Dream big. If your group gets excited, they’ll share what’s going on in your class or group with others and get them excited. Your Meeting Area Stop and look at your surroundings. Be a discerning eye and evaluate what your space communicates to others. Think about these questions: Is everybody comfortable? Is the temperature at a setting where it’s not a distraction? Are there enough chairs? Can people sit in them for the duration of your time together without fidgeting? Is your room the right size? Is it cramped and a bit stifling? On the other hand, are people way too spre...

What is the "dumbest" mistake you have ever made? How could you have avoided this mistake? When you think about the book of Proverbs, what are the first thoughts that come to mind? How would you explain to someone what a "proverb" is? Read Proverbs 1:4,5. Four different kinds of people are listed here, which ones are descriptive of you (it may be more than one)? What benefit do you think you could receive from studying the book of Proverbs? According to Proverbs 1:7, what is the beginning of wisdom? How would you define, "the fear of the LORD"? Give an example of someone you know who doesn't respect God (don't use their name!). How does someone's attitude toward God impact their ability to make wise decisions? Read Proverbs 1:22-27. Verse 23 talks about responding to a "rebuke". When was the last time you were rebuked? How did you respond? According to Proverbs, what is the result for those who do not accept rebukes? Have yo...