Next Cell Group!

Yoz! Our next cell group shall be at the lovely home of Margaret and Jean! This coming week, we have the privilege of tasting the gastronomical delights conjured by Elaam and Roxane! Bring your hungry stomachs and £1! Details of their address shall be sent via email but here's a nice Google map to show you the way:



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So remember, meet at 6.30pm on Friday 31st of October 2008 at Jean and Margaret's place. See ya!

- Kenneth

Second Podcast

Woo-hoo! This is the second podcast for our blog and it's the recording of last week's cell group: Manna and the Bread of Life (Part 3). Once again, you can click on the mp3 player in this post if you are using firefox or if you are using IE, you can just click on the title of this post and it will lead you to the podcast. Wanna also say THANK YOU to Mel cuz she's been a massive help to our blog! ENjoy!

-Kenneth

Manna and the Bread of Life Part 3

This is the final bible study in our series. Kudos to those who successfully completed all 3 bible studies and I hope that through them you have gained a better understanding of Jesus and the meaning of Bread of Life!

Manna and the Bread of Life (Part 3): WHY WE NEED JESUS!

25^th October 2008

Passage: John 6:25-58

Introduction

What motivates you to go to church?

Who is Jesus to you? Why do you need Him?

Which is more important? Faith or works?

Orientation

Where did this story take place?

At a synagogue in Capernaum (John 6:59)

When did it take place?

The day after Jesus fed the five thousand plus

Who is involved in this story?

God, Jesus and the multitudes

Scripture

Why did the crowds follow Jesus?

They wanted more food!

verse 28) What was the crowd’s reply after Jesus addressed them the first time? What does this signify?

They wanted to know what they could ‘do’ to get more bread. It shows that they believed that they could get anything as long as they work hard enough. They referred to the ‘works of God’ when there was only one thing to be done. Martha, Martha you are troubled by many things… This is a picture of people under the law.

Discussion point: What are the subtle ways in which believers are being placed under the law?

What was Jesus’ reply to their request for works? What does this mean?

a) He said ‘Just believe in me!’ It means that there is no formula, no rules and laws for believers to keep in order to obtain salvation. Faith is all you need!

verse 30) What did the crowds ask next? Why do you think they asked that?

After not being provided with food and a means to get more, they asked Jesus for a sign to prove that He is the messiah. “Show us a sign!” they said. Even after they had witnessed the miracle of food, they still did not believe. It shows rather that they weren’t interested in Jesus but in his miracles. Also proves that if Jesus came back today and performed signs, there will still be unbelievers.

(verse 32-33) What was wrong about the Jews conception of manna? What was Jesus’ exposition on the bread of Heaven?

They believed that Moses was the one who provided them with bread showing once again that when you take God out of the equation, you deify and exalt common people and things instead. Jesus corrected them and explained that manna was but a shadow of things to come and that the true bread of heaven was a person- Himself.

From these initial verses (25-33) what can be said of the types of people present in the crowd?

(b) There were MATERIALISTS, LEGALISTS and SENSATIONALISTS. Expound on the different types with the cell group. Materialists want physical benefits, legalists want charismatic leaders who can provide them with order and rules, sensationalists want miracles and spiritual highs. But none of them wanted Jesus for who He was.

“I am the bread of life…” What did Jesus ever mean by these words? What does it mean when He says that ‘whoever comes to Him shall never hunger and thirst’?

It showed that He was the only necessary thing for eternal life and by addressing their spiritual hunger which they were not aware of. Ask about the properties of bread with the cell group. Whoever eats of Him will never hunger again. It is a symbol of everlasting supply. Refer John 4:13-14 He is the bread that came down (katabas) and that comes down (katabainown).

(Verse 41) Why did the Jews grumble?

They could not accept Him because they (once again) mistakenly believed that he was the ‘son of Joseph’. Jesus was not born of Joseph. He was the son of God!

*(Verses 44-45) What do these verses mean?

No man can come to Jesus unless the Father draws them. How does the Father draw them? When people hear and learn from God, they will be drawn to Jesus. This is why going to church, cell group and personal devotions is so important. How can we ever fall in love with Jesus if we don’t know more about Him? How can we be closer to Him if we don’t spend time with Him? Refer to Hebrews 4:16, 7:19, 11:6, James 4:8

What does Jesus mean about eating His flesh? (verse 51) How does this contrast to the eating of manna?

Eating Jesus flesh is the taking in of him into our hearts. The belief in Him and continual trust is what it means to partake of Him. In contrast to manna, His bread gives eternal life and always satisfies whereas the Israelites perished after eating manna and were only satisfied for a day.

What happened after Jesus preached this message?

Many disciples left Him because they felt that His teaching was too difficult. They either did not understand, could not accept Him as God or were disappointed that they did not deliver what they wanted.

Reflection

Have I been striving to earn my salvation? What does Jesus say about receiving eternal life?

Do I want Jesus for the wrong reasons? Why should I seek Him then?

What does the communion/eucharist mean to me?

Application

Feed on Jesus daily. This means spending time in prayer and with His word. He provides provision, order and miracles for our benefit but these should NOT be what we hanker after. Rather we should fix our eyes on Jesus! Hebrews 12:2

Believe in Him! Trust in Him! That’s all you need to qualify for eternal life.

Recognise the significance of the Lord’s supper (communion/eucharist).

BREAD: It is the healing and provision for all believers. The remembrance of His suffering and promise of eternal life.

WINE: It is the mark of the NEW covenant for all believers. The remembrance of His death and the forgiveness of sins.

Clarification...

Cell group is happening this week on Saturday 25th October 2008 6.30pm at my place. Sorry for mix up in the email. Also, I realise that internet explorer is not a good browser to view this blog so if you may, please switch to Firefox cuz it rocks!

- Kenneth

First Podcast

Yo! This is the first audio recording of our cell group last Friday. Click on the audio player below or if you don't have the plugins, just click on the title of the post. The sound is a bit sketchy and some voices are soft. Hence, I need somebody to be an audiomaster in our group. I've got a really great program called Goldwave which is used to edit sounds but I've only used it so far to convert .wav files to mp3s. It has a whole host of different sound editing features so if you're tech savvy and have a natural talent with PA and sound engineering, please volunteer! Enjoy the podcast peeps and seeya soon!

- Kenneth

Manna and the Bread of Life (part 2)

Hey guys, this is the second bible study we did on the 17th of October 2008 and boy was it great! I only expected a handful to come but by faith I said to the Lord," please multiply what little I have" and I printed out 15 copies of the bible study and lo and behold, EXACTLY 15 people turned up! Praise God! This is also the first cell group in which we did an audio recording. Once I've sorted out how to upload podcasts, you'll be able to hear our very own bible studies online! Great for those who miss cell group but still, NO EXCUSE for not coming! :-)

Manna and the Bread of Life (Part 2): Faithbuilding from an answer to a need

17^th October 2008

Passage: John 6:1-13 (also Matt 14:13-21, Mar 6:32-44, Luke 9:10-17)

Introduction

Do good things only happen to good people?

When does God bless you in your life?

What do you think is God’s heart when it comes to blessing people?

Orientation

Where did this story take place?

Near Bethsaida near the shore of the sea of Galilee

When did it take place?

Around the time of the Passover

Who is involved in this story?

God the father, Jesus, Philip, Andrew, the multitude

This is the only story featuring in all four gospels!!!

Scripture

Verse 1: After these things… What does this signify?

A new order of things…

Why did the ‘great multitudes’ follow Jesus?

Because he performed miracles. They were attracted by his power.

What was Jesus heart when He saw the people? Read Matthew 14:14

He was moved by compassion, also look at Mark 6:34 (reason why he had compassion)

The time of the Passover. What is the significance of the Passover?

Time of remembrance for the deliverance of the Hebrews

Why did Jesus test Philip? What was Philip’s answer?

Philip’s old hometown Bethsaida (John 1:44) six hundred silver coins ~ 7 months wages. He basically said there wasn't enough money to buy food for everyone.

What was Andrew’s answer? 5L2F only! He said there were to many to feed.

What is the significance of both apostles’ answers and how do they differ?

(a) Andrew’s answer was that of the greatness of the need; Philip was an answer of scarceness of resources. This shows the common responses we as believers have when facing a problem but we fail to recognise the solution is standing in front of us: Jesus

What is the significance of the five loaves and two fishes?

Barley loaves were the cheapest bread you could fine during those days. The rich upper classes ate bread made from ground wheat. Normally in the Bible, the Greek word for fish is 'icthus' but here, the Greek word 'opsarion' is used instead and this refers to salted, preserved fish. This shows how humble the boy's lunch was.

What was Jesus’ first action?

(b) He gave thanks. Col 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever little you have, give thanks for it! If you have back pains and you feel like crap, give thanks for every part of your body that is working fine and God will multiply your health back to you! If you have little money and worry about not having enough to eat, give thanks for your scarce resources, place them in God's hands and He shall multiply them back to you! Take these things by faith and you shall see that he is Jehovah Jireh (literally, God is my provision)

How many people were present at the miracle?

Read Matthew 14:21 around 20 thousand. Men were oftne placed in more importance and hence were mentioned in writing. There were five thousand MEN but they also had their wives and children with them as well.

How did Jesus begin his miracle?

© Sit down! The LORD makes me lie down in green pastures. He broke the bread first then distributed to the disciples. Picture of Jesus’ body Matthew 14:19 Broken once for all but continuous dispensing. If you read the Greek context, the word broken is a verb which connotates a single finite action whereas the word for distributing is a continuous action. In the same way, Jesus body was broken once for every believer but His body is still being dispensed today in the communion and when we feed on His word.

When did the supply of food stop?

(d) When everyone had enough to eat! The supply was greater than the need! Refer to 2 Kings 4

Jesus demonstrates that He does not waste anything. Why were there 12 baskets left of food?

For the disciples and their families. By the way, the disciples all had wives and children as well. It shows that God does not forget those who are serving him. The 12 baskets also represent the 12 tribes of Israel for it is written that when Jesus comes back, He will not forget His chosen people and he will save all of them.

Reflection

How do we respond when we are faced with challenges? How should we respond after learning from Philip and Andrew?
Why is it so important to sit down at the feet of Jesus?
How does this miracle reflect Jesus’ mission?
How can I rejoice and receive the blessings of God?
What are my five loaves and two fishes?

Application

Understand that our God is a generous God!

When the blessings flow, take it!

Give thanks for whatever little you have that God may bless it and make it grow abundantly

Manna and the Bread of Life (part 1)

Hey guys, this is the first in our series of Manna and the Bread of Life. I shared this bible study on the 10th of October and it basically marks our group's mission and vision: to feed on the word of God daily. Wanna know why we're called Manna? That's cuz it's the supernatural bread that God gave to the Israelites everyday. And guess what? It was only good for one day so they were constantly depending on God for their subsistence. In the same way, we should also rely on God everyday in everything we do! (Answers to the questions are italicised, letters in parentheses refer to the related reflection question below)

Manna and the Bread of Life (Part 1) : God answers needs with Grace

10^th October 2008

Passage: Exodus 16

Introduction

Has there ever been a time when you were in need? What happened and what did you do?

What’s your favourite type of bread or pastry?

Orientation

Where did this story take place?

The desert of Sin

When did it take place?

Just after they crossed the Red sea

Who is involved in this story?

God, Moses, Aaron and the Israelites

Scripture

Why were the Israelites upset?

(a) They were hungry and probably upset at having to endure the hardship of marching and camping.

How did God respond to the people’s cries?

(b) He was gracious and kind and promised to provide for them.

Why did God say to the Israelites in verse 5 to gather twice as much on the 6^th day?

The 7th day was to be a day of rest and no one was to gather food on that day, hence the 6th day had twice as much food for the people.

Why did God wish to test the Israelites?

To build the Israelites up and teach them about faith. What is faith? It is simply relying and trusting in God for everything. Remember, testing is from the Lord and is meant to build you up. Trials are from the sin in this world and sometimes the devil. Trials are meant to tear you down.

What is the implication of verses 6-8?

© When we grumble or complain to our leaders, do we actually grumble to them or to God? Also, Moses pointed out the Israelites' lack of faith by saying "then you shall know that Lord brought you out of Egypt"

Verse 12 speaks of a promise and a confirmation. What are they?

There will be food and then they should know that the Lord is God!

Verse 15: Israelites were confused! The ‘bread’ that came must have been so strange to them. They were probably expecting Greggs pasties littered on the floor.

Verse 16: What were the specific instructions to the Israelites regarding the gathering of manna? How much is an omer? What do the following verses say about how much the Israelites gathered?

(d) Gather an omer for each person in the tent. An omer is about 6 litres. They gathered as much as they wanted. Please remember that, God gives you as much as YOU want. By how much you collect, you shall also receive.

Verse 20: What happened when the people tried to keep hoard manna? (e) How did Moses respond? How did God respond?

It stank and had maggots. Moses was pissed! God remained silent. See how patient God is?

Verse 27: What’s happening here? How did God respond this time?

The Israelites tried to go out and collect on the Sabbath. God was disappointed with the Israelites this time and He openly asked how long it would take for the Israelites to trust Him. (Amazingly this all happened just after they walked through the Red sea. Miracles must've been commonplace the if they can so quickly forget it...) Actually it does tell us that we do stupid things when we are vulnerable and good examples include: when we are depressed, scared, hungry, tired, angry. You get the idea.

Turn your Bible so that the pages touch the table. Name the 6 characteristics of manna.

Small, White like a coriander seed, as thin as frost, sweet like honey, tasted like wafers and round

Why did God ask Moses to keep an omer of manna? Where was it stored eventually?

As an object of remembrance of God's provision. It was stored in the Ark of the Covenant along with the two tablets of the ten commandments and Aaron's staff. Read Hebrews 9:4

This wasn’t the only time the Israelites complained about manna. See Numbers 11:4-15 and Numbers 21:4-9

Reflection

Do I complain a lot about life? How should I respond to life’s challenges instead of complaining?

What is the heart of God in this account

When we moan and complain, do we know where ur faith lies at that moment? Does this mean we should never ask God for help?

When God delivers, does He supply every need? Think of one incident where God has provided you with much more than you asked for.

Why did the manna stink after a day (with the exception of the 6^th day)? Read Deu 8:3

Application

Rely on God for everything

Rely on Him EVERYDAY

Trust in Him by faith in Him alone and not faith in faith.

Know that God is your provider. He is Jehovah Jireh!

Outro

When did the provision of manna end? Read Joshua 5:12

What did you notice about the number of Israelites punished by God during this period?

Nobody died during the expedition from Egypt UNTIL the law was given at Mount Sinai. The people were living under grace during this period.

What was manna a sign of that is eventually reflected in the New Testament?

Manna is a sign of the qualities of Jesus. Refer to next week's cell group.

Hey guys, welcome to our new cell group website! Kudos to Michelle for setting it up. Each week, we'll be posting our very own cell group studies and (hopefully) the audio recordings of our cell groups so if you couldn't make it for cell, you can still catch it online! We'll also be posting the dates and venues for our cell groups on this blog and any upcoming events that we organise. Next week's cell group will be held on the 25th of October 2008 , 6.30pm at my place. Dinner will be served by our wonderful cooks, Michelle and Yvonne, so come with hungry stomachs! Once again, a donation of 1 pound per person for dinner is greatly appreciated so please seek Tony when you've had your fill! Lastly, we're looking to get you guys T-shirts and/or collar pins with our cell group logo and motto so if you have any creative ideas, please send them to William! Have a blessed and highly favoured week ahead and we'll see you soon!

- Kenneth

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