October 7, 2008

Disciple I Group Meeting

Lesson 4 – The Called People

October 7, 2008

Gathering and Prayer (5 minutes)

Theme: The Called People

Theme Word: Covenant

Scripture: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2·3)

Video Segment (20 minutes)

In Covenant, God partners with us to realize God’s promises. Listen for ways this partnership is played out in the covenant with Sarah, Abraham, Rebekah, and Isaac. Discussion Questions: What is covenant? How does God partner with the characters in these stories to advance the Covenant?

Scripture and Study Manual (25 minutes)

Group 1: Discuss the threefold promise of God’s covenant with Abraham; cite examples of Abraham’s doubt and how God reinforced the promises. Discuss examples of how the covenantal promises have been carried out to date.

Group 2: Compare and contrast Sarah and Rebekah as matriarchs of the Covenant. Identify ways God worked in their situations to protect the covenant when it was placed in jeopardy.

Group 3: Identify two persons from today’s readings whom God used to carry out His purposes. What was interesting about these persons? Highlight ways God dealt with their human frailties in order to protect the Covenant.

Group 4: Esau and Jacob were called for a special mission in fulfilling the Covenant; tell what is interesting about them and how God worked through them. What does their story tell us about God?

Group 5: Joseph and his brothers were called for a special mission in fulfilling the Covenant; tell what is interesting about them and how God worked through them. Looking back over your own life, recall an experience when God made something good come out of something that was evil.

Encounter the Word (25 minutes)

Read Genesis 32:9-32. What does this passage say about God? What does this passage say about human beings? What does this passage say about the relationship between God and human beings?

Our Human Condition/Marks of Discipleship (20 minutes)

Read “Our Human Condition”

How does the disciple respond to God’s call to enter the Covenant community of faith?

Closing and Prayer (5 minutes)