Gcf Austin

Life Group Questions1. We are three weeks into our 40 days of prayer & fasting. What has God spoken to you thus far? 2. Through a Greek word study, Pastor Rob showed us five different facets of God’s power. Energeia – The superhuman power of GodIschus – divine strength to resist and keep fightingKratos – manifested power that establishes dominion Exousia – divine authority, liberty of actionDunamis – explosive miracle-working power As Christians, we have the power of God inside of us in the Holy Spirit. Which of these facets of God’s power did you not realize you had inside of you? Will you operate in that power moving forward? 3. Read Acts 3:1-10. Do you believe God can use you to perform a miracle as he did with Peter? Explain why or why not. 4. The Apostle Paul experienced the power of God and it radically changed his life. How have you experienced God's power and how has it changed your life? 5. How can you press in, even more, to draw closer to God in the remainder of our 40 days of prayer & fasting? 

Life Group Questions1. God has a purpose for you. What is it? If you don’t know, how should you find out what God’s purpose is for you? 2. Who is the person that God put on your heart, when are you reaching out to them (if not already), and what resources do you have to bless them with? 3. Pastor Ryan said, “The reason people could listen to Jesus was not because of His position in a church, but because of His position in their hearts.” How does this challenge you to live differently? 4. Time is not something to be wasted. It is a resource to use for building the Kingdom of God. Yet, we all find ourselves periodically taking our time for granted. How can you make better use of your time? 5. God has promises that are available to every believer, but many of these are conditional. Read Psalm 92:12-13 as an example of a conditional promise. Tell about a time in your life when you either experienced or missed out on one of God’s promises due to the condition of the promise.

1. What is your fasting plan for our 40 days of prayer & fasting? 2. Luke 6:27-28 says, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” How does this challenge you? 3. In 2023, God is calling our church to have an outward focus. During these 40 days of prayer & fasting, the call is for us to seek to have God’s heart for the people He is going to bring into our paths this year. How would you describe God’s heart for people?How would you describe your heart for people? 4. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan. A Jewish businessman was attacked by robbers and left for dead. Two religious leaders saw him and kept on their way. A “despised Samaritan” saw this man, ministered to him, cared for him, and paid for him to stay at an Inn until he was well. What is the point that Jesus was trying to make by telling this story and what should we take away from it? 5. How do we prepare our hearts to share h

Life Group Questions1.   How good of a listener are you? Rate yourself on a 1-10 scale. Explain why.2.   Prayer should be a conversation with God. What percentage of your prayer life do you listen to God versus talk?3.   Pastor Ryan mentioned that listening has benefits! What are some of the ways that you’ve benefited when you’ve been a good listener?4.   Listening communicates love. Describe a situation when you loved someone by listening to them.5.   Pastor Ryan gave five practical suggestions for good listening.a.   Listen firstb.   Listen attentivelyc.   Listen for meaningd.   Listen activelye.  Listen reflectivelyWhich of these do you need the most work on and why?

Life Group Questions1.   Pastor Rob talked about marathon runners hydrating 6oz every 15 min to prevent dehydration even if they are not thirsty. If they wait to drink when thirsty, it is too late; dehydration will take effect. What are you doing to prevent spiritual dehydration? 2.   What are you feeding on right now? The Bible, books, past teachings on the app? Please share what is keeping your soul fed! 3.   Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” How have you applied this verse in your life?4.   Are you finding solitude, realigning your compass, and healing your wounded heart or do you find yourself escaping and isolating away from the relationships God has put in your life? 5. Self-feeding is your responsibility, and your motivation is key to continue to do so. Are you showing up ready to play and be coached? If not, what’s holding you back? 

Life Group Questions1.   An irresistible church links everything to a soul. What does this mean to you? 2.   Are you fully confident in the person God created you to be? Are you using your giftings to transform lives for Christ? 3.   Have you obeyed God‘s call, even when it was out of your comfort zone, and what was the result? 4.   What can you do differently to transform lives for Christ at home, in the workplace, at school, or at church?

Life Group Questions 1. Pastor Ryan described a church who values relationships as one that “promotes and encourages a sense of unity in the bonds of love.” What does this mean to you? 2. God wants all Christians to grow in maturity and wisdom. Prov. 12:16 and 1 Cor. 13:5 tell us to ignore insults, not be easily angered, and to not keep a record of wrongs. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate yourself in each of these three directives? Explain why. 3. In Matt. 5:23-24, Jesus is essentially saying that being in right relationship with others is more important than “playing church” and that we need to make things right with others first. Whether you have offended someone or you are offended at someone else, do you quickly resolve that issue or do you sweep it under the rug and hope it disappears on its own? 4. Read John 13:34-35 and 1 John 3:14. What did you learn from these verses? 5. Romans 12:9 says, “Love must be sincere.” We get the English word “sincere” from the latin word “sincerus” meaning “with

Life Group Questions 1. Since Sunday, has God given you an opportunity to take a risk? Please share if applicable. 2. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow Me.” Do you know God's voice, and do you follow what He says to do? 3. Share a story from your life about a time when God told you to do something outside of your comfort zone and how it helped you grow spiritually.  4. Would you describe yourself as a “faith champion” or a “dream killer?” Explain why. 5. When analyzing your life, do you sow lots of seeds to build the Kingdom of God, or is this honestly not even on your radar daily?

Life Group Questions 1. “When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” ~ G.K. Chesterton. a. What is your reaction to this quote? b. How can you live your life differently in light of this quote? 2. Please describe the best circumstances in which you should practice gratefulness. 3. We all fail to practice gratefulness. What is the typical reason that you fail to practice gratefulness? 4. Should you evaluate a church and its people based on your preferences? If so, why? If not, why and what standard should be used? Explain. 5. Who, in your life, are you taking for granted? How will you express your gratitude? Bonus: Here is a list of church-related services that are often taken for granted. Pick one or two. Find out who does it. Express your gratitude. a. Work crew – landscaping; repair b. Cleaning crew – cleans the buildings weekly c. Ministry heads – leading mens’ and womens’ ministry and events d. Pastors & Elders e. Communion

Discussion Notes:1. Describe a time in your life when you “showed well” but behind the scenes, your heart was far from God. What did you learn from this season in your life?2. Pastor Ryan described living heart first as “living with a genuine, deep-rooted desire to joyfully walk down the paths that God calls us to.” Are you joyfully walking in God’s calling for your life? Explain.3. Lamentations 3:40 says, “Let us examine and probe our ways and let us return to the Lord.” It is important for all Christians to assess their lives and have a heart to “return to the Lord.” How does this apply to your life right now?4. Do you serve out of willingness or drudgery? No matter the answer, explain why.5. Do you live like your life depends on it? What do you think would change if you did?

Life Group Questions Key Verse: Matthew 22:35-40 – One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." 1. Pastor Rob opened up about his past talking about not having a loving heart, being angry and alone, and not wanting to want to deal with others around him. Have you felt like this recently and what are you currently doing to change that? 2. "Send people into my path or allow me to cross paths with someone who needs to hear about Jesus." Give an example recently or not of a situation where you shared your heart and talked about Jesus to someone else. 3. The two greatest commandments are to love God and love others, in that order. Share some examples from your li

Life Group Questions Key Verse 1 Peter 5:5-6 – “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1. Pastor Lee explained that there is a difference between “humbling yourself” and “being humbled.” Explain what “humbling yourself” means to you. 2. Share about a time when you were able to perform a “hidden service” and how it made you feel. 3. How does humility help you support the mission and leaders of this church? 4. Tell about a time when you or someone you know was ruined by not handling success well or how you or someone you know was blessed by handling success in humility.