Small Group Discussion Guide for June 1, 2008

Discussion Guide for Small Groups
June 1, 2008


Based on Message: Encourage For One Another
Pastor Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.
May 28, 2008

· Leader: You will need paper and pens for everyone.
· Have someone read Hebrew 3:7-15 (NIV) and review the Downward Spiral of Sin with the group.
· The devil is not very creative. He used this same strategy with Eve in the garden (Genesis 3), and with the Israelites in the wilderness (which is referred to in the Hebrews passage wejust read).
· Ask: How have you seen this downward spiral played out in your life or in the life of someone you know?
· What is the main preventative that the author of Hebrews gives to help us to remain faithful to God and His truth?
· What does encouragement mean? (In-Courage: To inspire with courage).
· How does regular, ongoing encouragement stop the downward spiral of sin?
· We probably all have friends who are on the slippery slopes of sin. On a piece of paper, write down their names and a few ways that you can encourage them this week to get back on to the safe ground of truth and the path of righteousness.
· There are many ways you can encourage your friends. Perhaps you can send them a text and tell them you’re praying for them. You can give them a call, send them a note or a card, shoot them an e-mail, invite them to church, etc. At the very least we can pray for them. Take a few minutes to pray for the people that came to mind that need some encouragement this week. Leader close in prayer.

Small Group Discussion Guide for June 1, 2008

WR 07 & WR 08

Found these videos from WR 2007 and 2008 on YouTube. May they remind you to keep climbing Higher in Jesus and to stay Connected!

WR 07 & WR 08

Cool Video: If Only Change Was This Easy!

Cool Video: If Only Change Was This Easy!

Psalm 23 Like You've Never Read It Before!

During my quiet time this evening I was meditating on and studying Psalm 23. I am practicing an ancient form of Scripture reading called Lectio Divina which means "divine reading" using a book by our friend Duffy Robbins called Enjoy the Silence. I mentioned the book and talked about lectio divina in a blog a couple of days ago if you want more information. I highly recommend it to you.

As I was meditating on the words of this passage, I decided to go to the original Hebrew text. As I studied I put together a paraphrase of Psalm 23 from the literal Hebrew words. It was a fresh and insightful for me to consider this great passage. May the Lord encourage you through it as well.

“The Lord is my leader and provider, I shall not be lacking; I shall not fail. He makes me rest in a pleasant place, He protects and sustains me as He guides me along peaceful and quiet waters, He cause my life to return to its proper rhythm. He guides me along the track of right and justice in order to honor Him by showing forth His character. Even when I walk weakly through the gorge with the shadow of death cast over me and calamity all around, I will not be frightened or overwhelmed with fear, for You are right there inside me; Your rod of authority, and your walking stick of guidance bring me great comfort and assurance. You arrange a table and prepare a meal, inviting me to eat in full view of those who want to cause trouble for and even kill me. You anoint my head with oil; I am filled to overflowing, and I am completely satisfied. Truly goodness and beauty and kindness will chase after me every day that I am alive, and I will abide and remain in the family of the Eternal God forever and ever and ever.” (Paraphrase by Rev. Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.)

Psalm 23 Like You've Never Read It Before!

Smithtown Has a What?

Several weeks ago I called our Town Hall seeking contact information for our congressman. No, I wasn't trying to stir things up politically. I needed his help to get bailed out of jail. (Just joking!) As I was listening to the pre-recorded menu, the voice said, "For Youth Bureau press x." Youth Bureau? Smithtown has a Youth Bureau? I quickly grabbed a pen and jotted down the extension. I couldn't believe it!

This past Monday I finally made the call and set up an appointment to go and meet with the director of the Youth Bureau. Yesterday Adriana and I showed up to the office building on Main Street downtown. Even in our little town it was a little hard to find. Why? The sign for the Youth Bureau was not in front of the building, or even on the door. The sign was on the side street in front of the neighboring building. When we arrived we met the director, Patsy. I thanked her for carving out some time to meet with us. I explained to her that we had been working here for three years, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found out we had a department dedicated to the youth of our community. She said that my response was a common one due to the lack of visibility, even physical visibility, in the community. She shared about the history of the youth bureau - how it started, how it was run, the great opportunities the future holds, etc. I told her that I wanted to serve in any way that I could, and that I wanted to get the kids from my youth ministry more involved in the community. We also talked about networking for various things that are happening that would benefit teens and parents of teens. Before we ended our time she invited me to come to the next gathering of community leaders who are committed to young people. I left so excited about this new open door!

Our theme for this next year is REACH, and this is the opening of a door that will allow us to get outside of the four walls of the church and to start being the Church! May the Lord help us to see how we can be salt and light in our world.

Smithtown Has a What?

Jesus for President!

Jesus for President!

Parent Seminar Tomorrow!

Parent Seminar Tomorrow!

Enjoy the Silence

I was talking with my beloved grandfather on the phone last week. We were talking about spiritual practices (or disciplines, as they are traditionally called) and he said, "Kev, I don't read the Bible like I used to." He then told me that he has begun a new practice that is actually an old practice which was started by the Desert Fathers and Mothers during the 3rd and 4th centuries called Lectio Divina which literally means divine reading. The key to this form of Scripture reading is listening - sitting in a portion of Scripture for an extended period of time and allowing God to bring the Scripture to life and speak to you through it.

I told my grandfather that I was aware of a fresh movement within youth ministry in this regard. A more familiar term for this stream is Contemplative Youth Ministry. People like Mark Yaconelli and Duffy and Maggie Robbins have been revisiting this ancient form of connection with God. After we spoke I decided to pull yet another Robbins book off of my shelf called Enjoy the Silence. (I know, I know, soon I will have read all of George's books, and I'll move on to books by Jerry and Elaine and Kramer.) The book is a 30 day experiment in listening to God. I have begun journeying through the 30 days, and after only a few days, I can say that the Lord has been speaking very deeply to my heart. Setting aside at least 30 minutes a day and just soaking in a passage could sound boring, but I assure you it is the furthest thing from it! It is extremely refreshing! I highly recommend it. If you would like an easy place to start, pick up this book.

Enjoy the Silence

Small Group Discussion Guide for May 18th

Small Group Discussion Guide for May 18th

• Have group members read Colossians 3:16 from various translations.
• Who is this verse written to, and what do you think it means?
• How do we learn?
• Discuss the difference between the position (office) of teacher (in other words, those who have a special call and gifting to be a teacher), and the idea that all of us are teachers.
• St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel always. If necessary, use words.” What do you think he meant by that?
• How can all of us teach and instruct one another? NOTE TO DISCUSSION LEADER: Allow the group to come up with ways, and use the points Pastor Kevin shared at youth group to prime the group to consider additional ways we can teach one another if they do not come up from the group. The five ways PK shared were:

1. Testimonies – Sharing our stories
2. Example – Sharing our lives
3. Asking Questions – Leading to discovery
4. Caution – Sharing our concerns
5. Having Conversations – About life & faith

• What are a couple of practical things each of you can do this week to intentionally “teach” others (friends, younger siblings, even parents (I Timothy 4:12))?

Small Group Discussion Guide for May 18th

Top Ten Signs You're Not The Most Popular Guy in Your School ... Classic!

Top Ten Signs You're Not The Most Popular Guy in Your School ... Classic!

Awesome Youth Service Tonight!

Wow! What a great night at youth group. We were so excited to see our entire worship team comprised of students! This is something we have been working toward for three years. It's been a real process of mentoring, and it has required a lot of hard work and patience through the ups and downs and changes, but tonight we finally turned the whole thing over and the team did a fantastic job! Way 2 Go Team!

We have been working our way through the "One Another's" of the New Testament this year, and tonight I shared a message on Greeting One Another. We then engaged an intentional greeting time wherein everybody met at least 5 new people and asked them some basic questions. Hopefully some new friendships were birthed! May fruit remain!

PK

Awesome Youth Service Tonight!

Example Evangelism

Every Monday night for the past 3 years a bunch of us have been gathering together to play basketball. The primary purpose of this event is evangelism, but we don't preach at the people who come. How is that evangelistic? Well, I believe that God is a God of process, and that our love for Jesus is more caught than taught. There is a place for verbally declaring the gospel to people, but I believe there is also something to be said for living your life for Jesus in front of people and allowing God to open doors for conversations along the way in which we can talk about life and faith.

I know some people might not agree with my strategy, but I determined up front that I wasn't going to make our basketball a "strings attached" evangelism strategy. I just wanted to allow kids from the community to come and play basketball with some guys from the church and allow them to have fun and see the love of Jesus through us. There have only been a few occasions where we formally shared with all of the guys about our faith, but for the most part we have simply gathered together at the beginning of the night, prayed together for any needs that they want us to pray for, prayed for God to keep us from injury, and that He would help us to have fun and keep our attitudes in check. Beyond that, we just play basketball. However, what has happened, is that God has allowed us to model Christ-likeness through our actions and (and perhaps more importantly, our reactions to fouls), and to have conversations with guys in between games or while we're on the sidelines.

God has been so faithful! When we started, we just had a few Christian guys. There were a few nights in the beginning where we would just play 3 on 3. But we are now consistently running 30-40 guys, and for me the most exciting thing is that probably 75% of the guys who are coming are unchurched. Tommy, Dwayne, myself and others have just been befriending these guys and making them feel accepted and loved. We are also establishing some relationships with guys and capitalizing on opportunities to go into their worlds. Tommy especially has been connecting with some of the guys on their turf by going to some of their sporting events and other things. Way to go Tommy!

I believe that what we are doing is a vital part of the process of evangelism. While we may not be preaching and giving altar calls, we are plowing ground, planting seeds, watering, and every once in a while God has allowed us to see someone make a decision for the Lord.

I Corinthians 3:5-9 says, "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

Pray for us! If you play basketball, come out and join us! We need some Christian ballers to compete and model Jesus with us. Our heart is that people would see Jesus in us more than just hearing us talk about him.

Example Evangelism

Be Sure To Tell Mom How Much You Love Her Today!

We should all make it a habit to tell and show our moms how much we love them every day, but today is a special day to honor them. Here are a few things you definitely should do for mom today that won't cost you any money; just time and effort.

1. Give her a BIG hug, and since we're on Long Island, a kiss on the cheek as well.


2. Say those words ... you know the ones ... I ... Love ... You! During your teen years conflict with parents is common, but at the end of the day your mom loves you and you love her. Don't assume she knows it. Tell her.


3. Write her a letter or give her a hand-made card. I know you can buy one, but the effort of actually making a card and writing to her from the heart means so much and will bless her.


4. Pray for her. Thank the Lord for allowing you to have her as your mom. Ask the Lord to continue to draw your mom to Himself and that she would be the woman of God that He wants her to be. Ask Him to give her the strength to be the best mom that she can be (not the busiest; the best) and that He will give her the rest she needs.


5. Tell her five things that you appreciate and admire about her in front of the rest of the family.

Before signing off, I am just reminded by the Lord that some of you have lost your moms this year or in recent years, and contrary to being a joyous day, for you this day is a painful one. We want you to know that we love you and are standing with you as Christ's tangible expression of love. If this pertains to you, let me encourage you to journal about your mom. Reminisce about the times you enjoyed with your mom while she was present with you, and honor your mom perhaps by sharing your memories with your family and/or friends. May God continue to love on you, and heal you as you walk with Him through the valley of the shadow of death. May the God of all Comfort love you in a special way today!

We Love You!

PK & Planet Impact

Be Sure To Tell Mom How Much You Love Her Today!

I've Finally Figured Out Why You're Called Generation Y!

The Silent generation, people born before 1945.

The Baby Boomers, people born between 1945 and 1961.

Generation X, people born between 1962 and 1976.

Generation Y, people born between 1977 and 1989.

I've Finally Figured Out Why You're Called Generation Y!

Small Groups Bowling, Baseball Games, and Girls Wondering if There Are Really 22 Innings in a Baseball Game

I love Sundays because Sundays mean Small Groups! This has been our first year of small groups, and we are learning a lot along the way. One thing that I am seeing recently that is exciting to me is that some of our small groups are starting to realize the true purpose of small groups. Our small groups are designed to do more than just have a deeper discussion about the things we are learning in youth group. The purpose of our small groups is fellowship, and fellowship is not limited to Sunday evenings from 6-7:30pm. On Sunday afternoon I went over to the bowling alley and 12 students from one of our small groups were there wearing shoes that have been worn by hundreds if not thousands of other people and enjoying one another's company. Another small group has done the same thing and is planning an overnighter next week wherein they are going to see how many group activities they can do in 17 hours. These things excite me because people are getting the point! Small groups are about instilling in students the value of community and the desire for real friendship.

Today I also went to watch a baseball game that several of our students were playing in. I had several kids from the youth ministry on one team, and one student on the other team. I am always torn as to whom I should cheer for when I encounter this dilemma, so I just cheer for individuals. It's always awkward when one of my students hits a ball off of one of my other student's pitches. The good news is that I was at another game between these two teams and each team won a game.

Another fun thing about going to games is the chance I have to interact with parents and other students who are there to watch. Today I was hanging out with a few girls from the youth group, and one of the girls asked how many innings there are. One of the other girls told her that there were 22 innings ... and she believed her. Then she ran to the restroom and when she returned the game was over, and she was all kinds of confused. Funny!

Student Ministry! How Fun!

Small Groups Bowling, Baseball Games, and Girls Wondering if There Are Really 22 Innings in a Baseball Game

Practicing What I'm Preaching: How God is Calling Us to a Deeper Marriage Connection!

"Is that hard work?" I asked him?

"Nope," he replied, "it's just work."

I was 21 years old, and I was the volunteer youth pastor at a church plant in Lapeer, Michigan. Our church didn't have a building - we met in a school auditorium on Sunday mornings - so our youth group would meet at the pastor's house. One day I stopped by and the pastor was pulling up carpet in a sun room when I stopped by. He was all sweaty and I could tell he was working hard. The exchange above was the beginning of a conversation that we engaged in as I jumped in to help him. It was a teachable moment that I am sure he has long forgotten, but one that has stuck with me for eleven years now, and will remain with me as long as I live.

Why do I bring it up? Well, just remembering that sometimes things just take work has helped me through many situations in my life, but I was thinking of it today in relation to my marriage. Adriana and I have been married for 12 years now, and we have had quite a fun ride as a whole. This past year our theme has been "Connect" and I have been challenging all of us to engage in deeper, more authentic, and more meaningful connections. As I have been walking through this year, preparing messages each week regarding how we interact with one another, the Lord has simultaneously been challenging me in the same vein regarding my marriage.

See, I have recognized that all too often, even in our marriage, we settle for wading in surface conversations rather than swimming out into the deeper waters of communication. We've played it safe and/or avoided the scary waters of true authenticity. As you all know, I am a joker (Yes, my jokes are funny! If you don't think so, you're probably just a little slow in developing! lol!!!), so when we start getting to the uncomfortableness of realness, I have had a tendency to bust a joke to redirect the conversation back to safety. But God is calling us out into the deep, and that means work.

This past week Ady and I have had a couple of real heart-to-heart sharing times, and I am sensing a real breakthrough in our marriage. Having those conversations took work! The solutions that we developed for taking our relationship to a deeper level require work! It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. We are committed to living out the authenticity that we preach and call you to as our students, and to modeling for our own children and anyone else who observes our marriage what a Christian marriage should look like - not perfect, but covenantly committed to growing together. We're tired of the status-quo, and we are committed to the work - sometimes fun, sometimes easy, sometimes awkward, sometimes painful, sometimes hard; but at the end of the day, just plain old work - of making our relationship Christ-like.

Pray for us that God would empower us by His Spirit to make our marriage everything He intends it to be.

Love ya,
PK

Practicing What I'm Preaching: How God is Calling Us to a Deeper Marriage Connection!

Missions Teams for Mexico & New York City Set!

We are very excited that God has called so many of you to go on our summer missions trips! We have about 25 people going on each trip. Remember that Saturday is our first practice from 10am-1pm. Also, begin getting your passport applications in and send our your support letters. Totally excited!
PK

Missions Teams for Mexico & New York City Set!