Mastermind: Week 5
Mastermind: Week 5
Restoration
- Our goals –destigmatize it
- Help those who struggle with it
- Prepare those who don’t to understand and help others
Review 5 R’s
- Relationship
- Rest
- Remembering to remember
- Resilience –to have hope and get up again
- Restoration –this is not the Matrix
- We cannot just decide to forget our past and move forward
Remember we need relationship –putting things together so far
- We need resilience because the world is tilted towards destruction
- The Enemy is the great divider –He seeks to break relationship with God and thus breaking it with others
- The American way of living is found here in Ecclesiastes
- What does a rock skipping life lead to?
- The source of relationship with others is a restored relationship with God
- Galatians 5:22-24—The fruit of the Spirit is….
- The definition of love is in scripture –1 Corinthians 4-8
- The rock skipping life –too fast to be healthy vs Real life in Christ that gets me through the wind and waves
Ecclesiastes 1:1–2 (ESV) Ecclesiastes 4:7–12 (NIV) Proverbs 18:1 (ESV) Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 (ESV)
Notice: He was in a place of meaninglessness – depression –Life under the sun but NO Son
- He needed restoration
- He had Work and Wealth
- But No friend or brother – why? –What has he chosen that has left him alone
- Created a lifestyle that has separated him
- Still empty –depressing
What does He need?—the book of Ecclesiastes reveals what he had sought
- Worldly wisdom
- Pleasure
- Accomplishment
- He had the life under the sun —
1. He needs a life under the Son ––Restoration of relationship with God
- A relationship with God
- A relationship with Gods people –
- About the Lords business
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV) — 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2. He needs relationship with others
1 John 1:5–7 (NIV) — 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
3. Now sanctification –
- But now we start a journey back down the road we have traveled – to the race marked out for us –
- Set apart – Holy –He has work to do –in the future –it’s a tough life against an enemy
- Dealing with his past – consequences –restitution
- Forgiving yourself
- Forgiving others
- Dealing with consequences
4. The devil works so hard to get you alone –to separate you
- You see what you are unable to do without walking the path God has for you –alone
- To get you to busy to serve the Lord –rock skipping
- God uses people to help you break habits – to change your life
Are you living under the sun or the Son?
- Have you isolated yourself spiritually because of all the activity?
- Have you made your self available to the Lords work in the lives of others?
For Small Group Discussion:
Opening Question:
- Describe a memory where you got caught red-handed by your parents.
Main Point: The main idea is we can experience restoration in our lives when we move toward being honest about where we are and hold on to hope. We hope our group members deal with their secrets and shame, and put into the light their hurts, unhealthy habits, unforgiveness, unrepentance, etc.
Read/Tell the Story: 2 Samuel 12:1-10: Nathan calls out David
Questions:
Head –
- How did David get to the place where he justified actions like adultery and murder?
- What techniques did Nathan use to help David see his fault?
Heart –
- In what situations do you struggle with having the hard conversation (like Nathan did)?
- How do you tend to respond when someone brings sin or conflict to your attention? How would you respond if someone approached you like Nathan did?
- In what situations do you struggle with asking forgiveness?
- How has God confronted sin in your life? Has he used people or circumstances as a wake-up call?
Hands –
- Who in your life has permission to say the hard things to you? Have you told them they do?
- What accountability guardrails do you have, in order to keep you from straying too far off the path?
Supporting Scripture: James 5:16, Psalm 51:10-12, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 8:1, Revelation 3:19 Tips and Resources: Read 2 Samuel 11 for context to this passage. A men’s/women’s breakout is highly encouraged for this week.
There are many more resources for this series linked at: https://realliferesources.org/currentseries/mastermind/