9th September 2011

Cell Questions Walking by the Spirit

We started a new series looking at how we can become more like Jesus. Jesus was the most amazing person and many people (Christians and non Christians alike) look up to and admire the person of Jesus. The Bible tells us that God wishes us to become more like Jesus and become children of God. We will look at how God intended this to happen and how He intended us to cultivate the character of a Jesus type person. We will be seeing that we cant do it on our own and how the Spirit of God helps us develop Jesus type characters (called the fruit of the Spirit) and so take on the family likeness and become the people we long to be. This week we looked at the Christian worldview (the way we look at the world and interpret it) and how this worldview is important for us to make for us to understand how we take on the Family likeness. God, out of His overwhelming love, created the world and how we were created as bearing the image of God. But we went our own way. We saw how God put us under the guardianship of the Law given to Moses but we keep finding ways to break or bend the Law. God doesnt give up on us and at the right time sent His own Son. His birth shows the humility of God giving up His greatness and power to come as one of us. His life showing and teaching us what a Spirit filled life looks like as He only does what His Father does (Jn 5:19). His dying and resurrection sets us free and Jesus sends the Spirit to enable us to live as God intended us to. We enter this life through the Spirit drawing us into this life and enabling us to realise that we are Gods children. We respond in Baptism and in realising that we are called into a community of Gods children to make a difference in our broken hurting world. Over the weeks we will be looking at some of the marks of a Spirit filled community through looking at the fruit of the Spirit. Read Galatians 3:23 4:7 together 1. Which part of the life of Jesus are you most drawn to? His birth and His humility; His life and walking a Spirit filled life; His death and resurrection and setting us free. 2. When did you last feel either the pleasure of God in your life or the call of God in your life (they could be at the same time but dont always appear so!)? What was it that made you feel that? 3. Living by the Spirit means being open to the promptings and leading of the Spirit (as Jesus was). What do you believe that the Spirit might be prompting you to become or do at the moment? How can your cell help encourage you? 4. Each cell has received a number of Alpha and Marriage Course leaflets. Brainstorm who you could invite to one or other of these. Encourage one another by praying for these people and asking for God to give you an opportunity to invite them (there are more invites available at the church office or there is information on the Springfield website and an online signup). It would be so great to see both courses packed this autumn.

Note: Alpha and Marriage Course both start at 7.30pm on Wednesday 26th September. There is a cost of 70 for a couple on the marriage course (bursaries available if needed). The Alpha course is free.