At St Barnabas we proclaim the truth of God's word and his Good News for
the world. Our aim is to show the Bible's relevance for today and help each one
of us to apply God's teaching to our everyday lives.
When we are not using the lectionary readings, but are studying a
particular theme, a synopsis of the current study series will be shown below.
Some material can
be downloaded as an Adobe® Acrobat™ PDF file.
If you do not already have Adobe Reader installed it can be downloaded
here 
Spring 2009:
Prayer, Healing and the Bible
Summer 2009:
June
/July 2009
Study
material for small groups
Over
the next six weeks on Sundays and in groups we will be looking at themes raised
in Acts 2 v 42-47, through other parts of scripture, under the general title of
:-
“Community
Living is…..”
Community living is . . . .
.
. . being together
. . . being
obedient to scriptural teaching
growing in faith
and numbers
. . . sharing
publicly in the breaking of bread and
prayer
. . . acknowledging
God’s healing and wholeness
. . . sharing in fellowship
WEEK
BEGINNING 1ST JUNE
1.
Ice Breaker:
Getting to know you!
2.
Then please read Genesis 17 v 1-9 and John 15 v 1-8
A summary
At the heart of
the Christian faith lies the fact that God is community, he exists eternally as
the relationship of love between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and he
created human beings to share in that relationship. The effect of sin was the
breakdown of relationship. The
breakdown of the relationship between human beings and God reflected in the
breakdown of relationships between human beings. (Think Cain and Abel)
The story
contained in the Old Testament is about how God
re-creates the community for which human beings were made.
He does this by creating a people who are defined by being descendants of
Abraham and keeping the law given by God to Moses.
These people are
meant to show the whole world what it means to be in relationship with God.
However they constantly fail to live out this calling and so in the New
Testament, God himself fulfils
Israel
’s vocation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus shows
perfectly what it means to relate rightly to God and other human beings. Being a
Christian is about having a relationship with Jesus, being filled by the Spirit,
so that we in our turn can begin to relate to God and others in the way Jesus
did. This is what is meant by the
language in John 15 where Jesus is described as the vine and we as the branches.
In your
experience
a.
How does sin disrupt your relationship with God and other people?
@
b.
How has being a Christian helped you to grow in your relationship with
God and others?
@
3.
Our current vision as a church is:-
to proclaim
the Gospel as we are commanded to do
in the words of the Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28 and verses 19, 20 and
as we further reflect on the scriptures and especially Acts chapter 2 verses
42-47,
we aim to be
a
fellowship (community) in which people can find God’s love and forgiveness
a
fellowship in which every member can be encouraged to grow
a
fellowship which serves the local community
a
church that is a support base for mission and wider ministry
Matthew chapter
28 and verses 19, 20:
Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Acts chapter 2
verses 42-47:
They
devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders
and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together
and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to
anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple
courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord
added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Here at St
Barnabas, we express our community both by meeting together Sunday by Sunday and
at prayers during the week, and by meeting together in small groups.
These small
groups meet together for four purposes:-
to get to know God better,
to get to know each other better,
to share faith and
to serve the church (both locally and more
widely) and the local community.
As a group,
discuss how you will practically achieve these four purposes. Please note down
your ideas below and be as specific as possible.
At the end of
your session, agree with your group leader what ideas arising from your
discussion, he / she should take to the Group Leaders meeting on 8th June.
@
WEEK
BEGINNING 8TH JUNE
1.
Time to share
2.
Please read Titus 2 v 1-15
Background
The letters of 1
and 2 Timothy and Titus are commonly grouped
together as the Pastoral Epistles, and are thought to have been written around
65/66 AD while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.
Timothy we hear of often in Acts and it is most likely he was a first
century convert to Christianity during Paul’s first missionary journey, and he
was closely associated with Paul on his second and third journeys.
Who was Titus?
Titus is not
referred to in Acts but we find him mentioned in Galatians chapter 2 v 1,
3 where we learn he was a Greek and 2 Corinthians chapter 8 v 16 to 24, where
Titus is described by Paul as his partner and fellow worker and was obviously
trusted by many in the church. See also 2 Corinthians chapter 12 v 18.
Why was Paul
writing to him?
From Paul’s
words in Titus chapter 1 v 5 his task now is to supervise the churches in
Crete
and establish elders in each town. This was not to be an easy task because we
read in chapter 1 v 5
As
the reason I left you in
Crete
was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders
in every town, as I directed you
and in chapter 1
v 16
They
claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable,
disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
and in chapter 2
v 12
It
teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age
Chapter 2 v 1-10
is therefore a response to the situation, giving instructions to Titus about
what to teach different groups of people
so that their actions will be consistent with their claim to know God. (see
chapter 1 v 16a)
3.
Questions to ponder
There is an
underlying presumption that, living according to this sound doctrine Titus has
to teach, will challenge people’s thoughts and actions.
Are there parts
of scripture that present group members with particular challenges for the way
they live? Does this passage in
Titus or personal experience give help in how to meet these challenges?
@
What are the
important things of which Paul reminds Titus, in v 11-15, that will give
Christians the necessary motivation to face the challenges of Christian
discipleship?
(v 14 might help
you here)
@
Please share what
verses 13 and 14 mean to you personally.
@
WEEK
BEGINNING 15TH JUNE
1.
Time to share
Discuss your hopes and questions about Back
to Church Sunday on September 27th PCC
members discussed this matter at their meeting in May
2. Please
read Ephesians 4 v 1-16
Background
Ephesus
was situated on the west coast of Asia Minor
(today’s
Turkey
) at the mouth of the
Caster
River
. It was a thriving harbour city
ranked as important alongside
Rome
,
Alexandria
and Syrian Antioch. Paul came in AD 54 and spent about three years in
Ephesus
, Acts 19 tells us more. It was
Paul’s base for his missionary work in
Asia Minor
.
The Letter to the Ephesians is described by
some scholars as the gospel of the church. Here in this letter is a vision of a
renewed human community - a church, a place of light which stands out against
the sombre background of the surrounding world.
There are a number of contrasts that come out
from the letter.
This renewed church is characterised by:-
·
life not death
·
by unity and reconciliation not
division and alienation
·
by righteousness not corruption
·
by love and peace not hatred and
strife
and
·
by unremitting conflict with evil
instead of compromise.
The reason we are studying Ephesians 4 is
because it is one of the major biblical passages that looks at the idea of the
growth of a church.
In Acts we see the story of the numerical
growth of the church as it spreads throughout the Mediterranean world, in
Ephesians 4, Paul looks at the spiritual growth of the church, it’s growth
into the kind of community that God desires for it.
3.
Questions to ponder
What does it mean for the life of St Barnabas
church to “keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace?”
Ephesians 4 v 3
@
What gifts of ministry has God given to this
church in order to build up our corporate life?
@
How might they be exercised more effectively?
@
Ephesians 4 v 14-16 paint a picture of the
growth of the church, as the Body of Christ. In
practical ways, how can we make this picture a reality here at St Barnabas?
@
WEEK
BEGINNING 22ND JUNE
Community
living is . . .
1.
Time to share
Please talk about
“A Summer Delight” - making this an occasion of fellowship - sharing a
midday picnic together and a time of service and witness as we stay and welcome
invited contacts amongst us at 3.00pm.
2.
Please read 1 Corinthians 11 v 17-34
Background:
Paul
arrived in
Corinth
in AD 50, he stayed there for about 18 months and very quickly established a
church in the city. See Acts 18 v
1-17.
Corinth
was a very cosmopolitan place, always full of
people coming and going because it’s geographical situation meant that all the
east /west trade routes passed through it. Because
it was a port city where many sought pleasure and relaxation, it had the
reputation for having abysmally low moral standards. Because of this Paul took
the time to establish a church that would be able to withstand the temptations
around it and also to equip them to be ready and able to share God’s good news
- Corinth
as a trading place presenting many opportunities to meet new people and be
witnesses for God to them.
Paul’s first
letter to the Corinthian church letter address two issues:-
1.
the tendency
of the Corinthians to split off into small groups who were competitive and
judgemental with each other,
2. the propensity of the Corinthians to
wander away from the gospel Paul had taught, both in belief and behaviour.
3.
Questions to ponder
How does
regularly sharing Holy Communion together help in strengthening our life as a
Christian community? (see verses 23-26)
@
In Corinth, the way the Christians behaved at Holy Communion obscured it’s true meaning.
Are there any ways in which we do the same here at St Barnabas?
@
Therefore,
whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will
be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
(verse 27)
What does this
mean for us today?
@
What sort of
spiritual preparation should we undertake before coming to a service of Holy
Communion? (verses 28,29)
@
WEEK
BEGINNING 29TH JUNE
Community
living is . . .
1.
Time to share:
Please discuss
what the terms ‘healing’ and ‘wholeness’ mean to you as Christians and
how those outside of the Church fellowship may have a different understanding.
Are they concepts that apply only to individuals or can they also apply to
entire communities?
2.
Please read James 5 v 13 – 20:
James, quite
probably the brother of Jesus and a leader in the Jerusalem church, wrote this
open letter to Jewish Christians who had been scattered throughout the
Mediterranean world because of persecution and were living in hostile Gentile
communities.
James’ letter
expresses his concern that these Christians were professing to follow Christ and
to put their trust in God but that their actions belied this fact and did, in
fact, contradict the gospel.
In an energetic
style, James confronts them, and us, with the fact that it is not enough to talk
the Christian faith – one must also live out that faith on a daily basis.
Chapter 2 verse 14 says “what good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have
faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?”
In his letter,
James provides guidance on all aspects of Christian living and, in the passage
we have just read, James reminds us of the power of prayer and the link between
sin and sickness (verse 16), forgiveness and salvation (verse 20).
3.
Questions to ponder:
When read in the
context of our being part of the Body of Christ, what picture is James seeking
to portray in verses 13 – 16?
@
‘Elijah was a
man just like us’ (v17). Why do you think James makes this reference to Elijah
and how does it reflect on our own expectations of prayer?
@
How do you think
that we at St Barnabas could seek to use the power of prayer more effectively to
bring the relief of God’s healing and wholeness more widely into our
fellowship?
@
Remind
yourselves of the differences you identified between a Christian understanding
of healing and wholeness and that of non-believers. How can the two be
reconciled in an honest and meaningful way without
either raising false hopes or reducing God’s power to some kind
of placebo effect? Has anyone had any experiences (whether good or bad) of a
‘healing ministry’ that they would be willing to share as part of this
discussion?
@
WEEK
BEGINNING 6TH JULY
1.
Time to share
“A
Summer Delight” - an occasion of fellowship, sharing a midday picnic
together and a
time of service and witness as we stay and welcome invited contacts amongst us
at 3.00pm (Please remember there is no 10.30am service on 12 July) Please pray
for those who have been invited; Pre-school, Tots Club, Cradle Roll etc.
Share with your
group how you “chatter” the good news, so that we can encourage and equip
each other to be effective witnesses both now and through the summer as we think
about Back to Church Sunday.
2.
Please read 1 John 3 verses 11-24
Background
It is thought
that 1, 2 and 3 John were the last New Testament letters to be written down. The
writer was almost certainly the disciple John, responsible also for writing the
gospel of John and Revelation.
It is clear from
reading all of 1 John that its readers were being faced with a form of false
teaching which denied the incarnation - God made flesh in Jesus. In
refuting this and other associated teaching, John also seeks to bring his
readers assurance and a true knowledge of what faith implies.
His three marks
of a true knowledge of God and of fellowship with God are:
