Good  day,  Community  Group  Leaders!    Attached  is  your  Week  #9  group  material,  also  available  at  www.mccag.org  by  clicking  on  RESOURCES  >  COMMUNITY  GROUP  LEADERS    It’s  difficult  for  me  to  believe  that  our  ten-­‐week  CAGES  message  series  is  concluding  next  week.  I  pray  that  you  and  others  in  your  group  are  able  to  identify  some  specific  ways  this  series  has  encouraged  personal  spiritual  growth.    

• I  suggest  that  your  group  plan  to  enjoy  a  potluck  meal  together  soon,  perhaps  during  your  regular  group  meeting  time  one  week.  You  may  even  wish  to  enjoy  a  ‘Thanksgiving  meal’  together  near  the  upcoming  Holiday.      

• Don’t  forget  to  ask  your  group  to  attend  BLESS  RICHMOND  -­‐  a  gathering  of  Richmond  area  congregations  to  pray,  give  thanks  and  feed  the  hungry  of  Richmond.  This  citywide  prayer  meeting  will  take  place  Sunday,  November  24th,  6PM  at  U-­‐Turn  Sports  Performance  Academy,  2101  Maywill  Street,  Richmond.  Let’s  see  how  many  Community  Groups  can  REPRESENT!    

• Please  let  me  know  your  group’s  plans  about  continuing  to  meet  after  the  CAGES  series  concludes  by  Friday,  Nov.  21st.    

• COMING  NEXT  WEEK  –  an  online  survey  for  your  group  members  to  complete!      

Once  again,  thank  you  for  the  wonderful  way  you  have  served  the  great  people  of  our  church  and  your  pastors  by  furthering  their  message  agenda  for  these  ten  weeks!      Sincerely  His  and  yours,  Pastor  Dwayne    WEEK#9  BULLETIN  INSERT    

The Cage of Excuses Luke 9:57-62 Following Jesus requires nothing less than a radical commitment of my lifestyle. Three kinds of people in the crowd around Jesus:

• Curious • Convinced • Committed

Jesus challenges three excuses in us every day:

• Our comfort • Our postponement

Ecclesiastes 11:4 • Our self-serving predisposition

The Key: Give Jesus the unrestricted availability of your daily life.

MATERIALS  NEEDED:     Pencils/Pens   Completed  message  notes  bulletin  inserts  from  Sunday   Bible   A  copy  of  the  Community  Group  Survey  for  each  adult  member   See  individual  ORANGE  activities  for  materials  required.  

 WELCOME/SNACKS    20  minutes    

OPEN  (Ice  Breakers)  10  minutes  Choose  from  among  these  questions  or  activities:  

1. With  what  celebrity  or  personal  hero  (not  Jesus!)  would  you  like  to  have  a  conversation?    To  what  extent  might  you  be  willing  to  go,  to  follow  that  person  in  the  hopes  that  it  might  happen?    

2. What  is  the  most  flimsy  excuse  you  have  ever  used  in  an  attempt  to  justify  something  you  did  or  failed  to  do?  –  OR  -­‐  What  is  your  go-­‐to  excuse  for  not  getting  involved?    

3. Play  “Simon  Says”  (see  ORANGE  Material  for  applications  of  this  game  to  the  topic  of  Excuses)    

4. Consider  doing  the  “Fix  Your  Eyes  on  God”  exercise.  

 

ADULT  INTERACTION  OVER  SUNDAY’S  TOPIC/MESSAGE    35-­‐40  minutes  Choose  from  the  following  questions.  Consider  what  will  work  best  in  your  group.    Be  certain  to  refer  to  your  notes  from  Sunday’s  message  as  you  facilitate  your  discussions.  

Invite  a  volunteer  to  read  aloud  the  passage  covered  in  Sunday’s  message  (Luke  9:57-­‐62).  1. How  would  you  describe  the  tone  of  Jesus’  responses  to  these  three  men?  

                   (Strong/stern;  Perhaps  Jesus  was  having  a  bad  day?)    How  might  you  have  reacted  to  Jesus’  responses?      

2. What  did  Jesus  mean  when  He  said,  “The  foxes  have  holes  and  the  birds  of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son  of  Man  has  nowhere  to  lay  His  head”?  (Foxes,  birds,  and  other  creatures  had  places  of  rest  and  safety  to  claim  as  home.  However,  Jesus—and  by  inference,  His  disciples—had  no  such  place.  So  Jesus,  the  Creator  of  the  universe,  had  no  home  among  His  own  creation.  In  essence,  Jesus  was  saying  “Following  me  will  be  neither  easy,  comfortable,  nor  predictable.)    What  is  the  implication  of  this  for  those  who  want  to  follow  Christ  today?  How  did  Jesus’  response  remind  those  present  of  the  priority  of  true  discipleship?  

(Jesus’  statement  stresses  that  His  disciples  must  be  willing  to  sacrifice  every  comfort  to  follow  Him.  Following  Christ  means  that  He  comes  first  in  life.)    

3. What  did  the  man’s  request  to  go  bury  his  father  really  mean  (vv.59-­‐60)?  (Jesus’  response  might  seem  callous  and  uncaring,  but  like  always,  there’s  a  divine  purpose  behind  His  words.  The  play  on  words  using  the  term  “dead”  suggests  that  those  who  are  dead  spiritually  have  priorities  that  are  different  from  those  who  are  following  Christ.  Following  Jesus  trumps  everything  else.  Jesus  wanted  wholehearted  and  immediate  obedience,  not  delays  and  excuses  –  not  even  for  “good  causes”.)    

4. What  was  acting  as  a  distraction  to  the  third  man  (vv.61-­‐62)?    (family,  loved  ones,  friends,  former  life)  What  are  some  things  in  life  that  distract  you  from  serving  or  following  Christ  wholeheartedly?      

When  we  opt  to  serve  ourselves  rather  than  others  (giving  in  to  our  distractions),  what  are  we  saying  about  following  Jesus?  (It’s  not  a  priority;  what  He  asks  can  wait)    What  are  examples  in  life  when  you’ve  told  God  “first  let  me  go  do  this”?  

(Jesus  said,  “But  as  for  you,  go  and  proclaim  everywhere  the  kingdom  of  God.”  His  choice  of  words  implied  this  person  was  being  invited  to  choose  the  higher  priority—to  spread  the  news  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Jesus’  calling  involves  personal  sacrifices  that  sometimes  are  difficult  but  have  eternal  benefits.  Leaving  family  in  the  cause  of  Christ  is  a  difficult  calling,  but  perfectly  acceptable  to  the  sold-­‐out  follower.)    

5. Should  we  warn  would-­‐be  followers  of  Jesus  today  about  His  expectation  that  they  will  follow  him  without  reservation?    What  might  happen  if  we  do?  If  we  don’t?  How  would  you  answer  the  person  who  asked  you,  “What  is  a  Christian?”  

 6. So,  what  do  the  active  excuses  in  your  life  tell  you  about  your  own  level  of  commitment  to  Christ?    

Prior  to  Sunday’s  message,  would  you  have  considered  yourself  a  curious,  convinced,  or  committed  follower  of  Christ?  What  about  now?    

7. Who  are  you  intentionally  discipling  right  now?  (This  was  Jesus’  final  directive  to  us  before  leaving  earth  and  the  “Great  Commandment”  to  all  followers  of  Christ.)    If  no  one,  what’s  your  excuse?  

 

GROUP  RESPONSE  AND  PRAYER  10-­‐15  minutes  Choose  from  the  following  questions.  Consider  what  will  work  best  in  your  group.    

 

1. How  did  your  priorities  change  when  you  became  a  follower  of  Jesus?  Have  you  kept  your  spiritual  fervor  or  has  it  waned  a  bit?    

2. In  what  ways  have  you  “pushed  back”  against  a  call  to  follow  Jesus  more  deeply?    What  keeps  you  from  following  Jesus  more  completely,  and  what  could  you  do  about  it?    

3. “As  much  as  a  farmer  looks  back,  that  is  how  crooked  his  rows  will  be.  But  as  much  as  a  farmer  sets  his  sight  on  one  thing  –  like  a  tree  or  a  fence  post  at  the  end  of  the  field  –  that  is  how  straight  his  rows  will  be.”  What  are  you  tempted  to  look  back  at?  What  would  help  you  to  look  straight  ahead?    

4. In  what  ways  have  you  sacrificed  personal  convenience  or  even  physical  comforts  to  be  Jesus’  disciple?  What  might  God  be  calling  you  to  sacrifice  this  week  to  prioritize  living  for  His  kingdom?  

FIX  YOUR  EYES  ON  GOD    Preparation:    1. Watch  the  three-­‐minute  training  post  “Fix  Your  Eyes  on  God”  

sent  to  you  via  email.  It  features  Louie  Giglio  and  is  found  on  the  RightNow  Media  site  (go  through  this  link  if  needed).  

2. You  may  show  this  video  to  your  group,  if  desired.  Otherwise,  use  it  to  prepare  yourself  for  the  simple  exercise  below.  

 Exercise  1. Divide  your  group  into  same-­‐sex  pairs.  One  member  

designated  as  "leader"  and  the  other  as  "follower".  2. Instruct  the  follower  to  look  only  at  the  leader,  refusing  to  be  distracted  by  anything  in  the  

surroundings.  3. The  leader  should  determine  an  intended  destination  before  beginning,  but  not  disclose  this  to  the  

follower.  The  leader  will  give  the  follower  instructions  to  navigate  from  one  point  in  the  room  to  another  point,  ultimately  reaching  the  intended  destination.  The  leader  should  walk  with  and  stay  in  front  of  the  follower  so  he/she  can  see  the  leader  (leader  might  need  to  walk  backward  at  times,  although  continuous  eye  to  eye  contact  is  not  essential).    

4. During  the  process  groups  can  add  elements  like:  Don't  tell  the  follower  the  final  destination,  let  it  become  evident;  occasionally  use  your  hands  to  guide  the  follower  by  holding  his/her  hands  

 Discuss/Debrief  After  the  exercise,  debrief  and  discuss  areas  such  as:    

• This  exercise  requires  absolute  TRUST  on  the  part  of  the  follower  • We  don't  always  know  where  God  is  leading  us  -­‐  sometimes  we  have  stops  along  the  way  • At  times  we  can  feel  God  close  to  us  (holding  hand)  and  at  other  times  he  seems  more  distant;  yet  

he's  always  engaged  in  leading  us  • It's  important  to  not  be  distracted  by  things  around  us  (objects  that  block  our  path,  other  people,  

things  that  look  comfortable  and  inviting,  etc.)    

Conclude  with  Luke  9:61-­‐62  61    "Still  another  said,  “I  will  follow  you,  Lord;  but  first  let  me  go  back  and  say  goodbye  to  my  family.”  62  Jesus  replied,  “No  one  who  puts  a  hand  to  the  plow  and  looks  back  is  fit  for  service  in  the  kingdom  of  God.”      

Week  #9  –  ORANGE  Resources  for  Group  Leaders  and  Parents    DON’T  LOOK  BACK    

 

MATERIALS:      Role  of  wide  tape  (painter’s  tape  is  best)        Coloring  Page  (optional)        Crayons  (optional)  

 

Preparation: Make a long straight line with tape on the floor (10-15 ft).  

Interactive  Discussion  If  Jesus  came  into  our  group  right  now  and  asked  you  to  follow  him,  what  would  you  do?  (Let  children  answer.)  Now,  what  if  Jesus  told  you  that  if  you  follow  him,  you  will  be  sleeping  out  in  the  rain  in  cardboard  boxes?  Would  it  be  easy  to  follow  him?  (Let  children  answer.)  What  if  Jesus  said,  “I  want  you  to  come  and  be  my  disciple  right  now.  There  isn’t  time  to  run  back  and  say  good-­‐bye  to  your  family.”  Would  it  be  hard  to  follow  Jesus  then?  (Discuss.)  Of  course,  kids  always  have  to  tell  their  parents  where  they’re  going.  But  if  you  were  grown  up,  this  could  be  a  choice  you  would  have  to  make.    Jesus  was  on  his  way  to  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  he  knew  he  was  going  to  die  on  a  cross.  On  his  way,  Jesus  invited  some  grown-­‐ups  to  come  along  with  him;  and  some  other  people  asked  if  they  could  go  with  Jesus.  Not  all  of  them  ended  up  going  with  Jesus,  however,  because  they  had  to  make  tough  choices.  Some  of  the  people  said  they  would  follow  Jesus,  but  first  they  had  to  take  care  of  important  matters,  or  first  they  had  to  say  good-­‐bye  to  their  families.  Jesus  told  them,  “No  one  who  puts  his  hand  to  the  plow  and  looks  back  is  fit  for  service  in  the  kingdom  of  God”  (Luke  9:62  NIV)  

 Activity  

Have  you  ever  tried  to  draw  a  long  straight  line  on  the  sidewalk  with  chalk?  It’s  easy  to  end  up  with  a  wobbly  line,  isn’t  it?  Well,  it’s  even  harder  to  cut  a  straight  line  in  the  soil  with  a  plow.  The  person  plowing  has  to  use  a  big  blade  that  cuts  the  soil.  He  has  to  keep  his  eyes  straight  ahead  to  see  where  he  is  going,  and  he  has  to  concentrate  really  hard.  If  he  keeps  turning  around  to  look  behind  him,  what  do  you  think  will  happen  to  the  line  in  the  dirt?  (Let  kids  answer.)  

 I’d  like  two  volunteers  to  help  me  out.  (Choose  volunteers.)    I  want  you  to  take  turns  walking  down  this  line.  [Name  of  Child  One],  you  will  keep  your  eyes  straight  ahead,  watching  carefully  where  you’re  going.  Don’t  look  around,  even  if  you  hear  us  yell,  “Hey!”  (Try  this  with  first  volunteer.)      [Name  of  Child  Two],  you  will  walk  straight  down  the  line,  but  when  you  hear  us  yell,  turn  your  head  and  look  at  us  while  you  walk.  (Try  this  with  second  volunteer.)      

Discuss  Who  did  a  better  job  of  walking  a  straight  line?  (Discuss.)  It’s  not  always  easy  to  follow  Jesus.  But  it  always  helps  to  keep  our  eyes  on  him,  to  watch  and  pray  so  we  see  where  he  wants  us  to  go.  When  we  take  our  eyes  off  Jesus,  when  we  forget  about  him,  that’s  when  our  lives  start  to  go  crooked.    

Prayer  Jesus,  we  want  to  follow  you.  Help  us  keep  our  eyes  on  You  and  go  where  You  lead  us.  

   

Simon  Says  “Do  What  Jesus  Says”      

Playing  the  Game  1. Seat  yourselves  in  a  circle,  or  stand  in  a  group.  2. Choose  one  person  to  be  the  leader,  aka  Simon.  3. “Simon”  then  orders  all  sorts  of  different  things  to  be  done,  the  

funnier  the  better,  which  must  be  obeyed,  but  only  when  the  order  begins  with  “Simon  says”.  (For  instance,  "Simon  says:  'Thumbs  up!'"  which,  of  course,  all  obey;  then  perhaps  comes:  "Thumbs  down!"  which  should  not  be  obeyed,  because  the  order  did  not  begin  with  “Simon  says”.)  

4. When  someone  follows  an  order  that  does  not  begin  with  “Simon  says”,  he  or  she  is  out  of  the  game.  (Have  that  person  sit  down,  or  step  back  from  the  circle.)  

5. Continue  giving  instructions  until  only  one  person  is  left  –  the  winner!  6. Repeat  the  game  as  desired,  allowing  several  children  to  be  Simon  –  mix  it  up  a  bit.  

 Let’s  Talk  About  It  

(Lead  a  brief  discussion  with  the  children.)    1. What  were  some  of  the  easier  commands  that  you  obeyed  during  the  game?  

 2. What  were  some  of  the  more  difficult  commands  to  accomplish?  

 3. What  makes  the  game  of  Simon  Says  work?  

Expect  answers  such  as:  It’s  simple;  everyone  knows  the  rules;  It’s  easy  to  spot  when  someone  else  messes  up.    THE  BIG  ANSWER:  Most  of  all,  Simon  Says  works  because  everyone  agrees  to  be  under  the  authority  of  “Simon”.  As  soon  as  you  hear  the  game  announced,  you  have  already  decided  beforehand  that  you  will  do  exactly  what  Simon  says  to  do,  and  nothing  else.  

 4. We’ve  talked  about  the  authority  that  we  give  to  “Simon”  during  the  game.  What  does  the  Bible  

teach  us  about  the  authority  of  Jesus?    Matthew  28:18-­‐20  “Then  Jesus  came  to  them  and  said,  “All  authority  in  heaven  and  on  earth  has  been  given  to  me.  19  Therefore  go  and  make  disciples  of  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  20  and  teaching  them  to  obey  everything  I  have  commanded  you.  And  surely  I  am  with  you  always,  to  the  very  end  of  the  age.”    So  how  should  we  respond  to  anything  Jesus  says  to  do?  (We  should  obey,  without  delay  –  just  like  we  do  in  Simon  Says.  No  hesitation.  No  excuses.)      Is  that  how  you  always  obey  Jesus?  Are  you  avoiding  sinful  behaviors  because  you  know  that’s  what  Jesus  commands?  What  about  obeying  your  parents,  since  that  is  one  of  God’s  commands?  Are  you  telling  others  about  Jesus,  since  that  was  Jesus’  last  command  to  us  before  leaving  earth?  

 Pray  

In  Luke  6:46,  Jesus  asked:  “Why  do  you  call  me,  ‘Lord,  Lord,’  and  do  not  do  what  I  say?”  Let’s  pray  together  right  now  that  we  will  obey  Jesus  without  delay  and  without  making  excuses.  

Making  Excuses  Materials:  Box  of  tissues;  bucket  with  a  little  water  in  it;  Washable  markers  

 

I  am  sure  that  all  of  you  have  been  absent  from  school.  As  you  know,  when  a  child  is  absent  from  school,  his  parents  must  write  an  excuse  so  that  the  school  will  know  why  the  child  was  absent.  Sometimes  the  excuses  are  pretty  hard  to  believe  and  sometimes  they  can  be  very  funny.  I  have  some  notes  this  morning  that  are  good  examples  of  excuses  that  parents  have  written  for  their  children.  • "Please  excuse  Josh  for  being  absent.  I  forgot  to  wake  him  up  and  I  did  not  find  him  until  I  started  

making  the  beds  -­‐-­‐  by  then  it  was  too  late  for  him  to  go  to  school."  • "John  didn't  come  to  school  yesterday  because  he  was  feeling  like  he  was  going  to  be  sick.  Thankfully,  

he  wasn't!"  • "Please  excuse  Janet's  absence  from  school.  It  was  Take  Your  Daughter  to  Work  Day.  Since  I  don't  have  

a  job,  I  made  her  stay  home  and  do  housework."  • "Please  excuse  Ricky  from  school  yesterday.  He  spilled  gasoline  on  his  stomach  and  I  was  afraid  he  

might  explode."  • "Please  excuse  Mary  for  missing  school  yesterday.  We  forgot  to  get  the  Sunday  paper  off  the  porch  and  

when  we  found  it  on  Monday,  we  thought  it  was  Sunday."    

Activity  1. On  a  tissue,  write  down  one  excuse  that  you  use  when  your  parents  ask  you  to  do  something  that  you  

simply  do  not  want  to  do.  Write  it  down  carefully  on  the  tissue  itself.    

Making  excuses  is  not  new.  People  even  made  excuses  in  Jesus'  day.      

Ask  a  volunteer  to  read  Luke  9:57-­‐62:    As  they  were  walking  along  the  road,  a  man  said  to  him,  "I  will  follow  you  wherever  you  go."  Jesus  replied,  "Foxes  have  holes  and  birds  of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son  of  Man  has  no  place  to  lay  his  head."  He  said  to  another  man,  "Follow  me."  But  the  man  replied,  "Lord,  first  let  me  go  and  bury  my  father."  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Let  the  dead  bury  their  own  dead,  but  you  go  and  proclaim  the  kingdom  of  God."  Still  another  said,  "I  will  follow  you,  Lord;  but  first  let  me  go  back  and  say  good  bye  to  my  family."  Jesus  replied,  "No  one  who  puts  his  hand  to  the  plow  and  looks  back  is  fit  for  service  in  the  kingdom  of  God.”  

 

What  excuse  was  Jesus  warning  the  first  man  about?  (That  it  would  be  uncomfortable  to  follow  Jesus.)  The  second  man?  (Don’t  put  off  the  most  important  things  for  less  important  matters;  no  delays!)  The  third  man?  (Our  love  for  Jesus  should  be  greater  than  our  love  for  anything  or  anyone  else.  Jesus  must                    come  first!)    

Jesus  is  still  calling  today,  "Follow  me!"  Will  you  follow,  or  will  you  make  excuses?    

2. Our  own  excuses  (for  not  obeying  our  parents,  not  doing  what  we  said  that  we  would  do,  etc.)  are  almost  always  flimsy  (weak);  They  just  don’t  really  “hold  water”.  • Invite  each  child  to  read  aloud  the  excuse  he/her  wrote  on  the  tissue.  • Then,  have  him  hold  the  tissue  over  the  bucket  and  sprinkle  some  water  on  the  tissue.  (It  will  fall  

apart  with  just  a  little  bit  of  pulling).  • Invite  each  child  to  do  the  above.  (Wet  tissues  should  be  dropped  in  the  bucket.)  

That  tissue  is  like  our  excuses  for  not  doing  what  Jesus,  our  parents,  and  others  in  authority  over  us,  tell  us  to  do.  Our  excuses  aren’t  really  reasons;  they  are  flimsy  and  fall  apart.  

 

Prayer  Dear  Jesus,  may  we  never  offer  excuses  for  not  doing  what  you  tell  us  to  do,  including  obeying  our  parents.  Instead,  may  we  be  willing  to  give  up  everything  and  follow  you.  Amen.