February 14 - February 20 -

Weekly Reading for February 14 – February 20

Preparing for Next Week’s Message

Sermon Series: Elijah or Elisha Stories of Courageous Faith
Sermon Title: Walking Through the Highs and Lows of Life

This reading plan will get your heart and mind set for the next message on February 21, 2021:

Reflecting on the Most Recent Sermon

Sermon Series: Pathways
Sermon Title: Experiencing the Joy of the Journey
Delivered On: February 14, 2021

VIEW SERMON NOTES

Memorize and Reflect

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3

Prayer Direction

Spend time in your group praying in some of the following directions:
- Thank God for his creative beauty in the way he has made the other members of your group and pray for them to continue developing their unique pathways to intimacy with Jesus.
- Ask God to help you discover one or two fresh new ways to grow spiritually as you explore new pathways that could fit how God has made you.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand all of the pathways so you can celebrate and affirm other believers who approach and connect with God in ways that are different than you.
- Pray for the leaders of your church as they design worship services, learning opportunities, children’s programs, youth ministry, and more. Ask God to lead them as they develop opportunities for believers to grow in their faith.

“Live It!” Challenge

Observe and Share What You Have Learned
Seek to be a student of other followers of Jesus. Pay attention to how they live, pursue Jesus, and most readily connect with God. As you notice that a person seems to be an Enthusiast, share what you have learned about their pathway. It will be encouraging for them and give language to how they grow in their intimacy with God. If they are a caregiver, bless it, celebrate, and share what you have learned about this pathway. When you watch an activist, tell them you love how God uses them and ask about how they meet God in their action. You get the picture. Affirm people for their pathway and teach what you have learned so they can go even deeper.
If you share with someone and they get really excited when you explain that they have a unique and God-given pathway, encourage them to go deeper into this process. You might even challenge them to jump into a small group and go through this study.

Small Group Discussion

Talk about a couple of pathways you have not walked in very much, but feel you should explore and experiment with as you grow in your walk with Jesus.
What is your strongest pathway and what can you do to take a step toward making this an even more meaningful way to connect with God?
Talk about how this study, and learning about these nine unique pathways, has helped you understand how followers of Jesus can meet with him in a variety of ways that fit how God has uniquely made each of us. How has this study put some of the puzzle pieces together and helped you affirm and deepen the way you meet with the Savior?
Some people will connect with a specific pathway for a period of their life and then discover another pathway that really resonates and draws them close to God in another season. If you look back and discover that this has been the case in your spiritual life, tell about how different sacred pathways have served you well at different times in your life.
Although we have many ways to draw near to God, we all need to open the Bible and learn from God’s revelation and truth. Take time as a group and describe how engaging Scripture can be a natural part of each of the pathways:
- Naturalist
- Sensate
- Traditionalist
- Intellectual
- Ascetic
- Contemplative
- Caregiver
- Activist
- Enthusiast

Talk about how each of these is a valid and valuable way to feed on Scripture but do it in a way that fits each of the pathways.
Until the 15th century, the Bible did not exist in a printed format that was accessible to the common person. Then, when the printing press was invented, it was a long time until Bibles were available to the general public. How do you think Christians learned from the Bible before they actually had one in their hands or home? How can these historical practices serve people as they walk the various pathways?
How is the church stronger, more effective, and more honoring to God when we celebrate and lift up people who walk each of the nine pathways? What would we lose if we had a church of all Intellectuals, Enthusiasts, Ascetics, or any of the pathways?
Imagine your small group was given the task of planning worship services for your church for the month of December. As a group, you decide to integrate at least one worship element that would touch the people who walk each of the nine sacred pathways. What are elements you could recommend to be sure there was a touch-point for every person in your church?
Tell about a person you know who spends a lot of time with Jesus and describe how this person continues to look more and more like the Savior. How does this person live in a close relationship with God and what have you learned from their example?
Jesus had a place he went to meet with the Father. The garden of Gethsemane held a special place in the life of our Savior. Where do you meet with God and what do you do when you are in this place (this can be a literal or figurative place)? How does God charge your batteries and strengthen your soul when you meet with him in this place?

February 14 – February 20