Victory Groups

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Dynamics of Relationship Within the Trinity

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣 • What’s one thing that you have experienced that you haven’t been able to explain or communicate to others? Why do you think this is so? • Describe the person on your right using one word or image. Explain why you thought of that. • Tell us about one or two people you know very well. What made you so close to them? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘢 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥.” 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟯:𝟭𝟲–𝟭𝟳 (Read also 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟳–𝟭𝟵.) The Trinity is one of the most challenging theological concepts for a believer. There are three Persons in full unity and relationship, and yet there is one God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are in perfect love together, and out of this came the created world and the redemption of mankind. We are given pictures of the Trinity through the Bible. We see this perfect relationship in the baptism of Jesus, where the Father was well pleased with the Son, the Son was acting in obedience to the Father, and the Spirit was at work all throughout. Even though we cannot fully appreciate or comprehend the Trinity, we can learn that God is love, and as people created in God’s image, we are called to reflect this love. Today, we will look at two truths in understanding how God and His people are designed for relationships. 𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴. 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟭𝟲 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘢 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥.” 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟯:𝟭𝟲–𝟭𝟳 The very nature of God is love. That is the simplest but also the most profound explanation of God. Perfect love originated from and existed between the three Persons of the Trinity. The Bible gives glimpses of how the Trinity exists, from creation until the return of Christ one day. In Matthew 3:16–17, we see how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are full of love and at work in the redemption of mankind. Why do you think we easily overlook this seemingly simple explanation? How do God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit show us Their love today? 𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴. 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘉𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. . . . 𝘞𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟭𝟲–𝟭𝟳, 𝟭𝟵 Because God is love, His people are called to reflect this love. Because we are designed for relationships, we make evident the expression of love in the Trinity. Our relationships are to model the perfect love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are able to love others because of the overwhelming, unconditional, and unending love of God. As we know and trust in God’s love for us (1 John 4:16), we reflect God’s love to fellow believers in the church and to the rest of the world so that they too may experience the fullness of God’s love. What did Jesus command the disciples to do in John 13:34–35, and why do you think this was so important to Him? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Why do you think it was important for God the Father and God the Holy Spirit to be present and evident in the baptism of God the Son? How do you think the Trinity is at work in your life today? • How should the perfect love of God be evident in the church and our world today? What do you think your part is in this? • God is love. How can you grow in your understanding of this? How can you reflect God’s love to others this week? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for how the Bible reveals the truth of the Trinity. Pray that you would grow in your understanding of and faith in God every day. • Pray that the truth of God’s love would sink deep in your heart and provide assurance for your identity and purpose. • Pray for unity and love in the church. Pray that you would reflect God’s love in every relationship you have, including the most challenging ones. Pray that God would draw those who are far from Him to Himself.

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𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣 • Recall a time you experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. What happened? • Do you usually go with the flow or chart your own course? Recall an instance explaining this. • Who is one person you would follow blindly—no questions asked? Why? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘚𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦, “𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭?” 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, “𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟲𝟲-𝟲𝟵 (Read also 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟱𝟯-𝟲𝟭.) From the very beginning, God designed us for a relationship with Him. This starts by following Jesus, which is the most important decision we can make in our lives. It is also the most difficult decision. In John 6, we see how many people turned their back on Christ, while some stayed. Jesus had just fed the 5,000 and taught them 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 (John 6:60). In our own lives, we are called to follow Jesus, even when it is hard and when others do not. From this passage, what does following Jesus mean? 𝟭. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝗺. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵?” 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟲𝟬-𝟲𝟭 What did Jesus mean by eating His flesh and drinking His blood? How were His disciples supposed to do this? They had given up easily and concluded that this was a hard saying. Because of this, they left. The truth is, following Jesus does not always make sense given our limited human understanding. Even when we cannot figure out the circumstances behind the teaching of Jesus, we should continue seeking and following Him. What is one teaching of Jesus that is hard for you to accept? 𝟮. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘚𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦, “𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭?” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟲𝟲-𝟲𝟳 Not everyone will follow Jesus. Not everyone will keep following Jesus. Not everyone will agree with your decision to follow Jesus. When this happens, will you still follow Him? When everyone else is turning away from Him, may we choose to do what is right, even when it means going against the flow. Why do you think Jesus asked His twelve disciples if they wanted to leave Him as well? Why was it important for Jesus to ask them this? 𝟯. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱. 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, “𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟲𝟴-𝟲𝟵 Simon Peter and the eleven other disciples probably did not understand all that Jesus was teaching, and they could see others turning away from Christ. Yet Simon knew that they had nowhere else to go. They had believed in Jesus and followed Him for who He is. Even when we don’t understand a lot of things in life or our faith, we can trust Jesus who has “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.” We believe and follow Him despite confusion, pain, and suffering. Do you feel and think as Simon Peter did? Why? If the disciples who left only continued to remain with Jesus and seek understanding, they would have known that eating His flesh and drinking His blood meant believing in Him (John 6:27–29, 35, 40, 47). When we encounter difficult teachings and things we don’t understand, let us continue to trust in the person of Jesus and seek Him for guidance. 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Tell us about how and when you decided to follow Jesus. What has it meant for you since? • In what area of your life is following Jesus difficult? How do you think you will be able to go against the flow? • Do you believe that Jesus has “the words of eternal life” and is “the Holy One of God”? How will this belief affect your daily life? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. Pray that you would follow Him even when you (or others) don’t understand. • Declare your trust and faith in Christ as “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.” Pray that you would know and love Him more as each day passes. • Pray for your relatives and friends who don’t know Jesus yet to follow Him, too.

Fellowship with Others

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣 • Tell us about one thing that easily irritates you. • What would make you say that a person is selfish? What actions or attitudes do you think would catch your attention? • Do you consider yourself to be competitive? Recall an instance explaining this. 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘶𝘮. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺?” 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭.” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟵:𝟯𝟯-𝟯𝟱 Have you ever wondered what being called by Jesus would have been like while He walked the earth? While it would have been exciting, it wouldn’t have been easy. In addition to the opposition He faced, there was also internal turmoil among the disciples, who had to learn to follow Jesus together. Much like the relationships in our church today, we have to find a way to get along. After all, God has designed us for relationship with our fellow believers—to love and forgive one another, and to serve Jesus together. In this lesson, we will see how our relationships with one another should be based on Jesus’ conversation with His twelve disciples. 𝟭. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟵:𝟯𝟰 In ancient Roman culture, the greatest person was determined by a direct, in-your-face confrontation. With this, could you really blame the disciples for wanting to become great and somehow compete with one another? This is part of our sinful human nature. So, Jesus addressed it directly and asked them what they had been discussing. Jesus has that uncanny knack of addressing exactly what needs to be corrected in our lives. In the kingdom of God, our relationships are designed for love, not competition or selfish agenda. We are called to share life with one another with a common goal in mind—to engage the lost and make disciples. What are the dangers of thinking of relationships between believers as a competition? How can we work together to advance God’s kingdom instead? 𝟮. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭.” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟵:𝟯𝟱 Jesus gave His disciples a key leadership principle they (and we) are to never outgrow: Serve. If we think we are better than others, we might expect to be served or we might refuse to serve others. But Jesus said those who would be first—those who lead—must be last and serve all. How does this go against our defaults as a society? How do you think the disciples reacted to this? How did they learn to take it to heart? 𝟯. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦.” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟵:𝟯𝟲-𝟯𝟳 What usually unites people together are the commonalities in culture. However, left to ourselves, most of us may not have much in common without Christ and would probably not get along. But now that we are brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to live in a way that honors God alone, in spite of our differences. Jesus was adjusting how His disciples were thinking. He taught them that our relationship with one another should be founded on our relationship with Him. When we realize that receiving our brothers and sisters means receiving Christ and the Father, it will change the way we relate with one another. What does Matthew 25:35–40 say about how we treat fellow believers? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Do you sometimes consider your relationships and ministry as a competition? In what way do you think Jesus is adjusting your mindset and approach today? • What’s one thing you can do to grow in fellowship with one another? How can you serve one another beginning this week? • What do you think it means to “𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥” in Jesus’ name? How can you receive those who need to know Christ today? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for drawing you into His family and saving you. Thank Him for the relationships He has blessed you with. • Declare your trust and faith in Christ as “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.” Pray that you would know and love Him more as each day passes. • Pray that many would be drawn to Christ because of the love of God made manifest in the world through the Church.

Fish for Men

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣 • What do you think makes a person ordinary? Give two to three examples from daily life. • Would you say you follow instructions well? Recall an instance explaining this. • Tell us about your greatest accomplishment as a team in the last twelve months. How did you get it done and how did it feel after? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵.” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟭-𝟮 (Read also 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟯–𝟮𝟭.) Following Jesus is not easy because it takes everything we have, because we don’t follow Him alone, and because it should not stop with us. Jesus sent His disciples to proclaim the good news of the kingdom to anyone willing to listen. The world was never the same because of this, and today the task remains to be fulfilled by the Church. While we are called to love our church community or people of the same faith, we are also designed to build relationships with those who have yet to encounter Jesus. Today, we will look at who God calls, what He calls us to, and what He promises as we follow Him and fish for men. 𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰. 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟭 The twelve disciples and the seventy-two Jesus sent out were ordinary people. They did not have great credentials or religious superiority. In fact, the seventy-two remained unnamed in the Bible. Yet, still, Jesus called them to preach, heal the sick, and cast out demons. This is a relief. We don’t need to be extraordinary to follow God. We ordinary people are called to pray for others, preach the gospel, and serve God in community. How do you think the seventy-two felt as they went to different places two by two? 𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘎𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺; 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. . . . 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.’” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟮–𝟯, 𝟴–𝟵 Jesus sent those ordinary unnamed followers to proclaim His kingdom to those in different towns and cities. They faced some who did not receive them, but then they also experienced many people coming to know God. They proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God and confirmed their message by meeting the needs of the people with miracles from God. In Mark 16:15–18, why do you think Jesus promised that the extraordinary task of proclaiming the gospel would be accompanied by miraculous signs? In the same way the disciples were called to declare and demonstrate the gospel of His kingdom, God invites us to participate in this extraordinary task. As we do so, many more people would turn to God and, thus, bring joy to Him. We can give thanks to God knowing that preaching His word will lead to our ultimate joy—our “𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯” (Luke 10:20)—that is a new citizenship in God’s kingdom. 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • How do you react to the idea of telling people about Jesus? What makes you do it anyway? • Why do you think Jesus sent His disciples out two by two with those instructions? What do you think His instructions would be to your Victory group today? • This week, as we study, work, or go about our daily lives, pray that God would lead us to people He intends us to be a blessing to, so that they may be open to hear the gospel and come to the saving knowledge of Christ. 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for calling you as “𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 ” and for making a way for your names to be “𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯.” • Thank God for making you ordinary and yet for calling you to an extraordinary task. Ask Him for strength, wisdom, and boldness to preach the gospel. • Pray for your family members and friends to know Christ. Ask God to soften their hearts and draw them closer to Him.