OCTOBER 2011
celloutlines | overview
Focused Lives Like most things, it begins with a Google search – ‘Focus’. Hmm, DIY stores were not exactly what I had in mind, so let’s try again – ‘Focused lives’. This time I venture into a world of corporate management slogans and new age self-help publications. Reflecting on my initial thoughts about living a Christian focused life I cannot reconcile what I am seeing on my screen with any of the teaching of Jesus I know. When I look at what the world has defined ‘focus’ as, things like: ambition, manipulation, self-seeking and self-promotion, I wonder how exactly to write a cell outline with anything to do with living focused lives. But then I remember a story from Numbers that I often use to start a message if I am not feeling too confident. God chooses Balaam’s donkey to speak through! If he could make his will heard through an ass then, he can do it today too! This four-part series will hopefully help you and your group to explore Scripture, and what it has to say about real focus, and what it means to have a life motivated and directed by Jesus’ teachings. Hopefully it will challenge you and motivate you. Each week there is: a welcome activity to settle your group and get them together; a worship activity (some videos, songs and creative activities); a passage of Scripture to be discussed and learned from; and a suggestion for how to live out this lesson practically during the following week. Where there is a ‘Discuss:’ point, follow up with some questions that are suitable for your group, and get each member to contribute to the discussion. There is rarely one right answer so they need not worry about being wrong. Encourage and affirm as they answer to build their confidence.
Week 1 – Let’s Be Clear Week 2 – Go on, I dare you… Week 3 – Central Point
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Week 4 – A Focused Life
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove
OCTOBER 2011
celloutlines | week one These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
Let’s be clear… Welcome Game – ‘Can you guess what it is yet?’ Before the cell begins, take some pictures of everyday objects or even people in your group. Using a laptop zoom close into the images and then show the group – zoom out slowly and ask the group to call out once they can work out what it is. Explain that tonight is about ‘Focus’ as clarity: seeing clearly and being clearly seen – seeing clearly in our understanding and imagining of the gospel, and being clearly seen as people who live out that gospel.
Worship Read: Exodus 34:29-35 Draw, paint or collage what you imagine the story in Exodus looked like. Do this as creatively as possible. (It may be that you just doodle on napkins or scrap paper or go to town with canvas and materials – whatever suits your group best – but encourage them to really visualise the scene.)
Word Read: Exodus 34:29 (again) Ask: Why was Moses’ face radiant? Discuss: Are you ever in the presence of the Lord? (Some may say no, some may recognise him during church services, some may say they always are – it will depend where your group is in their journeys. Encourage discussion about this.)
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Discuss: Do you / does anyone you know visibly change when they are in God’s presence? (This is similar to the last question.) Real Life Story: ‘In the early days of our community, Michelle and I headed out to get a loaf of bread. We walked beneath El Tracks just a block from our house, a strip notorious for its prostitution and drug trafficking, where the air is thick with tears and struggle. We walked past an alley, and tucked inside was a woman, tattered, cold and on crutches. She approached us, asking if I wanted her services. Our hearts sank, but we scurried on to get our bread…. We knew we would have to walk by the woman again. We walked by the alley and saw her there crying, shivering. As we saw her again we knew we could not just pass by. “You all are Christians, aren’t you?” she said. Michelle and I looked at each other, startled. We had said nothing about God or Jesus, and our house doesn’t have a cross in the window, a neon “Jesus Saves” sign, or even a little Christian fish on the wall. She said, “I know that you are Christians because you shine.” (Shane Claiborne – Irresistible Revolution. If you haven’t already, read this book. If you have, read it again. If you’ve read it twice, lend it to a friend so they can too!) continued over >>>
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OCTOBER 2011 celloutlines
celloutlines | week one (continued...) Ask: What strikes you most about that short story? Christians must be visible in this world. Moses was transformed when he encountered the Lord – the result was visible to all the Israelites around him. Ask: Are you as easily recognised as a Christian? Read: Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) We’ve sort of talked about the first half of verse two. ‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world’ – Christians are visibly different in the way they live. What about the second half? Discuss: If we are to be clearly seen, we must also clearly see. When Paul talks about a ‘renewing of your mind’ what does he mean? He wants us to think about stuff. Not just any stuff, but how Christ teaches us to live. The best way to understand and live out Christ’s teachings are to know them: spend time looking at what he says in the Gospels. Recently someone suggested that fully living out the gospel was too much for young people, that they should learn it in bits, progressing to become ‘mature Christians’. (We will revisit this next week.) An answer can be found in verse 2 of song 324 of The Salvation Army Song Book (who says young people don’t know the songbook?!) I believe in transformation, God can change the hearts of men, And refine the evil nature Till it glows with grace again. Others may reject the weakling, I believe he can be strong, To the family of Jesus All God’s children may belong. ‘Till it glows with grace again’ – General (Retired) John Gowans knew about focus and the consequential visibility of a focused life. His summary of The Salvation Army’s calling and purpose defines how it works today – to ‘Save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity’. He also knew this focus wasn’t just for those who may seem capable of grasping the gospel, but it was for the weakling, because through Jesus’ eyes, the weakling is the strong – why else would he have said, ‘The last will be first, and the first will be last’ (Matthew 20:16).
Witness This week has been all about visibility and looking at the world through Jesus’ eyes. Before next week, your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to take some photos (using whatever you have, from a DSLR to a camera phone) that show your faith. The more creative you can be the better (so not just pictures of you reading the Bible, although that could work). Discuss quickly how you could use these images to be a witness (a slide show in your Sunday service, a Facebook exhibition, a display/exhibition etc).
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OCTOBER 2011
celloutlines | week two These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
Go on, I dare you…. Welcome (Take some time to look at each other’s pictures from last week.) This week we are looking at where we put our energy, where we focus our attention in life. Start off this week with a simple game. Line up in two rows facing each other and having a staring competition. First one to blink loses. Try this a few times, changing the rules (eg, introduce pulling faces and first one to laugh loses).
Worship Sing / listen to ‘Consuming Fire’ (Tim Hughes). Maybe print out the words for each person. Read through them alone and then pray them.
Word Do you have a hunch there is more to life than you have been told? Watch: The Matrix – the red pill / the blue pill section. Every Bible study uses this clip at some point. But it is so relevant – it’s about breaking free from a reality that’s not real, from a world that isn’t based on the truth. Even if it means sacrifice and hardship it is better to have truth than superficiality. Read: John 19:30. Ask: What did Jesus mean when he said ‘It is finished’?
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Jesus’ life was about something. That’s made clear by Jesus recognising that whatever his life is about is finished as he dies on the cross. Discuss: What do you think the point of Jesus’ earthly life was? (There’s no single answer to this really. Take some time, write a list and see how many different answers you can get.) Recently someone suggested that fully living out the gospel was too much for young people, that they should learn it in bits, progressing to become ‘mature Christians’. Discuss: What is a mature Christian? What is a Christian? (Take some time to make a list.) It’s often described to us or we’re given examples of what a Christian should be. There are lots of adjectives attached to our religion (I’m sure you listed most of them). A definition that seems to contradict a lot of these comes from French theologian Jacques Ellul: ‘Christians should be troublemakers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society.’ Ask: Does this match what you thought a Christian was? Does it match what you feel the Bible teaches? continued over >>>
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OCTOBER 2011 celloutlines
celloutlines | week two (continued...) Take a look at the following verses (maybe give these out one each, or in pairs): Mark 1:27 – Jesus shocks the crowd by winning a shouting match with an evil spirit. Mark 1:44-45 – Jesus gets barred from some towns. Mark 2:15-16 – Jesus eats with the down-and-outs which annoys the religious teachers. Mark 3:5-6 – Jesus breaks the Pharisees’ law because it’s the right thing to do, and starts a conspiracy to kill him. Mark 6:48-50 – Jesus scares the heck out of his friends by wandering around on a windy lake. Mark 7:5-8 – Jesus calls the top brass, the brightest and most intelligent and respected Pharisee leaders, hypocrites and tells them they’ve replaced God’s will with traditions. In verse 18 he literally calls them stupid (dull)! Mark 9:42 – Jesus tells folks that if they lead people astray they may as well drown themselves! Mark 10:21 – Jesus tells a good man who’s rich that he has to sell everything – become homeless – to follow him. (To put this in context, Jesus and the disciples had been homeless for a while now and they would have all probably loved a rich friend to fund their travels, meals, some new sandals maybe – if you look at verse 24 you see they are ‘amazed’ at Jesus’ response to the rich man. Can you imagine them all stood round, hungry, tired, sore feet and jaws dropped, furious with Jesus for dismissing a potential donor?) Mark 12:16-17 – Jesus tells the officials what he thinks of money: ‘It’s got Caesar’s face on, so I guess it must be his – I don’t want it so I’m happy to pay his taxes.’ Here are nine stories that show us that the focus of Jesus’ life was to turn everything upside down. At the expense of food, a home, a wife and kids, his friends and eventually his life, Jesus set his eyes on turning the world upside down with his earthy life. What is crucial is that in each of these stories, and all of the other stories in the Gospels, Jesus is not just recklessly causing trouble, stirring things up for his own amusement or to increase his own fame (if that had been the point of his life then he would have just given in to Satan in the desert and jumped off the top of the Temple – Matthew 4:5-7). His whole life is focused on teaching people another way of living, showing people that they should not just live how the world lives; they should live by extreme love, extreme grace, exhausting compassion and overwhelming justice – and then he opens the door for people to be able to do this.
Witness Spend some time this week organising an ‘alternative party’: Fairtrade food, second-hand clothes, non-energy-dependant (candles, outdoors etc), free. Invite as many people as you can, but not just your friends and people like you; try and get a mix of people. Enjoy God’s diversity and creativity. Never let anyone tell you Jesus didn’t like to party! Go on… I dare you, be a troublemaker, create uncertainty, be an agent of a dimension incompatible with society!
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove
OCTOBER 2011
celloutlines | week three These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
A Central Point… Welcome This week we are looking at what is in the middle of your life. From what you have with you now (the things in your pockets/bag) choose one thing to show people what has been most important to you this week. (This is a fun warm-up, it doesn’t have to be holy or pious, it would be better if it’s funny – if I was there, in your group, I would pull out the Krispy-Kreme bags that are screwed up in the bottom of my bag: there a few of them, but this week has had a doughnut theme!)
Worship Play on YouTube, CD, MP3 or sing ‘Jesus be the centre’. If you don’t know it, learn it.
Word Imagine: (Read this section out calmly with the rest of the group still and silent, maybe put a cross in the middle of your group and ask them to focus on it.) Imagine a church service… The congregation are in semi-circular rows. In the middle of this all is a cross, the symbol of their faith... The members of the church are all deep in worship around the cross, some singing, some praying, all centred on the cross. As the group worship, the door at the back of the hall opens and Jesus, the man, walks in. He looks at what is happening. He walks to the front of the hall and interrupts the group. ‘We thought you’d be happy – we are a group of believers worshipping you,’ one of the people says. Jesus replies: ‘I didn’t take up the cross so you could stand and admire it. I did it so you would know what it is you have to do.’
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Discuss: What is the difference between a believer and a follower? Read: Matthew 10 (the whole chapter). The key verses are 38 and 39. This passage is Jesus’ ‘pep-talk’ to the disciples before he sends them out on the road. Hardly your typical inspiring ‘Go out there and shine’, Hollywood sports film-type speech, is it?! Some of it can be quite confusing or even scary. Jesus sets the bar impossibly high for the disciples to reach. Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher who is somewhat controversial, a holy trouble-maker and someone with a brilliant mind, echoed this when he announced that ‘Christianity does not exist’: ‘Imagine someone who aspired to be a millionaire but as yet has only managed to earn three dollars. Were he to call himself a millionaire because he was trying, would we be foolish enough to go along with him? The point is this: if there is to be any meaning to being called a Christian, we must at least resemble Christ.’ Kierkegaard spent his life being unpopular with the Church of his day, falling out with many well-thoughtof clergymen. But his life was centred on Jesus’ teaching, and he took Christ at his word. Jesus, in continued over >>>
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Matthew 10, leaves no room for half-measures. Jesus is not allowing the disciples to re-define their task to make it easier – he puts forward exactly the task before them: that they are to follow him, not just believe in what he is trying to do. Write: As a group (or in smaller groups if there are lots of you) try to re-write Matthew 10 for your context/situation Helpful quote: ‘Don’t just do what makes sense to you and ask God to bless it’ – Shane Claibourne.
Witness This week, make carrying your cross your witness, whether that means you draw one on your hand each day, wear your necklace, set a picture of one as your Facebook profile (or find your own way). But don’t just use it for decoration – when people ask why it is there, tell them it is because you are acknowledging Christ’s presence in your life (look at verse 32). As you close in prayer be sure to encourage each other. This week has been a heavy week, in which you’ve looked at a very difficult passage – don’t apologise for that but make sure your group feel encouraged and supported.
celloutlines
OCTOBER 2011
celloutlines | week three (continued...)
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove
OCTOBER 2011
celloutlines | week four These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
A life with Focus… Welcome This week we are looking at a life with focus. This is the last week of ‘Focused Lives’, so remind your group of the types of ‘focuses’ you’ve explored: 1. Focus as clarity/distinctiveness. 2. Focus as concentration. 3. Focus as the centre; and this week: Focus as determination or direction.
Worship Watch the video entitled ‘Fellowship of the Unashamed’ which can be found at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Le3MDtf7ZGE or www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZKuKPMq8r0
Word Something that followers of Jesus had to come to terms with was that through following him they were not on a road to success – at least, not success that they recognised. Discuss: What is a successful person in today’s world? (What may help this part is to have some newspapers to go through and look at what society thinks.) The danger is that we can define Christian ‘success’ in a similar way to success in the world: someone who knows their Scriptures well, helps at the church, is known for organising good events, leading good worship, preaching well etc. All these things are good things, and often they are gifts from God. But it is important that we do not treat our growth as followers as a course to be passed. We are called to faithfully serve and desperately follow. Responding to this call rarely looks like ‘success’ – we are unlikely to be considered as cool by the people we know, but that is a good thing, because another word for cool is lukewarm. Would you rather be a tepid believer or a follower who is on fire? Read: Romans 8:28-39
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Ask: Does Paul’s idea of success match the one we drew up earlier? Discuss: In that passage, what is the success that Paul talks about? (vv38–39: the only success is Christ’s – that through his life, death and resurrection we may never be separated from his love.) So, where should we focus our lives? There’s no escaping it, we are called to the margins of society. In everything we’ve looked at in the last four weeks, we’ve seen God turning things on their head and upsetting the status quo. We’ve seen his followers re-defining and re-imagining their world, finding the alternative that Christ taught and picking up their cross to follow. Jesus doesn’t ask us to go around telling people ‘Jesus loves you’; he asks us to share his love with the world by going around telling people ‘I love you’. Relationships are the key. If we are to be Christ’s hands and feet then we must know the poor, share in the struggles of the oppressed and the marginalised wherever we are. It may be the kid who’s picked on at school or eats lunch on their own, the colleague who is difficult to work with or the struggling family who live nearby. Sympathy is not the same as compassion. A believer has sympathy – because they believe in the hope of salvation. A follower has compassion – because they’ve continued over >>>
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experienced that salvation and are prepared to give of themselves so that someone else may have hope. Helpful Quote: ‘In the poor we meet Jesus in the most distressing disguises’ – Mother Teresa
Witness This week (and all of your others), don’t tiptoe through life safely, cautiously protecting your reputation or your status as ‘cool’. If you don’t feel you are cool, then welcome to the fellowship of the unashamed. Be daring and courageous, sit with the member of your year group whom no one else likes, befriend a bully, allow yourself to build relationships.
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OCTOBER 2011
celloutlines | week four (continued...)
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