07-04-2021

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07-04-2021 Jessica Stafford, Exec. Director of Family Ministries (West, East, Online), Pastor Efrain Silva (Español) Sermon Series: Speak Lord Week 1: Can You Hear Me Now? English PDF file for printing. Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español  1. Icebreaker: There are many ways to communicate with each other, like email, phone, text, video chat, in-person, etc.  What’s your preferred way to communicate with friends and loved ones, and why?   2. Begin memorizing our theme verse for this sermon series - 1 Samuel 3:9: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” 3. Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10:      The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.     2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.     6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”     “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”      7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.     8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”     Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.     10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” God is already speaking to you. 4. Notice in verse 7 that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord,” and yet God was already trying to speak to him.  God pursues people even before they begin a relationship with Him.  Look back at your life before you were a Christian. What are some ways you now recognize that God was pursuing you and speaking to you in that season? 5. God has many ways of speaking to us. Generally it’s not an audible voice like Samuel heard. Most often God speaks to us through the Bible. Read Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” What does the writer of Hebrews mean here?  If you’ve experienced what he describes, share about that. 6. Even though Scripture is thousands of years old, God uses it to communicate up-to-date, relevant messages to each one of us. If you’ve ever experienced God speaking a specific, personal message for your life as you were reading the Bible, share about that.   7. Sometimes we want God’s guidance for a specific life situation, so we ask him to tell us what to do.  It’s possible that God is already trying to communicate to us about that situation, but he’s waiting for us to listen. Pastor and author Rick Warren said, “Stop waiting for a voice, and start looking for a verse.”  What did he mean by that?   God wants you to recognize His voice.8. There are lots of voices competing for our attention. Jesus said in John 10:27: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” How can we become more familiar with Jesus’ voice, so we can better discern whether it’s Jesus speaking to us, or whether it might be just our own inner critic or some other voice? 9. At times God’s voice is convicting, but it never condemns you as a person or makes you feel hopeless. If it’s his voice, you’ll get specific direction about what you can do to make something right. Paul speaks about this in 2 Corinthians 7:10: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”  Paul uses the expression “worldly sorrow” to describe negative voices that are from a source other than God and lead us down a path of deep discouragement or even death.  What are some potential sources of voices like that? 10. Steven Furtick says, “The voice you believe will determine the future you experience.” What did he mean by that?   God wants you to learn how to listen. Eli taught Samuel how to hear God’s voice.  It helps us hear God if we have a plan and a place. Rather than flipping open a Bible and pointing your finger to decide what to read, our church reading plan helps you read Scripture passages in their context.  We invite you to join your church family throughout this coming month, using our “Word of God Speak, Part 3” reading plan, which you can find on the YouVersion Bible App or on our website: https://communityofhope.church/bible.  11. Describe your favorite place to read your Bible and listen to God. 12. The SOAP Process: To avoid missing God’s voice, it helps to write what you “hear” in a notebook or journal. Our COH SOAP acronym, stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. The most important part of this is the Application step, where you ask, “Lord, how do you want to apply this to my life?” Ask this question, and then stop and listen quietly to whatever God says, writing in a notebook or journal whatever comes to your mind.  Why is it helpful to write this down, rather than just thinking it in your head?   13. Some days you’ll have an amazing experience of God speaking to you. But other times, it may feel kind of ordinary. Just like with healthy eating and exercise, you may not notice results right away.  But if you’re faithful with it over time, you’ll experience positive changes in your life.  Share with your group how listening to God’s voice in the Bible has impacted your life. 14. Consider what a privilege it is that God, the creator of the universe and author of all wisdom, wants to speak to you personally. Jessica shared the following quotation from the book Taking God At His Word: “Sticking with the Scriptures may seem like a light thing now, but we will feel the weight of it someday. There will come a time when it will be shown whether our lives were founded upon trivialities or realities....  So let us not weaken in our commitment to our unbreakable Bible... God has spoken, and through that revelation he still speaks.” What’s the point of this quotation? Ready for your next step? – If you would like to take a next step in your faith journey, such as trusting your life to Christ or getting baptized, text the word “Next” to 561-264-6079 and follow the steps there, and we’ll contact you to help you do that. News and Announcements:·      New Here?  Let us know who you are by texting “hello” to 561-264-6079. ·      Who Needs God? Summer Discussion SeriesWest: Tuesday, June 29- August 3, 7-8:30pm – English only East: Wednesday, June 30-August 4, 7-8:30pm – Spanish and EnglishYou’re welcome to stop in any time throughout the summer for this 6-week series where you can discuss faith questions, doubts and reasons why it’s hard to believe. Each week includes video teaching from Andy Stanley followed by table discussion that’s designed as a safe place to deepen your own faith foundation or to invite a friend who struggles with faith or doesn’t have a church. "Deeper” for 4th-6th graders happens simultaneously on the West Campus. ­­­­­­·      Kids of Hope Daytime Summer Fun – Join us on Wednesday, July 7th for crazy games and a picnic on the West Campus porch from 11am-1pm.  No registration required.   ·      KOH Fam Jams – Our next KOH Fam Jam is Thursday, July 15th from 5:00-7:30pm at either our East or our West Campus.  Fam Jam includes dinner and fun activities to do as a family. Be sure to register at https://communityofhope.church/summer ·       Backpack & School Supplies Drive – We’re collecting backpacks filled with school supplies to give to foster children throughout our county, as well as to the families who visit COH campuses for our food distributions.  This is a great serving project for families or small groups to do together!  Bring the filled backpacks to church by July 23. Go to https://communityofhope.church/backpacks for the supply list.  Learn more about the wonderful ministries that 4KIDS offers, at https://www.4kids.us/  Contact our Director of Missional Engagement, Stacey Willson at stacey@communityofhope.church if you have questions. ·      We need you! – In order to start a 3rd service at COH, we need more people serving. We invite you to join a serving team that fits you. Go to https://communityofhope.church/serve ·      COH Has Job Openings!  - Learn more at https://communityofhope.church/employment ·      Hurricane Preparation – Hurricane season has arrived.  If you would be willing to help people prepare their home for a severe storm, register for our Hurricane Preparation Team at https://communityofhope.church/missions ·      Thank you for your financial support, which makes it possible for us to minister to our community!  Consider setting up automated giving to help you be consistent even when you’re traveling. To give to Community of Hope go to https://communityofhope.church/give.

07-04-2021
Jessica Stafford, Exec. Director of Family Ministries (West, East, Online), Pastor Efrain Silva (Español)
Sermon Series: Speak Lord
Week 1: Can You Hear Me Now?
English PDF file for printing.
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español

 

1. Icebreaker: There are many ways to communicate with each other, like email, phone, text, video chat, in-person, etc.  What’s your preferred way to communicate with friends and loved ones, and why? 

 

2. Begin memorizing our theme verse for this sermon series - 1 Samuel 3:9: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

 

3. Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10:
     The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

     2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

     6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

     “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

      7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

     8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

     Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

     10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

 

God is already speaking to you.
4. Notice in verse 7 that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord,” and yet God was already trying to speak to him.  God pursues people even before they begin a relationship with Him.  Look back at your life before you were a Christian. What are some ways you now recognize that God was pursuing you and speaking to you in that season?

 

5. God has many ways of speaking to us. Generally it’s not an audible voice like Samuel heard. Most often God speaks to us through the Bible. Read Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

 

What does the writer of Hebrews mean here?  If you’ve experienced what he describes, share about that.

 

6. Even though Scripture is thousands of years old, God uses it to communicate up-to-date, relevant messages to each one of us. If you’ve ever experienced God speaking a specific, personal message for your life as you were reading the Bible, share about that. 

 

7. Sometimes we want God’s guidance for a specific life situation, so we ask him to tell us what to do.  It’s possible that God is already trying to communicate to us about that situation, but he’s waiting for us to listen. Pastor and author Rick Warren said, “Stop waiting for a voice, and start looking for a verse.”  What did he mean by that? 

 

God wants you to recognize His voice.

8. There are lots of voices competing for our attention. Jesus said in John 10:27: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” How can we become more familiar with Jesus’ voice, so we can better discern whether it’s Jesus speaking to us, or whether it might be just our own inner critic or some other voice?

 

9. At times God’s voice is convicting, but it never condemns you as a person or makes you feel hopeless. If it’s his voice, you’ll get specific direction about what you can do to make something right. Paul speaks about this in 2 Corinthians 7:10: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”  Paul uses the expression “worldly sorrow” to describe negative voices that are from a source other than God and lead us down a path of deep discouragement or even death.  What are some potential sources of voices like that?

 

10. Steven Furtick says, “The voice you believe will determine the future you experience.” What did he mean by that? 

 

God wants you to learn how to listen. 

Eli taught Samuel how to hear God’s voice.  It helps us hear God if we have a plan and a place. Rather than flipping open a Bible and pointing your finger to decide what to read, our church reading plan helps you read Scripture passages in their context.  We invite you to join your church family throughout this coming month, using our “Word of God Speak, Part 3” reading plan, which you can find on the YouVersion Bible App or on our website: https://communityofhope.church/bible.

 

11. Describe your favorite place to read your Bible and listen to God.

 

12. The SOAP Process: To avoid missing God’s voice, it helps to write what you “hear” in a notebook or journal. Our COH SOAP acronym, stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. The most important part of this is the Application step, where you ask, “Lord, how do you want to apply this to my life?” Ask this question, and then stop and listen quietly to whatever God says, writing in a notebook or journal whatever comes to your mind.  Why is it helpful to write this down, rather than just thinking it in your head? 

 

13. Some days you’ll have an amazing experience of God speaking to you. But other times, it may feel kind of ordinary. Just like with healthy eating and exercise, you may not notice results right away.  But if you’re faithful with it over time, you’ll experience positive changes in your life. 

 

Share with your group how listening to God’s voice in the Bible has impacted your life.

 

14. Consider what a privilege it is that God, the creator of the universe and author of all wisdom, wants to speak to you personally. Jessica shared the following quotation from the book Taking God At His Word: “Sticking with the Scriptures may seem like a light thing now, but we will feel the weight of it someday. There will come a time when it will be shown whether our lives were founded upon trivialities or realities....  So let us not weaken in our commitment to our unbreakable Bible... God has spoken, and through that revelation he still speaks.”

 

What’s the point of this quotation?

 

Ready for your next step? – If you would like to take a next step in your faith journey, such as trusting your life to Christ or getting baptized, text the word “Next” to 561-264-6079 and follow the steps there, and we’ll contact you to help you do that.

 

News and Announcements:

·      New Here?  Let us know who you are by texting “hello” to 561-264-6079.

 

·      Who Needs God? Summer Discussion Series

West: Tuesday, June 29- August 3, 7-8:30pm – English only
East: Wednesday, June 30-August 4, 7-8:30pm – Spanish and English

You’re welcome to stop in any time throughout the summer for this 6-week series where you can discuss faith questions, doubts and reasons why it’s hard to believe. Each week includes video teaching from Andy Stanley followed by table discussion that’s designed as a safe place to deepen your own faith foundation or to invite a friend who struggles with faith or doesn’t have a church. "Deeper” for 4th-6th graders happens simultaneously on the West Campus.

­­­­­­

·      Kids of Hope Daytime Summer Fun – Join us on Wednesday, July 7th for crazy games and a picnic on the West Campus porch from 11am-1pm.  No registration required. 

 

·      KOH Fam Jams – Our next KOH Fam Jam is Thursday, July 15th from 5:00-7:30pm at either our East or our West Campus.  Fam Jam includes dinner and fun activities to do as a family. Be sure to register at https://communityofhope.church/summer

 

·       Backpack & School Supplies Drive – We’re collecting backpacks filled with school supplies to give to foster children throughout our county, as well as to the families who visit COH campuses for our food distributions.  This is a great serving project for families or small groups to do together!  Bring the filled backpacks to church by July 23. Go to https://communityofhope.church/backpacks for the supply list.  Learn more about the wonderful ministries that 4KIDS offers, at https://www.4kids.us/  Contact our Director of Missional Engagement, Stacey Willson at stacey@communityofhope.church if you have questions.

 

·      We need you! – In order to start a 3rd service at COH, we need more people serving. We invite you to join a serving team that fits you. Go to https://communityofhope.church/serve

 

·      COH Has Job Openings!  - Learn more at https://communityofhope.church/employment

 

·      Hurricane Preparation – Hurricane season has arrived.  If you would be willing to help people prepare their home for a severe storm, register for our Hurricane Preparation Team at https://communityofhope.church/missions

 

·      Thank you for your financial support, which makes it possible for us to minister to our community!  Consider setting up automated giving to help you be consistent even when you’re traveling. To give to Community of Hope go to https://communityofhope.church/give.

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