edwjextramj11

Closer Encounters MAY/JUN 2011EDWJextra Every Day with Jesus group resource

www.cwr.org.uk/edwjextra

Session 2: A fresh vision 11—17 May

iCEbrEakEr

Imagine you have won one million pounds.

What would you do with the money?

kEy thought

Although we do need to be sensible, God often

uses our imagination to implant a fresh vision

of Himself or set before us a new task.

kEy vErSE

‘... my God had put in my heart to do for

Jerusalem ...’ Nehemiah 2:12

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. Discuss the last paragraph of Selwyn’s

notes.

2. What is the difference between humility and

inferiority?

3. What part does the imagination play in the

spiritual life?

4. How can we be sure we are not deceived by

our imagination?

5. Why is being more important than doing?

6. Discuss the role of enthusiasm in the

spiritual life. (See John 2:17.)

7. What are the benefits and disadvantages

of isolation?

thE ExaMplE of JESuS aS hE

iMaginES thE futurE

‘... on this rock I will build my church, and the

gates of Hades will not overcome it.’

Matthew 16:18

prayEr pointErS

• Ask God for a sanctified imagination.

• Ask God for a fresh vision of Himself and new

purpose for your life.

iCEbrEakEr

Describe a real (or imaginary!) romantic date.

kEy thought

God may sometimes lead us into difficult and

desert places, not because He is angry with us,

but because He wants to lovingly minister to

us in a place of isolation. As a surgeon might

tenderly remove a tumour from his wife or

child, so God would devotedly remove the things

that harm us.

kEy vErSES

‘Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will

lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to

her.’ Hosea 2:14

‘I will betroth you to me for ever; I will betroth

you in righteousness and justice, in love and

compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness,

and you will acknowledge the LORD.’

Hosea 2:19—20

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. Describe a spiritual desert.

2. What is God’s intolerable compliment?

3. Why were we created?

4. What are the characteristics of a

materialistic society?

5. Could fasting and tithing be antidotes to

materialism?

6. Does ‘everyone have a price’?

7. If your home was on fire, what would you

take with you?

8. How can we have a balanced life?

9. How may possessions poison us?

10. Do you tell your money where to go or does

it tell you what to do?

thE ExaMplE of JESuS

‘Jesus ... was led by the Spirit in the desert ...’

Luke 4:1

prayEr pointErS

• Pray for wisdom, and spiritual sensitivity to

the lover of your soul.

• Pray for those going through a desert

experience.

Session 1: A second betrothal 1—10 May



iCEbrEakEr

Find out the meanings of the names of people in

the group, eg John means ‘gift of God’ or ‘God

is gracious’.

kEy thought

The Christian life is not about adding religious

duties to our existing routines, but surrendering

the whole of our personalities and desires to

the lordship of Christ.

kEy vErSE

‘Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come

after me, he must deny himself and take up his

cross daily and follow me.”’ Luke 9:23

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. What is the ego?

2. Why may God change a person’s name?

3. How does a changed nature result in a

changed influence?

4. Describe the law of self-surrender and

its effects.

5. How can those in leadership remain

humble?

6. How can Christians serve the whole rather

than themselves?

7. Discuss the four steps of self-surrender.


‘... not my will, but yours be done.’ Luke 22:42

prayEr pointErS

• Surrender your ego to God.

• Ask God how you can be more fruitful and

serve the whole.

Session 3: Surrendering the self 18—24 May Session 4: Self-dependence to God-dependence 25—31 May

iCEbrEakEr

What do you depend on that would be difficult

to live without? eg morning coffee, car,

dishwasher, mobile phone etc.

kEy thought

God has not called us to be dependent on

things, people or even ourselves, but only

on Him.

kEy vErSE

‘... apart from me you can do nothing.’ John 15:5

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. Why are our abilities irrelevant to God? (See

Matt 3:9.)

2. What do people tend to rely upon? What do

Christians rely upon?

3. How can we avoid human pride?

4. Would you describe yourself as dependent,

independent or interdependent?

5. Discuss the quote, ‘He is either Lord of all or

not Lord at all’.

6. What happens when we are under Christ’s

authority? (See Luke 7:1—10; John 5:19.)

7. Can you relate a desert experience of

your own?


‘The words I say to you are not just my own.

Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing

his work.’ John 14:10

prayEr pointErS

• Pray that ‘you may decrease and God may

increase’.

• Humble yourself before God and offer your

abilities to Him to use as He sees fit.



iCEbrEakErS

If you could ask God one question, what would

it be?

Ask people in the group about their holiday

plans.

kEy thought

Human nature is endlessly inquisitive in its

quest for understanding and knowledge, but to

be spiritually mature we should ask ‘What shall

we do?’ rather than ‘Why has this happened?’

kEy vErSE

‘Do not say, “Why were the old days better than

these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.’

Ecclesiastes 7:10

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. What questions do you ask of God and why

do you ask them?

2. Why may we be placated with meaningless

explanations?

3. Why should we not seek to avoid confusion

but sometimes even embrace it?

4. How do you feel about living with confusion?

5. Why may ignorance not be a weakness?

6. Discuss the phrase ‘Trust takes over when

knowledge reaches its limit’.

7. Why are ‘What?’ and ‘How?’ more important

than ‘Why?’ Why should we ask questions

of ourselves?


‘Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?

“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was

for this very reason I came to this hour. Father,

glorify your name!’ John 12:27—28

prayEr pointErS

• Ask for wisdom for when you should no longer

seek understanding, but simply trust.

• Thank Jesus that in the midst of the confusion

He expressed on the cross, He still trusted in

His Father and finished His work.

Session 6: Homing instinct for heaven 8—15 JunE

iCEbrEakEr

What are you looking forward to in heaven?

kEy thought

There is a homing instinct in the heart of every

person — profound, persistent and ineradicable.

It is a longing to reach the heavenly

environment for which our souls were made.

kEy vErSE

‘I am going there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will

come back and take you to be with me that you

also may be where I am.’ John 14:2—3

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. How strong is your own homing instinct?

2. What are the benefits of a heavenly

perspective?

3. Discuss the phrase ‘Here we sojourn, there

we belong’.

4. Why might students suddenly work hard

when exams are due, and how might that

apply to us?

5. Do you agree with the quote ‘Too heavenly

minded to be of any earthly good’?

6. What may eclipse our view of heaven?

7. Describe heaven from the viewpoints of

arrival, intimacy, beauty and service.

8. How may the anticipation of an exciting

holiday help us get through tough times at

work or home?


‘I will remain in the world no longer ... and I am

coming to you.’ John 17:11

prayEr pointErS

• Pray that God will give you a clearer vision of

heaven.

• Pray that the hope of heaven will give you

spiritual strength and energy here on earth.

Session 5: ‘Why?’ to ‘What?’ 1—7 JunE



Session 7: Deep longings and thirsts 16—24 JunE

iCEbrEakErS

Describe your favourite drink.

Make up a variety of (non-alcoholic!) drinks and

ask people to guess what they are, eg mango,

Earl Grey etc.

kEy thought

A desert place reminds us that it is only God

who can meet our spiritual thirst and satisfy

the deep longings in our soul.

kEy vErSE

‘... Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If

anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and

drink.”’ John 7:37

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. Why may we forget or suppress our deep

longings?

2. What do people exchange for fellowship with

their Creator?

3. Why may extremely intelligent people be

fools?

4. What does it mean to pant after God?

5. Why may a good person not be a godly

person?

6. What types of interference may we

experience when trying to tune in to God?

7. Why is repentance core not only to Christian

new birth, but also to Christian life?

8. Describe the attitude of a ‘God-chaser’.

9. Why may our hearts not be available for a

passionate relationship with the Lord?


‘... Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup

I drink and be baptised with the baptism I am

baptised with …”’ Mark 10:39

prayEr pointErS

• Repent of substituting anything for God’s

living water.

• Ask Him to fill you with the water of the Holy

Spirit and that it might flow out to others.

iCEbrEakEr

What has most impacted you about the studies

in this issue and how will you change as a

result?

Play Kim’s game, where many small objects are

placed on a tray under a cover. The cover is

removed and then replaced after 30 seconds.

Following a further 30 seconds, people should

list as many items as they can remember.

kEy thought

We too easily forget what we should remember

of God’s love, goodness and blessings.

kEy vErSE

‘We must pay more careful attention, therefore,

to what we have heard, so that we do not drift

away.’ Hebrews 2:1

DiSCuSSion StartErS

1. What are the causes of spiritual amnesia

and why is it so dangerous?

2. What do you think of religious symbols?

3. Review and remember what God has done

for you.

4. How may forgetfulness be linked to pride?

5. How may God be blotted out from our field

of vision?

6. Review the words of the hymn, ‘When I

survey the wondrous cross’. If appropriate,

take communion.


‘... The Lord Jesus, on the night he was

betrayed, took bread, and when he had given

thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,

which is for you; do this in remembrance of

me.” In the same way, after supper he took

the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant

in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in

remembrance of me.”’ 1 Corinthians 11:23—25

prayEr pointErS

• Thank God for the cross of Jesus and all that

it means.

• Pray that you will not only learn but also

incorporate the lessons of this issue into your

daily life.

Session 8: Remember 25—30 JunE

edwjextramj11

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