The Joshua House
a missional community of worship following Jesus...

Life is so full of do, do, do!  As the human race we certainly take the "race" portion quite seriously as we are often racing about in all directions to get things done.  Like my 80’s hero Ferris Bueller says, "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and take a look around every once in a while you just might miss it."  Pretty wise words from a fictional teenager.

That is why this Sunday at The Joshua House we will be looking at the question why?  Why do we do what we do?  And more specifically, "Why church?"

Come out and join the learning and discussion! 

Here are the questions we looked at last night during our learning/discussion time as we entered into Acts 6:

1. (v.1) Up until now in Acts, Luke has generally been using the term "believers" to denote those who are Christians, now he begins to use the word "disciples".  Why the change?  What dimension is now being added by using this word in addition to "believers"?
2. (v.1-6) Even the early church, that we generally hold up as being our "hero" in regards to church life, had a weakness for discrimination.  What are some examples of this kind of discrimination found in churches today in Vancouver?  By acknowledging this tendency how can we help prevent this from occuring at The Joshua House (TJH)?
3. (v.3) Why does "waiting on tables" require the need to be filled with the Spirit and wisdom?  What are some examples of "waiting on tables" (physical/social) ministries today?  How about in TJH?
4. (v.7) When it says, "the word of God" what does it mean by the "word"?  How does this "word" spread today?  How has it been spread through you recently?
5. (v.14) What’s true and what’s false about this statement (see Luke 21:6 & John 2:19)?  How is this same fear exhibited by these "Freedmen" still sometimes seen today amongst Christians?
6. (v.15) What does a person who’s "filled with the Spirit" look like today?  See 2 Cor.3:18.

Following Jesus means recognizing him as Lord, Messiah, and Rabbi. As Lord, everything was made through Jesus and finds its ultimate purpose in him as the apex of God’s glory and grace. Jesus is God, "The One", the King, and in him is Life. As Messiah, he’s also the one who has come to put the world right again. He became one of us and through his life and by the cross defeated evil, sin and death once and for all. Finally, Jesus is our Rabbi as we become his student-apprentices and enroll ourselves into the Jesus school of life. With a joyful seriousness we immerse ourselves in the spiritual practices of Jesus such as silence, solitude, meditation, prayer, study, service, celebration, confession, etc. Moreover, as the "quintessential human" Jesus shows us what it means to be fully human as he calls us to walk with Him today as bringers of the Kingdom of God to all creation. This Kingdom primarily is not a place we go to when we die but rather the rule of God in our hearts today working its way out into eternity. It leads us to love a spouse well, raise children well, study well, face adversity well, manage businesses and finances well, form community life well, reach out to those on the margins well, share the message of Jesus well and die well.

Scriptures: Matthew 11:28-30; 23:10; 28:18-20; Luke 6:40; 9:23; John 10:10; 14:6; 17:3-4; 20:16, 28, 31; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21

So here are some of the questions we discussed last night and a couple that we didn’t get to.  Hope they are helpful.

1. Why did Ananias & Sapphira die?  Did they deserve to?
2. Why do you think they lied?  In what other ways can this same sin manifest itself in Christians today?
3. (v.13-14) What can we learn from the irony of this verses as Christians today?
4. (v.20) What does the angel mean by "this new life" (think carefully before you answer)?  How about the "full message"?
5. (v.41) How could the apostles possibly rejoice at their sufferings for Jesus?  Does this personally inspire you or only scare you?  Why?

So there you go, feel free to put your answers down right here on the blog!

TJH value number three: 

Worship is not just a song we sing or a service we attend but a life we live in response to the beauty of God.  It is "taking our everyday, ordinary life–our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life–and placing it before God as an offering" (Eugene Peterson’s The Message).  It is a calling to jettison the all too common sacred/secular divide of our culture today for a view that sees all of life and all that we do as opportunities for the sacred to exist by attributing worth to the one who is worthy.  Whether we are riding a wave in the ocean, walking in the forest or feeling the sun on our face we thank God as the one who spoke creation into existence.  It is recognizing that God has uniquely crafted us as His workmanship with talents, skills and spiritual gifts that were meant to be used in service to others as expressions and reflections of the image of God in which we were all formed.  As Creator, God is the most creative, inspiring us to be His image bearers to our world through its stewardship and through the culture forming activities of our day such as music, film, art and media.

Scriptures: Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 37:4; Ecclesiastes 8:15; John 4:23; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:31

I know I’m a little late but here are the discussion questions for Acts 3:

1. What does it mean for you to know that God is now always spiritually present to those who follow Jesus?
2. When it comes to the miraculous, do you consider yourself more a skeptic or believer?  Why?  How should that change for you?  I.e. Maybe you are too cynical about the miraculous or maybe you believe things too easily.
3. What is mean by the statement: Jesus cares more about the inner miraculous than the outer?  Examples?  Look at Matthew 12:33-39 and Luke 11:27-29.
4. Like Peter, how can we learn to recognize the work of Jesus in people’s lives?  I.e. become a spiritual tour guide/assistant.
5. (v.38) Why does Peter answer the desperate crowd by telling them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus?  How would you describe these two ideas in your own words?
6. (v.39) Why does Peter make sure to add his comment in verse 39?  What’s significant about "all"?  Have you ever been a spiritual snob before?  How?
   
7. (v.42-47) What are the characteristics of a community of Jesus-followers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit?  (i.e. Learning…Life Together…Worship…Favour…)

Going through the bible book by book, chapter by chapter we often don’t have time to hear all the comments and questions we individually have as we approach the text.  However, we can use this space to continue the conversation amongst ourselves and anyone else interested by our posting of comments.  Moreover, I want to pass on the questions that I personally prepare each week for discussion in our group and personal study and reflection of the chapter.

Here are last Sundays for Acts 4:

1. (v.11) Why does Peter compare Jesus to the capstone (cornerstone) of a building project?  What exactly is Jesus the capstone of?  What does this mean for you?
2. (v.16-17) After witnessing such a miracle of God why do the Jewish leaders still try to cover it up?  How are we sometimes like the Jewish leaders today?  How do we sometimes try to cover up truth, even as Christians?
3. This portrait of the early church as an unselfish community is captivating and inspiring.  How do we, in our time, respond as they did in theirs?
• How do we speak boldly?
• How do we bring healing and miracles in God’s name?
• How do we join together with one heart and mind?
• How do we relinquish our possessions?