EE Study Group Discussion Notes Ep. 6

1 Discussion Notes Session 6: I Have a Hope That Never Dies Begin by watching the intro video with Kyle Idleman that accompanies session six. (1:23) Connecting to One Another Answer the following questions before watching the DVD. • Has someone ever failed to keep their promise to you? How do you handle broken trust? Changing into the Likeness of Christ In Session Six: I Have a Hope that Never Dies, we draw our study of Jesus’ final days to a close. Together we have shared the Passover feast, we have journeyed alongside the betrayals of Judas and Peter, and we have born witness to the atrocities brought against Jesus at the hands of the Romans. Last week we experienced the crucifixion through the eyes of a convicted criminal who in his final moments found the hope of salvation in Christ. Session six bridges the gap between despair and hope; the time between Christ’s death and His resurrection. • The Bible gives very little attention to Jesus’ followers during the time between his death and resurrection. What do you think was going through their minds? How do you suppose you would have responded? Watch Easter Experience: Session Six – I Have a Hope that Never Dies (27:24) • Kyle puts it this way, “Christianity lives or dies based on the resurrection.” If Jesus did not rise from the grave how would that have ended his movement? • Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-14, 20-22. Paul, who wrote 1 Corinthians, pointed out that many people saw the resurrected Jesus. How do eyewitnesses help validate the resurrection? • What aspects of Jesus’ story stand out to you the most? Why? Prayer Idea After taking prayer requests praise God and acknowledge Him as the creator of the universe and the salvation of all people. Pray that as your group moves on to the next phase of your time together that God would continue to bless and minister to the needs of your people, drawing you ever closer to Him. the easter experience2 Cultivating a Missional Life-Taking Your Experience Home During the coming week read and memorize John 11:25, Matthew 28:20b NIV “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Thought for the Week: “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -Ralph Waldo Emerson In 1 Peter 3:15 NIV we are told to “…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” • Assume you will be asked; pray specifically for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. • Carefully and completely think through your answer. • Live your life daily so as to present “Christ in the flesh” to your community. Your example may be the only Christian sermon someone ever experiences. When we experience Easter, we realize that what happened then changes everything now. Death is not the end but a new beginning! • At the tomb, when Jesus called her name, “Mary!” hope flooded back where hopelessness reigned. And that Hope lives in every Christian today. • Though you may have been a Christian since your youth or only very recently; strive this week in all that you think, say, and do to be the light of Christ to those around you. • Prayerfully consider the next step God would have your group take. • Remember that no matter what you have done, God offers all of us a new beginning. Notes ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you need more tips and materials for running a successful Easter Experience group, be sure to come back to www.easterexperience.com for additional helpful materials!