ICEBREAKERS
Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more questions to open up with.
- If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, which animal would you want to be?
- If you could spend a day with anybody in history, besides Jesus, who would you spend it with and why?
Message Review
Main points and scriptures from this week's message.
Jesus of Nazareth was arrested, was judged a political criminal, and was crucified. Jesus body was then placed in a solid rock tomb.
Three days later some of Jesus' followers came to the tomb to pay their respects and found that Jesus' body was no longer there.
Then Jesus starts showing up unexpected and unannounced. You know that had to feel good to Jesus. It was like the song by Adele “Hello from the other side!”
To be ON THE OTHER SIDE of what he had dreaded all his life, on the other side of the betrayal, the haters, the injustice, the suffering, and pain.
Sometimes, the only way to get where your going is to go through something you don’t want to go through. And Jesus continued to pop up from the other side as if to say each time, "Hello, it's me . . ."
One "hello from the other side" moment is found in Luke 24 where two of Jesus' followers are traveling away from Jerusalem, where Jesus was buried, and are traveling back to their home town.
POINT 1: EVERYONE IS ON A PATH MOVING ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER.
Jesus came to them, and they did not even recognize him. He began to interrupt them and ask them questions.
POINT 2: SOMETIMES WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN INTERRUPTION IS ACTUALLY A HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
At the end of a lengthy conversation, they invite the unrecognizable Jesus to stay the night with them. Jesus was going to keep walking, but what he's saying here is that he can move on and will if he is not welcome. The only place he stays is where he’s wanted. And Jesus will stay when you invite him!
TALK-IT-OUT
The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.
- What does Easter mean to you?
- Do you feel like you are currently headed in the right direction? Why or why not?
- Recall a time where you faced opposition but made it to the other side. Describe how you felt and reacted once you reached the other side.
- What is the other side for you right now? What are you going through to get there?
- What are some things you have done to better recognize Jesus and his plan for your life?
WRITE-It-Out
Encourage your group to start writing things down. In a journal or on paper, do the following exercises.
- Write out two different scenarios that have played out in your life recently. First, a recent memory where you feel like Jesus showed up, and you recognized it and responded accordingly. Second, a time recently where Jesus showed up, and you did not recognize it and responded incorrectly.
- Now write down the difference. What was difference between recognizing and not recognizing what God was trying to do? For example, had you done something different that day? Or were you tired? Or frustrated?
- Finally, write down one thing you can do daily that will help you to recognize Jesus.
Live-It-Out
Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- Complete the thing you listed in question number 3 from the Write-It-Out section.
- Complete Growth Track. Every Saturday in Tacoma 6:00pm, and every Sunday at all of our campuses. Bellevue 9:45am & Tacoma 11:30am.
- Serve together as a group. To view serving opportunities with Champions Foundation, click HERE.
Closing Thoughts
- Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
- More resources are always available here: Group Resources.