I Believe in You

We are in store for a treat this weekend at LifeChurch.tv as Pastor Craig is going to interview former NFL coach Tony Dungy about his new book entitled The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People & Teams That Win Consistently. This interview is going to kick off the new sermon series entitled I Believe In You in which Pastor Craig is going to examine the importance having mentoring relationships in our lives and show us from the Bible what mentoring relationships should look like.

This weekend, Coach Dungy is going to show us that mentors have the power to speak life-changing words to us and that mentor relationships don’t have to be formal ones. In fact, some of Dungy’s strongest mentoring relationships were informal ones.

If you are interested in learning more from Coach Dungy about mentoring, you can buy his book at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Mentor-Leader-Secrets-Building-Consistently/dp/141433804X. Also, here are a few of the questions you can expect to find in this week’s Talk It Over study guide that will help you as you prepare to lead your LifeGroup through this weekend’s message:

• What is the most life-changing thing that has been said to you by a mentor?
• Who do you think God is calling you to mentor currently? What will be your next step beginning that relationship?
• How are you mentored by Christ on a regular basis?

Toxic – Week 5

Pastor Craig is going to conclude the Toxic series this weekend by looking at Toxic Religion. I think all of us can point to examples of where religion has become toxic and has perverted the gospel of Christ. For some people, it has created some strong baggage that continues to weigh on them and negatively impact their relationship with Christ and their view of His church. In his message, Pastor Craig is going to show us how we can break away from the bondage of Toxic Religion by making us realize that we do not earn God’s righteousness by observing the law or religion, but rather it only comes by faith in Christ alone.

The topic of Toxic Religion could be a difficult one for some people in your LifeGroup this week. Be prepared as you lead your group to encounter those who have incredible amounts of baggage, confusion and even pain from the toxic religion they have experienced. Make your time together a time of healing rather than of frustration. Also, as you lead your LifeGroup through the Talk It Over questions this week, do not allow your LifeGroup time to become just a gripe session about how bad religion is. Strive to focus on that fact that we all can be delivered from the damage done by toxic religion by turning our full attention on our relationship with Christ.

Pastor Craig will be using a number of scriptures in his message including Galatians 1:6-7, Matthew 23:25 and Luke 18:9-12. You might take time to study these passages as your prepare to lead your group through this message. Also, here are a few of the questions that you can expect to see in this week’s Talk It Over study guide.

• How have you seen toxic religion pervert the gospel of Christ?
• Why do you think so many of us base our identity on things other than Christ?
• What are some things you can do that can help you keep more focused on Christ and not on toxic religion?

Toxic – Week 4

For week four of Toxic, Pastor Craig is going to examine “Toxic Words.” The Bible tells us in Proverbs 12:18 that “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Simply put, the words we speak are powerful. They have the ability to bring up and the ability to tear down. We have all been the victim of toxic words being spoken to us, and unfortunately, many of use are guilty of speaking toxic words to others, even those that we love and care about.

In his message, Pastor Craig is going to show us how to guard our hearts from toxic words.. He will also show us how to change our toxic words that we speak into live-giving words.

As you prepare to lead your LifeGroup through this message, here are a few of the questions you can expect to find in this week’s Talk It Over study guide:

• How are toxic words impacting your life currently?
• What type of words do you tend to speak most? Life-giving or toxic? Explain.
• In what ways can you guard your heart against toxic words?
• Who do you need start speaking more life-giving words to? How will you go about doing it?

Toxic – Week 3

We all have toxic friendships. Those are the friends that cause the most frustration. Some of them are usually negative, while others may too overbearing or controlling. Other toxic friends can cause us to stumble in our walk with Christ as they tempt us to do the things we shouldn’t.

For week three of Toxic, Pastor Craig is going to show us the negative impact toxic relationships can have in our lives. We will also learn what the Bible says are the best ways to deal with toxic relationships. In his message, Pastor Craig will be using a number of scriptures including 1 Corinthians 15:33, 2 Timothy 2:16-17, Matthew 16:23 and Genesis 39:12. You might take some time to study these passages as you prepare to lead your LifeGroup through week three of Toxic.

Also, here are a few of the questions that you can expect to find in this week’s Talk It Over study guide:

• In what ways have toxic relationships impacted your life and your relationship with God?
• In what ways are you being a toxic influence in your relationships? Which toxic behaviors do you tend to exhibit the most in your relationships?
• What types of healthy boundaries do you need to establish in your relationships? How will you go about setting these boundaries?

Toxic – Week 2

 Get ready for another dose of hard-hitting truth for week two of Toxic as Pastor Craig is going to look at the topic of “Toxic Influences.” Unfortunately, our world is full of influences that can be toxic to our lives. We see these influences on television, in movies, music and on the Internet. Even some of our relationships with others can be toxic influences in our lives. In his message, Pastor Craig is going to show us how to filter out toxic influences from our lives and offer us some guidelines in how to determine which influences are positive and which ones are toxic.

As you lead your LifeGroup this week, create an environment of openness and share with your group those toxic influences you have in your life. Your transparency and openness will encourage others to do the same in your group. Also, as you prepare to lead your group, here are a few of the questions that you can expect to find in this week’s Talk It Over study guide:

• What are some of the toxic influences you currently have in your life? How have you seen these influences pollute your life?
• What standards are you using to filter out toxic influences in your life? How do think your standards match God’s?
• What things do you need to focus on that will help you draw closer to Christ?

Toxic – Week 1

Pastor Craig starts a brand new sermon series this weekend entitled Toxic. In this series, we are going to examine things in our life that can be toxic to our relationship with Christ. In fact, the word toxic can be defined as “anything containing poisonous material capable of causing sickness or even death.”

For week one of Toxic, Pastor Craig is going to look at “Toxic Thoughts”. All of us have dealt with toxic thoughts in our lives. Toxic thoughts can be negative, fearful, thoughts of discontentment or critical. While toxic thoughts can negatively impact our lives, Pastor Craig is going to show us how we can replace toxic thoughts with God’s truth through the renewing of our minds.

In his message, Pastor Craig will be using several scriptures including 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Proverbs 4:23, Jeremiah 12:3, Philippians 4:7-8 and Romans 12:2. You might consider taking time to study some of these scriptures as you prepare to lead your LifeGroup. Also, here are a few of the Talk It Over study questions than you can expect to find in this week’s study guide.

• Which types of toxic thoughts do you experience most: negative, fearful, discontented or critical? Give examples of your toxic thoughts.
• How do your toxic thoughts negatively impact your life and relationship with God?
• In what ways do you renew your mind and focus your thoughts on God’s truth on a regular basis?
• What are some things you can do to guard your mind from toxic thoughts in the future?

At The Movies 2010

At The Movies is finally here! As you well know, this series is by far the biggest and best that LifeChurch.tv produces each and every year. More importantly, it is one of the best opportunities to invite those who have never been to church or are unsure about trying church.

Pastor Craig has lined up four great movies once again for us this year in which he will show us relevant Biblical truths that can be found in some of Hollywood’s most popular movies.

Because of various legal reasons, we cannot share with you in advance which movies Craig will be preaching on. Therefore, we will be unable to preview the At The Movies sermons each week on this blog as we typically do.

Even though we cannot preview the sermons to help you in preparation for leading your LifeGroup, the same great Talk It Over resources you have come accustomed to will still be available during At The Movies. You can download both the print PDF questions and videos by clicking here.

At The Movies is a great opportunity to kick back and have fun with your LifeGroup, as well as invite new people to try out your group. Make the most of this great opportunity to grow your LifeGroup over the next four weeks.

One Prayer – Week 4

For the final week of One Prayer, we are going to hear from Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pastor Steven has been one of the most popular guest speakers that we have had at LifeChurch.tv in recent years and he will be speaking on Unstoppable Power this weekend. You can learn more about Pastor Steven by visiting www.elevationchurch.org and www.stevenfurtick.com.

In his message, Pastor Steven is going to show how each of us are conduits of God’s power. God uses each of use to accomplish great things in unique ways. He will also show us how God’s power is demonstrated through us when we serve our church. I promise that after this message you will never call yourself just a volunteer ever again. Furthermore, this message could be a good opportunity to encourage those in your LifeGroup who are not currently serving at church to step up and serve. Take time to talk about serving with your group and help them find areas to serve that best fit their talents and interests.

Pastor Steven will be teaching from Acts 3:1-10, which describes how God’s power was manifested through Peter and John as they healed the crippled beggar outside of the Temple gates. You might take some time to read and study this passage as you prepare to lead your LifeGroup through this message. Also, here a few of the questions that you can expect to find in this week’s Talk It Over study guide.

• In what ways have you seen God’s power demonstrated in your life and through the lives of others?
• How are you making yourself available to God to use you as a conduit of His power?
• Why is it so difficult for many of us to give God all we have? What things are you holding back?

One Prayer – Week 3

For week three of One Prayer, we are going to hear from Pastor Ray Johnston from Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California. Pastor Ray is a phenomenal leader and has grown Bayside Church into one of the most influential churches in the California. You can learn more about Pastor Ray and Bayside Church by visiting http://www.baysideonline.com/.

This weekend Pastor Ray is going to talk about Unstoppable Hope and show us several ways that we can replace discouragement with hope in our lives. As LifeGroup leaders, I know there are times when we all struggle with discouragement in leading our groups and I hope that you will be impacted by this message in such a positive way that it will give you a sense of renewed hope as you lead your groups through the final half of 2010.

Pastor Ray will be using the example of Nehemiah in his sermon of someone who was able to replace discouragement with hope. He will be speaking from Nehemiah Chapters 1 through 6. You might consider taking time to read and study these passages as you prepare to lead your group through this message. Also, here are a few of the questions you can expect to find in this week’s Talk It Over study guide.

• Discouragement always precedes destruction. How has discouragement hindered you throughout your life?
• How do you refresh your spirit and mind on a regular basis?
• What does hope look like in your life? How do you maintain hope on a regular basis?

One Prayer – Week 2

We are in store for an incredible weekend at LifeChurch.tv as we have the honor of having Pastor Brian Houston speak to our church for week two of One Prayer. Brian is one of the most influential church leaders and dynamic speakers in the world today serving as senior pastor with his wife Bobbie at Hillsong Church in Australia. Their incredible ministry has impacted countries all over the world for Christ. Many of you have probably seen Pastor Brian speak on television or are familiar with the passionate worship music that Hillsong has become known for. If you would like to learn more about Brian and Bobbie Houston, click here.

In his One Prayer message, Pastor Brian is going to talk about living an unstoppable life. We all have seasons we go through in our lives and Pastor Brian is going to show us that even though it can be difficult when those seasons come to end, we must realize that those endings do not represent the end of our ultimate mission from God. He will show us that “the end of an era is not the completion of your destiny.”

Just like Pastor Craig’s message in week one of One Prayer, Pastor Brian is going to preach a very powerful and moving message. You do not want to miss it. Also, as you prepare to lead your LifeGroup through this message, here are a few of the questions you can expect in this week’s Talk It Over study guide.

• How have you seen God use endings in your life to prepare you for new beginnings?
• What things do you think God wants you to accomplish during this season of your life?
• What is something that has come to an end in your life that you need to let go of?

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