CHAPTER ONE
OUR NEXT DOOR SAVIOR
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Who are you? he wondered so softly that no one but God could hear. You just awakened the dead! Should you not be encased in light or encircled by angels or enthroned higher than a thousand Caesars? Yet, look at you—wearing clothes I would wear and laughing at jokes I tell and eating the food we all eat. Is this what death defeaters do? Just who are you?
A. When you first learned of Jesus, who did you think he was? Who do you now think he is?
B. What most amazes you about Jesus? Why?
2. A just-God Jesus could make us but not understand us. A just-man Jesus could love us but never save us. But a Godman Jesus? Near enough to touch. Strong enough to trust. A next door Savior.
A. What is a “just-God Jesus”? A “just-man Jesus”?
B. Why would a “just-man Jesus” have no power to save us?
C. Explain what Max means by a “next door Savior.”
3. The cache of Christianity is Christ. Not money in the bank or a car in the garage or a healthy body or a better self-image. . . . Christ is the reward of Christianity.
A. In what way is Christ the reward of Christianity?
B. How does our pursuit of Christ affect our everyday actions?
4. Could your world use a little music? If so, invite heaven’s baritone to cut loose. He may look as common as the guy next door, but just wait till you see what he can do. Who knows? A few songs with him might change the way you sing. Forever.
A. In what way could your world use “a little music”?
B. How could you invite “heaven’s baritone to cut loose” in your life?
C. How does life with Jesus change the way you “sing”?
1. Read Luke 7:11–17.
A. What happened when Jesus saw the funeral procession described in this passage? What did he immediately do (vv. 13–15)?
B. How did the people react to this incident? What conclusion did they reach (v. 16)?
C. How did this event demonstrate Jesus’ humanity? How did it reveal his divinity?
2. Read Mark 4:35–41.
A. Why did the storm disturb the disciples’ trust?
B. What reply did Jesus make to the disciples’ question (vv. 39–40)?
C. Given all the disciples had seen Jesus do, why do you think they questioned who Jesus was?
3. Read Colossians 1:15–20; 2:9.
A. What do these verses teach us about the identity of Jesus? Why is this important?
B. How do these verses describe a “next door Savior”? What makes him the Savior? In what way is he next door?
To help you think of Jesus as your “next door Savior,” take a walk through your neighborhood, praying for those who live around you. Ask the Lord to make himself real to them, to show his true nature to them—and ask him how you might help in the process.
CHAPTER TWO
CHRIST’S THEME SONG
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Why did Jesus hang his family’s dirty laundry on the neighborhood clothesline? Because your family has some too.
A. What kind of “dirty laundry” did Jesus mention? Why was it important for him to do so?
B. Based on Jesus’ example, what should be our attitude toward our families’ pasts?
2. The phrase “I’ve been there” is in the chorus of Christ’s theme song. To the lonely, Jesus whispers, “I’ve been there.” To the discouraged, Christ nods his head and sighs, “I’ve been there.”
A. Does it help you to know that Christ has experienced the disappointments and hardships of being human? How?
B. In what area of your life is it especially comforting to know that Christ has “been there”? Why?
3. He’s not ashamed of you. Nor is he confused by you. Your actions don’t bewilder him. Your tilted halo doesn’t trouble him. So go to him. After all, you’re a part of his family.
A. Do you truly believe Christ is not ashamed of you? How does accepting or rejecting this fact affect your attitude? Your behavior?
B. Do your actions ever bewilder yourself? Explain.
C. In what way are you a part of Christ’s family?
D. How do you go to Jesus during times of difficulty? What do you do?
1. Read Isaiah 53:2–3.
A. Why do you suppose God chose not to make Christ extraordinary in appearance?
B. What does it mean that Christ grew up as “a root out of parched ground”? What is the “parched ground”? How did this enable him to identify with us?
2. Read Mark 3:20–22.
A. How did Jesus’ own family respond to his early ministry (v. 21)? Why do you think they reacted like this?
B. How did the teachers of the law respond to Jesus’ teaching (v. 22)? Why do you think they reacted like this?
C. How do you respond to Jesus’ teaching? Explain.
3. Read Hebrews 2:10–18.
A. What does it mean that Jesus was made perfect through sufferings (v. 10)?
B. Why is Jesus not ashamed to call us his brothers (v. 11)?
C. Why did the Son of God become human, according to verse 14?
D. How did Jesus’ earthly experience qualify him to become our “high priest” (v. 17)? According to Hebrews 5:1–10, what does Jesus do for us as our high priest?
E. In what way did Jesus suffer when he was tempted? How did his painful experience benefit us (v. 18)?
Jesus went out of his way to identify with us. How do you identify with your neighbors? If you haven’t met your next door neighbors yet, determine to do so this week. Invite them over for coffee or out to a movie. Start the process of getting to know them and identifying with their struggles and concerns.
CHAPTER THREE
FRIEND OF FLOPS
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Jesus starts to smile and shake his head. “Matthew, Matthew, you think I came to quarantine you? Following me doesn’t mean forgetting your friends. Just the opposite. I want to meet them.”
A. Why do some people like Matthew think that Jesus came to quarantine them?
B. Why does Jesus want to meet “flops”—and their friends?
2. What could be better? Sinners and saints in the same room, and no one’s trying to determine who is which.
A. What’s good about having saints and sinners in the same room?
B. What’s good about not trying to figure out who belongs to which group?
3. Quite a story. Matthew goes from double-dealer to disciple. He throws a party that makes the religious right uptight, but Christ proud. The good guys look good, and the bad guys hit the road. Some story indeed. What do we do with it?
A. Why did Matthew’s party make the religious right uptight?
B. What parallel situations do you see today? Do you generally respond to them like Christ or like the religious leaders? Why?
4. You don’t have to be weird to follow Jesus. You don’t have to stop liking your friends to follow him. Just the opposite. A few introductions would be nice. Do you know how to grill a steak?
A. Do you know someone who thinks “weirdness” is essential to discipleship?
B. What are some effective ways you have introduced your friends to Jesus?
C. What does Max really mean when he asks, “Do you know how to grill a steak?” How would you answer his question?
1. Read Matthew 9:9–13.
A. What problem did the Pharisees have with Jesus’ attending Matthew’s party (vv. 10–11)? To whom did they direct their question? Why didn’t they ask Jesus directly?
B. Who responded to the Pharisees’ question? What reply was given (v. 12)?
C. Who were the “healthy” in this incident? Who were the “sick”? Did everyone know their true condition? Explain.
D. What did Jesus tell the Pharisees to go and learn (v. 13)? How could a correct answer begin leading them to spiritual health?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 1:26–31.
A. What point does Paul make in verse 26? Why is this significant?
B. How does Paul explain God’s actions (vv. 27–29)?
C. How does Paul describe Jesus’ role (v. 30)?
D. What conclusion does Paul reach (v. 31)?
3. Read Revelation 5:9–10.
A. How does this song to Jesus describe the people for whom he died? What is their makeup?
B. What will Jesus do for these people for whom he died? What is their destiny?
To become a friend, you have to do more than learn a name; you have to learn a person. Be a friend to someone in your area, preferably an older person who could use your help and friendship. Demonstrate your offer of friendship by a creative kindness: mow a lawn, walk a pet, help with a needed repair, run an errand, or just give your neighbor your phone number, saying, “Call me if I can ever help you.”
CHAPTER FOUR
THE HAND GOD LOVES TO HOLD
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Life rushes in. Pale cheeks turn pink. Shallow breaths become full. Hoover Dam cracks and a river floods. The woman feels power enter. And Jesus? Jesus feels power exit.
A. Try to put yourself in the woman’s sandals. How do you think you would have felt at that moment of healing? Surprised? Elated? Astonished? Fearful? Explain.
B. Why do you think Jesus wanted to know who had touched him? Why was this so important for him, especially since his demand frightened the woman?
2. “The whole story.” How long had it been since someone put the gear of life in Park, turned off the key, and listened to her story? But when this woman reaches out to Jesus, he does. With the town bishop waiting, a young girl dying, and a crowd pressing, he still makes time for a woman from the fringe.
A. Why do you think Jesus wanted to hear the woman’s whole story? What did he hope to accomplish?
B. How do you think it benefited the woman to tell her whole story?
C. How does Jesus still make time for “people on the fringe”? How have you personally seen him do this?
3. Illness took her strength. What took yours? Red ink? Hard drink? Late nights in the wrong arms? Long days on the wrong job? Pregnant too soon? Too often? Is her hand your hand? If so, take heart. Your family may shun it. Society may avoid it. But Christ? Christ wants to touch it.
A. Answer Max’s question. What took your strength?
B. In what way has this separated you from others? From Christ?
4. Yours is the hand he loves to hold.
A. Do you believe this statement? Explain.
B. How does Jesus “hold” our hands today? In what instances of your life has he held your hand?
1. Read Mark 5:21–34.
A. What request did the synagogue ruler make of Jesus (v. 23)? How did Jesus respond (v. 24)?
B. Describe the woman’s problem (vv. 25–26). What would be comparable today to her situation?
C. How was her touch different from the touch of all the others around Jesus? How did the disciples react to his question about who touched him (v. 31)?
D. How did Jesus respond to the woman’s confession (v. 34)?
2. Read Mark 10:13–16.
A. Why did the disciples rebuke certain people? To what did the disciples object (v. 13)?
B. How did Jesus react to the disciples’ action (v. 14)? What reason did he give for his reaction (vv. 14–15)?
C. What did Jesus do to emphasize his point (v. 16)?
3. Read Isaiah 42:1, 5–7.
A. Who is speaking in this passage? How does the prophet describe him (v. 5)?
B. What does God promise to do for his “Servant” (v. 6)? To whom is he sending this Servant?
C. How does the touch of God affect the Servant, and then how does the touch of the Servant affect us (v. 7)?
It has been said that the hands of his disciples are the hands of Christ to the world. As his follower, you can “touch” the people in your world for him. Do a little research to see where a “helping hand” might be needed in your own neighborhood or community. Can you volunteer at a food bank, serve as a story reader at a local grade school, offer to serve a meal at a homeless shelter? Find out what the opportunities are, and then take advantage of one. Be the hands of Christ.
Touring the Neighborhood
1. There is a look that says, “It’s too late.”
A. What kind of look says, “It’s too late”? Have you seen this look? Explain.
B. Have you ever worn this kind of look? Explain.
2. You’ve felt what Peter felt. You’ve sat where Peter sat. And now Jesus is asking you to go fishing. He knows your nets are empty. He knows your heart is weary. He knows you’d like nothing more than to turn your back on the mess and call it a life. But he urges, “It’s not too late to try again.”
A. What is making you feel weary right now?
B. In what way might Jesus be asking you to “go fishing”?
3. Spotting treasures is easy for the one who hid them. Finding fish is simple for the God who made them. To Jesus, the Sea of Galilee is a dollar-store fishbowl on a kitchen cabinet.
A. If Jesus could so easily find hard-to-find fish on the Sea of Galilee, what kind of hard-to-find “fish” would you like him to point out in your own sea?
B. How would your life change if you consciously remembered all of the time that Jesus was (and is) God in the flesh?
4. Contrary to what you may have been told, Jesus doesn’t limit his recruiting to the stout-hearted. The beat up and worn out are prime prospects in his book, and he’s been known to climb into boats, bars, and brothels to tell them, “It’s not too late to start over.”
A. In what ways do we sometimes think that Jesus does limit his recruiting to the stout-hearted? Why do we believe this myth?
B. Who have you known that started over? How far did Jesus go to reach them? How did they respond?
C. Has Jesus ever told you, “It’s not too late to start over”? Explain.
1. Read Luke 5:1–11.
A. What request did Jesus make of Simon Peter in verse 3? Why did he make the request?
B. What request did Jesus make of Simon in verse 4?
C. How did Simon respond to Jesus’ request (v. 5)? What did he do anyway?
D. What happened when Simon complied with Jesus’ request (vv. 6–7)?
E. Why did Simon respond as he did to the miracle (vv. 8–10)?
F. How did Jesus respond to Simon’s reaction (v. 10)?
G. Why do you think Simon and his partners left everything to follow Jesus?
2. Read Romans 7:14–25.
A. How does Paul characterize himself in verse 14? Why is this significant?
B. What personal problem does Paul describe in verses 15–23? Can you identify with this problem? Explain.
C. How does this problem make the apostle feel (v. 24)? Can you identify with this? Explain.
D. What question does Paul ask in verse 24? What answer does he give in verse 25? What does all this have to do with “trying again”?
Most of us have a neighbor or friend or family member with whom we’ve had a disagreement or conflict. Perhaps you’ve already tried, unsuccessfully, to mend fences. Why not try again? What’s keeping you from making another attempt? Before you approach this person, commit to spending at least an hour in prayer about your attitude, your fears, and your goal. Then . . . try again!
CHAPTER SIX
SPIT THERAPY
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Talk about a thankless role. Selected to suffer. Some sing to God’s glory. Others teach to God’s glory. Who wants to be blind for God’s glory? Which is tougher—the condition or discovering it was God’s idea?
A. Would you like to sing for God’s glory? Teach to God’s glory? Be blind for God’s glory? Explain.
B. Which do you think would be tougher, to be blind or to learn your condition was God’s idea? Explain.
C. How would you explain this story to someone outside the faith? How would you explain that God allowed someone to be born blind—and live in that condition for many years—so others could see his glory when he healed him?
2. Who was really blind that day? The neighbors didn’t see the man; they saw a novelty. The church leaders didn’t see the man; they saw a technicality. The parents didn’t see their son; they saw a social difficulty. In the end, no one saw him.
A. What people in our culture does no one “see”?
B. Have you ever felt invisible to others? Explain.
C. What examples can you think of where we daily overlook the miracles occurring around us and perhaps instead focus on the negative?
3. Do some people seem to be dealt more than their share of bad hands? If so, Jesus knows. He knows how they feel, and he knows where they are.
A. Answer Max’s question.
B. Who in your life seems to have been dealt more than his or her share of bad hands? Describe the person’s situation. How have you seen people respond differently to great difficulties? What was the result in each case?
C. Why do you think God allows this uneven sharing of life’s hands?
4. I’m sorry about your greasy gown. And your flowers—they tend to slide, don’t they? Who has an answer for the diseases, drudgeries, and darkness of this life? I don’t. But we do know this. Everything changes when you look at your groom.
A. How do you respond to the diseases, drudgeries, and darkness of this life?
B. What changes when you look at your groom?
1. Read John 9:1–41.
A. What question began this whole incident (v. 2)? How are some forms of this question still being asked today?
B. How did the man’s neighbors react to his healing (vv. 8–10)? Why do you think they responded like this?
C. How did the Pharisees react to the man’s healing (vv. 13–16)? Why did they react like this?
D. How did the man’s parents react to their son’s healing (vv. 18–23)? Why did they react like this?
E. In what way did the man show courage the second time the religious leaders summoned him (vv. 24–33)? How did the leaders react to his courage (v. 34)?
F. How did Jesus react to the ill treatment of the man (vv. 35–37)? How did the man react to Jesus, once he heard the truth (v. 38)?
2. Read 2 Corinthians 4:16–18.
A. How can we keep from losing heart, according to verse 16?
B. How does verse 17 help us to keep moving ahead spiritually, despite unexplained suffering?
C. What strategy for living does verse 18 develop? How do you fix your eyes on the unseen? What are some practical ways to do this?
Who in your life needs a little encouragement right now? What can you do to brighten an otherwise gloomy day? Don’t let another day go by without doing what you can to bring some cheer into that person’s life, whether through a phone call, a thoughtfully written letter, a personal visit, or something else more appropriate.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WHAT JESUS SAYS AT FUNERALS
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Every funeral has its Marthas. Sprinkled among the bereaved are the bewildered. “Help me understand this one, Jesus.”
A. Have you ever been a “Martha” at a funeral? If so, describe how you felt.
B. Whose death has most bewildered you? Why?
2. Jesus weeps. He weeps with them. He weeps for them. He weeps with you. He weeps for you.
A. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus weeps over human tragedy?
B. What does it mean that Jesus weeps “with” us?
C. What does it mean that Jesus weeps “for” us?
3. Grief does not mean you don’t trust; it simply means you can’t stand the thought of another day without the Jacob or Lazarus of your life.
A. Why do we sometimes think that grieving does mean we’re not trusting?
B. Does there come a point where grieving crosses over into a failure to trust? Explain.
4. When Christ speaks to the dead, the dead listen. Indeed, had Jesus not addressed Lazarus by name, the tenant of every tomb on earth would have stepped forth.
A. Do you agree with Max’s statements? What does this say about Christ’s power over the dead? Over the living?
B. Is there someone you have given up on, thinking he or she would never “hear” Christ’s voice? How does this encourage you?
1. Read John 11:1–44.
A. Why does verse 4 seem to contradict verse 14? In what way was the contradiction resolved?
B. Why did Jesus stay where he was for three days before going to see his friend Lazarus? What was Jesus’ priority?
C. Why do you think Jesus did not tell the sisters what he was about to do? Why did he keep it a secret until he did it?
D. How did the sisters show both trust and doubt in this story? How do we often do the same?
2. Read Romans 14:8–10.
A. What kinds of people belong to the Lord, according to verse 8? Why is this significant?
B. Why did Christ die and rise again, according to verse 9?
C. How does Paul apply this theological truth to a very practical problem in verse 10?
3. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.
A. What prompted Paul to write this passage, according to verse 13?
B. How did Paul intend to encourage his friends who had lost believing loved ones (vv. 14–17)?
C. What did Paul want his friends to do with the instruction he gave them (v. 18)? Why did he make this request?
Read a compassionate and well-written work on grief or caring for the grieving, such as C. S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed or Charles Swindoll’s For Those Who Hurt. Make it a goal to learn something new about how you can help in the grieving process, and then look for ways to put your new knowledge to work.
CHAPTER EIGHT
GETTING THE HELL OUT
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Satan does not sit still. A glimpse of the wild man reveals Satan’s goal for you and me. Self-imposed pain. The demoniac used rocks. We are more sophisticated; we use drugs, sex, work, violence, and food. (Hell makes us hurt ourselves.)
A. How have you seen people around you suffer from self-imposed pain?
B. In what way(s) has hell made you hurt yourself?
C. How did you deal with this self-imposed pain?
2. Satan can disturb us, but he cannot defeat us. The head of the serpent is crushed.
A. What does it mean that Satan cannot “defeat” us?
B. What does it mean that the head of the serpent is crushed?
C. How is Satan disturbing you or your family at this moment?
3. One word from Christ, and the demons are swimming with the swine, and the wild man is “clothed and in his right mind.” Just one command! No séance needed. No hocus-pocus. No chants were heard or candles lit. Hell is an anthill against heaven’s steamroller.
A. Why could Christ control the demons with a single command?
B. What does it mean for you that Christ has such power over hell?
4. The snake in the ditch and Lucifer in the pit—both have met their match. And, yet, both stir up dust long after their defeat. For that reason, though confident, we are still careful. For a toothless ol’ varmint, Satan sure has some bite!
A. How are you “careful” in dealing with Satan and his forces?
B. Describe some recent examples of Satan’s “bite.”
1. Read Mark 5:1–20.
A. Why do you think the demon-possessed man came out to meet Jesus when the Lord got out of the boat (v. 2)? Why wouldn’t he just run away?
B. What request did the man make of Jesus (v. 7)? Why do you think he made this request?
C. Why do you think the demons wanted to enter the pigs (v. 12)?
D. How did the townspeople respond to this divine show of force (vv. 14–17)?
E. What did the cured man request of Jesus (v. 18)? What answer did Jesus give (v. 19)? Why do you think he gave this answer?
2. Read 1 Peter 5:8–10.
A. How does this passage picture the devil (v. 8)? Why is this an apt description?
B. How are you to “resist” Satan (v. 9)?
C. How do you steady yourself so that you stand “firm in your faith”?
D. Why does it help to remember that you are not alone in suffering and temptation (v. 9)?
E. From where does all spiritual strength ultimately come (v. 10)?
3. Read Ephesians 6:10–18.
A. Why does a Christian need spiritual armor and spiritual weapons (vv. 11–12)?
B. What sort of armor does Paul describe here? What sort of weaponry?
C. Name each of the items listed here. Which ones do you think you have a good grip on? Which ones need more of your attention? Why?
The topic of spiritual warfare can scare off a lot of people and bring out the kookiness in others, but Scripture makes it clear that we are in a very real spiritual battle. Read 2 Corinthians 10:3–5, and make a list of what you need to improve in this area. Share your list with a trusted friend, and ask him or her to keep you accountable to work on it.
CHAPTER NINE
IT’S NOT UP TO YOU
Touring the Neighborhood
1. God doesn’t send us to obedience school to learn new habits; he sends us to the hospital to be given a new heart. Forget training; he gives transplants.
A. Why do we need new hearts rather than mere obedience?
B. Do you have a new heart? Explain.
C. What are the indications of a new heart? How do they contrast with acts of mere obedience?
2. There is no Rewind button on the VCR of life . . . is there? We don’t get to start over . . . do we? A man can’t be born again . . . can he?
A. Have you ever wanted to hit the Rewind button on the VCR of life? What would you like to go back and change? Since you can’t change the past, how could you use it for good?
B. How does God allow us to “start over”? What does this look like?
C. What does it mean to you to be “born again”?
3. The stumbles of a toddler do not invalidate the act of birth. And the stumbles of a Christian do not annul his spiritual birth.
A. Why do we sometimes think that stumbles invalidate spiritual birth?
B. How do you feel when you stumble? Does it bother you? Explain.
C. What kind of stumbles are you most prone to take?
4. He has deposited a Christ seed in you. As it grows, you will change. It’s not that sin has no more presence in your life, but rather that sin has no power over your life. Temptation will pester you, but temptation will not master you.
A. What is the “Christ seed” that God deposits in his children?
B. How have you changed since you first became a Christian?
C. Does temptation have a tendency more often to pester or master you? Explain.
1. Read John 3:1–16.
A. Why do you think Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night?
B. Name some similarities and differences between physical and spiritual birth.
C. Who takes the lead role in spiritual birth (v. 8)? Why is this important?
D. What role does belief or trust play in spiritual birth (v. 15)?
E. What is promised to those who place their trust in Christ (v. 16)?
2. Read Titus 3:3–6.
A. How does Paul characterize his life and that of his friends before their conversion (v. 3)?
B. Who took the lead role in their conversions (vv. 4–5)?
C. How does Paul picture his salvation (v. 5)?
D. What part did Jesus Christ play in this accomplishment (v. 6)?
3. Read Philippians 1:3–6.
A. Why does Paul say he prays for the Philippians (vv. 3–5)?
B. Who “began a good work” in Paul’s friends (v. 6)? What does this mean?
C. Who will bring to completion this work in Paul’s friends? How will he do this?
Believers who stumble in their walk of faith often feel like failures and sometimes wonder whether God can even stand them anymore. Think of someone you know who has taken a nasty stumble in the past few days or weeks. What could you do to help this person recover from the fall and get on with life in Christ? Make a plan and then put it into action.
CHAPTER TEN
THE TRASHMAN
Touring the Neighborhood
1. His voice is warm and his question honest. “Will you give me your trash?”
A. What is the “trash” mentioned here?
B. What sort of “trash” do you carry around?
C. Do you tend to hand over or hang on to your trash? Explain.
2. By the time they reach the hill, the line to the top is long. Hundreds walk ahead of them. All wait in silence, stunned by what they hear—a scream, a pain-pierced roar that hangs in the air for moments, interrupted only by a groan. Then the scream again. His.
A. Why did the Trashman scream?
B. Why did the Trashman subject himself to such pain?
3. Her words are soft, intended for no one. “He’s standing.” Then aloud, for her friend, “He’s standing.” And louder for all, “He’s standing!” She turns; all turn. They see him silhouetted against a golden sun. Standing. Indeed.
A. What does this image of the Trashman standing represent in our world?
B. How does it make you feel to know that a risen Christ is standing?
1. Read John 1:29–31.
A. Why did John the Baptist call Jesus “the Lamb of God”?
B. Given their culture, how would John’s audience have interpreted the reference to a lamb?
C. Since Jesus was born several months after John, in what way was Jesus “before” John (v. 30)?
D. Using a Bible concordance, look up several different types of references to “lambs.” In what ways was Jesus like a lamb?
2. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17–6:2.
A. How does being a “new creature” in Christ relate to the picture of laying one’s trash before the Trashman?
B. When God redeems us (and takes away our trash), what does he ask us to do in return (vv. 18–20)?
C. When is the best time to give God your trash (v. 2)?
What “trash” do you tend to carry around with you? How is it weighing you down? What keeps you from placing this garbage at the feet of Jesus? Set aside a good chunk of time today, and bring all of this trash to your Savior. Spend at least a half hour in prayer, confessing whatever you need to confess and asking the Lord to carry your burden for you. Make sure to close your prayer time with healthy praise for the One who offers to carry your burdens.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
HE LOVES TO BE WITH THE ONES HE LOVES
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Holiday travel. It isn’t easy. Then why do we do it? Why cram the trunks and endure the airports? You know the answer. We love to be with the ones we love.
A. Describe the last time you took a holiday trip. What challenges did it present?
B. If we love to be with the ones we love, then why are we so often separated from them?
2. What a world he left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to him. Earth’s finest cuisine would be walnuts on heaven’s table.
A. What, to you, is the most remarkable thing about Jesus’ leaving heaven to come to earth?
B. Why do you think Jesus left heaven to live among us on earth?
3. Speaking through the door, Dr. Maltz told the man of his wife’s proposal. “She wants me to disfigure her face, to make her face like yours in the hope that you will let her back into your life. That’s how much she loves you.” There was a brief moment of silence, and then, ever so slowly, the doorknob began to turn. 189
A. What finally got through to the man? What force drove him to change his mind?
B. Have you ever experienced human love as great as that of the wife in the story? Explain.
4. God took on our face, our disfigurement. He became like us. Just look at the places he was willing to go: feed troughs, carpentry shops, badlands, and cemeteries. The places he went to reach us show how far he will go to touch us.
A. How did Jesus take on our disfigurement? Why did he do so?
B. What nasty places have you seen Jesus go to? What did he do there?
C. Where did Jesus find you? Describe what happened.
1. Read Philippians 2:4–11.
A. What command are we given in verse 4? What’s hard and what’s easy about following this command?
B. What kind of example did Jesus set for us? Name some specific areas.
C. How will God reward Jesus for his obedience (vv. 9–11)? How is this meant to encourage us?
2. Read John 1:14.
A. Who is “the Word” in this verse? How do you know?
B. From where did this Word come?
C. What does it mean that he was “full” of truth?
D. What does it mean that he was “full” of grace?
3. Read John 14:15–18.
A. How do we prove our love for Jesus, according to verse 15?
B. To whom will Jesus send another “Helper” or “Counselor” or “Comforter,” according to verse 16? Who is this Helper?
C. Where can we find this Helper (v. 17)?
D. What promise did Jesus make in verse 18? How is he keeping it today? How does this show that he loves to be with the ones he loves?
The book of Hebrews talks about sympathizing with those in prison (10:34) and remembering them as if we were there with them (13:3). Have you ever considered visiting someone in prison? Do a little research to see what local ministries reach out to prisoners, or check out www.pfm.org (Prison Fellowship’s Web site) to get some helpful direction. And then plan a trip!
CHAPTER TWELVE
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Touring the Neighborhood
1. The first stop on Christ’s itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep within Mary for an answer.
A. Why do you think God bothered with a human birth? If he did an “end around” a human father, why not do another “end around” a human mother?
B. What is most remarkable to you about Mary? According to human wisdom, why might she seem an unlikely choice?
2. Christ grew in Mary until he had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem, and every day you live will be a Christmas.
A. How is Christ coming out in your speech, your actions, your decisions?
B. Can you say that everywhere you live is a Bethlehem? Explain.
3. You are a modern-day Mary. Even more so. He was a fetus in her, but he is a force in you. He will do what you cannot.
A. Do you have trouble thinking of yourself as a “modern-day Mary”? Explain.
B. Describe some things that Jesus has done through you that you couldn’t have done on your own.
4. If Mary is our measure, God seems less interested in talent and more interested in trust.
A. Why would God be more interested in trust than in talent?
B. Is this good news for you or bad? Explain.
1. Read Luke 1:26–38.
A. How did the angel greet Mary (v. 28)? How did Mary react (v. 29)? Why?
B. What promise did the angel give to Mary (vv. 30–33)? What important details did he seem to leave out (v. 34)?
C. How did the angel answer Mary’s lone question (v. 35)? In what way did this answer really not give many answers?
D. How did Mary respond to the whole announcement (v. 38)? What does this show about her?
2. Read Acts 26:9–24.
A. How did Paul describe himself before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus (vv. 9–11)?
B. According to 2 Corinthians 6:4–10, how did Paul describe his life after he met Jesus?
C. According to Galatians 2:20, to what did Paul attribute the remarkable change in his life?
3. Read Ephesians 3:16–19.
A. What prayer did Paul offer for the Ephesians in verse 16? Name the various elements of this prayer.
B. What does it mean for Christ to “dwell” in a person’s heart “through faith”?
C. What further prayer did Paul offer in verse 18? How does this prayer build upon his previous one?
D. What did Paul see as the final answer of this prayer (v. 19)?
What are you currently doing in your Christian life that you absolutely could not do if Christ were not working through you? Make a list of these things. If your list seems short, make a one-month commitment to God to pray for his instruction and leading in this area. Ask God to show you how to let Christ live through you in everyday, “normal” kinds of activities—and then note what changes start to come.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A CURE FOR THE COMMON LIFE
Touring the Neighborhood
1. You lead a common life. Punctuated by occasional weddings, job transfers, bowling trophies, and graduations—a few highlights—but mainly the day-to-day rhythm that you share with the majority of humanity.
A. What is “common” about your life?
B. What is extraordinary about your life?
2. For thirty of his thirty-three years, Jesus lived a common life. Aside from that one incident in the temple at the age of twelve, we have no record of what he said or did for the first thirty years he walked on this earth.
A. Why do you think Jesus waited until about the age of thirty to begin his public ministry?
B. What value was there in Jesus’ thirty years of “common life”?
3. Next time your life feels ordinary, take your cue from Christ. Pay attention to your work and your world.
A. Do you like feeling “ordinary”? Explain.
B. How could you make “ordinary” experiences extraordinary?
4. What kind of love adopts disaster? What kind of love looks into the face of children, knowing full well the weight of their calamity, and says, “I’ll take them”?
A. Answer these questions.
B. Why would God say these things about us? Why would he adopt us?
1. Read Mark 6:1–6.
A. Why did the preaching of Jesus astonish his hometown neighbors (vv. 2–3)?
B. How did Jesus respond to the comments of his neighbors (vv. 4–6)?
C. Why was Jesus amazed at his neighbors?
2. Read 1 Peter 1:17–21.
A. What does it mean to live in “reverent fear” (v. 17 NIV)? What does this look like?
B. How does Peter describe the kind of life handed down to us (v. 18)?
C. How does Peter describe the one who redeemed us (v. 19)?
D. What are the human and divine elements in Jesus’ life described in verse 20?
E. In whom do we place our faith, according to verse 21? Through whom do we exercise this faith? What is significant about this?
Some Christians get off on an unhealthy track because they desperately want to be seen as anything but ordinary. But read 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12. What does Paul say here about an ordinary Christian life? To what does it lead? What might you have to do, if anything, to get more in step with this instruction? Commit these two verses to memory, and meditate on them for the next week or two. Look for an unheralded, “ordinary” opportunity to serve.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
OH, TO BE DTP-FREE!
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Do you have any DTPs? When you see the successful, are you jealous? When you see the struggler, are you pompous? If someone gets on your bad side, is that person as likely to get on your good side as I am to win the Tour de France?
A. Describe what Max means by a Destructive Thought Pattern (DTP).
B. Answer his questions. What other DTPs come to mind?
2. Lust wooed him. Greed lured him. Power called him. Jesus—the human—was tempted. But Jesus—the holy God—resisted. Contaminated e-mail came his way, but he resisted the urge to open it.
A. How could a sinless Son of God actually be tempted? What would it mean for us if he couldn’t be tempted?
B. How did Jesus resist the urge to open the “contaminated e-mail”? How can we do the same?
3. Remember the twelve-year-old boy in the temple? The one with sterling thoughts and a Teflon mind? Guess what. That is God’s goal for you! You are made to be like Christ!
A. In what ways do you wish you were more like Christ? Be specific.
B. Describe someone whose faith you respect. In what ways does this person model Christ to you?
4. He changes the man by changing the mind. And how does it happen? By doing what you are doing right now. Considering the glory of Christ.
A. What does it mean to consider “the glory of Christ”?
B. How often do you let your mind ponder the person and work of Jesus? What is most effective in helping you to do this?
1. Read Luke 2:41–50.
A. Why do you think Jesus neglected to tell his parents that he was going to stay behind in Jerusalem?
B. What sort of questions do you imagine Jesus asked the teachers in the temple?
C. Why do you think Jesus asked his parents the questions he raised in verse 49?
D. Why do you think Jesus’ parents did not understand what he said to them?
E. Luke tells us that Jesus was obedient to his parents, even though they misunderstood him (v. 50). How is this significant?
2. Read Romans 8:5–11.
A. What test does Paul give in verse 5 for telling whether we are pursuing God or our own selfish interests?
B. What does the sinful mind produce (v. 6)? What does the godly mind produce?
C. How can we make sure that our minds experience peace and life (v. 9)? What does this require, practically speaking?
D. What promise are we given in verse 11?
3. Read Colossians 3:1–17.
A. What instruction does Paul give us in verses 1–2? What does this mean in practical terms?
B. How does Paul “flesh out” his command in the verses that follow? How can you tell if you are complying with his instructions or not?
C. Create a two-column list. On the right side, put the “good” qualities Paul says we are to pursue; on the left, put the “bad” qualities we are to avoid. How does striving for the mind of Christ lead naturally to this way of life?
Up for a challenge? It’s not an “easy” book, but John Piper’s Future Grace has some terrific guidance and insights into conquering specific temptations that everyone faces. He demonstrates how to use particular Scripture verses to combat several besetting sins, such as anxiety, pride, shame, impatience, bitterness, lust, and despondency. Get a copy of the book and start reading the section on the temptation that causes you the most trouble.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TIRE KICKER TO CAR BUYER
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Baptism wasn’t a new practice. It was a required rite for any Gentile seeking to become a Jew. Baptism was for the moldy, second-class, unchosen people, not the clean, top-of-the-line class favorites—the Jews. Herein lies the rub. John refuses to delineate between Jew and Gentile. In his book, every heart needs a detail job.
A. Why did John believe that “every heart needs a detail job”?
B. In what way does your heart need a detail job? Explain.
2. What do we owe? We owe God a perfect life. Perfect obedience to every command.
A. Do you agree with these statements? Why or why not?
B. If you stopped at the requirement, how would you feel? Why?
3. Baptism celebrates your decision to take a seat. . . . We are not saved by the act, but the act demonstrates the way we are saved. We are given credit for a perfect life we did not lead—indeed, a life we could never lead.
A. How does the act of baptism celebrate and demonstrate the way we are saved?
B. Why do you think God uses physical acts to serve as spiritual markers?
4. The daughter answered the doorbell that evening to find seven-foot-tall, brightly wrapped box. She tore it open, and out stepped her father, fresh off the plane from the West Coast. Can you imagine her surprise? Perhaps you can. Your gift came in the flesh too.
A. How did your Father become a gift?
B. What have you done with this gift? What are you doing with this gift?
1. Read Matthew 3:13–17.
A. Why do you think Jesus wanted to be baptized by John?
B. How did John react to Jesus’ wish to be baptized (v. 14)?
C. In what way did Jesus’ baptism “fulfill all righteousness” (v. 15)?
D. How did God demonstrate his approval of Jesus at this event (vv. 16–17)?
2. Read Romans 6:3–7.
A. What does Paul mean that Christians are “baptized” into the death of Christ (v. 3)?
B. How does baptism symbolize the beginning of a new way of life (v. 4)?
C. If we are “buried” with Christ in baptism, to what are we “raised” (v. 5)?
3. Read Galatians 3:26–29.
A. How does one become a son of God, according to verse 26?
B. What does it mean to be “clothed with Christ” (v. 27)?
C. How does this “clothing” lead to Paul’s statement in verse 28?
D. What promise does Paul reiterate in verse 29?
Have you followed the Lord in baptism? If you have made a commitment of faith to Christ, why not? If this is a step of obedience that you’re ready to take, then get it on the schedule. Make an appointment with your pastor to talk about what’s involved in baptism and what it means, and then prepare yourself for the event. Invite family and friends—hey, why not neighbors too?—and make it the celebration God means it to be. If you already have been baptized, find out when a friend or loved one is scheduled to be baptized, and have your special celebration then.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE LONG, LONELY WINTER
Touring the Neighborhood
1. How do you know when you’re in the wilderness? You are lonely. Whether in fact or in feeling, no one can help, understand, or rescue you.
A. Describe the last time you were in the wilderness of loneliness. What put you there?
B. When you feel lonely, why does it seem no one can help, understand, or rescue you?
C. How do you deal with times of loneliness?
2. Listen, you and I are no match for Satan. Jesus knows this. So he donned our jersey. Better still, he put on our flesh. . . . And because he did, we pass with flying colors.
A. How do we sometimes demonstrate that we think we are a match for Satan? What inevitably happens?
B. How did Jesus deal with the temptations posed by Satan?
3. Satan doesn’t denounce God; he simply raises doubts about God. . . . He attempts to shift, ever so gradually, our source of confidence away from God’s promise and toward our performance.
A. How does Satan most often raise doubts about God in your life?
B. Describe the last time your confidence started shifting away from God’s promise and toward your performance. What happened?
4. Jesus’ survival weapon of choice is Scripture. If the Bible was enough for his wilderness, shouldn’t it be enough for ours? . . . Doubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs.
A. Why do you think Jesus chose Scripture as his “weapon of choice”?
B. How do you use Scripture when you feel under spiritual attack?
C. What does it mean to doubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs?
1. Read Luke 4:1–13.
A. Jesus didn’t just wander into the desert; the Spirit led him there (v. 1). Why?
B. When did Satan tempt Jesus with bread? When he was full or empty, strong or weak? What does this suggest about Satan’s temptation of us (v. 2)?
C. What three temptations are recorded in Scripture? How did Jesus respond to all three?
D. What does it mean to put the Lord to the test (v. 12)?
E. Verse 13 says Satan left Jesus “until an opportune time.” What does this suggest to us about our own temptations?
2. Read James 1:13–15.
A. What is the source of our temptations? What is never the source?
B. Describe the “life cycle” of temptation and sin. Why is this life cycle important to grasp?
3. Read Hebrews 4:14–16.
A. How does verse 14 describe the risen Christ? Why is this important to us?
B. How does verse 15 describe Jesus? Why is this important to us?
C. What application of these truths does verse 16 make? Have you applied the truth in this way? Explain.
Many studies have shown that loneliness has become a national epidemic. Think about your neighbors for a moment. Who among them appears lonely? In a gentle and sensitive way, be alert to the lonely in your neighborhood, and then see what you can do to lessen that loneliness. Invite the person to join you for a game or a movie or a family outing. Try something. You don’t have to be a doctor to help cure loneliness.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
GOD GETS INTO THINGS
Touring the Neighborhood
1. The presence of troubles doesn’t surprise us. The absence of God, however, undoes us. We can deal with the ambulance if God is in it. We can stomach the ICU if God is in it. We can face the empty house if God is in it. Is he?
A. Describe the last time you faced a major trial. Did it feel as though God was there with you? Explain.
B. When is it most difficult to believe that God is with you?
2. The present-tense Christ. He never says, “I was.” We do. We do because “we were.” We were younger, faster, prettier. Prone to be people of the past tense, we reminisce. Not God. Unwavering in strength, he need never say, “I was.” Heaven has no rearview mirrors.
A. What does it mean for us that Christ is always “present tense”?
B. Do you think God has any regrets? Explain.
3. God gets into things! Red Seas. Big fish. Lions’ dens and furnaces. Bankrupt businesses and jail cells. Judean wildernesses, weddings, funerals, and Galilean tempests. Look and you’ll find what everyone from Moses to Martha discovered. God in the middle of our storms. That includes yours.
A. How has God gotten into things in your life? Describe a couple of incidents.
B. How do you look for God in the middle of your personal storms?
C. How can you help others find God in the middle of their own tempests?
1. Read Matthew 14:22–33.
A. Whose idea was it for the disciples to cross to the other side of the lake (v. 22)? Why is this important to remember?
B. What did Jesus do after dismissing the crowd (v. 23)? What example does he give us?
C. Why did the disciples think Jesus was a ghost (v. 26)? How often do we mistake Jesus for something or someone else?
D. How did Jesus respond to his disciples’ fear (v. 27)?
E. Do you applaud or disapprove of Peter’s request (v. 28)? Why?
F. What caused Peter to sink (v. 30)? How is this very much like us?
G. How does verse 33 give an appropriate end to the story? Why would this be an appropriate end to our stories as well?
2. Read John 6:48; 8:12, 58; 10:9, 11, 36; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1.
A. Spend some time discussing each of the “I am” statements of Christ in the gospel of John. What does each one signify? How is each one meant to give you hope and a future?
B. Substitute “I was” or “I will be” for these statements. How does that affect the hope they provide?
Teachable moments for children can be found in reaching out to those in our communities who are less fortunate. If you have children, consider taking them on a church-sponsored family missions trip to an underprivileged culture. Or you might take them to help serve for an afternoon or a day at a downtown rescue mission. Teens can help with city-sponsored literacy courses. Investigate your opportunities for service to the underprivileged, and then get the whole family involved.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
HOPE OR HYPE?
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Ever feel as if you are walking through a religious midway?
A. Answer this question.
B. Describe some of the religious come-ons you’ve heard in the past year.
C. How can you tell when you’re hearing a religious “carnival barker”?
2. Peter’s error is not that he spoke, but that he spoke heresy. Three monuments would equate Moses and Elijah with Jesus. No one shares the platform with Christ.
A. Why shouldn’t Moses and Elijah share the platform with Christ?
B. How does Jesus far outstrip any spiritual hero of the past?
C. Why do you think God had Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus on the mountain?
3. In the synoptic Gospels, God speaks only twice—at the baptism and then here at the Transfiguration. In both cases he begins with “This is My beloved Son.” But at the river he concludes with affirmation: “in whom I am well pleased.” On the hill he concludes with clarification: “Listen to Him.”
A. Why do you think God spoke audibly from heaven only twice in the Gospels? Why not speak more often?
B. For what reason do you think God would say of Jesus on the first occasion, “in whom I am well pleased,” while on the second he said, “Listen to Him”?
C. How do you actively listen to Jesus?
4. Make no mistake, Jesus saw himself as God. He leaves us with two options. Accept him as God, or reject him as a megalomaniac. There is no third alternative.
A. Why do you think so many people insist that Jesus never claimed to be God?
B. How would you show someone that Jesus truly did claim to be divine?
C. What decision have you made about the identity of Christ? Why did you make this decision?
1. Read Luke 9:27–36.
A. In what way was the Transfiguration a fulfillment of prophecy (v. 27)?
B. How do you think the disciples recognized Moses and Elijah (v. 33)?
C. Why do you think the disciples grew afraid as a cloud from God covered them (v. 34)?
D. Why do you think the disciples for a time kept to themselves the story of the Transfiguration (v. 36)?
2. Read Matthew 24:30.
A. What connection does this verse have with the Transfiguration story?
B. How can the truth declared by this verse give you hope and strength to continue, even in hard circumstances?
Many religious cults claim some connection to Jesus Christ while at the same time flatly denying his divinity. Get a copy of a good resource on non-Christian cults (Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult, for example, or Walter Martin’s classic Kingdom of the Cults), and bone up on the reasons why Christians believe in the deity of Christ, as well as why these cultic groups deny it.
Touring the Neighborhood
1. This is a supernatural darkness. Not a casual gathering of clouds or a brief eclipse of the sun. This is a three-hour blanket of blackness.
A. Imagine how the witnesses of this event might have reacted to the darkness.
B. Why would God cause such a darkness?
C. Have you experienced a sudden, dramatic act of nature? How did you react?
2. Ah, there is the hardest word. Abandon. The house no one wants. The child no one claims. The parent no one remembers. The Savior no one understands. He pierces the darkness with heaven’s loneliest question: “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”
A. Describe a time when you felt abandoned.
B. Do you ever fear being abandoned? Explain.
C. Why would God abandon his only Son, “in whom I am well pleased”?
3. See Christ on the cross? That’s a gossiper hanging there. See Jesus? Embezzler. Liar. Bigot. See the crucified carpenter? He’s a wife beater. Porn addict and murderer. See Bethlehem’s boy? Call him by his other names—Adolf Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Jeffrey Dahmer.
A. Was it unfair of God to place the sin of the world on his perfectly obedient Son? Explain.
B. Does Jesus’ hesitation in the Garden of Gethsemane make more sense to you when you ponder the sin he “became” on the cross? Explain.
1. Read Matthew 27:45–54.
A. Why do you think Matthew tells us about the darkness that covered the land for three hours (v. 45)?
B. What do you think was going through Jesus’ mind as he cried out the words recorded in verse 46?
C. What happened at the moment that Jesus died (vv. 51–53)? Why are these things significant?
D. How did the Roman soldiers react to what they saw (v. 54)?
2. Read Psalm 22:1–18.
A. Read carefully through these verses, and see how many prophetic fulfillments you can find in the crucifixion of Christ.
B. When you are fearful, what scripture gives you strength?
3. Read 2 Timothy 4:9–18.
A. Briefly describe Paul’s personal situation as he speaks of it in this passage.
B. How did the apostle react to being abandoned (vv. 10, 16)?
C. How did the apostle find strength in God even in his abandonment (vv. 17–18)? How can we do the same?
A popular worship song says Jesus was abandoned so we didn’t have to be. But some people—including Christians—feel abandoned nonetheless. You can help break the chains of abandonment by demonstrating your care and concern for someone in your world. From a small beginning, such as an invitation to dinner, you can show someone that he or she has not been abandoned. If a personal invitation might be overwhelming to the person, try a group event, such as a neighborhood party. Call it a get-acquainted party, implying that there will be others in the group who are new to the neighborhood, thereby making the event more welcoming and less intimidating.
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHRIST’S COUP DE GRÂCE
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Don’t we howl? Not at car washes perhaps but at hospital stays and job transfers. Let the economy go south or the kids move north, and we have a wail of a time. And when our Master explains what’s happening, we react as if he’s speaking Yalunka. We don’t understand a word he says.
A. How do you normally react when unexpected difficulties hit? Do you wail? Explain.
B. Describe a time when you just couldn’t understand what God was doing in your life. In hindsight, what do you now think God might have been doing?
C. Is your present world “wet and wild”? Explain. What have you learned that can help you weather this time?
2. More Old Testament foretellings were realized during the crucifixion than on any other day. Twenty-nine different prophecies, the youngest of which was five hundred years old, were completed on the day of Christ’s death.
A. Does it encourage you or inspire you in your faith to realize how many ancient prophecies Christ fulfilled while on the cross? Why or why not?
B. Have you ever done a study on fulfilled prophecy? If not, why not?
3. Don’t call Jesus a victim of circumstances. Call him an orchestrator of circumstances! He engineered the action of his enemies to fulfill prophecy. And he commandeered the tongues of his enemies to declare truth.
A. Think through the gospel story. How did God appear to arrange circumstances to orchestrate the result he desired?
B. If God really does orchestrate even what appear to be tragic circumstances for the benefit of his people, how should that affect the way you live? Does it so affect your life? Explain.
4. I dare you to find one element of the cross that he did not manage for good or recycle for symbolism. Give it a go. I think you’ll find what I found—every dark detail was actually a golden moment in the cause of Christ.
A. Take Max’s challenge. What do you discover?
B. How do you think God can take “every dark detail” of your own life and use it for your ultimate good?
1. Read Matthew 26:24, 31, 54, 56; John 12:20–27; 13:18; 17:12.
A. What do all of these texts have in common?
B. Why is it important for us to realize that Jesus knew exactly what was happening as the time of his arrest drew near?
C. What confidence can it give you in your faith to realize that God has history under control?
2. Read John 11:49–52.
A. Who spoke prophetically in this passage (v. 49)? Why is that unusual?
B. What do you think the speaker meant to convey through his statement? What did God intend for his words to convey (vv. 51–52)?
C. How does this incident demonstrate God’s shepherding of history—yours included?
3. Read Acts 4:23–31.
A. How did their knowledge of prophecy frame the apostles’ interpretation of Jesus’ crucifixion?
B. Did the fulfillment of prophecy encourage the apostles or make them fearful? What did they do as a result?
If you’d like a gripping, journalistic-style account of what happened when Jesus went to the cross, get a copy of Jim Bishop’s The Day Christ Died. Bishop uses modern reportorial techniques and up-to-date historical information to paint a fascinating picture of what happened on the day Jesus gave his life for humankind.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHRIST’S CRAZY CLAIM
Touring the Neighborhood
1. An occupied tomb on Sunday takes the good out of Good Friday.
A. Why would an occupied tomb on Sunday take the good out of Good Friday?
B. What was good about the death of Christ? Why couldn’t the disciples see this ahead of time?
2. The empty tomb never resists honest investigation. A lobotomy is not a prerequisite of discipleship. Following Christ demands faith, but not blind faith.
A. How is it possible to investigate the Crucifixion and Resurrection two millennia after the Gospels say they occurred?
B. Give some examples of intelligent questions regarding the truth of Christianity.
C. What is the difference between faith and blind faith? Why is one legitimate and the other not?
3. The courage of these men and women was forged in the fire of the empty tomb. The disciples did not dream up a resurrection. The Resurrection fired up the disciples. Have doubts about the empty tomb? Come and see the disciples.
A. Compare the actions and demeanor of the disciples before and after Resurrection Sunday. What differences do you note?
B. Why is it harder to believe that the disciples dreamed up the Resurrection than that the Resurrection fired up the disciples?
4. Just like passengers in the airport about to board a plane, we get to choose how we respond. Either board and trust the pilot—or try to get home on our own.
A. How do some people try to get home on their own?
B. How do you demonstrate your trust in the “Pilot”? Could observers see this trust? Explain.
1. Read Matthew 28:1–10.
A. To whom did the angel direct his comments in this passage (v. 5)? Why do you think he didn’t speak to the guards?
B. What did the angel tell the women? What did he direct them to do (vv. 5–7)?
C. Why do you think the women were both afraid and filled with joy at the angel’s words (v. 8)?
D. Why do you think the risen Christ would tell his disciples to go to Galilee, where he would appear to them? Why not appear to them where they already were?
2. Read Acts 2:22–41.
A. How does Peter begin his comments on Jesus in this passage (v. 22)? Why start out this way?
B. How does Peter interpret the arrest and crucifixion of Christ (v. 23)?
C. What event does Peter highlight in his sermon (vv. 24–32)?
D. How does Peter connect this event to what has just happened in Jerusalem (v. 33)?
E. What conclusion does Peter state in verse 36?
F. What solution does Peter suggest in verses 38–40?
3. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1–8, 12–20.
A. Name the main points of the “gospel” Paul said he preached.
B. What personal connection did the apostle have to these events (v. 8)?
C. Why is the resurrection of Christ central to the message of Christianity (vv. 12–20)? What happens without it?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ forms the cornerstone of our entire faith—but that cornerstone does people no good if they don’t know about it. When was the last time you told someone else about the great Savior you have? Who in your sphere of influence still needs to hear about Jesus? Make a list of the five people in your life who first come to mind. Commit to praying for them, that they might invite Jesus to become their Savior— and pray specifically for how you might fit into the introduction.
CONCLUSION
STILL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Touring the Neighborhood
1. Why the immensity? Why such vast, unmeasured, unexplored, “unused” space? So that you and I, freshly stunned, could be stirred by this resolve: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
A. How does the vastness of space make you feel? Awed? Miniscule? Explain.
B. How does the immensity of space encourage us to believe that we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us?
2. The Christ of the galaxies is the Christ of your Mondays. The Starmaker manages your travel schedule. Relax. You have a friend in high places.
A. Does knowing that Christ both runs the universe and watches over you help you to relax? Explain.
B. How close are you to your friend Jesus? Could you call him a best friend? Why or why not?
3. Even in heaven, Christ remains our next door Savior. Even in heaven, he is still “Christ Jesus . . . who died.” The King of the universe commands comets with a human tongue and directs celestial traffic with a human hand. Still human. Still divine. Living forever through his two natures.
A. Why is it important for us to remember that Jesus forever remains both human and divine?
B. Do you look forward to shaking the very real hand of your very real Savior? Explain.
4. Even though he is in heaven, he never left the neighborhood.
A. How could Jesus be both in heaven and in your neighborhood?
B. Does it help you to think of Jesus as a next door Savior? Explain.
1. Read Romans 8:34.
A. What current role does this verse assign to Jesus Christ?
B. How does this role encourage you to keep moving ahead in your faith?
2. Read Ephesians 1:15–23.
A. What requests did Paul make of God on behalf of the Ephesians (vv. 17–19)?
B. What do you learn about Christ’s resurrection (vv. 19–20)?
C. What do you learn about Christ’s current activities (vv. 20–22)?
D. How do these truths affect you?
3. Read Matthew 28:16–20.
A. Why do you think that when the disciples saw Jesus after his resurrection, most worshiped him but some doubted (v. 17). What was there to doubt?
B. How did Jesus describe his status in verse 18? What significance does this have for us?
C. What commands does Jesus give his disciples in verses 19–20? How are you complying with these directions?
D. What promise does Jesus give in verse 20? How is this designed to encourage and strengthen us?
Spend some time in prayer thanking God for sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to be your next door Savior. Thank him for the specific benefits he has granted you. Praise him for his kindness in providing such a wonderful Savior. And ask him how you might be able to share your Savior’s love with others, whether under your own roof or in your own neighborhood.