Vineyards and Vegetables
Pastor Marcus Mecum
Review this week's message.
Key Thought: God wants us to stay the course and live out the best life He designed for us
Key Quote
“Anything that interferes with God’s best is settling for something ordinary.”- Pastor Marcus Mecum
Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.
- What’s a food that you used to dislike but now you enjoy?
- When it comes to growing things, do you have a green thumb or a brown thumb?
- What is your favorite vegetable?
- Have you ever had a bad experience with a vegetable?
Start thinking. Ask a thoughtful question.
- Why do you think we find ourselves in situations where we just go through the motions?
- When someone says God has placed a calling on their life, what does that mean? What does it mean to compromise the calling on your life?
- Ps. Marcus makes the point that God wrote the Bible with us in mind. How should this shape our perspective of His word?
- What would make you consider giving up the extraordinary for the ordinary?
Start sharing. Choose questions that create openness.
- Is there an area in your life where you’re allowing the enemy to get the victory? What does God’s extraordinary look like in that area?
- What was the last prayer of yours that God answered?
- What was the last accusation the devil hit you with?
- How are you seeking God every day?
Start praying. Be bold, and pray with power.
Dear Jesus, help us to not settle for something ordinary when you want to do extraordinary things through us. Humble and strengthen us to obediently live our lives the way you intended. In your name we pray, Amen.
Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- It’s so easy to forget God’s faithfulness in the past. He has brought us through hard times, and he can do it again. Fill in this blank: “Today I’m going to remember that God is bigger than _____________,” then say that sentence out loud every morning.
- It’s amazing what God can do when we have a heart of obedience. This week, pray and ask God to humble you and make His plan, your plan so that He can do an extraordinary work through your life.
- Ask God to show you what vineyard He has for you, then make a plan to get from where you are now, to tending that vineyard every day.
- Go around the room and have each member of the group describe the vineyard they see available in another group member’s life. Make sure everyone hears about their own vineyard from another group member, then brainstorm ways to get the whole group living in their promised life.
Scriptures
Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” 1 Kings: 21-1-10 NIV
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. James 5:17 NIV
