Make Peace (Part 1): Different Than An Atheist?

#1 Listen to “Make Peace: Different Than An Atheist?”

Consider this Sunday morning’s lesson. You can listen here: http://bit.ly/1gCDfNL 

Or watch here [video will be posted by Monday each week]: www.vimeo.com/rrcoc

What stuck out to you as interesting?

Did you encounter any challenging or re-orienting truth?

How’d it make you feel?

#2 Hard Work

Our subtitle for this series is “Getting along when getting along is hard.”

Is getting along hard for you? Or does it come naturally?

Rate how much you need this series on a scale of 1 to 10. Keep it personal or share Olympic-judge-style on a white card, revealing your answers all together.

Much of how we deal with tension or conflict is either learned or inherited. Do you have past experiences or examples/people who’ve shaped the way you get along with others? Why do you think you approach conflict (or potential conflict) the way you do? Share with your group.

#3 King Peace

Read Isaiah 9:2-7

How is Jesus described in Isaiah’s prophecy?

Consider the context. What does it mean that Jesus is Prince of Peace?

If Jesus is Prince of Peace, what does that suggest about His kingdom?

Are we as God’s people characterized by peace? What can we do in our own personal lives to usher in (or make way for) Jesus’ kingdom of peace? Be specific, practical, and (remember) personal.

#4 Pray for Full Restoration

We ended the sermon this week with these words from 2 Corinthians 13: “Strive for full restoration”

Do you have relationships that need full restoration?

Write down one relationship you want to be praying for over the course of this series.

If you’re willing, share it with your group and pray for one another by name.

If you don’t want to share the particulars, have each member write a name on a piece of paper and put it face down on a table. Have group members put their hands on the papers and pray over the relationships represented. Then throw away the papers.

#5 Show Me What You Really Think

Ken Sande writes, “Every time you enter a conflict, you will inevitably show what you really think of God.”

If we respond to offense with anger or revenge what does that say about what we really think of God?

Consider someone you know who handles conflict poorly. Don’t name names. What does the way that person acts reveal about their understanding of God?

What about people who handle conflict well? What does their behavior indicate about their understanding of God?

#6 Funny

Consider the following cartoon from 1965:

While the context for this cartoon is the Vietnam War, it has implications for Christianity.

Have you ever felt like “making peace” was an upper level job? Why or why not?

Why is it important for every person to be accountable for peace-making?

#6 Gets Along Well With Others

Share a story from your childhood when you definitely did not get along well with others. Tell a funny one. We like funny.