8-7-15 We've All Gone Coconuts

Hello again,

First off, let me tell you that formatting is evidently not my thing. When I preview this blog there are ugly white spots here and there and I have no idea why!! So sorry!! You don't pay the big bucks to read this to have ugly formatting...oh, wait, you don't play the small bucks either!  :)

I had another great time with the Bible study gals last night!

We divided ourselves into squads last week and today we met with our squads and came up with a name, a theme verse, and a mission. Here's a summary of that:

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered...We're Ears" (formerly known as the "Ears.")
Verse: And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. -- Ephesians 1:13-14
Mission: To listen, really listen to others.

"Reach Out and Touch Someone" (formerly known as the "Hand.")
Verse: She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. -- Proverbs 31:20

Mission: To help others in need.

"Diffusers" (formerly known as the "Noses.")

Verse: But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. -- 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Mission: To be Christlike to others--we are a fragrance whether we want to be or not...is a good one or a bad one??

"Women of Vision" (formerly the "Eyes")

Verse: Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. -- Psalm 119:18

Mission: To help others see like God sees.

"Joyful Noise" (formerly the "Tongue.")

Verse: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. -- Psalm 19:14

Mission: To encourage one another.

The purpose of theses "squads" is to divide up the caring for each other in the study. To subdivide this large group into smaller, more knowable, groups of people. To develop prayer relationships with those in your group. 

Next, we took Day 47 of our "Whispers of Hope" book and studied that section of Scripture in more depth. I am definitely not a scholar, so I was thinking that possibly I'm not alone. So we used the Navigator article "How to Study the Bible" ("Discipleship Journal," Issue 90 (1995). In that article they list seven steps to study. Here is what the Diffusers came up with:

Verse: For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. -- Philippians 3:18-21

1. What is the background?

This was written to the church in Philippi by Paul and Timothy. It is mostly encouraging them.

2. Write the verse in your own words:

This world is not my home. We are eager for Jesus to return and will be transformed at that time.

3. What questions do you have?

What does "glorious body" look like? What is it?

What things are the "earthly things" that I should not be thinking about? Do I think of them?

What does it mean to be a citizen? (Dictionary definition: we owe allegiance and are entitled to protection)

Are the ones that are really enemies former believers? 

4. Cross References:

Ephesians 2:29

Ephesians 1:5

Galatians 3:26-4:7

Romans 8:15-17

2 Thessalonians 3:3

5. Insights/Observations.

These people had no shame about their sin. (Compare to today's world!)

No absolute truth.

They are excited about the upcoming return of Jesus.

Jesus is powerful over all. 

Reminiscent of Esau selling his birthright for a bowl of soup--god is belly.

6. Personal Application/What should I do with this?

Remember where I belong.

Analyze my thoughts and actions--are they earthly?

Am I more consumed with things of the earth that will pass away than the eternal?

7. Title and Summarize:

Beam me up, Scotty!!!

That's just what we came up with. The other groups probably had different ideas. 

Next, we played the game I invented that I like to call "Coconuts." (Maybe I'll sell it to Parker Bros. and make a million!!) 

Everyone was handed $1 in our new currency, which we called "coconuts." (Actually they were old business cards.) Then I handed out a list of different things that could be done to earn more coconuts. The goal is to get as many coconuts as you can.

Task	Coconut Value
Do 5 jumping jacks	1
Give someone a hug (with their permission)	2
Ask someone their favorite Bible verse and listen as they tell you.	3
Windex one glass table in front of the fireplace.	3
Tell someone a spiritual struggle you’ve had this week	3
Say something encouraging to someone.	2
Tell a good, clean joke.	2
Ask someone how their children, pets, or work is going. Listen.	3
Rub your head and pat your tummy simultaneously for 10 seconds.	1
Write (on an index card) one “good deed” you plan to do this week.	2
On how many different days did you read “Whispers of Hope” this week?	# of days=#of coconuts
What squad are you on?	1
On the whiteboard, write one place someone could minister (volunteer) in Lincoln.	2
Give someone a shoulder rub for 30 seconds.	1
Ask someone which day of the “Whispers” book spoke to them the most this past week.	2
Play cats cradle with someone.	1
Tell someone your first memory.	1
Set up a coffee date with someone here for this next week.	2
Ask someone what their favorite praise song is.	3
Ask someone what they believe their spiritual gifts are.	3
Walk backwards for 10 steps.	1
Gather a small group and play London Bridge.	3
Vacuum in this area for 15 seconds.	4
Pretend you are playing hopscotch.	1
Tell someone what a recurring fear you have is.	3
Ask someone what their favorite dessert is.	1
Grab a partner and do the Irish dance steps from last week.	3
Go tell Kitt that you love, love, love this game!  After 10 minutes the game was called and we counted up the coconuts. Then the winners were invited to my prize table where various really expensive and glamorous prizes awaited with varying price tags on them.  How did this fit in? It's all because of a speaker I heard a long, long time ago. His illustration said that if we knew we were going to be transferred (permanently) to an island (Kukamunga?) and the currency there was coconuts, what would we do? We  would sell everything we had and ship coconuts over to Kukamunga. We would do everything we could to make sure we were providing for ourselves for the future.  We are going to be permanently transferred someday. The place I'm going doesn't have money. I need to build up the bank there with that currency. Living like Christ wants me to (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control--did I get them all?), helping others, keeping watch over my tongue. Doing those things doesn't get me in to my desired final destination (heaven, if you couldn't tell) but somehow it increases the great reward that Jesus has waiting for me.	4