Three men gathered post-workout to see how God would speak to us through His word. All left with renewed vigor, either from the Spirit or the caffeine.
THREE QUESTIONS THOU SHALT ANSWER
We tried a new format today. The leader chooses a verse or verses beforehand and reads to the pax. The pax then have a few minutes to re-read verses on their own and answer three questions which will be shared with the group as time allows.
- What stands out the most to you in these verses?
- What would you ask the writer about these verses?
- How
canwill you apply these verses in your life this week?
Today we read Luke 2:25-35 which speaks of Simeon who was promised by God that he would see the Messiah before his death. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, he proclaimed Christ as the answer God had promised and informed the parents that this was the one “destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel”.
Amen and Gnarly Goat shared their insights and then YHC shared his. You may follow along at home by reading the verses and answering the questions in the comments below. As an example, I answered the questions like this:
- God made a promise to Simeon which Simeon acknowledged. He then announced he was ready for death, holding to his end of the bargain with the Lord. How often do we make deal with God but then either miss His answer or change the rules once we get what we want?
- I would ask why the parents were amazed by Simeon’s response considering they were visited by angels before Christ’s birth. I suppose they were surprised that someone else could “see” Christ in a human infant, but considering the shepherds and wise men knew, I would think they would be used to the unusual by now.
- My goal this week is to look for God in others and recognize when He is using others to speak to me.
THY SKIN OF THINE UNDERGROUND RODENT
Redemption has been suffering low turn out since 9-Lives departed. I guess Gnarly Goat isn’t as charismatic as Meow Mix was. The three regulars have discussed the drop in numbers and arrived at three possible reasons for the trend (with the goal of reversing it):
- Busy schedules don’t allow men to discuss Scripture until 0700
- F3 men have become java snobs and don’t like McDonald’s coffee
- YHC smells more like teen spirit than the Holy Spirit*
OK, so really just two reasons. But in an effort to sharpen iron, we are making some changes to encourage everyone to give us another try. Here’s what we propose to do:
Reduced time commitment. If it’s hard to arrive by 0615 because most workouts don’t end until then, come later. If you have to leave by 0630 to get the 2.0s to school, grab the info and go; you can answer the questions in the comments of the back blast. Heck, if we have to make this an online course, you can even skip the meeting completely and just do the homework mentioned here. Of course I would argue that the more effort you put into joining us, the more you (and YHC) will get out of it, but as always in F3 it’s you versus you.
Location, location, location. McDonald’s too far away? Don’t care for Egg McMuffins? Understood. Frankly, YHC isn’t a big fan of McD’s breakfast menu either. So (at least for now) we’re moving to Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Gilead and Statesville roads. GG says DD java is better and we all know donuts are the next best thing to bacon, which is also available.
Hopefully these changes encourage a few of you to give Redmption another chance. Join us next Thursday at Dunkin Donuts any time between 0615 and 0700. We’ll welcome you like the Prodigal Son and make your day better with a small dose of Scripture (and sugar). Aye!
* if #3 really is an issue, let me know and I’ll bring a clothes pin for your nose.