REALLIFE STUDY GROUP

“Founding Fathers”

 

ICEBREAKER:  Tell us one of your favorite states in America, besides Ohio, and why you feel that way.

 

CONFESSION:  Fathering, coaching, mentoring, encouraging, influencing and servant-leadership are the calling and the goal of every mature believer on some level.   I choose to allow my Heavenly Father to father someone through me this week.  Fathering boils down to loving someone enough to care.    

 

DEFINITIONS: What is a founding father?

·        One who foresees the problem and becomes the answer

·        One who lays a foundation and becomes a cornerstone

·        One who builds an altar and becomes the sacrifice

·        One who prepares a harvest and becomes a seed

·        One who runs a race and becomes a baton

·        One who starts a revolution and becomes a warrior

·        One who pioneers a trail and becomes a path

·        One who shines a light and becomes a torch

·        One who casts a vision and becomes the blueprint

·        One who preaches a message and becomes the example

 

OUTLINE:  What are the fatherless waiting for?

Fathers to bless them by...

1.    Repenting of hypocrisy and iniquity

2.    Walking in integrity and intellectual honesty

3.    Interceding for their posterity

4.    Resourcing their destiny

5.    Affirming their identity

6.    Cultivating their ability

7.    Stimulating their creativity

8.    Defining their priority

9.    Releasing their opportunity

10. Recognizing their individuality

11. Prophesying their possibility and potentiality

12. Forgiving their animosity and hostility

13. Vanquishing their enemy

 

TEXT: Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 1:1-17; 1 John 2:12-14

 

STUDY GROUP QUESTIONS:

1.    Describe a problem in our society due to lack of fathering for which people are looking for answers?

2.    Why does the Apostle John, in 1 John 2:12-14, say he writes to little children, to young men and to fathers?

3.    Give one reason why people in our society seem to be so angry?

4.    Describe your relationship with your dad.

5.    If you could say one thing to your dad or father figure in your life what would it be?

6.    How do you think we, as believers or as a church, can help the fatherless in our world?

 

PRAISE & PRAYER REQUESTS: