ADVENT: WEEK 2 PEACE
Look Back:
In this series we will be looking at God’s promised Advent, or coming of his son, Jesus. This is the most important event in human history; the almighty, eternal, creator becoming human, living among us, and suffering on our behalf in order to give us life.
- What is one thing you did last week, in reliance on the Holy Spirit, to help bring about God’s plan?
- How did you do it? Where and with whom?
- How did it go? Did God bless you?
Look Up:
Watch the video from us.
Review the notes below.
The most basic meaning of shalom is not “peace” as we often assume, but “complete” or “whole.” Life is complex, and when one part of your life is out of alignment because of sickness, loss, a broken relationship, or something else, your “shalom,” or “completeness,” breaks down. Something needs to be restored.
The Advent of Jesus is the arrival of peace. He not only made peace with God for us, but he became our peace. Through the Advent of Jesus, not only are we no longer in conflict with God, but much more in that God has restored us to a state of wholeness.
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” John 14:27
Jesus’s followers are called to create shalom like he did, which requires patience, humility, and bearing with one another in love.
Look In: Discussion
- Talk about how your life lost “shalom” when one part of it has fallen out of place. How did you restore completeness? Or what needs to change for you to restore completeness?
- “Jesus is the complete human we all were made to be, and he gives us his life as a gift that will allow us to become complete people, too.” What does this mean?
- What does it look like to participate in the life of Jesus?
Look Forward:
True peace takes work – finding what’s broken in our lives, relationships, or world, and doing our best to make it whole.
- What is one area of your community where there is not shalom/peace?
- Is there anything we could do as a group to bring some shalom, some peace, to this thing?
- What is one thing or one area of your life where you do not have shalom/peace?
- What is one thing you can do this week to move closer to shalom/peace in this thing or area?
- How will you do this one thing?
Pray for one another to do it and be ready to share what God does with your obedience.
Helpful Resources:
Check out this message from John Piper on Peace