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Reset Perspective

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10 January, 2021Pastor Mark SimpfendorferReset

Living Out Loud
LifeGroup Guide

Perspective is a lens through which we learn to see the world; it shapes what we see and the way we see it. The lens can clarify, magnify, distort or blur what we see. What lens do you have on as you look back on 2020? What filters are you putting on as you approach the year ahead? The problems occur when there is a gap in your vision…between what you experience and what you believe or know to be true; when you come to the horizon of what you can see and you can't make sense of things. Today as we launch into this new year, God wants to reset your perspective and give you a lens through which you can view every experience and every circumstance you encounter in 2021 and beyond.


Read the Weekly News here


THEME VERSE

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20


REMEMBER THIS WEEK

But God...that's the lens which will alter your perpsective on every circumstance. Whatever you see, experience, encounter, add the following filter...but God. But God...has a plan...has a purpose...is at work.. in my life...to achieve his purpose...to be a blessing to others.


FAITH TALK

1  How have your experiences acted as a filter through which you view God?

2  How do you see God today and how does that affect your approach to 2021?


Bible Readings

14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More from 'Reset'

Reset Hope

14 February, 2021 Pastor Mark Schultz

Patterns. The brain is wired to recognise them. From those who can look at a bunch of numbers and see what comes next to those who can recognise a species of bird from its flight pattern. From those who can observe a child's social interaction and recognise they have special needs to those who can spot emerging patterns of growth or decline in the business or financial markets. Our world is full of patterns. Our lives are built on patterns. From the idiosyncrasies and habits that bring us comfort or make us unique, to the destructive patterns of behaviour that destroy relationships and lives and drain our lives of hope. Today in final week of our series "Reset", we see a pattern of behaviour and a cycle of existence that is repeated over and over and always leads to the same conclusion - gloom, despair, dejection and exile. But God, who ordered this world and sets the pattern for living, comes to break that pattern and create a new one that transforms gloom into gladness, despair into delight, dejection into joy and resets hope on a daily basis.

Read the WEEKLY NEWS here

THEME VERSE

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Redemption by grace, restoration in love, recreation for joy.

That’s the daily pattern that resets hope in your heart and inspires life in its fullness. It's a repeated gift from a God who loves you and delights in you.

FAITH TALK

1. What daily/weekly patterns are important in your life?

2. What keeps you from believing that God is delighted in you? If you say 'Nothing", how is that evident in your life?

3. If you could hear God singing over you right now, what song do you think you would hear?

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Reset Worship

7 February, 2021 Pastor Mark Schultz

Have you ever come to the realisation that you are lost when driving or hiking, with no idea of where you are? Have you ever been dumped by a wave and can't work out which way is up or down? Have you ever woken up after an intense dream and not known where you are? Losing reference points can be scary, disorienting and confusing. Without good reference points, we lose our sense of direction and what's up and what's down. When life is unsure, uncertain and uncomfortable, when we feel anxious, overwhelmed, or challenged, we long for solid anchor points to keep us safe and re-orient our lives in the right direction. The people of God knew what that was like. After 70 years in exile, they finally were able to return home to reform, rebuild, reimagine and reset their lives. It began with re-attaching themselves to an anchor point that could hold their past, stabilise and secure their present and move them forward into the future with hope. It's that same anchor point that gives us direction today, restoring our lives, reclaiming our hearts and reaffirming our destiny. Let God reset your worship and give you an anchor point that holds no matter how crazy life gets.

Read the WEEKLY NEWS here

THEME VERSE

“He is good;

his love toward Israel endures forever.” Ezra 3:11

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Worship carries the weight of our past, our hopes and dreams of our future and anchors it in the unchanging and steadfast love of God, bringing a stability, security and confidence to our lives in the present.

FAITH TALK

1. What would you consider "the best days of your life?"

2. How can the past be a trap that stops you enjoying the present?

3. Where do you see that 'God is good and his love endures' in the life of your Church community in this moment?

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Reset Vision

31 January, 2021 Pastor Mark Schultz

A vision so compelling that it captures the heart, ignites the imagination, inspires the community, motivates behaviour, spans the generations, shapes the culture and creates a ongoing legacy that is breathtaking to behold. That's the God-sized vision that David shared, passed on, invested in personally and invited others to participate in. For David knew that all that matters is that people have access to the presence of God and receive the life-transforming grace that alone can give, sustain and bring fullness of life now and for eternity. Anything less than this vision is an imitation of the life God has in store for you. So let him reset your vision and increase your wonder that together we may see tomorrow more enthusiastically, embrace change more confidently, and take bold steps more consistently. It's a gift that will bless the world.

Read the Weekly News here

THEME VERSE

Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 1 Chronicles 29:18

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Everything that matters, still matters and will always matter - the presence of God in our lives. A life that is given over to and directed by the Gospel, a life that responds to the generosity of the Gospel and prioritises the message of the Gospel, is a life that will experience and witness the glory of God in the most incredible ways and will lead to overflowing praise of God.

FAITH TALK

1 What are some words that you hope people would use to describe your life?

2. What do you think is God's vision for your life?

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Reset Courage

24 January, 2021 Pastor Mark Simpfendorfer

The first step is the hardest. Seeking help when life is unmanageable. Taking responsibility for a life in freefall. Offering forgiveness when someone has wronged or offended you. Moving forward when fear paralyses. Changing direction when life is comfortable. Embracing a relationship when vulnerability is risky. The first step is the hardest. Joshua and the people of Israel knew that feeling. The Jordan River was that boundary between the wilderness and the Promised Land. They can't go around it, there are no bridges over it, and there is every excuse as to why it’s not a good time or a good place to cross it. But there is life on the other side if they will only have the courage to take the first step and go through the river. Individually and corporately as a Church, we stand on the edge of our own Jordan Rivers in life that God is inviting us to cross. It's a crossing that will take courage and today God commands us to be courageous and take the first step. For his promise is when we do, the flood waters will be parted, dry land will be revealed and a way forward into fullness of life will be opened up to you. So let him reset courage in 2021.

Read the WEEKLY NEWShere(https://mailchi.mp/xxxxxx/bulletin-sep-5096754)

THEME VERSE

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Courage is not an absence of fear but a willingness to let faith take precedence over the fears. For courage comes from the presence of God with us and God will never call us to act where his power and promise will not sustain us.

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Reset Identity

17 January, 2021 Pastor Mark Schultz

It's something that we have all done before, some more than others! Stand in front of a mirror. What do you see reflected back? Who do you see when looking in the mirror. Over time we internalise an image of ourselves, and our perception of that image becomes part of our identity. Where identity used to be established by family roots, cultural heritage and its ceremonies and rites of passage…more & more it’s by group, party, ideology, or society's value of our achievement & occupation. Even the media plays a major role in how we perceive ourselves. And sometimes that perception is a distorted image that doesn't reflect reality. We’re treating this year like the “re-set” button on an electronic device: the “on/off” switch that brings everything back to 0 – starts over. We’re asking God to re-set our lives to his will – our hearts to his way – our path to his purpose – our identity to his people and our direction to his destiny….because we trust that in every day and in every step along the way 'the Lord will reign forever and ever!

Read the Weekly News here

THEME VERSE

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.

In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. Exodus 15:13

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Only when you have an accurate picture of who God really is, can you discover your true identity. It will transform the direction of your life and give you the freedom to truly live…no matter the circumstances.

FAITH TALK

1. Whose voice is loudest in your head when you look in the mirror? How does that voice shape your life?

2. If you could only share one fact or detail about yourself, what would you most want people to know?

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