Aint No Boogle like a Hoogle Boogle!

Yep that's right, this Sunday is our Hoogle Boogle Express Test. A game show style service where we review everything we learned for the month, and hand out free prizes to the most knowledgeable. Here are the review questions we will be covering in our small groups before our challenges start:

1. What were some of the weird things God asked Ezekiel to do? (cook with poo, lie on his side for 430 days, speak to a valley of dry bones)
2. What is hard about being obedient to God?
3. What happened to the valley of dry bones when Ezekiel spoke to them? (they came to life)
4. Why do you think it’s so easy to think about ourselves?
5. What was Esther’s cousin’s name? (Mordecai)
6. How would you have felt if you were Esther? Scared? Nervous? Excited?
7. What could have happened when Esther went to see the king? (she could have been killed)
8. Do you think you would have risked your life to help others like Esther did? Why or why not?
9. John the Baptist was a little weird, what were some things he did that were weird? (wore camel hair, ate locusts, lived alone in the desert)
10. Why do you think people are embarrassed to talk about what they believe about Jesus?
11. What are some of the reasons why you asked Jesus to be the leader of your life?
12. Why should we tell people about Jesus? (so they can live in heaven too, to be blessed, to be healed, have peace etc. etc. etc.)

WEiRD like the Baptist

Weird means odd, different from the rest, unusual, abnormal, or strange. Following Jesus should make us weird in a good way, weird in a God way. Most people think that we should keep our opinion and belief in God to ourselves and not push our ideas on others. It’s weird to talk openly about believing in God and having a relationship with Jesus. Most people who do believe in God or Jesus act shy about sharing the Good News about Jesus with others. It’s weird to boldly talk about Jesus and not be embarrassed about your faith. We should never be ashamed of Jesus and how He is changing us from the inside out. Sharing that is not only good news, it’s powerful and will save other people’s lives too. John the Baptizer ate weird things, dressed weird, and challenged people with weird teachings even when it made people really angry to be confronted with their sin. If you decide to be weird like John the Baptizer, you may look different, dress different, talk different, or even eat different, but your life will be all about pointing others toward Jesus.

Catch Phrase:
I don’t need to be like the world, I am called to be different – set apart, holy.

Scripture Verse:
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes…"

Discussion Questions:
1. Share what you think is the weirdest smell on earth.
2. Why do you think people are embarrassed to talk about what they believe about Jesus?
3. Why do you think God wants us to tell others about our relationship with Jesus?
4. If you are a Christ follower, what are some ways you can tell other people about Jesus?
5. Some of you may not even know what it means to be a Christian or a Christ follower. Do you have any questions about what it means?


Material and image from LifeChurch.tv's "Weird" series.

WEiRD like the Queen

Weird means odd, different from the rest, unusual, abnormal, or strange. Following Jesus should make us weird in a good way, weird in a God way. Most people only think about themselves and what is in their own best interest. It’s weird not to be selfish and think of what’s best for others. Most people are just polite because they have to and many are just plain uncaring about others. It’s weird to really care for others and be willing to step in to help them out. People are naturally selfish. Changing this pattern of thinking takes God transforming us into a new person. Allowing God to make you new will also make you weird. It would have been safer and easier for Esther to just go on living in the palace and ignore the danger her people were in. She risked her safety and comfortable lifestyle to do what she knew was right. She risked her life to save other people’s lives. If you decide to be weird like Esther, you may be called upon to do something really risky and difficult but you will be showing the world what God’s power can do when we trust in Him.

Catch Phrase:
I don’t need to be like the world, I am called to be different – set apart, holy.

Scripture Verse:
2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…

Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think it’s so easy to think about ourselves??
2. How would you have felt if you were Esther? Scared? Nervous? Excited?
3. Do you think you would have risked your life to help others like Esther did? Why or why not?
4. Name some ways you could be weird and stand up for what’s right, even when it costs you something.




Material and image from LifeChurch.tv's "Weird" series.

WEiRD

Depending on the type of person you may be, hearing that word spoken about you is either a compliment or an insult. But as the old saying goes, "Normal is just a setting on a dryer." This month we are going to be exploring some of the weird things that God asked His people to do in the Old Testament and discuss whether or not He would ever put an "un-normal" challenge to us.

Let's face it, if we choose to live life God's way, people are going to think we're WEiRD. The choices we make, the values we have, the way we spend our time and money, even the way we think and talk will be different from everyone else. We aren’t supposed to be like the world. We are called to be different—set apart, holy. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so we could go on living like everyone else. To be like Him we should be weird.

This week we are going to look at the life of Ezekiel and see if he was truly WEiRD or if he just talked the talk.

Catch Phrase:
I don’t need to be like the world, I am called to be different – set apart, holy.

Scripture Verse:
Galatians 1:10, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

Discussion Questions:
1. What is the weirdest thing you have ever had to eat?
2. Have you ever seen someone do something really weird?
3. What were some of the weird things Ezekiel did?
4. Why do you think God asks us to do things that may seem weird?
5. Is it hard to obey God when others may think its weird?
6. Look up this week’s verse, Galatians 1:10, what do you think God is trying to teach us?


Material and image from LifeChurch.tv's "Weird" series.