Works Like A Charm

Guest speaker: Mitch East

TO START

This Christmas season we’re encouraging our members to send Christmas cards to our missionaries--the Sibleys in Croatia and the Easts in Tanzania. Why don’t you make Christmas cards tonight? Write notes. Use glue and glitter and markers. Have fun.

SCRIPTURE

Read Proverbs 31: 10-31.

What do you think about reading Proverbs 31 as an allegory for the church? Does it work?

If the church is the bride of Christ, what does a good bride do (according to this passage)? Make a list together.

DISCUSSION

As we discuss this message let’s remember that WE are the church--not just our leaders or preacher. Too, let’s focus on ourselves and not other churches. Be constructive. The last thing we want this discussion to be is destructive.

What is charm? Do you feel personally like you’re tempted to charm others? Do you feel like you need to charm other people in order to introduce them to Christ? Explain.

What’s the difference between being charming and being hospitable or welcoming? If the church need not be known for her charm, what should she known for?

What does a church of good character look like? What does a church with character DO? (Remember: the church is a group of people committed to Christ and one another acting in the best interests of the Kingdom for the glory of God. It’s NOT a building, a set of leaders, hired staff, programming...)

On Sunday Mitch said, “God isn’t looking for a good-looking church; God is looking for a good church.”

●  Are you tempted to try be good-looking? In which ways/how so?

●  Why is it so hard to be good (as compared to being good-looking)?

What does it mean to fear the Lord? Do you feel like you understand what that would look like? How does a person who fears the Lord act? Be specific. Give examples.

Have you ever witnessed the transformation of a person bear witness to the power of God? Does our transformation affect the world around us? Give an example.

PRAYER

Tonight, pray for the church. Pray that she would be characterized by character and not charm. Ask God to fill us with His Spirit and grow in us the fruit of His Spirit. You might go around the room and have each member pray asking God to bless/shape/transform the church at Round Rock in one specific way.

You could also pray Proverbs 31, changing it from a description of a type of person to a plea, asking God to make us into that type of person.