Service Video, Message Notes, & Community Group Guide

MESSAGE NOTES

Time to Party - The Secret to Joy: 3 Ingredients

Nehemiah 8:5-12

Ingredient 1: Recognizing Counterfeit Joy – verse 5-6

Key Concept: Counterfeit joy offers short term feelings of joy which end in emptiness. True joy lasts in all situations.

Key Verse:  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit Ephesians 5:18

Community Group Application: Community Group members recognized counterfeit joy and reach others who look good but are empty.

Ingredient 2: Repentance and Forgiveness – verse 9

Key Concept: True joy is built on deep personal repentance and receiving God’s forgiveness through Jesus.

Key Verse: Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord Acts 3:19

Community Group Application: community group leaders explain God’s word to the members of the group so they will repent and find true joy.

Ingredient 3: Gathering together to celebrate  – verses 10-12

Key Concept: When you experience the true joy of forgiveness it is time to celebrate.

Key Verse: Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. Nehemiah 8:12

Community Group Application: Community Groups gather each week to celebrate the true joy they have found.

Crossroads Community Group Guide

Click here to join a Community Group! (All groups meet online.)

A. Welcome

B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time: Nothing Else

D. Announcements

• Weekly Resources on Crossroads Facebook Page

• Daily Devotional Video: The Encouraging Word with Pastor Willie

• Events: Crossroads Website

E. Review

1. How did you do with what you wanted to apply from last week?

2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?

F. Opening Question: What types of things do people look to to find joy other than God?

G. Background Information

Nehemiah was a governor of the people of Israel under the Persian King Artaxerxes. The Jewish people had turned away from God and God had allowed their land to be taken over and the people sent to exile in Babylon. They had sought other things other than God. Now they were back in their land rebuilding their lives. Chapter 8-9 describe a scene where the people all gather together to hear the law of Moses read aloud and explained to them. The law of Moses refers to the first 5 books of the Bible. It is certain the Ten Commandments and other laws God had given them were rad and explained. The people's response is to cry and repent of turning away from God the source of true joy and fulfilment.

As you lead this study make a relationship with how the Israelite people turn away from God to the different ways people today turn away from God to seek joy elsewhere.

H. Word: Nehemiah 8:5-12

1. What key words do you see in these verses?

2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.

3. What are the details?

I. Discuss the following general questions together.

1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?

3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus, or Holy Spirit) from the story?

4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?

J. Commitment - Obedience - Application: What specifically will you commit to apply in your life from this study?

K. Prayer Time:

1. Pray for new people by name who you want to join your group.

2. Pray for your group to multiply.

3. Pray for the needs of the members of the group. Divide into 2 groups, for male and female.

L. For Next time: Ask each person the name of a person they will invite to the group for next week.