This Sunday | October 9th

This Sunday will be a separate week before we begin our next series. Pastor Kevin Harney will be looking at the most common and dangerous sin that appears inside the church. Can you guess what it is? We’ll look at how this sin can poison the church, a home and any relationship. You may be surprised and challenged in ways you just might not have expected.

Night of Worship | October 19th
Night of Worship is back! Join us on the third Wednesday of the month for passionate worship, deep study of God’s Word & sweet fellowship as we dive into the Book of Revelation. October 19th from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Worship Center here at Shoreline. See you there!

Join us this coming Fall for Pastor Kevin’s monthly Bible Study on the prophets. We will meet in the Fellowship Center from 6:30-7:30 p.m. for the study. Afterward, there will be an optional Q&A time from 7:30-8 p.m. September’s topic we’ll be study the prophets Obadiah and Jeremiah. Hope you can join us!

ORGANIC OUTREACH: SHARING GOOD NEWS NATURALLY 3
“Planting and Watering”

Reading for the week of October 31-November 6

Day 1- John 1; Colossians 1
Day 2- John 3-4
Day 3- John 5-6
Day 4- John 7-8
Day 5- John 9-10
Day 6- John 11; Acts 2
Bonus- John 18-21
Organic Outreach- Read Section 3 this week

Memorize/Reflect - “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Personal Reflection- Are there ways I subtly seek to take credit for the work God does in reaching people and changing lives? If so, how can I be more intentional about giving God the glory and not taking it for myself?

Discussion- What are some potential dangers of taking too much credit when a person comes to faith in Jesus? What are some of the potential dangers of taking the blame if a person does not respond to the Gospel and receive Jesus?

Prayer Direction- Ask God to open doors for you to tell your story of faith.

“Live It!” Challenge -100 Words Exercise- Take time to write a personal testimony that is one hundred words or less. You’ll be amazed at how short this is. You might even want to write two or three different brief testimonies. Look at the examples in this chapter to help get you started. Identify an area you have experienced personal growth or transformation and let this shape your testimony. Also, try to capture God’s part in the process. Remember, the goal is not to prepare a speech you can memorize. This exercise is to help you learn to be brief as you tell your stories of faith.

October Prayer Focus: Continue praying for people you love and care about who do not yet have a saving friendship with Jesus. Pray for people to receive the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Ask God to inspire some heavenly celebrations as men, women, and children come to faith in the Savior!

October-December: Our spiritual discipline this quarter is “Celebration!” Spend time this week celebrating the gift of salvation. Think about the price Jesus paid and the love God has given to you…and thank Him!

Resources online or in the Shoreline Bookstore: Read Organic Outreach for Ordinary People, by Pastor Kevin, Introduction and Section 3. You can get this at the Shoreline bookstore for a discounted price. Also, you can visit the links on the right to purchase an e-copy of the book or an audio download of the book from Zondervan Publishing.

Small Groups Discussion Questions (Week 3 – Organic Outreach)

ORGANIC OUTREACH: SHARING GOOD NEWS NATURALLY 2
“Planting and Watering”

Reading for the week of October 24-30

Day 1- Luke 3-4
Day 2- Luke 5; Acts 1:12-14
Day 3- Luke 8; Ephesians 6:10-18
Day 4- Luke 9; Philippians 2
Day 5- Luke 10 and 13
Day 6- Luke 14-15
Bonus- Luke 22-24
Organic Outreach- Read Section 2 this week

Memorize/Reflect - “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”(Matthew 9:38)

Personal Reflection- What might keep you from asking your unbelieving friends, “May I pray with you?” Are these reasons enough to keep you from trying?

Discussion- What could you change in your weekly schedule to make more time and space to explore your community and bridge some new relationships with non-believers?

Prayer Direction- Invite Someone to Pray- If you have a person you are connecting with who is not a believer but you feel the relationship is in a safe and healthy place, consider encouraging them to begin praying. Use the three prayer suggestions in this chapter and challenge your friend to give prayer a try.

“Live It!” Challenge -Try a Restaurant Prayer- Next time you are in a restaurant and your server is not too busy, take a moment and say, “I’m going to have a prayer before my meal. If you have a need I can pray for, please feel free to let me know when the food gets here.” Just see what happens. Worst possible scenario, they won’t be able to think of a need. Best possible scenario, they will share, you will pray, and God will move.

October Prayer Focus: Continue praying for people you love and care about who do not yet have a saving friendship with Jesus. Pray for yourself as you seek to scatter the seeds of God’s love and grace.

October-December: Our spiritual discipline this quarter is “Celebration!” Spend time this week celebrating the people God used to share His love and grace with you. You might even want to call them or send a note thanking them for what they mean in your life.

Resources online or in the Shoreline Bookstore: Read Organic Outreach for Ordinary People, by Pastor Kevin, Introduction and Section 2. You can get this at the Shoreline bookstore for a discounted price. Also, you can visit the links on the right to purchase an e-copy of the book or an audio download of the book from Zondervan Publishing.

Small Groups Discussion Questions (Week 2 – Organic Outreach)

ORGANIC OUTREACH: SHARING GOOD NEWS NATURALLY 1
“Preparing the Soil”

Reading for the week of October 17-23

Day 1- Matthew 3; Matthew 22:34-40
Day 2- Matthew 4; John 3:16-21
Day 3- Matthew 9; Ephesians 2:1-9
Day 4- Matthew 10; 2 Timothy 4:1-5
Day 5- Matthew 11; John 14:5-14
Day 6- Matthew 13; Matthew 9:35-38
Bonus- Matthew 26-28
Organic Outreach- Read Book Introduction and Section 1

Memorize/Reflect - “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(John 14:6)

Personal Reflection- As I think about the life and example of Jesus, what do I learn about how He loved and cared for those who were lost deep in sin and far from God?

Discussion- Who has God placed in your life that is spiritually disconnected? How can others pray for you as you grow a relationship with this person?

Prayer Direction- Five Days of Prayer- Identify one person you know who is far from God. Commit to pray for this person for the next five days. Lift up these two simple prayers. 1) God, help me love this person the way you do. Give me your heart for them. 2) Holy Spirit, please draw this person to yourself. Soften their heart and reveal yourself to them.

“Live It!” Challenge -Get Reckless- Think of one extravagant and undeserved act of love you can offer to a person in your life who is not a follower of Jesus. Offer it prayerfully and with no strings attached. But, if they ask you why you did what you did, tell them about the grace you have received and how it compels you to extend the love of God to others.

October Prayer Focus: Continue praying for people you love and care about who do not yet have a saving friendship with Jesus. Pray for the soil of their heart to be soft and receptive to the love of God and message of Jesus.

October-December: Our spiritual discipline this quarter is “Celebration!” Spend time this week celebrating God’s love, the good news of Jesus, and God’s work in your life.

Resources online or in the Shoreline Bookstore: Read Organic Outreach for Ordinary People, by Pastor Kevin, Introduction and Section 1. You can get this at the Shoreline bookstore for a discounted price. Also, you can visit the links on the right to purchase an e-copy of the book or an audio download of the book from Zondervan Publishing.

Small Groups Discussion Questions (Week 1 – Organic Outreach)

Bible Smackdown! Week 4
“Knock Out Punch…Overcoming Temptation”

Reading for the week of October 3 – October 9

Day 1- Proverbs 26 and James 1
Day 2- Proverbs 27 and James 2
Day 3- Proverbs 28 and James 3
Day 4- Proverbs 29 and James 4
Day 5- Proverbs 30 and James 5
Day 6- Proverbs 31 and Matthew 4:1-11
Bonus- Proverbs 1-3 and Luke 4:1-13

Memorize/Reflect - “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”(1 Corinthians 10:13)

Personal Reflection- What are one or two temptations that I am facing during this season of my life and how am I doing at resisting them?

Discussion- What has helped you overcome and resist temptation in the past?

Prayer Direction- Ask God to help you notice the tactics and schemes of the enemy as he seeks to tempt you. Then, pray for the power and discipline needed to resist and overcome temptation.

“Live It!” Challenge - Jesus used scripture as His main weapon against temptation (Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13). Find two or three passages that battle against a specific temptation you are facing and commit them to memory. When the temptation flares up, meditate on these truths.

October Prayer Focus: This month we will be praying for people in our life who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus. In the back of your Bible, write the names of at least 4-6 people you care about who need to discover God’s love. Take a couple of minutes each day this week and pray for their hearts to soften to the love and grace of Jesus.

October-December: This week we will begin focusing on a new spiritual discipline. It is the discipline of celebration. God wants us to live with a sense of awe, joy, and wonder at His goodness. Make a list of five things/people/truths… you are deeply thankful for and make a point of celebrating these things throughout the coming week.

Resources online or in the Shoreline Bookstore: No extra resources recommended this series. Just read Proverbs and James over and over and over!

Bible Smackdown! Week 3

“Cage Match…Breaking the Choke Hold of Stuff”

Reading for the week of September 26 – October 2

Day 1- Proverbs 19 and James 1
Day 2- Proverbs 20 and James 2
Day 3- Proverbs 21 and James 3
Day 4- Proverbs 22 and James 4
Day 5- Proverbs 23 and James 5
Day 6- Proverbs 24 – 25
Bonus- Proverbs 26 and 1 Timothy 6

Memorize/Reflect - “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”(1 Timothy 6:6)

Personal Reflection- What material things have a hold on me and what can I do to loosen this grip?

Discussion- How can you share the material things you have with others so that they are used for God’s glory?

Prayer Direction- Ask God to help you see where stuff has become too important in your life. Commit to be generous and to live with open hands.

“Live It!” Challenge - Identify one material thing that has a hold on you, demands too much time, or that you never really use. Consider giving this away or selling it and giving the resources to a ministry that helps the poor and needy.

September Prayer Focus: This will be our final week where our prayer focus will be learning to meditate on and pray the words of Scripture. Consider praying some passages about material things and let them give direction to your prayers this week (Proverbs 11:24-31, 1 Timothy 6:6-10, James 5:1-6).

July-September: This will be our final month focusing on the spiritual discipline of simplicity. This is all about intentionally making our lives less complex. Pick a final area you need to simplify (finances and stuff / schedule / your thought world and worry / some other area) and ask God how you can simplify your life so you can focus more on your relationship with Him.

Resources online or in the Shoreline Bookstore: No extra resources recommended this series. Just read Proverbs and James over and over and over!