Southside Community Group

Week 9: Last Bible Study: Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

WELCOME TO SOUTHSIDE! :) :) :)

last small group of the year…. :’(

Sharing: Name, Fun plans for the summer! Dream Vacation Spot!

10^th Week Dinner:

• Tuesday 5/31 after 8PM: Cook your own steak place $10, Legit Korean BBQ, Dim Sum @ night, Ethnic Foods?, Thai Food?

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Observations:

1-4

- sycamore-fig is climbable… Ty: palm tree is very hard to climb???

• Zacchaeus was the chief Tax Collector: very wealthy, boss of all tax collectors

  • he was short

  • he wanted to see Jesus

  • he climbed the sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus

• Jesus was passing through Jericho

  • there was a big crowd following Jesus

  • big thing fell down in Jericho

5-8

• Jesus notices Zacchaeus in a tree

• Jesus knows his name without knowing! o.O

• Jesus invited himself to lil Z’s house

  • How did lil Z respond?? → He came down immediately and was glad and excited

• Lil Z gives half of his possessions away & paid back 4x the amount he cheated money out of

• The crowd were muttering and talking crap

• How does the crowd see lil Z? Lil Z is seen as annoying and short because he takes their money

• The crowd is watching this happen

• Jesus didn’t force lil Z to pay back the money

• Lil Z seems like he’s trying to justify himself

9-10

• “This house”

• Jesus’ punchlines… ‘nuff said.

• Who is Abraham?? Abraham is the father of the faith

• What is salvation done through??? Works or ….. ??

• Jesus claims to be the son of man

• seek & save the lost: Jesus’ mission statement

• bye brennan!!!

Interpretation:

Lil Z:

• Why is it important that this specific character is the person of spotlight in this passage?

  • Because he was hated by a lot of people

  • He’s a typical sinner or above and beyond the normal sinning levels

  • everyone looks down on him

  • Why were tax collectors so disliked?

    • Seen as traitors, from the nation of Israel but worked for the Roman government, take money, take more than they’re supposed to

  • Why does Jesus specifically calls out Lil Z from the sycamore tree?

    • Impressed that lil guy climbed the tree?

    • Because Jesus already knew who he is

    • Jesus is trying to make a point: finding a specific kind of person who was lost

      • Lil Z wants to be found

      • What is Lil Z doing?

        • What does him climbing a tree show about his character?

          • Efforts and risk taking

          • humbling himself: high status VS climb trees

          • nobody wanted to create a path for Lil Z

  • What was Lil Z’s response to Jesus?

    • Great excitement and joy!

    • Lil Z is desperate for Jesus’ approval

      • Lil Z is trying to redeem himself

      • though not trying to please the crowd, he might know that he’s a bad person

      • 4x was the requirement by law

    • Did the crowd’s mutter influence Lil Z’s decision to give out his possessions?

      • Lil Z announces his decision in public for others to hold him accountable

      • Lil Z knew the depth of his promise

      • had a change of heart, going to that extreme if it was just the mutter

        • isn’t the first time that the crowds had muttered about him

        • verbally recognizes Jesus as Lord and Jesus’ sovereignty

  • Verse 5: Jesus’ words to Lil Z

    • Why is eating/ dining with Jesus so important?

      • Socially accepting him

      • Ritually impure to eat with a sinner

      • Jesus invites himself to go to someone’s house and eats with him → holds significance

        • why? Controversial, Jesus is familiar with the law and he acts in front of others deliberately

  • Verse 7: muttering:

    • in a church setting, muttering about others going to parties

    • controversial

  • Verse 9:

    • What does Jesus mean?

    • What is salvation?

      • Change of heart because of God

      • faith in Jesus and serving as a witness of Jesus

      • faith and servanthood

      • action-based:

      • Lil Z has salvation because he gives away his money? Or because Z recognizes Jesus as Lord

        • Lil Z has act of repentance

        • Jesus honors his repentance and claims salvation

      • Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t know who Jesus was, didn’t comprehend Jesus’ identity but Z did

        • freedom from sin

      • in the New Testament, Jesus forgives people of their sins—> actual salvation before He died for our sins

    • What does Jesus mean? (Son of Abraham)

      • Abraham: willing to sacrifice his son Isaac upon the Lord’s request

      • recognizes the covenant of God’s people: Israelites.

        • What is the covenant?

          • A promise of land that Abraham’s descendants will be blessed with, a fruitful population… 2 way promise: Genesis 22

          • covenant of the law: If you love God and obey His commandments, you will be happy :)

            • the systematic sacrifice of animals

          • covenant of the grace: Jesus as a living sacrifice, no need of any systematic sacrifices because Jesus lives forever!

      • Jesus redeems Z and defies what the society has identified Z as: a sinner. Z is no longer a sinner in Jesus’ eyes

        • Z is not disqualified because of his past sins

  • Verse 10:

    • 2 way-ed covenant: 2 way-ed promise, God promises deliverance from our sins but we could only achieve that when we repent

    • importance of both titles:

      • representation of both Jesus’ divinity and humanity:

      • Son of Man and Son of God

      • Why is it important that Jesus portrays himself as a human?

        • Son of Man used in prophecies

        • Son of man was less controversial but equally as powerful as son of God

      • Who did God come for? Who did Jesus come for?

        • The Lost: Who are the lost?

          • Who is redemption needed for?

            • Z is lost because he lost his identity as a Jew

            • we are all meant to be God’s children and those who don’t recognize that identity are lost

            • those who lost their faith

STAR POINT of the last bible study :-)

Han-Solo: Nobody is out of the range of God’s grace

Addy: Jesus loves us out of His love for us but not for what we can do for Him

Men: Jesus wants to redeem us to who we were meant to be

Fleesh: Jesus is deliberate and he demands our response in a nice way

Candace: salvation is two wayed: we need to seek Jesus and Jesus is already seeking us :D

Jocelyn: Jesus loves us :3

Alison: as long as you want it, no one is out of reach for God’s grace

Sonia: ditto to Candace

Kim: ditto to All of them

Wendy: Jesus always offers us a second chance and it just depends if we want to take it

Jiyong: Jesus comes for everyone and our response is repentance

Eric: God looks at the heart

Ty: ditto to Kent + Candace

Application timeeeeeee

1. What response should you have / do you want to have when Jesus is reaching out to you

2. What can we learn from the way Jesus reaches out to Z and what can we do?

   *

so close to Sprinkles…….. …. …. …. … .. … … …

Week 8: Jesus Calls His first disciples

Series: Jesus Interacting with People

John 1:35-42 (New International Version)

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

   They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

   39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

   So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

   Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[a]).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him,“Follow me.”

 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

   “Come and see,” said Philip.

Observations:

• it seems like it is adding on: andrew, peter, phillip, nathanael

• john is refering to john the baptist not john the disciple

• jesus is lamb of God

• jesus is referred to rabbi

• it was 4 in the afternoon

• so how did john know that jesus is the lamb of God if he was just passing by

  • john was jesus’s cousin

  • elizabeth visited mary and vice versa —— the visitation

• andrew was the one who heard and told his brother

  • jesus is the messiah

• Nathaneal was the skeptical of nazareth

  • everyone looked down on nazareth because it was an insignificant village

Where were each of the disciples found?

• they were found by jesus and they went to them (according to kent), at least the first one, it was like a chain reaction

• dramatic

• andrew and one other disciple of John —— they are the ones who actually found jesus and followed him

• jesus found simon kinda

  • andrew brought simon

  • jesus found phillip

  • phillip found nathaneal

They were all from different places

phillip andrew and peter are from the same city ————- now friends

andrew and peter are brothers

Phillip and nathaneal are brothers

John said that is jesus go follow HIM!

John was preparing the way of the Lord (fore runner)

Peter was renamed

What are some things Jesus says in the passage?

• what are you seeking?

• Come and see!

• So you are simon son of john

• Follow me

They stayed with Jesus for a night

Jesus was traveling some where

These were his first disciples

Loop Hole: In Mark, Jesus calls them while they are fishing! (Andrew and Peter)

• google: will be discussed further

Interpretation:

What are the differences between the interactions of Jesus and each of the disciples?

• Andrew: John told andrew, andrew went to jesus, jesus says what are you seeking, implied that Jesus is wanted to stay with them, jesus is super mysterious but leads them on

• Peter (Cephas): Jesus renames him to Cephas, Simon is an ugly name? Simon Peter is too long? Peter is going to be transformed , brought to Jesus by his brother

• Phillip: Jesus goes to find him, and simply says “Follow me” —— he knew the law, he is more knowledgable , higher class b/c he can read and write —- interesting

• Nathaneal: Phillip finds Nathaneal, Nathaneal later on interacts with Jesus in vs 47, and Jesus affirms Nathaneal’s identity , Nathaneal is unsure of this Jesus of Nazareth

Summary: each one is unique, one of every possible way

•  

  • jesus gets some one to follow jesus —— ( andrew : word of mouth, and seeks out/ Phillip )

  • family gets some one to follow jesus —— (referrals: Peter via Andrew )

  • friends gets some one to follow jesus —— (referrals Nathaneal via Phillip)

  • skeptical of jesus ( Nathaneal)

What’s the importance of all the different ways that they we are called to follow Jesus?

• no matter what we are doing we are all followers of jesus, who we are, where we are

• anyone can be a follower of Jesus, including Felicia

What can we infer as disciples of Jesus by looking at Phillip and Andrew?

• they tell somebody else about Jesus

• the first people they told were the people closest to them, but for us it seems like those are the hardest people to tell

• Andrew and Phillip just told the people they were close to about Jesus and at the core the whole thing was between each person and Jesus

Why did they choose to tell the people closest to them?

• b.c they were excited and they wanted to tell people they considered important in their lives

• it was exciting news

  • Alison’s example: friend freshman year calling all close friends when she first got a boyfriend

• people in close proximity saw what was happening already!!!!!

• they chose to tell the people closest to them because they would support them —- support to confirm what is true because they care

Why did Jesus need disciples?

• followers: he knew his disciples will carryout his work —- follower = definition of a disciple

• jesus said that his disciples would do greater works than him

Community and Jesus :

• friends , understanding at a more personal level, they were his homies

Why do you think each of the disciples were so willing to follow Jesus?

• Andrew : this is the one we are waiting for

  • today: some one who has been religious/ spiritual person for a while

• Cephas trusts Andrew : no prior connection

  • today : blue color laborer, moves houses, contractor, working class guy

• Phillip: knows about the prophecies ——- this looks like the guy

  • Today: College kid ——- action based ——- passionate about a cause

• Nathaneal: friend, more of a leader than a follower prior to following Jesus —- must make informed decision

  • true israelite —- follow the Law very strictly ——- rabbinic code —— no disrespect

  • today: harvard outstanding gentlemen

• They were all just curious

• there have been a lot of false messiahs , surprising that they just followed him , selfish intentions, impression of a messiah different from now

• they didn’t really know the cost of following Jesus initially

  • but in the end they all did it

Cool: Philip gives a little testimony of Jesus —- and is so confident in it, and took pride in it.

How do you think Phillip’s words move Nathaneal?

• got nathaneal moving

• give it a try to see if it is true

  • there is no reason for my brother to lie to me

  • just in case —- there is a glimmer of hope that this is actually the messiah

  • level of trust that is utilized in sharing the good news about Jesus

STAR POINT—— synergy of this room is overwhelming! :

Aaddipus: should not be selfish with jesus’s love there fore we should spread it

brennaN: never miss an opportunity to follow Jesus

Aalison: there is no such thing as a cookie cutter christian, they are in all different places in life and follow jesus different, but main point is that they were all excited and they continued Jesus’s ministry in their own fashion.

Kent: Jesus is very exciting ,

JaCheung: Give Jesus a chance

Candace: we need a support system with our walk with Jesus

Jaybaby cheeks: Jesus was intentional and therefore we should be too .

Felicia: Jesus reaches out to everyone in different ways and he puts people in different places to do so tooo , jesus is mysterious (according to felicia )

Application:

1. how you seek community in the future?

2. Who are the simons and nathaneals in your life that you need reach out to?

3. How could you be a support system for them!!!?????

announcements:

Large group – center 101

call and response movie

Global Impact Banquet this Weekend

Urban Plunge this weekend

Week 10 dinner – ideas Pho, potluck, hot pot, steak, not a lot of people are here

Coast Dinner: Fri @ 7

Week 6: Jesus Reinstates Peter!!

SOUTHSIDE 5.2.2011

Sharing Questions:

1. What are you planning to do for your mother on Mother’s Day? :)

   1. favorite thing about your mom

Announcements:

1. Large Group: Wednesday, 8PM, Center 101

2. Talk: I don’t have enough faith to be an Atheist. → Price East Ballroom

3. Osama Bin Laden is DEAD!!! :( or :)?

4. Sophomore Girls Cottage Date on Saturday + Sophomore Beach day!

5. CALL YOUR MOM: Sunday!

6. New Bible Study Series: Jesus interacting with people! :)

7. If you would like to lead a bible study… VOLUNTEER!!! → it’s not hard

8. Places for 10^th Week Dinner! Pick one!!!

9. http://southside-community.tumblr.com/

John 21: 15-19

Observations:

1. Jesus asked Peter if he loved him 3 times

2. Jesus’ response is to feed lambs

3. Peter was hurt

   1. Kent: butt hurt

4. Jesus knows all things… → verse 17

5. Peter is going to die and glorify God → foreshadowing

6. When Peter was younger, he dressed himself and went where he wanted to go, but when he got older, people will dress him and take him where he doesn’t want to go.

7. They don’t eat with their mouths full

   1. Julia: they took all the good ones!!!

8. Jesus calls Simon Peter “Simon son of John”

9. What is Jesus referring to when he asks “more than these”?

10. Context: After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples had gone out fishing and then Jesus APPEARED and then he told them to cast their nets and then they caught fishies :) !!!

11. The last command: Follow me.

Interpretations:

1. Why does Jesus calls Simon “Simon son of John”?

   1. Jesus is redeeming him… because Peter had denied Jesus 3 times when Jesus is arrested and tried (John 18:15-24)

   2. Simon was his birth name before Simon Peter

      1. Jesus had given Simon the name Simon Peter

   3. Why do you think Peter gets butthurt?

      1. Peter is recognizing Jesus’ purpose and Jesus is bringing Peter back to Peter’s most painful moment as he denied Jesus

      2. When someone asks you to do something more than once, you tend to feel stupid or that they feel very lowly of you

         1. but at the same time, that task is probably of some significance

      3. Why do you think Jesus choose to bring up the past?

         1. Jesus chooses Peter’s past to prepare him for the future / redeem him from his past

         2. Jesus is forgiving Peter for each of the 3 times

2. What is the significance of 3 times?

   1. 3= important number, trinity, Jesus was dead for 3 days

   2. Peter denied Jesus 3 times

   3. 3 = gangsta number

3. Why did Jesus ask Peter to take care of His sheep in 3 different ways?

   1. Jesus says it differently a couple of times to ensure Peter so Peter won’t forget

   2. To provide a better understanding for Peter

   3. Jesus is emphasizing the importance of the task

4. What does “feed my sheep” mean?

   1. Jesus is telling Peter to be a shepherd

      1. Jesus tells Peter to take care of His church and His people

   2. Feed: the bible is spiritual food, therefore, feeding my sheep might mean spreading the gospel everywhere!

5. What does “more than these” mean?

   1. Fishies: what do they symbolize?

      1. Peter’s original occupation: fisherman, so fishies might symbolize the money that Peter is able to get or the original life that Peter could have instead of dying for the glory of God

      2. Jesus originally calls Peter to be His disciple when Peter is fishing, and Jesus calls Peter by Simon which is Simon’s original name

   2. Peter doesn’t really answer Jesus’ first question by specifically addressing “more than these”…

6. What might verse 18-19 mean?

   1. Before you were in a comfortable lifestyle, but it’s going to be uncomfortable (you are going to a place where you don’t want to go)

   2. After Peter reassures his love for Jesus, Jesus “trapped” Peter in a hole where Peter is giving up his control of life for Jesus/God instead and be led and provided by Jesus

   3. Initially, Peter might not want to do his task, but God has a different plan and that plan is ultimately for good :)

   4. reminiscence of the first time Jesus asks Peter to be His disciple

   5. Ephesians: Putting on a new self and casting off your old self (referring to clothes)

      1. there are going to be parts of you that aren’t going to want to do certain things, but because Peter was being led by the spirit, Peter chooses to live his life for Jesus

      2. Peter is ultimately not being led by himself but by the spirit → how Peter gains strength and confidence in the Lord’s plan

7. Verse 19: Follow me → What does this mean?

   1. Foreshadowing: Peter’s persecution (similar to Jesus) and death

   2. Peter knew that he was going to die in Rome

   3. Peter was the bishop of Rome

   4. Why do you think Jesus says “follow me” again?

      1. “You’re going to go where you dont wanna go, but follow me because I’m going to be there.” -Jesus

      2. You can’t follow nothing

      3. Follow my actions but follow me (because I’m still alive)

   5. 1^st follow me: there was no cost

   6. 2^nd follow me: the cost of discipleship

      1. end of free trial, do you wanna buy me or not? - Felicia impersonates Jesus

      2. Since the denial, Peter has never declared his trust back in Jesus.

      3. Moment of Inner healing: We want to bring up the darkest moment of Peter’s life in order to heal and redeem him completely

Summary of Passage:

1. Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loved Him, Peter answers yes each time but he is hurt. Jesus commands Peter to follow me and lets him know that his life is probably not the way he wants it to be.

2. Jesus redeems Peter

3. Jesus commands Peter to feed His sheep

POINT!

Jason Cheung: love Jesus and feed His lamb

Julia Noh-it-all: Jesus will forgive you no matter how many times we wrong Him

Candace Yong Yong: To show how much we love Jesus, we should spread the gospel despite the difficulties

Jason Chung: the one I wrote was… acknowledge our past, and be sure that we are willing to make sacrifices to God to follow Him

Addy Wong: It’s not about what we’ve done to wrong Jesus but it’s about Jesus’ initiative to bring up our past to redeem us → He loves us!

Boss Queen Tran: It’s going to take a lot to follow Jesus so make sure when He calls you, you know you want to. It takes redemption to follow Jesus

Kent Huang: Following Jesus is not always easy

Applications:

1. When have you outright denied Jesus in your life?

2. Are you willing to give up your life to Jesus? THINK ABOUT THIS ONE

   1. past present future!

Week 7: Jesus Calls Levi

Southside 5/9/11

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners - Mark 2:13-17

Observations:

• Jesus is very popular: “large crowd came to him” - verse 13

• Jesus immediately teaches the crowd

• “Follow me” (like he did in last week’s passage)

  • to Levi, who is a tax collector

  • people hate him

  • Levi follows Jesus

• They have a party at Levi’s house

  • Levi’s house was probably nice because he was a tax collector

• Levi had other tax collector friends

• Tax collectors are the scum of the biblical earth

  • always mentioned along with sinners

  • always took people’s money and used it for themselves

  • traitors – worked against Jewish people for the Romans

  • sometimes tax collectors would scam the people

• Who was at the dinner? Jesus, Levi, tax collectors, disciples, sinners

• Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the scum and asked the disciples why

  • Pharisees didn’t confront Jesus; they asked the disciples

• Jesus says he doesn’t need to hang out with the self righteous, but rather the sinners

• Jesus doesn’t directly answer the Pharisees’ question → diverts into a different answer

• Levi = Matthew

Interpretation:

• Why does Jesus call Levi to follow him?

  • “last shall be first”; Jesus came for the sinners not the righteous

  • Jesus’ disciples were not religious leaders; they were not perfect

  • Jesus called Levi when he saw him at his booth; public setting

    • no shame

    • Jesus called Levi out at the place where Levi was hated on the most

    • Jesus’ word is very powerful because people drop whatever they are doing (work) to follow him

    • showed how much faith Levi had in Jesus

• Why did Levi just leave his work and follow Jesus?

  • He wanted something more!

  • Did Levi know the cost of following Jesus at the moment he decided to follow Him?

    • Maybe; maybe not

• Jesus kind of invited himself to Levi’s house

• Interesting that Levi feeds everyone, including Jesus’ disciples

  • Levi seems kind of nice? Or is he showing off his WEALTH $_$

  • banquet or just a friendly dinner?

• Why are tax collectors and sinners referred to separately?

  • Opposite ends of the spectrum: sinners were labeled sinners because they sinned; tax collectors had a negative stigma attached to them just because of what they did → didn’t “explicitly” sin, no one really knew how much they owed tax collectors

• Why did Jesus choose to dine with the sinners and tax collectors

  • he was hungry; he was specifically calling out Levi because he knew he was going to be one of his disciples

  • back in the day, there was a significance of eating with people → eating with people meant you associated with them

  • Pharisees are probably asking why he’s eating with them out of surprise

  • Jesus is a rebel; breaks social norms; ready to take on the world

  • Jesus identified with them

  • Common to see people of the same socioeconomic level to hang out with each other, but in this situation, Jesus was hanging out with people who were “scummier” than him

    • Jesus wanted to show the sinners and tax collectors that he cared about them; Jesus loves everyone; Jesus wanted to reach out to them; restore their dignity

    • Disciples were probably confused as well; probably judging the sinners and tax collectors; caught off guard

• What did Jesus want to show the Pharisees by eating with them?

  • Jesus wants to show he’s a different type of teacher

  • Jesus saw a need; he knew the Pharisees weren’t going to teach the sinners and tax collectors because they were scum

  • Pharisees were jealous that they didn’t get a party

  • Pharisees didn’t want to associate with sinners and tax collectors because they were unclean

  • Jesus wanted to show the Pharisees that everyone deserves to be taught

  • Pharisees thought that if they did everything in the law they would be great; wanted to be the best

  • Jesus wasn’t trying to be the best; he knew the reason for everything and that’s why he did it; because he didn’t need to be the best he was able to do what was right

• What does it mean for us when Jesus chooses to dine with the sinners and go against social norms in terms of us interacting with other people?

  • Be like Jesus! Don’t let our differences stop us from reaching out to different people

  • Get out of your comfort zone!

    • Don’t worry about what the Pharisees are going to say → Haters finna hate

  • Jesus loves us regardless of what other people think of us

  • If we say we are following Jesus, we should be following the same things Jesus did

• Meaning of verse 17?

  • Jesus came for the sinners, not the righteous – but nobody was righteous!!

  • Pharisees were probably thinking they were the “righteous” so they didn’t need Jesus

  • Pharisees had to identify with something they didn’t want to be identified as

  • Jesus didn’t say he came to save the world; gives people the option to identify as the “righteous” or the “sinners”

    • if they identify themselves as the “righteous,” then Jesus can’t really save them

    • Jesus doesn’t victimize the sinners, but everyone else does

  • “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners”

    • everyone is a sinner but only some people will admit it to themselves

    • people who think they are righteous don’t think they have a problem so they won’t do anything to try to fix themselves

    • what is stopping these people from admitting they are sinners?

      • They worked so hard to not be sinners; lots of pride

STAR POINT!!!

Jason – Be revolutionary

Alison – Jesus reaches out to everybody

Tyler – Jesus can heal us if we admit we are imperfect

Fleesh – Jesus crosses social barriers and we should too because he loves errbody; bring your friends ^.^

Adeline – To be healed we must be humble and Jesus loves us <3

Kent – We don’t need to be perfect to follow Jesus

Jocelyn – Love and help everyone

Candace – Follow Jesus’ actions

Application questions:

1. How are you going to imitate Jesus’ actions

2. Who are the sick in your life and how can you reach out to them

Week 2: Listening and Doing

Hi Southside,

Happy Friday! So this update is a little late, but it is by far not the latest post ever written. So smile and enjoy. On another note, the Amazing Race is happening this weekend so if you have time, stop by Sun God at 2pm in your athletic attire and be ready to WIN! Bring your ID cards too, you might need them. :) 

On another another note, Community Expo was this past Wednesday, and it was fun! So many prizes, candies, and baked goods. And Dora gave a wonderful message about feeling like there’s nothing left that was part of our series EVEN THERE. :)

Okay, now to begin. As a continuation of our first covered passage this quarter (salt and light), we decided to kick start a series on usefulness, to explore through scripture what it practically means and looks like to be salt and light in this world and therefore useful! Follow along: 

We went over Listening and Doing this past Monday and this was the passage:

James 1:19-28 (New International Version, ©2010)

Listening and Doing

 ¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
*So there are a few main points here, for your convenience they are italicized. - be quick to listen- be slow to speak- be slow to become angryAsk yourself how these things are connected, and why are these things are important?Reflect back on your own patterns of listening and speaking.What is your temper like? 
- get rid of moral filth and evil that is so prevalent- humbly accept the word planted in youWhat do these statements mean to you?*

 ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

*This is an elaboration upon the act of listening, not the good of it, but how it is not enough. Sometimes we hear things we read things especially our textbooks or the Bible, and we think that is simply enough. And we lie to ourselves, probably not intentionally, that is sufficient, that we have a handle on the material or morals, or whatever is going on. But the truth is we are lying to ourselves. God’s word is the perfect law that gives freedom, which yields the ideal that things must be done. Action must be taken, words cannot just enter the brain, the mind and stay there. We are both spirit and flesh, and the flesh part carries out what the spirit receives, otherwise the transaction is incomplete and we lie to ourselves believing that what we heard has made us complete. WRONG. We must LISTEN AND DO. *

 ²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

* The last paragraph of the passage is pretty straight forward, but some questions that came up Monday night were:

- Why out of all things does James point out the regulation of speaking rather than let’s say action or something else? What about our tongues is so important? James Chapter 3 illustrates why we need to keep tight reins on our tongues, read it.

- Out of all the people in the world, why does God choose to ask His children to look over the specific group of “orphans and widows” ; is He implying that they are the only group of people who need help? Does “orphans and widows” possibly represent a larger group of people? Who are “orphans and widows” equivalents in your life?*

Bottom Line: 

What you do and say represents your religion. So do what your God tells you to do, and say things that glorify your God and don’t say things that would taint Him. If you think about it, we are mini spokesmen for God and Jesus, so think twice before you say something ugly and mean next time. 

Don’t just listen and read, yes, they are important, but there is more that God asks us to do, and that’s to do His will. So do it!

What’s his will you may ask, Here it is:

 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.

John 15: 12-14

GODSPEED CHILDREN AND PEOPLE OF GOD!

Amen. 

Winter Quarter Week 1: Salt and Light

Hello Southside.

Good to be back? Hope so. Well it is. #1 Happy New Year. Pray that 2011 will be a year where the Lord works incredible things at UCSD, at home, and all around the world. And Southside too! In Southside, we will get to know Jesus and God better, and figure out more and more how to bring Him and His love into our community and our lives and the lives of the people around us. 

This week we had a super short study on Matthew 5: 13-16 entitled Salt and Light. 

Here’s the passage: 

 

Salt and Light

    ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

   ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

NOTES

Jesus says that we are the salt and light of the world. He doesn’t say we should be or we can be he says we are. It is a statement and declaration. Saying this, an expectation is set, but by no means is it an incredibly difficult one. As salt and light, he tells us to plainly exist as those things. Be Salt (when salty: which heals, brings flavor, enhances, and preserves) Be Light (which shines all the time, even when covered, its just shining in a confined space) BE USEFUL, serve your purpose. And together we will be like a “city on a hill that cannot be hidden.”

be light and be salt = doing good deeds

Why do good deeds?

- so that people we see it and Praise our Father GOD—— and after all isn’t that our life’s goal, to bring glory and praise to God…. 

* as a light, it is easier to shine than to be covered b.c it naturally radiates

Sharing Question: 

What is one good deed you can do consistently (useful thing that you don’t already do) to reflect God in your life? 

everyone shared in a circle: answer generally have to do with affecting/ benefitting others and the people around us

- e.g. Helping with HW, cooking dinner for apt mates, generosity with resources, money and time, conditional and situational awareness and acting in appropriation, positive attitude, respect, listening, reconciliation 

It was cool hearing all the things we can do for others, and how we want to do it for the One who loves us.

In other news: 

Large group on Wednesday: PC theater, I think

Campus Team rush: Week 2- wednesday Community expo, thursday glow in the dark ultimate frisbee (off campus) @ doyle park, saturday Amazing Race & barbeque. 

Activities we wanna do this quarter: Bowling and Sushi night, look at your schedules! and neighboring! try and join us this quarter it will be fun! 

wow, major lack of updates, FINALS ARE OVER!

Well, now that the first quarter of school is over, our first quarter of Southside is over…

I wanna do like a reflection post, but I’m not literally talented in writing sentimental things, but maybe below I’ll highlight some stuff. 

Congratulations everybody for making it through Fall quarter 2011, and all that crazy O Chem and Econ and International studies and ComSci and PolySci and Engineering stuff. Just remember God is good in all things, even grades.

There’s a whole bunch of stuff to look forward to! God’s gonna bring some crazy things into 2011, So let’s enjoy break and ask God to prep us for this upcoming winter quarter and new year. 

It is easy not to keep up our relationships with Jesus sometimes during break because there’s so much playing to do and we are surrounded by the people we love the most, our friends and family, but the challenge is to push even harder to get to know him during this time because after all its His birthday, right? 

So we had some fun activities this year like:

- spring roll night

- bowling afternoon

- punjabi tandoor end of the quarter dinner and froyo!

- curry night at addy’s 

- free tacos at rubios 

- Fall Retreat at Catalina Island

- Urban Plunge 

- Winter Wonderland Holiday party

- Thanksgiving potluck with Eastside! 

- late night gelato run

- some people had IM volleyball 

(Fill in your good memories) 

[insert group pic from punjabi] — jcheung has yet to forward the picture. 

And we learned about God, Jesus, and us during Bible studies: 

- A Community series:

Wk 2- Fellowship of Believers: Acts 2:42-47

Wk 3- Parable of the Mustard Seed: Mark 4:30-32

Wk 4- The Vine and the Branches: John 15

Wk 5- Love: Romans 12:9-21

- Responding to God, feeling Discouraged, and Encouragement from God:

Wk 6- Parable of the Great Banquet: Luke 14:15-24

Wk 7- Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37

Wk 8- Reflection/ Quiet time night: Ecclesiastes 3 

- Thanking God: 

Wk 9- Potluck Thanksgiving: Philippians 4:4-7

If you guys have time, look back on the passages and inside your journals, and refresh yourselves with God’s word. 

That’s it for now until next time! Happy Holidays! 

Special thanks for Jason Cheung for leading worship, and those who skip class to come out.  :) it’s a great blessing. 

Praise the Lord for everything He has done and will do. AMEN.