TTCA WEEK 7 Wrap Up

In one paragraph

This week Brian walked Tribe fam through several of Jesus' letters to the churches in Revelation 1-3, using the lens of the series running theme: turning your cat around. The core idea is that Jesus is honest about where a church or a person actually stands, and then immediately offers a remedy they could never afford on their own. That gap between honest diagnosis and costly cure is where most of...

Read together

1. Revelation 1:12-20 read aloud to show John's vision of Jesus standing among the seven lampstands
2. Revelation 2:1-5 read aloud as Jesus's letter to the church in Ephesus, calling them to return to their first love
3. Revelation 2:12-16 read aloud as Jesus's letter to the church in Pergamum, warning against tolerating false teaching
4. Revelation 2:18-20 read aloud as Jesus's letter to the church in Thyatira, warning against permitting Jezebel's teaching
5. Revelation 3:1-3 read aloud as Jesus's letter to the church in Sardis, warning that they have a reputation for being alive but are dead
6. Revelation 3:14-22 read aloud as Jesus's letter to the church in Laodicea, calling the lukewarm church to repent and open the door
7. Isaiah 55 read aloud to show how the costly things Jesus counsels us to buy are freely given to those who come to him
8. Psalm 147:10-11 looked up to confirm Brian's paraphrase that God delights not in the strength of a horse or legs of a man but in those who fear him
9. Matthew 25 referenced as the parable of the ten virgins, illustrating the need to build obedience now before the cost increases

What was said

• Pick one area the Holy Spirit has been nudging you about during this series and bring it to God in a direct, honest conversation this week rather than waiting until next Sunday.
• Find a trusted person in the Tribe fam who can tell you honestly when they see you cooling off spiritually, and ask them to do that.
• Practice obeying that small, quiet nudge the moment you sense it this week, even if it feels minor or awkward, the way Nancy did when she floored it through the slide.
• If you are a young adult, show up at the TMC this Friday evening for the young adults gathering.
• Mark June 25 through 28 on your calendar for the Wind River VBS trip to Riverton and plan to ride the Tribe bus down.

Talk about it

1. Brian described Jesus as actively walking among the lampstands, tending them like a priest, rather than just standing still. What difference does it make to you personally to picture Jesus as actively involved in the life of your church rather than watching from a distance?
2. Several of the seven churches looked healthy on the outside but Jesus told them their actual condition was very different. Where in your own life is there a gap between how things appear and what Jesus might say is really going on?
3. Nancy shared that it took an avalanche for her to recognize the Holy Spirit speaking to her, and she said she hates that it took something that dramatic. What has it typically taken in your own experience to get you to actually listen?
4. Brian said that in Revelation 3 Jesus does not just point out the problem and leave the church to fix it on its own, but says 'I counsel you' and offers the remedy. How does that change the way you think about the areas of your life where you feel convicted or stuck?
5. The sermon landed on the idea that repentance and surrender are themselves what purchase the costly things Jesus offers, and that practicing obedience in one area carries over into others. What is one area where you sense the Holy Spirit is asking you to practice that kind of obedience right now?