IVCFSFU small groups

PARABLES

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OBSERVATION CHEAT SHEET

Paragraph Breaks People, Places, Times, Repeated Words and Repeated Words

Ways people are refered to Particular to General General to Particular Questions and their answers ! ? Your own questions
Everything is better in the company of friends. Why not use this card to invite one?

PARABLES
Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear! This is the edict Jesus gives to the crowds that come to listen to him. He tells stories in parables, which are small stories designed to incite intrigue and interest in a select few. Parables have been described as sugar coated gernades. They taste sweet and simple at first, but as you chew on them, they tend to explode with new meaning and surprising, something earth shattering teaching.

SAFE SPACE
Every IVCF small group is run with safe space principles. Each person has a place in the discussion, regardless of age, gender identification, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background. Each opinion is valued, and each person is afforded the utmost respect and dignity. No IVCF small group will place an individual into a forced situation. Vulnerable topics may be discussed, but each person is free to remain silent, or leave the discussion at any point. Small groups are meant to a fun, inclusive, engaging place to dialogue about matters of spirituality and leaders will do everything to ensure that each voice is heard. We believe that we need all people at the table to best understand what God is like. We are all people who bear His image, and if there is exclusion, we exclude the image of God.

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INDUCTIVE METHOD
The inductive method is a way to study the bible. It helps us level the playing field when it comes to looking at scripture. Those who have read these books through and through have no more advantage than those who are approaching it for the first time. Often we need many voices in the room to help us understand whats truly going on in the text, and often we find the most surprising things coming out of the text when we have a diversity of thought. It has three steps: Observation, Interpretation, and Application.

SOME GROUND RULES:

-Always pay attention to historical context -Never refer to what others have said or written -Only refer to outside scripture that the audience would have access to (No jumping to other gospels) -Only ask questions you genuinely want to know (no setting up platforms to share your personal opions)

OBSERVATIONS MAKE IT

Though sometimes tedious, good observations make for the best discussions. Take your time, read, and re-read. Go through the steps outlines in the observation cheat sheet in the front cover.

INTERPRET TOGETHER

Interpretation isnt individual, its a collective experience. Listen, see what others have seen, add on to, and build the discussion.

LIVE IN APPLICATION

Make sure you note each week what your response is. Text comes alive when we see it play out in our own lives!

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5 Parables

WEEK 1

MARK 4:1-20
1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the waters edge. He taught 5 them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quick10 ly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, 15 grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times. Then Jesus said, Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, The secret of the kingdom 20 of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven! Then Jesus said to them, Dont you un25 derstand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as

6 Parable of the Sower

they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time.

When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it un-

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fruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a cropsome thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.

7 Parable of the Sower

WEEK 1
8 Parable of the Sower

9 Parable of the Sower

WEEK 2

LUKE 10:25-37
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On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read it? He answered, Love the Lord your

God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbour as yourself. You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live. But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And

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who is my neighboUr? In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he

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saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on

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oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.

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Which of these three do you think was a neighboUr to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise.

10 The Good Samaritan

11 The Good Samaritan

WEEK 3

LUKE 9:10-17
1

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He wel-

comed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in

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a remote place here. He replied, You give them something to eat. They answered, We have only five loaves of bread and two fishunless we go and buy food for all this crowd. (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, Have them sit down in groups of

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about fifty each.The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked

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up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

12 Feeding of the 5000

13 Feeding of the 5000

WEEK 4

LUKE 19:11-27
1 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: A man of noble birth went to a 5 distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. Put this money to work, he said, until I come back. But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, We dont want this man to 10 be our king. He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, Sir, your mina has earned ten more. Well done, my good servant! his 15 master replied. Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities. The second came and said, Sir, your mina has earned five more. His master answered, You take charge of five cities. Then another servant came and said, Sir, here is your 20 mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow. His master replied, I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that 25 I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didnt you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could

14 Prable of the Minas

have collected it with interest? Then he said to those standing by, Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas. Sir, they said, he already has ten! He replied, I tell you that to ev-

eryone who has, more will be given, but as for those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over thembring them here and kill them in front of me.

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WEEK 4
16 Prable of the Minas

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WEEK 5

LUKE 20:9-19
1 He went on to tell the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit 5 of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 10 What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him. But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. This is the heir, they said. Lets kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and 15 killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. When the people heard this, they said, God forbid! Jesus looked directly at them and asked, Then what is the meaning of that which is 20 written: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they 25 knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

18 Parable of the Tenants

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WEEK 6
20 Lost Things

LUKE 15:1-32
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose 5 one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesnt he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors to10 gether and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and 15 loses one. Doesnt she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin. In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the 20 presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Jesus continued: There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got 25 together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that

whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but

no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my fathers hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no

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longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The

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son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf

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and kill it. Lets have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the

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servants and asked him what was going on. Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.

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WEEK 6
22 Lost Things

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, Look! All these years Ive been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you

never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I

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have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

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WEEK 6
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APPLICATION & NOTES

25 Application / Notes

APPLICATION & NOTES

26 Application / Notes