Title: Peace

Series: Advent

Icebreaker: What is something you are eagerly awaiting - maybe before this year ends or at the start of the new year?

This Sunday our Bishop continued his latest sermon series for this Advent season. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas season, we also wait with great anticipation for his return. There are many titles we can use to refer to Jesus, one being Prince of Peace. If we look around our world today we can quickly see that wars, conflict, and all sorts of disarray are being reported - that doesn't sound like the peace that Jesus brings. In this world we will continue to face troubles and battles, in fact, the closer we get to Christ's return the worse we can expect things to get, but our hope is in the One who is coming to bring peace to the earth and usher in his eternal kingdom.

Isaiah 9:6-7

I. What Is Peace?

a. Peace is not the absence of conflict as we would like to think - rather, it is the destruction of confusion and the knowing that all is well with our souls. This peace comes from God when we are in right relationship with him, and it fosters peace within ourselves, as well as peace with others.

b. Peace can be considered an umpire - it is a guide for us in our decision-making. We are called to live in peace (Colossians 3:15), which really means we're called to live with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

c. The presence or absence of peace indicates if we're walking in the right path and acts as a compass for our lives, this means peace must be measurable. When we read Matthew 8:23-26 we find the disciples in a raging storm at sea, and Jesus sleeping through it all. If you can sleep through the night, despite the storms raging in your life, that's a good indication that you have peace. while a lack of sleep strongly indicates a lack of peace, and as we know, can cause great detriment to our health and well-being.

Discussion:

Peace is listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5, so how can we grow in peace if we feel like we currently lack it?

II. Pray for Peace

a. Peace comes to us through prayer, not only in regards to praying to make the right decision when it's something big like moving to a new city or changing careers. Prayer is our opportunity to communicate with God about everything (Philippians 4:6-7).

b. Peace is a gift that God has promised (Isaiah 54:10, John 14:27), which means it is free to us if we're willing to receive it by faith. Again, this does not mean that God promises us a trouble-free life, but it does mean that we don't have to face troubles alone.

c. What it really comes down to is that peace is a Person. While chaos and conflict rage on in this world, we find peace in drawing near to God. We wait for Christ to return and bring peace on earth once and for all, but we wait with confident hope that his Spirit is with us, giving us a foretaste of the peace that he will bring.

Thank you for being a Belong Host this semester! Your commitment has been a blessing and we pray you enjoy this holiday season.

If you know anyone who would be interested in hosting a Belong Group next semester please contact your district pastor.

REMIND:

GriefShare: Grief is one of life’s most difficult journeys, but you don’t have to go through it alone. If you, or someone you know, has lost a loved one you can begin your journey from mourning to joy through GriefShare at City Church. Meetings are held on Saturdays at 9:00 AM in the District Pastors’ Office. For more information please visit citychurchnola.life/GriefShare.

Wednesday Morning Prayer: You can participate in corporate prayer every Wednesday morning at 7 AM on Facebook. Join us each week as we continue to pray for our church, our city, and our nation.

City Life TV: You can watch our Bishop deliver thoughtful messages throughout the week. Tune in to WHNO, channel 20, Saturdays at 10:00 PM.

REPORT:

Please continue to report your in-person and virtual group meetings!

By using the same email you would normally receive, you may update your group information and report your weekly meetings.

If you need help with reporting, please contact your district pastor.

Have an amazing and spirit-filled group!