WELCOME (15 minutes)
Choose one of the following icebreakers:
(If you have first-time guests, begin with a round of introduction and warmly welcome the new visitors.)
1. Random Pictionary
Divide the CG Members into 2 or 3 teams. Each team will designate an artist to draw for each round. The Facilitator will generate a guessword and private message this in Zoom or WhatsApp to the artist. Once they see the word, the artists have 5 seconds to think before they begin to draw. The artist’s team will have 1 minute to try to guess the word to score a point. Teams can choose to attempt more difficult words to score higher points, i.e. Easy = 1 point, Medium = 2 points, Hard = 3 points, Really Hard = 5 points.
Random word generator with different difficulty levels: https://randomwordgenerator.com/pictionary.php
Materials needed: Zoom whiteboard and online or handphone timer to time each game.
2. In the News
Get CG Members to find a news headline that they care about. It can reflect anything from their thoughts or beliefs, interests or a current situation. Let them take turns to share the headlines in the Zoom whiteboard and describe what it means to them.
Facilitator can share the following links to the group for reference:
Materials needed: Zoom whiteboard
Transition to Worship:
Lord Jesus, we are so grateful to You that You are in charge of all that is happening around us, and that You have promised in Your Word that You will work all things out for good for us. So here we are, to worship You!
WORSHIP (20 minutes)
You may use the following worship songs:
- Here I Am To Worship (D)
- Sola Christos (G)
Let us pause to wait upon the Lord for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We would like to encourage everyone to exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit – if you have a word, a vision, tongues and interpretation of tongues – release the gift to minister to each other.
Transition to Word:
Lord, You alone are our Lord and King. You alone are worthy of all our praise. You alone have the Word of life and truth. Now, as we mediate over Your Word, let Your life-giving Spirit enlighten us and teach us. Make us obedient to Your Word. Amen
WORD (45 minutes)
Memory verse of the week: Judges 10:16 (NIV)
16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.
Sermon Title: Faith Community: Our Vision
By Senior Pastor Rev. Daniel Khong on 21-22 Aug 2021
Scripture Passage:
Hebrews 11:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
Hebrews 11:1-2 (NLT)
1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
Introduction
We are a Faith Community. As a faith community, our Vision is to “create realities that do not yet exist”.
The motivation behind our Vision - create realities that do not yet exist – is twofold:
- To demonstrate the reality of God
- To live faithfully to God
Discovery and Understanding Questions:
Q1. Meditate on the verses below. What do they speak to you about demonstrating the reality of God in your life and in the life of the Cell?
A1. God does not need us to demonstrate His reality. But He chooses to demonstrate His reality through us. These heroes of faith lived out their faith and in doing so, demonstrated the reality of God. It is by their faith that the reality of God was demonstrated to the world.
Hebrews 11:11 (NLT)
11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old…
Hebrews 11:29 (NLT)
29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.
Hebrews 11:30 (NLT)
30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
Q2. What does living faithfully to God mean to you and to the Cell?
A2. Living faithfully to God does not mean that we live full of faith. What it means is that we seek to please God by being faithful to Him – we obey His Word, we do His works, we go wherever He calls us to go. Creating realities that do not yet exist is how we express and live out our faith. And when we live that out, that’s how we in turn actually live faithfully to God.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:5 (NKJV)
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Application Questions
Break into smaller groups, share, pray and minister to one another.
Q1. Meditate on the story below, which speaks of the first two servants who created realities that didn’t yet exist – their 5 bags and 2 bags became 10 bags and 4 bags respectively; the last servant didn’t bother to do anything to please the Master and was punished.
Describe your response to this story. How does it change the way you steward what God has given you? What can the Cell do together to demonstrate to pre believers the reality of God?
Matthew 25:13-30 (NIVUK)
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Q2. Share an area in your walk of faith in service to God in which you are trusting God to accomplish infinitely more than you might ask or think. What faith goals can the Cell put in place for your outreach efforts?
Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Transition to Works:
Jesus, as a faith community, we want to dream big! As we set faith goals for our walk and our outreach, help us to continue in connecting with pre believers, so they too will be able to experience the reality of God in their lives.
WORKS (15 minutes)
1. Focus on CG Outreach
The focus of CG meetings is edification, equipping and evangelism.
In each CG meeting, spend some time to encourage your Members to do personal outreach right where they are. Give sometime each week during the WORKS portion for them to share their outreach efforts.
Plan regular (monthly or quarterly CG outreach, either as a whole CG or in separate groups) into your CG roster, using the existing covid19 guidelines to plan your activities/programmes.
The next XFXZ will be in September. Use the CG time to prepare your Members and get their buy-in to conducting a XFXZ cell the next round.
2. Prayer over Covid19 Situation
Consecrate some time each CG meeting to be praying for the situation; and to remain connected with one another.
4. Continue to Connect
a) With cell group members
- Hold your cell members accountable to watch the Livestream Service.
- Seek ways and means to stay connected with each other. For example:
- Synchronize prayer times
- Share devotional thoughts through WhatsApp. Encourage your members to share their Quiet Time Reflections in your cell group chat.
- Create a cell group hashtag - Post uplifting messages, sermon videos and notes, or even bookmark pretty verse images by leaving these in your cell group hashtag as a comment.
- Video call each other
- Continue with your cell group meetings online. Ensure that none of your members fall through the cracks. Continue to monitor the attendance of your online meetings.
b) With Potential BESTs / Pre-Believers
- Evangelism need not take a back seat with livestreaming. Invite pre-believing friends/Bests/3x3 contacts (depending on their comfort level) to join you in watching our livestream service. Connect online with them and spur other members to do so.
- When the salvation altar call is made during livestreaming, a Response Form link will be screened over the livestream for those who have responded or want to respond, to fill in. The livestream links are:
- For English -- www.fcbc.org.sg/connectwithus
- For Chinese -- www.fcbc.org.sg/zh/connectwithus
Get your pre-believing contacts to fill up the Response Form or you can help them fill it up. When filling up the Form, try to provide as much of the information needed as possible, and do so immediately after the livestream service.
5. 3x3 Prayer
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the strongholds that bind the people in captivity. Ask Him to set up divine appointments for us to minister His power over them (words of knowledge, healing, helps, etc.). Pray for one another to have boldness, courage and obedience to follow through.
6. Announcements
- On-site English and Chinese Services will resume at Touch Centre from 21 August 2021. According to our authorities covid19 safe management practices guidelines, all who intend to attend our on onsite services have to be fully vaccinated. More information, please visit fcbc.org.sg/resviceresumption
- English, Chinese, and Hokkien Services will continue to be streamed at their regular service timings on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/FCBCsg)
- In-person cell meetings and gatherings may resume, subject to current guidelines on social gatherings.
- Our advisories on weddings and funerals have been updated in our website.
7. Partial resumption of onsite Services
Praise God we are going back to onsite Services! Remind members to practise Phil 2:4 –
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
- Reserve seats only for yourselves and your family members. Don’t mass book. Don’t double book to secure more chances of getting a seat.
- Turn up for service after getting your seats. Don’t cancel last minute – every last minute cancellation deprives one person of an opportunity to come to onsite service.
- Obey covid19 safety procedures to safeguard yourself and others – e.g., stay in your zones; don’t turn up if you are sick, etc.
- Be patient and calm if there are delays in admitting you because of covid19 safe entry processes. Don’t abuse the Staff or volunteers on duty.
- Honour God – have a worshipful attitude even though you cannot sing aloud.
- Be punctual – build in extra time so that you will be seated already when Service starts.
- Dress appropriately.
- Recognise that there are many others also worshipping with you online.
- Continue to invite your pre-believer friends.
- Etc…
For more announcements, please visit www.fcbc.org.sg/announcements or our social media platforms – we can be found on Facebook and Instagram @fcbcsg.