WELCOME ICEBREAKER

What would you consider to be a great use of your time in 2005? What opportunity do you felt like you seized?

WORSHIP

Worship is always a powerful use of our time. Paul highly encourages worship in Ephesians 5:19,20 when he teaches on seizing every opportunity. Read these verses and encourage your group to spent time in worship.

WORD

Read Ephesians 5:1-2

• David asked God to remind him his time on earth was limited. (Psa. 39:4) What reminds you that your time on earth is limited? (For some it is the arrival of grey hair, the change in their metabolism, their friends are getting married, etc.)
• In what way do you think the evil in the world robs us of opportunities? Verse 16.
• From this passage in Ephesians what unwise activities does Paul mention? How do they affect us in seizing the moment?
• Often “good” activities can cause us to “waste” our time. Make a list of what your group thinks would be the top ten “time wasters” in a typical week. Please email these back in your home group report so we can summarize all of them. Thanks.
• We have a society that is often observing but not participating. We watch sports but don’t play, watch stocks but don’t build business, watch politics but don’t get involved, watch music but don’t play an instrument, watch TV instead of playing a game and watch church but don’t do church. What opportunity would you like to seize in 2006?
• Paul tells us in verse 17 it is our responsibility to understand what the will of the Lord is for our lives. God does have a plan for our life filled with opportunities. As we read in Jer. 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” As a group discuss how we can understand what the will of the Lord is for our life.

WORK

Have the group pray for the person next to them. That they would have the wisdom to know the will of God and seize the opportunities God will bring their way.