This plan is designed to have a Nurturer guide the study, feel free to have other cell members support any of the sections as part of nurturing. All instructions are identified for Nurturer. A separate document (cell content) is meant to be shared.
This cell plan is based on the sermon by Rev. Ted on Sunday, March 9th, 2025.
Prepare Ahead
- Read Cell Vision Statement
- Meditate on Hebrews 4:1-11
- Pray and discern next steps for your cell for outreach / prayer partners / grad transition
- Link to sharable version for members: Cell Content
Opening
Nurturer: If there are any new members joining for the first time, ask everyone to share something about themselves.
- Note: Has it been a while since your cell has reviewed the cell vision statement? Review it together at: Cell Based Ministry
Icebreaker: Apart from sleeping, what do you like to do for rest? Or, what is one restful ‘activity’ you would like to do more of?
Worship
Note: In addition to the regular musical/prayer/reading worship section, we will be incorporating a bible reading section
Ask: How was your bible reading in the last 2 weeks, share something from your readings with the group!
Note: If sharing is scarce and always the same people, can start a rotation schedule
Go into musical worship if someone is scheduled. Continue to ask if members of the cell are willing to lead this portion in the future.
Please pray for the group to begin the study.
Nurture: For those who would like to allot this portion of the night to something else feel free to use the prayer exercise:
- Prayer Exercise
- Lectio divina
Word
Hebrews 4:1-11
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Discussion
Nurturer:
- Review the sermon with the group and ask if there’s anything that stood out, then go through the discussion questions.
- Review and decide which questions to ask for your cell, the goal is to facilitate conversation, not a Q&A
- General guide to good facilitation is to speak less than cell members
- Invite others to join in and response if they have shared similar experiences or thoughts
- Try to avoid going around in a circle. As the nurturer, ask follow-up questions and avoid giving advice.
- This section doesn’t have to have everyone share their personal thoughts but try to get everyone in the conversation.
- In order to allow for deeper discussion, consider breaking the group up into smaller groups to allow more space for sharing.
Sermon/Teaching Summary
- Rest is…
- Possible – Hear the Gospel (v.1-2a)
- Provided through Faith – Harden not your heart (v.2b-7)
- Perpetual in the Future – Heaven with Jesus (v.8-11)
- Possible (v.1-2a)
- v.1 – Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
- “Therefore” – refers to the lessons from history of the Jews in the previous chapter.
- “still stands” – present tense, available now.
- v.2a – For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did;
- “good news” – good news = gospel – the free offer of eternal life and forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus.
- “good news” – good news = gospel – the free offer of eternal life and forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus.
- Application: Finding rest is still possible today, and that rest is found in Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30).
- v.1 – Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
- Provided through Faith (v.2b-7)
- v.3a – Now we who have believed enter that rest.
- “believed” – Through faith we enter God’s eternal rest (salvation).
- “rest” – Foreshadowed in the OT promise land, connected to the rest in the creation narrative, and fully realized in salvation through Jesus.
- v.3b-7a
- “On the seventh day God rested from all his works” – References the creation story in Genesis 2:1-3.
- The sabbath had no boundaries (evening and morning) and was not limited to one day, but continues to the present. God is still resting and invites us into His rest through faith.
- v.7b – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
- “harden your hearts” – Hearts are hardened through procrastination and pretending.
- “harden your hearts” – Hearts are hardened through procrastination and pretending.
- Application: Do not prolong or fake turning to Jesus. Trust in Him TODAY.
- v.3a – Now we who have believed enter that rest.
- Perpetual in the Future (v. 8-11)
- v.9 – There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
- Sabbath-rest – the word translated for sabbath-rest also carries connotations of sabbath-celebration. “Celebration” alludes to future joy, praise, and worship for eternity.
- Revelation 7:9-12,15-17 – gives an imagine of the “sabbath-celebration we can look forward to.
- Application: Look to the future hope of uninterrupted, ever-present, unequivocal joy of celebrating Jesus.
- v.9 – There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
Main Reflection & Response:
- What tires you out?
- What do you find restful?
- Have you experienced rest in Jesus and how?
- Or: How do you long to experience rest in Jesus?
Additional Questions from the team:
- What burden(s) do you struggle with laying at Jesus’s feet?
Witness
- Cell Multiplication Prayer Meeting
- Join us on Saturday March 22nd 4-6 pm to pray and discern how God is leading us in the process of multiplication
- Grad transition:
- Every year, some of our post-secondary students will graduate and be ready to transition into adult zone. As part of the transition, the intention is to have each cell pray and invite grads into their cells (as individuals, not as a group)
- Timeline:
- June – Confirmed list of graduates
- June – August: Adult Zone outreach period, pray over and invite graduates to cell and out of cell activities
- September: Official transition
- When June comes, the graduate coordinator will have more details to help each cell support the graduates.
- Today: Start praying for our cells, are we ready to welcome grads into the cell? What do we need to do to prepare for the transition.
- Update: The cell schedule has been updated to include more outreach weeks in the summer to accommodate for this transition and summer schedules.
- Bible Reading:
- This year, we will be going through a 2 year bible reading plan together. Access to plan at gcgcny.link/readbible. Use this to share regularly in your cell about what you’re hearing from God.
- Easter – the Greatest Gift of Salvation
- The Good Friday event this year will be held on April 18th 3-5pm.
- More details to come via Sunday announcements
- The Good Friday event this year will be held on April 18th 3-5pm.
- Prayer and Outreach
- As discussed in our last meeting, we will be shifting outreach to be a zone wide initiative to encourage similar life stage members to partner together to witness to their friends, with cell being a place for them to join once they are ready to be a part of the community, as part of this shift:
- New Outreach Chat to invite others along when you are looking to do something with friends
- Establish prayer partners
- Suggestion: Monthly same gender rotations to encourage biweekly checkins to strengthen relationships.
- Note that the above is a suggestion and may not be the best approach based on the make up of your cell, pray and discern how best to approach this for the benefit of your cell
- As discussed in our last meeting, we will be shifting outreach to be a zone wide initiative to encourage similar life stage members to partner together to witness to their friends, with cell being a place for them to join once they are ready to be a part of the community, as part of this shift: