Rob Bell Featured in Time Magazine

The latest issue of Time contains a feature story on Rob Bell, creator of the Nooma video series. You can read it here.

Dec. 2 - "Dust" (segment 008)

Discussion guide questions:

• Why are the "small and unnoticed' things such a big deal?

While sitting in his cozy office, overlooking his neighbor shoveling snow from the driveway, Rob starts explaining how men became rabbis during Christ's time. Only boys and young men considered the cream of the crop would be selected, based on their knowledge of the Torah and other talents, to participate in years of training. These students were devoted to their rabbis and followed them everywhere, to the point that the young men would be covered in the dust from their travels.

• Would you consider your self a disciple?

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water. "Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt? - Matthew 14:25-31 (NIV)

• How big a role do your insecurities play in your life? Do they ever affect your faith?
• Do you believe that God believes in you?

Rob goes on to say that Jesus didn't pick his disciples from men already following other rabbis, so his disciples weren't the number one - or even number forty-seven - draft picks. "He calls them to be his disciples," Rob says, watching his neighbor continue to shovel, "and they change the course of history."

• What message was Jesus sending us by not choosing the best of the best?

"Faith in Jesus is important, but what about Jesus' faith in us?" asks Rob. "Jesus has faith that you can follow him and that you can be like him."

• What does it mean to be like Jesus? Can you do it?

Rob finally puts on his jacket and goes outside. He gets his mail from his mail box, and his neighbor, done shoveling her neighbor's driveway, goes back to her own house.

Class discussion: why Rob wasn't helping the nieghbor shovel snow, Paul's lack of faith in himself, different interpretations of the Scriptures creating different churches, having the courage to do small acts of kindness, the guilt of not doing small things, generosity as both a giver and a receiver, why it's hard to accept help.

Action items for the week:

• Give a sincere compliment to a stranger or someone you don't know well.
• Allow at least one person to help you this week with something, no matter how small the task.
• Come up with one small thing our church could do to impact the community we live in.
• Check to make sure you have cocoa, warm gloves, and a good shovel in preparation for snow days ahead.

Nov. 25 - "Trees" (003)

Discussion guide questions:

• How do you feel about the world? Is it getting better or worse?

Rob is in an urban, industrial looking area, an area one would not traditionally call a "spot of pride." He begins planting a tree and says, "God says, 'You can live how you want or you can live how I created you to live.' It's almost as if God says, 'It's your choice.' It's still our choice."

• What does it mean to live how God created you to live?
• If we believe God's way is the best way to live, why is it so hard for us to do it?

In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. - Genesis 2:9 (NIV)

• Are we faced with the same choices as Adam and Eve?

Rob has finished planting the first tree and starts on planting a second tree. "We live between the trees, in a world drenched in God. And some people seriously ask, 'Where is God?' Maybe a better question would be 'Where isn't God?' " says Rob. "I mean, his fingerprints are all over our world. Or maybe it's his world and they're our fingerprints."

• What are some places in the world where you see God?
• Are you leaving some of your own fingerprints on the world? What are they?
• Does your faith help you understand the world we live in?
• Does it make it easier or more difficult on a day-to-day basis?

On both sides of the river was the tree of life bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations. - Revelation 22:2 (HCSB)

Class discussion: the holes dug for the trees looked way too small for the root balls, Adam and Eve as creators with God, what is our role as creators today, living "the dash" between your birth and death dates on your tomb stone, is our church just waiting for the right time/person/thing or is it actively creating its future, building a closer friendship with God.

Action items for the week:

• Challenge yourself to "live the dash."
• Notice the fingerprints of God around you, and then look for your own.
• Examine a choice you made this week and ask yourself if it's what you wanted to do or what God wanted you to do.
• Explore local efforts to preserve natural beauty such as Hatcher Garden and SPACE

Video note: the trees planted in the film were planted without proper permission from city officials. Guerrilla planting of trees on city property is generally frowned upon and can result in severe fines.

Nov. 18 - "Kickball" (segment 006)

Discussion guide questions:

• We always want something, don't we? What is it for you?
• If you got everything you asked for in life, do you think you'd be happy?

Instead of buying the dangerously-cheap-strap-to-your-wrist-ball at the mall Kiosk, Rob takes his son, under great protest, to the sporting goods store across the street instead.

• Have you ever been mad at God for not giving what you'd asked for?
• Is it okay to question God?

Once at the sporting goods store, Rob lets his son pick out a bigger, better ball - a kickball.

• Have you ever felt like God did come through for you? If so, how?
• Have you ever felt unsure about an important decision in your life and trusted God to lead you in the right direction? How did that turn out?

Rob closes by saying, "So when you find yourself at the kiosk, asking, 'Why can't I have what I want?' may you believe that God is good, and that right across the street he has something better."

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a scorpion instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" - Luke 11:11-13 (NIV)

Class discussion: Being patient (or impatient) with God's timing and plans for us, ideas for giving gifts other than the material kind, ideas for stopping the "but I didn't get..."s, changing our perspective from that of scarcity to one of abundance, trusting that God has a plan, being grateful for our assets instead of looking around for what we think we're missing.

Action items for the week:

1. When you start dwelling on things you want to have, do or be that you think would make your life better, think of 3 things that you already have, did or are for which you're grateful.
2. Remember a time when God come through for you with something better than what you could have planned.
3. Practice being a gracious giver and a grateful recipient.
4. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Video note: the entire wall of kickballs in the video was donated to inner city elementary schools.

Nov. 11 - "Rain" (segment 001)

Discussion guide questions:

• What are some of the storms of your life? Is it raining now?
• Do you think God intentionally puts us through trials? Isn't there an easier way for us to learn?

Rob Bell said, "God says to us, 'When you come to me, come to me with all of your junk, your problems, come to me all screwed up, all messed up. Let me take care of it.' "

• What does your junk look like? Is it stopping you from crying out to God?
• Do you have anyone in your life who you would do anything for?
• Do you think that's how God feels about you?

When you're going through really hard times, do you still trust that God knows the way and you're going to make it?

There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way until you reached this place. - Deuteronomy 1:31 (NIV)

Action items for this week:

1. Turn some of your "junk" that you might have been holding on to over to God.
2. Can you remember a time when God got you safely through a stormy time?
3. Share the sunny walks with God, too.

Video note: the filming of this first Nooma began on September 11, 2001.

Nov. 4 - "Sunday" (segment 004)

Our first video, entitled "Sunday," asked questions about giving: our time, our money, our hearts. Does a gift that's given out of obligation have the same value as one given with love? If you go to church because "you have to," does it mean less than when you go because you truly want to be there?

The class also discussed: obligatory attendance turning into a positive experience, why pray, worship as practice, how to pray

Closing prayer: God wants us to have a relationship with Him, and all relationships require communication. Talk to Him as much as you do to your other friends.

For more information about Nooma, please visit nooma.com