Group Discussion & Life Challenge
Use these notes as discussion prompts for your group, or in your personal time with God.
Connect:
Get to know each other. Connect, warm up to each other, fellowship.
Care:
Carry each other’s burdens. Share life’s challenges and practice Soul Care. Pray together.
Challenge:
1. Baptisms are amazing to witness, share some thoughts from this past week. What excited you, shocked you, encouraged you or inspired you as you participated with those getting baptized?
2. How would you describe baptism to a new believer or someone who was not a believer?
3. In the message this week it was mentioned that Baptism was taken from a jewish tradition of cleansing and purification. How does that idea of spiritual hygiene show up in your walk with God? Does it matter to God that we are spiritually clean? See Col 2:3-12 and Matthew 23:25-26
4. In Romans Chapter 6, Paul references Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, he begins with the idea that we were baptized into His death. Buried with Him, so that we could be raised into a new life. Can you name something from your old life that died and was buried at your baptism? If you haven’t taken that step, what do you think should be put to death in your life?
5. What is one thing that you could say has started, and is new since that day you were baptized? or started following Jesus? In other words what has changed in your life because you now follow Jesus? Could you name a few things, why does this matter?
6. If offering our bodies as a living sacrifice is a right response of worship for all that Jesus has done on our behalf, then what is the next faith step of obedience in your life? Maybe He is pointing you to start something, or surrender something? To do something more, or confess something?
Clarify:
Does anyone need clarity on something? Are there any big God questions you are wrestling with?
Celebrate:
Celebrate life’s successes and God’s provision. Worship God’s presence. Time to brag about God.
BibleApp
Through the Bible in one Year
Join us in reading through the entire Bible in one year. Each day of this plan guides you through passages from both the Old and New Testaments, allowing you to see connections between the history of our faith, and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. Readings average four chapters in length, so it is posible to do. When you use the YouVersion Bible App, you can even have the app read the Bible text to you – very useful when you are in the car or otherwise occupied with your hand.
All you need to do is click the link to the Bible Plan, which should lead you straight to the Bible app. Your two options are now (1) to read the plan on your own, one day at the time. Or (2) you can make it more fun and rewarding, by sharing the plan with one or more friends, and then even “Talk about it”.