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. What do you think of Aaron’s idea that, how you react to criticism reveals what really matters to you? Pause for a moment and consider things that immediately raise your heart rate when someone criticizes you.
2. Do you find within yourself that you respond like the Pharisees when you hear of some Christians interacting with “sinners”? What’s the line for each of you personally between interacting with nonbelievers and not becoming like them? If you don’t know, perhaps its time to specifically start interacting with non believers and trust the Holy Spirit to lead you.
3. Have you ever had someone say they want to mentor you? Have you ever mentored someone? You are further along than someone
4. What would it look like for you to invite an unsaved friend, or family, to join for small group one week? Could you open your group to someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus but could experience his love in your group?
5. A few weeks ago we talked about the Good Samaritan, the religious leaders judged the broken man on the side of the road. There is a similar theme of criticism in both stories. Yet, the samaritan did his part, he carried the man to an innkeeper. What is your part in the great commission to make disciples, like Jesus made disciples? Are you inviting others to follow Jesus? If yes, share how! If not, be really honest, why you are not and pray for each other to have a desire to invite others to follow.
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”.