Love - Greg Hawkins, Don Wink and Sara VanDeBerg

LOVE DEEPENING YOUR LIFE IN CHRIST TOGETHER

Greg Hawkins, Don Wink and Sara VanDeBerg

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featuring

Pathways Faith, Hope, and Love A journey toward intimacy with Christ

BOOK THREE Love: Living Your Life in Christ Together

by Greg Hawkins, Don Wink and Sara VanDeBerg

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Copyright © 2015 by Brett Eastman, Greg Hawkins and Lifetogether Ministries ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Published by Lifetogether Ministries, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means -- electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise -- except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Copyright and use of the curriculum template and content is retained by Brett Eastman. Permission for use in the Year of Transformation series is given to Lutheran Church of the Atonement, Barrington, IL. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotes are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 and 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-940077-37-6 Printed in the United States of America

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CONTRIBUTORS TEACHERS

DON WINK Don Wink has served as Senior Pastor at Lutheran Church of the Atonement, Barrington, Illinois, since 1999. He and his wife, Joy, have three children, who are nearly past the ages of being embarrassed by him. He is losing the race against time, but is gaining wisdom almost as quickly as he is losing energy.

He enjoys serving the community, coaching soccer, and staying connected to friends. Playing golf helps him dispel the myth of progress, but has not yet robbed him of hope.

SARA VANDEBERG Sara VanDeBerg is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She was ordained in 2002 and has served at Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Barrington, IL since 2007. She and her husband, Paul, have three young children. She loves the challenge of balancing marriage, family, and professional life, and is thankful to know that she has only one true identity: daughter of God. In her free time she seeks out opportunities to exercise her creative gifts. Quilting is a perennial favorite.

GREG L. HAWKINS Greg serves on the senior leadership team at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he offers leadership in the areas of new ministry innovation, strategy development, and spiritual formation. From 1996-2013, he served as Executive Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, where he assisted Senior Pastor Bill Hybels in providing strategic leadership to Willow Creek’s six campuses.

He is the co-creator and lead practitioner of the REVEAL research initiative and co-author of four books related to the REVEAL research.

He holds a civil engineering degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Stanford University. He and his wife Lynn live in the San Antonio area with their three children.

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LOVE: LIVING YOUR LIFE IN CHRIST TOGETHER

CONTENTS

Welcome by Don Wink

7

Acknowledgements

8

Introduction by Greg Hawkins

10

Using This Workbook (Read This First)

11

Outline for Each Session

12

OUTLINE FOR EACH SESSION SESSION ONE: MENTORED

14

SESSION TWO: BELOVED

38

SESSION THREE: BLESSED

60

SESSION FOUR: IMMERSED

84

– THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD OTHERS

– OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

– THE REWARDS OF GENEROSITY

– THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD

SESSION FIVE: FORGIVEN

106

SESSION SIX: CALLED

130

– THE JOY OF CONFESSION

– THE RESPONSE OF OBEDIENCE

APPENDICES

Frequently Asked Questions Small Group Agreement Small Group Calendar Spiritual Partners Memory Verse Cards (Clip and Review) Small Group Roster

156 158 160 161 162 163

SMALL GROUP LEADERS

Hosting an Open House Leading for the First Time Leadership Training Prayer and Praise Report Notes

166 168 170 174 176

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WELCOME “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NRSV) These words, which are often read at weddings and occasionally read at funerals, were written by the apostle Paul not to couples or about individuals, but to and about the church. The love he describes is not an emotion, it is not affection or romance, but is the action within and among us that gives ourselves away for the sake of others.

Welcome to our third and final series in Atonement’s Year of Transformation. The transformation that we seek not only in this year, but across our lives as followers of Jesus, is to grow in love for God and for each other. That looks and sounds so simple… …but of course it is not. Sadly, we are our own biggest stumbling block to growth in love. Too often, we find ourselves IMpatient, UNkind, envious, boastful, rude, insistent on our own way, irritable, resentful…you get the idea. If we are to grow in love, it will be through Jesus becoming increasingly central in our lives. And if Jesus is to be increasingly central, we will be less so. We find in that a type of surrender that we gladly seek.

Our first series, Faith, focused on basic questions that we never outgrow. “Who is God?” “How am I in relationship with God?” In our second series, Hope, we went a little deeper. “How is God active and present in my life?” “Why is serving others important?” Now, in Love, we ponder, “What stands in the way of Jesus being the most important person and presence in my life?” As we wrestle with that and surrender more and more of ourselves, we will find Paul’s words to the Corinthian church to be true for us.

“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”(1 Corinthians 13:13, NRSV) Paul knows that when we see God face to face, faith and hope will no longer be necessary. These almost-greatest of gifts are grounded in and realized in the love that will remain when we do see God face to face. We need not wait to see God face to face before experiencing this love. This love is for us, and for right now. I hope and pray that each of us grows in love during this series and throughout our lives.

Grace and Peace, Don Wink P | 7

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “A Year of Transformation” was born in a conversation in spring, 2014, with Greg Hawkins. When I asked him what he was working on, he described a template of spiritual growth resources that he had just completed with Brett Eastman.

Given that our staff and volunteer leaders at Atonement had been wrestling over how to create practical “what’s next” steps for at least three years, I believe my immediate response was, “When can I buy that?” Greg tried to explain that it was not an off-the-shelf resource, but instead involved local church teaching and content.

Both Greg and Brett were in the Chicago area in May, and we arranged to meet for dinner. It was memorable because while we were eating dinner, the LA Kings scored six straight goals to beat the Chicago Blackhawks at home and turn the tide of their playoff series. Brett was happy about that; I forgave him his partisanship. On a happier note, Brett was able to generate much of the vision for what would become A Year of Transformation that evening.

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Between May and October, the team at Lifetogether got us organized. Keri Wyatt Kent and Allen White have brought all of their faithfulness and competence to this project. The production team took a bunch of oncamera novices and worked miracles.

The staff at Atonement discerned that God had been aligning all of the elements for us to make our biggest and most concerted push yet toward the spiritual growth of our members and friends.

They moved really fast (for a church) and put a lot of other things on hold in order to make this happen. Thank you, dear colleagues.

Atonement members have shared their lives through testimonies, their resources to fund this initiative, and their gifts in working behind the scenes on both the print and video production.

You know who you are...and the Year of Transformation is both on your shoulders and in front of you.

A project of this size and complexity exceeds my capacity to even know everyone who helped make it happen, let alone remember and thank them. So, in advance, I apologize for any omissions.

Tami Pringle has served as our local project manager with persistence and grace. Dave Johnson, Ann Pride, and Mary Williams have served with her as the core team, and each have brought their gifts and energy to the work. Sara VanDeBerg wrote and delivered much of the teaching content, and proved that it is possible to be both creative and collaborative.

Finally, Ruth Bruch brought her considerable gifts for strategic leadership to Atonement’s staff and volunteer leaders for several years. In short, she helped us all translate dreams into action plans, and obstacles into solvable problems. While her health did not permit her to record the testimony that she had prepared, in a very real way, this series represents part of her legacy.

In advance, I also acknowledge with gratitude all of the people of Atonement and beyond who will participate in the Year of Transformation. In doing so, you will help shape the world and your lives toward greater love for God and for each other.

Grace and Peace, Don Wink

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INTRODUCTION BY GREG HAWKINS You were created to live in intimate union with God. If that stirs a longing in your heart, but also a lot of questions, you are in the right place.

Welcome to Love: Living Your Life in Christ Together, book three of the Pathways series. These three six-week studies (Faith, Hope, and Love) are designed to be studied in succession, but each one also stands alone. Ideally, an entire congregation will engage in this study together.

FAITH, discussed in book one, is our foundation. Once a basic FAITH is developed and starts to become more central, a person grows in confidence in Christ, and true HOPE emerges. Once FAITH and HOPE become real, one can step boldly toward a life characterized by LOVE. A life of LOVE is marked by full, deep intimacy with God. It happens when a person decides to stop consuming God and move to a new kind of life in which one surrenders fully to God and allows her-or himself to be consumed by Love (God). When this happens, one might say, “This is no longer my life. It is God’s life, lived through me.”

The study you hold in your hand is part of a series whose sole purpose is to catalyze movement. The movement we describe came out of our research with more than 500,000 people. We found surprising results about what helps people progress spiritually, and what changes when they do.

By going through this study on Love with a small group, you’ll move closer to God and each other. The goal for our lives is to live as Jesus lived—in deep and abiding intimacy with the Father and in deep service-oriented love for others. The goal of this study is to help you live fully with God and others—not just to learn about love, but to guide you toward actually living a life of love, fully surrendered to God. Just as you don’t meet someone and instantly live in deep transparent intimacy with them, moving toward intimacy with Christ is a process; much in the same way that a great marriage takes a long time to build. So this study will guide you along the path toward full devotion to Christ and life-giving intimacy with Him. Living a Christ-centered life, in which everything you do is a reflection of Christ, is not only possible—it is the way you are meant to live. This study can help you find the pathway to that kind of life.

Greg Hawkins

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USING THIS

WORKBOOK The Pathways Year of Transformation series is made up of three six-week studies: Faith, Hope, and Love. While we recommend groups work through the three studies in succession, each also stands alone. Here at Atonement, we’ll be working our way through all three studies as a congregation.

The studies, and the lessons within them, are designed to catalyze movement. The topics and methods for this series came out of the ongoing REVEAL research of more than 500,000 church attendees and their spiritual lives, including members of Atonement.

This study consists of six sessions that include Scripture, discussion questions, group activities, and individual experiences for group members.

You’ll also find helpful resources in the appendices, including a Small Group Leaders section. If you are facilitating/leading or co-leading a small group, that section will give you some hard-learned experiences of others that will encourage you and help you avoid many common obstacles to effective small group leadership.

Consider the questions and information a guide—but let God lead you as you study together. If you think of a better question than the next one in the lesson, ask it. Take to heart the insights included in the Frequently Asked Questions pages and the Small Group Leaders section.

The outline on the next few pages will help you understand what’s included in each lesson. Read through it so you know what to expect in each lesson and how each session will flow.

Most of all, just have fun. Building community in a small group is rewarding, and one of the best parts about the journey of faith.

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OUTLINE

OF EACH SESSION

Life change happens in small groups. In the setting of community, we can obey Jesus’ command to love one another. In this study, you’ll not only read and discuss Biblical texts, you’ll think and talk about how to apply what you’ve learned to your everyday life. The goal is not that you’d accumulate knowledge, but that your life would be transformed, and your character will reflect that of Jesus Christ.

A typical group session for the Pathways: LOVE study will include the following sections: WEEKLY MEMORY VERSES. Each session opens with a Memory Verse that emphasizes an important truth from the session. This is an optional exercise, but memorizing Scripture can be a vital part of filling our minds with God’s will for our lives. We encourage you to give this important habit a try. The verses for our six sessions are also listed in the appendix.

SHARE YOUR STORY. The foundation for spiritual growth is an intimate connection with God and His family. You build that connection by sharing your story with a few people who really know you and who earn your trust. This section includes some simple questions to get the group talking—letting you share as much or as little of your story as you feel comfortable doing. An important part of this section is the opportunity to check in with your spiritual partner.

HEAR GOD’S STORY. In this section, you’ll read the Bible and listen to teaching—in order to hear God’s story and begin to see how His story aligns with yours. When the study directs you to, you’ll pop in the DVD and watch a short teaching segment. You’ll then have an opportunity to read a passage of Scripture, and discuss both the teaching and the text with your group. You won’t focus on accumulating information but on how you should live in light of the Word of God.

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CREATE A NEW STORY. God wants you to be a part of His Kingdom—to see where your story fits into His. That will mean change. It will require you to go His way rather than your own. This won’t happen overnight, but it should happen steadily. Talking with others who can encourage you and pray for you will help you to grow. The Bible reminds us to “be doers of the Word, not just hearers” (James 1:22 ESV). The discussion questions in this section focus on practical application of what you’ve learned in the lesson. This section will also have a question or two that will challenge you to live out your faith by serving others, sharing your faith, and worshiping God. You’ll discuss these during your meeting.

STUDY NOTES. This is a brief section with additional commentary, background or insights on the passage you’ll study in the Hear God’s Story section.

ADDITIONAL STUDY. If you have time and want to dig deeper into more Bible passages about the topic at hand, we’ve provided an additional passage and questions.

Your group may choose to do study homework ahead of each meeting in order to cover more biblical material. If you prefer not to do study homework, this section will provide you with plenty to discuss within the group. These options allow individuals or the whole group to expand their study, while still accommodating those who can’t do homework or are new to your group.

DAILY DEVOTIONS. Each week on the Daily Devotions pages, we provide scriptures to read and reflect on between group meetings. This offers you a chance to slow down, to read just a small portion of Scripture each day, and reflect and pray through it. Each day, you’ll not only read a verse, but you’ll also read a “REFLECT” paragraph written as if it were a personal note to you from Jesus. You’ll then have a chance to journal your response to what you’ve read. Use this section to seek God on your own throughout the week. This time at home should begin and end with prayer. Don’t hurry; take enough time to hear God’s direction.

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SESSION ONE

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MENTORED

THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD OTHERS

MEMORY VERSE “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:17

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As we grow in our intimacy with Christ, we cannot help but grow in intimacy with others. Jesus told us that the most essential rule of life has two parts: love God, and love others.

As you grow in God’s love, by definition, you grow in love for people.

In a church or small group, we love and are loved. We’ve developed spiritual friendships where we can freely share both the victories and the struggles of our lives. We can live in relationship where we seek God together and where we are honest and authentic, as we talked about in the previous study.

The next movement, when it comes to community, is to seek out mentors, people ahead of you on the journey who can help you grow closer to God, and then to turn around and offer yourself as a mentor to others.

Many people are more afraid of being a mentor than of having one. Being a mentor means you are willing to be a role model and to open up your life to show someone how to live a life of love. That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect—in fact, it often means being willing to share your imperfections.

When you seek out a mentor, you’re not just looking for a companion, but a guide. You don’t just want community, you want transformation. You admit, by seeking a mentor, that you don’t have everything figured out, and you need a little help.

That humility is in itself a step of growth.

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SHARE YOUR STORY

EACH OF US HAS A STORY. The events of our life—good, bad, challenging or wonderful—have shaped who we are. God knows your story, and He intends to redeem it—to use every struggle and every joy to ultimately bring you to Himself. When we share our stories with others, we give them the opportunity to see God at work.

When we share our stories, we realize we are not alone—that we have common experiences and thoughts, and that others can understand what we are going through. Your story can encourage someone else, and telling it can be a path to freedom for you, and for those with whom you share it.

As you begin this first meeting, take time to pass around a copy of the Small Group Roster on page 163, a sheet of paper, or one of you pass your Study Guide, opened to the Small Group Roster. Have everyone write down their contact information. Ask someone to make copies or type up a list with everyone’s information and email it to the group this week.

Then, begin your time together by using the following questions and activities to get people talking.

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1.

Have you ever had a mentor? How would you describe your relationship with that person?

2.

If you have not been in a mentoring relationship, what is one benefit you think such a relationship would provide?

3.

Take a look at this continuum, and place a check mark above the statement that best describes you as an individual.

- I feel lonely and disconnected.

- I have a lot of acquaintances but not many real friends.

- I’m connected with people but don’t always feel I can be myself around them.

- I’ve got just a couple of really close friends who encourage me and are helping me to grow spiritually.

4.

Now look at this continuum, and also place a check mark above the statements that resonate most with your current situation.

- I’m not sure I believe in God, - I believe in God but am not sure about Jesus, - I am early in my relationship with Jesus Christ, - I feel very close to Jesus and depend on Him daily for guidance, or - My relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important relationship in my life.

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Whether your group is new or ongoing, it’s always important to reflect on and review your values together.

On page 158 is a Small Group Agreement with the values we’ve found most useful in sustaining healthy, balanced groups. We recommend that you choose one or two values—ones you haven’t previously focused on or have room to grow in—to emphasize during this study.

Choose ones that will take your group to the next stage of intimacy and spiritual health.

If your group is new, welcome newcomers. Introduce everyone—you may even want to have nametags for your first meeting.

We recommend that you rotate host homes on a regular basis and let the hosts lead the meeting. We’ve come to realize that healthy groups rotate leadership. This helps to develop every member’s ability to shepherd a few people in a safe environment. Even Jesus gave others the opportunity to serve alongside Him (Mark 6:30– 44). Look at the FAQs in the Appendix for additional information about hosting or leading the group.

The Small Group Calendar on page 160 is a tool for planning who will host and lead each meeting. Take a few minutes to plan hosts and leaders for your remaining meetings. Don’t pass this up! It will revolutionize your group.

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HEAR

GOD’S STORY

God uses stories to guide us. When we read the true stories of Scripture, we learn what God is like. We see His plan unfolding. And we learn principles for our own lives. How can we become a part of God’s story? By seeing where our stories align with His, and by not just understanding what it means to follow Him, but actually doing it—changing our attitudes and actions to live as He would live. Use the following questions to guide your discussion of the Bible passage below. The study notes on page 26 can help you understand more of the background of this passage.

WATCH THE DVD SEGMENT NOW.

What comments, insights or questions do you have after watching this week’s personal testimony? Use the following questions to guide your discussion after watching the teaching provided on the video and reading the Bible passage that follows.

Use the Notes section on pages 27 to record any key thoughts, questions and things you want to remember or follow up on.

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READ 2 TIMOTHY 1:3-8 “I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and selfdiscipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”

Consider reading these verses from other Bible translations as well for a fuller understanding.

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1.

Paul was Timothy’s spiritual mentor. What encouragement does Paul give him in this letter?

2.

According to verse 3, what is one thing that Paul does for Timothy? What does this tell us about one of a mentor’s responsibilities?

3.

Paul mentions Timothy’s other mentors, his mother and grandmother. Who are some family members who’ve mentored you? What are you doing to mentor your children, nieces or nephews, or other younger family members?

4.

What do you think it means to fan your gift into flame? What steps have you taken recently in your life to do that?

5.

A spiritual friendship or mentoring relationship is formed not just by talking about faith, but living it out together. How did Paul and Timothy do this? (verse 8)

6.

In the video, Pastor Don says mentoring is calling out from someone else what God has already given to them. How does Paul do this for Timothy in this passage?

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STUDY

NOTES

Mentoring is more than just friendship; it’s an intentional investment in someone else’s life with the goal of making them more effective in their ministry, stronger in their faith, or more like Jesus. This means we don’t just affirm the strengths of the people we’re mentoring (although that’s important)—we also help them discover the areas they need to work on.

It’s interesting that Paul encourages Timothy to be more bold. As you know if you’ve read many of Paul’s letters, this is not an area Paul struggled with! But apparently Timothy was less brave or assertive in his faith, and Paul used this letter as a way to address this area in which Timothy needed to grow.

Note also the spirit in which Paul talks to Timothy. He doesn’t say, “You wimp!

Stand up for your faith, already!” He is direct while also encouraging. He begins the passage by affirming Timothy’s strengths and makes sure Timothy understands that Paul believes he has the ability as a leader to grow in this way.

Your mentoring relationship may look different from Paul and Timothy’s, but Paul’s combination of compassion and honest feedback is a good model to follow.

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Use this space to record your thoughts, questions and ponderings as you watch the video and discuss the Bible passage.

NOTES

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CREATE A NEW STORY

God wants you to be a part of His Kingdom—and He is inviting you to see where your story fits into His. That will mean change—to go His way rather than your own. This is a process, and won’t happen overnight—but it should happen steadily. By starting with small, simple choices, we begin to change our direction.

We move forward on our journey. The Holy Spirit helps us along the way: giving us gifts to serve the body, offering us insights into Scripture, challenging us to love not only those around us but those far from God. One of the clear catalysts that our research shows causes movement is to be a part of a community. We grow in faith when we’re loved by others, and have an opportunity to love them, as well.

In this section, talk about how you will apply what you’ve learned so far. Then think about practical steps you can take in the coming week to live out what you’ve learned.

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1.

As we saw in the passage from 2 Timothy 1, Paul prayed for Timothy and wrote him this letter encouraging him. Do you have someone who is a “Paul” in your life—who prays for you and encourages you? What is one step you could do to seek out a relationship like this?

2.

Seeking out a mentor requires humility—an admission that we don’t have everything about our relationship with God figured out. What are you most hungry for in your relationship with God? How could your experience of community help you to satisfy that longing?

3.

Look at the three things Paul mentions that the Spirit gives us: power, love and self-discipline. What is your next step of growth in any one of these areas?

4.

Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed. When it comes to matters of faith, where are you tempted to feel shame?

5.

Pastor Don said that in Scouting, a boy is expected to teach a new skill to someone else as soon as he himself has learned it. What is something you’ve recently learned in your spiritual walk that you could share with someone else?

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6.

This week, how will you nurture your connection with God? Can you commit to spending time in daily prayer or reflecting on God’s Word?

(Use the Daily Devotions section to guide you.) Tell the group how you plan to follow Jesus this week, and then, at your next meeting, talk about your progress and challenges.

TO CLOSE YOUR TIME TOGETHER, SPEND SOME TIME WORSHIPING GOD TOGETHER— PRAYING, SINGING, READING SCRIPTURE Have someone use their musical gifts to lead the group in a worship song.

Try singing a cappella, use a worship CD, or have someone accompany your singing with a musical instrument.

Read a passage of Scripture together—make it a time of praise and worship as the words remind you of all God has done for you. Choose a psalm or other favorite verse.

Ask everyone to share: “How can we pray for you this week?” Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer and Praise Report on page 174.

Close your meeting with prayer.

If you find it helpful, have someone read the following prayer aloud: Dear God, Thank you so much for the amazing gift of community. You are so good to us, and we’re so grateful, for the gift of true friendships. You’ve provided friends and mentors to us to guide us as we seek you, and as we experience your love and presence through a community of others who love you. Thanks for coming up with such a wonderful way for us to experience your love. Help us to love you by loving those around us. Amen.

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ADDITIONAL STUDY If you feel God nudging you to go deeper, take some time between now and our next meeting to dig into His Word. Explore the Bible passages related to this session’s theme on your own, jotting your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. A great way to gain insight on a passage is to read it in several different translations. You may want to use a Bible app or website to compare translations.

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READ JOHN 17:20-23 “I’m praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me.

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us.

Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they’ll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me.

Then they’ll be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you’ve sent me and loved them In the same way you’ve loved me.”

(THE MESSAGE)

This passage is part of a prayer that Jesus prayed for His disciples. What was Jesus’ vision for His followers?

According to verse 21, what does Jesus hope will show the world that He was sent from God?

What do you think “unified and together” means? Which of your current relationships would you say exhibit unity? What’s one way you can move toward unity?

Verse 23 says that the Father loves you and I “in the same way” He loves Jesus—that is, He has the same affection for you as He does for Jesus. What is your response to this idea?

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DAILY DEVOTIONALS

During the week between meetings, keep walking on your journey of faith by reading and reflecting on God’s Word.

Each day, read the verse given. Take your time. Imagine that Jesus is sitting with you. Then, imagine Him saying the words in the “Reflect” section to you personally—reassuring you with His presence and loving you with His words of comfort and strength. After reflecting on Jesus’ words to you, take some time to journal your response back to Him. You can write whatever is on your heart.

Answer the “Respond” question only if it’s helpful. You may want to go another direction, and feel free to do so. On the first day, you may want to read over all the verses for the week to get the “big picture” of the passage. But then walk slowly verse by verse, listening to Jesus and responding to Him as you meditate on the truths of Scripture and experience His presence.

As you experience these devotionals and think about community, think about how Jesus lived His life on earth and use it as a model for your own. Jesus surrounded Himself with people, not just because He wanted to teach them, heal them, etc., but also because He desired to share community with them. This is a beautiful and mysterious thing, but one that should bring us great joy.

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DAY 1: READ GALATIANS 6:1 “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

REFLECT Confronting someone who is going down the wrong path is not easy—but if you’re living in step with my Spirit, you’ll be given the words to say, and the love with which to say them.

Simply treat others as you’d want them to treat you—with kindness and gentleness, but clarity and firmness. Keep close to me, make restoration your goal, and you’ll find your friendship growing deeper.

RESPOND How might talking to a friend about their sin, and trying to restore them back to the way of God, cause you to be tempted?

DAY 2: READ GALATIANS 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

I’ve loved you, and carried your burdens. Now I ask you to do that for others. When you mentor or disciple someone, you are indeed carrying their burdens.

REFLECT By listening, loving, and asking questions to guide someone, you’re fulfilling my law—which is the law of love. Don’t be afraid to go deeper in your friendships—you’ll experience my presence there.

RESPOND Who needs you to carry their burdens—to come alongside them and guide them or help them in their journey? Who is doing that for you?

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DAY 3: READ GALATIANS 6:3 “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.”

REFLECT When you humble yourself, I’ll lift you up. I’m not asking for false humility or bashing you for having confidence. Just pray for a right-sized view of yourself, and a right-sized view of God. He’s bigger than you are, and your response to that should be humble.

When you know that God is all-sufficient, you don’t worry about trying to be more than you are. He’s all that you need.

RESPOND In which areas of life do you tend to deceive yourself? Maybe in your career, your parenting, your “importance” at church or in your community? Take some time to confess your self-deceit to God.

DAY 4: READ GALATIANS 6:4-5 “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”

REFLECT Comparison is such a trap—because it puts your focus on yourself and, often, on your own inadequacies. Test your actions—and the motives behind them. Why do you do what you do?

Having a mentor to walk through these questions with you can help you to grow in your relationship with me, and will equip you to in turn help others who need to grow.

RESPOND Who are you tempted to compare yourself to? How does this break down community between you and that person?

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DAY 5: READ GALATIANS 6:6 “Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.”

REFLECT My people should love as I loved, with generosity and joy. Seek out instruction and receive it gladly, and when that instruction bears fruit in your life, share that gladly with those who’ve helped you.

Your relationship with me is personal, and yet it’s also meant to be shared with a community in which you all help each other, love each other, instruct each other. Let me love others through you, and receive my love through others.

RESPOND Who is instructing you in the Word? Pray for your mentor. If you don’t have a mentor, pray for guidance as you seek one out.

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SESSION TWO

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BELOVED

OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

MEMORY VERSE “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”

DEUTERONOMY 33:12

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Imagine yourself at a social gathering, being introduced to someone new. What question do we typically use to get to know someone? We usually ask about a person’s occupation. Or we will be introduced with something like, “This is Jane, she’s an attorney,” or “This is Paul, he’s in sales.”

It’s not surprising then, that when we come to matters of faith that we might tend to equate who we are with what we do. We think our identity is based on our performance—we’re a “good” Christian because we are a rule-follower, or because we volunteer twice a week and are in a small group at our church.

But as we journey toward love, we begin to see that we can’t earn God’s favor. We’re not loved because of what we do. We are loved in spite of what we’ve done. Our identity is simple: we are the beloved of the Lord. We can rest secure in that, we can let go of trying to earn God’s favor.

Knowing that we are beloved, and letting that knowledge shape our identity, will change us. We respond by growing in love, by loving others in a way we could never do without God’s help. God’s love enables us to love our neighbors, be generous, and serve one another.

When we know we are the beloved of God, we live in love, and we live in freedom.

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SHARE YOUR STORY

As we said last week, when we tell our stories, sharing them with others, we give others the opportunity to see God at work. Your story is being shaped, even in this moment, by being a part of this group. In fact, few things can shape us more than community.

When we share our stories, we can encourage others while also learning from those stories. We can experience the presence of God as we become brave enough to reveal our thoughts and feelings.

Open your group with prayer. This should be a brief, simple prayer, in which you invite God to guide you as you meet. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

Then, begin your time together by using the following questions and activities to get people talking. How did you live out what was discussed last week?

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1.

Our culture uses the word “love” loosely, and it can describe any number of different feelings or situations. We can say we love our spouse, and also say that we love fried chicken or a certain television show. Obviously, we’re describing very different things with the same word. How do the things or people we love shape our identity?

2.

Describe a time when you felt loved unconditionally. Who loved you, and how did they let you know?

3.

Pair up with someone in your group. (We suggest that men partner with men and women with women.) This person will be your spiritual partner for the rest of this study. He or she doesn’t have to be your best friend, but will simply encourage you to complete the goals you set for yourself during this study.

Following through on a resolution is tough when you’re on your own, it makes all the difference to have a partner cheering you on. Answer the following questions: What are you hoping to get out of this group? What strengths do you think you bring to this group?

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HEAR

GOD’S STORY

How can we become a part of God’s story? The truth is, we are already part of God’s story. The goal here is that our eyes will be opened, that we will begin to see where our stories align with The Story and to understand what it means to follow Jesus.

WATCH THE DVD SEGMENT NOW.

What comments, insights or questions do you have after watching this week’s personal testimony? Use the following questions to guide your discussion after watching the teaching provided on the video and reading the Bible passage that follows. Use the Notes section on pages 49 to record any key thoughts, questions and things you want to remember or follow up on.

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READ 1 JOHN 3:1-3 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

Consider reading these verses from other Bible translations as well for a fuller understanding.

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1.

How does verse 1 describe God’s love?

2.

What do you think the word “lavished” means? How would you lavish love on someone? Have you ever experienced someone loving you in this way? What did they do to show you their love?

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3.

What does this verse say about our identity? Who does it claim that we are?

4.

Notice the word “we” appears several times in this passage. Go through and underline it each time you see it. Who do you think the word “we” refers to?

5.

Verse two describes a process. In your own words, what does this verse say about that process? How would you describe that process, in your own experience?

6.

Pastor Sara reminds us that being a child of God means we are created in the image of God. What does this mean? How does it affect the way we live?

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STUDY

NOTES

“All who have this hope in him purify themselves…” (1 John 3:3) In this letter, John is trying to instill confidence in believers. That confidence creates hope, and our response to that hope is to move toward purity. In the Jewish culture, there were ceremonies to purify oneself—but at its heart, purity is about re-aligning our will with God’s, making a fresh start. It’s not a try-fail-try cycle (although we may experience that at times); but rather, an ever-deepening process. And in fact, it is our faith and hope in Jesus that moves us forward in that process, not our own effort. We never arrive at complete alignment, but as we experience God’s love, the things that used to tempt us don’t really seem that interesting. Living as Jesus did begins to appeal to us much more than sin. Love takes root and grows within us.

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Use this space to record your thoughts, questions and ponderings as you watch the video and discuss the Bible passage.

NOTES

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CREATE A NEW STORY

In this section, talk about how you will apply the wisdom you’ve learned from the teaching and Bible study. Then think about practical steps you can take in the coming week to live out what you’ve learned.

1.

Respond to this statement: “Nothing you have ever done, or ever will do, can make God love you less, or more, than He already does.” How would your relationship with God change if you fully believed this statement?

2.

How does being the beloved of God change your priorities?

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3.

Verse 3 above talks about purity that results from hope, and aligning our will with God’s will. What would it look like to be like God in the sense of wanting what God wants? How does having faith and hope in Jesus purify your heart?

How is seeking God’s purity different from just rule-keeping? How can you align your heart with God’s? (See Study Notes).

4.

Pastor Sara says that in baptism, God claims you as His daughter or son. What does it mean to be the daughter or son of God? Does thinking of yourself this way change the way you want to relate to Him?

5.

Go around the circle, and have each person say out loud, “I am ______(their name), and I am a beloved child of God.” It may feel awkward, but that’s okay.

As each person says the sentence, look at them and reflect on the truth that God loves each of them. Take a moment to pause between each person.

Take a look at the Circles of Life diagram and write the names of two or three people you would describe as spiritually curious, or spiritual explorers. Commit to praying for God’s guidance and an opportunity to have a conversation with them. Share your lists with the group so that you can all be praying for the people you’ve identified.

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FAMILY (immediate or extended)

FRIENDS

FAMILIAR (neighbors, kids’ sports teams, school, and etc...)

FUN

FIRM

(gym, hobbies, hangouts)

(work)

A life of faith includes serving others, not to win Brownie points but because it helps us to grow. The first step toward serving others is, paradoxically, spending time alone with God: in prayer, in studying and reflecting on God’s Word. Here are some simple ways to connect with God. Tell the group which one you plan to try this week, and then, at your next meeting, talk about your progress and challenges.

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• Prayer. Commit to personal prayer and daily connection with God. You may find it helpful to write your prayers in a journal.

• Memorizing. Taking one Bible verse from this lesson and committing it to memory can be an exciting spiritual step. You’ll be surprised when the verse comes to mind at just the right time. You’ll find that you can use it to guide you when you pray or even just think. Try it, and share what happens with the group at your next meeting.

• Daily Devotions. The Daily Devotions provided in each session offer an opportunity for reading a short Bible passage five days a week during the course of this study. In our hurry-up world, we often move too quickly through everything—even reading God’s word! Slow down. Don’t just skim, but take time to read carefully and reflect on God’s word. Write down your insights on what you read each day.

Copy a portion of Scripture on a sticky note and put it somewhere you’ll see it, such as your car’s dashboard or the kitchen table. Or text it to yourself! Think about it when you sit at red lights, or while you’re eating a meal. Reflect on what God is saying to you through these words.

To close your time together, spend some time worshiping God together— praying, singing, reading Scripture.

• Have someone use their musical gifts to lead the group in a worship song. Try singing a cappella, using a worship CD, or have someone accompany your singing with a musical instrument.

• Read a passage of Scripture together, making it a time of praise and worship as the words remind you of all God has done for you. Choose a psalm or other favorite verse or perhaps this week’s Memory Verse.

• Ask everyone to share: “How can we pray for you this week?” Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer and Praise Report on page 174.

• Close your meeting with prayer.

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ADDITIONAL STUDY If you feel God nudging you to go deeper, take some time between now and our next meeting to dig into His Word. Explore the Bible passages related to this session’s theme on your own, jotting your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. Want to go deeper? Select a few verses and try paraphrasing them: rewriting them in your own words. If you like, share them with the group the next time you meet.

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READ ROMANS 8:32-34 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life— is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

How did God show His love for us?

We often receive things in this life with “strings attached,” which can make it hard to believe that God gives us His love without strings. How does unconditional love shape your identity?

Have you ever wrestled with guilt or shame? What does verse 34 tell us? How does this truth counteract or respond to shame?

What do you imagine Jesus prays when He’s interceding for you?

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DAILY DEVOTIONALS

Continue on your journey toward understanding and experiencing a life of faith. Each day, read the verse given. Take your time. Imagine that Jesus is sitting with you. Then, imagine Him saying the words in the “Reflect” section to you— reassuring you with His presence and loving you with His words of comfort and strength. After reflecting on Jesus’ words to you, take some time to journal your response back to Him. You can write whatever’s on your heart. Answer the “Respond” question only if it’s helpful. You may want to go another direction, and you’re free to do so.

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DAY 1: READ ROMANS 8:1 (THE MESSAGE) “With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.”

REFLECT Your shame? Your uncertainty? Your feelings of inadequacy and condemnation? Let’s just put all of that down, and walk away from it. There is no condemnation for you, my beloved.

When you know how much I’m for you, how much I love you, the cloud of shame will drift away, no longer able to obscure your vision. You’ll see me clearly, and see yourself clearly: because of my love, you’re free.

RESPOND Have you ever felt the “low-lying black cloud” of shame or condemnation? How does Jesus’ love for you solve that dilemma?

DAY 2: READ ROMANS 8:2 (THE MESSAGE) “A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.”

REFLECT Here’s what I want: freedom for you, a new beginning. There was a time when you were lost, you were going the wrong direction. Sin had you trapped. But now, you’re free from that. Let’s celebrate that—let go of the past and grab onto the joy that comes from knowing you are my beloved.

RESPOND Where do you need Jesus to “clear the air” so that you can rest in his love?

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DAY 3: READ ROMANS 8:5-6 (THE MESSAGE) “Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!” REFLECT If you focus on modifying your behavior, you won’t really grow. Instead, focus on love—the dynamic, powerful love that God has for you. It will change how you see yourself, and that will change the way you act.

Trying to be “good” by keeping rules and battling with your old nature never works. Instead, focus on this: I love you. You are my beloved. Knowing that will allow you to live in love, and walk in step with the Spirit.

RESPOND What areas of your life have you tried to do things on your own? What would it look like to trust God’s action in you?

DAY 4: READ ROMANS 8:7 (THE MESSAGE) “Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God.” REFLECT You cannot earn a free gift—and my love is a free gift. Trying to earn it means you’ll focus more on yourself than on me. And you’ll miss the amazing gift of life that I want to give to you.

Self-improvement is impossible. Even when you’re engaging in self-improvement to try to impress me, it won’t work. Instead, just keep seeking love, focusing on my love for you. You’ll find yourself living a life of freedom and joy.

RESPOND What situations or relationships in your life tend to make you focus on yourself, or feel insecure? What is one thing you could do in those situations to focus on God?

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DAY 5: READ ROMANS 8:9-11 (THE MESSAGE) “But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms.”

REFLECT I don’t want to be someone you think of or talk to only once in a while. I’m not interested in a relationship that only engages when you need help—although of course I always want to help you. But I want to take up residence in your life, to live your daily life with you.

I want us to be in ongoing conversation—talking and listening. I want to be able to always remind you of who you are: my beloved. Life on my terms is not limiting, but rather, blows away the limits you’ve put on yourself. Instead of just asking me to help with your life, you get to live God’s life.

RESPOND How is your relationship with God? Is He helping you with your life, or do you see your life as fully His? What would it look like to welcome Him in, and live life on His terms?

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SESSION THREE

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BLESSED

THE REWARDS OF GENEROSITY

MEMORY VERSE “You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:19, THE MESSAGE

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When we live in love, we begin to let go of a word we’ve been saying since we first learned to speak: “Mine!” As Jesus becomes not just a part of our life, but the central focus of our life—and in fact, our life becomes His—we begin to see our resources differently.

If we have a job that pays our bills, we realize that the skills to do that job and the opportunity to work are gifts from God’s hand. We shift from seeing ourselves or our spouse as the “provider” and see that God, ultimately, provides everything for us. We don’t need to protect our stuff and our money because it is not ours to begin with. He’s our provider, and He’s on our side. He can be fully trusted.

In that relationship of trust, we gradually realize that really, God is the owner of all things. Everything is His, so we’re not “giving” it to Him, but He gives things to us, in order to provide for us. He asks us to give back to Him a portion of what He’s given to us, and we joyfully do so.

Knowing that anything we have has been given to us by God, we seek to please Him and to get His input and wisdom on all of our spending and saving decisions.

When we see our resources as God’s, and we see our lives as belonging to Him, we can relax. He promises to bless us when we do. He’s going to take care of us, and there is great freedom in that—a freedom that allows us to experience the joy of life. You don’t worry about all you think you need to get. You can rest and be at peace, trusting that God will provide for all your needs.

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SHARE YOUR STORY

OPEN YOUR GROUP WITH PRAYER. This should be a brief, simple prayer, in which you take a few moments to focus your attention on God and your group—perhaps asking Him to help you be kind and respectful of one another, and to help you grow in wisdom as you learn together. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

Telling our personal stories builds deeper connections among group members.

Begin your time together by using the following questions and activities to get people talking. How did you live out what was discussed last week?

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1.

Last week, we talked about our identity in Christ as the beloved of God. As you read the Daily Devotions or spent time with God, what insights or questions about this idea came to the surface?

2.

When you were growing up, did your family give money away—to church, charities or even just individuals in need? How did the giving (or not giving) habits of your family shape your opinions on this topic?

3.

We sometimes hear people who don’t go to church say they don’t want to go because they believe the church is only after their money. How did this perception arise? How do you respond to people who raise that objection?

4.

Sit with your spiritual partner. If your partner is absent or if you are new to the group, join with another pair or someone who doesn’t yet have a partner.

If you haven’t established your spiritual partnership yet, do it now. (See Share Your Story in Session Two.) Answer this question: where did you notice God in the previous week?

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HEAR

GOD’S STORY

WATCH THE DVD SEGMENT NOW.

What comments, insights or questions do you have after watching this week’s personal testimony? Use the following questions to guide your discussion after watching the teaching provided on the video and reading the Bible passage that follows.

Use the Notes section on pages 71 to record any key thoughts, questions and things you want to remember or follow up on.

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READ MATTHEW 6:19-24 (THE MESSAGE) “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.”

Consider reading these verses from other Bible translations as well for a fuller understanding.

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1.

What sort of “treasure� would get eaten by moths? Corroded by rust? Stolen by burglars? What does it mean to hoard treasure?

2.

Is Jesus telling us not to have possessions at all, or is He trying to make a different point? What is He saying about our stuff?

3.

How, specifically, would you stockpile treasure in heaven?

4.

In the video, Pastor Don says our heart follows money more reliably and consistently than money follows heart. Reflect on this statement. Have you found this to be true in your own life? What implications does this have for the way you give?

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5.

In Joe’s video story, he clearly states that he did not want to stop the boat, but responded to God’s nudge. Generosity is first an act of obedience. Can you describe a time when you did not want to “stop the boat?” What, if anything, has “nudged” you to change?

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STUDY

NOTES “Your eyes are windows into your body.” It may seem odd that Jesus inserts a comment about our eyes in between two statements about money and treasures. However, He’s really talking about our focus: is it on God, or is it on accumulating wealth and having more things? Is it on ourselves, or on helping others? What are we most focused on? What are our goals in life? Are they about success and achievement and having things and money? Or are our priorities aligned with God’s? In the culture of Jesus’ day, the idea of “a good eye” or “eyes wide open” or as some translations put it, “a single eye” means both a singular focus on God and His will, and a generosity of spirit. To ancient Hebrews, a focus on God and generosity toward others were inseparable.

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Use this space to record your thoughts, questions and ponderings as you watch the video and discuss the Bible passage.

NOTES

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CREATE A NEW STORY

God wants you to be a part of His Kingdom—to see where your story is woven into His. That will mean change—to go His way rather than your own. This won’t happen overnight, but it should happen steadily. By making small, simple choices, we begin to change our direction. The Holy Spirit helps us along the way: giving us gifts to serve the body, offering us insights into Scripture, challenging us to love not only those around us but those far from God.

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In this section, talk about how you will apply the wisdom you’ve learned in this session.

1.

Which of the following describes you right now: A. I work hard and save money, so it’s mine to decide what to do with.

B. I am a generous person with what God has given me.

C. I donate occasionally to church or charity.

D. I tithe regularly.

E. Everything I have is God’s, I’m simply the manager of His resources, so I give as much and as often as He tells me to.

2.

Tell about a time when you gave some money or stuff away--not just old clothes or cast-offs but something that was important to you. What did that feel like?

3.

Pastor Don notes that some people have the spiritual gift of generosity. Do you or your spouse have this gift? How does it affect the way you view your money and possessions?

4.

What next step is God calling you to take to “stockpile treasure in heaven”?

5.

Imagine two people: one who worships God, and one who worships money.

Briefly describe each person. Which of these people do you imagine feels more gratitude? Which one is more generous? How are gratitude and generosity connected?

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6.

None of us would claim to worship money, but we live in a culture which calls people “consumers.” We can’t help but focus on money—and as Jesus teaches, the thing you focus on is the thing you worship. In what ways are you tempted to worship (focus on) money?

7.

If people were to look at your calendar, your credit card statement, and your bank statement, what would they conclude about your financial priorities?

Groups that connect outside of the regular meeting time build stronger bonds and feel a greater sense of purpose. Why not plan a social outing with group members?

As a group, brainstorm about ways that you could do something fun together—enjoy a meal or a night out together.

How will you spend time alone with God in the coming week? In prayer, in studying and reflecting on God’s Word, perhaps in engaging in an opportunity to serve at your church or in your community? Share with the group one or two specific steps will you take this week. If you’ve focused on prayer in past weeks, maybe you’ll want to direct your attention to Scripture this week. If you’ve been reading God’s Word consistently, perhaps you’ll want to take it deeper and try memorizing a verse. Tell the group which one you plan to try this week, and then, at your next meeting, talk about your progress and challenges.

In the last session we asked you to write some names in the Circles of Life diagram.

Who did you identify as the people in your life who are interested in what it means to believe in Jesus? Go back to the Circles of Life diagram on page 52 to help you think of the various people you come in contact with on a regular basis who need to know Jesus more deeply. Consider the following ideas for action and make a plan to follow through on one of them this week.

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•

This is a wonderful time to welcome a few friends into your group. Which of the people you listed could you invite? It’s possible that you may need to help your friend overcome obstacles to coming to a place where he or she can encounter Jesus. Does your friend need a ride to the group? Help with childcare?

•

Consider inviting a friend to attend a Sunday morning service with you and possibly plan to enjoy a meal together afterward. This can be a great opportunity to talk with someone about your faith in Jesus.

•

Is there someone you might not have invited to your group but who still needs a connection? Would you be willing to have lunch or coffee with that person, catch up on life, and share something you’ve learned from this study?

TO CLOSE YOUR TIME TOGETHER, SPEND SOME TIME WORSHIPING GOD TOGETHER—PRAYING, SINGING, READING SCRIPTURE. •

Have someone use their musical gifts to lead the group in a worship song. Try singing a cappella or using a worship CD, or have someone accompany your singing with a musical instrument.

•

Ask everyone to share: “How can we pray for you this week?” Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer and Praise Report on page 174.

•

Close your meeting with prayer.

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ADDITIONAL STUDY Take some time between now and our next meeting to dig into God’s Word. Explore the Bible passage related to this session’s theme on your own, jotting your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. You may even want to use a Bible website or app to look up commentary on this passage, or look for similar passages. If you like, share what you learn with the group the next time you meet.

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READ MARK 12:41-44 (THE MESSAGE) “Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, ‘The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.’”

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When you hear the words “she gave extravagantly” what typically comes to mind?

What surprises you about Jesus’ observation?

How would you describe the widow’s level of trust in God?

What do you think it means to give sacrificially?

In your experience, what happens when we give extravagantly?

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DAILY DEVOTIONALS

Each day, read the verse given. Really take your time. Imagine that Jesus is sitting with you. Then, imagine Him saying the words in the “REFLECT” section to you—reassuring you with His presence and loving you with His words of comfort and strength. After reflecting on Jesus’ words to you, take some time to journal your response back to Him. You can write whatever’s on your heart. Answer the “RESPOND” question only if it’s helpful. You may want to go another direction, and that is fine. On the first day, you may want to read over all the verses for the week to get the “big picture” of the passage. But then walk slowly verse by verse, listening to Jesus and responding to Him as you meditate on the truths of Scripture and experience His presence.

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DAY 1: READ MATTHEW 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”

REFLECT I know how you worry, my child. You may think you have good reasons to do so. But I know everything about your financial life, about how much you’ve got, or don’t—because I’m the one who gave it to you in the first place.

Worry will erode your soul—choose instead to trust. Life is more than external, material things. Tap into that life! Don’t let worry get in your way.

RESPOND What do you worry about? Have you ever thought of worrying as disobeying God?

DAY 2: READ MATTHEW 6:26-27 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

REFLECT Do you know how valuable you are to me? I love you so much, and I want to provide for you, but I need you to trust me. Lean into the truth that you are precious to me, and I will take care of you.

Worry does nothing but make you miserable. It doesn’t extend your life, and in fact, the stress might shorten it! Let go and trust me. None of this was ever in your control anyway.

RESPOND How has God provided for you lately? What worries is He asking you to let go of?

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DAY 3: READ: MATTHEW 6:28-30 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

REFLECT

Take some time today to go for a walk outside. Notice the beauty of creation. Even if you don’t see a garden, notice the sky, the birds, the trees, even a flower growing through a crack in the concrete. I’ve clothed the world in beauty.

I’m eager to meet your needs, if you trust me. Trust is never theoretical. It means loosening your grip on your money and your stuff, practicing contentment.

RESPOND Have you ever walked into your closet full of clothes and said you have “nothing to wear”?

What would it look like to practice contentment when it comes to clothing?

DAY 4: READ MATTHEW 6:31-32 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

REFLECT

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, my dear one. Don’t worry. Do. Not. Worry. Worry sets up a barrier between us.

Don’t you see that my Father is generous beyond belief, and he knows all about your needs.

He will provide food and clothing and all else that you need. And when you’re close to me, you get some clarity on what are needs, and what are wants. You’ll understand how to live simply, with the freedom that comes when you let go of wanting things that won’t satisfy.

RESPOND Your heavenly Father knows what you need. Respond to that statement. What feelings arise in you? Do you feel reassurance? What questions or objections? Talk honestly with God about your response.

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DAY 5: READ MATTHEW 6:33-34 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

REFLECT Focus on me, my child. Seek my kingdom before anything else. Your resources can help build my kingdom, can help provide tangible reminders of my love to others (with things like food and clothing).

If you’re worried about tomorrow, you miss the gift of right now. You’re focused on what you don’t have instead of appreciating what you do have right now. Don’t you see? There’s incredible freedom that comes when I’m walking beside you, directing and guiding you, and taking care of your tomorrow.

RESPOND What keeps you from living in the moment, focusing on the present? How can you obey Jesus’ repeated directive to not worry?

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SESSION FOUR IMMERSED

THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD

MEMORY VERSE “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”

PSALM 1:1-2, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

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Imagine that you take your car to the mechanic. You’ve heard a squeak when you hit the brakes, and you think you might need new brake pads.

Imagine the mechanic puts the car up on the rack, and peers at the bottom of the car, then carefully consults a manual in his hand, then looks back at your car. “Let’s see,” he says. “This says step one, remove the wheel. Okay, let’s see if there are some more specific instructions on how to do that.”

No matter how true or accurate the manual in your mechanic’s hand, or how helpful the information in it, such behavior would hardly inspire confidence. He’s got to consult the manual to inspect your brakes? We expect that a good mechanic would know what’s in the manual by heart— even if he can’t recite it word for word, he understands it and knows how to do what it says. And he’s practiced it so much that he recognizes a worn brake pad or a leaky oil pan as soon as he sees it, without having to “look it up” in the manual. His knowledge gives him the confidence to act, and to fix.

God’s Word has wisdom for every situation, but if we don’t know it intimately, we prevent it from having full power in our lives. Over time, as we hear God’s Word, reflecting or meditating on its truth and doing what it says, it becomes a part of who we are. It is written on our hearts, and embedded in the very fiber of our being. Then, when we are faced with challenges, its wisdom is accessible. We know what it says without even having to look it up or do a search on our computer. God’s wisdom becomes not something written in a book, but something that is part of us.

When we memorize God’s Word, God uses those words to speak to us— often bringing just the right verse to mind when we pray or need wisdom.

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SHARE YOUR STORY

OPEN YOUR GROUP WITH PRAYER. This should be a brief, simple prayer, in which you invite God to give you wisdom and insight as you study and share together. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

Telling our personal stories builds deeper connections among group members.

Begin your time together by using the following questions and activities to get people talking. How did you live out what was discussed last week?

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1.

When you were growing up, what did you memorize? You may think you didn’t memorize anything, but how many commercial jingles, nursery rhymes, or popular song lyrics can you recall? Did you ever memorize Bible verses? If so, are there any that you can still recall?

2.

When you think of the Bible, which of these comes to mind: A. An ancient history text; B. An instruction manual; C. A love letter; D. A collection of documents; E. A true story of God’s people.

3.

Sit with your spiritual partner. If your partner is absent or if you are new to the group, join with another pair or someone who doesn’t yet have a partner.

If you haven’t established your spiritual partnership yet, do it now. (See Share Your Story in Session Two.) Answer this question: What do you love most about the Bible? What appeals to you most about learning more about it?

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HEAR

GOD’S STORY

WATCH THE DVD SEGMENT NOW.

What comments, insights or questions do you have after watching this week’s personal testimony? Use the following questions to guide your discussion after watching the teaching provided on the video and reading the Bible passage that follows.

Use the Notes section on pages 93 to record any key thoughts, questions and things you want to remember or follow up on.

READ JOSHUA 1:6-8

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Consider reading these verses from other Bible translations as well for a fuller understanding.

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1.

In this passage, God gives instructions to Joshua, who is about to lead Israel into the Promised Land. What does God tell Joshua to do?

2.

How does hearing and obeying God’s Word help us to be strong and courageous?

3.

What do you think it means to meditate on God’s law day and night?

4.

Verse 8 tells us not only to meditate on God’s Word, but also to do what? Why is simply knowing what God’s Word says, or even spending a lot of time just thinking about it, not enough?

5.

What promise does God make to the children of Israel, and to us, in verse 9?

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STUDY

NOTES

“…meditate on it day and night …” Meditation in the Bible is quite different from meditation in Eastern religions. Rather than focusing on emptying the mind of all thoughts, the goal of meditating on God’s Word is to fill the mind with truth.

The original languages of Scripture liken meditation to a dog gnawing a bone, or a cow chewing its cud! Going over and over the words, reflecting on them, thinking about them, considering them (do a word search on “consider” and you’ll see how often it’s used in the Bible to remind us to think about God’s truth), are all ways to meditate on Scripture. The focus is always God and His Word, never ourselves or emptiness.

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Use this space to record your thoughts, questions and ponderings as you watch the video and discuss the Bible passage.

NOTES

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CREATE A NEW STORY

God wants you to be a part of His Kingdom—to see how your story is woven into His. That will mean change—to go His way rather than your own. This won’t happen overnight, but it should happen steadily. By making small, simple choices, we begin to change our direction. The Holy Spirit helps us along the way: giving us gifts to serve the body, offering us insights into Scripture, challenging us to love not only those around us but those far from God.

IN THIS SECTION, TALK ABOUT HOW YOU WILL APPLY THE WISDOM YOU’VE LEARNED IN THIS SESSION.

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1.

What are some ways in which you could, as verse 8 says, “keep this Book of the Law always on your lips”?

2.

Reflect on the story Pastor Sara shared about the Derksen family. What is your response? Can immersion in the words of God really lead to such a response to tragedy? What does this tell us about the power of lives rooted in Scripture?

3.

What do you think it means to meditate on God’s Word? What has been your experience with that?

4.

If we repeat a verse over and over, thinking about what it means in our lives (that is, if we meditate on it), we will eventually memorize it. If you’ve memorized a verse, you had to meditate on it to do that. What benefits do you see in memorizing Scripture?

5.

It’s often easier to memorize song lyrics than straight narrative. How might singing a Bible verse to the tune of a familiar song help you to memorize it?

6.

Pastor Sara shares a list from Philippians of things Paul says we should focus on. Which of those could you meditate on this week? How might that change you?

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7.

How might memorizing and immersing ourselves in the Bible strengthen our prayer life?

Select a verse from this week’s lesson (or a previous session) that is particularly significant to you. Write it on a card or sticky note, or put it in your phone. Look at it every day and read it out loud, think about it, and pray it back to God. See if you can memorize the verse and share it at your next meeting.

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ADDITIONAL STUDY Take some time between now and our next meeting to dig into God’s Word. Explore the Bible passages related to this session’s theme on your own, jotting your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. You may even want to use a Bible website or app to look up commentary on these passages. If you like, share what you learn with the group the next time you meet.

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READ PHILLIPPIANS 4:8-9 (THE MESSAGE) “ Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized.

Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

1.

How does thinking about things that are true, noble and gracious transform us?

2.

How does this passage link our thoughts with our actions?

3.

What does God promise to those who obey this verse?

4.

What’s one habit you want to change in order to better live out this verse?

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READ JOHN 8:31-32 (THE MESSAGE) “Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. ‘If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.’”

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1.

Name three things that you could do in the coming week to live out what Jesus taught. How would doing those things allow you to experience truth?

2.

What makes us not free, or in bondage, or stuck? What in your life is holding you back?

3.

How, exactly, does truth free us?

4.

What is your next step toward freedom?

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DAILY DEVOTIONALS

Each day, read the verse given. Take your time. Imagine that Jesus is sitting with you, looking at you with love. He loves you the same whether you “get your reading done” or not. Then imagine Him saying the words in the “REFLECT” section to you—reassuring you with His presence and loving you with His words of comfort and strength. After reflecting on Jesus’ words to you, take some time to journal your response back to Him. You can write whatever is on your heart.

Answer the “RESPOND” question only if it’s helpful. You may want to go another direction, and you’re free to do so. On the first day, you may want to read over all the verses for the week to get the “big picture” of the passage. But then walk slowly verse by verse, listening to Jesus and responding to Him as you meditate on the truths of Scripture and experience His presence.

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DAY 1: READ PSALM 119: 9-10 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) “How can a young person stay pure?

By obeying your word.

I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands.”

REFLECT Keep seeking after me, because I’m the Truth. I know the world is full of distractions, things that will pull you off track—but focus on me, and on my love for you.

My child, I love you. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what you do. It brings me joy when you respond by walking in the way of life. But even if you wander--you’re still deeply loved. You can never wander beyond the reach of grace.

RESPOND What causes you to wander or get off track? How does knowing God loves you no matter what make you feel?

DAY 2: READ PSALM 119:11 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

“

REFLECT I know. You feel weak sometimes. Did you know I love you just as much when you’re weak as when you’re strong?

When you’re weary, lean on my strength. Just ask me and I’ll gladly give it. Pour my words into your heart, thinking about them, meditating on them. Then if shame, guilt or fear whispers in your soul, send it packing with my truth, which you’ve hidden in your heart: you are my beloved.

RESPOND What is one thing you can do to hide God’s Word in your heart? What result does this verse promise us when we do that?

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DAY 3: READ PSALM 119:12-13 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) “I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.

I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us.”

REFLECT I love to hear from you, my child. I love it when you just pour out your honest thoughts to me, unfiltered. But sometimes, when you don’t have words, you can turn to my Word and find just the right thing to say.

I’m glad to hear prayers that come from the pages of Scripture, I’m delighted to hear you speak these precious precepts out loud, teaching yourself to live according to the Way. RESPOND How does reciting aloud the truths of Scripture help you to memorize them? How does it help you to live them out?

DAY 4: READ PSALM 119:14-15 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) “I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches.

I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.”

REFLECT I’ve told you my new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. It’s so simple—yet impossible to do in your own power. What enables you to rejoice in my commandments, to see laws as riches? It’s the connection of love you have with me. I’m offering you a life-giving way of life. Life with no law would not be freedom, it’d be anarchy. Live under the law of love and you’ll have reason to rejoice.

RESPOND Spend some time rejoicing, studying and reflecting (the three actions mentioned in this verse) over God’s Word.

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DAY 5: READ PSALM 119:16 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.”

“

REFLECT I know you get distracted, and sometimes forget the truth. But hang onto my words, my decrees. Remember them, and don’t forget. Don’t see them as heavy-handed rules, but delight in them—they are the secret to an abundant life. They’re my gift to you.

RESPOND In order to “not forget” something, we need to remember it. What is one step you will take this week to remember God’s Word? Which specific words will you commit to memory?

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SESSION FIVE

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FORGIVEN

THE JOY OF CONFESSION

MEMORY VERSE “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”

PSALM 32:5, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

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As we move deeper into intimacy with God, we are aware of the times we step out of the relationship to handle things in our own way. That, fundamentally, is sin: the choice to do things our way and not trust the way God has designed us to live.

In those moments, God is not mad at us. He is sad that we chose to live apart from Him in that moment. Asking for forgiveness through confession is the way to restore the relationship.

Why is the idea of forgiveness so appealing, but the idea of confession is so difficult? We all love stories of radical forgiveness, and we all would like God, and others, to forgive us when we make mistakes. But the idea of confession makes us squirm. We’d rather not spill the details or even face exactly how we have messed up.

If we live a life of love, a Christ-centered life, we are in ongoing conversation with God throughout the day—thanking Him for things, asking Him for what we need, and confessing when we mess up. This is not about shame or blame, but honest self-awareness, aided by God’s Spirit who gently whispers to us that we’re getting off track. We respond to that conviction with a sincere apology to the one we love. His grace is more than sufficient and He will never tire of forgiving us. He understands our situation and has compassion for us.

To be clear: God forgave us way before we even knew we’d made any error.

While we were sinners, Christ died for us. And God is omniscient, so our confessions never surprise Him. And yet, for our own sakes, we need to confess our wrongdoings—so that we can experience the joy and release of being set free and forgiven. We need to tell the truth to God, even if He is already aware of it, because it builds intimacy with Him. It’s about the relationship that’s strengthened when we are honest with God and with ourselves.

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SHARE YOUR STORY

OPEN YOUR GROUP WITH PRAYER. This should be a brief, simple prayer, in which you invite God to be with you as you meet. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

Telling our personal stories builds deeper connections among group members.

Begin your time together by using the following questions and activities to get people talking. How did you live out what was discussed last week?

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1.

When you were a kid, did you ever do something wrong and finally own up to it? What happened? How did you feel after confessing?

2.

In our last session, we talked about meditating on and memorizing Scripture.

Did you try these practices? Share something that God taught you, or recite a verse you memorized. How did these practices influence your connection with God?

3.

Sit with your spiritual partner. If your partner is absent or if you are new to the group, join with another pair or someone who doesn’t yet have a partner.

If you haven’t established your spiritual partnership yet, do it now. (See Share Your Story in Session Two.) Answer these questions: How do you stay connected with God throughout your day? What do you think it means to pray without ceasing? (See 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.)

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HEAR

GOD’S STORY

WATCH THE DVD SEGMENT NOW.

What comments, insights or questions do you have after watching this week’s personal testimony? Use the following questions to guide your discussion after watching the teaching provided on the video and reading the Bible passage that follows.

Use the Notes section on pages 117 to record any key thoughts, questions and things you want to remember or follow up on.

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READ PSALM 66:16-20 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.

For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

But God did listen!

He paid attention to my prayer.

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.�

Consider reading these verses from other Bible translations as well for a fuller understanding.

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1.

This passage connects praise and confession with asking God for help. How are these things related?

2.

What does this passage tell us about God’s character and nature? How does it describe Him?

3.

If we ignore or don’t admit to our mistakes, how does that impact our relationship with God?

4.

In the video, Pastor Don says our punishment for wrongdoing is often guilt.

What does this passage have to say about guilt? Is feeling guilty the goal of confessing our sin to God?

5.

Look at verse 20. It promises that God will not ignore us, and that his love is unfailing. If that’s true, will anything we confess ever make Him turn His back on us or stop loving us? How does that truth make you feel?

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STUDY

NOTES

Psalm 51 is another psalm focused on confession and repentance. King David composed this Psalm after the prophet Nathan confronted him about having an affair with a woman named Bathsheba—and then having Bathsheba’s husband killed so he wouldn’t find out!

Christians throughout the centuries have prayed the words of this prayer as their own confession to God. If you are “stuck” with the words to say in confessing your sin to God, turn to Psalm 51, perhaps in a contemporary translation, and try using it as your own prayer.

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Use this space to record your thoughts, questions and ponderings as you watch the video and discuss the Bible passage.

NOTES

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CREATE A NEW STORY

God wants you to be a part of His Kingdom—to see where your story is woven into His. That will mean change—to go His way rather than your own. This won’t happen overnight, but it should happen steadily. By making small, simple choices, we begin to change our direction. The Holy Spirit helps us along the way: giving us gifts to serve the body, offering us insights into Scripture, challenging us to love not only those around us but those far from God.

IN THIS SECTION, TALK ABOUT HOW YOU WILL APPLY THE WISDOM YOU’VE LEARNED IN THIS SESSION.

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1.

When you hear the word confession what comes to mind? Is it the “terror” Pastor Don talks about when describing the confession of his Roman Catholic friends as a boy, or is it more like the “joy” he’s found as a mature believer?

2.

We were created to be in ongoing conversation with God—listening to His leadings, seeking His wisdom, confessing our sin…all in the moment, as we go through our day. Does this describe your connection with God? If not, what gets in the way? What keeps you from this kind of prayer?

3.

How does knowing that God’s love is “unfailing” and that He listens (see verses 19 and 20 above) make you feel about confessing mistakes to Him?

4.

How does confessing our sins to God set us free? What does it do to our intimacy with God?

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Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about who might respond to an invitation to join your group or come to church. Update the group on any conversations or connections you’ve made. Have you also been praying? This week, commit to praying for someone who is far from God. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind people you can pray for.

The next session is the last one in this study. If you have not already, begin talking about future plans. Do you want to continue to meet after next week? Who will lead the group? Plan on further discussions at your next meeting.

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To close your time together, spend some time worshiping God together—praying, singing, reading Scripture.

•

Have someone use their musical gifts to lead the group in a worship song. Try singing a cappella, using a worship CD, or have someone accompany your singing with a musical instrument.

•

Read a passage of Scripture together, making it a time of praise and worship as the words remind you of all God has done for you. Choose a psalm, this week’s memory verse or other favorite verse.

•

Ask everyone to share: “How can we pray for you this week?” Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer and Praise Report on page 174.

•

Close your meeting with prayer.

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ADDITIONAL STUDY Take some time between now and our next meeting to dig into God’s Word. Explore the Bible passages related to this session’s theme on your own, jotting your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. You may even want to use a Bible website or app to look up commentary on these passages. If you like, share what you learn with the group the next time you meet.

READ JAMES 5:13-16 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick?

You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

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1.

What different types of prayer does this passage teach us about?

2.

What promises do we find in this passage?

3.

In addition to confessing our sins to God, this passage tells us to confess our sins to other people. Which is more difficult? What benefits does confessing to other people have?

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READ PROVERBS 28:13 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”

1.

What promise does this verse make?

2.

What does it mean to “conceal your sin”?

3.

Note that this verse does not say that if we confess, then God will love us. He already loves us unconditionally. Nothing could make Him stop loving you.

If that’s true, why do we need to confess? What does confession do to our relationship with God?

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DAILY DEVOTIONALS

EACH DAY, READ THE VERSE GIVEN. Take your time. Imagine that Jesus is sitting with you. Then, imagine Him saying the words in the “REFLECT” section to you—reassuring you with His presence and loving you with His words of comfort and strength. After reflecting on Jesus’ words to you, take some time to journal your response back to Him. You can write whatever’s on your heart. Answer the “RESPOND” question only if it’s helpful. You may want to go another direction, and you’re free to do so. On the first day, you may want to read over all the verses for the week to get the “big picture” of the passage. But then walk slowly verse by verse, listening to Jesus and responding to Him as you meditate on the truths of Scripture and experience His presence.

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DAY 1: READ PSALM 32:1 “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

REFLECT You’ve got a clean slate, a fresh start—because of my love and forgiveness. I don’t want to have you stewing in your sin, trapped in the mud.

Let me lift you up, and bless you—give you joy and happiness. It’s there for the taking. When you know you’re loved, when you know you’re forgiven, you can find meaning, live a blessed life. It’s what I want to give you!

RESPOND What are some things you have done, or left undone, that have pulled you away from God? What does this verse promise you in light of that?

DAY 2: READ PSALM 32:2 “Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

REFLECT All I’m asking you for is honest self-assessment. I know you’ve made mistakes, and I know the exact nature of those mistakes. But I am not counting it against you.

But don’t fool yourself. If you want to move forward, if you want to grow closer to me, you’ve got to get completely honest about what needs to change—that’s what growth is! Talk to me about your weaknesses, and my love will cover them and transform them into strengths.

RESPOND Take a moment to be quiet. Ask God to gently show you attitudes or actions that you may not have noticed in yourself that need to change. Ask Him to set you free from selfdeception. Thank Him for loving you enough to tell you the truth.

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DAY 3: READ PSALM 32:3 “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

REFLECT Let’s be clear—when you feel the weight of your sin, it’s your choice to stay under that weight or not. When you won’t bring your struggles and sins to me, when you just withdraw—you’re choosing a painful reality.

When you shut me out, give me the silent treatment, curled up in a corner buried in your guilt and shame, it breaks my heart. Don’t you know that I love you and want to heal you?

RESPOND What are you keeping silent about right now? What unconfessed sin has you feeling like your bones are breaking?

DAY 4: READ PSALM 32:4 “For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.”

REFLECT When I reach out to you, trying to rescue you, but your spirit resists mine, I’m sad. And such efforts to carry your heavy burden of sin by yourself will wear you out.

But I won’t give up on you. I’ll keep reaching for you, tugging on your sleeve, tapping you on the shoulder, inviting you to come back into right relationship with me. I want to set you free—but the choice is yours.

RESPOND Where are sin or bad choices sapping your strength? What is God inviting you to do with that sin?

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DAY 5: READ PSALM 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’

And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

REFLECT It’s so simple, really, my dear one. I love you, but sin puts a barrier between us. I’m not the one pulling away—you’re the one who holds me at a distance.

All it takes is for you to acknowledge your mistake, to confess that you’ve made a wrong turn.

I’ll forgive you and guide you back to the path of life. All it takes is genuine repentance, and you’ll find your joy again. Come live a life of love and joy with me—it’s the best way to live.

RESPOND Spend some time confessing your sins to God, and enjoying the sweetness of His forgiveness.

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SESSION SIX CALLED

THE RESPONSE OF OBEDIENCE

MEMORY VERSE “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:17

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The life of love is not about doing more for God, but falling more deeply in love with Him. We trust Him more and more, to the point where everything in our life is about Him, is a reflection of Him. He’s literally all we need.

Rather than sitting in the passenger seat navigating for us, He’s in the driver’s seat, fully in charge of our lives.

So with running the show off our plates, our job is to love.

When it comes to service, that simply means to serve with God’s strength, through our unique design. We discover and deploy our gifts, not as a means of self-awareness or self-fulfillment, but that we might give God our best. That service doesn’t just happen via a volunteer slot at church, but in each moment of our day. We don’t “go serve” for a few hours a week, we live as a servant, serving those we live with, work with, go to school with. We love our neighbors by serving them. But when we are intimately connected with God, filled with his love, our service to others feels like a privilege, as if we were serving Jesus himself. And as we are faithful to love those in our immediate circle, God entrusts us with others to love—even those we don’t know.

Each us of has a calling from God: to use our gifts to love others through faithful acts of service; to imitate Christ in a way that builds up others and invites them to know Him as well.

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SHARE YOUR STORY

BEFORE YOU GET STARTED Open your group with prayer. This should be a brief, simple prayer, in which you invite God to be with you as you meet. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

As we have said in previous lessons, sharing our personal stories builds deeper connections among group members. Your story may be exactly what another person needs to hear to encourage or strengthen them. And your listening to others’ stories is an act of love and kindness to them—and could very well help them to grow spiritually. Begin your time together by using the following questions and activities to get people talking. How did you live out what was discussed last week?

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1.

When you hear the word “calling” what comes to mind?

2.

Who is someone you know who would best be described as a “servant leader”?

3.

Take time in this final session to connect with your spiritual partner. What has God been showing you through these sessions about what it means to stand in the gap? Check in with each other about the progress you have made in your spiritual growth during this study—which lesson or idea was most significant to you? Why? Make plans about whether you will continue in your mentoring relationship outside your Bible study group.

4.

Take some time for each person to share about how they’ve done with inviting the people on the Circles of Life to church or your small group. What specific conversations are you praying about for the weeks to come?

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HEAR

GOD’S STORY

WATCH THE DVD SEGMENT NOW.

What comments, insights or questions do you have after watching this week’s personal testimony? Use the following questions to guide your discussion after watching the teaching provided on the video and reading the Bible passage that follows.

Use the Notes section on pages 143 to record any key thoughts, questions and things you want to remember or follow up on.

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READ EPHESIANS 4:1-16 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

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So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

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1.

What do you think it means to “bear with one another in love”? Can you give an example of someone who did that for you?

2.

According to verses 4-6, what were we called to?

3.

The words “one” and “unity” are used several times in this passage. Go through and underline them. What does oneness have to do with service and our calling?

4.

According to verses 11-12, what is the purpose or role of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers?

5.

Verses 14-16 cast a vision for what the body of Christ would look like if all of God’s people lived a life of love. What is one thing God is calling you to do to help make this vision a reality?

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6.

In the video, Pastor Don says Paul leverages his own example of obedience to encourage others to obey God. How does knowing of Paul’s faithfulness to God’s call impact your reading of this passage? Does it make you less resistant to the ways God is calling you to obey?

7.

Verse 15 in this passage connects speaking the truth in love with the process of maturing in our faith. How are these things connected?

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STUDY

NOTES

One of the greatest examples of serving others and obeying God is found in John 13. Here, Jesus gets down on his hands and knees and washes the feet of his disciples. Verses 3-5 say, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

In Bible times, people walked a great deal on dusty roads, usually wearing only sandals, and their feet got very dirty. It was an expected part of hospitality that a host would provide water for guests to wash their own feet, but in very wealthy households a slave would perform this service. It was considered one of the most undignified, lowly tasks a servant could do.

Because of this, Jesus’ disciples knew their master had just served and honored them in a significant way. But as the story ends, He makes sure they understand how to apply it.

Beginning in verse 12, we read, “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’”

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Use this space to record your thoughts, questions and ponderings as you watch the video and discuss the Bible passage.

NOTES

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CREATE A NEW STORY

How has God changed your story during this six-week study? What new things is He asking you to do? What truth has transformed your heart? As we grow and learn, we must decide that we can create a new story. We must let go of past priorities and grab hold of God’s priorities. Spend some time in this final session talking about how you’ll do that.

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1.

Start your discussion with an exercise in listening to God through His Word.

Have one person read through the passage from Ephesians 4 that you studied above. Have the rest of the group listen for a word, phrase or sentence that stands out to them. After the reading, allow a moment for reflection and prayer. Then allow each person to tell what stood out to them, and what they sense God is saying to them through that text.

2.

As you walk forward in your relationship with God, what will you do differently as a result of what you’ve experienced in this group?

3.

Pastor Don says Paul’s plans for his life were changed radically by God when He called Paul to reach both the Jewish and the pagan people with the Gospel.

Have you ever experienced a “redirect” of your life? Has God ever stepped in and changed your direction? How did you respond

4.

What is your next step in responding to the challenge to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received”?

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As this is the last meeting in this study, take some time to celebrate the work God has done in the lives of group members. Have each person in the group share some step of growth that they have noticed in another member. (In other words, no one will talk about themselves. Instead, affirm others in the group). Make sure that each person gets affirmed and noticed and celebrated—whether the steps they’ve made are large or small.

If your group still needs to make decisions about continuing to meet after this session, have that discussion now. Talk about who will lead and where and when you will meet.

Review your Small Group Agreement on page 158 and evaluate how well you met your goals. Discuss any changes you want to make as you move forward. If you plan to continue meeting, this is a great time to take on a new role or change roles of service in your group. What new role will you take on? If you are uncertain, maybe your group members have some ideas for you. Remember you aren’t making a lifetime commitment to the new role; it will only be for a few weeks. Maybe someone would like to share a role with you if you don’t feel ready to serve solo.

CLOSE BY PRAYING FOR YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS. Review the praises and answers to prayer you have recorded over the past five weeks on the Prayer and Praise Report on page 174. Spend some time worshiping God and thanking Him for all He’s done in your group during this study.

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ADDITIONAL STUDY If you feel God nudging you to go deeper, take some time to dig into His Word.

Explore the Bible passage related to this session’s theme on your own, jotting your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. Want to go deeper? Select a few verses and try paraphrasing them: rewriting them in your own words.

READ ACTS 9:10-19 “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’

‘Yes, Lord,’ he answered.

The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’

‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.’

But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.”

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Saul was known for killing Christians, and was on his way to Damascus with a clear goal: arrest and kill believers. If you were Ananias, how would you have responded to God’s directive?

What do you think enabled Ananias to say “yes” to this dangerous mission?

What risk is God asking you to take to serve Him? What would enable you to say “yes”?

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DAILY DEVOTIONALS

EACH DAY, READ THE VERSE GIVEN. TAKE YOUR TIME. Imagine that Jesus is sitting with you. Then, imagine Him saying the words in the “Reflect” section to you—reassuring you with His presence and loving you with His words of comfort and strength. After reflecting on Jesus’ words to you, take some time to journal your response back to Him. You can write whatever’s on your heart. Answer the “Respond” question only if it’s helpful. You may want to go another direction, which you are free to do . On the first day, you may want to read over all the verses for the week to get the “big picture” of the passage. But then walk slowly verse by verse, listening to Jesus and responding to Him as you meditate on the truths of Scripture and experience His presence.

Now that you’ve completed this study, you may want to try a new practice in the future.

When you read your Bible, take it one verse at a time. Sit quietly, and then write your own “reflect” thoughts—like the ones in this study.

Ask Jesus to speak to your heart, and write down what He says to your heart. Remember that He speaks only with the voice of love, never of shame or condemnation.

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DAY 1: READ 1 JOHN 5:1 (THE MESSAGE) “Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-begotten. If we love the One who conceives the child, we’ll surely love the child who was conceived.”

REFLECT Trust me, my dear one. If you believe in me, you’re mine. I’ve got you, you’re my child, and so precious to me. If you love my Father, you love me.

My love is more than just a feeling, it’s a reality that changes your life, a power that equips you to do far more than you ever dreamed. Live in that love.

RESPOND What do you think it means to be “God-begotten” or as another translation puts it, “born of God”?

DAY 2: READ 1 JOHN 5:2 (THE MESSAGE) “The reality test on whether or not we love God’s children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands?”

REFLECT I know that it is not always easy to love others. But when you begin to see that every one of my children is precious to me, and you hear my calling to be a conduit of my grace to all people—your perspective will change.

Loving God and loving people, God’s children—you simply cannot separate those two things.

A life of love has no limits—because it’s lived in God’s power, not your own.

RESPOND Why is loving others so deeply connected to loving God? What would it say about our love for God if we disregarded His children?

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DAY 3: READ 1 JOHN 5:3 (THE MESSAGE) “The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome.”

REFLECT Loving becomes easy when you stop trying to do it all yourself. Keeping God’s commands to love becomes much less trouble when you let go and let me love others through you.

Your love for people, your generous service and joyful endurance will simply point people toward me. That’s the goal: to live a God life, fully powered by God, so He gets the praise.

RESPOND Do God’s commands feel troublesome to you? Do they feel like a way to respond to God, or an obligation?

DAY 4: READ 1 JOHN 5:4 (THE MESSAGE) “Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith.”

REFLECT My child, you began with just a smidgen of faith. You’ve walked along, strengthening yourself by admitting your weakness—your need for me. When you let go of self-improvement, your faith soared, and became a real hope.

Hope has allowed you to pursue things unseen, and to move toward an unselfish love. When you have real hope, you trust. You can live a life of love, empowered by your faith in the Father. Paradoxically, the power you receive comes from daily dependence.

RESPOND Does your faith feel like a “conquering power” or a mustard seed? Can you pray to God that He would increase your faith?

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DAY 5: READ 1 JOHN 5:5 (THE MESSAGE) “The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.” REFLECT I am who I said I am. I have loved you since before you were born, and will always love you.

No matter what the world throws at you, I’m always on your side.

Believe. Trust. Keep close to me, rest in me. Follow me, walking beside me, inviting others along the way. I want to take you on an amazing adventure of faith, hope and love.

RESPOND Where are you struggling to win out over the world’s ways? How can you move closer to Jesus and trust Him more?

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APPENDICES GROUP RESOURCES TO HELP MAKE YOUR SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE EVEN BETTER!

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FAQ WHAT DO WE DO ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF OUR GROUP?

HOW LONG WILL THIS GROUP MEET?

Like all fun things in life–have a party! A

It’s totally up to the group, once you come

“get to know you” coffee, dinner, or dessert

to the end of this 6-week study. Most groups

is a great way to launch a new study. You

meet weekly for at least their first 6 weeks,

may want to review the Group Agreement

but every other week can work as well. We

(page 158) and share the names of a few

strongly recommend that the group meet for

friends you can invite to join you. But most

the first six months on a weekly basis if at all

importantly, have fun before your study time

possible. This allows for continuity, and if

begins.

people miss a meeting they aren’t gone for a

WHERE DO WE FIND NEW MEMBERS FOR OUR GROUP? This can be troubling, especially for new groups that have only a few people or for existing groups that lose a few people along the way. We encourage you to pray with your group and then brainstorm a list of people from work, church, your neighborhood, your children’s school, family, the gym, and so forth. Then have each group member invite several of the people on his or her list.

whole month.

At the end of this study, each group member may decide if he or she wants to continue on for another 6-week study. Some groups launch relationships for years to come, and others are stepping-stones into another group experience. Either way, enjoy the journey.

CAN WE DO THIS STUDY ON OUR OWN? Absolutely! This may sound crazy but one

No matter how you find members, it’s

of the best ways to do this study is not with

vital that you stay on the lookout for new

a full house but with a few friends. You may

people to join your group. All groups tend

choose to gather with one other couple who

to go through healthy attrition–the result

would enjoy going out or having a quiet

of moves, releasing new leaders, ministry

dinner and then walking through this study.

opportunities, and so forth–and if the

Jesus will be with you even if there are only

group gets too small, it could be at risk of

two of you (Matthew 18:20).

shutting down. If you and your group stay open, you’ll be amazed at the people God sends your way. The next person just might become a friend for life. You never know!

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WHAT IF THIS GROUP IS NOT WORKING FOR US? You’re not alone! This could be the result of

HOW DO WE HANDLE THE CHILD CARE NEEDS IN OUR GROUP?

a personality conflict, life stage difference,

Very carefully. Seriously, this can be

geographical distance, level of spiritual

a sensitive issue. We suggest that you

maturity, or any number of things. Relax.

empower the group to openly brainstorm

Pray for God’s direction, and at the end

solutions. You may try one option that

of this 6-week study, decide whether to

works for a while and then adjust over time.

continue with this group or find another.

Our favorite approach is for adults to meet

You don’t buy the first car you look at or

in the living room or dining room, and to

marry the first person you date, and the

share the cost of a babysitter (or two) who

same goes with a group. Don’t bail out

can be with the kids in a different part of

before the 6 weeks are up–God might have

the house. In this way, parents don’t have

something to teach you. Also, don’t run

to be away from their children all evening

from conflict or prejudge people before

when their children are too young to be

you have given them a chance. God is still

left at home. A second option is to use one

working in you too!

home for the kids and a second home (close by or a phone call away) for the adults. A

WHO IS THE LEADER?

third idea is to rotate the responsibility of

Most groups have an official leader. But

providing a lesson or care for the children

ideally, the group will mature and members

either in the same home or in another home

will rotate the leadership of meetings. We

nearby. This can be an incredible blessing

have discovered that healthy groups rotate

for kids. Finally, the most common idea is

hosts/leaders and homes on a regular basis.

to decide that you need to have a night to

This model ensures that all members grow,

invest in your spiritual lives individually

give their unique contribution, and develop

or as a couple, and to make your own

their gifts. This study guide and the Holy

arrangements for childcare. No matter

Spirit can keep things on track even when

what decision the group makes, the best

you rotate leaders. Christ has promised to be

approach is to dialogue openly about both

in your midst as you gather. Ultimately, God

the problem and the solution.

is your leader each step of the way.

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OUR PURPOSE

SMALL GROUP AGREEMENT

To provide a predictable environment where participants experience authentic community and spiritual growth.

OUR VALUES GROUP ATTENDANCE SAFE ENVIRONMENT RESPECT DIFFERENCES

To give priority to the group meeting. We will call or email if we will be late or absent. (Completing the Group Calendar on page 160 will minimize this issue.)

To help create a safe place where people can be heard and feel loved. (Please, no quick answers, snap judgments, or simple fixes.)

To be gentle and gracious to people with different spiritual maturity, personal opinions, temperaments, or “imperfections” in fellow group members. We are all works in progress.

To keep anything that is shared strictly confidential and within

CONFIDENTIALITY

the group, and to avoid sharing improper information about those outside the group.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR GROWTH SHARED OWNERSHIP

To be not just takers but givers of life. We want to spiritually multiply our life by serving others with our God-given gifts.

To remember that every member is a minister and to ensure that each attender will share a small team role or responsibility over time.

To encourage different people to host the group in their

ROTATING HOSTS/ homes, and to rotate the responsibility of facilitating each LEADERS AND HOMES meeting. (See the Group Calendar on page 160.)

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OUR EXPECTATIONS • Refreshments/mealtimes ______________________________________ • Childcare __________________________________________________ • When we will meet (day of week) _______________________________ • Where we will meet (place) ____________________________________ __________________________________________________________ • We will begin at (time) ___________ and end at ___________ • We will do our best to have some or all of us attend a worship service together. Our primary worship service time will be ____________________________________________________ • Date of this agreement _______________________________________ • Date we will review this agreement again _________________________ • Who (other than the leader) will review this agreement at the end of this study ____________________________________________

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GROUP CALENDAR Planning and calendaring can help ensure the greatest participation at every meeting. At the end of each meeting, review this calendar. Be sure to include a regular rotation of host homes and leaders, and don’t forget birthdays, socials, church events, holidays, and mission/ministry projects.

DATE

LESSON

Monday, January 15

1

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DESSERT/ HOST HOME MEAL Steve and Laura’s House

Joe

LEADER Bill

SPIRITUAL PARTNERS

CHECK-IN PAGE

MY NAME:

SPIRITUAL PARTNER’S NAME:

OUR PROGRESS

WEEK 6

WEEK 5

WEEK 4

WEEK 3

WEEK 2

WEEK 1

OUR PLANS

Briefly check in each week and write down your personal plans and progress for the next week (or even for the next few weeks). This could be done (before or after the meeting) on the phone, via E-mail or text, or even in person from time to time.

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MEMORY

VERSES

SESSION ONE: MENTORED – THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD OTHERS “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”

(Philippians 3:17) SESSION TWO: BELOVED – OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”

(Deuteronomy 33:12) SESSION THREE: BLESSED – THE REWARDS OF GENEROSITY “You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19, THE MESSAGE) SESSION FOUR: IMMERSED – THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”

(Psalm 1:1-2, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) SESSION FIVE: FORGIVEN – THE JOY OF CONFESSION “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt.

I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”

(Psalm 32:5, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) SESSION SIX: CALLED – THE RESPONSE OF OBEDIENCE “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

(Ephesians 4:1)

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SMALL GROUP

ROSTER

NAME

NAME

EMAIL

EMAIL

PHONE

PHONE

NAME

NAME

EMAIL

EMAIL

PHONE

PHONE

NAME

NAME

EMAIL

EMAIL

PHONE

PHONE

NAME

NAME

EMAIL

EMAIL

PHONE

PHONE

NAME

NAME

EMAIL

EMAIL

PHONE

PHONE

NAME

NAME

EMAIL

EMAIL

PHONE

PHONE P | 163

S M A L L G RO U P L E A DE R S KEY RESOURCES TO HELP YOUR LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE BE THE BEST IT CAN BE!

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HOSTING AN

OPEN HOUSE If you’re starting a new group, try planning an “open house” before your first formal group meeting. Even if you have only two to four core members, it’s a great way to break the ice and to pray and discern who else might be open to joining you over the next few weeks. You can also use this kick-off meeting to hand out study guides, spend some time getting to know each other, discuss each person’s expectations for the group and briefly pray for each other.

A simple meal or good desserts always make a kick-off meeting more fun.

After people introduce themselves and share how they ended up being at the meeting (you can play a game to see who has the wildest story!), have everyone respond to a few icebreaker questions: • What is your favorite family vacation?

• What is one thing you love about your church/our community?

• What are three things about your life growing up that most people here don’t know?

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Next, ask everyone to tell what he or she hopes to get out of the study.

You might want to review the Small Group Agreement and talk about each person’s expectations and priorities.

Finally, set an open chair (maybe two) in the center of your group and explain that it represents someone who would enjoy or benefit from this group but who isn’t here yet. Ask people to pray about inviting someone to join the group over the next few weeks. Hand out postcards and have everyone write an invitation or two.

Don’t worry about ending up with too many people; you can always have one discussion circle in the living room and another in the dining room after you watch the lesson. Each group could then report prayer requests and progress at the end of the session.

You can skip this kick-off meeting if your time is limited, but you’ll experience a huge benefit if you take the time to connect with each other in this way.

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LEADING FOR

THE FIRST TIME TEN COMMON LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES. WELCOME TO LIFE OUT IN FRONT!

1.

Sweaty palms are a healthy sign. The Bible says God is gracious to the humble.

Remember Who is in control.

Those who are soft in heart (and sweaty palmed) are those whom God is sure to speak through.

2.

Seek support. Ask your leader, co-leader, or close friend to pray for you and prepare with you before the session. Walking through the study will help you anticipate potentially difficult questions and discussion topics.

3.

Bring your uniqueness to the study. Lean into who you are and how God wants you to uniquely lead the study.

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4.

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Go through the session several times. If you are using the DVD, listen to the teaching segment and Leadership Lifter. Consider writing in a journal or fasting for a day to prepare yourself for what God wants to do. Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare.

5.

Ask for feedback so you can grow. Perhaps in an email or on cards handed out at the study, have everyone write down three things you did well and one thing you could improve on. Don’t get defensive, but show an openness to learn and grow.

6.

Pray about launching a new group. This doesn’t need to happen overnight, but God’s heart is for this to take place over time. Not all Christians are called to be leaders or teachers, but we are all called to be “shepherds” of a few someday.

7.

Share with your group what God is doing in your heart. God is searching for those whose hearts are fully his. Share your trials and victories. We promise that people will relate.

8.

Pray about whom you would like to pass the baton to next week. It’s only fair. God is ready for the next member of your group to go on the faith journey you just traveled.

Make it fun, and expect God to do the rest.

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LEADERSHIP

TRAINING 101 TOP TEN IDEAS FOR NEW LEADERS

Congratulations! You have responded to the call to help shepherd Jesus’ flock.

There are few other tasks in the family of God that surpass the contribution you will be making. As you prepare to lead, whether it is one session or the entire series, here are a few thoughts to keep in mind. We encourage you to read these and review them with each new discussion leader before he or she leads.

1

Remember that you are not alone. God knows everything about you, and He knew that you would be asked to lead your group. Remember that it is common for all good leaders to feel that they are not ready to lead. Moses, Solomon, Jeremiah and Timothy - they all were reluctant to lead. God promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Whether you are leading for one evening, for several weeks, or for a lifetime, you will be blessed as you serve.

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2

Don’t try to do it alone. Pray right now for God to help you build a healthy leadership team.

If you can enlist a co-leader to help you lead the group, you will find your experience to be much richer. This is your chance to involve as many people as you can in building a healthy group. All you have to do is call and ask people to help, you’ll be surprised at the response.

3

Just be yourself. If you won’t be you, who will? God wants you to use your unique gifts and temperament. Don’t try to do things exactly like another leader; do them in a way that fits you! Just admit it when you don’t have an answer, and apologize when you make a mistake. Your group will love you for it, and you’ll sleep better at night!

4

Prepare for your meeting ahead of time. Review the session and the leader’s notes, and write down your responses to each question. Pay special attention to exercises that ask group members to do something other than engage in discussion.

These exercises will help your group live what the Bible teaches, not just talk about it.

Be sure you understand how an exercise works, and bring any necessary supplies (such as paper and pens) to your meeting. If the exercise employs one of the items in the Appendices, be sure to look over that item so you’ll know how it works.

Finally, review “Outline for Each Session” so you’ll remember the purpose of each section in the study.

5

Pray for your group members by name. Before you begin your session, go around the room in your mind and pray for each member by name. You may want to review the prayer list at least once a week. Ask God to use your time together to touch the heart of every person uniquely. Expect God to lead you to whomever He wants you to encourage or challenge in a special way. If you listen, God will surely lead!

6

When you ask a question, be patient. Someone will eventually respond. Sometimes people need a moment or two of silence to think about the question, and if silence doesn’t bother you, it won’t bother anyone else. After someone responds, affirm the response with a simple “thanks” or “good job.” Then ask, “How about somebody else?” or “Would someone who hasn’t shared like to add anything?”

Be sensitive to new people or reluctant members who aren’t ready to say, pray or do anything.

If you give them a safe setting, they will blossom over time.

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LEADERSHIP TRAINING 101 7

Provide transitions between questions. When guiding the discussion, always read aloud the transitional paragraphs and the questions. Ask the group if anyone would like to read the paragraph or Bible passage.

Don’t call on anyone, but ask for a volunteer, and then be patient until someone begins. Be sure to thank the person who reads aloud.

8

Break up into small groups each week, or they won’t stay. If your group has more than seven people, we strongly encourage you to have the group gather sometimes in discussion circles of three or four people. With a greater opportunity to talk in a small circle, people will connect more with the study, apply more quickly what they’re learning and ultimately get more out of it.

A small circle also encourages a quiet person to participate and tends to minimize the effects of a more vocal or dominant

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member. It can also help people feel more loved in your group.

When you gather again at the end of the section, you can have one person summarize the highlights from each circle.

Small circles are also helpful during prayer time. People who are unaccustomed to praying aloud will feel more comfortable trying it with just two or three others. Also, prayer requests won’t take as much time, so circles will have more time to actually pray. When you gather back with the whole group, you can have one person from each circle briefly update everyone on the prayer requests. People are more willing to pray in small circles if they know that the whole group will hear all the prayer requests.

9

Rotate facilitators weekly. At the end of each meeting, ask the group who should lead the following week. Let the group help select your weekly facilitator. You may be perfectly capable of leading each time, but you will help others grow in their faith and gifts if you give them opportunities to lead.

You can use the Small Group Calendar to fill in the names of all meeting leaders at once if you prefer.

Matthew 9:36 1 Peter 5:2-4 Psalm 23 Ezekiel 34:11-16 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 11-12

10 One final challenge (for new or first time leaders): Before your first opportunity to lead, look up each of the five passages listed. Read each one as a devotional exercise to help equip yourself with a shepherd’s heart. Trust us on this one. If you do this, you will be more than ready for your first meeting.

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PRAYER AND

PRAISE REPORT PRAYER REQUESTS

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PRAISE REPORTS

PRAYER REQUESTS

PRAISE REPORTS

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NOTES

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NOTES

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“I’M INTERESTED IN GOD, BUT I REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND HIM.” “I’M CURIOUS ABOUT FAITH, BUT RELIGION Which of these statements accurately describes your spiritual life?

Does reading them make you long for change? For growth?

For transformation?

That’s exactly what this study is about—growing your faith as part of the Atonement’s Year of Transformation.

In the coming year, we’ll gather in community to do three studies in the Pathways series: Faith, Hope, and Love. In small groups, you will study God’s Word, and take a journey that will strengthen your connection with God and with others. You’ll experience and understand God’s love for you, and be inspired to love His people.

SEEMS TO BE ABOUT GUILT.” “GOD LOVES ME? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, EXACTLY?” “I BELIEVE IN JESUS AND I GO TO CHURCH, BUT MY FAITH HAS KIND OF STALLED OUT. I’M STUCK.”

Welcome to Hope: Deepening Your Life In Christ Together. It’s our prayer that this study will help us to experience the love, joy, and peace that truly knowing God and His love can bring.

EVERYTHING SMALL GROUPS

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