Life Group Discussion Guide : Sunday, January 29, 2012 (JXG)
Sandy Lake Wesleyan : Shawn Cossin, Lead Pastor
Not So...Modern Family, Week 4 & New Year, New Life ALIVE! Celebration
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Look through these discussion points and focus on what you think will be most beneficial to your Group.
Discuss and pray about the things below—don’t feel the need to ‘cover everything,’
but use this as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them.
Be sure to pray for and encourage each other.
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What are your Group members celebrating this week?
Take time to celebrate with them and praise God for what he’s doing.
Take time to celebrate with them and praise God for what he’s doing.
Read Romans 6:11, discuss…
...What does it mean to be ‘dead’ to sin?
...What hope does this give us in our ability to be obedient to God?
...What does the writer mean when he says we are alive to God through Christ Jesus?
Sometimes we look at Baptism like it’s the end of a journey, but it isn’t. We were reminded that baptism isn’t about having all of life’s answers or everything ‘figured out,’ but is about being obedient to what Jesus calls us to.
- What are some of the excuses we make to avoid obedience not only in baptism but in other areas of life?
- Why do you think some of our steps of obedience can be so difficult for us to take?
- What can we do to help us choose obedience even when it’s hard? What habits, relationships, and disciplines?
Which video/testimony this morning resonated with you the most? Why?
In the videos we saw today, each person being baptized shared about another individual God used to help them find HIm and step toward him in obedience.
- Who has this person/people been in your life?
- In which relationship(s) do you feel God leading you to be this kind of influence?
Stop and pray for each other that you would be obedient in the ‘next steps’ God has for you and in following the leading of the Holy Spirit as he directs you to connect in relationships of impact with others.
We have been reminded throughout the current message series that ‘whoever you are; wherever you are, God wants to and can use you for good’ and that change in our relationships/families starts with us.
- How has God been speaking to your heart about what your response should be regarding these truths?
- What keeps us from being ‘used for good?’
- What keeps us from being the agent of change in our relationships?
Read Mark 16:15-16, discuss…
...Jesus appears when his Disciples are relaxing and he scolds them for unbelief and hard hearts, then speaks the words of vv.15-16...
...Jesus scolded his Disciples for ‘stubborn refusal to believe…’
- What does it mean to be stubborn in our refusal to do something?
- How do we see that playing out in our lives?
...Why is it significant that Jesus shared these words as part of his last discussion with his first followers?
...What are the ‘two ditches’ we can fall into as far as thinking about the significance of baptism?
Pastor Shawn said, “Baptism may not be essential to salvation, but is entirely essential to obedience.”
- What do you think is meant by this?
- Do you think it is possible to ‘believe’ but not ‘obey’?
- Scripture clearly teaches that belief and obedience can’t be severed. What next step of belief is God
- calling you to take as individuals? As a Group?
- In what way(s) can your Life Group help encourage and hold one another accountable in the areas
- God is calling you to believe and obey?
Be sure to follow-up with each other in the days & weeks ahead about these areas where God is leading you to act. Don’t hesitate to connect with a member of the Ministry Team if you would like help with coaching your Group members on their next steps of belief and obedience.
NOTE: You can download a copy of this discussion guide as a .pdf here.
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