Discussion Guide

(This Guide is also available as a .pdf here)

Life Group Discussion Guide : Sunday, February 12, 2012 (JXG)

Sandy Lake Wesleyan : Jim & Jerolyn Bogear

Not So...Modern Family, Week 6 | Legacy

------------------------------------------------------

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, encourage each other, and share the victories God is giving your Group.

Why not begin by thanking God together for the victories he has given your Group and pray together regarding what’s weighing on the hearts and minds of your members?

Read Genesis 48:1-4, discuss...

...what does Jacob say his legacy will be?

...have you ever thought of the kind of legacy you want to leave? 

...If you have, what is it? 

...if not, what has kept you from pondering this?

...why do you think our tendency is to simply ‘hope everything works out’ rather than purposefully plan for the legacy we leave?

...how is leaving a God-honoring legacy related to the other things we’ve been talking about during the Not So Modern Family series (see .pdf version here)?

Jim shared this phrase a couple of times: “You have to live a legacy long before you ever expect to lead one.”

...What do you think is meant by this?

...What does it look like to “live a legacy of significance?” of faith?

...What do you think are the biggest battles we have to fight to “live a legacy” today? 

…What can we do to  prepare to fight and succeed in those battles?

Jim and Jerolyn shared that healthy communities...

• ...Support one anotherRead 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Romans 15:2,7…
• What does it look like to encourage one another?
• How can we be the catalyst for encouragement in our relationships? At SLW? In our communities?
• What does it look like to support one another even when things are less than ideal?
  
  
• ...Talk to (not about) one anotherRead Matthew 18:15-20...
• How is this a mark of genuine love for each other?
• How does this preserve unity?
• What does it look like for your Life Group to freely have this kind of interaction?
• What are some of the threats to maintaining this kind of open communication?

• ...Caring for one anotherRead John 13:34-35…
• What is the mark of a follower of Jesus?
• What does it look like to love each other as followers of Christ?
• Jesus shared this after washing his disciples’ feet; what is the connection between serving each other and loving one another?
• Jesus said this is a “new command,” meaning if we don’t do this, we’re in outright disobedience to Him; how should that impact the decision(s) we make to actively care for each other?

Based on these three marks of healthy community, what are the threats to genuine community in your Life Group? How healthy are your family relationships? 

Invite your Group to share the areas/relationships which could be healthier and stop to pray for each other.

How can you and your Group actively pursue healthy community in the body life of Sandy Lake Wesleyan...to guard and enable these three aspects of healthy community?

How does healthy community lead to living a legacy of significance? 

What does it mean that we cannot live/leave a legacy of significance outside of genuine, healthy community?

As you pray for each other, ask God to show you what it means to step into genuine community with each other and pursue health. How can your Group demonstrate care, communicate with, and encourage each other this week? What practical ways can you do these three things in your family and other relationships?

Leaders: this is another opportunity where you can encourage Group members to build relationships of accountability in these areas.