October 28, 2012 Life Group Discussion Guide

This Guide is available as a .pdf here.

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, October 28, 2012 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Build it! | Seek (week 2)

Remember, this Guide is not intended as an exhaustive list of what can be discussed, but is best used as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them. Read through the discussion points below and prayerfully consider what the Holy Spirit would have you work through.

 Be sure to pray for, encourage each other, and share the victories God is giving your Group.

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At the beginning of our worship gatherings, we highlighted the call for the Church to fully engage in the cause of caring for the orphan. What are ways that your Group can champion, be involved with, and help resource orphan care? What can your Group do to be part of how SLW is already connected in orphan and foster care?

Read Matthew 6:9-10

What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching here? How is it incredibly significant that Jesus, as the Son of God, would instruct us to ask for the Kingdom of God to come? What is the element of trust indicated here? 

Read John 3:3

What is shown as the key to seeing the Kingdom? Why is it important to see the Kingdom?

What is the difference between being truly ‘born again’ and head knowledge? Between ‘born again’ and behavior modification? Why do we tend to settle for head knowledge & behavior modification rather than being truly re-born?

Read Mark 10:15

What does the ‘faith of a child’ mean? What does that mean for how we walk through everyday life?

What is the result for us if we don’t have this childlike understanding? What are symptoms that we don’t have this perspective?

“Before we could talk about cost or assess what we seek or every truly ask, “your Kingdom come,” we need to speak to a missing piece of faith: trust.”

How does trust move our belief to action?

What are symptoms that we have belief but not trust?

How do we develop more trust in God and his leadership?

What role does your Life Group play in helping its members know, practice, and develop trust? How can you ‘spur one another on to love and good deeds’ this week?

Read Matthew 6:33

How do we see ‘what to do, why to do it, and how to do it’ regarding our life and God’s Kingdom?

What are some of the broad applications of the singular focus seen here?

How does this help us recognize, individually and corporately, our created purpose? How does this change our perspective?

“What we value/seek defines us.”

What defines you today? How does this line up with the upside-down reality of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Based on the investments of your time, energy, and financial resource, what are you primarily seeking? 

What does it look like to seek God’s Kingdom on a daily, consistent basis?

Pastor Shawn indicated that if we don’t seek God’s Kingdom primarily, we won’t find life. How is this seen in Scripture? What are the implications of this in our families and other relationships?

Read Matthew 13:44-46

What does this tell us about how the Kingdom is different from other things we might seek?

How does this show us the the cost of stepping into the reality of the Kingdom of God? Where does trust (as the ‘converter’ from belief to action) play a role here?

What are things in our lives today that we may be asked to ‘sell’ in order to receive the great prize of the Kingdom? How can your Group help & call each other to this kind of focus?

We were asked to reflect on this:

Do you trust God enough to let him define your life and not just save it? How can you help your Group members process this? What does it look like to journey through the ramifications of this together?

Our next steps regarding the Kingdom were:

:: Pray for it (Jesus taught us to)

:: Live for it

How can your Group do these things together and help one another in doing them?

Discuss: What are the opportunities for your Group to connect with people who may be far from God? What are the ways your Group can live as ‘Jesus with skin on’ in practical ways in our region to see the advancement of His Kingdom? We’re challenging every Life Group to again engage in at least one missional expression--please connect with Pastor Jeremiah if you need help finding opportunities.