This Week's Discussion Guide

This Guide is available for download as a .pdf here.

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, February 17, 2013 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Nate

Truth & Dare | Unity (Week 4)

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.

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 Be sure to pray for, encourage each other, 

and share the victories God is giving your Group.

From Last Week (Truth & Dare, week 3 | Conflict):

Read Matthew 18:15-20

:: How can we tell this passage is more about bringing people back into right relationship with God than ‘clearing the air’?

:: Why do you think Jesus gives us the progression of ‘one-on-one’ to ‘two or three’ to ‘assembly’? How does the desire for relationship with God change the tone of how we interact with this?

:: Why is the promise of Jesus’ presence significant here?

:: What is significant about the promise of heaven’s authority in these matters (binding/loosing)?

Read Proverbs 6:16-20

:: How does this shows us the significance God places on unity?

:: Why is it significant that God hates these actions, not the people doing them?

:: Why are we tempted to minimize some of the things in this list? Why do you think we’re so comfortable with other things being listed here?

“How we handle conflict & our human relationships is more about relationship with God than with each other.”

:: What Scriptural truths can you think of which help illustrate this?

:: How have you seen this reality in your own life?

:: Have you ever tried to ‘fix’ a human relationship without first making sure your relationship with God was right? What was the result? 

:: How does misunderstanding this result in setting the wrong relational goals?

We were challenged to ask the question: 

What relationship in my life is in need of restoration?

Pray with your Group that the Holy Spirit would reveal to them what these relationships are and give courage to take next steps.

We were challenged with this dare:

:: Pray for the authority & presence of Jesus

How does this change our perspective and interaction with others?

:: Start a dialogue with the other person

Pray for each other for wisdom and courage to do this.

:: Refuse to stir up conflict

How can you lovingly encourage others to go to the other person rather than speaking about them?

This Week:

Pastor Nate asked, what are some things a person could do to cause division in a church? 

:: What were some things the people in your Group came up with?

:: Do you think it was helpful to identify some of these things? Why or why not?

Read John 17:20-23

:: Why is it significant that Jesus prayed all of his later followers would be ‘one?’

:: What is ‘complete unity?’

:: What do you think this looks like in how we live and interact today?

:: This is part of Jesus’ prayer immediately before his arrest and eventual crucifixion--how does this lend a sense of urgency and purpose to Jesus’ prayer?

“The world will know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God...that God loves them by our unity.”

:: What are other things we tend to treat as more important than unity?

:: If we are not united, what happens to the other vehicles of ministry?

Pastor Nate asked, what can we do to promote unity?

:: What were some things people in your Group came up with in response to this question?

:: As we seek to know and love Christ more, we will grow in passion for what he is passionate about. How are His passions for unity and those who don’t know him connected?

This week’s truth:

Our ability to live as one & be a unifier is more about our relationship with Christ than one another.

:: What is the inherent call to us in this truth?

:: Read Ephesians 4:1-3

Why is the phrase, “make every effort” important here? How do we do this? 

:: Read Colossians 3:12-14

What are examples of how we can live this out?

:: Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

How does the fact that ‘God is love’ impact the way we read this passage?

How should the fact that ‘love always...perseveres’ change the way we interact with each other and pursue unity?

Read John 15:9-14

What is the command here? Why is it significant that this is a command, not just a suggestion or principle? What are ways we easily find ourselves living in rebellion against Jesus in this area?

This week’s dare:

Pray to be in Christ | Love as He has loved us -- how can you help your Group receive and live this? Pray for one another as you continue to journey in accepting these Truth & Dare next steps.