This Week's Discussion Guide

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

Life Group Discussion Guide :: Sunday, March 3, 2013 (JXG) 

Sandy Lake Wesleyan :: Pastor Shawn

Truth & Dare | Submission (Week 5)

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 4 | Unity):

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?

Last 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 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:

We were reminded of the Truth & Dare Series’ opening question--”What is the Bible to you?”

:: What do you think some of the answers are to this that others might give?

:: Has your answer changed at all over the course of this series?

“There are four influences that we allow to shape the way we live:

God | Others | Enemy | Self

We segment and divide how much influence any of these may have in us.

:: How have you seen this in your life?

:: What Scriptural examples can you think of that illustrate some of these?

:: How can we tell which of these has primary influence in our lives?

Pastor Shawn shared the following Seven Realities which have an impact on the way we submit to the authority of God/Scripture in our lives (how have you seen each of these play out in your life/the lives around you? What is the call to us in each of these principles?):

What we value determines how we live.

~ We don’t pursue what we don’t value. How can we tell what we value?

~ Read John 14:15 -- what does this say to us about pursuit, value, and authority?

We give authority to what we value.

~ Value creates influence, influence is authority.

~ Read John 21:15-17 -- what does this say about influence, authority, and what we value?

Value creates influence, influence is authority.

~ Read John 21:15-17 -- what does this say about influence, authority, and what we value?

Who we give authority to determines what we do.

~ What examples from Peter’s life did Pastor Shawn use to illustrate this? Can you think of other examples in life/Scripture that show the same principle?

Going first takes courage

~ Living out the Bible is increasingly seen as ‘wrong’ in our culture…so how can we have the courage to live this out?

~ Read Matthew 14:25-30 -- how does this passage show us this truth?

Our lack of understanding limits our readiness to engage in the things God wants us t0.

God wants to be caught more than taught--He values pursuit more than knowledge. 

~ What are symptoms we value knowing more than pursuing? How can we know we’re chasing after him?

~ What are symptoms we value knowing more than pursuing? How can we know we’re chasing after him?

Personal surrender is ‘table stakes’

~ Our salvation gets us ‘in the game’ but running and winning the race takes sacrifice and cost.

~ Read & discuss James 4:6b-10--what is the call to greater submission?

Our challenge is to desire God -- how can you and your Group spur oneanother on in this pursuit? What does it look like to do this together? Take time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what he desires in this area.