Series: This is my Year
Delivered by: Pastor Julian
Passages Used: Mark 2:1-12
Today’s Question: How can we be mindful of our spiritual life in a healthy way, while also being mindful of the needs of others?
As a group, open up by reading together.
Person 1: Mark 2:1-6
Person 2: Mark 2:7-12
Person 3: Ephesians 6:10-18
Person 4: Matthew 7:13-29
Pray for God to guide your conversation together, & for the Holy Spirit to give wisdom & insight.
Leader: Before starting these questions, remember that you don’t have to “complete the list.” There are more questions listed than you have time to answer. Every major question has several smaller questions on the same idea/topic that you can use to keep things moving. They don’t have to all be individually answered. You know your group best, choose the ones that work best for your unique needs.
Q1: We’re a family on an eternal mission
When we’re a family, we need to be a family on mission beyond the 4 walls of our daily experiences together.
- What helps you focus on the needs of others?
- How have you been blessed by meeting someone else’s needs?
- What gifts do you have that God wants you to use to love others?
Q2: The more I think about myself…
Pastor Julian said, “The more I think about myself, the more I complain.”
- How does self-focus, & living totally in our own bubbles, make our problems & struggles seem bigger than they may really be?
- How does serving others keep us out of the “complaint department”?
Q3: Dealing with Hopelessness & Loneliness
The reality of hopelessness & loneliness around us can feel overwhelming to so many people. We all struggle with it from time to time, but we have the hope of Christ at work in us.
- How do you see Jesus combatting these things in Mark 2:1-12?
- What tools has He given you to combat hopelessness?
- What can you do to put those tools to work for the kingdom?
Q4: We need to develop supernatural courage.
Pastor Julian reminded us that our efforts need to be marinated in prayer. We need to remember that these struggles we walk through, on our own & with others, are spiritual issues. Everything is spiritual, because we are spiritual.
- How do you approach spiritual warfare?
- Read Ephesians 6:10-18
- Talk about using this passage as a daily prayer in your own life & how you can pray this over people.
Q5: Love wasn’t put in your heart to stay…
love isn’t love till you give it away. There’s an old song that echoes John 13:35;
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
Listen here: https://youtu.be/6CI4qefRAi4
- Why is this outside-of-self, others-focused cause that is bigger than us such a source of life & joy for us?
- Read this passage & then talk about what you’re hearing:
- Matthew 7:13-29
