A Fresh start to 2020 – Community

OB One Small Group Notes

01/05/20

Series: This is my Year

Delivered by: Pastor Kris

 

Passages Used: James 1:22-25, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 1 Samuel 18:1-3; 23:16-17

Today’s Question: What are you going to do to make this your year?

As a group, open up by reading together.

Person 1: James 1:22-25

Person 2: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Person 3: 1 Samuel 18:1-3

Person 4: 1 Samuel 23:16-17

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: Fresh Start

When we were kids, we could call a do-over if we didn’t like how we kicked/hit/shot a ball when we were playing with friends. As adults, we hold back that freedom for a fresh start from ourselves too often.

• As a group, try to name people in Scripture that God gave a fresh start.

Q2: Choosing the Best Path

Pastor Kris talked about the need for us to have our “ladder” leaning against the right wall.

• What goals do you have for 2020 that will deepen your walk with Christ?
• What is your “next step” for becoming more like Jesus?
• What do you feel God calling you to right now?

Q3: The Steps to Depth

God grows us all in different ways, but many times He uses similar tools so we can relate to one another and see God working in ways that we can recognize.

• Read Ecclesiastes 4:9 again
• What steps of faith should we all take part in together?
• How does God use corporate worship to grow us?
• How does God use serving in a ministry for others to grow us?
• How does God use shared community time, focused around Him (like this) to grow us?
• Why is the not-on-me focus of these three methods so valuable?

Q4: We are never alone

Pastor Kris reminded us that strength comes from vulnerability with each other. Flying solo leaves us weakened when tough times come.

• What portions of our walk with Christ are meant to be done alone?
• Why do you think people try to do church alone rather than live in community as the church?
• What is your identity in the community of our church family?

Q5: Good Vibes Only

Jesus reminded us that love goes so far beyond just feelings. It is shared in community.

Love is action.

• Read 1 Corinthians 13 together.
• Verses 4-7 stand as proof that love requires another person. Being patient with yourself is a lot easier than being patient with someone else, right?
• How else do you see love taking place in community in this passage?
• What are the benefits of working against a “zero-sum-game” as we live in community together?

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Point of Prayer for our Small Group: Pray over the areas that the people within your small group serve within, let different people choose one area (not their own) to pray over.