Presence Driven

Life Group Announcements 

1. This Sunday will be Mother’s day. Invite a friend and their mom for a free Mother’s Day family portrait.
2. Worship Night is May 19th from 6-8pm.
3. Save the date and start saving some cash. Marriage Getaway in La Quinta is in September 14-16th. The cost is $395 per couple that includes 2 nights of hotel.

Life Group Questions 

1. Read Matthew 16:16-19
2. Recommend to people to take notes Sunday, and bring their notes to the life group discussion. Question: If you took notes Sunday, or remember by heart, what was the #1 thing you heard God speaking to you?
3.  Let’s talk about Peter’s statement based on his faith and the revelation that he received from God, that Jesus is the Messiah. How each one of us answers the same question “Who do you think Jesus is? Or, who do you think God is?” will define our relationship with Him. If we think he is all powerful, all loving, always present, etc… like we read in the Bible, it will completely affect our faith and trust in Him, and how we live our lives. What are your thoughts?
4. Read John 15:1-8. The main topic of Sunday was that we should live our lives driven by God’s presence and not driven by performance. The performance mentality is exhausting because it’s an endless rat wheel. We are always questioning “Is it enough?”. The performance mentality also is always bargaining with God by thinking “I did this for you, God, now you owe me and need to give me what I want.” This will lead to frustration, resentment, and eventually, we’ll burn out. In contrast, if we live life with the goal of simply loving God and others, and continually seek His presence (Presence Driven), will never burn out, cause love is a pure motivator that keeps us going.
   1. Question: Let’s talk about the difference of performance driven and presence driven / love driven.
5. Pruning is not something negative according to John 15 as we read it is something good for us. Those that are bearing fruit are pruned to bear even more fruit, and that is good news. As we grow with God, He reveals to us areas that we need to grow in, and He prunes us.
   1. Question: Let’s talk about this new perspective of God’s pruning.
6. Bonus Question: Let’s talk about the fact that Jesus was never earning his identity by what He did, but He was simply walking in His identity.
7. Take some time to pray for each other and during prayer encourage people to ask the Holy Spirit things like “Do you want to say something to someone in this group through me? How may I bless and encourage someone here today? etc…” Then open a space by asking “Do you hear anything from the Holy Spirit you would like to share?”  (By doing this every week we are teaching and modeling listening to the voice of God as a lifestyle.)

Bible Verses

• Matthew 16:16-19
• John 15:1-8