06.23.24 - Small Group Discussion

Freedom Small Group Video

Freedom

Freedom calls us to look beyond ourselves. 

• How’s your reading plan going? What’s been most surprising in what you’ve read so far?

Read:  Galatians 5:1

• What were the Galatians in danger of becoming enslaved to?

• What do Christians today risk becoming enslaved to?

Read: Galatians 5:13-15

• In what ways can freedom cause division?

Read: Galatians 5:16-21

• Where do you see yourself on this list?

Read: Galatians 5:22-26

• What fruit have you noticed the Holy Spirit growing in you lately?

• Which fruit do you want to see more of in your life?

Read: Galatians 6:1-2

• How can you use your freedom to serve others this week?

Pray: Ask God to help you use your freedom for the good of others in his church.

06.16.24 - Small Group Discussion

Careful Pride

To overcome pride, we need to look beyond ourselves. 

• What are you most proud of?

• When has pride tripped you up?

Read:  I Corinthians 12:1-11

• What would you say is your spiritual gift? How did you discover it?

• How do you feel about that gifting?

Read: I Corinthians 12:12-25

• How do you feel about your role in the church? Have you ever felt more important – or less important – because of it?

• On Sunday, Walter talked about how “care” in v. 25 is stronger than it seems. It approaches worry in intensity. Unpack that a bit. What’s the difference between saying “I care about you,” and “I’m worried for you!”

Read: I Corinthians 12:27

• Do you feel like an essential part of the body of Christ? What makes you feel that way?

• What can you do to use your spiritual gifting and your role in the church to “care for one another?”

Pray: Pray for God to reveal specific ways to you in which you can build up the church with your gifts and abilities.

06.09.24 - Small Group Discussion

So Right It's Wrong SG Video

So Right It’s Wrong

There’s a way to be right and still be wrong.

• Tell us about a time you thought you were right,but were very wrong.

Read:  Romans 14:1-4

• What is the dispute mentioned in these verses? Who was right?

• Share a time when you were technically or factually right, but used that “rightness” in a problematic way.

Read: Romans 14:5-9

• What are the other two disputes mentioned in these two verses?

• Tell us about a time you disagreed strongly with another believer. How’d you handle that?

Read: Romans 14:10-13

• What does Paul say to do when you’re in a disagreement with another Christian? What do we need to remember?

Read: Romans 14:14-19

• How can you aim for harmony in the church and to “build one another up”?

• On Sunday Walter mentioned a slogan of our church: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things love.” Unpack that a bit – what are the essentials of our faith? What are non-essentials? How does love apply here?

Pray: Ask God to help you be humble and loving in your disagreements with other Christians.

06.02.24 - Small Group Discussion

Who Are You Small Group Video

Who Are You?

To find out who we are, we need to look beyond ourselves. 

• Tell us about your hobbies. What are they and why are you in to them?

• How does what we do often end up defining us?

Read:  Romans 12:1-2

• Dig into this word picture. How can you actually be a “living sacrifice?”

Read: Romans 12:3-5

• Where is the “one another” in this passage?

• Practically, what does it mean to “belong to one another?”

• How does being part of Christ’s body/the church redefine how you see yourself?

Read: Romans 12:6-8

• What has God blessed you with that you can use to build up the church?

Read: Romans 12:9-16

• There are three more “one-another’s” in this section. Identify them and discuss what it looks like to live them out.

Pray: Pray for God to remind you that you’re part of something bigger than yourself, and to reveal ways for you to build up that body this week.

05.26.24 - Small Group Discussion

Heart Small Group Video

Heart

Motivation matters more than amount. 

• What is the most exciting thing you bought in the last year?

Read:  I Timothy 6:6-10

• How satisfied were you after that exiting purchase? How quickly did you start looking toward your next thing you wanted to buy?

• What does the way you use your money say about the status of your heart?

Read: Luke 20:45-21:4

• What is the point of Jesus’ teaching here?

• In what ways does motivation matter more than amount when it comes to giving?

Read: 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

• Would you say you tend to give more cheerfully or more reluctantly? What can you do to become more cheerful?

• In what ways are you planting generously?

Pray: Ask to clearly lead you toward how much you should be giving, and to whom you should be giving.

05.19.24 - Small Group Discussion

Robbers Small Group Video

First Fruit

Giving is about more than money. 

• What is your giving story? When did you first start giving to God, and how did you start?

Read:  Malachi 1:1-8

Churches often turn to Malachi for giving sermons. What do you know of Malachi. What’s going on in this book? (Leader tip: Malachi is only 3 chapters long, consider reading the entire book together as a group and then answer the rest of these questions)

Read: Malachi 2:5-8, 2:13-162

• How were the ancient Israelites in some ways following the spirit of the law, but not the letter of the law?

Read: Malachi 3:8-12

• Who are these words for, and what promise is made here? What principle can we take from it today?

Read: Acts 11:29 & 2 Corinthians 8:1-3

• Why should Christians give, and how should we go about it?

• What does giving demonstrate about us?

Pray: Ask God to help you give out of love, rather than obligation or pretense.

05.12.24 - Small Group Discussion

First Fruit Small Group Video

First Fruit

The First Belongs to God. 

• Generosity is one of our five core values at SLCC. Do you find it easy or challenging to be generous?

Read:  Deuteronomy 26:1-2

• On Sunday, Walter shared some stories of Biblical characters giving first to God. Which ones do you remember? What other examples are there in Scripture?

Read: Deuteronomy 26:3-4

• How is giving an acknowledgement of God’s providence in your life?

Read: Deuteronomy 26:5-11

• How can you make giving a celebration, instead of a chore?

Read: Proverbs 3:9-10

• You’re not a farmer. What principle do these two verses communicate?

• What steps do you need to take this week in your giving?

Pray: Ask God for the motivation to give, and for the wisdom to give well, and for the commitment to give faithfully.

05.05.24 - Small Group Discussion

Stewards Small Group Video

First

We are called to be GENEROUS with God’s STORY, His GRACE and his blessing, helping care for one another (COMMUNITY) and sharing His STORY and GRACE to OTHERS around us.

• Would you eat at a restaurant that served leftovers?

Read:  Genesis 4:1-8

• Is Cain justified in his anger at God not accepting his offering?  Why?

• What does God’s response to Cain in v 6-7 tell us about God?

• What can we learn from Cain’s actions in this story?  Does he let God sit in the chair?

Read: Luke 18:18-30

• Would you be bold to ask this question to Jesus?

• Why do we hold on to certain things and keep them from God?

• If Jesus were talking to you, what are you holding on to that keeps you in the chair?

• What would YOUR LIFE look like if you became a STEWARD of the time, talents, and treasure God has blessed you with?  What needs to change?

• What are specific steps you can start with this week?

• How would our church be different if we all committed to put GENEROSITY FIRST with  our time, talents, and treasure?

Pray: Help us to be bold and live for you.  Challenge our hearts to allow you to be FIRST.

04.14.24 - Small Group Discussion

As Yourself SG Video

As Yourself

To serve is to love your neighbor as yourself. 

• How’s service month going for you? What’s something you’ve done this week to serve another person?

Read: Luke 10:25-29

• Who are your neighbors? Who does God consider to be your neighbor?

Read: Luke 10:30-33

• Consider the characters in this story. Who are they? What do they represent?

Read: Luke 10:34-37

• In what ways did the Samaritan love the wounded man “as himself”?

• What are some needs of others in your life have that you’ve been ignoring?

Read: Matthew 25:35-40

• What is the message of this passage?

• What do you need to do about it?

Pray: Ask God for opportunities and motivation to serve others – in Jesus’ name – this week!

04.07.24 - Small Group Discussion

The Very Best SG Video

The Very Best

Serving is not about you. 

• Share a time when someone served you in a meaningful way.

Read: Matthew 20:20-23

• What were James, John, and their mom asking of Jesus? What did they expect?

• How would you have reacted if you were the other disciples?

• Have you ever felt the drive of ambition? In what ways does it continue to motivate you?

Read: Matthew 20:24-27

• How do you understand Jesus’ words here?

• Is serving really about getting ahead or being “first”? What is Jesus saying?

Read: Philippians 2:5-11

• What do you need to let go of so that you can “have the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus?”

Read: Matthew 6:1

• When have you been tempted to make serving about you?

• What can you do to resist that temptation?

Pray: Ask God for opportunities to serve others – quietly, and in Jesus’ name – this week!

03.31.24 - Small Group Discussion

Unfinished Business

Your story is not over. 

• Tell us about your favorite story that ends without full resolution.

• In your opinion, why do we crave closure?

Read: Mark 15:46-16:4

• Put yourself in these women’s shoes. How would you have felt on your way to the tomb? What would your expectations have been?

Read: Mark 16:5-8

• What do you make of this ending of Mark? Why do you think he would conclude his story this way?

Read: Mark 1:1

• Share the beginning of your faith story.

• Where do you expect your faith story to end?

• Where did Mark expect his story of Jesus to end?

For those of us who are Christians, Mark offers an opportunity for us to continue the story.

• Who in your life needs to be part of God’s story?

Pray: Ask God to open the hearts of the people just named by your group members. Additionally, ask him for opportunities to demonstrate the truth of the gospel to these people.

03.24.24 - Small Group Discussion

Remember Small Group Video

Remember

As WE eat this bread and juice, its more than just me and my sin. As WE eat the bread and the juice, WE are a part of something that began in Egypt. WE are a part of this royal priesthood, this holy nation. 

• What special meal did your family had when you were growing up?  Why was it special?

• What do you think about when you take communion?

Read: Exodus 12:1-14

• How does this passage show Israel that they are favored by God?

• Would you have been able to function in a system like this where you had to butcher your own food?

• Why is it significant that God has Israel make this a yearly memorial/remembering event?

Read: Mark 14:12-24

• What new meaning did Jesus give to the bread in the Passover meal?

• What new meaning did he give the wine/juice in the meal?

• How much of this do you think the disciples understood at the moment?

• How did that all change at the resurrection?

• Why does Jesus want his followers (his disciples and us) to remember his death on the cross, even as horrific as it is, through this bread and juice?

• How are you letting God define who you are?

Pray: Ask God to continually help you remember who you are in His Kingdom.  Pray that each person in your small group remembers they are a part of something bigger.

03.17.24 - Small Group Discussion

Wake Up Small Group Video

Wake Up!

God’s already told us everything we need to know. 

• What is the strangest thing you’ve heard about the end times?

• How familiar are you with what’s in Mark 13?

Read: Mark 13:1-8

• What question is Jesus answering in this chapter?

• What does he tell his disciples to watch out for?

Read: Mark 13:9-23

• What does Jesus tell his disciples to watch out for in this section?

• What can they expect from God?

Read: Mark 13:24-31

• Why does Jesus use the term “Son of Man” to describe himself? Where did that title come from? Find that passage and read it together.

Read: Mark 13:32-37

• What does Jesus mean when he says, “stay awake” or “keep alert?” What are we to stay awake for?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be more discerning about the truth (pay attention!) and to be more on mission for God’s Kingdom (stay awake!).

03.10.24 - Small Group Discussion

Basic Small Group Video

Basic

Healthy faith starts with the basics. 

• Have you ever taken music lessons? How’d they go?

• What makes it so hard to focus on the basics in any area – athletics, music, academics, etc?

Read: Mark 12:28-34

• What two passages was Jesus quoting from? Look them up and read them together. (Hint, pay attention to the notes at the bottom of the page in your Bible).

• Put Jesus’ response to the scribe in your own words.

• Define love.

• What does it look like to love God?

Read: John 14:15 and explain how that informs your response.

• What does it look like to love people?

Read: John 15:13 and explain how that informs your response.

• Share other passages from Scripture you know that inform a definition of love.

• What will you do this week to get back to the basics: love God and love people?

Pray: Ask God for clear opportunities to show love this week.

03.03.24 - Small Group Discussion

Figs Small Group Video

Figs

Healthy faith produces fruit. 

• What’s your favorite kind of fruit?

Read: Mark 11:11-14

• How would you have felt if you were one of the disciples seeing Jesus curse this fig tree?

Read: Mark 11:15-18

• What’s Jesus’ main complaint against the Temple in his day?

• What are the ways in which our churches today can miss the mark of being a “house of prayer for all nations?

Read: Mark 11:19-21

• Compare the fig tree to the temple. What are the points of similarity?

Read: 1 Samuel 16:7

• In what ways are you tempted to judge people/churches by their outward appearance?

• In what ways do you put up a façade of spirituality?

• What fruit do you see God producing in your life?

• What fruit do you wish God would produce more of?

Read: Matthew 7:16-20

Pray: Ask God to help you grow that fruit!

02.25.24 - Small Group Discussion

True Value Small Group Video

True Value

The values of God’s Kingdom are not the values of this world. 

• In your opinion, what is the most surprising thing Jesus ever said?

Read: Mark 10:1-12

• What is God’s standard for marriage?

• What is most difficult or troubling for you about God’s standard for marriage?

Read: Mark 10:13-16

• Why was Jesus indignant? In what way is this episode not about actual children?

• Who is a “less-than” or an undervalued person in your life?

Read: Mark 10:17-27

• If you had been that rich man, what would you have done?

• Does your view of wealth line of with Jesus’ teaching here? What needs to change for you?

Read: Mark 10:42-45

• Of the four sections today, which one is the most difficult for you to accept and live out?

• What are you going to do about that?

Pray: Ask God for wisdom to understand his values, and for strength to live them out.

02.18.24 - Small Group Discussion

Gospel Focused Small Group Video

Gospel Focused 

We need to live Gospel Focused Lives

• What would you do if you won the lottery?

• Who would you give money to?  What would you splurge on?

• Why is it hard to stop living selfishly?

Read: Acts 16:16-22

• What’s going on in this section? 

• Have you ever been hounded like this for your faith?  How did you respond?

• How can you live out the gospel more in your life? Where should you be bold?

Read: Acts 16:22-28

• If you were falsely accused and thrown in jail, would you still trust that God was leading you?

• What are you thinking in this section if you are one of the other prisoners?

• Would you have left once you were unchained, or would you have stayed like Paul and Silas?  Why or why not?

• How can you put the “praise and pray in any situation” mindset in place in your life right now?

Read: Acts 16:29-34

• Paul took every opportunity to be Gospel focused here.  Where else do we see this in Paul’s life as you’ve been reading Acts?

• What opportunities to share the gospel have you had that you didn’t act on?

• How do you change that next time?  Who can we be praying for?

Pray: Pray for one another to be bold.  If specific people come up in the last question, pray for boldness for them and your small group members.

02.11.24 - Small Group Discussion

Be Prepared Small Group Video

Be Prepared!

Followers of Jesus should always be prepared. 

• Tell us about a situation in which you felt severely unprepared.

• How prepared would you say you are to share the gospel with someone?

Read: Acts 26:1-3

• What is going on here in Acts 26? How did Paul end up before King Agrippa, and what was the point of this hearing?

Read: Acts 26:4-12

• If you’ve been reading along with the church, you’ve encountered the “Damascus Road” story that Paul is recounting. How many times is it told in Acts? Why?

• What is compelling about sharing YOUR story with others before or when you tell them about God’s story?

• How well do you know your own story?

Read: Acts 26:13-23

• It’s clear from its structure that Paul had spent time preparing this speech. How prepared are you to share the gospel story?

• What do you need to do to be better prepared?

Read: Acts 26:24-29

• Who is someone in your life that you want to see come to know Jesus?

Pray: Pray by name for the people we want to see come to know Jesus.

02.04.24 - Small Group Discussion

Following The Apostles’ Model

We need each other, the Spirit, and prayer to meet people where they are. 

This week in church, our missionaries Tina and Marty Ganong, shared about their work in Bible translation and preached on Acts chapters 8-14. They looked at the lives of Philip, Peter and Paul, and talked about how each of them modeled how to introduce people to Jesus. Because our service was a bit different, the discussion guide this week is a bit different too. We believe that your group time can still be fruitful, and we recommend going back and watching the service again before you lead discussion. Or, perhaps, watch it as a group and pause periodically to talk about what the Ganongs are sharing.

• What stood out to you from Sundays’ message, and from your reading in Acts this week?

• What do you know of world missions? What’s the purpose? Do you personally support a missionary? Have you ever visited a mission project?

• How can you meet the people in your life where they are, with both the love of Jesus and the truth of his message?

Pray: Pray for God’s protection and blessing on the Ganongs and on their critical work among the Baga people.

01.28.24 - Small Group Discussion

Share It!

A healthy faith is a shared faith. 

• On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate the health of your faith?

• Share a story of the boldest thing you have ever done for God.

Read: Acts 2:1-8

• We believe that God gives us his Spirit when we choose to follow Jesus and are baptized in his name. Tell us about a time when you very clearly felt the presence or prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Read: Acts 2:42-47

• What things are shared by Christians in this story?

• What is the result of all of that sharing?

On Sunday, Walter talked about how fellowship is the result of sharing – sharing our possessions, our time, our spaces, and our lives.

• Describe a time when you felt close fellowship with God’s people.

• Would you say you more naturally attend church, or share your life with your church?

• What are you sharing, on a regular basis, with your church?

• What steps can you take to better share this week?

Pray: Ask for God to reveal areas in your life that need to be shared with your church, and then to give you the boldness to share them.