Neighboring in the New Year
The "S" Word - Sunday, February 9
Discussion
NOTE: Don’t feel the pressure to ask all of these questions. You may want to prioritize which ones you think will generate the most discussion within your group.
Ice Breaker: What has happened recently that let you know someone cares about you?
Discussion: -What’s one take away for you from the teaching?
-Let us not love with words, but with action. 1 John 3:18 What makes this an important statement? How do we translate this to the BLESS strategy?
-Tell how you have been helped by others as they served you. How have you served someone recently?
- As you have learned about the process of BLESS, how will you serve your neighbor today and continue to be there for them?
- For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 What can we learn from Jesus’s commitment & example to serve?
-Jesus served those He met on the way & those in His circle of friends. No one was excluded from His love, kindness and service. Who will you serve this week?
Prayer: Lord, Let us not love with words, but with action. Let the morning bring word of Your unfailing love. Show us the way we should go for to You we entrust our lives. Use each of us this week to serve others. In Your Name, Amen
Neighboring in the New Year
Listen - Sunday, January 26
Discussion
NOTE: Don’t feel the pressure to ask all of these questions. You may want to prioritize which ones you think will generate the most discussion within your group.
Ice breaker: If you could have a superpower related to listening, what would it be and why?
General Discussion:
-When do you find it most challenging to really listen to someone?
-What key words cause you to immediately zone in or tune out when listening? How can your awareness change your behavior?
-Read Luke 18:35-42. What impresses you most about Jesus’s interaction with the man who was blind? How would you have felt if you were that man? -What are the personal benefits of listening when others speak?
-How are you impacted when someone listens to you? When they don't?
-What practical steps will you take to be more deliberate about listening?
-How does listening to someone compare to listening to God? Or your boss or parent? Are you better at one or the other? Who gets your attention & when?
-What do you think of this statement: You’re not taking Jesus to anybody. He’s already at work in their life. And if you really listen to what the person has to say, you just might discover where Jesus is at work in their life. Then you can join Him and what He's already doing.
Prayer: Talk to God about your desire to listen to Him and to others. Like David, ask Him to listen to you. "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer." Psalm61:1