Graduation Sunday // Which Way? (Psalm 1)

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Introduction

As we think about what the future may hold, how can we choose the best path for our lives? Which way will lead to happiness, a life that is genuinely flourishing and joyful? This week we will be jumping into Psalm 1 and talking through how the path we choose either leads toward destruction or to happiness and prosperity.

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Ice Breaker Questions

Here are some possible ways to get a conversation started:

1. What is your favorite vacation spot?

2. Mountains or beach?

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Getting Started

1. Open up with some prayer – some possible prayer topics:

• The Lord would continue to water and grow each one of us.

• We would learn what it means to be planted and rooted in the Word.

• We would continue to walk the path God has laid out for us.

2. Read Psalm 1

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Discussion Questions

1. There can be so many misnomers as to what “prospering” looks like. The world often has such a different idea than what is presented in Scripture. What does it mean to “prosper” as it refers to Psalm 1? How is this different than what the world portrays as prospering?

2. What does it look like to meditate on Scripture? It can be so easy just to read Scripture and go about the day never thinking about it again. How could you set aside time throughout the day (~5-10 minutes) to meditate on Scripture?

3. Do you delight in Scripture, or does it feel like a burden in your life? Things that are meant to be a joy can quickly become a task and carry dread with it. Why was the Law considered a joy to the Israelites? Why is Scripture considered a joy to us as believers? How do we remind ourselves of this joy?

4. Jesus is quoted telling a Pharisee that loving God is the most important commandment and I think we would all agree. He then says that loving others is the 2nd most important commandment. Why do you think that is? What does loving others do inside of us as believers? Do you think this way about loving others?

5. Psalm 1 draws this tension between walking in the council of the wicked or sitting in the seat of scoffers and delighting and meditating on the Law. How do we keep ourselves from the council of wicked or sitting with scoffers? What role does this community play in helping keep us from that or in steering us back when we do? Why do we need help doing this?

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Closing Prayer

Prayer can often be somewhat of a weird time, and we understand it can be awkward to pray out loud, but as your group grows in comfortability ask people to pray out loud. Prayer is a very effective tool the Holy Spirit uses to draw our hearts closer to God. It is also a time you as a group can come together and come before the throne of God and make requests and just experience Him.

Some suggestions:

• Pray for the needs of the group.

• That we would all delight in Scripture.

• That we would have the relationship and courage to help each other avoid the council of the wicked.

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Personal Spiritual Practice

This section is for anyone that wants some practical steps to try throughout their week. They are not required, but maybe a great way to reinforce what has been discussed during group. Maybe this could even be a way to check in either during the week or the next time you meet as a group.

1. Prayer: Each day pray through Psalm 1 or another Psalm. Allow the themes and individual verses to guide your prayer time. Maybe that is saying them directly or using them as a springboard into how they apply to things in your life.

   2. Affirm: I would encourage you to go on a walk and listen to Psalm 1 as you are walking around. Notice creation around you and how the Lord sustains it and will you. Also, take time to affirm your choice to follow His path toward Him and time to delight in Him.

Next Week’s Passage: Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Mother’s Day // God’s Provision (Eph. 6:1-3)

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Introduction

How do we love those who are sometimes the hardest to love? Mother’s Day can be such an amazing day to honor those who have loved us our whole lives and then some, but for some it can be a day mixed with hard emotions. This week we are looking at Ephesians 6:1-3 and what it looks like to honor the mothers who are worthy of honor and the mothers who are not.

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Ice Breaker Questions

Here are some possible ways to get a conversation started:

1. Where is the most interesting place you have been?

2. What is the best meal of the day?

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Getting Started

1. Open up with some prayer – some possible prayer topics:

• God would lead your time of discussion.

• That this study would help our understanding of who God is and who we are in light of that.

• Pray for your GG, that God would bring unity and community in your group.

• We would learn what it looks like to honor our mothers.

2. Read Ephesians 6:1-3

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Discussion Questions

1. We know that some mother-child relationships can be very difficult and hard to navigate. Why is it important we pursue trying to honor our mothers? How does it impact you?

2. It can be so easy to miss all that God is doing and has provided and yet we know that “every good thing comes from above.” Where have you seen God provide or fill in the “gaps” in your life? What does that reveal about who God is? How could you help yourself remember that truth about God?

3. The church is a community and is made up of many differing gifts and talents to help bless others in the church and further the Kingdom of God. What gifts/resources has God blessed you with that you could help/encourage others with? How could you take a step toward using those gifts/resources?

4. Honoring our parents can look so different depending on the relationship and personalities. What does honoring your mother look like for you today? Does that feel easy or difficult to do?

5. Where could you take some intentional time to invest in a special way this week (e.g. your family, church family, community)? What will that look like practically?

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Closing Prayer

Prayer can often be somewhat of a weird time, and we understand it can be awkward to pray out loud, but as your group grows in comfortability ask people to pray out loud. Prayer is a very effective tool the Holy Spirit uses to draw our hearts closer to God. It is also a time you as a group can come together and come before the throne of God and make requests and just experience Him.

Some suggestions:

• Ask if there are any prayer requests.

• Pray that Jesus would use the week to reaffirm the truths discussed here.

• Pray for mothers in our church to care and nurture their families well.

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Personal Spiritual Practice

This section is for anyone that wants some practical steps to try throughout their week. They are not required, but maybe a great way to reinforce what has been discussed during group. Maybe this could even be a way to check in either during the week or the next time you meet as a group.

1. Life Reflection: Take some time and write out 10 big things that God has done for you. Maybe they do not seem big on the outside but had a big impact on you at the time or even today.

   2. Prayer: Pray for your mom this week. That may be thanking God for the mom you do or did have or maybe that is looking to forgive your mom for what she has done or is doing to you today. In either case, I encourage you to take your emotions (no matter how pretty or ugly they feel) to the Lord.

Next Week’s Passage: Psalm 1

Jesus Christ Is Enough // Wait! What? (Heb. 4:1-13)

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Introduction

Christianity has a long history of being misunderstood, even by Christians! It's all too easy to make it about Jesus PLUS something (good works, moral living, religious activities, emotional experience…). But the book of Hebrews claims that when we add anything to Jesus, we're actually subtracting. It holds up Jesus Christ – fully God, fully human – as the promised Deliverer. The One who alone saves us from our sinfulness and restores our relationships with God, others, and creation. Its message, the message of Christianity, is really quite simple: Jesus Christ is enough!

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Ice Breaker Questions

Here are some possible ways to get a conversation started:

1. What is your favorite Girl Scouts cookie?

2. What is one goal for the summer?

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Getting Started

1. Open up with some prayer – some possible prayer topics:

• God would lead your time of discussion.

• That we would each be reminded of the rest we can have in God.

• We would rest in knowing that God knows us fully and yet still loves and delights in us.

• We would see Jesus as the author of Hebrews describes Him.

2. Read Hebrews 4: 1-13

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Discussion Questions

1. We all have ups and downs with our walk with the Lord. What does your life look like when you are not experiencing the rest of God? What are the ways you can move yourself back into that rest? (i.e. journaling, music, prayer, walking, etc.)

2. What does your life look like when you are walking well with the Lord and are living in His rest? What routines do you keep? How do you behave/react to life?

3. God never designed us to walk this life alone and we need other people to walk with us and help us see where we fall short. Who are the people who walk with you closely enough to tell you when you are not striving for God’s rest? What do you risk by not having those people?

4. It can often to be so hard/feel weird to intervene if someone is struggling. How do we grow our ability to do this in a loving way? What is at stake if we leave it alone? How would you like that person to bring it to your attention?

5. Our culture is constantly in a rush and always moving from one thing to the next in an anxious hustle. How is this message encouraging to our culture? How do we best help them here such a crucial message? Who is someone that needs to hear this message?

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Closing Prayer

Prayer can often be somewhat of a weird time, and we understand it can be awkward to pray out loud, but as your group grows in comfortability ask people to pray out loud. Prayer is a very effective tool the Holy Spirit uses to draw our hearts closer to God. It is also a time you as a group can come together and come before the throne of God and make requests and just experience Him.

Some suggestions:

• Ask if there are any prayer requests.

• Pray that we would go about our week resting in Christ.

• Pray for a new/renewed understanding of who Jesus is.

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Personal Spiritual Practice

This section is for anyone that wants some practical steps to try throughout their week. They are not required, but maybe a great way to reinforce what has been discussed during group. Maybe this could even be a way to check in either during the week or the next time you meet as a group.

1. Meditation: Take 15 minutes each day and just sit and meditate on who Christ is and the rest he offers you. This not a time to empty your mind or think of the laundry that needs to be folded (mine right now), but to just think on who Jesus is. Use Hebrews 4:1-13 as assistance on what you could meditate on.

   2. Slow Down: A great book on slowing down is “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”. One of the recommendations he makes for slowing our lives down is to “put our phones to bed”. SO, I would encourage you this week to do so and put your phone away an hour before going to bed and not looking at it until an hour after you wake up.

Next Week’s Passage: Ephesians 6:1-3

Death of Death // Picturing the Resurrection

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Introduction

Death. It seems so final. So unpredictable. So inevitable. We don’t like to consider it, but eventually, every one of us, and everyone we love, dies. And we’re left with the grief, the agony, of this loss, this curse, this enemy. But then…there’s Jesus. He lived a perfect life – no sin. Yet on the cross, he willingly died the death for sin – our sin. His broken body lay in the tomb, lifeless. Until the third day. The day when God’s resurrection power restored Jesus’ life to Him! On that Resurrection Day, Jesus broke death’s grip – dealt a death blow to death itself. So now, for all who will believe in Him, we can share in His resurrection life. Praise be to Jesus!

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Ice Breaker Questions

Here are some possible ways to get a conversation started:

1. What is an easy way to do something nice for someone?

2. What is the best example of a community you have seen?

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Getting Started

Open up with some prayer – some possible prayer topics:

• We would have boldness in the Gospel

• Thankfulness that it is His work for our salvation not ours

• Rejoicing in the end of all sin and death one day

• For new people to come to faith and be baptized

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Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to remember that it is Jesus who saves us and that we are not saved by our own actions? If my salvation has nothing to do with my actions, why do I need to be baptized?

2. Read Romans 6:1-14. When we are baptized, what does it symbolize what we are leaving behind? What does it make you feel when you think about what sins God has saved you from?

3. Have you taken the step to be baptized? If not, what has kept you from taking that step? What do you think holds others from taking that step?

4. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) calls us as Christians to be sharing the Gospel and baptizing others. Who is someone you are wanting to see come to know the Lord? What steps are you taking to see that happen? How could you take the next step to see that happen?

5. There are, sadly, many times where someone is baptized and then after a while they fall back into their own life. Jesus talks about this reality in Luke 8:4-8. What role do Grow Groups play in someone’s baptism? How does our GG help those who have been baptized stay connected after their baptism?

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Closing Prayer

Some suggestions:

• Ask if there are any prayer requests.

• We would live the message of the Gospel out into our daily lives

• That we would continue to seek what it means to live out the resurrection

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Personal Spiritual Practice

This section is for anyone that wants some practical steps to try throughout their week. Maybe this could even be a way to check in either during the week or the next time you meet as a group.

1. Bring Life: What is one way you could bring life to someone around you? Maybe it’s speaking a word of encouragement, picking up trash, leaving a generous tip, etc.

2. Reminder: Read Hebrews 1-3 this week and write down some key points as we jump back into Hebrews.

Next Week’s Passage: Hebrews 4:1-13