We invite you to ponder the week‘s Bible passage and listen to the sermon (posts Sun. afternoon), then use the ideas below to help you and your group apply what the Lord is teaching you.

Icebreaker idea: What’s one hope you have for the new year?

A way to pray: Pray that through God’s grace and power, we will see 2,000 people by 2022 baptized and growing in relationship with Jesus through the Word, prayer, and community.

Talk It Over:

• Treasuring God: In what ways has reading the Bible, praying, and gathering with other believers helped me to know and love God better?

• Being Transformed: In the coming months, do I most want to grow in my Bible reading, prayer life, or time spent with other believers? What must change?

• Loving Others: Why is it harder to love others when I neglect the Word, prayer, or community? How does valuing these three change my mindset and ability to love?

• Pursuing Unity: What Scriptures can I read, what prayers can I plead, or what steps can I take to encourage harmony and the building up of others?

We encourage groups to take a brief break over the holidays to rest, refresh, and return in January ready to hit the ground running. During the break, here are some discussion ideas you can use to keep the conversation going with family, friends, coworkers, or your Grow Group, as God gives you opportunities to connect. (Sermon audio will still be available, as usual, on our sermons page.)

Icebreaker idea: What was one highlight of this past week for you? What’s something you’re looking forward to?

A way to pray: Pray with us that by 2022, through God’s grace and power, we will see 2,000 people baptized and growing in relationship with Jesus through the Word, prayer, and community.

Talk It Over:

• Treasuring God: What specific things about God have I been thankful for lately?

• Being Transformed: How is God calling me to be more like Jesus? What’s my next step?

• Loving Others: How have I experienced God’s love recently? How can I share His love with someone this week?

• Pursuing Unity: Where do I see the enemy working to cause division and discord? How does God’s love encourage and empower me to seek peace instead?

We invite you to ponder the week’s Bible passage and listen to the sermon (posts Sun. afternoon), then use the ideas below to help you and your group apply what the Lord is teaching you.

Icebreaker idea: Life is full of waiting – from the mundane (checkout aisle, customer service line, or restaurant) to the major (the right mate, God to give a baby, or an answer to that big prayer you’ve been praying)… What’s something you have a hard time waiting for?

A way to pray: Read Isaiah 40:27-31. Pray for one another to find strength in the Lord to wait on His timing and not simply demand our own shortcuts.

Talk It Over:

• Treasuring God: What must I believe about God’s character to fully trust His methods and timing? How does this safeguard me from self-centered shortcuts?

• Being Transformed: Which is hardest for me to trust currently – God’s timing, method, or character? Why is that? How can other believers help me trust Him more?

• Loving Others: How can waiting on the Lord, and trusting Him to judge justly, help me love others? What do I need to entrust to Him right now to love well?

• Pursuing Unity: In what relationship am I tempted to seek my own vengeance? How do I typically “get back” at others? How did David model a better way?

We invite you to ponder the week’s Bible passage and listen to the sermon (posts Sun. afternoon), then use the ideas below to help you and your group apply what the Lord is teaching you.

Icebreaker idea: What’s one thing that makes Christmastime special for you?

A way to pray: Pray for one another to increasingly choose to live in line with the kingdom of light instead of the kingdom of darkness. Pray we’ll bring life, love, and hope to others as we seek to see 2,000 people by 2022 baptized and growing in relationship with Jesus through the Word, prayer, and community.

Talk It Over:

• Treasuring God: When I’m tempted by the kingdom of darkness, what practical strategies help me choose to align with God’s kingdom instead?

• Being Transformed: King Saul was wise in his own eyes, demanding to have things his own way. When do I see myself doing the same thing? How can I change that?

• Loving Others: Specifically, what might it look like to lay down my life to give others a taste of God’s kingdom, especially those who don’t yet know Christ?

• Pursuing Unity: Why is the enemy’s kingdom marked by division and Jesus’ by unity? What step can I take today to pursue harmony with other Jesus-followers?