Sunday, November 29
Questions For You & Your LIVE Group
Get To Know Your Group: Christmas is coming. How will you celebrate?
Encourage Each Other: Last week we were challenged to memorize the “Fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23. Have everyone give their best shot at reciting it.
Discussion Questions:
1. Read the account of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:1-40 (it’s a huge section, so you might want to have everyone take turns reading a couple of verses each).
2. What questions or observations do you have about these verses?
3. Simenon and Anna don’t normally get a lot of attention at Christmas. Who are they and what do we learn about them in these verses?
4. What do we learn about the Lord from Simeon and Anna?
5. Discuss what it means that “hope is about confidence, not doubt.” How is this different than how we often use the word “hope”?
6. What do Simeon and Anna teach us about hope? Why were they so hopeful? What did hope look like in their lives?
7. Considering everything we’re up against at this moment in history, what does hope (confidence in Jesus) need to look like for us? Where do we need hope?
8. What about you, personally? Considering everything you’re up against, what does hope (confidence in Jesus) need to look like for you? Where do you need hope?
Pray: Take time to share prayer requests and pray for each other. Be sure to specifically pray for the members of your LIVE Group. Pray that we would each experience hope - confidence in Jesus.
Heads Up: Next week is the final week for this semester of LIVE Groups. We’ll take a break for Christmas and then re-launch LIVE Groups in the new year.
Sunday, November 22
Questions For You & Your LIVE Group
Get To Know Your Group: We may not have a normal Thanksgiving this year, but what do you traditionally do for Thanksgiving? What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish? What’s one thing that you are thankful for?
Discussion Questions:
1. What is sanctification? (see Philippians 1:6 for a description of sanctification)
2. Read Galatians 5:16-25. What questions do you have and what really stands out to you here?
3. What do we learn about the Holy Spirit from these verses?
4. What do we learn about ourselves from these verses?
5. These verses contrast the “Acts of the Flesh” against the “Fruit of the Spirit.” What are the differences between the two?
6. Since sanctification is a process, what should we expect to see happen in the lives of Christians in regard to the “Acts of the Flesh” and the “Fruit of the Spirit.”
7. Where in your life do you fight the flesh?
8. Which of the “Fruit of the Spirit” do you want more of in your life?
Memorize: We were challenged to memorize the “Fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23. Have everyone give their best shot at reciting it. Share some ideas about how to memorize this verse.
Pray: Take time to share prayer requests and pray for each other. Be sure to also take time to give thanks to the Lord for the good things in your life.
Sunday, November 15
Questions For You & Your LIVE Group
Get To Know Your Group: Because of COVID and because the number of daylight hours is getting shorter, a lot of us are spending more time at home. What’s one thing you’re doing more of at home these days?
Discussion Questions:
1. What is sanctification? (see Philippians 1:6 for a description of sanctification)
2. Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:14-16. What questions, observations, or comments do you have?
3. What statements does Jesus make here about Jesus followers?
4. In these verses, what does Jesus say we should do? What’s he say we shouldn’t do?
5. If we live out Jesus’ words, what will be the outcome?
6. How does my sanctification (Jesus’ light shining through me) affect others?
7. How does my sanctification (Jesus’ light shining through me) affect God?
8. Re-read Matthew 5:14-16. What are the names of the people who you personally need to let your light shine for?
9. Do you need to be perfect before you let your light shine? Why or why not?
Pray: Take time to share prayer requests and pray for each other. Also, pray specifically for the people you mentioned by name in question 8.
Sunday, November 8
Questions For You & Your LIVE Group
Get To Know Your Group: If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about yourself in an instant, what would it be?
Discussion Questions:
1. Today we’ll be talking about the process of sanctification, which starts the moment we say “yes” to Jesus. How long have you been a Jesus Follower? (And if you’re not, it’s OK to say so.)
2. What is sanctification? (see Philippians 1:6 for a description of sanctification)
3. Read Romans 7:18-19. What questions, comments, or observations do you have about this verse?
4. Can you identify at all with this verse? Why or why not?
5. Read Philippians 2:12-13. What questions, comments or observations do you have about this verse?
6. What does the verse mean by, “work out your salvation”? And, what does this verse not mean?
7. According to this verse, in order to make sanctification work, what two people have to work together? Describe what that looks like.
8. We might find the process of sanctification to be slow or frustrating, but according to this verse, how does God feel about the process? How does that affect how you see and understand the process of sanctification?
Pray: Take time to share prayer requests and pray for each other. Prayer Request: Regardless of the election results, please pray that people can come together with abounding amounts of grace, kindness, peace, and unity (the goal here isn’t to celebrate if my candidates won or complain if my candidates lost, but rather to pray for God to work throughout and heal our country).
Sunday, November 1
Questions For You And Your LIVE Group
Get To Know Your Group: Back when you were a kid, did you go out trick or treating? And, did you get any kids trick or treating at your house this year?
Discussion Questions:
1. What is sanctification? (see Philippians 1:6 for a description of sanctification)
2. How is sanctification different than salvation? (see Hebrews 10:14 for a description of salvation)
3. Which comes first, sanctification or salvation? Why is the order important?
4. Read 2nd Peter 3:18. What questions or comments do you have about this verse?
5. The verse says we all need to grow in our knowledge of Jesus. What’s the difference between head knowledge and experiential knowledge?
6. When you think about sanctification in your own life, where are you a “work in progress”? Where is the Lord working in you and on you?
Pray: Take time to share prayer requests and pray for each other. And, as our country waits for the election results, please pray that people can come together with abounding amounts of grace, kindness, peace, and unity, regardless of who is elected (the goal here isn’t to express and fight for your political views, but rather to pray for God to work throughout and heal our country).
