Goal of Session One: Help people to realize we all have a hurt, habit or hang up and that Jesus provides the church and other areas to get help in our time of need. I hope that through the sermon and the small group people could identify a “hang up” that they have (could be anger, depression, anxiety, alcohol, etc) and begin to admit that and look for help in Christ, the church and other areas.

 

At the beginning of your group allow people to gather and talk to one another. As you grab everyone’s attention have people go around and introduce themselves, how they got involved at River City and something the love to do in their free time. People can also share what they do for a living. This is just a way to get to know one another. If you are really desperate you can go to Derek’s or the church’s
Facebook Page and watch the video recap of Sunday!

1. Let the group know that at the end of the study today you are going to ask about “glory sightings.” These are places you have seen God show up lately. Places where God has revealed God’s glory. It could be something with your kids, work, friendships, etc. Have a Glory Sighting ready to share.

2. MINUTE TO WIN IT GAME—Take a stack of 50-100 pennies and spread them out on the table. Tell two people in the group that they have one minute to try and make a stack of 25 pennies using only one hand.
 Play game
 Now for those that didn’t play have them share about what they would have done to make it go easier…looking from the outside in. What were good things that were happening. What were useless things that were happening?

 

3. Opening question: Describe a time that you were in a meeting or on a team or involved with a group that you thought really accomplished something and used their time well. Now, is there a time that you were on a team, group, meeting etc that you thought was a total waste of time and was a drag to be a part of? What did you love/hate about those groups/teams?

 

4. Our scripture today talks about “toil” about “meaningless things under the sun.” As we read it specifically try to think of maybe times in your life or experience that you have had that the scripture might bring to mind. READ ECCLESIASTES 4:7-12 together. Maybe have two people read it back to back.

5. Our verse is divided into two experiences. In verse 7-8 someone is experiencing a bad situation. A tough part of life. In verses 9-12 we are encouraged to have people who support us. Who lifts us up in our times of struggle. Has their been a time in your life when you have seen someone else struggle and God has used you to lift them up? (share stories)

6. Now lets get a little deeper…has their been a time when you were struggling and God used someone else to lift you up (share stories)

 Good to know not everyone in here is perfect!

 

7. It is good to admit that we have all had different struggles in our life. Some of them we caused. Others might have been out of our control. In our sermon this past week we are asked to confess something we struggle with by saying, “Hi my name is __________ and I’m a child of God who struggles with ___________?” Pastor Derek modeled this by saying he struggled with anger, entitlement and self-esteem and if those are left in the darkness they can destroy relationships, lead to jealousy and make him too dependent upon what others think. Is anyone at the point where you would be willing to fill in the blanks in the sentence?

 Let there be some silence here…even if no one answers…its ok to move on. If a small group leader is ready to answer this it might be a good place to share.

8. The first healing choice is to “Admitting Need. Realizing I’m Not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that in this area or every area my life is unmanageable.”

 Do you agree fully with that statement around areas that you tend to struggle with?
 Have you ever seen a hurt, habit or hang up start with something small and grow into something larger?

 

9. We talked about how many times our hurt, habit or hang up produces pain in our lives and we try to cope with it by one of the coping methods below. If someone close to you were asked which coping mechanism if your default….which one would they pick for you and why?

a. Avoiding…by working more or staying busy
b. Denying…by pretending it doesn’t exist or isn’t a problem
c. Escaping…through other activities such as sports, tv, traveling relationship hopping, or even church
d. Reducing…by minimizing the problem
e. Postponing…I’ll deal with down the road

10. On Sunday we talked about hitting rock bottom or a changing point. It happens when our pain or the pain we cause is greater than our fear of change. We saw it in Ecclesiastes 4:8 (reread it) and we also heard about it in the story of David and Bathsheba when David was confronted by his friend who called him on the pain he was causing.

 

 Have you ever had the experience of challenging someone to make an important life change?

 Has someone ever made that challenge to you?

 

11. Admitting our need is a hard part, but getting help is even harder. This step is summed up by “Earnestly believing God exists, that you really matter to him and the he has the power to help you recover and overcome your hurt, habit or hang up.” What part of this sentence is the hardest for you to full grasp or buy into?

12. To close out our time together…you have made the effort to come to a group during the week outside of a Sunday morning. You really want to be here (or someone else really wants you to be here). What is one way this group could support you over the next six weeks in helping you grow in your walk with Christ?

 

Share Glory Sightings, Prayers, Praises, etc.

Matthew 5:1-4
Daily Scripture Readings:

Sunday: Matthew 5:1-4, None of us like to humble ourselves. None of us like to grieve the
brokenness in our lives. However, Jesus says this is the path of blessing. We are called to
acknowledge that God is God and we are not. Ask God to show you ways you need to let go of
control.

Monday: Romans 7:14-25, We are powerless to control our tendency to do the wrong thing.
Paul says, “the evil l do not want is what I do” (NRSV). We need God’s help. Thank God that his
grace and power are sufficient for whatever you are facing.

Tuesday: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, We find strength in admitting our weakness. This is so
radically against our human nature that says, “Try harder!” or “Do it yourself!” Willpower is not
enough. You need other people and you need God. Ask God to give you the help you need.

 

Wednesday: Isaiah 61:1-3, Beauty can come from the ashes of our brokenness. God can
redeem our mess, if we are willing to listen. C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our
pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse
a deaf world.” How are you listening for God’s voice in the midst of difficulties and challenges?

 

Thursday: Psalm 103:11-14, God knows your situation. He sees the deepest and most secret
parts of who you are. He knows you better than you know yourself. God knows all of this and
HE LOVES YOU! Think about your beliefs about God’s love: do you believe God’s love is based
on how good you are, how hard you work, how much faith you have…or do you trust that God’s
love in unconditional?

 

Friday: 2 Timothy 1:7, God gives us everything we need to be happy, healthy, and whole. He
gives us the power to break bad habits, unconditional love to fill our hearts, and self-control to
live a new life. What do you need most from God?

 

Saturday: Luke 18:27, God is able to do what is impossible for us to do on our own. Maybe you
have said to yourself, “Things will never change”, “I’ll always be this way”, or “I’m too afraid to
do anything different”. Ask God to guide you to the first baby step toward healing in your life

and for the courage to take that first step.

 

Allow time to gather and for people to have conversations among themselves before your small group
begins.

 

1. Draw people in and ask where they have seen God at work in their lives. Specifically “glory
sightings.” Have one in mind for an example. After people who want to have shared, pray
together.

 

Today we are discussing “what God desires from us” and how that impacts the world around us. In
order to begin this discussion I want you to think of a mentor, coach, teacher, parent, etc. that really
worked to get the best he or she could out of you.

 

2. Can you share a story about this person, what they demanded and how that influenced your life
in that moment and down the road?

 

3. Lets talk about what God desires/requires from us…have different people read Micah 6:8, James
I:29, Isaiah 1:15-17, Romans 12:1-2 looking for similarities or questions in the passage that jump
out to them about what God desires from followers of Christ.

 

Sunday we talked about how the things of God don’t make a lot of sense. For example, Jesus asked
Peter to walk on water. Jesus used mud to heal a blind man. A kid offered a gift of fish and loaves. A
prostitute lead the people of God into Jericho as they entered the promise land. And the we come to
the Widow in Luke 21.

 

4. Lets read Luke 21:1-4 and Matthew 6:1-4 together. How do you feel about these passages?
Was it a good thing that the widow gave all that she had?

 

5. What are some of the things that God ask us to do today that we or “the world” might find
confusing or not making much sense? (some examples could include tithing, celibacy before
marriage, going to church on Sunday morning, sharing our faith with our friends, fasting, etc.)
What else?

 

6. The coin was all the widow had, but it was still a very small amount. One of the messages is that
God can take a small gift and do amazing stuff with it (kind of like the fish and loaves). When is
a time that you have done something “small for God” that paid off in a bigger way?

 

7. The things that we are passionate about motivate us to make sacrifices like the widow made.
What is a story of something you or someone you know is passionate about and they were
willing to make a “large” sacrifice like the widow. How did that pay off?

 

8. Reread Matthew 6:1-4 and Luke 21:1-4. What are the characteristics of the hypocrites? What
are the characteristics of the widow? What modern day scenarios or groups does it bring to
mind? Which example do you connect more with?

 

9. The widow’s offering had three characteristics. Total abandonment, dependence and faith.

a. Total abandonment—she gave everything she had. She made herself vulnerable
i. Does God ask us to sacrifice in a way that makes us vulnerable? How do we

distinguish between wise and unwise sacrifice.

b. Dependence—she did something that put her total reliance upon God. Only God was

going to get her through based off what she risked.

i. Do you have an example of a time in life where you or a friend tried something
that the only way it would work is if God showed up?
ii. If you have time read Joshua 2– -the story of Rahab. In what ways did Rahab
place herself into the hands of God and hands of the people of God?
iii. What motivates us to try these things?
c. Faith—by doing this she ensured that she would have to walk by faith in the future as
well.
i. Is there something in your life that God has done that has helped you walk by

faith long into the future?

 

10. Take prayer requests…specifically around areas where God is leading you to

Abandon…Dependence…Faith.

In worship we discussed keystone habits that effect other areas of our lives. These are the foundational disciplines that set the tone for our continued growth. In this week’s GPS Guide you will be invited to try different exercises that could be used as foundational disciplines to spiritual growth. These disciplines will be centered around activities that could be repeated daily or on a consistent basis.

 

Daily Scripture Readings:

 

Sunday: Luke 21:1-4, Lord, help me to surrender everything into your hands. Use my time, my

talents, and my treasures for your glory. Amen.

 

Monday: Luke 12:32-34, Lord, help my perspective to extend beyond this life and this world.

Keep my eyes fixed on you and the work of your Kingdom. Amen.

 

Tuesday: 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Lord, give me eyes to see, even a glimpse, of what you see in
others. Help me not to judge by outward appearance, but to see the true hearts of others.

Amen.

 

Wednesday: 2 Samuel 24:24, Lord, show me the steps forward that you want me to take in

generous living…steps that may require risk, sacrifice, and greater faith in my life. Amen.

 

Thursday: Martin Luther said, “I have held many things in my hand, and I’ve lost them all; but
whatever I’ve placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” Lord, show me the things I clutch
tightly and want to keep for myself. Help me to loosen my grip on these things and entrust

them to you. Amen.

 

Friday: Psalm 24:1-2, Lord, set me free to enjoy all that you have blessed me with. Instead of

constantly striving for more, let me rest in contentment. Amen.

 

Saturday: Ephesians 3:20-21, Lord, give birth to God-sized dreams in my life…dreams beyond

anything I could ask for or imagine. Then, give me courage to pursue what you’ve called me to.

Amen.

1. This week we are talking about gifts so we want to start off telling stories of gifts. Take a second to
think about possibly the best or worst gift that you have ever been given?
2. How about a helpful gift…one that you kept on using years down the road?
3. Read Psalms 24:1-2 together.
4. All that we have is a gift from god b/c all was God’s at first. Is there anything in your life that is
harder to see as “gift from God?” For example maybe something you have built, made,
accomplished, etc with your own efforts?
5. In Luke 19:11-27 people were given gifts. READ TOGETHER, but before you read have the group
listen for phrases that jump out at them or stuff the really love or stuff that doesn’t sit with
them well or raises questions.

a. After reading ask…what di you like about this parable, what questions did it raise or

what was challenging?

6. This parable focues on a stewardship issue. The one servant was given a gift and absolutely
nothing with it so everything was taken away. In what ways has God gifted you…what is
something youa are good at? (if this goes slowly maybe have people in the room say what
another person is good at)
7. How is God using that gift and in what ways are you trying to develop the gift God has given
you?
8. If you were at church on Sunday…what gift did you write onyour poker chip…where is God
calling you to be a good steward?
9. The Good servants in the story took risk to multiply God’s work in them. Can you tell a story in
your life where you took a risk that paid off?
10. The Holy Spirit guides us to take risk for the Kingdom of God that pay off in our lives and others
lives being changed. Can you talk about a time God motivated you to take a risk and how that
paid off?
11. How do you experience the Holy Spirit’s guidance? What do you do to connect with God and
specifically discern where God is leading you?
Take prayer requests and pray for one another.