OVERWHELMED – WEEK 3
“How to Stop Worrying about the Economy”
Group Leader Guide for use February 26 – March 3, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
Life is tough, money is tight, gas is expensive, jobs are scarce, and it’s hard. The temptation is to be overwhelmed, but the solution we must all work toward is to get our attention off of our circumstances and onto our God.
Continuing in the story of Daniel, we see how the golden statue represented wealth and honor in his culture. In his heart, though, there was no man or statue that would ever be worthy of taking God’s place as his object of worship. We have to realize that if we put God first by giving Him our best, then He will take care of the rest – just like in Daniel’s case.
We can do this if we:
ICEBREAKER:
It’s tax season! The tax system is complicated – in fact, are there any tax experts in the group?
(Answers will obviously vary.)
It seems like every politician running for office lists taxes as one of his major issues. In fact, almost everyone seems to want to change the taxes in one way or another. Why do you think that politicians spend so much time lobbying their plans for taxes when so few people actually understand how it works?
Because people are dissatisfied with the financial state of things. People want a savior to fix what is wrong with the system that drains their bank accounts, because people treasure money.
What do you treasure most in your life? Why are those things or people important to you, and how do you show that they are your treasures?
Our most treasured possessions are often those that we perceive to be most expensive. Maybe it’s something monetarily expensive, such as our car or house, or maybe it’s something that is infinitely expensive because it can’t be replaced, like a child, sibling, or spouse. Regardless, we often find ourselves storing up earthly treasures that we spend time giving attention to, taking care of, and showing off. While stewarding what we have well is incredibly important, it is also vital to remember that glory doesn’t belong to materialistic items - or even our loved ones. Instead, we must remember to store up our riches in heaven, making sure that our materialism on earth isn’t stealing our focus, and our God is receiving all of the glory.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: When you see faithful Christians struggling financially, perhaps losing their jobs or homes, or not able to pay their bills, how do you reconcile these struggles with God’s Word, which teaches that He blesses the finances of faithful people? Is God’s Word really true and trustworthy?
A: John 14:6; Job 2:9-10; Phil. 4:11-13
People’s circumstances at a particular time never negate God’s Word; it is always true. In fact, Jesus is Truth (John 14:6) and can only speak truth. One problem is that we only see slices of people’s lives at certain times, and often their circumstances change. For example, in Job’s early adult life, his finances were in great shape. In mid-life, his finances were in shambles. At the end of his life, his finances were the best ever. Through it all, Job continued to look to God as Provider and lived obediently. His attitude was: “Should we accept only good things from God and never anything bad?” We also have to understand that God may be using finances to do a great spiritual work of trust, contentment, humility or maturity in people. He certainly worked this way in the life of Paul, who wrote, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” It is God’s prerogative to use whatever means He wants to draw people close to Him and teach them. Still, in both Job’s and Paul’s lives, God did take care of them, as He promises.
Q: The Bible teaches that true faithfulness means placing God’s Kingdom ahead of personal concerns even in tough economic times. What are some things we can do to show this kind of faithfulness today? (In other words, what does a lifestyle of putting God first really look like?)
A. I Kings 17:8-16
A bad economy is not a reason to neglect or disobey God, as we can see from a woman’s life in 1 Kings 17. During her time, the drought was so severe that brooks and rivers dried up. She had only a handful of flour and a little cooking oil – enough for one meal, yet God sent Elijah to her to take care of him. So she prepared bread for Elijah first, and for herself and her son secondly. In doing this, God miraculously made sure there was always some flour and olive oil left in her containers. Today God tests us the same way he tested this woman (and Elijah, for that matter). He tells us to tithe, help people in our small group, take care of the least of these and give generously even though we have to neglect or postpone things we need or want. He leads us to provide a nice meal for someone who’s sick, had a baby or a death in the family, and then we eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a few days. Or He has us go out of our way to give someone a ride, which leaves our gas in short supply until we get paid again. This kind of sacrificial giving pleases God most, because we’re giving something that really costs us. He will put people in need across our paths just to teach us how to give sacrificially. Or He may let us be the ones in need so He can teach us how to receive and let others give to us (which requires humility and transparency). The principle of first, of placing God, others and the church ahead of ourselves, really does bring tremendous blessing as we experience the joy of giving, and we come to know and trust God as Provider who meets our needs.
Q: Why is it sometimes so hard to put God first in our financial lives?
A: Matthew 6:25-32; Luke 5:1-11
We often have fear and doubt when it comes to financial stability - especially in today’s economy. Household bills, unexpected emergencies, medical expenses, and even the want of a few days of quiet vacation are all valid realities. We cut corners, make hard sacrifices, and often have the mentality that God will understand the pressure we are under when we choose to save over taking the opportunity to tithe. What we can trust, however, is that if we give God our best first, He will take care of the rest. Matthew 6:25-32 reminds us that we do not need to worry about our lives or what we will eat, drink, or wear. Worrying does nothing to add to the value of our lives. Instead, we can completely put our faith and trust in God, who knows what we need and promises not to leave us.
Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is to admit that we do not know everything. Remember that Simon Peter was a fisherman by vocation, so naturally he assumed that he had adequate knowledge of catching fish. In Luke 5, though, we see that Jesus still was in control, even when the “expert” was out of ideas. God often works in ways that don’t make sense, and that is hard for us prideful people who operate under the assumption that if something needs to happen, then we have to make it happen.
Q: How can we be sure that we can trust God with our finances?
A: Matthew 6:33; Malachi 3:6-10; Genesis-Revelation
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will given to you as well.” God promises that if we seek his kingdom first, he will meet our needs, and the best predictor we have for his future faithfulness is to reflect on what he has already done. It’s impossible not to trust a God who has never failed us. Remembering the times he has provided will remind us that he will continue to do so in all of our trying and desperate situations. Besides, financial blessing is the one area where God actually invites us to test Him (see Malachi 3). God has an incredible track record; He has never made a promise that He did not honor, and He promised to give us what we need if we give Him what He commands.
LEADS APPLICATION:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym L.E.A.D.S.:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Devote ourselves to generosity.
When talking about money and the “tough economy,” it’s easy to just operate in the mindset of breaking even. No one wants to go further into debt or farther from God’s will, so we often focus on what we have to do to stay out of the red. In reality, though, God doesn’t just want us to break even. He wants to see us go the extra mile in obedience and generosity, and that’s where we can really help each other in this discussion.
Don’t let your group members settle for a meager financial life of breaking even. Encourage each other to give even when it hurts. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to advance the gospel through generosity – if you ask God to bless you with the means to bless others, then you are in a great position to be used in your generosity. Don’t settle for just thinking about yourself.
OVERWHELMED – WEEK 2
“How to Win the Battle with Depression”
Group Leader Guide for use February 19-25, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
Life is tough, money is tight, gas is expensive, jobs are scarce, and it’s hard. The temptation is to be overwhelmed, but the solution we must all work toward is to get our attention off of our circumstances and onto our God.
Depression is real. The number of Americans dealing with some form of depression is on the rise. Many people have prescriptions for anti-depressant medication such as Xanax and Prozac. For being such a common problem, few are able to talk about the issue. What does the bible say about depression? Is it possible to be depressed and be a Christian? Perry’s personal story of overcoming depression gives hope; it is possible to win the battle with depression!
First, we must realize common factors that can lead to depression. Perry dealt with 4 issues that led to his struggle:
After taking these issues to God, Perry learned:
We need help from God, and we need help from other people. Depression is tough, but God is big! The story of Daniel continues to illustrate these principles.
ICEBREAKER:
What is the difference between depression and occasionally feeling sad or overwhelmed?
Psychiatrists define depression as: “a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason.” (www.dictionary.com)
Depression is not a down feeling when difficult circumstances arise, it is a regular feeling of joyless and negative thoughts (often suicidal) separate from circumstances. It is possible to be depressed and have no logical reason to be so. Depression is a series issue that requires immediate attention. Christian counseling and sometimes medication is neccesary to overcome depression.
Why does depression and sin seem so difficult to talk about?
As Christians, we know that the enemy is real. His greatest desire is to rob you of intimacy and joy, intimacy with God and intimacy with your spouse and friends. If you keep struggles and problems to yourself, that intimacy is slowly eroded. Satan would like nothing more than to bombard your heart with lies, hinder you with sin, and scare you in to keeping it to yourself.
How do you think the world would be different if we moved to an eight-day week?
(Some will expect life to be easier, some will expect it to be harder. Answers will vary.)
Chances are that we will never have more or less time in a week than we have right now. Ultimately we must face the reality that each of us has to decide how to handle the pressures that we will inevitably face.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: Is it possible to become depressed even when you are having “quiet time” every day? If God is the answer to all our problems, how can we be down in the dumps when we are regularly spending time with Him?
A: Numbers 11:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Psalm 42:1-11
Yes, it is possible to struggle with depression even when you are spending time in God’s Word every day. There is no simple cure for depression, and it is important for us to agree on this before moving forward in our discussion. The difficult truth is that, even though God will always be great and able, life will always be hard. Look at Moses’ case; even when you are in the direct center of God’s will, it is still possible to feel a heavy, depressing weight. It is still possible to feel like “the burden is too heavy.” Regardless, God’s Word instructs us to rejoice, pray, and be thankful! One of our gravest mistakes is to assume that our circumstances directly reflect how God feels about us. Look at the Bible, though. Trust His Word. God does not change, and neither does His love for us, so do not assume that the solution to depression is to do more for God in hopes that He will do more for you. It will be beneficial for all of us to never consider depression to be about ourselves; instead of asking God to take away your fight, ask Him to glorify Himself by helping you be strong through it! Depression is truly an opportunity for God to work, but it will never seem that way when we only see our problems.
Q: How does your use of “free time” play into this discussion of being overwhelmed?
A: Mark 6:30-33; Hebrews 4:9-11; Psalm 46:7-11
Be careful not to confuse rest with laziness! God commands us to observe restful periods, including a weekly Sabbath, but resting does not always mean being completely inactive. It is vital that we purposely create margin for free time in our schedules, but many people end up wasting their “down time.” When the Bible tells us to rest, it is always for the purpose of re-centering and focusing on God, so don’t let your free time just be wasted time when nothing happens. Even though you may spend an hour of free time sitting in a chair, you can see a lot accomplished spiritually in that hour! That will not happen, though, if you do not purposely decide that that hour will be spent in meditation, pursuit of God, etc. Don’t let your free time just be the time between things you have to do! Be intentional about creating it, about observing it, and about using it.
Q: Can you relate to the “unrealistic desire to be liked by everyone”? Why is that so dangerous?
A: Galatians 1:10; Proverbs 29:23-26; 1 Samuel 13:8-14
It is pretty much impossible to be liked by everyone, but that is a desire that most of us are aware of in our own hearts. As Christians, God has wired our hearts to always want to show love to people and have everyone on the same page, but it is unrealistic to expect that everyone would like me. No matter how cliché it sounds – and no matter whether we admit it or not – we all have to make the decision to either gain people’s approval or to be more concerned with doing what God says. We can all probably think of people that would like us more if we compromised something about who we are or who God wants us to be. We may even be able to think of people who we don’t want to be like, but we still want their approval. Assess yourself: do you always try to be seen with important people? Do you name-drop in conversation? Would you be willing to sacrifice the status you have at work or at church? Some of our answers to these questions may reveal within ourselves an unhealthy desire to make sure people see us as important (e.g. King Saul in 1 Samuel).
Q: How do we need help from God? How do we need help from others? (Try to avoid “Sunday School” answers here)
A: Psalm 121; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; Hebrews 10:19-25; Daniel 2:14-18
We need God to sanctify us, and we need others to encourage us. As God continues to make us more and more like Himself, He will cultivate in us joy, love, patience, and many other attributes, but He gives us this fruit in order that we can glorify Him by exhibiting those Christlike characteristics to other people. We need other people to see what God is doing in our lives (sometimes we have to tell them…) and help us achieve what He is putting in front of us. We can’t do life alone, and part of each Christian’s responsibility is to invest in the spiritual health of others.
Q: What does it mean that church is not about appearance but repentance?
A: James 5:13-16; Matthew 23:25-28; Psalm 32:3-11
It is very common and easy to fall in to the appearance trap. Sometimes it appears that in order to come to church, you have to look good, smell good, and have all your junk together. That attitude leads to a church full of pretenders. No one is naturally okay! That is a freeing idea. We live in a fallen world; there is no need to pretend that everything is “fine.” Jesus calls His disciples to follow him step by step, repenting and changing areas of our life that hold us back. Our church believes that it is “okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way!”
Q: The Bible is loaded with godly men/women that faced trouble in this world. (ex: Moses, Elijah, Jonah, Paul) How can you find hope/comfort in their stories?
A: Numbers 11:14-15; Jonah 4:3; 1 Kings 19:3-4; 2 Corinthians 1:8; Daniel 2:1-13; John 16:33; Hebrews 11
God called these men righteous and gave them credit to their faith even though they fell short of His grace daily. Righteousness doesn’t mean having to live a perfect life, its means accepting Jesus’ forgiveness and grace daily. Jesus promised that in this world we would face trouble. These Bible “heroes” that we tend to put up on a pedestal were just as broken as we are. The only thing that made them special was God working in and through them.
LEADS APPLICATION:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym L.E.A.D.S.:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Assist one another.
Once again, the value of community cannot be understated as we discuss stress, anxiety, and depression. One of the most depressing feelings we can experience is the notion that no one else cares about our problems, but that’s not even the biggest issue. Think about it: a newly-planted tree often has a string or two tied to it and anchored into the ground. These strings serve to stabilize the plant, to help it grow correctly, and to keep it from falling over in stressful conditions like wind or rain. The more strings that tree has connected to it for stabilization, the less of a chance it stands of being crippled by hardship… and that is how our community needs to be modeled. You are a tree, your community is a web of strings, and the ground is the will of Jesus Christ.
Eventually, a tree anchored to the ground will establish a root system that will keep it from falling. Who are you intentionally helping to put down roots in the faith?
OVERWHELMED - WEEK 1
“How to Overcome Being Overwhelmed”
Group Leader Guide for use February 12-18, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
There is a lot going on in this day and time to put pressure on us. We are each individually stressed by any number of different factors, not to mention the economy and other corporate stressors that end up affecting all of us. Life is hard. Money is tight. Problems happen. And as a result of it all, it is easy to be overwhelmed.
The solution we must all work toward is to get our attention off of our circumstances and onto our God. Ultimately, what gets our attention will determine our direction, so we've got to start by realizing that:
By looking at the story of Daniel, we can begin to see what those two things really mean.
ICEBREAKER:
Why do you think that "Overwhelmed" is a 7-week-long sermon series instead of just a 45-minute sermon?
There are many people who are facing overwhelming circumstances right this minute - more than we might think at first. There are many factors that contribute to this problem, and it would be nearly impossible to address them all within the span of one group meeting. We will spend the next six weeks discussing several specific contributors and we will definitely see fruit from taking the time to deal with them individually and practically. Healing is a process, and the job market, housing market, and economy are not likely to be fixed overnight, so it takes time to deal with issues that hurt.
Why are people often reluctant to admit that they are overwhelmed? What is the benefit of being open and honest about the state of things in your own life before we get too far into the discussion?
In today's world it seems like the mark of a responsible adult is to do it all, to go everywhere, to give everyone a ride, to pay all the bills, and to be joyful about every minute of it. To admit being overwhelmed seems like admitting weakness. Sometimes, though, it just isn't easy. The fact is that you have no idea what kind of pressure is on the person sitting right beside you. Get ready to spend this series being transparent with your group and seeing fruit! (Leaders, get ready for big things to happen in this series! Lead the charge in being transparent, but protect the group environment by not allowing trash-talk or an abundance of complaining. Let's be careful to honor the Lord with our talk because, even though it is hard to talk about, we're not focusing on how bad our problems are. We're talking about how great our God is!)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: Is it wrong to feel overwhelmed? Are you more likely to feel overwhelmed by things you can help, or by things you can not help?
A: Matthew 26:36-42; Psalm 22:6-21; Job 6:1-23; 1 Kings 19:1-5
Let's agree up front that it is not wrong to be overwhelmed, but it is wrong to stay overwhelmed. It is wrong to realize that we have too much on our plates but refuse to do anything about it. It is wrong to admit that God does not have control of our lives, yet not surrender to Him. We see in the Bible that Job, David, Elijah, and even Jesus had times when they felt overwhelmed by the circumstances they were facing, but all of their stories involve fully surrendering to God and realizing that He is their sustenance. If you are overwhelmed, you can admit it, but you have to be ready to work on it as well.
Q: Point #1 from the sermon stated that "God is great." How can you realize that more in your life? What happens when we see an example of how great God is?
A: Isaiah 6:1-5; Luke 13:10-13; Acts 9:1-8, 17-22
Point #2 from the sermon said that "God is able." When you realize that God is great, you naturally are more apt to believe that He is able. How do you realize that God is great? Read His Word and trust what it says in a new way. When you trust Him in a new way, you must obey Him and depend on Him in a new way. That is the definition of taking a next step, and that is what we have to devote ourselves to doing. Often we feel stuck in our spiritual walks, and that is a good indicator that it has been a while since we have taken a new step of obedience to Him. When we do that we see Him in a new way, and the Bible is full of examples of people who saw God's glory and had no other response but worship. When we see God's majesty, our lives become more worshipful and we reflect how amazing He is.
Q: Why is it so hard to live like God is bigger than our individual overwhelming problems (e.g. cancer, sexual sin, divorce, failure, regret)?
A: Luke 9:57-62; Colossians 3:1-4
When you are focused on God, you can not focus on yourself. That is hard, though, because despair really serves to magnify negativity in our lives; being overwhelmed always makes things seem even harder. Many of us are facing something that seems beyond help, and we will probably address it at some point in this series. Remember that the first step will be to understand how great God is and to get a grasp on the fact that He is also God over cancer, He is greater than sin, and He is incapable of failure. We have to be pursuing a deepening understanding of who God is and what He wants to do in our lives. If we can get a handle on that, it will help us greatly in the coming weeks. We are to set our hearts and our minds on Him and not let anything be a cause for us to hold back in following Him.
L.E.A.D.S. Application:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Learn the Bible together.
A big focus of this week's sermon is to better see who God is, and the way that we can do that together is by studying the Bible. The Bible is not just a list of rules to follow and it's not just "the road map of life;" it is the Word of God and it tells the eternal story of who He is and what His character is like. Studying the Bible does not always tell us something about ourselves, but instead we might more often find out something about God first. Every story in the Bible happened for His glory, so there is plenty to learn about what He sees as important!
Push each other to seek out God's character. As we see truer and truer who our God really is, we can worship Him and trust Him all the more fully.
ALL IN - WEEK 5
“Aftermath”
Group Leader Guide for use February 5-11, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
In this series, we have learned that a growing relationship with God is intentional, not accidental. This means that God is always ready and available to bless us and to help us grow, but it is our responsibility to dedicate ourselves to obeying Him. It is our responsibility to go all in.
Looking back to Mark 12:30, we are talking about how to love God with all our souls. As we celebrate some stories of changed lives, we see two facts about Jesus that impact us:
ICEBREAKER:
What is your favorite movie of all time? Who was your favorite character in that movie?
(Leaders, don't feel like you have to rush this part of the discussion. People love talking about movies and using those conversations to connect with each other. That's the purpose of this icebreaker!)
Don't be afraid to sound dorky when answering that question; there's nothing wrong with really loving a good story.
Have you ever wondered why you love that movie so much?
Without being too over-analytical, there are some obvious factors that cause us to love a story/movie: the plot is relevant to us, it holds our attention, and a character becomes a hero. It's really cool that we all have personal stories, and there's a common Hero in all of them. This definitely calls for continued celebration, but it also requires us to stay focused on the one thing that really matters, and we'll spend today's meeting talking about that in a little more depth.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: We often see the apostle Paul preach the Gospel to the Church in his letters to them. Why did he do that? Why is it important for believers to talk about the Gospel?
A: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 2:6-7; Hebrews 12:1-3; Titus 3:1-8
The churches that received Paul's letters were full of people who already believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul knew, though, that the Gospel is not just a ticket to Heaven. The Gospel saves us, but it also sustains us and sanctifies us. Faith in Jesus is what will keep us growing and pressing forward. Paul preaches the Gospel to believers for the same reason that you have meetings at work: to remind them of what is important. Without the message of Jesus Christ, there is no point in reading our Bibles, going to church, or praying; He is the reason for and the faith behind doing those things! It is always valuable to be reminded of the main thing.
Q: How would you explain to a nonbeliever how "Jesus is here"? If Jesus died 2,000 years ago it may be hard for some people to understand.
A: Mark 16:1-8; Acts 1:8, 13:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6
When Jesus left the earth 2,000 years ago, He left us with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was God, and the Spirit is also God. The sacrifice that Jesus made and the Spirit that now dwells in us are actively changing us just as much today as ever.
Q: Is it possible to share the Gospel with someone without mentioning Jesus?
A: Ephesians 2:4-9; Romans 5:6-8
No. The Gospel is the story of Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection and how He overcame death so that we might be justified before God. We are sinful, so logically we should not have God's favor, but thankfully God is not confined by logic. He gave up His son Jesus for us anyway, and that is what the Gospel is all about. Jesus did not just come to be a friend to sinners; ultimately His mission was to be their Savior.
Q: What is the most important element of your personal story?
A: 1 Corinthians 5:17-21; John 13:34-35
The most important element of your personal story is the fact that Jesus loved you and redeemed you, even though you were a sinner. The Gospel is the most important part of your story. When you share your testimony, you are explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ - HE is the hero in all of our stories. Notice that God doesn't advertise with marketing ploys and schemes; He works through our lives to show His power. Therein lies the value of telling your story.
Q: The topic of this entire series has been, "What Happens When a Group of People Go All In." So... what happens? What really happens if your home group goes all in?
A: The book of Acts (e.g. 2:42-47, 4:8-22)
In the book of Acts, the early Church radically changed the culture of the world they lived in. They saw many people saved and many lives changed, while at the same time much of their community seemed to be in an uproar about these people. Some people really believed the message of Jesus Christ, and some people really opposed it, but it is not likely that many people were unaware of their cause. When that group of people went all in, things happened that had never happened before. That is how God operates - He is not confined by what has already happened. He is not confined by anything! Why wouldn't we go all in for that?
L.E.A.D.S. Application:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Assist one another.
We have talked a lot in this series about taking your "next step." For some people that step may have been salvation, and for others it may have been to start volunteering, but whatever your next step is, you shouldn't do it alone. Just like we can't do life alone, we can't always just take our next steps alone either!
Share your next step with your group! Chances are that someone in your group has a little wisdom, has had some experience, or can provide a little accountability that can help you in taking that step. Spend a few minutes going over those next steps and assisting one another in making a plan to carry them out.