Leader Huddle Season 2 Wk. 4 (2020)

If I’m honest with you, I can get discouraged at times because I wonder if my group is even helpful or useful to the people in my group… What do you do when you feel like your group isn’t helpful or useful for the group members? Check out this leader huddle from John 4 to answer this question and get some encouragement!

Our Imperfect Family- 4

Icebreaker: What is one of your favorite childhood memories? 

1- How do you normally deal with conflict in your relationships?

2- How do you see the people that you are close to (family, spouse, friends, co-workers) deal with conflict?

READ Acts 15:1-3

3- Paul and Barnabas went straight to the source of their conflict. When you're "fighting" with someone in your life do you tend to deal with it immediately? Why or why not? 

4- Look at verse 3 again. Who was it that initiated Paul and Barnabas facing their conflict head on? Why do you think that's important? 

READ Acts 15:5

5- Check out what type of Jews had become believers in Jesus in verse 5. Jesus was always at odds with the Pharisees, but now they are among the "believers." How can this realization help you when you are in  conflict with someone?

READ Acts 15:12-13

6- Verse 12 says that everyone listened quietly. What do you think it practically looks like to listen quietly? 

7- How could listening quietly help you in your current relationship conflicts?

8- In verse 13, James spoke up. He was the brother of Jesus and a leader of this church in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas went to the most wise and experienced people they could think of. Who are you getting advice from in the midst of your conflicts? Why? 

READ Acts 15:15-19

9- James' first response to conflict was to turn to Scripture, then he made his opinion known. How often do you turn to the Bible to help you in your conflict? 

10- After reading through this story, in Acts what is your biggest takeaway for your relationships? 

Leader Huddle - Father's Day edition

My dad has led a ton of groups in the past. Hear a quick (less than 2 mins!) tip from him about how to lead your group well! 

Our Imperfect Family- 3- Father's Day Conversation

Icebreaker: What’s a funny story that involves your father or father figure? 

READ 1 Kings 3:5-9

1- God approached Solomon and told him to ask for anything He wanted. What do you think the significance is of the fact that God came to Solomon wanting to give good gifts, rather than Solomon approaching God asking for good gifts? 

2- What did Solomon ask for? 

READ Proverbs 3:5-6

3- Solomon asked God for wisdom and God gave it. Then he wrote the book of Proverbs to his son about how to live wisely. What is the first command you see in Proverbs 3:5-6? Why do you think that is listed first?

4- When Solomon says, “lean not…” he is referring to leaning on a crutch. How have you been guilty in the past of using your own understanding as a crutch? What are some situations in your life right now where you are tempted to lean on your own understanding?

5- Thinking about your answer to the previous question, what are some practical steps you can take in the coming weeks to trust God’s ways and submit to them rather than leaning on your own ways and knowledge? (ex. study the book of Proverbs to better understand what some of God’s ways are)

READ Proverbs 22:6

6- Think about this verse in the context of Solomon telling his own son to do this and his son hearing this from his parent. How did the actions of your parents affect the way you viewed their advice?

7- We all have children. Whether we literally have kids of our own, or have someone in our lives that we mentor in some way, we are all parents. How does this verse that Solomon wrote impact the way you think about your actions around your “kids.”

8- What was the most helpful piece of advice you picked up from the sermon conversation on Sunday? Why was that the most helpful? 

9- Pastor Wesley and Pastor Nathan both closed with the same encouraging words to all parents: There’s still time to right wrongs and there’s always enough grace for any kind of failure. How does this encourage you as you go about parenting your children or those people whom you regularly influence?

LEADER HUDDLE - S2 Wk.2

How do we as rGroup Leaders lead our group well during turbulent seasons of life? It's as simple as asking tough questions. Check out this week's Leader Huddle. 

Our Imperfect Family- 2

Icebreaker: Who is one of your favorite fictional characters that is a man? Why?

1- When you're thinking about a typical man in our society, what are some characteristics that come to mind?

2- Whether you're a man or a woman, why do you think discussing God's design for men important?

READ Gen. 1:26-28 & 1 Samuel 2:8

3- God created male and female in His image. Why is this realization an important factor in developing your identity as a human being?

4- Speaking of identity, man was created from dust! How can 1 Samuel 2:8 encourage you about God's ability to exalt lowly things and give valuable to value-less things?

RE-READ Gen. 1:28

5- What was the first thing God did after creating man and woman? What's the second thing? Why do you think the order matters? 

• Leader Note: Notice that it's not command them to be fruitful and multiply. The first thing God did was bless them. Then He commanded them. The correlation between the blessings of God and the commands of God is that we obey because of His blessing, not because of our ability to obey.

6- Notice that God commanded mankind to do exactly as He did. He said take something undeveloped (the Earth) and develop it. Is there something in your life that is undeveloped that God might be calling you to develop? 

7- God gave man a job and a partner to help him with it. It is not good for us to do life alone. As a man, what's your job God has given you and who has God given you to help you with it? OR As a woman, what's your job and who's your helper?  

READ Gen. 3:8-11

8- After failing God Adam hid, but God sought him out. After some sort of failure (even a little one!) is your tendency to hide it or confess it? How could understanding Genesis 3:8-11 help you in your family/relationships? 

9- What's something that this week's message taught you about yourself or someone close to you? What are some practical action steps you can implement to help make your home look like God's great design? 

Our Imperfect Family- 1

Icebreaker: Tell the group about your favorite pastime during quarantine. Puzzles? Games? TV Show?

1- If you're married, share the best part of your marriage. If you're single and desire to be married, share your biggest desire for your future marriage.

READ 1 Peter 2:24-3:2

2- In your own family/relationships/friendships, what do you think it looks like for you to "die to sin and live to righteousness"

3- How does 1 Peter 3:1-2 change the way you view living out your faith in the context of your relationships?

READ 1 Peter 3:3-4

4- This chapter is full of counter cultural ideas. As Christians we understand the Bible to be God's perfect word to us. How do you personally reconcile a counter cultural Bible with the culture you live in?

5- In a culture that cares so much about outward image, what does this passage tell you about where our priorities should be? More importantly, what does this passage tell you about where God's priorities are?

6- Does this idea of being seen as beautiful on the inside seem easier or harder than trying to be seen as beautiful on the outside? Why?

Read 1 Peter 3:5-6

7- What do these verses tell you about what it looks like to hope in God? Why do you think the idea of hoping in God like the faithful women of the past is included in a passage on relationships?

8- FOR GROUPS FOCUSING ON MARRIAGE: Read 1 Peter 3:7. What does this passage as a whole say about the roles for husbands and wives? Which part of these roles could you use improvement in?

READ 1 Peter 3:7-9

9- How do these 2 verses inform what the life of a Christian should look like in all their relationships?

READ Psalm 119:1-8

10- What do these verses tell you about the life that follows the word of God? How does this encourage you to read and obey His word this week?