This guide is a tool to help you facilitate discussion with your rGroup. Use it to lead your group in discovering, owning, and applying God’s Word. This is a flexible tool, not a rigid task list. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead as you lead your group. You don’t need to ask every question.
Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth
READ Acts 16:16-34
- As we read this passage, what is something that you learned or stood out to you about God?
- Read vs. 26: What is different about Paul and Silas that allows them to pray aloud and sing hymns to God, all after being stripped, beaten, imprisoned, and tormented?
- What kind of impact did the words and deeds of Paul and Silas have on those around them?
Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God
- As Christians, one of the essential things that we have been called to do is live boldly as witnesses. How would you define being a witness?
- What are some things that help and allow Christians to genuinely and successfully live out their calling as witnesses? (Example: Genuine love and worship for God; genuine love for people; humility/not seeing yourself as better than others; true dependence on the Holy Spirit to give us opportunities and words to say; faithful prayer to be witnesses; being changed by God’s Word, etc.)
- Do you think that it is possible to live as a Christian in the kingdom of God and not be a witness? Why or why not?
- Why is it impossible for people to become believers in Jesus if we never actually open our mouths are share the good news of the gospel?
- What could happen to this rGroup, to our church, and to our city if everyone in our rGroup began to live boldly and we started seeing people give their lives to Jesus?
Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin
- How many people this past year have you verbally been able to share the gospel with?
- What are some of the biggest things that you hold back from being at witness for Jesus? (Examples: Fear what others would think of me; my life doesn’t back up the gospel that I’m sharing; worry about offending someone or losing relationship; selfish about time, investment in a person; assuming people already know the gospel and have rejected it; assuming that a person is “too far gone”; etc.)
- READ Matthew 28:18 - This command was not just given to Jesus’ disciples but to all of us. Think about all of the answers that we just shared of what holds us back from being witnesses. Are any of these valid excuses that exempt us from being Christ’s witnesses to the world?
Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God
- READ Romans 1:16-17 - Some of us struggle to be witnesses, and it is honestly hard to say these verses alongside Paul. Some of us are (at least functionally) ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
- But Paul reminds us that in the message of the gospel there is power. It has the power to save us. It has the power to change us. Why is this good news for those of us who struggle to be witnesses? (Example: Because it reminds us that we too were once far from God and we were brought near through the gospel; it reminds us that if we believe the gospel we don’t always have to be bad witnesses, but God can help us grow and change to live boldly as witnesses; it reminds us that our fears about the people we witness to are unfounded, and the power of God’s gospel can change anyones hearts and minds, which frees us to share this message more boldly; etc.)
- In groups of two or three, take some time to tell each other about at least one person in your life who doesn’t know Christ, someone the Holy Spirit is convicting you to share the gospel with. Take some time to pray for that person, pray for opportunities to share with them, and take some time to confess and repent of the ways we have all fallen short as witnesses.
Announcements
- rGroup Invite Night: Our rGroups will be hosting an Invite Night during the week of February 14-20! REVO will be having a Communion Service on the 14th, and we always like to follow that up with a gathering of food, fun, etc. This gives people who have no experience with rGroups an opportunity where they can easily check out your group and get a taste of our community in a laid-back atmosphere. Use your imagination and come up with something fun for you group to do!
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