THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS. All women are invited to BEYOND BROKENNESS: A WOMEN’S EVENING on February 23! This evening is designed for women to connect and find hope and encouragement. We all feel it. This world is broken—and sometimes, so are we. But we don’t have to stay stuck. Join the women of Ada Bible for an evening of honest conversation, great food and a message of hope that will inspire you to move beyond brokenness. Find more information and register HERE.
GROUP VALUES. Our value this month is GROW TOGETHER. God designed the church to be a community that depends on each other. As we willingly depend on one another, we grow together. In Ephesians, Paul communicates this truth by comparing the church to a body. All parts matter. As believers, we can either break or build this community. Consider how your group builds one another. How can you continue to depend on each other? What steps can you take to create spaces for each other to be free from hiding or pretending?
GROW AS A LEADER. This week’s sermon unpacks how the gospel empowers and motivates new habits, including truth-telling. Every believer is on a journey of learning to mirror the way Jesus lived. Understanding how God views us is an important step in this journey. We are beloved and treasured children, more sinful than we know and yet more loved than we’ll ever know. Each member of your group may be in a different place in their understanding of this key truth. Take some time this week to pray for each person in your group. Ask God to reveal a deeper understanding of his love toward each person and for the courage to continue mirroring his way.
SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the penultimate week of our series, GROUNDWORK. This week, we explore how truth-telling is key to building gospel-centered community.
ICEBREAKER
Share about a silly or harmless lie you told as a kid. What were you trying to avoid or protect?
THIS WEEK’S TEXT
Have someone read Ephesians 4:20-25 aloud.
What words or phrases stand out to you in this passage?
What does Paul mean by “putting on the new self”?
Why is it important to Paul that believers speak truthfully to each other?
THIS WEEK’S SERMON
Pastor Jeff Manion continued our sermon series GROUNDWORK by discussing how honesty builds community. As a group, recall some of the sermon’s big ideas and main points.
Lying is hardwired into every human being—no one teaches us to lie. Why do you think dishonesty comes so naturally to us?
In our culture today, where do you see dishonesty accepted or even celebrated? How does this contrast with God’s instructions for community?
The gospel reveals that we are more messed up than we can imagine and more loved than we could ever know. How does believing this free us from hiding and pretending?
Every believer can choose to build up or break down community through their actions. What are some examples you’ve seen of how people build or break community?
Our honesty can set the tone for others to be honest. What would it look like if our community was honest about its struggles?
Paul uses clothing imagery to visually show that new life in Jesus also means “putting on” a new way of living. What steps would you encourage someone to take if they were looking to “put on” the way of Jesus?
God’s love revealed through Jesus frees us from hiding and pretending. What is one area of your life where you’ve been hiding or pretending? What would it look like to be honest about that struggle with a trusted person this week?
WRAP UP
Dishonesty is like wearing the “old you” that doesn’t fit anymore. What are some practical ways you can “put on” the habit of truthfulness this week?