Welcome to the second week of our new series, Making Sense Out of Life. This week’s conversation discusses the importance of doing life together.
SHARE LIFE
Building healthy and life-giving relationships.
Updates
What has been new or challenging in your life since last time the group met? Spend 20–30 minutes checking in with each other.
Share Part of Your Story
Who was your best friend growing up? What did you like to do together?
Prayer
What is one area of your life you want to grow in? How can your group be praying about that this week?
PURSUE GOD
Taking next steps toward Christ together.
Have someone read Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 aloud. What stands out to you in this passage?
Life Alone
How does the author of Ecclesiastes describe the man in verse 8? What are some of the keywords?
What realization does the man come to? What emotions do you think the man experiences? How does it make you feel to hear about him?
The man is preoccupied with his work, wildly successful, yet relationally “poor”. Do you feel like people are generally relationally poor or rich these days? Why?
What are some of the things that preoccupy people’s time and make them relationally poor? What’s one thing that you find yourself getting preoccupied with?
Pastor Jeff Manion said our technology allows us to connect loosely to everybody without deeply connecting to anyone. How has technology helped or hindered your relationships? How can you engage technology in a healthy way? What are some proper boundaries?
Life Together
The author of Ecclesiastes says two are better than one. What are some examples he gives for this? What are some reasons to surround yourself with meaningful relationships today?
When have your relationships helped you get through a difficult season? When do you feel like you have been able to help someone else through a difficult season? Who are you traveling with in this season of life?
The relationships we have cultivated when nothing is going wrong help sustain us when everything goes wrong. Why do you think some people avoid relationships? What are some of the things that make cultivating relationships difficult?
The writer of Ecclesiastes uses the image of a rope. What’s the significance of this image? How can your group serve as a rope for each other?
The Jesus Community
Have someone read John 13:34 aloud. What’s going to happen to Jesus soon? Why do you think he is giving this instruction at this time?
One theme throughout the letters of the New Testament is a command concerning “one another” like we find in John 13:34. What other “one anothers” have you heard of? Why would the New Testament authors emphasis these things? How can your group practice these “one anothers”?
Pastor Manion said we are Jesus’ strategy for growing, serving, comforting and encouraging each other. Have you thought about that before? What do you think about that idea?
The Christian community at its best says, “I know you, and I still want you.” Do you feel like this is true in your group? Why or why not? How can your group make this an essential part of your group?
This week our conversation focused on the importance of life together. What’s one next step you want to take in this area? How can your group be praying for you and that next step?
INVEST IN OTHERS
Valuing people outside the group and outside the faith.
Discuss how you and your group can better engage the people in your life outside your small group.
Service
This January, our Invest in Others section is focusing on service. How can our group work together to serve someone, another family or a local ministry? What would be a good project for our group to do to invest in others? Take some time to get something on the calendar today and have someone take ownership of making it happen.
Download a printable PDF here.