THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS
Fall is a great time to step into a new-to-you serving opportunity. Women’s Ministry is hosting a social on August 9 to learn about upcoming opportunities to serve at events. Sign up here. We are also seeking small group leaders this fall for children, students and adults. Visit adabible.info and check out the tab Serve to learn more.
GROUP VALUES
This month we are focused on formative conversations. We desire our time in small groups to balance sharing life with intentional time to discuss biblical truth. As we gear up for fall, have a conversation with your group about committing to formative conversations in your time together and discuss how this might shape the conversations and time spent in your circle.
GROW AS A LEADER
Your staff contact is available to encourage and help equip you as you lead. They would love to meet with you one-on-one about how you and those in your circle are doing and where you need support or resources. Reach out to them this week to set up a time to meet.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to our new series, Two Ways. This week Pastor Jeff Manion shares the blessing of doing what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount.
Have you ever taken a trip that included less-traveled back roads? Share what that experience was like with your group.
Have someone read Matthew 7:13-29 aloud. What strikes you most about the examples Jesus shares
THE NARROW GATE
Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount teaching that the blessing is in doing what he says, not just listening to and knowing his words. How do you think the listeners on the hillside felt in response to hearing Jesus’s extensive teaching and this call to action as they re-entered their lives?
Have someone read John 13:17. When have you seen someone not just know Jesus’s teachings but actually do them, and what impact did that make?
Pastor Jeff Manion said people often pick and choose which of Jesus’s teachings to follow, selecting the “sweet” ones and leaving the rest. How have you experienced the temptation to just follow the teachings of Jesus you find appetizing and leave the rest?
TRAFFIC PATTERNS
Jesus teaches that there is a way of living that is a well-traveled path but is not in line with his kingdom. What are some of the well-traveled roads people take in their lives today?
Doing what Jesus says will often feel lonely, abnormal and strange. When have you experienced this as you’ve followed Jesus?
Share how your group can (or already does) encourage each other as you travel this lonely, less-traveled road of following Jesus’s teachings.
DESTINATIONS
This week we discussed two roads that lead to two different destinations. The less-traveled road of following Jesus’s teachings can be challenging and lonely. What is one of Jesus’s difficult teachings you have ignored or delayed, and that you need to ask Jesus for the grace to follow? Share with your group how they can pray for you as you seek to follow Jesus in that area.
What are some things you can do to stay on the narrow road that leads to true life in Christ?
WRAP UP
This week we discussed two roads that lead to two different destinations. The less-traveled road of following Jesus’s teachings can be challenging and lonely. What is one thing from this week’s conversation that encouraged you most to take the challenge?
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