THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS. Has your group taken the SPIRITUAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT yet? Consider taking 5-10 minutes during group to have each person take the assessment and discuss your discoveries as a group. This assessment will help each person reflect on their current spiritual state, identify areas of growth opportunity and help us as a church how to better support and encourage spiritual growth. Share this link with your group to take the assessment: https://forms.office.com/r/MDv1qFNTSK.
GROUP VALUES. This November, we’re focusing on RELATIONAL INVESTMENTS. This value is about developing a heart for those in our lives who don’t know Jesus. Talk about how God is moving you to pray for the people in your life you want to see come to know him. Share any opportunities you’ve had to talk about God with those people.
GROW AS A LEADER. Has your small group talked about the holidays? Now is a great time to discuss expectations and, if necessary, make plans for the weeks ahead. Some groups take time off. Others do something festive or look for an opportunity to serve. Reach out to your staff contact if you have any questions!
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the final week of our sermon series, UNSHAKABLE. This week, Pastor Jeff shares the unique hope that Christians have when experiencing loss and grief.
ICEBREAKER
Share a story about a time when you misplaced or lost something. How did you move on from the loss of that item?
THIS WEEK’S TEXT
Have someone read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 aloud.
What about the passage stands out to you?
Which foundational beliefs about Jesus does Paul reaffirm in this passage?
How do Paul’s comments about Jesus’s death and resurrection provide hope to the Thessalonians?
THIS WEEK’S SERMON
Pastor Jeff wrapped up our Unshakable sermon series by sharing Paul’s encouragement to the grieving Thessalonians. As a group, recall some of the sermon’s big ideas and main points.
How does our culture typically respond to death and grief?
Paul points to the gospel message as the defining belief that shapes our grief. As a group, discuss the gospel message and how it shapes our understanding of death and grief.
As Christians, there are often two errors to avoid when it comes to our grief: forgetting our hope in Jesus or sugarcoating our suffering. What are the dangers of both, and how can we avoid these errors?
How does focusing on “being with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), rather than heaven’s features, change your understanding of eternity?
Paul describes Jesus’s return as a family reunion. All who believe in Jesus will be together with him. Who are you looking forward to seeing when Jesus returns? How does this truth offer comfort, especially during the holidays, which can elevate grief?
How has God’s presence and the hope of the resurrection comforted you during a season of loss or grief? Share with the group as you are comfortable.
In what areas of your life are you struggling with discouragement or grief? How can you apply the hope of this passage to your situation?
How can you encourage someone grieving in your circle with the hope we have in Christ?
Paul urged the believers to “encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). What specific steps can our group take to encourage one another with the hope of this week’s message?
WRAP UP
This week concludes our fall sermon series, Unshakable. Take a moment to remember some big ideas and main points from the last several weeks. How have you been challenged to develop an Unshakable faith through this series?