Main Theme: Increasing our kingdom influence as we journey with Jesus.
Opening
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and be open to what He wants to do & say in our gathering.
Suggested Practice:
Take a few minutes to pray to confess your sins and acknowledge your need for God’s grace and forgiveness.
“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen”.
Worship
Goal: Make Jesus central in our gathering. This could be done through songs, prayerful scripture reading, communion, etc.
Suggested Practice:
Choose 2 songs to sing together (or listen to) that will increase your faith for God to work in and through you. Possible Options:
Possible Options:
____[Dismiss the Kids/Youth]____
Sharing
Goal: To know each other's stories.
Suggested Practice A:
Select one person to answer the following question:
Suggested Practice B:
Select one person to answer the following question:
Suggested Practice C:
Break into groups of 3 people. Answer the following questions:
Discussion
Goal: Learn how to follow Jesus in everyday life.
Learning Objectives:
Suggested Practice A:
Possible Questions:
Suggested Practice B:
Read Acts 19:1-7 together. What do you notice? What questions do these words provoke? What does it mean to follow Jesus?
____[Kids/Youth Rejoin Adults]____
Prayer
Goal: Respond appropriately to what Jesus is doing & saying in our gathering.
Suggested Practice A:
Pray the Lord’s Prayer as a Small Church. Ask different people to read one line at a time. Go slow and meditate on each line as you pray.
Our Father in heaven,
Holy is your name,
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those
Who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.
Suggested Practice B:
Ask your Small Church if anyone would like the group to pray for them to have increased faith for God to work in and through them. If so, gather around those people and ask God to give them the gift of faith in increasing measure.
Communion
Goal: Remember Jesus' death and resurrection. Receive strength & joy that He is with us. Renew our hope for Jesus' return and the restoration of creation.
Suggested Practice:
Blessing
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and consider what He wants to do & say this coming week.
Suggested Practice:
Read 1 Chronicles 4:10 aloud as a prayer over your Small Church.
Opening
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and be open to what He wants to do & say in our gathering.
Suggested Practice:
Take a few minutes to pray to confess your sins and acknowledge your need for God’s grace and forgiveness.
“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen”.
Worship
Goal: Make Jesus central in our gathering. This could be done through songs, prayerful scripture reading, communion, etc.
Suggested Practice:
Choose 2 songs to sing together (or listen to) that will increase your faith for God to work in and through you. Possible Options:
Possible Options:
____[Dismiss the Kids/Youth]____
Sharing
Goal: To know each other's stories.
Suggested Practice A:
Select one person to answer the following question:
- When was a time in your life where your faith in God to work in and through you increased? What difference did it make? How has it changed you?
Suggested Practice B:
Select one person to answer the following question:
- Who has been an example to you of living a life of increasing faith? How have they inspired you? How has their example changed you?
Suggested Practice C:
Break into groups of 3 people. Answer the following questions:
- What are you thankful for this week?
- What has stressed you out this week?
Discussion
Goal: Learn how to follow Jesus in everyday life.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand that salvation is not the end of our faith journey.
- Describe how the Apostle Paul relied on the power of the Holy Spirit while on his missionary journeys.
- Explain why God wants us to have increasing kingdom influence in every area of our lives.
Suggested Practice A:
Possible Questions:
- Priscilla & Aquila encouraged and “explained to [Apollos] the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). Who has been/currently is a “Priscilla & Aquila” in your life? To whom are you a “Priscilla & Aquila”?
- Why is it important to rely on and operate in the power of the Holy Spirit when participating on Jesus’ mission?
- In Acts 19:6, “the Holy Spirit came on” a group of disciples. What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How do we know that someone has been filled with the Holy Spirit?
- What is the relationship between our faith and our kingdom influence?
- In his sermon, Steve mentioned that it’s difficult to reach out for a new thing when you’re holding on to something from your past. Has this rang true in your life or the life of a loved one?
Suggested Practice B:
Read Acts 19:1-7 together. What do you notice? What questions do these words provoke? What does it mean to follow Jesus?
____[Kids/Youth Rejoin Adults]____
Prayer
Goal: Respond appropriately to what Jesus is doing & saying in our gathering.
Suggested Practice A:
Pray the Lord’s Prayer as a Small Church. Ask different people to read one line at a time. Go slow and meditate on each line as you pray.
Our Father in heaven,
Holy is your name,
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those
Who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.
Suggested Practice B:
Ask your Small Church if anyone would like the group to pray for them to have increased faith for God to work in and through them. If so, gather around those people and ask God to give them the gift of faith in increasing measure.
Communion
Goal: Remember Jesus' death and resurrection. Receive strength & joy that He is with us. Renew our hope for Jesus' return and the restoration of creation.
Suggested Practice:
- Distribute bread and juice.
- Read the following statement…“the body of Christ has been given, broken for us and the entire world. This bread reminds us that He paid a debt that He did not owe so that we wouldn’t have to pay a debt that we did owe”.
- Eat the bread.
- Read the following statement…“The blood of Christ has been poured out, shed for us and the entire world. This juice reminds us that we have a permanent and unbreakable relationship with Him and that death has no power over us and no power over creation”.
- Drink the juice.
Blessing
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and consider what He wants to do & say this coming week.
Suggested Practice:
Read 1 Chronicles 4:10 aloud as a prayer over your Small Church.
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