Main Theme: Obedience to God’s call 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 21:7-14 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:
Break into groups of 3 people and pray for one another. Ask the Holy Spirit to give each one of us discernment and courage to obey the call of God in our lives.
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 Acts 28:31 aloud and pray that this would be the testimony of 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 you recognized and obeyed the call of God? What was the fruit of that decision? How has that decision impacted your life?
Suggested Practice B:
Select one person to answer the following question:
- Who has been an example to you of recognizing and obeying the call of God? 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 choosing to follow Jesus, in any and every circumstance, is an obedience to God’s call.
- Describe how the Apostle Paul continually chose to obey God’s call despite his circumstances.
- Explain how following Jesus often challenges our personal ambitions, expectations and desires as well as our capacity to love and extend grace to others.
Suggested Practice A:
Possible Questions:
- In Acts 21:4,10-12, the believers “urged” and “pleaded” with the Apostle Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Why didn’t they want Paul to go to Jerusalem? Why did Paul choose to go Jerusalem despite their warnings?
- The Holy Spirit gave Paul enough information to know what is likely to await him in Jerusalem. But left him with the responsibility of deciding whether to go anyway. Have you ever been in a similar situation? How did you come to a decision?
- Discernment can be a complicated process. How can we discern the call of God in our lives?
- Paul’s friends in Caesarea eventually accepted his decision to go to Jerusalem and said “May the Lord’s will be done” (21:14). What are some situations right now for which you may need to say “May the Lord’s will be done”?
- When was a time in your life that following Jesus challenged your personal ambitions/expectations/desires/capacity to love/ability to extend grace to others?
Suggested Practice B:
Read Acts 21:7-14 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:
Break into groups of 3 people and pray for one another. Ask the Holy Spirit to give each one of us discernment and courage to obey the call of God in our lives.
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 Acts 28:31 aloud and pray that this would be the testimony of your Small Church.
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