Main Theme: Love is the Antidote to Discrimination.
Opening
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and be open to what He wants to do & say in our gathering.
Suggested Practice:
Read 1 John 4:9-10 aloud and thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ.
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 focus on God’s love for us and our response to love God and neighbor.
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 James 2:1-13 together. What do you notice? What questions do these words provoke? What does this passage reveal about being a follower of Jesus?
____[Kids/Youth Rejoin Adults]____
Prayer
Goal: Respond appropriately to what Jesus is doing & saying in our gathering.
Suggested Practice A:
Read the prayer below aloud to your Small Church. Ask everyone to take a few minutes to pray to confess their sins and acknowledge their 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”.
Suggested Practice B:
Pray the Lord’s Prayer as a Small Church. Either one person can read the entire prayer or ask different people to read one line at a time. Either way, go slow and briefly pause after each line to allow people to reflect on what they are saying:
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.
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 John 4:11-12 aloud and pray that your Small Church would follow God’s example and love like Him.
Opening
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and be open to what He wants to do & say in our gathering.
Suggested Practice:
Read 1 John 4:9-10 aloud and thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ.
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 focus on God’s love for us and our response to love God and neighbor.
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 where you experienced God’s love? What difference did it make? How has it changed you?
Suggested Practice B:
Select one person to answer the following question:
- When was a time where you witnessed a friend or family member experience God’s love? How has this inspired you? How has this 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 Christians must not discriminate against others.
- Explain why discrimination is wrong.
- Describe what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself”.
Suggested Practice A:
Possible Questions:
- Why does James believe that faith in Jesus Christ and discrimination against others are incompatible (2:1)?
- What impact does discriminating behavior have on the individual, the Church and society?
- In 2:6-7, James highlights that his readers are giving honor and special attention to the very people who are oppressing and exploiting them. Can you think of some modern-day examples where we fall into the same trap? How do we avoid falling into the same trap?
- Who is our “neighbor” (Luke 10:29-37)?
- What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself” (2:8)?
- James 2:13 & Matthew 6:14-15 highlight the significance of extending mercy to those who have sinned against us. How do we hold the tension of the need to forgive, the hope of reconciliation and the wisdom of boundaries?
Suggested Practice B:
Read James 2:1-13 together. What do you notice? What questions do these words provoke? What does this passage reveal about being a follower of Jesus?
____[Kids/Youth Rejoin Adults]____
Prayer
Goal: Respond appropriately to what Jesus is doing & saying in our gathering.
Suggested Practice A:
Read the prayer below aloud to your Small Church. Ask everyone to take a few minutes to pray to confess their sins and acknowledge their 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”.
Suggested Practice B:
Pray the Lord’s Prayer as a Small Church. Either one person can read the entire prayer or ask different people to read one line at a time. Either way, go slow and briefly pause after each line to allow people to reflect on what they are saying:
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.
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 Luke 22:19-20.
- 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 John 4:11-12 aloud and pray that your Small Church would follow God’s example and love like Him.
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