Category: Listen

Acts 2:42-47 // Hearing God Together

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are some things you can’t do alone?

Sample answers may include… 

  • Play catch
  • Get engaged/married
  • Play in a band
  • Have a conversation
  • Water ski

Leader Note: The goal of the question is to get your group to engage.  As the leader, be prepared to share a few lighthearted things you’ve tried to do alone but ended up having a hard time.  Allow some space for group members to share stories around their answers.

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Acts 2:42-47

What are some of the activities the early believers practiced as a group?

Sample answers may include…

  • They gathered regularly together
  • They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching—studying Scripture
  • They committed themselves to doing life together and sharing meals (including communion)
  • They were devoted to prayer
  • They were in a deep sense of awe and they performed miracles and wonders
  • They were generous and met people’s needs
  • They worshiped together at the Temple
  • They met in homes
  • They shared their meals with great joy and celebration
  • They praised God and enjoyed the goodwill of all the people
  • God grew their group and added new people

Leader Note: Transition your group to the next section by saying something like… “one of benefits of living in this kind of community is that we learn to hear God’s voice together, to speak and share words of encouragement and truth to one another. God loves to speak to His children and one way he does this is through community.”

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

What are the moments in life where people look for advice?

Sample answers may include… 

  • Career changes
  • Parenting
  • Marriage 
  • Family dynamics
  • Health challenges
  • Picking a school/college

Where have you seen God speak through community in those moments?

 

Look In // 15 minutes

When was a time God spoke to you through community?

Where do you need Him to speak currently?

 

Live it Out // 5 minutes 

What would change by you hearing God’s voice through community? 

 

Click here for Life Group Serve Opportunities

Learn More About Flow Questions: Check out Kenton Beshore’s book Ask in the Irvine Campus Bookstore for more on the Flow Question model.

John 16:1-15 // Listening To The Holy Spirit

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are your favorite patriotic quotes?

Sample answers include:

  • Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country. – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
  • This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. – Elmer Davis
  • For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. – William Faulkner
  • Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?  Forbid it, Almighty God!  I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! – Patrick Henry

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read John 15:26-16:15

What do you learn about the Holy Spirit?

Sample answers could include:

  • The Holy Spirit is our advocate (14:16; 15:26)
  • Testifies about Jesus
  • Sent by Jesus (16:7)
  • Proves the world wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment (v. 8)
  • Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (v. 13)
  • The Spirit only speaks what he hears (v. 13)
  • Tells us what is yet to come
  • Glorifies Jesus

Look Out // 10 minutes

Leader note: An advocate is a person who speaks in support or defense of a person or a cause.  There are many people and causes to advocate for but where you are leading your group is how the Holy Spirit advocates for us by guiding us into truth.  Ultimately, the Holy Spirit guides us to Jesus, who is the Truth.

What are the different causes people advocate for?

What does it look like to be an advocate?

 Sample answers could include:

  • Speaking for
  • Standing with
  • Guiding
  • Seeking the best for
  • Supporting
  • Bringing justice to
  • Empowering

Leader Note: God has given us the Holy Spirit as our advocate on behalf of Jesus.  Because the physical presence of Jesus is now with the Father, then the next best thing is God’s spiritual presence in the person of the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.  Help your group grasp the concept of advocacy because this is how Jesus describes the gift of the Holy Spirit—He is our advocate.

Look In // 20 minutes

Leader Note: One of the ways the Holy Spirit advocates for us is by leading us into truth.  With that in mind, create some space for group members to speak out and process what God might be speaking to them through the Holy Spirit.

What is the Holy Spirit (possibly) saying to you?

What would it look like to follow that leading?

Leader Note: Have group members break into smaller groups of 2-3 to share what they feel God is saying to them.  For some, it may be clear what the Holy Spirit is saying.  However, for others, it may take some probing to help them discover what the Holy Spirit is saying to them.

Live It Out // 5 minutes

What would happen if you (consistently) listened to the leading of the Holy Spirit?  Who would be impacted?

Click here for Life Group Serve Opportunities

Learn More About Flow Questions: Check out Kenton Beshore’s book Ask in the Irvine Campus Bookstore for more on the Flow Question model.

Hebrews 4:12-13 // The Ultimate Text

Lean In // 5 minutes

How many text message acronyms can you name?

Sample answers include:

  • LOL – Laugh Out Loud
  • RBTL – Read Between The Lines
  • TTYL – Talk TO You Later
  • WYWH – Wish You Were Here
  • TMI – Too Much Information
  • BTW – By The Way
  • SMH – Shaking My Head
  • BRB – Be Right Back
  • IDK – I Don’t Know
  • ROFL – Rolling On Floor Laughing
  • HTH – Hope This Helps

Leader Note: Text messaging is a way of life and so are the acronyms.  Use the question to generate some fun and engage the group.  As a follow up to the question, you could have group members make up their own acronyms and have others attempt to guess.

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Hebrews 4:12-13

What do you learn about the Word of God?

Sample answers could include:

  • It is alive and active
  • It’s sharper than any double-edged sword
  • God’s word penetrates
  • It divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow
  • It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart
  • The word of God uncovers all and leaves us bare before Him

Look Out // 10 minutes

Where have you seen someone’s words bring life?  And, where have you seen words bring death?

Leader Note: God knows that we are marked by the power of words, which is why He is so intentional with his words.  They have the power to shape, give identity, reveal truth, direct our future, and guide decisions because God’s Word is active and alive.  This is why it is critical to listen for and respond to God’s Voice in our lives.

Look In // 20 minutes

Leader note: This week’s Look In question will be more experiential to demonstrate how God’s Word is alive and active. 

To begin, read Psalm 119:97-105 aloud to the group:

Oh, how I love your law!  I meditate on it all day long.  Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.  I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.  I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.  I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.  I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.  How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Then, have group members re-write a part of the Psalm that speaks to them (IE- “God’s Voice is a map for my future and a flashlight for the way”)

Finally, have group members answer the following question:

Where do you need God’s Word to light a path?

Live It Out // 5 minutes

Who might be impacted by you making God’s Word your light and path?

Click here for Life Group Serve Opportunities

Learn More About Flow Questions: Check out Kenton Beshore’s book Ask in the Irvine Campus Bookstore for more on the Flow Question model.

John 10:1-5 // Father’s Day

Lean In // 5 minutes

What’s a song that triggers a memory for you?

Leader Note: Many of us have song’s that we associate for certain moments in our life. No matter where we are or what we are doing music has the power to take us back to a moment. Transition your group out of this question by saying something like… “just like music has the power to influence us, God’s voice is powerful and has ability to direct and change us.”

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read John 10:1-5

What do you learn about the shepherd and the sheep?

Sample answers may include…

  • There are some who try to steal the sheep
  • The shepherd enters in through the gate
  • The shepherd knows the gatekeeper, has relationship with the gatekeeper
  • The sheep listen to and know the shepherd’s voice
  • The shepherd calls each sheep by name, he knows them
  • The shepherd leads the sheep, goes in front of them
  • The sheep know the voice of the shepherd, the trust and follow him
  • Sheep run away from strangers, no relationship there, won’t trust won’t follow

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

What are the types of “voices” people follow?

What does it look like to follow those voices?

 Sample answers may include…
  • Political commentators
  • Money, greed
  • Pop culture
  • Academic
  • Fitness and health
  • Appearance, beauty
  • Comparison and competition

Leader Note: Make the point to your group that these voices have great influence on the way we see ourselves and the world around us.

 

Look In // 15 minutes

When was a time you heard and responded to God’s voice?

Leader Note: At this point you may want to remind your group about the content from Rooted Week 3, How Does Good Speak To Us, which highlights the different ways God speaks to us. Have each person in your group describe the way God spoke to them. You may want to also asks other ways He has spoken. The main point to highlight is that God speaks today through various means. In whatever way He always speaks in accordance to His Word, the bible is our guide and standard for how God speaks. 

1. God speaks to us through His Word.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

 2. God speaks through His Holy Spirit

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  John 14:26

3. God speaks to us through His creation.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-

4. God speaks to us through other people

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.  Proverbs 15:22

5. God speaks through our circumstances

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Acts 16:6-10

6. God speaks through supernatural means 

  • To Moses through a burning bush (Exodus 3)
  • To Balaam through his donkey (Numbers 22)
  • To Gideon through an Angel (Judges 6)
  • To Isaiah through a vision (Isaiah 6)

 

Where are you currently in need to hear God’s voice?

Leader Note: God’s voice often provides clarity and wisdom and reminds us of our identity in Christ? What’s a situation you’re facing where need God to speak and lead?

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

How might your life and the lives of others be affected by you following God’s voice?

Click here for Life Group Serve Opportunities

Learn More About Flow Questions: Check out Kenton Beshore’s book Ask in the Irvine Campus Bookstore for more on the Flow Question model.