Tag: community

Acts 2:42-47 // Words With Friends

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are some things that just go together?

Sample answers may include… 

  • Super Bowl & commercials
  • The 405 & traffic
  • Pizza and pizza
  • Cookies & milk
  • Babies & puppies
  • Netflix & your couch

Leader Note: The goal of the question is to engage the group, create some energy, and have fun.  As the leader, be prepared to share a few things to get the conversation started.  Allow some space for group members to share stories around their answers.

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Acts 2:42-47

What do you learn from this group of believers?

Sample answers may include…

  • Gathered regularly together
  • Devoted to Apostles’ teaching (studying scripture)
  • Committed to doing life together and sharing meals (including communion)
  • Constantly in prayer
  • Experienced miracles, wonders, and awe
  • Faithfully generous
  • Worshiped together
  • Regularly expressed their praise to God and enjoyed favor from people
  • Embodied God’s intention for life in community

Look Out // 10 minutes

When do people look for advice?  And, who do they turn to for it?

Sample answers may include… 

  • Consumer decisions                                → Consumer reports
  • Relationship challenges                          → Friends
  • Picking a career/changing career           → Author/Expert
  • Parenting                                                → Parents/Grandparents
  • Navigating family                                    → Counselor/Therapist
  • Finances                                                 → Financial planner
  • Exercise & Diet                                       → Trainer
  • Faith                                                        → Pastor

Leader note: We often seek direction for our lives through the people in our community.  So, help your group to think about the various crossroads people face—whether funny or serious—and who they turn to for advice.  Although you could answer “parents” to all of these places, draw out the other people that speak into these areas.

Look In // 15 minutes

When was a time you felt God speak to you through community?

Where are you looking for Him to speak today?

How might you tune in to God through community?

Live it Out // 5 minutes 

What would change if you regularly heard 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.

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.

Acts 2:42-47 // Don’t Go It Alone: You Make The Call Wk 2

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are some things you can’t do alone?

Sample answers may include… 

  • Have a party
  • 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

Look Out // 10 minutes

Where are some of the places that people look to for community?

What are some of the key ingredients that hold a community together?

Leader Note: In every human there is a desire to belong and we all look for people and places where we can be in community.  Today, there are many ways to find it.  For example, sports teams, fitness clubs, and even online platforms are all ways we can find community.  Help your group identify the different places we look for community and what holds it together.  As the leader, be prepared to share your own observations.

Look In // 15 minutes

Where have you experienced “Acts 2” activities in your life group?

What are some activities you are hoping to experience?

Leader Note: Encourage your group to be honest about their life group experience and what they feel might be missing.  Perhaps you can share first about an aspect you feel is missing from the group.  How would you and your group like to do things the same or differently in this next season?  Also, it may be helpful to read off the list of observations you found in the Acts 2 passage and compare it with your life group experience.

Live It Out // 5 minutes

Who might be impacted by your group doing life together and being for your community?

PRAY: End your group time together thanking God for bringing you all together to form a group as described in Scripture.  Pray specifically for those areas your group highlighted that they wish were better within the group, and for opportunities to make the group stronger and to live out all aspects of Acts 2:42-47.

Key Verse(s): Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.  – Proverbs 13:20

Life Group Connect Event Sign-Ups: Tuesday, Sept. 23, 6:30-8p, Upper Room

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.