SERIES TITLE
Love Where You Live
series overview
When was the last time you stopped to think about the influence you have in your life? At home, at work, at the school pickup line, at a child’s sporting event or band concert, where there are people who need to hear that God’s love is for everyone. When you serve others, not only do you honor them, but you honor God, and your influence expands in ways you might never expect.
sermon TITLE
Grow
Weekend in review
In the series “Love Where You Live” we’ve learned the necessity of connecting with people who still need to come into a saving relationship with Jesus. We’ve learned that serving can help doors open, making people more receptive when we share the love of Jesus. We’ve learned about the importance of sharing the Good News about Jesus by putting into practice the unique style that God has wired inside of us for sharing the love of Jesus. This past weekend Mike Breaux taught us what we need to do to keep growing in order for our lives to bear fruit as we devote ourselves to sharing the love of Jesus.
WARM-UP
Begin with some conversation, checking in on how people in your group are doing. You can talk about whatever you’d like, but here are a few potential questions to get the conversation going.
- Our teaching pastor Mike Breaux began his message this weekend with this quote by Rich Villodas: “We keep Sabbath, not because it makes us more productive at work. We keep it to resist the idol of productivity. We are more than what we produce.” What do you think “the idol of productivity” means?
- We’re in a culture that glorifies “busy.” It’s a mantle we wear with pride. When someone asks us how we’re doing we respond with “I’m good, but just crazy busy.” Our over-packed schedules give us a sense of identity. Back in the early days of Eastside, the church had a motto, “A busy church, always serving.” Why do you think we sometimes derive our self-worth from our claims of busyness?
DISCUSSion
Select 5-6 questions from the list below to guide your discussion time.
- Mike spoke to the struggle of busyness in our Christian lives when he said, “We can get so busy working FOR GOD…that we forget we were created to do life WITH GOD.” If we want to live a fruitful life for Jesus, what did Jesus himself say was the prerequisite? Read John 15:4-5.
- Again, Mike spoke to the downfall of Christian busyness when he said, “we can get so busy working FOR GOD…that we forget we were created to do life WITH GOD…and as a result, our mission (or our ministry) can become our God..” Explain why activity for God does not equal (or could even be counterproductive to) time with God.
- Mike paraphrased Jesus’ words in John 15 this way, “To become God’s best version of you, you have to remain intimately connected to Me.” What is one thing we can do that can help us to remain intimately connected to Jesus? Read John 15:7, Psalm 119:11, and Psalm 119:105.
- Because sap flowing from the vine to the branches helps them to be healthy and fruitful, Mike used the acronym S-A-P to help us appreciate what it means to remain in Jesus. When you remain in Jesus and his words remain in you, His truth produces SECURITY in your life. The truest things about your identity are the things God says about you. What do the following passages tell you about your true identity?
- The “A” in S-A-P stands for AWARENESS. To remain in Him is to live in the AWARENESS of his continual presence in our lives. What is the promise of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20? How does Colossians 1:27 describe the current location of Jesus Christ and His relationship to us?
- The “P” in S-A-P is for POWER! How does the Apostle Paul describe the power that is available to the followers of Jesus? Read Ephesians 1:19-20.
Application
If the SAME POWER that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us, then Mike suggested the application of His power in our lives could provide the power…
- to make wise decisions…
- to walk away from temptation…
- to love an enemy or that difficult person in your life…
- to let criticism bounce off of you…
- to say the right thing at the right time…
- to love people unconditionally…
- to stare fear in the face and move ahead with courage…
- to stay sober another day…
- to handle bad news…
- to love the way God made you despite what the culture’s definition of beauty says…
- to set healthy boundaries in your life…
- Identify 3 more ways God’s power in us could be applied to our lives…
- The power to…
- The power to…
- The power to…
- How does it make you feel to know that God says you are His beloved child, Christ’s friend, totally and completely redeemed and forever free from condemning charges against you?
- Identify 1 practical step you could take to help you remain (to stay, to abide, to dwell, to live, to establish a permanent residence) in Jesus on a daily basis and resist the culture’s efforts to get you to worship at the idol of productivity.
wrap up | prayer
Share prayer requests and spend time praying for each other.