Small Group Questions May 29 | Selectivity
Getting Started: The Warm Up (10 min.)
Biblical Passage: Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Suppor ng Scriptures: John 13:34 … “A new command” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, 7:1 ... “be careful with your matchups” Luke 8:5-8 … “sow on good soil” Proverbs 17:17...”a friend loves at all mes” Proverbs 18:24 ... “an enduring friendship”
The Big Idea: There are NO neutral rela onships. Each one, whether personal, professional, casual or in mate, influences your life. They either dull you or make you sharper. They have the capacity to make your life be er or to usher you into a miserable existence.
The Warm Up Ques ons: 1. Have some fun picking “supercouple” nicknames for those in your group. 2. Share your longest running friendship and why it stands the test of me. 3. What’s your best quality as a friend?
Resetting: Rethinking the Message (15 min.) Your heard about the “Law of Selec vity” as it relates to choosing friends. 1. Two types of love, Agapao and Agape, were highlighted so discuss the meaning of each. a. Agapao: To receive people with hospitality… to greet them well. (humanitarian) Small Group Questions May 29 | Selectivity
b. Agape: Sacrificial love…. Without expec ng anything in return. (Divine) 2. Do you find it hard to dis nguish between the two when selec ng friends? 3. Discuss how well, or how poorly, do you discern the character of others?
Dig-In: Beyond the Message (20 min.) Suppor ng Passages: Read Jeremiah 29:11 within the context of how friends can influence the purpose God has laid before you: Jodie men oned 5 valuable traits that characterize friends that can help you carry out your God given purpose: 1. Look for LONG TERM POTENTIAL 2. Look for SUBSTANCE 3. Look for a GIVER 4. Look for GOOD SOIL 5. Look for INTEGRITY 1. Share with your group if one of these 5 traits resonates with you more than the others and discuss why they are so necessary but o en so difficult to find when building lifelong friendships. 2. What grade would you give yourself as you consider how well you exemplify these quali es?
Dig Deeper: How Do We Live it Out? (15 min.) Read Philippians 2:1-4 and discuss how this can be lived out, more and more, within your small group. 1. Prior to joining a small group, did you have rela onships that helped you see your God given purpose? 2. Talk about ways that your small group can be a place where “iron sharpens iron”. 3. Ask you small group to pray for you and support you as you seek out new friendships and/or shed exis ng friendships that are not in your best interest. “The snapshot of your future is taken with the people of your present. Your today dictates your tomorrow” - Van Moody: The People Factor