MIX AT DAY 2- SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE Welcome to the Small Group Discussion Guide for MIX AT. This is the same discussion content that is provided in the CIY Convos app. As you work through this discussion guide, each subtitle directs you how to interact with the content. Some are discussions, choosing someone to read, or even playing a game! The Motto (Read out loud) We’re going to begin our conversation with prayer. We’re going to pray for 3 things: 1. For God to help each of us not be silent but participate in the conversation. Could I get a volunteer to pray for this? 2. For God to help each of us listen and pay attention when others are talking. Could I get a volunteer to pray for this? 3. For God to help each of us be open to His words, even when it seems difficult to trust them. Could I get a volunteer to pray for this? Let’s Pray… Caught! (Discuss with your group) Share a time with the group when you’ve tried to get away with disobeying your parents, but got caught instead. Guilty (Poll your group, have everyone answer) How do you respond when you are caught doing something you shouldn’t? A. I cry B. I get mad C. I deny it D. I run and hide Cry / Mad / Denial / Run and Hide (Read out loud) • It looks like most of us in the group cry when we get caught doing something we shouldn’t. Why? What’s so sad about other people seeing your disobedience? • It looks like most of us in the group get mad when we get caught doing something we shouldn’t. Why? What angers you about other people seeing your disobedience? 01 • It looks like most of us in the group try to deny it when we get caught doing something we shouldn’t. Why? What’s so bad about other people seeing your disobedience that you’d lie to hide it? • It looks like most of us in the group run and hide when we get caught doing something we shouldn’t. Why? What’s so scary about other people seeing your disobedience? Everyone Knows! (Read out loud) Having our sins discovered and known by others is no fun. It can be scary, embarrassing, and shameful. We can only imagine this is how the woman who was caught in adultery felt. She had Jesus on one side of her and the Pharisees on the other, and her sin was known to all of them. And to make matters worse, the Pharisees were planning to STONE HER! For Me or Stone Me? (PLay this with your group) Let’s play a game. I’m going to finish the following statements by reading them out loud. Everyone in the group should decide if they agree or disagree with each statement I make. If you agree with my statement, shout “I’M FOR YOU!” If you disagree with my statement, shout “STONE HIM/HER!” My goal is to try and end each statement so that more people are FOR ME and less want to STONE ME. Statement #1 – The best breakfast cereal in the world is… (ex – Lucky Charms) Statement #2 - The one thing that really grosses me out is… Statement #3 - The worst ice cream flavor is… Statement #4 - The funniest movie ever is… Statement #5 - The best way I can describe school is… Statement #6 - If I had unlimited money, I would buy everyone in this group… Statement #7 - If there’s anything in this world I hate, it’s… Jesus Knows (Discuss with your group) Proverbs 5:21 says “For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths.” This means, just like the woman caught in adultery, Jesus sees and knows every sin you commit. When you picture Jesus seeing your sins, do you picture him saying “I’M FOR YOU” or do you picture him saying “STONE HIM/HER.” Why? 02 Jesus is FOR US! (Read out loud) Even though the Pharisees were holding stones that day, Jesus wasn’t. He didn’t hold stones, he didn’t hold punishment, he didn’t hold anger, and he didn’t hold condemnation. Instead, Jesus held both LOVE and GRACE. The same is true for when He looks at each of us. When Jesus sees the sins that we have committed, he holds both love and grace for us, not condemnation. He is FOR US! Trust Issues (Discuss with your group) Why is it sometimes hard to truly trust and believe that Jesus is FOR US, especially when we know we’ve messed up and sinned? Prayer (Pray with your group) Let’s finish in prayer. I’m going to read the following prayer out loud. Before I do, let’s sit in silence for a few seconds with our eyes closed and picture Jesus sitting in this circle with us. Jesus thank you for our time of discussion. Thank you for speaking to us and showing us what is true. Help us to understand and trust that You are FOR US, even when we’ve been disobedient to You. And help us to follow Your example by also being FOR other people in our lives, even when they don’t seem to be FOR us. 03.