Share The Light

GATHERING TOGETHER

Welcome one another, catch up with one another, and share personal stories to encourage, strengthen, and support at a time of isolation and discouragement.

REVIEW QUESTION

Was there anything this week that made you aware of your new identity in Christ, as a “child of light”? Where were you called to be an agent of change in your sphere of influence?

IN THE BOOK

Below there are three different types of questions, so we encourage you to seek a balance if possible. In addition, there is a Leader Study Notes section for further study!

1. The Understanding questions are designed to refresh your group's memory about the text. These can be answered fairly briefly without a need for a longer discussion.

2. Application questions are structured to draw out the ways the text, as preached, calls us to live. You should make a strong effort in your group to point people to Scripture as they’re discussing these.

3. We’ve built out Personal Sharing questions that connect with the sermon but make a more conscious effort to allow the members of your group to know each other better. These help to build a sense of trust by giving people a chance to share their lived experiences.

We pray that as you consider which of these questions work best for your group that God blesses your time together so that the Word of Christ “dwells in you more richly” and you become “knit together in love” as a community.

A Royal Priesthood

READ: 1 Peter 2:9-10

UNDERSTANDING:

What is the difference between the Old Testament & New Testament concepts of the people of God as a “royal priesthood”?

APPLICATION:

Jesus is a “better Moses”, bringing people of all races together to form a chosen people through the Gospel. How might we be welcoming of people from diverse backgrounds into the family of God?

As Christians, we’re fulfilling the role God had established at first with Israel. What lessons from the early church are good pointers to what that looks like?

PERSONAL SHARING:

Pastor Joe explained that mission is at first an action of God in our lives. Share about how you saw this in your own experience coming to faith in Christ.

The royal priesthood of the global church makes it clear how God values diversity. As a Christian, share a time when you felt connected to someone from a background dissimilar to yours and what made you feel connected.

Salt & Light

READ: Matthew 5:13-16

UNDERSTANDING:

What aspects of salt made it valuable during the time of the Sermon on the Mount?

What does the text point to as the source of light?

APPLICATION:

Pastor Joe explained that being salt is representative of living differently for the sake of the world, where being a city on a hill is about our visibility to a dark world. What is an example of what this looks like?

Both our words and works are both important to our witness of Christ. How do we balance the importance of both equally?

PERSONAL SHARING:

The way we minister to others is not about a “perfect record” but instead our “pursuit of Christ.” Has the idea of a “perfect record” made you self-conscious about your faith? Describe a time where someone observed your pursuit.

Evangelism isn’t about a momentary decision, but instead a fundamental heart change. Describe a time where you observed that change, thinking beyond someone praying the “sinner’s prayer” or making an initial profession of faith.