The Brighter We Shine

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.

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray for the well-being of our congregation and community (spiritual, emotional, physical), particularly during this holiday season that can be a trying time for many.

IN THE WORD TOGETHER

Let’s focus our attention on this Advent on the wonderful gift of Christ, given by the Father out of his storehouse of love, grace, and mercy for our salvation!

SERVING TOGETHER

Identify some service project to participate in together.

BACKGROUND

In the whole letter to Ephesus, Paul is reminding the church in Ephesus of their new identity in Christ. There are those in the community who have allowed their surrounding circumstances to get them off track and into sin. Paul is calling them out of their sin, to turn from their unhealthy patterns, and back into living from this new identity that they’ve been given.

STARTER QUESTION

How does Paul’s opening in Ephesians 5:1-2 reflect an important aspect of our new identify in Christ? How does this reminder support us as we enter into 2021?

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 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.

Walk as Children of Light

READ: Ephesians 5:3-8

UNDERSTANDING:

v. 8 - What aspect of our new identity in Christ do we see? What were we before Christ and what are we now in Christ?

APPLICATION:

Pastor Joe introduced the term “functional savior.” What is that?

Tim Keller says “Idols generate false beliefs.” Share examples of a functional savior/idol and false beliefs that support it.

Discuss the following quotes that describe different aspects of walking in darkness vs. light.

PERSONAL SHARING:

Pastor Joe challenged us to evaluate “who we are when we’re alone” as a way of diagnosing our functional saviors.

Anyone brave enough to share one of the functional saviors you struggle with personally?

Radiating the Light

READ: Ephesians 5:8-14

UNDERSTANDING:

v. 9-10 - What is the fruit of light? How did Pastor Joe illustrate this?

APPLICATION:

How does the light change and transform us?

Pastor Joe - “The secret of gospel change is being convinced that life with Jesus IS the good life, and the only source to full joy.”

v.14 - What do we learn from the phrase that “Christ will shine on you?”

PERSONAL SHARING:

Share an example from you life of how this process has changed and transformed you.

Share an area that you’re still struggling with.

Redeeming the Time

READ: Ephesians 5:15-21

UNDERSTANDING:

v.17 - What is the “will of the Lord” that we are to understand?

APPLICATION:

How will one’s life show that you’re walking as children of light (there are at least five)?

PERSONAL SHARING:

Talk about how the last 10 months of COVID have impacted your use of time and energy.

What patterns have you developed that either lead you toward or away from Christ?

QUOTABLE QUOTES

  • The secret of gospel change in your life is being convinced that life with Jesus is the good life, the only source to full joy. This begins when we allow light to expose what is keeping us from seeing Jesus as the good life. - Pastor Joe

  • The great deception of sin is that it makes us believe that it lasts forever, but as we remain in the light of Christ, we not only rip the cover off our sin but opens up to the new reality that God is forever. - Pastor Joe

  • Beating sin is not about trying not to sin anymore, beating sin is recognizing sin for what it is, empty and temporary and accepting the invitation of God to delight in his magnificent, true, full and rich pleasures forever (see Psalm 16:11).

  • “There is no knowing that doesn’t begin with knowing God.” - John Calvin

ONE ANOTHERING:

Whether you are meeting together or not, check in with one another to make sure that everyone is cared for and has what they need. Does someone in your group need help with grocery shopping, childcare, or caring for themselves? Keep a list of the ways you can provide care as a comGroup.

Remember that the Benevolence Ministry is a resource for our comGroups.

  • How can we love or serve one another this week?