Commonwealth Week 6
This series is all about how we can better live into spiritual empowerment made accessible to us, through Jesus.
In our teaching this week in Commonwealth we discuss Sharing in the Commonwealth of God’s Spirit. We’re excited for you to listen along with us! If you want to talk through this message with a group of people join a community group- www.societychurch.com/groups. We will be discussing the questions listed below.
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Community Group Discussion Guide:
STEP 1- Ice Breaker:
Help people to loosen up and share. It will be helpful if someone is new to go around and do names and have each person share about a question and share a bit about themselves.
(Group Leader Note: Use the Learning/Living Circle to guide your discussion and application of the content. Try your best to keep the “learning” and “living” focus balanced.)
Step 2- Learning- Observe, Reflect, Discuss
(Group Leader Note: Don’t feel the need to go through every scripture, point or question. Pick and choose what you feel will be most impactful for your group. If you are not sure where to start, just ask your group what stuck out to them about the message most and start with that.)
Point 1 & 2- Sharing in the Commonwealth of God’s Spirit through: Hearing the Invitation to Faith & Our Faithful Response.
Read this scriptures together:
Acts 3:1-11 NLT
“Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.
Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”
Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.”
- Anything that jumps out to you as important, helpful or interesting in this scripture?
- Why do you think this man was placed at the “Beautiful Gate”?
- What is the invitation to faith, that Peter offers?
- How does the crippled man respond to the invitation?
- How might a seemingly impossible situation that you are walking through possibly relate to this crippled man’s situation?
STEP 3- Living- Planning, Accountability, Action
Sharing in the Commonwealth of God’s Spirit through Hearing the Invitation to Faith & Our Faithful Response
Read Matthew 17:19-23
“Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
- What contrast does this portion of scripture have?
- What do you think it means to have “faith to move mountains”?
- What do you think it means to have “faith to walk through mountains”?
- Have you ever prayed for God to “move a mountain”? What happened?
- Have you ever journeyed with God “through a mountain”? What happened?
- What are some “mountains” in your life that you are facing right now?
- Have you prayed about these? What do you sense God doing amidst these circumstances?
- How are you responding to these invitations to faith?
STEP 4- Prayer And/Or Meditation:
Try one of these options, don’t be afraid to mix it up.
- Share requests and pray for one another.
- Inner, Other & Outer life prayer needs
- Meditation with silence and stillness- A word or phrase to focus your group. A time of silence and stillness, set a timer for 5 minutes if you want.
