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Given: Week 3: Chosen, Blessed, Broken & Given. This was a rhythm of life that Jesus modeled for us. This Lenten season we are going to explore together how we might live into this same rhythm Jesus modeled for us. The last 2 weeks we have looked at being Chosen & Blessed by God, this week we are going to look at what it means to be Broken.

Just a reminder of ways to stay connected during this time:

• Keep meeting in your Community Groups. If you don’t have a group yet, you can find one here: societychurch.com/groups
• Utilize our website! If you’ve made it to the podcast, you are already utilizing our website, well done! On our website you can stay connected through our contact form, find our Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to our Newsletter, resources and more!

Listen along with us:

 

• If you have Kids, we have Society Kids Lessons and Resources available for you. Subscribe to our Society Kids Newsletter HERE. Each week we will be sending you lessons and activities to do with your kiddos. Here is this weeks lesson (Lesson 10)!
• If you are looking to develop your spiritual life and create more of a rhythm of intentional spiritual practice, check out our resource guide from our series Rhythm here.

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. CLICK HERE for ice breaker questions ideas.

(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. You use this model moving clockwise around the circle. The goal is working towards practical and personal life application.)

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 make the most impact 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.)

Read this scriptures together: 2 Corinthians 12:5-10 

“That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, trials and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Observation & Reflection Questions to Discuss:

• Anything that jumps out to you as important, helpful or interesting in this scripture?
• Are there any questions or curiosities you have about this portion of scripture that you would like to look into more?
• What do you think, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” means?
• How did Paul take his brokenness/weakness and put it under God’s blessing/grace?
• On a scale of 1-10 (1-being highly unaware, 10- being abundantly aware) how aware are you of your own unique brokenness and how it impacts yours and others life?

STEP 3- Living- Planning, Accountability, Action

• What are some ways you have experienced God’s grace (spiritual abundance) amidst moments of your own or shared brokenness?
• How might God’s grace be flowing through our shared brokenness during this public heath emergency?
• How might God’s grace be flowing through the broken parts of your life during this time?
• What are some creative ways you can allow the grace of God’s spirit to move through your individual brokenness during this season?
• What are some ways God might be leading you by the grace of his spirit to move through your life during this time of shared brokenness?
• How might your group be able to serve one another and the community during this time?

STEP 4- Prayer And/Or Meditation

Please don’t skip prayer!! Cut the discussion short if needed to pray for one another 🙂 Try one of these options, don’t be afraid to mix it up.

• Have people split into groups of 2-3 to share prayer needs and pray for each other.
• Share requests as a group and pray for one another. Assign requests to people that are comfortable with praying and go around the circle praying for each others needs.
• Help your group develop a vocabulary of prayer. Pray a wrote prayer together.  Prayerfully read a Psalm or something from the Book of Common Prayer .
• 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. Close the time with a prayer for your group.
• Develop someone in your group as the Prayer Coordinator. Have them write down prayer needs, ask them to pray for those needs during the week, have them send a list to the group to keep in prayer, go through the list regularly to celebrate answered prayers and check off or add on prayers.