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Guest Speaker: Rena Crocker

We are taking a break in our current teaching series, Commonwealth, to welcome guest speaker Rena Crocker! It was a joy to have Rena, the Executive Director of the The GreenHouse. We’re excited for you to listen along with us as we explore the passage Matthew 22! 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.

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.)

Read this scriptures together: Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Observation & Reflection Questions to Discuss:

• Anything that jumps out to you as important, helpful or interesting in this scripture?
• Why do you think the Pharisees asked Jesus this question?
• What do you think it means to “love God”? What are some tangible expressions of a love for God?
• What do you think it means to “love your neighbor as yourself”? What are some tangible expressions of a love for neighbor and oneself?

STEP 3- Living- Planning, Accountability, Action

• Are there some areas of your life that are hindering your ability to love God and/or love your neighbor as yourself? What are those hiderances for you?
• Rena Crocker said in her message, “Loving your neighbor will always be bigger than your comfort zone.”- How would you describe your comfort zone?
• What percentage would you say you live in and out of your comfort zone? (Rena Crocker said the optimal split is 70% in our comfort zone and 30% outside of it.) How are you doing in this?
• What might be a specific area of life you sense God leading you to take a faith step towards a greater love for God and/or your neighbor as yourself?
• Resource for further study- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality- Pete Scazzero 

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. Use this diagram to asses these different areas:
• 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.