Wk 2 // December 13 & 14

Wk 2  //  CHRISTMAS
December 13 & 14, 2025
Small Group Study


SERMON RECAP

Spend a few minutes recapping this week's sermon together.

TAP HERE TO VIEW THE SERMON NOTES.
 

• What was one takeaway from this week's sermon for you?
• Were there any stories, ideas, or points that stuck out?
• Was there anything that challenged you?

INTRODUCTION

• Share one Christmas tradition from your childhood. How did it shape the way you think about Christmas today?
• Talk about a moment when you realized God was trying to shift your thinking in a certain area.
• How do you usually feel heading into the Christmas season: excited, stressed, peaceful, overwhelmed?

Christmas brings noise, tradition, and expectations. The message reminded us that God wants to renew our minds, reshape our habits, and use this season to form something deeper in us. As you move into Scripture, slow down and consider where God may be inviting real transformation.


UNDERSTANDING

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ROMANS 12:1

• What does it mean to offer your body as a living sacrifice?
• Why does Paul frame this as true worship?
• How does this challenge our normal view of what worship looks like?
• What does sacrificial love look like in the context of Christmas traditions?

This verse moves worship from a moment to a lifestyle. The message reminded us that Christmas is not about performing traditions but offering ourselves to God in a fresh way. This is where transformation begins.


HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ROMANS 12:2 

• What does it look like to be shaped by the patterns of the world?
• Why is the renewal of the mind essential for knowing God’s will?
• Where have you experienced God changing the way you think?
• How might this influence how we give, serve, and spend time together this season?

Transformation is slow, steady, and intentional. The sermon’s imagery of metamorphosis helps us picture a process where God changes our thinking and eventually our behavior. This is the kind of change that impacts marriage, parenting, generosity, and the way we approach Christmas.


GROUP ACTIVITY
Choose whichever activity best fits your group.

BEGINNER: Identifying Christmas Messages

• Give everyone a piece of paper and ask them to write down one message their family has unintentionally communicated about Christmas. Collect them anonymously and read them out loud.
• Discuss any themes you notice.
• Talk about how a renewed mind might reshape those messages.

INTERMEDIATE: Rewrite the Tradition

• As a group, list common Christmas traditions.
• Then rewrite each one with a Christ centered version.
• Discuss which of these revised traditions feels most doable for your homes.

ADVANCED: Create a Legacy Practice

• Split into groups of two or three.
• Share one tradition or habit you want to begin that helps family members experience God.
• Help each other brainstorm how to start it, communicate it, and keep it going through the years.

APPLICATION

• Where do you sense God inviting you to rethink Christmas this year?
• What is one habit or tradition you can adjust that would bring more peace and more focus on Christ?
• Which of the three challenges from the sermon speaks most to you:
  • Rethink Christmas financially
  • Rethink Christmas activity and involvement
  • Rethink Christmas legacy through intentional letters
• What is one new tradition you’re considering based on the message?
  • Financial Christmas tradition that puts God first
  • Worship Christmas tradition that puts God first
  • Legacy Christmas tradition like letters to illustrate how God is changing the way you love

PRAYER

Pray that God would renew your mind and transform the way you approach Christmas. Ask for wisdom to create traditions that honor Christ and bless your family. Lift up any financial, emotional, or relational stress that tends to surface during this season. Invite God to help you love others with the same sacrificial love Jesus has shown to you.