Wk 1 // June 11 & 12

Wk 1 // Why Am I Here?
June 11 & 12, 2022
Small Group Study


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

• What is a surprising unknown fact you’ve come across recently?
• In your younger years of life, can you remember having any humorous or significant “aha moments” where something about life dawned on you for the first time?
• If you have children or have spent time working with young people, do you have a story about helping them have a humorous or significant “aha moment”?

Life changing revelations seem to be most common when we are young because youth and ignorance go hand in hand.  The same can be said of when we are early on in our walk with Jesus.  This is why it is so important to quickly jump into all things Jesus when first becoming a Christian so that you can experience all of the “aha moments” God has for you!  For many of us, however, maintaining that same posture of humility and wonder as we grow in the faith becomes difficult.  Never lose your sense of wonder!  God always has more aha moments for you!


STUDY
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-20.

• If have started a relationship with Jesus, what does it mean to you to be a “new creation”?
• What does the “ministry of reconciliation” look like in 2022 America?
• What images come to your mind when you think of the idea of being Christ’s ambassador?
• If your undisputed #1 purpose in life was to be Christ’s ambassador, what would need to change in your daily/weekly life?

Jesus tells us in John 13:34-35 that we are to show his love to one another.  Essentially, he says that we should go and be as much like him as possible to the world around us.  That is how everyone will know who we are as a new creation.  In fact, that is how we got the name “Christians”.  It means “little Christs”.  What was originally used to poke fun at followers of Jesus, we now wear as a badge of honor.  Being a “little Jesus” in the world around us isn’t easy… but that’s our new purpose!


HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ 1 JOHN 3:16-18.

• Does the biblical definition of love differ from how our culture would define love?  If so, how?
• Has a church or Christian brother/sister ever blessed you with money or stuff in a major time of need?  How did that make you feel?
• How does it make you feel that vs. 17 seems to draw a correlation between helping someone in need and your love for God?
• How do you best show Jesus to people in need?  In other words, do you simply give them what they want… or is there more to it than that?

True integrity is when one’s actions, speech and thoughts all align.  God calls us to a life of integrity.  We say we love Jesus and that he has changed our lives.  Then we should show that with our actions.  Actions are not just how we conduct ourselves… but how we care for others and impact the world around us.  When we are alone with God and our thoughts drift, that is when we truly have to answer the same question Jesus asked Peter in John 21… do you love me?


APPLICATION

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how well does your speech reflect Jesus to the world around you?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do your actions reflect Jesus to the world around you?
• PONDER THIS TO YOURSELF:  On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do your personal thoughts show that you are a new creation in Christ?

PRAYER
LEADER, READ THIS OVER YOUR GROUP BEFORE PRAYER: PSALMS 139:23-24

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way of everlasting.
Ask God to show you your specific purpose this week, to help you care about what He cares about, and to show and tell people about Jesus!