Community Group Guide

> Why We Gather

At The Springs Church, we desire for community groups to be a place where we BEHOLD JESUS, BECOME LIKE JESUS, and BELONG IN COMMUNITY. This means that our primary goal for groups is to gather around the transforming presence of Christ. As we gather around the transforming presence of Jesus, we believe by faith that we will be incrementally transformed into His image and likeness. With that in mind, let's begin in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to lead our time together, move on our hearts, and help us behold Jesus, become Like Jesus, and experince the gift of belonging in community. Let's pray.

> Announcements

• Join us for Sunday Evening Prayer happening every Sunday this spring from 8PM-9PM.
• Heads up, last week of groups is the third week of May! We will take the summer off and resume in August!

> Scripture Reading

We continue our series on prayer focusing on confession and praying for one another. Have someone read James 5:16.

Reflection Question: Does anything stand out to you from this text or from Sunday's message?

> Discussion Questions

Enemies of Confession

Pastor Alberto reminded us that to complete the long marathon of following Jesus, we need community. One way we care for each other is in hearing confession and praying for each other, as James describes. There are two primary enemies to communal confession in the Christian life: isolation and perception management. In isolation, we avoid the church so we do not have to open up about our sin and our weakness. In perception management, we engage with church without being vulnerable and try to convince everyone that we are doing just fine. We see pictures of these in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God and then sewed together fig leaves to cover their nakedness. Just as God called Adam and Eve out to find them and invited them to confess what they had done, He calls us to engage together in vulnerability.

Reflection Question: In your own expereince why does hiding someties feel easier to do than vulnerbly pursue community?

Receiving confession with the gospel

The only way we can feel safe to confess is knowing that we are accepted on the other side of confession. We will never be honest with our friends or family if we are worried they will stop loving us. We will never be honest with ourselves if we are not able to love ourselves because of our past. Honesty begins with trusting God because he is willing to accept us despite anything and everything we have done. We know this is true because while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. God’s response does not downplay our sin. It cost him his life. Still, God chose to pay that price to free us from sin and return us to himself. This love is what teaches us confession. This is the love that brings us into the light of confession. Have someone read John 3:18-21

Reflection Question: Have you ever struggled with believing that God really accepts you and fully forgives you? Was there a expereince or moment in your life that opened your heart to realize the depths of God's love for you?

> Reflect and Pray

Confess to one another and pray for one another

Pastor Alberto gave us two important implications for how we receive confession. First, when people confess, we should respond with the good news: “in Christ, you are forgiven.” Second, when people confess, we should often avoid responding with good advice. This is because good advice implicitly puts us in a position over the person confessing. Giving good advice can suggest that we know better and are doing better. What is more, giving good advice suggests that the solution to the sin is trying harder, not receiving grace. We need good news more than we need good advice. We need God and his power more than we need tricks to avoid sin. This is why John said those who come into the light show that their good works are done in God. This is why James said the right response to confession is prayer. James testifies that there is healing available to us in confessing our sins and praying for one another. Why is this? Sin is a

primary cause of ill in our lives. When we confess, we declare the victory of Jesus resurrection over our sin. The same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is at work in us and will lead us away from our sin and into newness of life. Sin grows in the darkness, but when we bring it into the light of loving community, God works to bring healing.

Pray: Let’s practice, as much as we are ready, confessing an area of our life where want to God bring freedom and healing and pray for one another to receive God’s healing.