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 this Sunday for Fall Fest on October 25 from 5 PM-7 PM!
Fall Fest is a church-wide celebration for the whole church family! Trunk or Treat + games and booths + a Chili Cook-Off + a petting zoo & more!
> Give Thanks
Take a few moments to briefly share about anything that you are thankful unto the Lord for? Perhaps you've witnessed God answer a prayer or experienced a moment that strengthened your faith. Feel free to share any recent occurrences that have encouraged you or instances where you've felt God's presence at work in your life.
> Scripture Reading
Have someone read Acts 2:5-13
> Discussion Questions
The church’s task and promise
At the time of the story in Acts, the church was only a few dozen people who had followed Jesus and been commanded by Him to proclaim the good news about him to their neighbors, their nations, and to the ends of the earth. Just a few decades later, the apostle John would have a vision of an ethnically diverse multitude of peoples gathering to worship Jesus. [Have someone read Revelation 7:9-12.] In the sermon, Jessica Betz asked us to consider: how would the church grow from just a few people in Jerusalem to this great multitude from many nations? How would the church fulfill Jesus’ command to proclaim his good news to the ends of the earth? The mission was bigger than their ability, but not bigger than God’s power.
Reflection Question: What do you see as some of the greatest barriers to people hearing the good news of Jesus and following him? Is this question different if you think about our city, our nation, or about other nations?
We are empowered by God’s Spirit to proclaim the gospel everywhere
Our story in Acts gives a key answer to our questions about how the church would grow and fulfill the task Jesus has given it. The church is empowered by the Spirit of God that Jesus sent to them. In the story, they were specifically empowered to communicate in languages they did not speak. This is a beautiful picture of how the Spirit can overcome barriers to give people from all different backgrounds access to the good news. Jessica drew two applications from this part of the story. First, God often calls us to reach out to people who are not like us to share good news with them. Second, any limitations we feel in our ability to share Jesus are opportunities to rely on God to empower us.
Reflection Question: Who is one person that God is putting on your heart to share good news with this week? What is one way you pray God will equip and empower you to share his good news?
“We hear them declaring the mighty works of God” Jessica shared about her own story of experiencing Jesus change her life, which allowed her to share that story with others. If we want to share good news, we must experience it ourselves and be ready to tell that story. We as a church want to pray that we keep experiencing God’s great works in our lives and tell those stories to each other, so we are ready to share with others. Let’s practice telling our story now. Take a few minutes to reflect on ways you have experienced the difference that Jesus can make in your life. This may be your story of coming to faith for the first time, your story of deliverance from sin and disfunction, stories of how God has helped and sustained you through trouble, or ways God has answered prayers.
Reflection Question: Get into groups of 2-3 and share your stories with each other.
> Confession and Prayer
Reflect and Pray: As we sit with this passage, ask God to bring to mind anything you need to confess or need prayer for. Take a moment to share and pray for one another. Feel free to split up into pairs depending on the group size.
> Leader Form