Tough Talks (Part 4): Camps, Cliques & Parties...

A NEW SMALL GROUP FORMAT

For this series, Tough talks, we invite your group to a choose your own adventure of sorts. Each week we are inviting your group to choose 2 of the multiple options below. First pick questions from either the STUDY or PROCESS. After that, choose either PRAY or PRACTICE with your group to culminate into your group discussion. Our hope each week is you “talk it out” and “live it out” in a way that makes sense to your group. 

  • When people think of you, what groups do they associate with your name?  

We are continuing a series  this week called Tough Talks. It centers around the reality belief that if we follow Jesus, seeking reconnection is part of the journey of discipleship. Therefore, if we identify ourselves with Jesus, our lives should be marked by cultivating thoughtful approaches to others because of how God has been thoughtful in approaching us in Jesus Christ.  Over the next 3 weeks, we will settle into engaging in conversations with those who see things differently than us or those who disagree with us. 

TALK IT OUT AFTER READING 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-5 (PICK ONE)

STUDY 

  • How would you define the terms spiritual and flesh that Paul uses in this passage?

  • What worldly instinct or remnant of who you were before you started following Jesus still vies for your attention?

  • How has jealousy & quarreling seemed to affect the Corinthian church? Where throughout the Bible are other examples of quarreling? 

PROCESS

  • How does someone know when they are operating in the flesh?

  • Has there been a time in your life where you unnecessarily assigned negative characteristics towards a person based on a group you knew they were in?

  • If you think about the groups that you find yourself in… which groups/cliques that you’re in have the most divisive group-thinks? Situations where you often view someone/some groups' differences as automatically dangerous?

LIVE IT OUT (PICK ONE)

PRACTICE

  • Share a time when you assumed or dismissed someone and needed to be corrected. 

  • How often do you choose to avoid someone who is different from you rather than getting to know them better?

  • If there are inevitably tough conversations with those who have different perspectives than us, how do we as Jesus followers not quarrel, dismiss or cause division through creating camps or cliques?

PRAY

  • Spend time praying for the Spirit to lead you to repent of situations where you unfairly characterized or categorized someone in your life and for God to help you allow correction in your life. 

  • Spend time praying for the Spirit to bring about unity and community in our church that is transformative in ways that help us to know how to love and learn from one another. 

  • Pray for the violence in our country and world that flows from assumptions, misunderstandings & hate.

Matt DeLano