Grow Group Questions Sept 24, 2023
Announcement: Take time to look at the Grow Group Covenant in the next few weeks with your group. Also, take some time to discuss ways to be more intentional with your group this fall.
Icebreaker:
- How would you define the “group” that you were a part of in high school?
Sermon Discussion – Read Ephesians 2:1-10
- Paul opens up with “You were…”. Why is a reminder about their life before Christ so important?
- Do you embrace the exhortation to remember your past or do you strive to forget? Why?
- How does remembering/being reminded impact our Spiritual life today in a positive way?
- How do we differentiate between feeling shame about our past and feeling rightful conviction?
- How can the type of remembering that Paul calls us to prevent one from boasting?
Going Deeper – Ephesians 2:11-22
- What are some of the barriers you see to unity in the modern church?
- Can you think of barriers that might be warranted? What are they and why might they be acceptable or even necessary?
- Discuss the idea of denominations as “necessary but not ideal.”
- In what ways do these barriers lead to boasting?
- The ancient church was dealing with divisions/disgust between Jews and Gentiles. Steve compared the Jews of today to some long-term Christians and the Gentiles of today to either unbelievers or those who don’t easily fit the typical Christian mold.
- With which group do you more closely align? Why?
- What relationship in your life still needs the walls knocked down?
- How can you be a part of joining with Christ to tear those walls down?
Prayer:
- Ask God to break down any walls we have erected as a Body at Bethany and for Bethany to be a church that does not allow wall building!
Reminder for Next week: We will be in Ephesians 3 – Read ahead!