Family-ish Week 3 – Discussion Guide
Getting Started
Main Idea: Making room for God in your life and your home should help others belong.
Introduction: God has called His people to care for those who don’t have someone to care for them. When we make room for God in our lives, He will help us make proactive choices and help others belong.
Discussion Starter: Have you ever had something happen to your car, house, or body that could have been prevented? And if it had been prevented, your intervention after the fact would have not have been necessary?
Encounter God
Primary Scriptures: Jeremiah 5:1, James 1:26-27, Matthew 25:31-46
Discussion Questions:
- Read James 1:26-27 In James’ time, and ours, widows and orphans were often marginalized. Discuss why it’s so important to care for those on the fringes of support and society.
- Read Matthew 25:31-46 How would it change your interactions with people if you treated them as if they were Jesus?
- For those who accept Jesus as their Savior, Ephesians 1:3-8 shows us that when that happened we were adopted into God’s family. Discuss what it means to belong to God’s family in that way.
- What is one area in your life where you need to strive toward prevention, where if you don’t, a drastic intervention will be necessary later?
Discovery Bible Method:
For deeper study, as an alternative to the questions above, read James 1:27 and use the Discovery Bible Method to explore the passage.
Embrace Others
Suggestion: Consider breaking the group into twos or threes for this section.
How can your group use your shared interest to make room for prevention that will keep marginalized children from unhealthy things AND help them grow into the potential God has for them?
Engage the World Around Us
Engaging at Faith Promise: How can you and your group serve Kids and Students at your campus to help them prevent hurt and heartache in adulthood?
Engaging in Our Community and the World: Find out what local, regional, or global foster family organizations exist that your group can help support and make a plan to do something.
Expand God’s Kingdom
Is there someone at your campus who is currently a foster parent? If so, reach out to them and see how you can pour into them to help them grow closer to God, so they can serve others.
Leader’s Notes
ALL groups at Faith Promise should follow Jesus Christ and lead others to do the same. Below are the marks of a growing follower and disciple of Jesus.
– A follower of Jesus desires to encounter God through the deeper study and application of God’s Word.
– A follower of Jesus embraces people and values relationships on a deeper level so everyone can grow together.
– A follower of Jesus engages and serves the world around them and in their community, through local partners or God-directed opportunities.
– A follower of Jesus expands God’s Kingdom through the development and multiplication of disciple-makers, possibly to lead more groups at Faith Promise.
