Getting Started

Main Idea:
God’s desire is for the family to be first and to be a firm foundation.

Discussion Starter:
Mornings can be the most hectic part of the day for a family, with everyone stumbling over each other trying to get ready for the day. Share about one of these mornings when the scene in your home made you stop and laugh.

Introduction:
Over the next month, we will launch into an out of this world conversation on family. Through this journey families will be healed, relationships mended, and families will lift off to new levels in love, language, leadership, and legacy to ignite and transform the next generation for the Kingdom of God.

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Encounter God

Primary Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Discussion Questions:

1. Moses makes it clear that love for God is an all or nothing situation—no division or indecision. Discuss how this looks in a family setting.

2. Why does Moses say in verses 4 and 5 that we should love God with all our heart, soul and might?

3. Pastor Micah talked about God’s desire for love to lead the way. He said it was a forgiving love, a giving love, and a living love. Spend a little time discussing what each of these looks like to you.

4. Pastor Micah also told us the launch sequence for a healthy family that lasts and lifts off. The launch sequence is family comes first, next the family teaches how to love God, and finally the family teaches how to love others. Why do you feel it works best in this order?

Discovery Bible Method:
For deeper study, as an alternative to the questions above, read Deuteronomy 6 and use the Discovery Bible Method to explore the passage.

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Embrace Others

Suggestion: Consider breaking the group into dyads or triads for this section.

Discuss how some people have been raised in great families, and others have come from families that were not as loving or no family at all. If the latter is the case, in what way(s) can a group or church become their family?

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Engage the World Around Us

Engaging at Faith Promise: Are there people at your campus or in your group that need to belong to a family? Pray about how you can help fill that role.

Engaging in Community: Do you know any single parent families in your community? Find ways this week to demonstrate how they can find true family love at church. You might want to invite them to church or group with you.

Engaging the World: Hurting and lonely people are everywhere. Pray for your campus missionaries. Pray for them to have opportunities to be the family to those they minister to and let them know they have “family” supporting and praying for them as well.

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Expand God’s Kingdom

Do you know someone that could benefit from this message? Direct them to sermon archives so they can watch this one. Also share what this message meant to you with someone at work, school, or a friend. You can also post quotes from this message to your social media accounts.

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Leader’s Notes

2. Just as the Lord is one, you are one (heart, soul, and mind – parts of one whole).

3. Forgiving love – As Christ-followers we are forgiven and thus we should also forgive.

Giving love – as a parent give of yourself to your children. Your kids need your time more than your money to buy more stuff.

Living love – Personal pursuit and love for God through spending time in His word, worship and times of prayer.

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 development and multiplication of disciple-makers, possibly to lead more groups at Faith Promise.