Creative Community

Read Matthew 1:21. Why is this such a great promise? How would you define sin? Have different people quote or read any Bible verses they can think of that talk about sin. How does sin negatively impact our lives? How does our sin negatively impact those around us? Talk about a time you've been negatively impacted by someone else's sin. What does it mean to be saved from sin? Does the salvation Jesus brings mean that we will never sin again? Why or why not? Does the salvation Jesus brings mean that we will never be negatively impacted by sin again? Why or why not? In what way is our salvation from sin a future event? In what way is it a past event? In what way is it a present event? Think about the sins you need to be saved from today. Spend some time in prayer thanking Jesus for paying the price for those sins, and commit yourself to having victory over them.

How do you (and your family) prepare for Christmas each year? Have your preparations been different this year than in the past? Why or why not? If you could describe the "perfect" Christmas moment, what would it look like? What kinds of things do you do in order to try to make a moment like this happen? Read Luke 3:1-6. What was John preparing for? What do you think it means to "prepare the way?" Christmas is a time when we celebrate the coming of Christ into the world. Share with the group about when Christ first came into your personal world. How were you first introduced to Jesus? Look at verses 5-6. According to John, a lot of work needed to be done on the "roads" to make them ready for the Messiah. What kind of work often needs to be done in people's lives to make them ready for Jesus? What kind of work needed to be done in your life to make you ready for Jesus? Look at verse 3. "Repentance" was at the heart of John's mess...

Talk about a time in your life when you met someone unexpectedly. Was it awkward? exciting? disappointing? fun? Read Luke 2:25-35. Have several people talk about one or two verses that stick in their mind when reading this passage. Verse 25 says that Simeon was "righteous" and "devout". Have you ever known someone you could describe using those words? What do you think those words mean? WORD STUDY: The word "righteous" could also be translated "equitable". It is really a reference to Simeon's treatment of other people. The word "devout" could also be translated "pious". It is a reference to Simeon's relationship to God. How does our relationship with other people impact our relationship with God? How does our relationship with God impact our relationship with other people? Read verse 29. Once Simeon met Jesus, he was ready to die. What are 2-3 things you want to accomplish or see happen before you die? Do y...

Over the next several weeks, I'm going to be posting a few times a week summaries of chapters from books I've read over the past few years. These are the books that have really informed my thinking on discipleship and small groups. Hopefully, they'll provide a good opportunity for you to think through some of these same thoughts. Today, I'm looking at chapter one of Joe Myer's book Search to Belong . Connections are important. Particularly, connections among believers are crucial for living out the life and mission Jesus designed for us. Pastor Randy Frazee wrote in his book, The Connecting Church , "The development of meaningful relationships where every member carries a significant sense of belonging is central to what it means to be the church." The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, "Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you...