God’s People (Week 5)

ICEBREAKERS

• July 19^th was National Ice Cream Day! What is the one kind of ice cream you would not want to share with anyone?
• What did you eat for breakfast? 
• What was the worst haircut you ever had?

OPEN IN PRAYER

MAIN SCRIPTURES

(Read When Prompted)

• John 17:11, 20-21
• 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
• 1 John 2:15-16
• John 3:16

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT!

• Read John 17:11, 20-21. One of Jesus’ main focuses in His ministry was unity. In these verses Jesus was trying to communicate that the demonstration of unity among His people is the defining element to the world that Jesus is the Son of God. If worldly things can break up the people of God then there is no validation to our faith. When people look for more in life they look at believers to see if they want to follow. But how can we be examples if we allow the world to tear us apart? If we want to lead people to the truth, then unity with our brothers and sisters has to take priority. Will someone see Jesus if they take a look at your social media posts? Is unity your main focus in EVERY friendship?

• Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (KJV). Satan has mentally blinded people in the world. The word “world” in this verse means “cosmos”. Cosmos comes from cosmetic, which means to cover up the real. The cosmos is man-made ingenuity and systems that cover up the real world. Since fake things in this world are covering up the kingdom of God, we are putting our hope in those things, which are run by satan. The hate in this world has taken over and we are allowing it to happen. Read 1 John 2:15-16. Satan is driving this world with 3 motives: lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life. Jesus was in the world but not of the world. Even though he knew Satan was driving the world He never allowed him to take over His life or ministry. Jesus was not manipulated but racial constructs or political views, He was bigger than that! Jesus wants us to be bigger than that! Name an example of satan’s motives: lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life. Have any of those examples been something you struggled with?

• When we rise above the discord in the world we find where we belong. Don’t find who you are in your ethnicity or economic class because you belong to a new country and government in the kingdom of God. The kingdom does not run by the world’s views. In the kingdom, up is down. In the world everyone is greedy, in the kingdom we give it all away. The world says to step on people to get forward; the kingdom says to stay humble. We are to live with another set of rules in the kingdom. Read John 3:16. God sent His Son, not for the people, but for the world. Jesus brought a kingdom to fix the world from all the messiness and destruction. He came to change things up and hand us the keys to the kingdom. How can we start living by kingdom rules today?

PRAYER FOCUS & REQUESTS

Ask your group how you can pray for them this week. Let’s focus on praying for one another and other believers to start living with unity as their focus. As we begin to unite with one another then others can take our example and start forging peaceful relationships through Christ.