January 29th to February 3rd Life Group Notes

January 26th, 2024
by Nancy Wiltshire

FRESH STARTS

A Fresh Start in God's Covenant- Genesis 22:1-19

LEADERS - Take attendance on the app.

Open in Prayer

Welcome/Introductions/Cast Vision – Remind the Life Group of the Guidelines– See bottom of this page.

Doing the Mission: Did anyone share Jesus or last week’s passage?

Does anyone have a God story? An undeniable encounter or experience with God that creates an impact or breakthrough in your day-to-day life. These moments can be extraordinary or very humble, but always personally powerful.

Opening Question: Has there ever been a time when you had to leave home and start over somewhere new? How did you feel about that?

Share background for the passage: God is calling Abraham to leave his past and what he was used to for a brand new start.
- Thought/Focus: What was the relationship between Abraham & Isaac? How does it lend impact to this story?
- Have someone read this week’s passage: Genesis 22:1-19.

Discuss these questions: Go deeper as led. Remember Head, Heart, Hands.

What did God ask Abraham to do? How did he respond? (vs. 2-3).
What is significant about the statement Abraham made to his servants in vs. 5? What does this tell you about Abraham’s faith?
What does Isaac carrying the wood on which he would be sacrificed on the top of a hill remind you of in the New Testament?
What part of this story touches you the most deeply? Why?
Who do you most relate to in this story? In what way?
In vss. 15-17 God renews His covenant with Abraham. Why do you think He does this? How do you think it made Abraham feel? What does it speak to you?
Is there any area of your life where you need a fresh start? ...to renew your covenant with God?
What are you willing to sacrifice to follow His direction for your life? How can you have joy in that sacrifice?

Next week’s passage/story: Ephesians 4:1-16 (Choose someone to tell next week’s story.)

Dismiss in Prayer

Life Group Guidelines

This needs to be a place where people feel comfortable opening up and sharing with one another. Below are some group guidelines that will help create a safe environment.

CONFIDENTIALITY: What is said in the group stays in the group.

LISTEN: Let’s value one another during the discussions by really listening to what is being shared. Try to avoid thinking about how you are going to respond or what you are going to say next.

PAUSE: Allow a pause in conversation after someone shares. Give the person sharing a chance to finish and the group the opportunity to consider what was just shared before responding.

NO “CROSS TALK”: Be considerate of others as they are sharing- no side conversations.

NO FIXING: We are not here to fix each other. Jesus does that part. Speak truth is love, give
encouragement, empathize, point to Jesus. You may share solutions God has led you through. The other person should never feel shame or failure, but rather connection & hope.

NO HIJACKING of shared stories.

NO RESCUING: When people are sharing something deeply personal, there can be a tendency to try to make them feel better about themselves or the situation by providing immediate condolences. This will often cause them to stop sharing. Resist the temptation to rescue people.

SHARING: Be sensitive about the amount of time you share.

SILENCE: It is important to allow silence in the group as it provides an opportunity for someone else to share and for members in the group to process the topic or question being considered.

BE SELF-AWARE: Be self-aware of how you are personally affecting the environment through your words, actions, and non-verbal communication.

“I” STATEMENTS: It’s easy to talk about the issues of others, but for our purposes, we want you to put yourself on the table. Try to use “I” statements rather than “them”, "they", "you", “the church”, “us”, “we”, etc.

FIGHT FOR RELATIONSHIP: We will commit to resolve conflict biblically. When conflict or sin issues arise between group members, we want to make sure that we are honoring God and each other in the way we deal with these issues. We will fight for relationship. I will discuss the struggle with the person I am in conflict with first, & if not resolved, seek wise advice. The following are a few key Scriptures in this regard (there are many others.)