Growing Together 2

Schedule:

Table Discussions

4:00-4:10 Welcome, Orientation, Prayer

Welcome, Orientation, Prayer4:10-4:20 Introductory Question4:20-5:00 Video5:00-5:30 Discussion Questions5:30 Dismiss

4:10-4:20 Introductory Question

4:20-5:00 Video

5:00-5:30 Discussion Questions

5:30 Dismiss

Session 2: How God Uses All of Us in the Lives of Others

Video Speaker: Ed Welch — ccef.org

Introductory Question

Reflect back this statement from Session 1: “What happens in our relationship with the Lord will typically be expressed in our relationships with others.”

Q: Share a time when you have seen this connection between your relationship with God and with others lived out, either for good or for bad?

Video Notes

Table Discussion

7 Minutes per section.

Section I

Ed introduces two basic skills for ministry: knowing another person, and bringing that knowledge together with Scripture. As God’s children we are to take the initiative and more towards others.

Q: What specific ways can you identify that make a godly pattern of relationship different from a human pattern of relationship? What motives and goals might a human pattern exhibit vs. a godly pattern?

Section II

Ed speaks about the human heart as layered, and he begins his discussion by speaking about the layer of the heart’s affections. Listening in an important skill in interpersonal ministry. Listening involves having a meaningful follow-up conversation, moving past circumstances, and asking about a person’s heart in relation to the Lord.

Q: Why should you focus on the layer of the heart’s affections as you grow in the skill of interpersonal ministry?

Q: What are the qualities of a good listener? How do you know you are listening well?

Q: How can you develop your skill in listening for someone’s heart’s affections in a conversation? What cues are you listening for?

Section III

Think back to the two skills of interpersonal ministry—knowing the person in front of you and knowing Scripture in a way that connects it to another person’a life. These are qualities that you may be stronger or weaker in. It is helpful as you move out in ministry to assess where you may be strong or weak.

Are you good at knowing others but struggle to see how God and Scripture connect to someone’s life? Reflect back on the examples of prayer Ed provided from and .

From : “Can I pray for you that in the midst of physical weakness you would be able to see through the realities available to our senses to the glories of Christ? Can I pray that you would know Jesus in such a way that you edify the body of Christ as you speak of Him?”

From : “Can I pray for you that in the midst of the assault on your body that your inner person would be renewed day by day? And because of this passage of Scripture, can I pray for you, that you would be able to see eternity in all things in light of what is permanent and what lasts?”

Q: How can these passages and Ed’s prayers help you take a step forward in connecting what you hear from another person to what God says?

Q: What have you learned from this talk that encourages you to move toward someone and be the helper in a relationship? What qualities do you want to develop so you can be trustworthy with another person’s heart?

Section IV

Side-by-side ministry envisions two people walking together. So, as you move deeper in relationally, expect that not only will you carry someone on your heart but that they will carry you on their heart too.

Our goal is to know others, to know God and His Word, and to connect those two things together. Read the two scenarios below.

Scenario 1

A man from your small group has said that he will be traveling for work a the end of the week. He knows that often he struggles with the temptation to view pornography while he is on the road, and he asks for prayer to resist this temptation.

Scenario 2

A woman that you know has just lost her father. You learn through conversation that in addition to her own grief over his death, she is also suffering as she watches her mother grieve this loss.

Q: What is it about God that this person needs to see that would be helpful in their circumstance?

Q: What Scripture can you use to inform your prayers?

Q: What