Matt Zainea                                                       Rockford Campus                                          January 14, 2024

 

Ignite Sunday

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

 

REMINDERS

Ignite (Jan 14, 5:30pm) – NOTE: unfortunately, Ignite has been cancelled due to weather. We will let you know what the new plan is as soon as we have figured it out, so stay tuned! We are SO grateful for all our volunteers and we’re eager to show that through this event, one way or another.

Leader Development Class (resuming Jan 21) – Please plan to join us from 6-7pm at the Rockford campus to continue to be sharpened as a leader!

Group Status Check – Please give us an update on where your group is at. How are things looking? What’s going well and what’s not? Are you open to new people joining or looking to establish new leaders? Give us a holler so we can support you well!

 

TOGETHER IN LIFE

Name someone from your life who modeled what it means to be a servant. What was it about that person that made him/her stand out?

 

TOGETHER IN THE WORD

THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: Romans 5:1–5

Note: We encourage you to read the entire text together as a group out loud.

 

Big Idea

Because we are saved by grace through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, our suffering in this life can be transformed into endurance, character, and hope. As Christ-followers, we are called to serve, and in doing so we become little pictures of Him. And as we build one another up, we are being shaped together into a grand picture of Christ for all to see.

 

Hope

Everyday hope is eager expectation, but we have no certainty about the outcome. Biblical hope is a person: Jesus Christ. While we often do not know how or when our hopes in Him will be realized, they are certain. His promises are faithful and true.

QUESTIONS

• Share a time when you hoped for something. Were your hopes fulfilled? How did that impact you?
• What are some of the things you hope for in Christ?
• What does it look like to hope in Christ?
• What are some things in your life that challenge this hope?

 

Justification and Endurance

We can only have hope because we have been justified. On the cross, Jesus Christ paid the full penalty deserved for all our sins. By faith in Him, His righteousness gets credited to us as a gift. We are saved by grace through faith. Because of this, we have peace with God.

This is what transforms our suffering in this life into something beautiful. Paul talks about how because of Christ, our suffering produces endurance, which forms our character, and results in hope. The object of our hope from start to finish is Jesus Christ, but by endurance our hope in Him grows. We press on to a glorious goal.

QUESTIONS

• How has your relationship with Christ changed your perspective on suffering? Where is it still a challenge?
• Can you think of a particular example in your life where endurance produced hope in you?
• What does the peace of God look like in your life?

 

PAUSE AND PRAY for one another about any current struggles. Remember that Christ is faithful and present even when we struggle with discouragement and feel distant.

 

Honor and Service

“Hope does not put us to shame.” In Ancient Near Eastern culture, a person shared in the honor and shame of their family name. As Christians, we are adopted into the only family with enduring honor. You belong. We look forward to the day when Christ returns and any lingering shame is washed away forever, when we get to enjoy the full experience of life in His family, and the full joy of His presence.

In Ephesians 4, we find that the work of the ministry belongs to all the saints. We are all called to serve. And as we build one another up individually, we are building up the church corporately. Every little act of service is a little picture of Christ, and together in the church we make a beautiful masterpiece depicting Christ to the world.

QUESTIONS

• What does it mean to belong to the family of God?
• Who are some of the people that have been a little picture of Christ in your life?
• Have you served in church before? If so, in what ways? If not, why not?
  • Note: serving is often a challenge, and we are not always in a position to do it. This is an opportunity for reflection, not for guilting one another to serve.
• What are some obstacles that make serving in the church difficult?
• Jesus said, “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Matt. 10:42). What can this teach us about the connection between service and hope?

 

TOGETHER IN PRAYER

Take some time to pray for the church as a picture of Christ in the world, that as His servants we would be faithful to depict Christ well. Pray for the global church, the church in our country, the church in West Michigan, for Magnify Church, for your campus, and for your small group. Have different group members pray for the church at different levels, and don’t be afraid to ask the rest of the group for suggestions about what to pray for. Remember your prayers don’t have to be long for God to honor them. When you pray, you participate in the work of these ministries.