Dr. Don Denyes // Rockford Campus // January 26, 2025

SMALL GROUP
DISCUSSION GUIDE

THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: Luke 13:31-35

REMINDERS

*SUNDAY EVENING PROGRAMMING FOR 1/26 IS OFF*

WINTER BIBLE STUDIES (Beginning the week of January 12, 2025)

Both Men’s and Women’s Winter Bible Studies begin this week at the Rockford and Northview campuses. Registration for each is open on the events page of the website.

LEADER DEVELOPMENT CLASS (Sundays, 6–7pm – Rockford Campus, “The Pond” downstairs by the library)

Next Sunday (2/2), we begin a new series through the book LEAD by Paul David Tripp. See the Winter/Spring schedule attached:

LDC Schedule WinterSpring 2025

Though this book is written most directly to Ministry Directors, it contains helpful nuggets of truth for us all to learn from.

Our hope is that as we dig into the critical Gospel elements of leadership, we’ll not only be able to assess our own hearts as we lead, but also grow in knowing how to pray for and encourage our Church Leadership.

Jan 26: No Sunday nights due to Ignite (Friday, January 24)
Feb 2: *NEW SERIES* Lead by Paul David Tripp

 

TOGETHER IN LIFE

In his message, Don shared a story of a young man whose life was saved by a friend offering a simple act of kindness. This seemingly small moment bloomed into a friendship that gave both of them purpose and life.

Share about a friend you’ve had who has “given you life”. What about them felt so life-giving? In what ways was your life changed, shaped, or even saved through this person’s kindness?

TOGETHER IN THE WORD

THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: Luke 13:31-35

Note: If you are meeting as a group, we encourage you to read the entire text together out loud.

KEY QUESTION:

• In our waywardness, God’s loving kindness shown to us through Christ is right there, waiting for us. What does it look like for you to be reminded of this? When you wander from the heart of the Father, what helps remind you to find shelter in him?

GOING DEEPER:

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

Jesus confronts both the religious leaders – the Pharisees (directly) – and political one – Herod (indirectly) – in this text. God’s heart is always calling people to repentance and to know His love for them. Jesus was able to speak boldly and remain at peace in His soul knowing what lay ahead for Him (the crucifixion) because of His trust in the Father.

QUESTIONS:

• In what ways do you find peace in the presence of the Father? How does trusting God in this way help you be bold?
• What was at the heart of Jesus’ confrontation?
• Read Mark 8:34-35. In what ways is Jesus living this out here? In what way might you need to speak with boldness in your life?

Jesus has Compassion on those who are lost

Jesus was not discouraged or distracted by what the Pharisees had in their hearts to do to take Him out. In the security He had with the Father, He moved toward those who He knew would ultimately bring His death. In this, we are confronted with the hard part of the Good News: our own destructiveness and rebellion is what makes a gap between us and the Father that we can never bridge. Like the people of Israel, we too, kill our own “prophets” in our lives who are both wooing and warning us of the consequences of sin.

QUESTIONS:

• In what ways has Israel mistreated the prophets across their history?
• What might it look like in your life to abuse, misuse, or ignore someone who is speaking the Words of God to you?
• What are we called to do in the face of our mistreatment of God’s loving kindness?
• Read Ezekiel 33:10-11. What does this have to say about God’s view of sin and his view of us? How ought we respond?
• Read 2 Peter 3:9 and 1 Tim. 2:3-4. Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just return now? What does this text tell us about the heart of the Father for all who are lost? What is our role to be in their lives?

 

Jerusalem and it’s temple had become devoid of the Glory of God. His presence was not with the people as it had been before.

With Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, He gave an honest assessment of the situation (“you kill those sent to you… your house is abandoned…”), but He does not restrict His mercy or grace – He promises to show up when people humble themselves (he will come when they confess “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”).

In this, we see the Gospel shine through: God’s grace is greater than our abandonment of Him.

QUESTION:

• What does it look like for someone’s life to be empty of God’s presence?
• How does one receive the indwelling of God’s Spirit within them?
• How can you encourage others to receive this gift? What would you say are the greatest benefits? What are some of the consequences of not having His presence with you?
• Who do you need to pray for in your life to know God like this?

TOGETHER IN ACTION

This week, take time to consider: “Do I really live as though the presence of God is with me, all the time?”

Some helpful questions to assess this:

• What is different from my life following God’s way, versus going my own way? What does it look like for me to live life apart from God’s will?
• What do I need to add or do more of to abide with Jesus daily?
• What do I need to remove or do less of to abide with Jesus daily?

TOGETHER IN PRAYER

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.” – (John 15:7-8)

Pray together as a group:

• Pray to abide in Christ daily.
• Pray that you would hunger to know Him more and to grow in your love for Him.
• Pray for each other to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Christ; to seek to know Him more than anything else.
• Pray for conviction of the Spirit to press down to diminish the hunger for things outside of Christ (sin, the flesh, etc.)
• Pray to see how those outside of your group may love Jesus more by knowing you.