07.09.08
Small Group Plan - July 6, 2008
“Better Together”
Unity
Small Group Plan
July 6, 2008
Dear Small Group Leader,
In his classic, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,
Let him who cannot be alone beware of community. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone.
God Himself concluded that it is not good for one of us to be alone. He created us social. He wants us to be together and deep down we want to be together. Why? We are better together.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· If you could design and build your own home, what would it look like?
· What might be the difficulties of building your own home?
· How could a partner make the task easier and more enjoyable?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
A Pile Of Rocks?
1 Peter 2:1-8
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message — which is also what they were destined for.
· What is the source of a Christian’s nourishment (Vs. 2)?
· List all the phrases that describe Jesus.
· What does Jesus actually do as “the living stone” (Vs. 4)?
· What does it mean that we too are “living stones” (Vs. 5)?
· How can Jesus be a “capstone” (Vs. 7) for some and a “stumbling” stone (Vs. 
for others?
· How is Jesus still being rejected today?
· What attitude and spirit is required for human individuality to be “built into a spiritual house” (Vs. 5)?
A Holy House
1 Peter 2:9-10
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
· How does being chosen by God for a special task make you feel?
· How would you describe the “darkness” that God called you out of?
· How does it feel to live and walk around in the “light”?
· What “praises of Him” can we share with others?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· What is the challenge of being “holy”?
· Why is living “holy” the best style of life?
· What must “individuality” give up for “partnership” to grow?
· Why do we think we (Prestoncrest) are better together?
Close with prayer for our unity over the next two months?