Walking with Jesus

Connect Groups

Walking with Jesus

Week of 10/1/17
Texts: 1 Samuel 1, John 15:5

I. Time to Share Life and Fellowship (10-20 min)

Enjoy some informal time with your group, encouraging people to get to know one another. 

Once your group has settled in, invite responses to this question:

Who in your life has exemplified walking with Jesus?

II. Prayer and Accountability (20-30 min)

Invite your group to follow-up on the questions and areas that they shared the previous week.

Now might be a good time to consider one of the questions together—you could prep your group ahead of time that you’ll be focusing on one specific question this week.

Some groups might find it helpful to actually have “accountability buddies”—and have people split in pairs or groups of 3 to talk more in depth about the questions and pray for one another that way.  You could even switch buddies each week by literally drawing everyone’s name from a hat.  It depends on your group make-up and size. 

Here’s the questions again if you need them:

Passion: Where did I see God today?

Accepting: How am I building diverse relationships?

Invitational: Who am I connecting with God’s family?

Trusting: Where does God rank?

Active: How am I engaged with God’s work?

*Make sure you pray at the end of this section and don’t just “talk” about the questions.  Some people have needs or things they have shared that really need addressing in prayer, and we don’t want to just wait until the end for prayer.

III. Bible Study and Discussion (20-30 min)

A. Invite your group to consider the lyrics of the hymns that were shared in Sunday’s sermon.  You can print out this page that has all of the lyrics so that they each have a copy: (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wKVWRuHjgoQ1Lm3gh9p_ru1bYmKRb1U_BL58xTgUEdU/edit?usp=sharing). 

As they prayerfully read, invite them to an

swer this question:

Which lyrics speak most to your heart about walking with Jesus?

I want Jesus to walk with me.
I want Jesus to walk with me.
All along my pilgrim journey,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
leaning on the everlasting arms. 

Leaning, leaning,
safe and secure from all alarms;
leaning, leaning,
leaning on the everlasting arms.

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.

B. Consider Hannah’s story together.  Share together what the things are in your lives that you need to “present before the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:9)?