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LifeGroups Leader’s Guide (from the message given on Sunday, January 18) [Speaker: Pastor Becky White] [Sermon Series: Book of Ephesians] “In Him” Part 1 = Ice Breaker ● What is a item that is found in your current home that you’ve kept from your home as a child that reminds you of that home and that has significant value to you. Part 2 = Discussion – This week Pastor Becky White was introduced as the newest staff member of the Community Life Team, specifically with an emphasis in Pastoral Counseling. Pastor Becky continued the Ephesian series and talked about how we have a home “in Him” a place where we belong and can be safe regardless of what we’ve done or what kind of day we’ve had. 1. Invite someone to read out loud Ephesian 1:914 2. Pastor Becky mentioned that God stands in front of us with a bag of groceries that has every spiritual blessing in it that we need, but we usually turn it down in order to go earn it for ourselves or beg for it from someone else. a. Have each person identify one thing that they know they need from God’s bag but tend to try to earn on their own or beg someone else for. This could be something intrinsic or extrinsic. b. Continue by having people share why they think they go to the sources that they go to in order to receive what they want. Or what makes them turn down God as the sources of what they need. 3. Commenting on the mystery in verses 910, Pastor Becky said that there is beauty for us in this mystery because God’s plan was always to include and unite “all people” even though His plan was initially a mystery to the Jews and only gave them access to a unique relationship with God. a. Have group members share an example of something that they were proud to belong to, or a group that they felt especially honored to be connected to. b. Ask how do they respond to the fact that everyone is included in God’s club. Should everyone be included? 4. In verse 1112 Pastor Becky emphasized how being God’s chosen people automatically gives us value both to Him and to others because He zeroed in on us and communicated that we were wanted and desired. a. Have the group share examples of ways that they determine the value of things in their lives, the value of people in their lives, and their own value. b. Have group members use one word to describe how: In view their relationship with God how do they see themselves; and then a word to describe how they think God see them. c. Ask the question how have you shown or communicated value to others in your life? 5. Pastor Becky shared about how in therapeutic circles the concept of markings from our childhood help explain how and why we develop certain filters in which we view the world or interpret things that happen to us, whether good or bad. In verse 13 we learned that we have now been marked by God and this becomes our new filter for how we see things coming into our lives or how we process what God is doing around us. a. What are some practical steps to develop the uses of the new filter that God has given us now that we are marked by Him? b. Ask group members about some of their favorite bible verses that they use to combat negative thoughts in their minds, or lies from satan, or unhealthy behaviors in their lives. 6. Pastor Becky shared about how we usually have confidence to swipe your debit card and purchase the groceries or store items that we need at the beginning of the month, but 23 weeks in that confidence may not always be there because the deposit at the beginning of the month only guarantees a limited amount of purchases. In verse 14 we find out that God’s deposit is a guarantee that we can always depend on and never will come up as insufficient funds. a. Ask group members to share one or two areas that they need help in trusting God more vs depending on their own insufficiency. b. Knowing that Christ life was the down payment for our salvation and that His blood redeemed us how can group members encourage one to go to God for the spiritual purchases we need to make? Part 3 = Prayer ● Share prayer requests with one another. ● Pray for the homeless areas that still exist in our lives. ● Ask for the strength and courage to face areas where we want to do it ourselves or earn it for ourselves. ● Close by thanking God for having a home in Him and having a place to belong. We would love to hear from you! Please send any comments or suggestions to: [email protected]