LIFE GROUPS
LIFE CHANGE HAPPENS BEST IN SMALL GROUPS
Group Discussion Questions
Week 1 - Love
LOVE
Fruit of the Spirit - Part 1 of 9
1. Is your group new? Take time to get introduced and share what you hope to gain from the group experience (A fun way to do introductions is to pair up and ask about family, occupation, one thing most people might not know about you, and then each person introduces their new friend to the group). Is your group regathering? Share a joy and/or a challenge in your life since you last met together.
2. Read Galatians 5:16-23. This is our guiding text for the whole series. Which of these fruit of the Spirit do you hope to understand more?
3. Pastor Mark shared three practical ways we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to see the fruit of love produced in our lives. The first is to understand the depth of God’s love for you. Read Ephesians 3:17-19. How has your understanding of God’s love changed or deepened over time?
4. The second is to receive God’s love. Read 1 John 4:19. Our capacity to love comes from receiving God’s love. What are some reasons why it might be difficult for someone to receive God’s love?
5. The third is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you interact through the day. Have you experienced the Holy Spirit guiding and prompting you? How did you recognize it?
6. God’s love is self-giving and sacrificial and we are called to reflect that in our life. Who is the Holy Spirit prompting you to love more in that way? What would that look like this week?
7. Take time to pray for one another and for the person God is calling you to demonstrate his love towards.
Week 2 - Joy
JOY
Fruit of the Spirit - Part 2 of 9
1. Does anybody have a report about demonstrating love to someone this past week?
2. Read Psalm 100 and share praise and thanksgiving around the circle.
3. What things have you chased thinking they would make you happy? Why did it fall short?
4. Read Galatians 5:22-23. Our focus this week is on Joy. How do you distinguish true Christian joy from mere happiness?
5. Can I experience Christian Joy even if I battle depression or grief and loss? Why?
6. Pastor Matt shared five sources of Joy: awareness of Grace (1 Peter 1:8-9), Verbalizing my Praise (Ps 100:1, Acts 15:3), Enjoying God’s presence and Word (Ps 16:11, Ps 119:11), Faithful Service to God and others (Phil 2:17), and Wholehearted obedience to the Lord (Ps 112:1). Taking each one at a time, how does each source help us break out of a spiritual rut of negativity?
7. Which one is the Holy Spirit leading you to focus on this week?
8. Take time to pray for one another
NOTE: There will be a community-wide WORSHIP NIGHT at Brandywine on Sunday, March 2nd, at 6 pm. It’s going to be an amazing night of unity and praise! We hope our groups can support it with both your presence and your prayers!
Week 3 - Peace
PEACE
Fruit of the Spirit - Part 3 of 9
1. How was your joy level this week? Were you able to practice one of the sources of joy more intentionally?
2. This weeks discussion is about growing the fruit of peace in our lives. What’s the most peaceful place you have visited? What made if feel peaceful?
3. Isaiah 59:8 says “They don’t know where to find peace or what it means to be just and good. They have mapped out crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moments peace.” What “crooked roads” have you traveled trying to find peace?
4. Jesus says in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you.” How does Jesus peace differ from the worlds peace? Describe what real peace would look like in someone’s life.
5. When I have peace with God through Jesus, I am to strive to live at peace with others. Romans 12:17-18 says “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see that you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone”. Discuss a situation where you are having some conflict. How could I apply these verses this week?
6. Philippians 4:6-7 says “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for what he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Go around and share something you have worried about this past week and take time to pray for one another (One idea is to have each person pray for the one on their right). Each time it comes to mind this week, remember to give it to God in prayer!
Week 4 - Patience
PATIENCE
Fruit of the Spirit - Part 4 of 9
1. How did it go turning your worries back to prayer last week?
2. This week we are looking the fruit of patience. Who is someone in your life that exhibits patience? How do they display it?
3. What does impatience look like?
4. The Apostle Paul spoke of God’s patience towards him when he wrote: “But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Tim 1:16 NLT). Reflecting on your own testimony, how has God showed his patient love towards you?
5. James 1:2-4 says: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” Describe a trial or trouble you have gone through recently. How has it grown you?
6. Pastor Paul challenged us to consider “what root is preventing the fruit”. Thinking about your life, can you identity a thought, emotion or habit that fights against developing patience?
7. Patience is displayed in the context of relationship, Thinking about the week ahead, what opportunities will you have to display patience to others? What would it look like for you to be patient with that person (or circumstance)?
8. Take time to pray for one another.
Week 5 - Kindness
KINDNESS
LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION - WEEK 5
1. Last week we talked about the fruit of patience. How did it go with the particular person or circumstance you wanted to display more patience with this past week?
2. This week Pastor Mark defined kindness as a gracious disposition towards others in my character and attitude. Who is a person in your life that is kind and what does that kindness look like?
3. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5. This list is the opposite of kindness. How does this list make you feel?
4. Pastor Mark taught that kindness is directly related to the condition of our hearts. When we practice “abiding in Christ” our hearts become soft inside, and we bear kindness. The message suggested 4 ways to cultivate kindness:
Remember to be thankful for what God has done. We must remember how blessed we are! “The more I am grateful for the kindness of God toward me, the kinder I will be to those around me.
2. Practice abiding in Christ through prayer, bible study and Christian fellowship.
3. Pursue living a holy life. When we allow compromising sin in our lives, it pollutes our hearts and minds. We must repent and get close to God. True repentance means we change our mind and direction so deeply that it changes us.
4. Choose to forgive. Harboring unforgiveness hardens our hearts and robs us of the fruit of kindness. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was me. Kindness means we are willing to forgive others like God forgave us.
Discuss together how each one impacts the development of kindness.
5. Why is our family (or close circle) often the most difficult place to practice kindness? Who in our close circle can we display more kindness towards?
6. Take time to pray for one another
Week 6 - Goodness
GOODNESS
LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION - WEEK 6
1. Read Galatians 5:22-23 and then see if you can recite it from memory!
2. Last week we discussed the fruit of Kindness and we ended with a challenge to better display kindness in our family (or close circle). How did that go?
3. This week we are talking about GOODNESS. Read Psalm 34:1-10. What are some aspects of God’s goodness you see in this verse? How has God been good to you this week?
4. The message brought out some concrete examples of reflecting God’s goodness to people around us. One is that God chooses to show his goodness to both the righteous and the wicked, and we should do the same. Is there someone in your life that needs to experience goodness even though they don’t deserve it? What could you do to show goodness to them this week?
5. The message pointed out that correction can be an expression of goodness. How can I offer and receive it that way? Can you give an example?
6. We were reminded on Sunday that goodness can involve giving healing and freedom, encouragement, and practical help. Talk about a time you experienced goodness from another in one of these ways.
7. How did the story of the three red marbles affect you? What does it illustrate about goodness?
8. Who can I show God’s goodness to this week? How can I be more aware of opportunities all around me to do good?
9. Take time to pray for one another
Week 7 - Faithfulness
FAITHFULNESS
Fruit of the Spirit - Part 7 of 9
1. How did it go demonstrating goodness this past week?
2. Read Luke 16:10-12. Can you give some examples of being faithful in “little things”? Is there a ‘little thing” you need to be faithful in right now?
3. Read James 1:2-3. Can you think of a bible character who demonstrated faithfulness in difficult circumstances? How did they show faithfulness?
4. What is a difficult circumstance you are facing that is testing you? What can you do to show faithfulness in the midst of that?
5. Describe a time you felt betrayed by someone. Does it still impact you? How can reflecting on God’s faithfulness help you heal?
6. What is my biggest growth point when it comes to faithfulness?
7. Take time to pray for one another, including your desire to grow in faithfulness.
8. SAVE THE DATE: Community Serve Day, Saturday, April 12, 9-noon. We will have opportunities to serve together in our community with some of our ministry partners or at the church as we prepare the campus for Easter. Sign ups will be available next week!
Week 8 - Gentleness
GENTLENESS
Fruit of the Spirit - Part 8 of 9
1. Was there a “small thing” you were able to be faithful in this past week?
2. Pastor Paul described gentleness as “strength under control.” Go around the circle and complete the sentence: When I think of a gentle person, I think of someone who is ______________________”.
3. Who is someone in your life that exhibits the quality of gentleness and in what way?
4. Read Isaiah 53. As we head toward Easter, reflect on specific aspects of this chapter you see fulfilled in Jesus. How do we see ‘strength under control” demonstrated in Jesus from this chapter?
5. Pastor Paul shared that we can display gentleness in our conduct (Titus 3:1-2) our conflict (Proverbs 15:1), and our convictions (1 Peter 3:14-16). Which one of these area’s is most challenging for you? What is one way you can be more gentle in that area this week?
6. We are all encouraged to be a part of our Serve Day on Saturday, April, 12 from 9 am to Noon. What service project would your Life Group enjoy?
- Beautifying the Church Campus (planting flowers, mulching, etc.)
- Serving with and learning about the Brandywine Community Garden
- Helping deep clean the Brandywine Kid’s classrooms
- Serving at Life Choices Care Center
- Serving at the Hancock County Food Pantry
- Painting project at Hancock Hope House
- Cleaning project at the Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen
Click below to sign up!
7. Take time to pray for one another
Week 9 - Self Control
SELF-CONTROL
1. If you have not yet registered your group for a serve project on Sat, April 12, 9-12 am, take a minute to choose one. You can register using the link at the bottom of the page.
- Beautifying the Church Campus (planting flowers, mulching, etc.)
- Serving with and learning about the Brandywine Community Garden
- Helping deep clean the Brandywine Kid’s classrooms
- Serving at Life Choices Care Center
- Serving at the Hancock County Food Pantry
- Painting project at Hancock Hope House
- Cleaning project at the Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen (Friday, April 11th, 1-3pm)
2. Did you have an opportunity to display gentleness this week - in either your conduct, conflict, or convictions?
3. If gentleness is “strength under control”, what are other area’s of life we should seek to have self control or restraint?
4. What’s an area of your life where you feel out of control? What’s one thing you’ll do about it?
5. Read Galatians 5:25. As we conclude our series, what have you learned and what will you put into practice to walk in the Spirit more consistently?
6. Congrats on completing the Fruit of the Spirit series! As a fitting ending, we encourage you to take communion together as a group. An outline to guide your experience is provided below.
LIFE GROUP COMMUNION
1. Distribute the elements around the circle so everyone has both a cup and a small piece of bread. You can pick up packaged elements at the church prior to your group, or provide the elements yourself by purchasing some matzah or oyster crackers (or even bake a loaf of bread) and grape juice.
2. Ask a member of the group to read Matthew 26:17-30
3. The leader may say a few words: “Jesus took the bread and cup of passover and gave it new meaning. It is now to be practiced by Christians all over world as a remembrance of his atoning death for our sin and of his soon return, and as we approach Good Friday and Easter, it is all the more significant. As we end our study of the fruit of the spirit, we are also reminded that it is not in our striving but by walking with him that we bear this precious fruit.”
4. Hold up the bread and say “The bread represents Christ’s body, broken for us. Let’s eat it together.”
5. Hold up the cup and say “the cup represents Christs blood, shed for the forgiveness of our sin. Lets drink it together”
6. Consider playing a worship song or worship video as you end. A suggestion is “Love of God” by Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham.
7. Ask a member of the group to close in prayer.
Click below to sign up for serve day!