SERMON NOTES & SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

GUEST SPEAKER RON WALTERS

SERMON NOTES

This week’s small group questions are not based on the sermon since we have a
guest speaker.

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 SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS – A LIFE WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Getting Started
1. “Organic” is a buzz word these days, especially with food. What makes
something organic? What is the difference between an organic orange and a
non-organic orange? If you’ve ever done a comparison between organic food
and non-organic food, describe the difference you noticed in quality of taste or
flavor.

2. Another word for organic is “natural.” Given the choice, do you prefer food that is
all-natural or man-made (i.e. chemically manipulated with non-food additives or
preservatives)? Why do you like one type of food over the other? Why is this
important to you?

Digging Deeper
1. Our small groups are designed to be environments where “organic” community
happens (i.e. small groups that feed on God’s word, without mixing in any man-
made teachings). What does organic community look like? What types of things
happen in a community that is “all-natural,” without any additives or
preservatives?

2. Read Matthew 22:36-40. How does an organic community love God and love
people? What are some of the practices of a small group that honors the
“greatest commandment?” What might this group value, celebrate, or make
important? Describe some very practical expressions of loving God and loving
people.

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3. Read John 10:10. What does life look like in a community that is Jesus-
centered? How might Jesus “give life” to a small group like this? How have you
seen or experienced Jesus giving life to your group? How does life, in
community, become “abundant,” “full,” or “rich”?

4. Read the following verses and discuss how organic community and abundant
life go hand-in-hand. Talk about how, just like the human body, all the parts of
community are necessary for a rich and full experience of life.

I Corinthians 12:12, 13, & 27

Ephesians 1:22, 23; 4:11, 12, 16

Colossians 1:24; 2:18, 19

5. Unity is one proof that a community is alive. Read Romans 12:4, 5. Unity means
“oneness, harmony, and the absence of diversity.” Describe a small group that is
unified. What does this small group look like? What happens when these people
are together? How would a visitor to this group know they are unified?

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 Bringing it Home
1. Read 2 Peter 3:18. Small groups move people toward spiritual health & growth.
Think back to life before small group. How did a spiritually healthy life feel
unattainable to you? How were you struggling to grow? Now, as a participant of
an organic small group, where are you noticing health in your life? What about
growth? How is your life vibrant, energized, and abundant because of your
involvement in community?

2. With health and growth comes clarity about God’s mission for our lives. Jesus is
always calling us to the “next thing” in his Kingdom.
• What next “faith step” are you feeling nudged toward?
• What area of your life needs to be fine-tuned?
• Who have you been concerned about?
• What relationship/friendship have you been thinking about?
• What have you heard in recent sermons, or noticed in Bible studies, that
feel like God is calling you to make a “next step” of faith?
• How can this organic small group assist or encourage you in taking this
step?

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