Life Groups // Fall 2020 // Week 4
Posted October 3, 2020 — Lincoln Berean
Why Unity Matters // John 17:1-26
Introduction
Welcome to the fourth week of the Fall 2020 session!
This week we begin to look at what is often referred to as The High Priestly Prayer because in it, Jesus prays to the Father on behalf of His disciples. Though the language might seem unfamiliar to you at first, we invite you to hear these words as the disciples heard them during that last night with Jesus before He was crucified – tender words to strengthen and inspire them for difficult times ahead.
We don’t provide a lot of space for your answers to these questions, so we suggest having a journal handy to write down your thoughts. You’re not expected to have time for all these questions during your online meeting, but we encourage you to reflect on them and jot down thoughts on your own.
Getting to Know Each Other (Suggested time: 30 min)
Begin your group time by learning more about each other. Open up and have some fun! Here are some suggestions to get your conversation started:
- Think of a nickname you had growing up. Was it something you enjoyed being called or did it make you cringe every time you heard it? Share about the way that name shaped your view of yourself.
- What is one thing you’d like others to remember about your life?
Getting Started
Begin to transition into group discussion.
1) Hosts can pray to open the group or ask someone else to lead out. Here are a few potential prayer items:
- For the Spirit of God to lead you in truth
- For openness to what you’re learning together
- For friendships to deepen and grow
2) Invite someone (or a couple of people) to read John 17 to the group.
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Study Questions (Suggested time: 40 min)
Please complete these questions prior to your group’s meeting time.
1) Share a time when you experienced God’s care or guidance in your life.
2) Verse 3 is the only time when Jesus clearly defines eternal life. Based on what we’ve learned in John so far, describe in your own words what Jesus is saying.
- Reflect for a moment on how well you know God. If you’re willing, share how you’ve come to know God the way you do today.
3) As Jesus faces His darkest hours on earth, rather than choosing to be alone with the Father, He prays for and with His disciples. What can we gain by hearing these intimate words Jesus shares with the Father about His friends?
4) Read verses 20-21 aloud again. Do you notice the phrase that includes you?!
- Rewrite those verses, inserting your name where it belongs to personalize the message.
- Share how it made you feel to see and hear your name included in Jesus’ prayer.
5) Back in John 13:34-35, Jesus clearly stated the value of unity among His followers – the message of the gospel hinges on how the world sees us love each other.
- Where do you see the theme of unity repeated in this week’s passage?
- How easy is it for you to love other believers these days?
If you would like to learn more about opportunities to witness or participate in God’s kingdom in Lincoln and around the world, contact outreach@lincolnberean.org or checkout this Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/lincolnbereanlocal
Group Prayer (Suggested time: 10 min)
Take a few moments to prepare a prayer request, considering how others might pray for you specifically this week.
A significant part of creating unity with God and one another is being open and honest with our lives. Praying with a group of people may be a new experience for you, or it may be familiar. Whether or not you choose to verbalize your prayer, everyone is a participant in sharing this time before God together.