Life Groups // Fall 2025 // Week 1
Posted September 5, 2025 — Lincoln Berean
The Joy of Authentic Christian Community // 1 John 1:1-4
A brief note:
If you have been a part of Life Groups in the past, you will notice some changes to the format of these Life Group questions. We are removing the "Warm Up" (other than this first week) and "Getting Started" sections, adding a section called "Study Questions (to complete on your own)" and modifying the "Prayer" and "Personal Spiritual Exercises" sections.
Introduction
Did you know, as a person made in the image of God, you were made for relationship? We start our sermons series, Face to Face, in 1 John acknowledging this truth about our identity in Christ – that authentic community with God and with others is essential. In fact, it brings a fullness of joy. This week's passage leads us to consider how taking intentional steps toward building authentic community can result in growth and multiplication in the life of the believer and the church.
Warm Up
For Life Groups that are meeting for the first time:
1) Go around the circle and ask everyone to answer these “H” questions.
Hello – Tell us a little bit about yourself.
History – What brought you to LBC/Life Group?
Hobby – What do you enjoy doing?
Happy – What is a place, activity or person that is your happy place?
For Life Groups that are reconnecting:
If you have a couple of new members in your group you might want to have everyone answer the questions above before continuing with the questions below.
1) What is happening in your life/family right now?
2) How did God work in your life this summer?
Study Questions (to complete on your own)
1) Read 1 John 1:1 – 4 in a couple different translations of Scripture. Make note of words or phrases that are repeated. Look up unfamiliar words (e.g., manifest or fellowship) in a dictionary or thesaurus and identify a definition that best fits the way the word was used in the passage.
2) Read John 1:1-5 and John 17:3. What are some details in these verses that give you a better understanding of who or what is meant by the Word of Life (v.1) and eternal life (v. 2)?
3) In one or two sentences, summarize the main idea of 1 John 1:1 – 4.
Discussion Questions (with your group)
1) Notice in the text that John emphasizes the senses (seen, heard, touch) in this passage. Why do you think John presents himself in this way? How does it uniquely qualify him to testify concerning the Word of Life and eternal life?
Share of a time when you experienced God through your senses either by way of seeing, hearing or touching. What is the testimony that God brought about in your life from this experience? How have you proclaimed this testimony to others? If you haven't shared it, what hinders you from doing so?
2) What do the words community and fellowship mean to you? Do you see them as the same thing or different in any way?
3) The word translated fellowship is the Greek word koinonia, which means fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation. Would you describe your life as a life of koinonia with God and with others as 1 John 1:3 suggests? Why or why not?
4) Do you notice complete joy in your life when you are in fellowship with God and with others? If not, what might be some barriers keeping you from experiencing joy in community?
There are a whole host of reasons for us to pursue relationship. Knowing that complete joy is an outcome of authentic fellowship with God and others, is experiencing joy the main thing that motivates you to participate in relationship? What are some reasons for pursuing relationship that may fall short resulting in surface-level relationships or even isolation?
Personal Spiritual Exercises
Just like physical exercises help strengthen and stretch our bodies for healthy living, these spiritual exercises are meant to move us spiritually in ways that may be new so that we might experience inner growth. Since God longs for us to experience Him with our whole selves—mind, body, spirit— we invite you to strengthen your souls with exercises that challenge and stretch you in new ways. Choose one and commit to repeating it until you gain strength in that area.
1) Scripture Reading: to listen and soak in the Word as an experience of the words washing over you. Read or listen to the entire letter of 1 John at least twice/week. As you take it in, resist the impulse to study and parse the details. The point is not to gain “head knowledge” but a stirring in the heart as the Holy Spirit brings the Word to life in you.
2) Memorization:to internalize God’s Word. A key passage for this series is 1 John 4:7-14. Commit to memorize it yourself and encourage others in your group to do it with you.
3) Walk & Pray: to actively engage with the scripture passage. Write out the passage of the sermon each week on a note card and take it with you on a daily walk.
4) Journal Reflection: to practice remembering what God has done. Make time in your schedule to put down in writing the feelings and thoughts that are stirring as you interact with the Word of God.
5) Self-control Exercise: to help you come to stillness from a busy or hurried pace of life. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Sit upright but comfortably in a chair with your palms open and upward on your lap. Focus on a word or short phrase about the character of God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. When your thoughts wander to the things on your to-do list or other people’s needs, redirect them back to the character of God. When the 10 minutes is up, close in a short prayer of gratitude.
Prayer
Praying together in a group is different than praying alone with God. It's a conversation that can help you grow closer to each other as you are in God's presence. One way to pray follows this often-used pattern in scripture – acknowledge who God is, recognize the need we have for Him, and ask to partner with Him on behalf of others. When possible, use the passage of scripture from this week's sermon as your starting point, then form a prayer that follows this pattern:
God, our Father, this week we learned that you are ________________ and ________________ .
As I looked into your Word, I understood how I need you to __________________________. Help me to be faithful to ________________________ in the week ahead.
Other people are on my heart, and I trust that you have put them there for a reason. I ask for your will to be accomplished in their life as they ______________________________. Help me to know how to respond well to the needs of __________________________, even as my first step is in praying for them right now.
Each group engages in prayer differently. Some groups go around and allow anyone to pray that desires to do so. Other groups have several people pray or maybe 1 person closes the group in prayer. Still other groups split into smaller groups of 2-3 people and those people pray for each other. How you choose to engage in prayer is dependent on your group and your choice to ENGAGE! We learn to pray by praying and by listening and praying with others!