Connection & Commitment

Session One     Session Two     Session Three

Session One

Discussion

Has there ever been a time when you really committed to something and in spite of your commitment, you didn’t do it? How does making a commitment to other believers help you stick to your own commitments and convictions? Where do you currently feel connection with others?

Engage with Scripture

Read Hebrews 3:12-13 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together. Read Hebrews 10:19-25 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.

Session Two

Exercise

Part of what it means to be made in God’s image is that we all have a capacity for connectedness. That’s why God said: “It isn’t good for the man to be alone…” St Paul paints a picture of that connectedness when he writes to his friends in his letter to the Ephesians and says that they are “being rooted and established in love…” When a tree puts roots into the ground, those roots are able to take in nutrients and water, and tree grows and has life and strength. But only if it is rooted in the ground. So let’s take some time to look at this idea of connectedness and what it looks like in your life. John Ortberg in his book “The Me I Want to Be” includes a simple question and answer tool that he calls a “connectedness inventory”. Work through the inventory together and use it as a basis for some reflection and action. When something goes wrong, do I have at least one friend I can easily talk with about it? Do I have a friend I can drop in on at any time without calling ahead? Is there someone who could accurately name my greatest fears and temptations? Do I have one or more friends with whom I meet regularly? Do I have a friend I know well enough to trust and confide in? If I receive good news, do I have a friend I would call immediately just to let them know?

Discussion

In what areas of your life would you like to be encouraged? What about others? Have you ever had really clear insight into someone else’s poor decisions? Did you say anything? Has anyone ever pulled you aside?

Session Three

Engage with Scripture

Read 2 Samuel 12:1-14 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together. Read Psalm 51:1-19 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.

Discussion

What qualities do you look for in a trustworthy person? Who has access to your life? Who has permission to pull you back on course when you drift? How can you be more intentional about making the most of the power of connection in your life? What challenges have you faced when you’ve trusted others?

Project

Learning, growth and change happen through action. So here are some small opportunities to help you engage further with key relationships in your life. There are a few different ways you can take your next step. Take some time to talk through the options together and work out a meaningful way to take what you’re learning further.
  1. Whose faith has had a deep impact on your life? Spend time thanking God for them. Follow up with the opportunity to meaningfully express your gratitude to them.
  2. “The requirement for true friendship and intimacy is chunks of unhurried time.” Review how your schedule helps or hinders you from entering into community. How can you realistically pursue greater depth today?
  3. Think of the closest relationship in your life, one at a time. Ask: “Is this relationship moving me closer to God, or further away? Is it helping me to grow spiritually and morally, or is it producing habits and attitudes that are cause for concern?”
  4. Think about a community you are part of: a small group or team, or your family, for example. Are any dynamics present that might prevent intimacy? Inappropriate use of humour; violating confidence; judgmental statements; premature advice giving.