Small Group Notes for 22nd June 2025
N.B. Sermon can be heard via our website and YouTube channel and the Paper Service version is on our website.
Read and Reflect: Ephesians 5:8-20 & Matthew 7:15-23
Questions:
Start by praying for God to be present in your conversation, and for a spirit of openness, wisdom and collaborative problem-solving.
Read Ephesians 5:8–20. You might like to use both the NIV and The Message.
Note: You can select, skip or adjust the questions as needed to get the right balance of encouragement and challenge for the people in your group. You might prefer to split into smaller groups to discuss some questions.
- Consider the list of dos and don’ts in this passage. Which one do group members find most challenging?
- How much experience do group members have of finding out what pleases the Lord (v10) and understanding what the Lord’s will is (v17)? How can you help each other with this?
- What safeguards do you have in place to help you to follow Jesus and avoid foolish choices (v17)? Who helps you to be accountable for your fruitfulness? How?
- Can group members identify times you have realised you were putting on a façade that didn’t match the reality you were living? How did you resolve that?
- How would you go about exposing ‘the fruitless deeds of darkness’ in a godly way that balances grace and integrity? Have group members done this before? Is there anything you would do differently next time?
- If you were writing a set of ‘rules of engagement’ for exposing ‘fruitless deeds of darkness’ in a way that honours God, what would they be?
- If you were in the receiving end of someone’s correction in this way, how might you handle that conversation, your emotions, your actions and your ongoing relationship with that person in a way that honours God? What would you do if you felt they were wrong? What role could other group members play in that process?
- Consider the instruction to share psalms, hymns and songs with each other. Is this a regular feature of your group’s interactions with each other? If not, in what practical ways might you incorporate this into your day-to-day life?
- What are the Christian songs that get stuck in your head? Do you need to add some more or remember some old ones? How could you go about adding some this week?
Spend some time praying for your own walk with God, your integrity and accountability, and any difficult ‘exposing’ situations group members are facing. Pray for God’s help in making any necessary ’course corrections’ so your life is a clearer signpost to Jesus.