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Connect

How would you feel if you knew that you had failed another person who was very important to you?

Cultivate

Summary: Living a life of confession, repentance and faith allows us to experience daily fellowship with God.

Read 1 John 1:5-2:2 and ask the following questions:

1. What do you like about this passage?

2. What do you find uncomfortable or difficult to understand in this passage?

3. What appears to be the main idea emphasized in this passage? (Look for repeated words or ideas.)

Consider how the following passages increase our understanding of this topic:

Read Psalm 32:1-5.

  • How does King David describe his experience while he was refusing to acknowledge his sin to God?
  • How did David respond to God after experiencing forgiveness?

Read Colossians 2:6-14.

  • How does a person receive Jesus?
  • How are believers to walk in ongoing fellowship with Jesus?  
  • What has God done with our sins?
  • What kind of authority or right does Jesus have to forgive us our sins?
  • How does it feel to know that Jesus has forgiven all of your sins, even the ones that cause you to feel ashamed?

4. What are the beliefs and values promoted in these passages?

5. What do they reveal about our human condition and God’s response?

6. How are these beliefs and values similar or different from those that have influenced you? (such as your family, culture, peers, church, etc.)

7. How might our faith increase and our lives change as we embrace what is true and important?

8. In light of what we’ve discussed, how can we pray for each other right now?

Care

Since we last met, what happened as a result of expressing Christ’s love to others?

How can you, or we, express Christ’s love to others this week?

Here are a few ideas:

  • Pray God would meet their deepest needs.
  • Help meet a felt need they have.
  • Encourage them with a text, note or verbally.
  • Give them a thoughtful gift or buy them coffee.
  • Invite them to do something fun or meaningful.
  • Listen to their story.
  • Explore their thoughts on the gospel.

If you struggle to share God’s love for others, take the time to ponder God’s infinite and unconditional love for you. Knowing God’s love for yourself can help you to share His love with others.

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