Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

This past Sunday we preached through John 1:1-18, the prologue to John’s Gospel. In this John sets the stage for Jesus being Light, Creator, and Savior. As we continue in the book of John, it is important to remember this is where John began his letter.

Discussion:

• What stuck out to you from the sermon?

• Was there a particular verse that struck you? Why?

• Why is it important that John begins his Gospel with this prologue?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work this coming week in each individual as we grow together.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

This past Sunday we preached through John 1:19-34. John the Baptist is a fascinating character in the gospel accounts. He is sure that he is not the Messiah and is secure in his purpose that God has given him. He stands up to the religious people of his day and humbles himself by pointing to one greater than himself.

It is when John saw the Holy Spirit come upon Jesus that he realizes Jesus is the Messiah. What is one of the main characteristics of this Messiah? He will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Discussion:

• What stuck out to you about the life of John the Baptist?

• Why is it significant that John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit?

• What is God inviting you into this coming week? How can your group pray and support you in this?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work this coming week in each individual as we grow together.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

This past Sunday we preached through John 1:35-51. The call of the disciples is a beautiful moment in Jesus’ ministry. He shows us that so much of following him is about being with him and “coming and seeing.” The disciples did not have all the answers before they began following Jesus, but they did know one thing: Jesus is the Messiah. This was enough to catapult them into years of following Jesus and a life that would eventually lead to martyrdom for the gospel.

Discussion:

• What stuck out to you about the call of the disciples?

• How does it make you feel when you hear Jesus say, “Come, follow me”? Excited, joyful, nervous, scared, confused, apathetic, etc.

• Where do you hear God’s invitation to “come and see” this coming week?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work this coming week in each individual as we grow together.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

This past Sunday we were blessed to hear from our short-term Middle East Team and our global partners, Ben and Aubree. We heard their stories and the ways that God is at work in the special needs community. It is always to hear how God is at work all over the world.

Discussion:

• What stuck out to you from what our short-term mission team shared?

• What stuck out to you from what Ben and Aubree shared?

• How does what Ben and Aubree shared about their missional experience translate to your neighborhood and your places of influence?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work this coming week in each individual as we grow together.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

We are spending the next few months at Redeemer clarifying and aligning ourselves to the God-given vision of our church. This Sunday we heard about Jesus’ vision for his followers to be people that receive the love of God, are aware and identified by his presence, and live by his power.

LOVE: The Good News of Jesus is that God’s disposition to the world is love. We are saved by God’s grace because of his love. The greatest commandment is to love God with our whole being and to love others. Without God’s love we cannot be in relationship with him or in right relationship with others. Redeemer is a group of people that embrace the love of God for themselves and overflow this love to those around them.

PRESENCE: God desires to be with his people. God is not a distant God that saves us from our sins and waits to see us in heaven one day. He is present in our everyday activities. Like Moses who refused to go into the Promised Land without God’s presence, we will not see God’s kingdom come in Modesto if we are not marked by his presence. It is his presence that forms our identity. Redeemer is a group of people that practice the presence of God and have their identity primarily rooted in his presence.

POWER: God’s love and presence bring grace and identity, but transformation into the likeness of Jesus comes through his power. We are not meant to be saved and not transformed and healed. God desires his people to be changed by his power and to access this power in ministry. Redeemer is a group of people that not only believes in God’s power, but seeks to see his power work in salvation, transformation, and healing of our community.

Living as loved is a reality where each follower of Jesus is being continually transformed by the love of God to become more like Jesus. Being like Jesus includes experiencing God’s presence and power through spiritual practices, community, intentional spiritual formation, and radical mission. We look forward to seeing this vision come to life as Jesus’ kingdom comes to Modesto.

Discussion:

• We say “Lived as Loved” a lot at Redeemer. What does this phrase mean to you?

• Between God’s Love, Presence, and Power, is there one you tend to overemphasize or underemphasize? Why is this?

• Is there something you can practically do this week to intentionally focus on interacting with God’s Love, Presence, or Power?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work this coming week in each individual as we grow together.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

God’s love towards humanity is his natural disposition. Since the beginning of creation God has expressed his loving kindness towards human beings. The story of Israel is a story of God passionately pursuing his people in love. No matter how far God’s people have strayed from his plan, he has always chased after them as a lover would his bride.

At the center of the gospel of Jesus is his perfect love. It is only by God’s love we receive grace in salvation and transformation. Jesus declared the greatest love is put on display when one lays their life down for another (John 15:14). Jesus not only wanted his followers to live out this kind of love, but to receive the love that he gives us through his sacrifice.

Part of following Jesus is recognizing the truest thing about us is we are loved by God. His presence and power are only accessible and tangible to us because he first loved us. This love then leads us into loving relationships with others full of service, justice, care, confession, accountability, and much more!

Discussion:

• Has there been a time when you felt most loved by God? What about a time when you found it difficult to receive God’s love?

• Do you take time daily to receive the love of God for you? What does this practically look like? If not, how can you plan this into your daily schedule?

• Is there someone in your community that you need to speak the love of God over? Maybe an encouraging word, a verse, a prayer, etc.

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together through the Holy Spirit this coming week.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

God desires to be with his people. He is not a distant God that saves us from our sins and waits to see us in heaven one day. He is present in our everyday activities. From the Garden of Eden to the tabernacle, to the temple, to Christians being filled with the Spirit, God’s presence has always been what sets his people apart.

Like Moses who refused to go into the Promised Land without God’s presence, we will not see God’s kingdom come in Modesto if we are not marked by his presence. God’s presence with his people is what forms our identity. With that being said, we all know that many times it is difficult to consistently be aware of his presence with us. It is one thing to believe that God is with us. It is another to daily experience his presence with us. To become aware of this presence with us, many would argue, takes practice. Our lives are to be shaped in ways that allow for greater awareness of God’s presence with us.

Discussion:

• Do you find the topic of God’s presence confusing, mysterious, exciting, nerve-wracking, etc.?

• Have you ever had an experience where you felt very close to the presence of God? What was that experience like?

• Since it takes practice to become more naturally aware of God’s presence, what step can you take this week to create space to experience God’s presence?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together through the Holy Spirit this coming week.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

God’s power is clearly on display through creation in the book of Genesis to the restoration of the world in the book of Revelation. The works of God through Israel, Jesus’ miracles, and supernatural events in the early Church are simply a drop in the bucket of God’s power. It is difficult to read Scripture and to not see the power of God on display through history.

God’s greatest act of power in our lives is bringing us to salvation through Jesus Christ. It is only by his power and might that sinners can be brought back into union with God. It is also through God’s power that we are transformed more and more into the image of Jesus as well as empowered to preach and demonstrate the gospel. Could Jesus’ words that his followers would do “greater works” than him be rooted in the believer’s access to God’s power? (John 14:12)

Discussion:

• When you read about God’s power in Scripture do you find yourself amazed, in awe, numb, apathetic, confused, bored, filled with joy, etc.?

• How have you seen God’s power in your personal life?

• Who is someone you know that your Community Group can pray that the power of God for salvation would save them? Pray together over these names.

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together through the Holy Spirit this coming week.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

God’s power is not only on display in brining sinners to salvation, but it is also through God’s power that we are transformed more and more into the image of Jesus. This process of transformation is rooted in the Christian being empowered by God’s power and authority. The Holy Spirit leads us into becoming more like Jesus over a lifetime journey. This power is seen practically through our character being changed, our love for Jesus growing, our hearts for other people becoming full of compassion, preaching the gospel, and demonstrating the gospel through kingdom works.

This transformation, though, takes intentionality. Even though we are empowered by God for transformation, God allows us to have the freedom to choose to create space for this change or to choose to continue to live a life in our own power. Spiritual formation is the recognition that it is only through God’s empowerment that we can become more like Jesus, but we still have a part to play. The way we intentionally structure and live our lives, has a great impact on the extent of God’s power that will be on display for others. So, the question is: are we settling for a lesser life when Jesus invites us into a more abundant, intentional, empowered life?

Discussion:

• When is a time that you experienced God empowering you to share or demonstrate the gospel?

• In your own words, what is the Gospel? Does the Gospel include intentional holy living or living in God’s power?

• Is there an area in your life where you are wanting to see more of God’s empowerment? How can your group pray for you in this?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together through the Holy Spirit this coming week.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

From the first page of the Bible to the last, we see that God’s vision has always been to save a community for himself. God desires for his people to receive his love, be in his presence, and live by his power. Jesus’ calling of the twelve disciples, his lived experience in community, and the establishment of the Church all show that his heart was for a community of followers. Jesus does not want anyone to try to follow him alone.

With this being said, most of us have a hard time reconciling our understanding of biblical community with our lived experience of church. Sadly, many times the Church has hurt people and fractured Christian’s involvement in community. Even though this is true, we have to trust that God is not done with the Church. There are two Walls that can become inhibitors of community. The Wall of Idealism can cause us to critique the Church yet feel stuck to engage in the mess and make beauty. The Wall of Individualism can cause us to look only to our needs instead of the best for the community. These two Walls can be practically combated by reengaging in life-on-life community.

Discussion:

• What is an experience you have had with community that has helped shape you?

• Referring to the sermon, how have you seen the Walls of Idealism or Individualism at work in your relationship to community?

• How can your Community Group practically continue to grow in vulnerability with one another and encouragement of each other?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together through the Holy Spirit this coming week.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

We have discussed seeing God’s love, presence, and power at work in our personal lives. The personal work God does in each of us always has the purpose of making it available for the world. We are meant to receive God’s love in order to extend his love to others. We are meant to be identified and aware of God’s presence in order to mediate his presence to others. We are meant to be filled with God’s power in order to bring this power to others.

There is always a temptation to overemphasize either our internal life with God or our external mission for God. If we only focus on our personal spirituality, we lose sight of the mission we are on to evangelize and pursue justice. If we only focus on external mission, we neglect the deep transformative work God wants to do in us. The book of Acts is a great example of the early church being inwardly transformed as a community, while also seeing thousands come to know Jesus through their mission. It is through God’s love, presence, and power that we are personally transformed to be like Jesus in order to extend the invitation into the kingdom of God to the world around us.

Discussion:

- What do you dream of when you think about God’s kingdom?

- Do you tend to emphasize your internal relationship with God or your external mission for God?

- Who is one person you can pursue this week and practically bless?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together through the Holy Spirit this coming week.

Begin in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together.

Read This Overview Aloud:

Jesus’ promise of abundant life shows us there is so much more to life than settling for the things of this world. From the beginning when sin entered the world, Adam and Eve chose the lesser thing by attempting to take power and control into their own hands instead of living in the love of God. The story of humanity is the story of trading the greater things of God’s kingdom for the lesser things of this world. Even if we desire the greater works of the kingdom of God, sometimes we simply settle for the lesser things.

Jesus always chose the greater things even if it led him to suffering on a cross. He knew God’s kingdom on earth was incomparable to any hardship or earthly treasure. What if the Christian journey was more than only a transactional moment of salvation and instead a lifetime of transformation? What if followers of Jesus pursued his kingdom wholeheartedly instead of waiting for heaven one day? In other words, what if we lived in the abundant life Jesus promised?

Discussion:

- Do you have a vision for what your relationship with God could look like in 10 years? What about in 2 years?

- What are you currently cultivating in your life to help grow this relationship?

- Is there a way your Community Group can encourage you as you look to embrace the love, presence, and power of God in your day to day life?

End in Prayer:

Give 1 minute of silence for everyone to calm their minds and bodies. Leader, pray simply for God’s love, presence, and power to be at work in each individual as we grow together through the Holy Spirit this coming week.