Discussion Guide for Living in Relationship

 A Second Chance for Real Relationship and Community

Starting the Conversation:  Can you remember a time in your teen years when you felt disconnected and all alone?

Read: A Psalm In a Hotel Room

"I'm alone, Lord, alone,
a thousand miles from home.
There's no one here who knows my name
except the clerk,
and he spelled it wrong,
no one to eat dinner with,
laugh at my jokes,
listen to my gripes,
be happy with me about what happened today
and say that's great.

No one cares.

There's just this lousy bed
and slush in the street outside
between the buildings.
I feel sorry for myself
and I've plenty of reason to.
Maybe I ought to say
I'm on top of it,
praise the Lord,
things are great;

but they're not.

Tonight

it's all

gray slush."

[Joseph Bayly, Psalms of My Life]

When was your last gray slush day?

In Acts 2:42 we read that one of the four things the early church devoted itself to was “fellowship.” Fellowship was a very important part of their reason for meeting together. It was one of their objectives.

But what is fellowship?

The moment you began your relationship with Jesus Christ you also began a relationship with other Christians. Now you are part of God’s family, and in God’s family there are no orphans. God did not intend for His children to live as individual islands of faith, but rather as a community of believers, interrelated with each other and part of something much bigger than themselves. That “something” is the Church.

Read these two passages about connection

Read  Ecclesiastes 4:12

 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, 
one can help the other up. 
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. 
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Read Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

What is the power of 3?

When have you experienced the power of 3?

What is hard about living a life connected with other believers?

What are some fears that people might have about doing life together?

How can we (our Life Group) improve in our connections and fellowship with each other?

The more you care about something the more you invest in it.  How are you investing in these 4 areas:

•     Marriage

•    Friendships

•   Church

•   Lifegroup

Go around the circle and ask this question:  How can we help you?

Conclude with a prayer for the needs of individuals.