Everyday Saints (part 2): Called Out

TO START

Tonight’s all about how to be weird (or different). As we live and work in the Austin area and Austin’s city slogan is “Keep Austin weird,” we should know a thing or two about weirdness. For a few minutes make a list of ways Austin is weird. If you’re a long-time Austinite and need to bemoan the dying of the weirdness, go for it. Just keep it brief. ;) The goal is to have a clearer picture of what it means for a thing (or a city) to be weird. 

 

TO DISCUSS

We said on Sunday, “Nothing shapes the choices you make and the purpose you pursue more than who you understand yourself to be.”

  • Have you ever let a low view of yourself lead you into unhealthy or destructive choices? Give an example.
  • Have people ever applied a label to you that affected how you acted? Share how that made you feel.
  • What positive choices are you making because of who you are? Think of one choice you made this week that was driven by your desire to be who God says you are. Share.
  • What would you say is the purpose you’re pursuing? Take a minute tonight and have group members write down their purpose (give a few minutes of quiet for this). What drives you? What are you here for? Share with the group. How does your identity as a saint shape your purpose? What could you do to better keep this purpose in the front of your mind?

This Sunday’s message was all about action, what a saint DOES because he or she is a saint.

  • How does a holy person act?
  • If holy means “different,” how are you different because of Christ (different from how you were before following Christ OR different from those who don’t follow Christ)? Give specific examples.
  • If this is a tough exercise, consider listing ways Jesus was different when He was on earth.

A good way to end the discussion tonight might be go around the room saying where you see holiness in the actions of your fellow group members. Have the group notice two holy things about each member.


 

TO READ

Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

  • What’s the main point of this passage?
  • What does it teach us about who we are?
  • What does it teach us about who we’re not?
  • Should a believer be able to live in harmony with an unbeliever? Why or why not? How might this passage inform our relationships?
  • What does it mean practically to “come out and be separate”? What does that look like? Think of someone you know who does a good job of this. Share with the group.

 

TO PRAY

This week let’s thank God for the victories in holiness and ask for help where we’re not yet there. Go around the circle and have each person briefly fill in the blanks for the following prompts:

Thank you, God, for making me ____________.

Help me, God, to become ______________.

Each time a member prays this short prayer, the group should (together) say, “Amen.”

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