Belonging. Never Stand Alone – Week 2
Speaker: Daniel Erasmus
Worship and check-in: Take time as you prepare for group and even in group time to spend time in worship Goodness of God by Bethel, “I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalm 16:2. His goodness never fails us, take a moment to acknowledge who God is and what He has done for you.
Bible Readings: Ephesians 2:19-22; Joshua 4:21-22; Proverbs 14:7; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Acts 2:44; Galatians 6:2.
Preparation and Discussion for Group Time:
God created us to have a connection with Him and with each other, yet today, we tend to drift toward isolation because we feel we don’t belong. Ps Daniel used this passage in Ephesians 2:1-22 to remind us that Edge Church, is a place where it doesn’t matter what your background is, what your past looks like, what the colour of your skin is, your social standing, or the magnitude of your sin – you can belong here.
Ps Daniel asked us a question “How do we fight the drift towards isolation?” Are you or have you isolated yourself from God or/and others? He gave us three tools to fight it: Remember the faithfulness of God, Rely on God’s people, and Release the Power of your Story.
- We desire to share our lives with God, we go to church, we come to a group, yet we often choose isolation, and choose not to engage. Share with the group what could bring you or has brought you to a place of isolation from God. What shift needs to happen to prevent you or stop you from drifting from God?
- Belonging is about our personal relationship with God, it’s about our hearts and where we place God in our lives. This is one of the spiritual disciplines that shows that we honour him and trust him even in our finances. We see in Matthew 22:37-38 (NLT) Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” By giving we also acknowledge His faithfulness and demonstrate our thankfulness. Discuss in your group how tithing can impact your belonging. If you haven’t yet taken this step, what practical help or understanding would you need to tithe?
- We desire to share our lives with others in relationships, in our family circles, our friendship circles, work, varsity, church, and life group, yet we often choose isolation, and too not engage. Can you identify any relationships where you’ve experienced or currently experiencing a drift? Share with the group what you need to do to stop the drift.
- Release the power of your story. For some of us, this is a new concept to be vulnerable to get real, to share our stories with others. Being vulnerable about the real state of our lives means we may need to ask for help as we need others. Sharing our stories could be the catalyst for someone else to reach out for help. It could be a stone that takes down someone else’s Goliath. Here is a template to help you write your story – click here (PDF Download). Consider sharing from the block “What are three words that described your home growing up” at life group.
Check out and Prayer:
Share what has become clearer to you about BELONGING over the past two weeks and any next steps or practical application you may want to take in the coming week.
Love God:
- Meditate on Galatians 6:2 (ESV) “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
- For personal study check out the following devotions on YouVersion:
Love People:
- For upcoming next steps in your discipleship journey; like Baptism, Discipleship 101, Freedom, or a SERVE Team. Sign up online at Church Center/ the website.
- Invite the kids in your neighbourhoods/families to be part of Holiday Club 2023, Monday 26 – Friday 30 June! Check out edgechurch.co.za/holidayclub/
