NOTE: Following is a copy of the discussion guide that will be used in MoSt Church’s LIFE groups tomorrow, May, 20. This guide will enable your follow-up of the morning’s worship gathering, as we add four more shepherds to our church family’s eldership. You’ll find LIFE group discussion guides categorized each week here on my site under the category title “LIFE group guides.”

Aim

To consecrate ourselves to following God together wherever he leads us and to devote ourselves to building each other up in Christ along the journey, be we leaders or followers.

Word

Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. … I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. (Acts 20.28,32 NRSV)

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. … Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. (Hebrews 13.7,17 TNIV)

Open

Icebreaker questions are meant to help us all start talking. Choose one of the following to discuss as a group.

1. Tell us about some responsibility you had as a child or as a youth, how well you did or did not execute it, and why.

2. Tell us specifically of how a co-worker has made some job or task of yours easier, less stressful, or more productive due to the way they treat you.

Dig

These questions are meant to help us grapple with Scripture related to this morning’s sermon. Choose some.

1. Describe the unique work of our Father, the Son, and the Spirit as depicted in Acts 20.28.

2. To whom/what, are elders commended? What can grow out of such? (Acts 20:32)

3. In Heb. 13:7, what three things are Christians called to do in light of their leaders? What three instruments are leaders seen as using influence of those who follow?

4. Similarly, what exactly are leaders called to do and what specifically are followers called to do, and why, as related just ten verses later in Heb. 13.17?

Reflect

These questions facilitate our sharing what we sense God’s Spirit is doing with us thru his word. Choose some.

1. What are some good things you recall of godly leaders who shared God’s word with you?

2. How might we expect elders commended to “God and to the message of his grace” to act?

3. What are some possible consequences of a church’s leaders being “burdened?” What are some potential benefits that could come from a godly leaders feeling unburdened?

4. What good things might a leader enjoy if they know they serve God and his people well?

5. By means of a group chain prayer, pray for each of our six shepherds by name.

6. As a group, or as an individual, develop a simple action plan to show some simple deliberate form of encouragement to be expressed to each of our six elder this week.