Small Group Study Guide
Written by Carole Kaapu
Trait 1: Hungers for the Presence of God
Scripture
James 4:8
Galatians 5:22-­23
Zephaniah 3:17
When have you asked God for His help and blessing rather than His
presence? Would you be satisfied with just His presence? Can you
worship Him “in the rain”?
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro quotes, “You could take the Holy Spirit out
of half the churches in America and they would keep right on going
as if nothing happened.” Is that true of your life? Without the Holy
Spirit at work, would it change you? Would anyone notice? What
does the Holy Spirit at work in you look like?
Recognize the vacuum:
• Fruitless: See Galatians 5:22-­23
• How does this Scripture characterize your life?
• Wordless
• How many days in the last week have you done devotions?
• Careless
• In the last week, have you prayed? Fasted? Served others?
Tithed? Repented?
• Visionless and Missionless
• Pastor Wayne Cordeiro often asks these questions:
• Who are you? What are you doing here?
• How would you answer?
• Numberless
• Do you “punch in and punch out” on your spiritual timecard
at church and put God on the side for the rest of the week?
• Purposeless
• Are you more concerned with what others think or what God
does?
Action Step
Seek the presence of God. How do you practically do this? What
will you do today, tomorrow and the next day? Before next week’s
meeting? Write it out and share it with your group.
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Trait 2: Remembers Who She Is
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
What worked for you when you were seeking the presence of God?
Why? What didn’t work? Why?
Scripture
Revelations 21:9-­10
2 Timothy 2:3-­4
1 Peter 2:9
2 Peter 1:3
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro talks about a friend that got an “F” grade for
a wrong assignment, even though he did it well. Are there areas in
your life that you are putting a lot of energy into but would get an
“F” from God because it’s the wrong assignment? Explain.
Mistaken identity is characterized by:
• Doing the wrong thing.
• No longer influencing society.
• Becoming separate.
Do these traits reflect your life? How are you personally ensuring
spiritual transformation in your life? How is that impacting the
world around you? Your family? Your work place?
Action Step
Decide on one person you will impact for Christ this week. Share
your plan.
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Trait 3: Lives Heart First
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
Who did you impact for Christ? What worked? Why? What didn’t
work? Why?
Scripture
1 Peter 5:2
Do you see yourself as “living as though your life depended on it”?
Living with your heart fully engaged and not on autopilot? Why or
why not?
The three characteristics of living heart first are:
• Being quick to forgive.
• Receiving godly correction.
• Living a surrendered life.
Think of one person you need to forgive. Plan to extend forgiveness:
call, write a letter or visit that person. Report what happened next
week.
Tell of one way you were corrected this last week. Did you grow
from that correction? In what way?
What one thing is God asking you to surrender? How are you doing?
How can your group help?
Action Step
What one thing can you change this week to help you live heart
first, like your life depended on it? What is your plan? Complete the
forgiveness assignment mentioned earlier.
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Trait 4: Practices Gratefulness
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
What was the result of extending forgiveness? What area did you
work on to live heart first? What worked? Why? What didn’t work?
Why?
Scripture
Philippians 4:8
Psalm 46:10
Matthew 6:22-­23
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro says, “I believe God is more concerned
about our being grateful than just about anything else.” Do you
understand what he means? How would you say that in your own
words?
Read Psalm 46:10. Do you know how to “be still”? Share one way
you “still” yourself to know God.
What is the difference between being thankful and being grateful?
What have you been asking God for that He has not answered or
has said “no” to? Are you trusting Him still? Can you be grateful
even if it never comes to pass?
Do you see church as a commodity (a place to receive goods and
services) or a community (a local spiritual assembly built around
people journeying to become more like Christ)? Why would your view
make you more or less grateful?
Action Step
This week, practice gratefulness by finding three people doing
something right and telling them you are grateful for them.
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Trait 5: Promotes Healthy Relationships
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
Who did you express gratefulness to? What worked? Why? What
didn’t work? Why?
Scripture
Matthew 5:23-­24
Genesis 2:18
Where are you tolerating unhealthy relationships? Work? Church?
Home?
Matthew 5:23-­24 says, paraphrased, that right relationships are
more important than having church. Have you lived like that is true?
Explain.
Do you see these qualities in any of your relationships: lack of
communication, diminishing joy or increase of gossip? Where does
the problem come from? What can you do about it?
Action Step
One key to healthy relationships is to keep the greater goal in mind.
What is the greater goal for your family? Write it down. Share it with
your family and small group next week.
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Trait 6: Always Learning
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
Share your “greater goal” for your family.
“I squeeze out every last drop of wisdom that mistakes will allow
me. I learn whatever I can and then I throw the empty carcass of
that mistake over my shoulder and never think of it again. Mistakes
deserve a quick funeral and a slow reflection” (The Irresistible
Church, page 80). What mistakes have you made recently and what
can you learn from them?
Experience + Reflection = Insight
When has that been true in your life? Share about it.
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro writes, “Learning to face the truth, no
matter how painful that might be, is one of the greatest principles
for improving life. We cannot move forward unless we can be
courageous enough to recognize truth” (page 84). In what area(s) of
your life are you resistant to change? Why is it so hard to recognize
the truth in that area(s)?
Using the surgeon analogy on page 85, how can you identify, rectify
and restore the area(s) in your life that are not working?
Action Step
Set aside some time this week (one hour to one day) to do some
reflection/debriefing on your life (see page 81). Write down what
you learn.
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Trait 7: Promotes Spiritual Self-­Feeding
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
What did you learn from your time of reflection/debriefing?
Scripture
Psalm 46:10
Psalm 119:32-­35
Psalm 16:8
Are you taking responsibility for your own spiritual health? How do
you or could you do that? Share with your small group.
Explain the difference between solitude and isolation.
Have you used or are you using the Life Journal method (“S.O.A.P.”)
in your devotions? Are you consistent? Have you seen growth
because of it? (Explain “S.O.A.P.” and pass out bookmark).
Action Step
Make a commitment to spend time in devotions this week. “I will
do devotions _______ days out of seven this week.” Be prepared to
share one of your devotions next time you meet.
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Trait 8: Connect Everything to a Soul
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
Have each person share from one of their devotions.
Scripture
Matthew 28:18-­20
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro writes that the one thing we will not see in
heaven is a non-­Christian. How do you respond to that?
What does it mean to connect everything to a soul? How can you do
that in your day-­to-­day activities outside of church?
Who in your life is God reaching out to through you? What can you
do to help them take a step closer to Christ this week? Share ideas
for doing this with your group.
Action Step
Individually choose one (or more) of the ways to reach out to
someone you discussed and do that this week. Pray for that person
daily.
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Trait 9: Choose to Love
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
Did you pray daily for the person you chose last week? How did they
respond when you reached out to them? What worked? Why? What
didn’t work? Why?
Scripture
2 Corinthians 5:14
Matthew 20:30-­34
Matthew 22:35-­40
Jesus’ ministry came out of a love and compassion for the people He
met. Do you love the people God has brought into your life? Family,
neighbors, coworkers? Is it easy? Is it hard? Why?
What are ways to increase your love and compassion for people?
Who is the person you find hardest to love? Why?
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro talks about serving out of love and serving
out of obedience, even when we don’t feel love. Where are you
now in what God is asking you to do? Is it love, obedience or
disobedience? What can you change within you to move this to love?
(Hint: Think about the traits we have studied.)
Action Step
Make a plan to show love to the person you find hardest to love this
week. Share it with your small group.
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Trait 10: Takes Risks
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
How did your perspective change when you showed love to the
“hard to love” person? What worked? Why? What didn’t work? Why?
Scripture
Romans 8:28
James 2:14-­18
Ephesians 3:20
Matthew 13:3-­9, 18-­23
Mark 4:20
What do you think about the statement, “Heaven defines the risks
we take for the Lord as faith”? What’s the difference between
foolishness and faith?
In what area(s) of your relationships is God asking you to step
forward?
Read Romans 8:28. Share an example of where God used something
unexpected or unwanted (all things) for your good?
“Start by dreaming big—imagine what my family could be, my
marriage could be, this Sunday School class could be—dream up
the best scenario you can” (The Irresistible Church, page 122). What
does that “big dream” look like for you? Share one part with your
small group.
“You’re right — you can’t do this on your own, but as you say ‘yes’ to
My plan for your life, I will grow and deepen you. As you accomplish
this task, you will become a different person” (page 122). Break into
groups of two or three (if necessary) and pray for God to be at work
in your partner’s life. Especially pray for the ability to say “yes” to
His plan.
Action Step
Take time this week to write down a “big dream” for one area of
your life. Be sure to include the first step toward your dream. Share
it next week.
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Trait 11: Humbles Itself
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
Share your “big dream” and the first step you took or need to take.
Scripture
James 4:10
1 Peter 5:5-­7
Matthew 6:1-­4
Proverbs 27:2
1 Corinthians 10:12
“One of the simplest ways to develop humility is by consciously
doing acts of hidden service” (The Irresistible Church, page 130).
Discuss with your group some of the ways you can do hidden
service (see page 134 for examples).
Read 1 Peter 5:5-­7. What are areas in life that you are carrying
anxiety about? How does verse 7 relate to verses 5-­6?
Review traits 1-­10. How can actively living these traits out help you
to be humble?
Action Steps
Plan to do two acts of hidden service this week and report back next
week.
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Trait 12: Has a Plan
Checking In
Before this week’s study, discuss your action steps from last week.
What hidden act of service were you able to do? What worked? Why?
What didn’t work? How did it make you feel?
Scripture
Proverbs 16:9
James 4:13-­15
Jeremiah 29:11
Matthew 6:22-23
Share a time you made a plan but felt the Lord altered it. How did it
work out in the end?
How can crisis make us great (page 144)? What does that look like in
your life?
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro asks us to “sit before God and write out
the plans that you believe God has for you so that you can set your
course in obedience” (page 143).
Take the next 10 minutes in your group to allow everyone to start
that process. Have one person pray for God to direct each person
and then individually, work your own plan. After 10 minutes,
reconvene and have each person share one “preferred future” for
your life, marriage, family, relationship or work.
Action Step
It’s great to have a plan started; now, it’s time to actually start.
Action! Share that first step to accomplishing your plan with your
small group. When and how will you start this week to build your
“preferred future”?
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Group Action Steps
As a small group, you will have an opportunity to do three group
activities throughout this 12-­week study. They will take some
planning and coordination beforehand.
The themes for the three Group Action Steps are:
1. Serving an Individual or Family
To be done in conjunction with Trait 3: “Living Heart First” and
Trait 4: “Gratefulness.”
2. Serving Your Community
To be done in conjunction with Trait 8: “Connecting Everything to
a Soul.”
3. Serving “Widows and Orphans”
To be done in conjunction with Trait 10: “Takes Risks” and Trait
11: “Humbles Itself.”
Group Action Step 1: Serving an Individual or Family
Be Jesus’ hands and feet to someone who is in need or hurting. As a
group, give suggestions of someone you know who could use a little
help — perhaps an elderly person, single parent, cancer patient,
military spouse, or a family in transition or crisis.
Possible Suggestions:
-­Clean their home/yard.
-­Do some handyman repairs.
-­P
ut together a gift basket for a new baby or school supplies for a
child.
-­Write letters to deployed military members.
Group Action Step 2: Serving Our Communities and
Schools
As a group, get involved in a service project at school, community
center or housing project like the “Spirit of Aloha” outreaches.
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Group Action Step 3: Serving the “Widows and
Orphans”
Read Luke 4:18. Jesus is talking about His assignment here on
earth. He was sent to minister to the poor, brokenhearted, captive,
blind and those broken and bruised by calamity.
Find a group that serves one of these populations and ask them
how your group can do a service project for them.
Some Suggestions:
• Prison Ministry
• Food Bank
• Children’s Ministry
• Homeless Outreaches
• Schools in your community
(for New Hope Ministries call 808.842.4242)
Community Contacts:
• Soup Kitchens
• Pregnancy Crisis Centers
• Senior Centers
• Nursing Homes
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters
• Homeless Shelters
• Women’s Shelters
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290 Sand Island Access Rd. • Honolulu, HI 96819 • 808.842.4242
www.enewhope.org