Rock Bridge Small Group Discussion Guide
“Students R Us”
SHIFT Part 1
The 5 C’s of a Healthy Small Group Community:
CONTENT: We love God when we are formed by His Word (2 Tim. 3:16): group discussions are anchored and
centered on Scripture.
CONSISTENCY: We grow in love for others when we spend consistent & regular time together (Romans
12:10): groups meet together at least 2 times per month.
CARE: We love others when we encourage them and bear burdens with them (Galatians 6:2): groups pray for
and encourage one another in life and their walks with God.
CELEBRATION: We love God when we praise Him for His grace (Psalm 136), and we grow in love for others
when we have fun together (Deuteronomy 12:7)
COMMISSION: We live sent in the places we find ourselves (2 Cor. 5:20) and as we practice hospitality to
guests (Hebrews 13:2): groups have HOPE expressions and/or regularly invite new people into the group
and/or commission new leaders from the group to lead new groups.
Discussion Goals:
By the end of this discussion, Christ-followers will have …
• Connected with Jesus as their Teacher and Savior-Leader
• Discussed how to read Scripture as a student
• Identified at least one area where they need to learn from Jesus
Leader Best Practices:
1. Pray more than you prepare
2. Have an “open chair” in your group
Getting Started:
Leaders: choose one of the following ideas as an icebreaker:
• Who was your favorite teacher (or coach) in school and why?
• Share one of the coolest or greatest lessons your learned from your mom/dad/grandparent.
Into the Word:
Leader Notes & Tips:
1. Please have your sermon notes with you.
2. You or a volunteer may wish to briefly summarize the message.
3. This first question might help you gauge where God is working in your group and how to focus
your time together.
1) Have you ever thought of Jesus as your Teacher? Can you give examples?
2) Share a “bad” life lesson you have learned (see Sermon Notes: Bad Cultural Lessons).
3) Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and 3:12-17 out loud as a group.
Leader Tips:
•
This is a parallel passage of Scripture that teaches the same basic principle as the passage
used in the message. By using a different passage than Matt preached from, you will
encourage your group to dig into the Word on their own.
•
Have each person in your group (or ask for volunteers) read 1-2 verses of Scripture out loud to
encourage participation.
Leader Help:
Timothy is the pastor of a church in Ephesus. In 2 Timothy, Paul is writing to coach Timothy on how
to deal with false teachers, opposition, and persecution. Encourage your small group to listen for
how Paul instructs Timothy to stand strong in the midst of the false lessons and personal
opposition.
a) In verses 2-4a, Paul lists several negative character traits. In our culture/society, how have people
learned to be the way Paul describes? What do you think is the root sin of all the sins listed in
these verses?
b) In verse 4b, Paul states these people are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,”
--What has been the “teacher” of these types of people?
(Whatever feels good; pleasure; self)
--How can loving self & please (vv. 2, 4) make a person “weary and burdened”?
OPTIONAL FOLLOW-UP:
*Read Psalm 16:11 as part of worship celebration (see the 5 C’s) in your group.
“You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy;
in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.”
à Is God anti-pleasure? Where does pleasure in God come from? How can being a “lover of
God” be “easy and light”?
c) In verse 5, Paul mentions power. Based on the context of the passage, this power is in relation to
character (or authentic godliness). How is having Christ-like character powerful?
Leader Tip:
The sermon point was that Jesus’ easy and light teaching (Matthew 11:28-30) is related to the
development of character that is free from pride, greed, self-reliance, lust, impatience, anger,
etc.
d) How do verses 14-15 refute the idea that salvation is merely about where we go when we die?
Leader Tip:
•
Both the message and this passage link salvation to discipleship; in other words, “to be
saved is to become a student of Jesus.”
•
Many people struggle with assurance of salvation precisely because they treat salvation as a
one-time event or a death benefit as opposed to a life connected to and learning from
Jesus.
o
OPTIONAL QUESTION: How does being a student of Jesus help a person have
assurance of salvation?
e) How do verses 15-17 change the way we should read Scripture?
Leader Tip:
At this point you may want to reference the Gospel reading plan that was distributed in church
this past weekend. Challenge and encourage your group to follow the reading plan to read all
4 Gospels by the Christmas season.
à Read John 14:23 with your group and talk about the promise this verse contains.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and
make Our home with him.”
Leader Tip:
Emphasize that reading Scripture and keeping Jesus’ Word is a product of a love relationship
with Him. Our efforts are not to be a good person or do better, but to make space for God to
show up in our lives.
Application:
4) Based on the message and the scripture from 2 Timothy, how does your relationship with Jesus need to
change?
5) The message encouraged us to “push pause” in our typical responses and reactions (how we have
“learned” to live). What is one area in your life where you know you need to push pause and evaluate how
you are living?
6) Matt commented that the reason we do not see Jesus’ yoke and teachings as easy and light is because of
how we have already learned to live without Him as our Teacher (i.e. we’ve learned to get mad to get our
way, to operate with fear instead of trust, etc).
Right now, what in your life makes learning from Jesus not seem “easy and light”?
How can this group support and encourage you?
Prayer Time:
Suggested sentence prayers:
• Jesus, I need you to be my Teacher in the following area(s): _________.