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********SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE*********
Small Group Guide: Called to Bear Fruit
Opening Prayer & Icebreaker
Icebreaker Question: What's one thing you've been "voluntold" to do in your life that ended up being meaningful?
Key Sermon Points
1. You Were Chosen (John 15:16)
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit."
2. The Call Requires a Burden
God is preparing people through:
- Personal encounters with Jesus
- Receiving revelation
- Developing a burden for the lost
- Responding in obedience
- Daniel - The Intercessor
- Ezekiel - The Watchman
- Jeremiah - The Messenger
- Nehemiah - The Burden Bearer
Discussion Questions
Section 1: Personal Reflection (15 minutes)
- The Fruit Question: "What fruit have you bore for Jesus this week?" How does this question make you feel? Why?
- When was the last time you had a genuine encounter with Jesus that moved you to action? What happened?
- The sermon stated: "You can be more fruitful than most preachers, but you've got to stop misunderstanding and putting God on hold." What "holds" have you placed on God's calling in your life?
Section 2: Understanding the Call (20 minutes)
- Discuss this statement: "Most churches see 3-10 people watch online if they're lucky. That preacher is not the person you think they are. You can be more fruitful than most preachers." How does this challenge your view of ministry?
- What's the difference between being "called" and being "chosen"? Where do you see yourself in this process?
- The sermon emphasized that everyone has the same purpose (the Great Commission) but different functions. What function do you believe God has given you? Are you using it?
Section 3: The Four Roles (25 minutes)
Divide into four smaller groups or discuss as one group:
DANIEL - THE INTERCESSOR
- Read Daniel 9:1-3, 20-21
- Who are you currently interceding for by name?
- What would it look like for you to "stand in the gap" for your workplace, school, or neighborhood this week?
- Read Ezekiel 3:17, 22:30
- What "holes in the wall" do you see in your family, community, or church?
- What keeps you from being spiritually "awake" and alert?
- Read Jeremiah 1:4-9
- What excuses do you make for not sharing your faith? (Age, ability, fear, etc.)
- When was the last time you shared your testimony with someone who needed to hear it?
- Read Nehemiah 1:2-4
- What breaks your heart the way it breaks God's heart?
- The sermon asks: "What is God wanting to fix in your family? In this community?" How would you answer?
- The Hard Questions:
- Have you shared your faith (not just invited someone to church, but shared your testimony) in the last six months?
- Have you interceded for the lost in prayer this week?
- Do you have a burden for people who don't know Jesus?
- The sermon stated: "We can't keep playing church." What does "playing church" look like versus being the church?
- What's the difference between knowing you should do something and having a burden to do it?
Key Takeaways
✓ Everyone is called - The difference between called and chosen is response and obedience
✓ Encounter leads to burden - Without personal encounters with Jesus, we lack motivation for mission
✓ All functions matter - No ministry role is more important than another; we all need each other
✓ The mission is people - Everything we do should lead to people being saved, discipled, and commissioned
✓ Honesty is required - We must admit when we don't have God's heart for the lost
✓ Heart transplant needed - Only God can give us His burden for lost humanity
Practical Applications
This Week:
DAILY:
- Spend 10 minutes in intercessory prayer for specific lost people in your life
- Ask God to give you His heart for your community
□ For the Intercessor: Create a prayer list of 5 unsaved people and pray for them daily
□ For the Watchman: Identify one spiritual "hole in the wall" in your sphere of influence and commit to pray about it
□ For the Messenger: Share your testimony with at least one person this week
□ For the Burden Bearer: Fast one meal and spend that time asking God to break your heart for what breaks His
Group Commitment:
Wednesday Night Priority: Commit to attending at least one Wednesday service this month for relationship building and discipleship
Sunday Night Challenge: Attend at least one Sunday night service this month to experience deeper worship and ministry
Accountability: Share your phone number with at least one person in the group and text them your "fruit report" by Friday
Reflection Exercise (10 minutes)
Complete this sentence privately, then share if comfortable:
"If I'm honest, the reason I haven't been sharing my faith is..."
"The person/people God has strategically placed in my life that I need to reach are..."
"One thing that would help me get a burden for the lost is..."
Closing Activity
Heart Transplant Prayer:
Have group members pair up and pray specifically for:
- A fresh encounter with Jesus this week
- God's heart for lost people
- Boldness to share their testimony
- Removal of any spiritual blindness or complacency
Preparation:
- Re-listen to the sermon during your commute
- Read through the four biblical characters (Daniel 9, Ezekiel 3 & 22, Jeremiah 1, Nehemiah 1)
- Come prepared to share one way you stepped out in faith this week
Leader Notes
- Be prepared for honest, potentially uncomfortable conversations about fruitfulness
- Create safety for people to admit they haven't been sharing their faith
- Avoid condemnation - the goal is motivation through God's love, not guilt
- Celebrate small wins - if someone prayed for a lost person, that's progress!
- Follow up throughout the week with encouraging texts
- Model vulnerability by sharing your own struggles with mission and evangelism