We read this statement together before every group discussion!

It helps transition the group to discussion time, it reaffirms our highest values, and sets a tone of trust, consistency, and safety for everyone in the group.

We are a group of imperfect people pursuing a perfect God. We exist to help each other find and follow Christ. These are some things we want to be true of our group:

We create a safe and honest environment, staying transparent and authentic.
We keep it inside the circle. Confidentiality is necessary for a healthy group.
We look together to the Bible for help and guidance, and keep out our own politics, sales, or agendas.
We do not try to fix each other, preach sermons, or give unsolicited advice. We instead encourage, listen to, and celebrate each other.
We handle conflict between us quickly and honestly by going to the person, owning our part, and practicing forgiveness.
We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.
We trust that it is God’s role to change people, not ours.
We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.

Faith is described as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. It's not always easy to live by faith. Many of us would rather have control, know the outcomes, stay in our comfort zone, wait for guarantees or need to see it to believe it. Living by faith requires stepping out into the unknown, the unseen; trusting that God knows and sees the bigger picture. It's risky business, but it's also the great adventure that God invites us all into.

Kyle Costello continued the series with the story of Stephen, who stepped out in obedience to follow God when it wasn't easy or popular. Kyle said that the whole goal of Christianity is to know God and experience Him, and following Him when He asks us to "go" is the way to do it.

CONNECT

Who have you followed in your life? What role models, ideologies, etc. have most influenced the way you've lived your life?
- For the Leader
  The tendency will be for people to pick their best role models in life, but the opposite conversation can also be fruitful! If you're looking to dig for stories, ask what role models people wish they hadn't followed. Talking about negative past experiences can be a way to build trust in a safer way for people, because it's something that's already done and over with. It can pave the way for safety in present challenges or circumstances!
When in your life have you felt most unqualified or unprepared? How did that season of life make you feel and affect you?

DISCOVER

Read Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV) together.
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Sometimes uncertainty, fear, or any number of things hold us back from saying yes when God asks us to live by faith and "go". What kinds of obstacles or questions do you think were standing in the way of the disciples as Jesus gave them this new command?
- For the Leader
  Sometimes imagining others' experiences can help pave the way for critically thinking about our own. Really ponder their situation together as a group and uncover what it would been like for them - they were all ordinary, uneducated guys that had gotten it wrong more often than right. They didn't work very well together. They didn't have mass communication or good transportation. They didn't have a manual or any real experiences from those who had gone before them... because they were the first. When it comes to anxiety, fear, confusion, and doubt... these guys have the market cornered!
Kyle said that the mission Jesus gave us, to know God and help the world know Him too, goes against what the world tells us about a successful life. Where do you see conflict or tension between the logic of God and the logic of the world about what a successful life looks like?
- For the Leader
  This question has a similar hidden agenda... A few questions later, a very similar question is asked - but directed right at our own lives. Talking about generalities and concepts first helps uncover our critical thinking, and makes it safe to talk more personally later on. It's good to start on this level so that we can work up to sharing more personal experiences later!
  
  Remember, it's a HUGE goal that everyone can share honestly and openly in a group meeting. Talking at the "conceptual" level first helps everyone jump in without it being necessary to self-disclose too much too soon.

APPLY

When we don't step out and follow God, we become like the waiter at the restaurant that knows the whole menu, but has never tasted anything on it. We know about God, but don't know Him personally. Have you ever felt this way? If you did, and it changed, what brought you closer to Him?
- For the Leader
  Don't let sharing be dependent on the second answer (what changed?)! Remind everyone that it's completely okay to be on the journey - and this not an either/or question! Realistically, all of us can and need to know God more personally, and it will be that way for the rest of our lives! This is actually a great question that everyone can share safely about how they feel this way - because it's sort of a given that we all do or have!
Kyle said that when we live by faith and "go in our weaknesses", we start to know God more personally. Where do you feel vulnerable and unqualified when it comes to helping other know God?
Jesus served in every way imaginable - from teaching to thousands all the way to washing his friends' feet. Stephen was asked to serve people in a way that wasn’t glamorous, but made a big impact. How have you seen helping people in small ways make a big impact? How does humility like Stephen's help you see what you have to offer in a new light?
- For the Leader
  Stephen's humility led to small acts of service, which led to a big impact that got noticed in a big way - and that led to being recorded forever in the Bible! And His story started with serving food. Help your group look through all the "places" in their lives - humility brings every situation and opportunity to life!
The goal of following God is not worldly success; it's to know God and help others know Him. Are there any goals or agendas in your life that make it harder to follow God?
- For the Leader
  This can be a harder question that it may even seem, and the answers can vary from "I guess I don't have enough free time, and that can change" all the way to "My intense greed makes me too wrapped up in material gain, and I don't think I'm willing to stop working long enough to listen to God..."
  
  The hard part of being a leader is being okay with the vague, smaller answers. You may find yourself wishing people would see themselves more honestly, or dig deeper or harder. But, not everyone is in the same spot. It's about NEXT steps, not final destinations. Encourage whatever someone shares and help them do something about it. That's the mark of a patient and dedicated leader!
At the end, Mike wrapped up by saying that "success is faithful obedience to what God is calling us to next". How might God be asking you to "go" and help others know Him? How can you take even one small step toward Him and what He's asking of you this week?
- For the Leader
  Don't stress if you don't have the most life-changing or earth-shattering conversations around people's next steps of faith! Like Kyle said, the logic of the Kingdom of God is the opposite of what the world teaches us about a successful life - so the idea our live's primary goal being to know God and help others know Him is a lot to digest! Even just asking the question, "what might God be calling me to?" is incredibly spiritually significant in itself. You're helping create the safe environment where people can ask that question!

EXPERIENCE (FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK)

For the Leader
Remember, you can point people to these exercises for their own engagement throughout the week, or you can make it more official! If there's some really practical and tangible sharing around next steps and what steps of faith God is calling people to, make sure to make some of these more official! Partner up and have the group check in with one another!

Read Acts 6-7 to get the full story of Stephen!
Ask someone to keep you accountable to the steps that God is moving you toward. Tell them what you plan to do, and make sure they check in on how it's going!
Check in with a fellow group member this week to encourage them toward the steps of faith that they talked about in group!

What mission does Jesus give his people when he leaves?

Matthew 28:16-20 ESV
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

The mission of Jesus doesn't make sense to our world because its not meant to be contained by our world.

By Faith… Go in Obedience.

ACTS 6:2-7 ESV
“And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

Action is not earning. It's a healthy response to a healthy relationship.

By Faith… Go in Weakness

Living by faith will show you that even your strongest gifts are nothing when compared to the power of God.

By Faith… Go anywhere and everywhere.

ACTS 7:54-60 ESV
“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

By Faith… Go with Jesus

Are you someone who knows about Jesus or someone who knows Jesus?