Let's start out with a video.

Someone pray for God to be with you and guide you through the meeting.

ABOUT 3 MIN

Committed: We are committed to loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving others like He loves us.

Confidential: We value and trust each other, so we share openly and honestly with each other and what is shared in the group stays in the group.

Changing: We are growing to be more like Jesus, obeying His commands and filled with His Spirit.

Christ-Centered: In Jesus, we find God’s presence to guide us, His grace to forgive us, and His power to change us.

AcCountable: We encourage each other, help each other and expect each other to love and live like Jesus.

Connected: We meet every week, pray for each other every day, and share our lives as we obey and follow Jesus together.

Capable: By His Holy Spirit, God gives us the love and power we need to obey and follow Jesus.

Commissioned: We are all commissioned by Jesus to make disciples, so we are all committed to starting new cgroups for others who are ready to follow Jesus.

Consistent: We consistently follow this guide because it is based on God’s word and it helps equip each member to lead cgroups and to make disciples.

(About 20 min)

Review last week’s scipture memory 

This week’s scipture memory is 

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:16-17

Someone pray for God to speak through His word. Then someone read the following passages.

1 John 3: 3, 11-18

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

¹¹  For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. ¹³  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters if the world hates you.

¹⁴  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵  Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1. How are you "laying down your life" (putting your self aside or sacrificing), for your brother or sister?
2. What preconceived notions, prejudices, or thoughts are holding you back from loving the least?
3. What can you do this week to step outside of your comfort zone and serve someone who is different than you or in need of something you can offer?

(about 5 mins)

Caring for unconnected friends (P.A.L.S.)

Take turns reading the simple steps for reaching out to unconnected friends (PALS).

• PRAY: We pray because we love them.
• ASK: We ask questions because we care.
• LISTEN: We listen to understand them.
• SHARE: We share what Jesus has done in our lives and what He can do in theirs.

Each member answer one or more of the following questions:

• Who are you planning to start a new Cgroup for?
• Who would you like the group to join you in praying for this week?
• What question do you need to ask an unconnected friend to show that you care?
• How have you grown in your love for an unconnected friend as you have listened to them and the Holy Spirit this week?
• Who do you need to share the gospel or your testimony with this week?
• Is there an unconnected friend you need to invite to a community group?
• Do you need to start a new Cgroup for someone who is ready to follow Jesus?

(About 10 min)

Let each person choose and answer one Confession Question and one Celebration Question. (Please be concise so everyone has time to share.)

Share your confessions

• Is there something God is telling you to share even though you would rather not?
• What intentional or unintentional sins do you need to confess?
• Have you communicated or connected with someone this week in a way that was tempting or inappropriate?
• What doubts or questions do you have?
• Have you watched, read or listened to anything this week that could be considered pornographic or inappropriate?
• What has been your greatest challenge or temptation recently?

Share your celebrations

• What has God done that you want to praise and thank Him for?
• When did God give you victory over a temptation?
• When were you obedient to God, and how did it turn out?
• How have you seen God at work in your life?

 (about 5 mins)

• Based on what God has shown me today, what am I going to start, stop or continue doing this week?

• committing to a Daily Bible Reading Plan (see Daily Readings in the Christ United app or christislove.org/daily-devotions)

 (about 5 mins)

• How are we going to connect to encourage each other during the week?

• When are we going to connect for worship and the word this week?

• When are we connecting to serve together this month?

• When are we connecting again for fun and fellowship?

• Who missed this cgroup meeting? Who is going to reach out to them?