Let's start 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 Galatians 5:13

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

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

Galatians 5:13-26

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

1) Share what it means to you that you have freedom in Christ?

2) Instead of sinning through gratifying the desires of our flesh (for any reason!), how can we instead focus on bearing fruit (fruit of the Spirit)? Deep question, are you more prone to thinking you have a license to sin or living out the fruit of the Spirit?

3). Jane referenced Jude 3-4. Why does the Lord hold us to a higher standard? Though we know He will forgive us if we are truly repentant, why is it not ok to willfully sin with the intention of asking Him to forgive us?

4) Share openly in areas you may be struggling with living with a license to sin instead of living out the true grace the Lord freely gives.

(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?