- Happy Thanksgiving! What was one of your highlights over Thanksgiving, and what was one of your lowlights?
- This weekend, Peter shared about what his childhood was like: changing schools many times, growing up shorter than most of his classmates, and focusing on sports rather than academics. In 1-3 sentences, how would you describe your childhood?
- Read John 8:12 and Matthew 5:14-16. What do you think of when you hear the phrase “light of the world”?
- Read John 6:1-13. Imagine you are the young boy who gave his five barley loaves and two fish. After experiencing this miracle, what would you be thinking and feeling?
- In what ways have you experienced Jesus taking something small that you did or gave and made an outsized impact?
- One of the ways we can shine our light is through doing good in our local community. As you think about different service projects, what are some things you have done or would like to do?
- During this holiday season, we are encouraged to make an outsized impact in our local community, and one list of ideas can be found here. As you look at these ideas, which one stands out to you and why?
- We also have an ongoing list of service project opportunities on the Do Good Locator on our Do Good page (you can click on the “Search” button to see the full list). As you look through this list, which one stands out to you and why?
- Let’s share prayer requests and pray for the next steps God is inviting us to take as we shine our light locally and inspire people to follow Jesus.
VERSE TO MEDITATE ON AND MEMORIZE
Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE (optional)
- Read through John 6:1-13 slowly, imagining you are there. You can also consider watching the recreation of this scene from the Chosen, Season 3, Episode 8.
- In light of this passage, as a church, we have lots of opportunities to serve our network of local partners. Take a moment to dive deeper into our Do Good Page.
- Local Partners – In the middle of the page, there is a scrolling list of local partners that we work with. Pick one, look them up online, and find out more about their mission and how they serve our community.
- Local Good Collective – Underneath the list of partners, we also have our Local Good Collective, with three different expressions (with one more on the way!): the Local Good Center, the Local Good Pantry, and the Local Good Coffee Co.. Click on “Learn More” to go to www.localgood.org, and learn more about the Local Good expression that you know the least about.
- Do Good Locator – Click on the “Search” button to see the full list of our current local serving opportunities (this list is updated regularly). Consider signing up for one of these opportunities and invite someone to join you.