INTRODUCTION: Growing up, did you tend to have 1-2 close friends or did you have large groups of friends? How has this remained the same and how has this changed over the years?

READ: John 13:34-35

WATCH SERMON

DISCUSS
1. Jesus made it impossible to be a Christian by yourself” – How do we see this in Scripture and in the way God has created human beings?
2. What is Jesus’ purpose and design for community in regard to our transformation? How are we transformed as a result of community?
3. How are you doing in creating and developing “layers of love” (confidant, family, team, tribe) in your current relationships? Which area is the easiest for you? Which area is the hardest?
4. How have you experienced loneliness in your life as a result of lacking a layer of love?
5. What kind of community did Jesus create? How does this differ from the kind of community that we prefer or feel comfortable being a part of?
6. How does our understanding of the purpose of community need to shift in order to align with the type of community Jesus created?
7. This week, what does it look like for you to create or develop a layer of love that is currently lacking in your own life?
8. This week, what is a specific place God is calling you to be a “minister of loneliness”?

PRAY
Take some time to summarize what you have heard your group share and how we can pray for one another.

-What are some themes you have heard others share about being transformed through community? How does that lead us to praise Him? What are some needs and concerns that were shared?

-How can we pray specifically for you this week?

FOR FURTHER STUDY
The following is not meant for large group discussion but can be done as an individual study to grow in your understanding of Scripture and the way it transforms our lives.

→ List some themes we find in regard to community in the following passages. What do you learn about the purpose of community? How does this shift our understanding of community and its impact on our transformation?

1 Corinthians 1:10
Colossians 3:13
Galatians 6:2
Proverbs 17:17
Proverbs 27:17
Romans 12
Hebrews 10:24-25
Acts 2:42-47
→ David expressed his loneliness in Ps 25:16. Read the entire Psalm to see the context of that loneliness and how David prayed. Have you felt as David did? Have you prayed in part or as a whole as he did? In Ps 68:6 David says that “God makes a home for the lonely”. What does that mean? What are its implications for our lives?

→ Take some time to reflect by journaling about the layers of love that God has placed in your life in the areas of: Tribe, Team, Family, Confidant

How have you seen God provide these different layers of community over the course of your life?
What areas do you wish would be different?

In the past, how have you created community in these different areas?

Where is God be calling you to step into something new in order to create and develop these layers of community for you and for those around you?

What does being a “minister of loneliness” look like according to Scripture? (ref. Deut 31:6, Ps 27, Is 49:15-16, Is 54:10, Rom 8:35-39, Is 41:10)

→ There is often a connection of time engaged with technology and the level of loneliness we feel. Take a day this week to turn off as much technology as possible and spend that time resting, connecting with others, and/or spending time with God. What was hardest for you in taking a break from technology? What fears does it bring up for you? What did you notice or observe about the effect technology has on your thoughts, attitude, and outlook?