It was great to have a family service on Sunday. There was a lot of chaos but it was brilliant to see so many people connecting and being prayed for at the end. Helen and Toby both did a fantastic job and it feels like there is a lot to dig into with our groups, this week.

I often think that the impact of Sundays is solidified in Small Groups. So, I would love to encourage you to think of one person this week who you could invite to join your group.

The three main goals that we have in our groups are:

Closer. Connecting regularly and deeply with each other. (faith, fun, family)
Stronger. Small steps of faith every week. (how will you live this out?)
Wider. Members inviting others and every leader developing another leader. (who could you apprentice?)

Thanks for all that you do!

Ben

Current Series

The community God intends for us is based on three vital connections. As a follower of Jesus, these connections help you follow what Jesus modeled and taught about how life in the Kingdom of God is meant to be lived.

Catch up on the latest video

Ice Breaker

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Have you ever been a raving fan of something? What was it and why were/are you so passionate about it?

Scripture

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:12-17

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:24-26

Have you ever met someone who is a raving fan? They are obsessed with something. You might not agree with what it is that they are obsessed with but even if you don’t, there is something inspiring when someone is on fire for something.

They travel great distances for concerts, join conversations with other fans and lean in to any opportunity to experience more of what has captivated their hearts. They build incredible spaces and start projects that change the world. When our hearts are captivated, we do astonishing things.

When you read through the Bible, you discover a people (Israel) who are captivated by God. Reading through Deuteronomy, you see how they built the most incredible tabernacle, with amazing details. The best artists in the nation decorated it. The worship was beautiful, deep and meaningful. They gave their best and the world stopped and paid attention. They were captivated.

God wants to captivate our hearts

In the story of Israel, at some point something shifted and what used to captivate them no longer interested them. The familiar became cheap and as God drew close to them, they started to look elsewhere. They decided to create their own path, live life their own way and became captivated by other things. Their hearts turned to stone.

God grew frustrated with them but promised that He would help them to transform their hearts. He would transform their deepest places so that they would be fully alive, passionate and devoted.

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What does it look like to be captivated by God?

A lot of the time, we think that we are guided by our hearts. Maybe you have told a friend to follow their heart when they are struggling to make a decision. Or you have heard someone justify their actions by saying that the ‘heart wants what the heart wants.’

This is not what it really means to be captivated or to love relentlessly. Having your heart changed does not mean that you will never have to do things that you don’t want to or that you get to follow every desire. It means that something in your heart shifts. You stop living for yourself and start living for others.

Our hearts follow our habits

A lot of people don’t realise that our hearts can follow our choices. You can choose to love, when you don’t feel like it and in time, that choice will lead to an emotion and a feeling of love. Think about that friend that you chose to hang out with and developed a deep relationship with. The activity came first, the feelings followed.

This is how it works with sin. The first time you lie, it is a big deal but over time it feels more natural. It is also how it works with love; you grow into a life of love.

Paul says in Colossians 3:12-17 “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience...”

He is saying that you can choose to put on these traits, in the same way that you choose to put on an item of clothing. You can decide who you want to become and start living that way, before you feel like it. Your heart will follow. God wants to transform your heart but he doesn’t do it to you, he wants to do it with you.

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Reflect on a time when you felt your heart followed your activity. What happened?

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What are ways that we can create disciplines that will help our hearts to soften and care more for others.

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In our daily interactions, how can we more effectively embody the virtues mentioned in Colossians 3? Share specific examples.

Summary

God wants to live a life full of passion and love for others. He wants you to outlive your life and to care deeply for others. This change of heart requires discipline and devotion. He will not enforce it on you but rather, invites you into a process of change.

Call To Action

Over the next few months we are encouraging people to have YOU+ conversations. These are one on one chats with a friend or facilitator to help you to grow and discern next steps for your faith journey. You can find out more details at www.soulcityhome.org/youplus

Pray for one another

Notices

Please share these with your group this week (as appropriate).

Sign ups for YOU+ Discipleship conversation are open.
This can be with a friend or a facilitator (found by the church). You can start here: soulcityhome.org/youplus
SoulKids and Youth Team
We are recruiting helpers for SoulKids and Youth so that we can have three age groups all active each week and provide a space for everyone in our community to thrive. Would anyone in your group like to sign up?
Alpha Course
We had our interest night this week but sign ups are still open as we start week 1 on Sunday Night. Sign up here: https://soulcity.churchcenter.com/groups/courses/alpha-course

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Note to leaders: as you lead this group, find an apprentice to train using the 'I do, you watch, we talk' method and finish with a discussion about how the group has gone.