Small Group Guide: Week of 2/15
To view this guide as a PDF, click here.
We Will Be Children of God
1 John 3:1-2, 7-11, 16-18 (CEB)
1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us.
2 Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is.
7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous. 8 The person who practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. God’s Son appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those born from God don’t practice sin because God’s DNA remains in them. They can’t sin because they are born from God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children are apparent: everyone who doesn’t practice righteousness is not from God, including the person who doesn’t love a brother or sister. 11 This is the message that you heard from the beginning: love each other.
16 This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 But if someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help—how can the love of God dwell in a person like that?
18 Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth.
Opening Discussion
Introductions & check-in
Introductions: Share your name (and pronouns if you’d like) and if you’re new or a returning member.
Icebreaker suggestion: What is something that will always make you giggle?
High/Low exercise
Give each member a chance to share their highest points and lowest points of the past week/month.
Additionally or alternatively, you can invite the group to share a word, emotion, or phrase to describe how they’re coming into the group this week.
Community Care
Share any established community care practices, expectations, or discussion guidelines. Consider inviting the group into conversation, asking for feedback or additional suggestions. (Find more on community care practices here.)
Digging Deeper
This Week’s Sermon
Consider reading this week’s text aloud. (Options: listen to it read aloud on an app/YouTube; one person in the group reads; each person in the group reads a section or a few verses). As you reflect on this week’s sermon:
What resonated with you?
What comforted/challenged you?
Did you learn something new?
What might the Spirit be prompting you to remember and consider?
This week’s sermon invited us to reflect on what it means to be children of God — not just as an idea, but as an identity we live from. We explored remembering who we already are, recentering on love as what matters most, and recommitting to love in action in everyday life. As we discuss, the goal isn’t to get the “right” answers, but to notice what God might be stirring in us.
Remember Who You Already Are
Pastor Justin talked about how we are already God’s children, loved and claimed, even as we’re still becoming who we’re meant to be.
The sermon emphasized that being a child of God is something we already are, not something we earn. What makes it hard to believe or live from that identity?
When you feel inadequate, stressed, or “not enough,” what voices tend to shape how you see yourself? What might it look like to return to God’s voice in those moments?
The image of God is universal, but being a child of God is relational and received. How does that distinction shape the way we see ourselves and others?
Recenter on What Matters Most
The message emphasized that love is the clearest marker of living as God’s children, and that love should be our central priority.
The sermon described love as God’s top priority — the center from which everything else flows. What tends to compete for first place in your life?
The sectarianism spectrum showed how difference can turn into dehumanization. Where do you see that happening around you — or even as a temptation in you?
Jesus calls us to love not only neighbors but enemies. What makes that difficult? What might loving an “enemy” realistically look like in your life right now?
Recommit to Love in Action and Truth
We were invited to close the gap between knowing love and actually practicing it in tangible ways.
The sermon suggested the biggest gap is often between what we know and what we do. Where do you see that gap in your own life?
Teresa of Ávila’s phrase “God walks among the pots and pans” reminds us that love often happens in ordinary moments. Where do you see opportunities for everyday love this week?
The invitation for Lent was to “start something and stop something.” What is one concrete step you sense God inviting you to begin? What might you need to release or stop?
Prayer
Praying for one another regularly is an essential part of small groups. You’re welcome to design your gathering however you’d like, but encourage you to include prayer time each week.
Prayer Requests
Give the group a chance to share prayer requests. If it’s helpful, utilize categories like praises/requests.
Spend time praying for one another and the requests made.
Depending on the group size, it can be helpful to break into smaller groups to share requests and pray for one another.
Some groups use prayer partners throughout a semester.
Community Updates
Lenten Season
Weekday Prayer: Beginning on Ash Wednesday, we will be gathering every weekday morning at 7:00 am for a 20 minute morning prayer. All are welcome to join via Zoom, as a demonstration of the truth that God is the Lord of all our days and our desire to continually live in light of God’s love, mercy, and provision. The Zoom link can be found at go.christcitydc.org/lentenprayer.
Ash Wednesday Service: On February 18, we will be joining Washington Community Fellowship (907 Maryland Ave NE) at their church for an Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 pm. The service will include music, a message, and the imposition of ashes.
Miner PTO
In one of our longest standing partnerships, Christ City is continuing to work with Miner Elementary to provide childcare during their monthly Tuesday PTO meetings. This allows Miner parents to attend and be engaged at the school and in their child’s education.
We’re hoping small groups can mobilize to provide childcare from 5:45-7:30p. Christ City will provide craft materials and pizza! Once you choose a week with your group, sign up HERE.
