Coaching Points For Group Leaders 5: (Life’s Big Questions) How do I Connect with God?

Key Concept: 
Help you understand how to connect with God

Bible Study:
Read Mark 12-15

COACHING POINTS FOR GROUP LEADERS 5: (Week 5) LIFE’S BIG QUESTIONS: How do I Connect with God?

Looking Back (20 Minutes)

1. Accountability:  Love Does
   • What did you do last week to walk in the way of forgiveness? 
2. Connecting Relationally (Optional)
   • If you know that a group member is going through a major life event, then feel free to ask them about it.
   • Otherwise, on occasion, you may want to also ask the group, “What is one thing you are celebrating that happened last week or one place you saw God show up?”

Looking Up (20 Minutes)

1. Discussion Questions:  Prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in determining which of the discussion questions you will ask your group members.
2. Note:  You may want to think about asking a particular question to a particular person (or persons) in your group based on what you know of their story or what God is doing in their lives.  Also, remember to include and draw in members of the group who are less talkative than others.

Looking Forward (20 Minutes)

1. Goal-Setting:  Love Does
   • The big picture of Mark 12-15 is that we can connect to God through faith.  What is one thing you can do this week to grow your faith?
2. Prayer
   • Spend time praying.

Coaching Points For Those Who Want to Take Someone Through Life’s Big Questions That Isn’t in Your Mentoring Group

1. Be prepared to share examples from your own life of how you have experienced the things that create a disconnect with God (too busy, show me a sign, people-pleasing).
2. Ask your friend how they have experienced these three points of disconnect and see if they have examples.

One Page Outline

1. Recap:
   1. Horizontal and vertical forgiveness mirror each other
   2. Forgiveness is the payment of a debt
2. Things that create a disconnect with God
   1. People-pleasing/approval
      1. Pilate (Mark 15:15-wanting to satisfy the crowd)
   2. Too busy
      1. Roman soldiers (Mark 15:21-24)
   3. Show me a sign
      1. Mark 15:29-32
3. Way to connect with God
   1. By faith
      1. Roman Centurion (Mark 15:39)