Repentance: Week 12 (Jan 9-15)
Repentance Practice: Week 12| Week of (Jan 9-15)
Communities @ Grace
Overview of the Night:
15 Minutes Before Start Time : : Arrive + Set Out Food
45 Minutes : Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle
15 Minutes : Review Last Week’s Practice
45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion
5 Minutes : Practice for Week Ahead
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Goal for Week: Our focus is on repentance and how it changes our lives from the inside out.
15 Minutes Before Start Time : Arrive + Set Out Food
45 Minutes : Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle
If appropriate, consider asking any of these questions during the time sharing a meal:
What words would you use to describe how you feel when your family gets together as a group?
In either your family or the one you grew up in, how were difficult situations dealt with?
15 Minutes : Review of last week’s practice experience
Last week’s practice: (1)thoughts on awareness of sin and how you deal with them, and (2)daily time to recognize sin, confess, and receive forgiveness.
How did this practice go? What did the Holy Spirit stir/prompt in your heart this past week?
Did your awareness of sin change in any way this week?
45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion
Last week we focused on recognizing sin and where it leads in our lives and how it breaks the connection between you and God as well as others.
This week we are looking at what repentance is and how we experience it.
Ask someone in the group to read 2 Samuel 12:7-14 which is the story of Nathan confronting David on his sins around Bathsheba and her husband.
Ask the group what David’s sins were and how God dealt with them.
He had Uriah killed and took his wife Bathsheba as his own.
He condemned them and allowed for evil to result from David’s sins.
God forgave him but there were consequences in his family.
How did David respond to Nathan’s accusations?
He did not hide his sin, there was true remorse.
Though his sins were against his new bride and her dead husband, David knew ultimately the offenses were against God.
He confessed his sin and didn’t rationalize it to God.
Ask the group “Since last week's practice involved reflecting on sins you became aware of, how do you respond when you recognize them? What is your initial reaction when you encounter sin? Downplay them, accept them, feel guilty for them, desire to repent for them?
Have the group read Psalm 51, the prayer of David after he is confronted with his sin.
Ask the group what this tells us about David and God’s view of sin and repentance?
He acknowledges his sin against God first-there is remorse
He asks for forgiveness even though he is not worthy of it
He accepts that religious practices will not resolve his guilt, only a changed heart will make a difference
Ask the group how they feel about David’s response to his sin? How do you react when the Holy Spirit points out a sin in your life? How does it compare to David’s response?
The key question is: What is repentance? Since we know God’s love for us is complete in Christ, what do we need to do to acknowledge our sin and accept his forgiveness?
Before you go into the week's practice, read this from Gavin Ortlund: “The gospel alone can free us for honesty, ownership, and admission, because the gospel alone destroys the sting and judgment associated with criticism. The gospel takes away the fear that drives defensiveness and frees us to openly admit our shortcomings. The gospel says,‘in the place of your deepest failure and shame you are loved most tenderly.’ The gospel says,‘your deepest fears were already born by Christ.’ The gospel says,‘your sins were exposed and dealt with at the cross. The battle is already over.’”
5 Minutes : Practices for Week Ahead
This week's practice is to deal with sins that we need to repent to God and maybe to others.
Take some time during the week to ask God to help you identify sin(s) that put a barrier between you and Him and then take time to repent of them and draw on His forgiveness to cover the sins.
If you have never accepted the forgiveness of God through what Jesus did on the cross, ask your group leader how to make the decision to join God’s family and follow God’s leading in your life.
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Consider praying as a whole group or in triads for personal prayer requests.
End on time