Easter Brunch Core Lesson 3:
Sharing God STories
For Leaders: Today is focused on practicing telling stories of God showing up in our lives. If you want more time for teams to do Easter planning during the meeting, feel free to shorten the Bible study.
LOOKING BACK
Family Time (10 mins)
LOOKING UP
Worship (~15 mins)
Let’s continue to fix our eyes on Jesus and remind ourselves of the good news of knowing him, and declare that for others who have yet to experience His goodness.
Bible Discussion - 1 Peter 3:13-16, NLT (15-20 min)
Context: In 1 Peter, Peter sends encouragements to churches in the middle of being persecuted & mistreated for their faith. Partway into his letter, Peter encourages them to be ready to share their hope. As we read this, let’s allow it to inspire us in our own contexts.
13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Questions:
LOOKING FORWARD - Telling God Stories! (30 min total)
The Bible is full of stories of God moving in peoples’ lives, and today we can tell some of our own! Sharing "God stories" can both encourage us, AND be a source of hope for friends going through a similar situation.
Today we'll practice sharing stories of ways we've seen God show up in our lives. Sharing about Jesus at Easter/"The Gospel" can include our personal testimonies of what God has done in us. We can create a mental “treasure trove” of God stories (big and small moments) we can look back on to remember God’s faithfulness and love for us.
Ideas from Names of God - There are dozens of “names of God” in the Bible which define his characteristics. Either lead your group to come up with some names or attributes of God, or share these with them.
Individually (5 min): Ask the Lord to bring to mind a story when He’s moved in your life. You can pick 1 theme mentioned, or choose your own.
Practice in groups (10 min): Even though it’s YOUR story, practicing helps it flow naturally when the right moment comes! Break into groups of 2-3, and practice taking turns sharing out loud. You can give each other friendly and affirming feedback. :)
You may want to imagine a conversation where this comes up, like with co-workers, friends, family, who don't know Jesus. They might share a difficulty they’re going through, and you empathetically respond with guidance from the Holy Spirit. Here’s an example (feel free to say it in your own way):
If there's time, ask a few people to share their God story with the larger group.
Invitation this week: Practice sharing your God story with 2 other people (or more). Get their feedback and see what they think!
Easter Planning in Teams (15-20 min)
If you have time, gather into teams to plan, assign roles, and pray! (You can invite teams to plan if they need to).
LOOKING BACK
Family Time (10 mins)
- Vision: Have someone to share the vision for Easter brunches (recap at epicentre.org/easter).
- Easter Team Updates: Have each team share any progress made on their area. What are teams feeling and experiencing? How can you support one another practically and in prayer?
- Announcements: Please go to epicentre.org/events to see upcoming events that might be relevant for your Lifegroup.
- Oikos Prayer Map Check-in: Pull out your oikos prayer map pic. A digital version is at epicentre.org/easter. Take a few minutes to pray in small groups for people on your maps.
- Consider creating a google sheet or list of all the people you're inviting to easter to pray over.
LOOKING UP
Worship (~15 mins)
Let’s continue to fix our eyes on Jesus and remind ourselves of the good news of knowing him, and declare that for others who have yet to experience His goodness.
- Jesus Center of it All (6 min)
- Raise a Hallelujah (4 min)
Bible Discussion - 1 Peter 3:13-16, NLT (15-20 min)
Context: In 1 Peter, Peter sends encouragements to churches in the middle of being persecuted & mistreated for their faith. Partway into his letter, Peter encourages them to be ready to share their hope. As we read this, let’s allow it to inspire us in our own contexts.
13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Questions:
- What stands out to you?
- What are we supposed to do instead of worrying? How are we supposed to share about our hope?
- What does this teach us when it comes to sharing our faith?
LOOKING FORWARD - Telling God Stories! (30 min total)
The Bible is full of stories of God moving in peoples’ lives, and today we can tell some of our own! Sharing "God stories" can both encourage us, AND be a source of hope for friends going through a similar situation.
Today we'll practice sharing stories of ways we've seen God show up in our lives. Sharing about Jesus at Easter/"The Gospel" can include our personal testimonies of what God has done in us. We can create a mental “treasure trove” of God stories (big and small moments) we can look back on to remember God’s faithfulness and love for us.
Ideas from Names of God - There are dozens of “names of God” in the Bible which define his characteristics. Either lead your group to come up with some names or attributes of God, or share these with them.
- God my Protector/Deliverer (Psalm 91)
- God of Hope (Romans 15:13)
- God as Healer (Exodus 15:26)
- God as Provider (Genesis 22:14)
- God as Peace (Judges 6:23-24)
Individually (5 min): Ask the Lord to bring to mind a story when He’s moved in your life. You can pick 1 theme mentioned, or choose your own.
- When did this story happen, and what was going on for you?
- How did you see God show up? Which of his characteristics did you experience?
Practice in groups (10 min): Even though it’s YOUR story, practicing helps it flow naturally when the right moment comes! Break into groups of 2-3, and practice taking turns sharing out loud. You can give each other friendly and affirming feedback. :)
You may want to imagine a conversation where this comes up, like with co-workers, friends, family, who don't know Jesus. They might share a difficulty they’re going through, and you empathetically respond with guidance from the Holy Spirit. Here’s an example (feel free to say it in your own way):
- Your friend shares a difficulty.
- You respond, “Wow, that sounds really difficult, and I’m sure that it could feel ____. Could I share a story of when I felt something similar?”
- If they say yes, share your story. Ask, “Does that resonate with you at all?”
- If they seem open, ask, “Could I pray with you and what you’re going through?”
If there's time, ask a few people to share their God story with the larger group.
Invitation this week: Practice sharing your God story with 2 other people (or more). Get their feedback and see what they think!
Easter Planning in Teams (15-20 min)
If you have time, gather into teams to plan, assign roles, and pray! (You can invite teams to plan if they need to).