Week 7: Love each other through prayer
LOOKING BACK
Family Time (15 mins)
LOOKING UP
Worship (25 minutes)
"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."(James 5:13)
For worship today, we begin with a song of reflection before entering into singing. Encourage your group during the song of reflection to bring before the Lord wherever they’re at and talk to God in prayer or in thanksgiving.
Scripture Discussion (25-30 mins)
Either get into small groups of 3-4, or stay as a large group. Have a few people read it out loud.
This past Sunday, we looked at James 5, particularly the verses 13-16. Today, we’ll read that for context, but will also include vs. 17-20.
James 5:13-20
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Questions:
Sharing & prayer
Get into same gender small groups of 3-4 if you haven’t already. Have everyone share:
Pray for each other. Ask God for a scripture, word of encouragement, etc for each other when you pray. If people aren’t comfortable sharing or praying, that is totally okay!
If somebody confesses something or expresses a need, receive them as Jesus would receive them. Proclaim forgiveness over them. As members of a Lifegroup together, ask how you might be able to support them as they seek to be free or healed.
Announcements:
All event details found at epicentre.org/events!
Family Time (15 mins)
- Vision: Invite someone to share your Lifegroup’s vision.
- Connect question: Briefly share about a time you needed to lean on others to help you through something.
- Announcements (see below)
- God-story Sharing (5 min): (something you can ask people to sign up to do ahead of time) have one person share the way they've seen God move in their life lately. End in having someone else do a short prayer of thanks & blessing for that person.
LOOKING UP
Worship (25 minutes)
"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."(James 5:13)
For worship today, we begin with a song of reflection before entering into singing. Encourage your group during the song of reflection to bring before the Lord wherever they’re at and talk to God in prayer or in thanksgiving.
- Goodness of God (Instrumental) - Cece Winans Instrumental - (5:16)
- Goodness of God - Cece Winans - (4:57)
- Waymaker - Leeland (3:23)
Scripture Discussion (25-30 mins)
Either get into small groups of 3-4, or stay as a large group. Have a few people read it out loud.
This past Sunday, we looked at James 5, particularly the verses 13-16. Today, we’ll read that for context, but will also include vs. 17-20.
James 5:13-20
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Questions:
- What does it look like to be a righteous person? What does Elijah’s example teach us?
- What does this passage instruct us in what we need to be as a community to one another?
- (If not in large group, answer this as a large group, or report out from small groups) How is (or isn’t) our lifegroup living this out? What are one or two ways as a lifegroup can step out more in living out this passage?
Sharing & prayer
Get into same gender small groups of 3-4 if you haven’t already. Have everyone share:
- Is sharing needs and/or confession an easy or difficult practice for you? Why?
- How might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to step more into this practice?
- Is there any need or confession you want to share today with this group?
Pray for each other. Ask God for a scripture, word of encouragement, etc for each other when you pray. If people aren’t comfortable sharing or praying, that is totally okay!
If somebody confesses something or expresses a need, receive them as Jesus would receive them. Proclaim forgiveness over them. As members of a Lifegroup together, ask how you might be able to support them as they seek to be free or healed.
Announcements:
- Freedom Day (Saturday, July 27, 9am-4:30 pm) Save the date for this a one-day transformational gathering. Through teachings and times to practice, you will be empowered to remove those things from your life that might be hindering you from having a deep relationship with God. We believe that through Jesus’ death & resurrection, He desires for us to be set free from pain, brokenness and lies through receiving Jesus’s transformational healing in our hearts!
- Chosen (TV Show) Screenings (Saturday June 8) - Calling all Chosen fans! Join us for a special-access screening of The Chosen Season 4 at the church office as we follow the stories of Jesus and his disciples. This Saturday, June 8 (6:30-8:30 pm), we will watch Season 4, Episodes 3 & 4.
- Journey to Fatherhood (June 8, 3-5 pm) - The journey of fatherhood is unique, full of joy as well as challenges, and God has not called us to walk this journey alone! Come meet other fathers, to-be-fathers, wanna-be-fathers and hear Pastor Chris Rattay share his own personal journey of fatherhood and understanding of the role of a father.
All event details found at epicentre.org/events!