Week 1: Rooted in Love
LOOKING BACK
Family Time (15 mins)
LOOKING UP
Worship (10-15 min) - Thanking God for his love!
As we start this new series focused on Loving One Another, the source of our love comes from God! As an act of worship (that is also more approachable/interactive for guests), invite everyone to share (either in small groups, or as a large group), ways they have experienced God’s love. The purpose is to remind ourselves of how we’ve experienced God's love and get to hear the various ways God shows love.
Scripture Discussion (25-30 mins)
Either get into small groups of 3-4, or stay as a large group. Have two people read the passage, one person per translation. We have 2 versions of the same passage to see if any words or phrases stand out in a new way.
Ephesians 3:14-21, New Living Translation
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-20, The Message Paraphrase
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Questions:
Sharing & prayer
Get into small groups of 3-4 if you haven’t already. Have everyone share:
Announcements:
Family Time (15 mins)
- Vision: Invite someone to share your Lifegroup’s vision.
- Connect question: If you know it, what is your top love language? (aka, the way you most feel loved?) Some top ones are: Words of affirmation, Quality time, Physical touch, Acts of service, Receiving gifts. If time, what’s one way someone’s showed you care in a way you felt loved?
- Announcements (see epicentre.org/events)
- 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 (10-15 min) - Thanking God for his love!
As we start this new series focused on Loving One Another, the source of our love comes from God! As an act of worship (that is also more approachable/interactive for guests), invite everyone to share (either in small groups, or as a large group), ways they have experienced God’s love. The purpose is to remind ourselves of how we’ve experienced God's love and get to hear the various ways God shows love.
- 5 minutes: everyone on their own. Give people a piece of paper + pen. Invite everyone to write down a few ways they have experienced God’s love. It can be small things, or big things! Some examples: through friendships God has provided, small miracles, answers to prayer, gifts, emotional healing, etc. It can be really small things from this last week too like getting a parking spot or a time of rest! [If people are new to faith or not Christians, they can still write down ways they’ve felt loved by others, or things they are grateful for.]
- 10 minutes: sharing in the group. Invite people to share what they wrote down. At the end, have 1 person offer a prayer of thankfulness to God for what was shared.
Scripture Discussion (25-30 mins)
Either get into small groups of 3-4, or stay as a large group. Have two people read the passage, one person per translation. We have 2 versions of the same passage to see if any words or phrases stand out in a new way.
Ephesians 3:14-21, New Living Translation
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-20, The Message Paraphrase
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Questions:
- What word or phrase catches your attention from this passage? In silence, meditate on that, inviting God’s Spirit to speak to you about it.
- Is there a specific situation in your life that relates to what stands out to you? How might it apply?
- What is God’s invitation to you from this Scripture?
Sharing & prayer
Get into small groups of 3-4 if you haven’t already. Have everyone share:
- What are you thankful for? What do you need God’s help in?
Announcements:
- Churchwide HOPE Room: Saturday, May 4th, 6-8 PM A time and space for us to come together as one body, corporately, to pray, hear God's voice, and worship together at the church office.
- Weekly Sunday Prayer - Every Sunday at 9:30 am, we gather to pray for our church community and invite God's presence. Meet us in the gym near the worship band.
- Newcomer Connect: This Sunday, April 21, 12-1:30 PM - If you know anyone new to Epicentre who is looking for a new church, they are invited to learn more about who we are, meet staff and others in our church, and enjoy lunch!
- Books & Bake Discipleship School Fundraiser, April 28 after service - be ready to support our Dschool students in prayer and finances as they support raise for their trips to Korea and Orange County!