Feb. 3-4

These next 3 weeks will be a series on prayer.

Week 1-what is prayer?

Week 2-why do we pray? What do we pray for?

Week 3-how do we pray? The model prayer.

Big Idea: Talking with God

Key Verse: 1 Thess. 5:17 (pg. 1184) “Never stop praying.”

Big Group time: Focus on explaining prayer as a communication form/type. Just as we communicate with people, we communicate with God. Prayer is a type of communication that is only for God (we shouldn’t pray to our dead relatives or anyone else, we only pray to God). In order to make sure everyone understands what communication is, related to talking/speaking.

SMALL GROUP TIME: The focus will be to answer the question: What is prayer? (Prayer is honest communication with God, thanking God for everything, being confident when we talk with God.)

Jan. 27-28

Big Idea: Can I get a witness?

Key Verse: Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Big Group time: the focus will be on showing the hugeness of our planet and the reality that we can only be in one place at one time. Also, explain the fact that there are people in all “the ends of the earth” and say how God wants all of them to know Him and His plan of renewing the earth for sin, corruption, and death.

SMALL GROUP TIME: the overall focus will be on answering the question: Where should we do missions? (“Everywhere” you happen to be, especially where you live. Remind them how there are people everywhere and of God’s desire that He have witnesses everywhere so that people everywhere can know Him)

Jan 20-21

Big Idea: God's plan to tell the world about Jesus

Key Verse: Eph. 6:20a "I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador."

Key texts: Matt. 28:19-20; Romans 10: 14-15, 17

Examples: Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26), Samaritan woman at the well (John 4)

Big Group Time: Idea is Ambassador/Representative

Jan. 6-7

Big Idea: Radical, Crazy, Love

Key Verse: Mark 12: 30 "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength."


Thoughts: This week focus on the ways in which we love God. i.e. our thoughts, our actions toward others, our speech, how we use our talents etc.