1. The Ways of Jesus
  2. Connect
  3. Discussion Guide

General Leader Tips

  • Our year-long journey through the Ways of Jesus is a great opportunity to accompany new believers and not-so-new believers in their walk with Jesus. The purpose of this guide is to encourage participants to engage scripture and consider how the Holy Spirit may be inviting them to reflect on their ongoing relationship with Jesus. In light of this, feel free to tweak and adapt this guide based on your group’s familiarity or unfamiliarity with scripture to facilitate discussion with your group. 

  • As you facilitate your group, may you always lead with an extra dose of grace. At EastLake Church, we desire to help people grow in friendship and faith through their participation in the community. May you make space for participants to ask questions and share insights and encourage those new to faith or just checking out the community to engage in comfortable ways.

  • You may find that once participants get acquainted with the passage by reading it individually and sharing their observations and questions, conversations will naturally gravitate toward what they are interested in talking about. Don’t feel as though you have to ask every single question. Be mindful, however, of staying on topic. The materials will take between 60-90 minutes to go through, depending on participation.

  • Also, this guide is designed for communal investigation of Jesus’ ways in a loving and grace-filled environment. As the facilitator, and as much as you may be gifted in breaking down passages, supplying historical context, etc., resist the temptation to teach. Also, remind participants that this is an opportunity to share their reflections and hear from others on how the passage connects to how God might be showing up in their lives.

  • To have a fruitful experience with your group, we highly recommend that you prepare weekly before your group session by:
    • Praying for your group members;
    • Reviewing the Leader Tip, Big Idea, Anchor Scripture, Command, and selected passage(s) to discuss; and
    • Familiarizing yourself with the study content.

  • For questions or concerns, feel free to contact your Groups pastor.

How to Use This Guide

  • Each weekly guide includes the sections described below:
    • Leader Tip - Tips on what to be mindful of each week.
    • Connect - Take time every session to connect with each other before beginning the discussion. You may use two or three of the following fun "get-to-know" questions and then jump to the questions in each week's "Connect" section.
      • Share your name and how long you've been coming to EastLake Church.
      • What brought you to EastLake Church the first time and what keeps you coming back?
      • What’s your current favorite restaurant? 
      • What is the best movie you recently watched?
      • What show are you currently binging? 
      • Pick any season of your childhood and tell us: What was your favorite show growing up? 
      • When you were a kid, what was your dream job? 
      • If you could do anything for a day, what would you choose to do? 
      • If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
      • Are you a morning person or a night person? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? 
    • Opening/Closing Prayer - As the facilitator of the group, please open and close your sessions with a short prayer. Sample prayers are provided. Also, as participants feel comfortable, invite others to open/close in prayer.
    • Big Idea / Anchor Passage / Command - We recommend that you read these sections to your group to frame the discussion. Or you may simply just keep these in mind to keep the discussion on track.
      • Big Idea - Describes what the overarching idea/theme is for the week.
      • Anchor Passage - The scripture passage that the weekend message is based on.
      • Command - The command of Jesus that the weekend message is based on.
    • Read Passage / Re-Read Passage - Ask volunteer(s) to read the passage. Then ask the group to read the passage again silently to themselves. Invite them to write down their observations, questions, and things that might be confusing, surprising, or challenging. You might want to let them know to bring something to write on/with to each session or perhaps use a Notes APP. These two sections can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the length of the passage.
    • Let’s Talk - This section has two parts:
      • General Questions - These questions are the same every week and are based on the participants' general observations. This set of questions are designed to prompt participants to focus on what the passage says.
      • Reflection & Application - This section is designed to invite participants to further consider how the Holy Spirit may be inviting them to apply what they gleaned in the text to their lives.
    • Looking Ahead - This section is intended to prepare participants for the coming week. You may want to suggest that participants continue to reflect on the week’s study by doing the “For Further Study and Reflection.” You may also suggest preparing for the next week by reading the material ahead of time.
    • For Further Study and Reflection - Encourage participants to continue to reflect on the study throughout the week with additional scripture reading.

Learn More

The Way of Mercy | Turn the Other Cheek

Participant Guide (Week 2)

CONNECT

(5 - 10 mins)

In your small group, take time to connect. You may start with two to three icebreaker questions from the General Leader Tips. If time permits, you may also ask the following questions.

  • What are you thankful for this week?
  • Where did you see goodness in your life this week? 
  • How has your journey in The Ways of Jesus been for you thus far?
  • Did you get a chance to read any of the devotionals last week? What resonated with you? [Encourage participants to daily read the devotionals located at www.thewaysofjesus.com/devotionals]
  • If you did further study on the command to Choose the Narrow Way last week, what learnings or insights did you gain?

If your group has new members, take time to go around the circle sharing names. Have new people share how long they have been coming to EastLake Church, why they chose to sign up for a group, and a little bit about their family and/or professional life.

OPENING PRAYER

(1-2 minutes)

Sample prayer: “God, thank you for inviting us into this community of faith to hear what your spirit has to say as we study your word. May we be attuned to the Holy Spirit that teaches and guides, and may we be empowered to follow through on whatever it is you are asking us to reflect on or do. May we be continually formed, transformed and conformed into your image by your work in each of us. Amen.”

BIG IDEA

Mercy is simply defined as not getting what we deserve. Mercy chooses to extend compassion, grace, and forgiveness. God not only demonstrates mercy, he is the God of mercy. We see God’s mercy play out in the ways God pursues justice. In God’s economy, justice is fundamentally about restoring, renewing, and reconciling all people to himself, and to one another. For God, justice is not about punishing evil. Rather, justice looks at evil through the lens of mercy and desires to transform that which is evil into good. Jesus teaches that we are to practice mercy by pursuing a form of justice that aims for the restoration of people and relationships. Such is an example of the narrow way into which Jesus invites us to live. How then does mercy play out in our everyday lives?

ANCHOR PASSAGE

38 You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:38-42 NIV

COMMAND

Do not resist an evil person... turn the other cheek also.

READ PASSAGE

(3 - 5 mins)

9 Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Romans 12:9-12 NET

RE-READ PASSAGE INDIVIDUALLY

(7 - 15 mins)

  • Read the passage again silently to yourselves. Optional: You may use another translation.
  • Write down your questions and observations.
    • Look for - repeated words/phrases; key characters; what’s happening?
    • What questions or insights do you have about this passage?
    • Take note of anything in the text that is confusing, interesting, challenging, or hard to understand.

LET’S TALK

(40 - 60 mins)

General Questions

  • What was encouraging about this passage? What, if any, was challenging?
  • What text stood out to you? Why?
  • What does the passage tell us about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?
  • What does the passage tell us about humanity?
  • What biblical principles did you pick up from this passage?

Reflection and Application

  • In this season of your life, how do you find yourself approaching scripture? A list of do's and don'ts? A pathway to knowing Jesus more? Something else?
  • There are a lot of do's and don'ts in today's passage. What do you find most difficult to do or not do? Why?
  • What parallels, if any, do you see between Jesus’ teaching on mercy in Matthew 5:38-42 and Paul’s letter to the Romans in today’s reading? Do you think these parallels are coincidental or purposeful? Explain.
  • Where can we pursue justice for others in our day-to-day lives?
  • Paul writes: “Love must be without hypocrisy.” First, what does this mean? Secondly, in what ways can you practice that this week?

CLOSING PRAYER

(3-5 mins)

Sample prayer: “Jesus, thank you for your word that graciously speaks truth to each of us. May we continue to abide in and obey your word. May we continually be formed, transformed and conformed into your image not just for our own sake, but for the sake of others and the world. Amen.”

LOOKING AHEAD

  • At your leisure, take time to reflect on this week’s topic by going over the material in the “For Further Study” section below.
  • To prepare yourself for next week’s topic, feel free to read the anchor scripture and accompanying passage.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

Read

The Book of Jonah - Found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).

REFLECTION & APPLICATION

  • What does the story of Jonah show you about the character of God? What personal characteristics do you have that might align more with Jonah than with God's? 
  • What has challenged you about this story?
  • To whom and how was God showing mercy?
  • Are there character attributes that you feel God might be inviting you to investigate in yourself, and perhaps repent of the ways in which you were more like Jonah than Jesus? What are they?

PRAY

In prayer, offer to Jesus what might have stirred in your heart as you read through, studied, and reflected on this week’s reading(s). Is there anything God might be inviting you to do?