Tag / Growth Group Lesson Plans

by In Light Of The Cross

Growth Group Lesson #1 – Growth

DIALOGUE # 1 – GROWTH
by Pr Denis Sand – sanddenis@gmail.com

Objective of today’s dialogue: Invite people to choose and commit to grow by being connected daily with God.

Additional resources: Read and study from Desire of Ages, Chapter 73, Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, pp 674-677, 

Welcome (15) – Fellowship

• Give a warm welcome and express the purpose of Growth Groups: to grow closer to God and to help others who don’t know Him yet experience the same.
• Go around and ask each one to share their names and one thing that makes them good friends.
• What kind of things breaks relationships?
• What do you do to maintain your friendships?
• What practical things would you do if you wanted to make a relationship grow?

Worship (15) – Worship
• Psalm 92:1-6
• I’m a friend of God
• Draw me close to you
• Sanctuary
• Giving thanks: ask people to share reasons why they are thankful to God today. Take time to pray. Do a popcorn prayer with only thanksgiving.

Word (30) – Discipleship
• Read John 15:1-8
• Who is the gardener, the vine and the branches?
• What is the only way to have spiritual growth and why? v5
• In what way does God prune our characters? v2
• Since Christ is the Vine and we are the branches, how should we relate to this world/ground? What would this mean practically?
• What does it mean to remain in Him? v4-8
• How can we practically remain, live, stay connected to God in the midst of all we daily do?
• What does it mean and how can we bear fruit as a Christian? v8
• What kind of fruits are you producing and which ones would you like to produce? Why?
• What do you sense God telling you tonight?
• What changes will you do this week in order to make sure you remain connected to Christ?

• To do: Write now on a small card the key text of this week John 15:5. Carry it in your wallet or pocket, place it in your fridge and make sure you memorize it.

Works (15) – Ministry & Evangelism
• Share the vision with the group! Multiplication is our goal. Growth is our daily prayer.
• Ask: Do you have friends that need to grow in their relationship with God?
• Please write down their names and invite them to next week group meeting.
• How can we pray for each one’s challenges this week? share your requests
• Pray in groups of two

Refreshments– Fellowship
• Make sure you get to talk and know visitors!

by In Light Of The Cross

Growth Group Lesson Plan #22 – Storm

DIALOGUE # 22 – STORM
by Pr Denis Sand – sanddenis@gmail.com

Objective of today’s dialogue: Challenge people to experience the peace that God wants to give us in the midst of the storms of life and to share that calmness and hope with others.

Welcome (15) – Fellowship
• What are some of the most usual difficulties that your student friends (or people in general) face in our days?
• How do they handle the stress from those situations?
• How do you usually handle stress or very difficult situations? Do you panic, look for distractions, procrastinate?

Worship (15) – Worship
• Read Psalms 46.1-3
• Shout to the Lord
• How great is thou art
• Take time to give thanks to God for the deliverance that he brought to you when you went through some hard times, storms of life. Briefly share it with the group.
• Pray together giving thanks

Word (30) – Discipleship
• Read Mark 4:35-41
• Why do you think Christians have to go through storms? V37
• Where is Jesus when we suffer in the midst of life’s storms? Why?V38
• How could Jesus sleep when His loved friends were scared to death and suffering? V38
• How do you feel and how do you react when Jesus seems to be sleeping while you are finding no way out of the storm?
• Since Jesus has the power to even control storms, what practical steps should we take when we find ourselves in one of them?
• Why is faith so important in facing the storms of our lives? V40
• How has God helped you cope with your storms or difficulties in life? Allow people to share 3 short testimonies.
• How can each one of us grow this week in our faith in Jesus? Give real ideas! Romans 10:17
• What do you think God is trying to tell you tonight?

• To do: Please read out loud as a group, and challenge members to memorize Psalms 46:1-3

Works – Witness (15) – Ministry & Evangelism
• Ask each person in the group to write down the names of friends who are going through some heavy storms.
• Ask each one to think and plan how they could share today’s message with them.
• When praying in groups of two, pray specifically for those names.
• Once again ask, each person if they need to be prayed for?

Refreshments– Fellowship
• Keep moving around, being friendly, getting to know people, loving them as Christ has loved you!

Additional Resources: Desire of Ages, 333-341 Chapter 35 – “Peace, Be Still”

by In Light Of The Cross

Growth Group Lesson Plan #23 – Prayer

DIALOGUE # 23 – PRAYER
by Pr Denis Sand – sanddenis@gmail.com

Objective of today’s dialogue: Remind people that God really and eagerly wants to communicate with us. This means that while we talk, He listens carefully, and also that He definitely talks while we listen reverently.

Welcome (15) – Fellowship
• How do you react when someone asks you relentlessly for something?
• Who is the friend with whom you could talk for hours?
• Why is it so special to talk to him/her?

Worship (15) – Worship
• Read Psalms 40.1-3
• You are my King
• Ask the group if God has answered any of their prayers. Ask people to briefly give thanks to God for the answers to their prayers.
• Pray in groups of three.

Word (30) – Discipleship
• Read Luke 11:1-13
• What is prayer anyway and how does it compares with “repeating” things from memory? Explain description of prayer as talking to a friend.
• Why do you think we need to pray?
• In Jesus’ model prayer He offers two main sections, the first about God (v2) and the second about us (v3). Why do we need to pray for those two subjects?
• Why should we pray when we are in trouble, when things go well, when there is no answer?
• What is Christ trying to teach us about prayer with the parable found in verse 5-8?
• How can we really ask, seek, and knock with prayer? V9
• In what ways does God answer our prayers? Which response is harder, a yes, a no, or wait? Why?
• Share with the group a short testimony of the great blessings of praying. Also on how God has answered your prayers.
• How will you pray from now on?
• What do you think is God trying to tell you tonight?
• Pray together in groups of two.

• To do: Please read out loud as a group, and challenge members to memorize Luke 11:9

Works – Witness (15) – Ministry & Evangelism
• Think of people who need prayer and need to learn to pray.
• Pray for them, and invite them to the group.
• Ask: how do you feel about multiplication? Why do we need to multiply? What could happen if we don’t multiply?
• Review the vision of our Growth Groups!
• Is there any way we can pray for you?

Refreshments– Fellowship
• Find out how people did during the week and encourage them to take their burdens to Christ.

Additional Resources: Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 102-122