The Power of Community with John Sampson and Matt Williams

Locker Room - A Southland Christian Church Podcast

God has hardwired all of us for biblical community. One of God’s greatest gifts are his people. It’s found in doing life with others. All men need this. Every man should experience this. We never graduate from the need for community and accountability. When we leverage the power of community, it helps us to deepen our faith, make us more like Jesus and empowers us to live our lives on mission.

This week on the podcast, Scott and our guests John Sampson and Matt Williams sit down at the table to talk about group life: getting into a group by taking a step out of a row on the weekend to experience community with other men, and building solid, healthy relationships with other guys.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

What was the first time you remember feeling part of a community or a group? (Examples could include being on a sports team growing up, participating in a school extracurricular, living in a college dorm, etc.)

What has been your experience with finding community with people who follow Jesus? Has it been difficult?

For guys in a group, what held you back from joining a group before joining a group?

For guys who are not in a group, what is currently holding you back?

Read Proverbs 13:20 and 18:24. Who we let into our lives is an important decision that we sometimes don’t consciously make. However, it is important to think through who we let speak into our lives. What are some characteristics of people you would want to be in community with? Are you also attempting to live out those characteristics?

Read James 5:16. Biblical community is a space in our life where we can be vulnerable; we can’t heal from what is hidden. The Bible calls for Jesus followers to confess their sins to one another and to pray for one another. We must be men who confess to one another and pray for one another. What needs to be confessed in your life to another Jesus follower? Who is another man that you can be praying for?

Read Romans 12:15. Biblical community isn’t exclusively about sharing what’s going wrong in your life. Biblical community is also about having fun and rejoicing with your community--to celebrate when celebration is called for. What are some fun ways you can connect with your community? (Host a bonfire, share a meal together, get outside.)

Sometimes when a group has met for a while, expectations can be forgotten. If you’re in a group, what expectations need to be reset for your group to be the best group possible?

Most of the time we don’t have the margin to add another thing to our already busy schedules. However, there are probably some things in your life that are taking up your time and aren’t as beneficial as joining a group. By saying “no” to certain things, we can say “yes” to joining a group. What are some areas of your life that you need to say “no” to in order to make time for biblical community?

Question for those who are not in a group: What questions do you still have about joining a group? What can you do this week to find answers to those questions? Make a goal that by the end of the week you’ve found your answers.

Question for those who are in a group: What can your group do to shake things up a little bit? Is there someone you can serve in your group? Do you guys want to start serving together? Do you want to find something fun to do as a group?

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you? What’s God asking you to do? What does He want to give you? What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [e-mail]