END OF QUARTER / FALL QUARTER PLANS
After this week, there will be two remaining meetings left before the end of the quarter. If you know of potential changes in the leadership or hosting of your group for the fall, please begin to process that with your group this week. Also, make sure your Campus Pastor/Station-in-Life-Pastor knows about the changes.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
See the bottom of the Life Group Study Questions for information on our volunteer needs for weekend services and how to join a team.

DIGITAL FEEDBACK FORMS COMING NEXT WEEK
End of the quarter Feedback Forms will be emailed to each person in your group on Sunday, May 16. Please have your group fill them out at one of your two final meetings for the quarter if they haven’t done so already on their own.

ATTENDANCE
Submit your group’s attendance online at northcoastchurch.com/attendance. If you’re not sure how to post attendance, you can check out the guide here: lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/how-to-post-attendance

27: The Letters That Define Us – To help you make the most of this series through the books of the New Testament, we encourage you to mark up your Bible and read each book along with us the week it is covered in the sermon.

Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or something that caught your attention, challenged or confused you?

1. Chris talked about how God’s plan is for us to use our unique and strategic differences to build up the body of Christ. Our Life Group participation has given each of us firsthand opportunities to see the members of our group live out how God has uniquely gifted them to serve others. Think about each member of your group and write down one strength, character trait or positive action you’ve seen from each person.

Facilitation Tip: You probably won’t have enough time for everyone to share what they wrote about each person. Here are a couple of ways to handle this:

• Split your group into 2-3 smaller groups and have each of the smaller groups share. The downside is that the whole group won’t get to hear what people share.
• Do half the group this week and then come back and start next week’s meeting doing the other half.
• Have only 2-3 people share what they wrote for each person. Change up which people share so everyone gets to share for 3 or 4 people.

This may be a difficult exercise for some people to hear others sharing about them because they don’t think they have any strengths or outstanding character traits. Be on the lookout for people who will try to downplay what is shared about them. Tell people they are only allowed to say “thank you” after each person shares because some will try to dismiss what is shared about them.

2. The Apostle Paul begins his discussion on unity and diversity in the Church by first talking about humility (Romans 12:3). He knew we would not be able to use our strategic and unique differences to accomplish God’s purpose if we didn’t deal with pride. Author Thomas Merton observed that “pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.” What do you think Merton means?

Romans 12:3 New International Version (NIV)
³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Additional Questions

• How would you define pride? Humility?
• Who is someone you know that has consistently lived a life of humility? What about them caused you to think they were humble?

1. In Romans 12:9-21, Paul lists how we need to act if we want to get along with people inside and outside the church. He makes a list of 24 different actions and attitudes he wants us to put into practice. Using the list below…

• Underline any you find most challenging to put into practice.
• Circle any you feel like you’re doing a good job of following.
• Make a check mark next to any you are unsure about what they would look like to practice in real life.

Facilitation Tip: Take the time to have various people share which items they chose and why they chose them. There should be a lot of variety in the answers people share.

1. Love must be sincere
2. Hate what is evil
3. Cling to what is good
4. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love
5. Honor one another above yourself
6. Never be lacking in zeal
7. Keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord
8. Be joyful in hope
9. Be patient in affliction
10. Be faithful in prayer
11. Share with God’s people in need
12. Practice hospitality
13. Bless those who persecute you
14. Bless and do not curse
15. Rejoice with those who rejoice
16. Mourn with those who mourn
17. Live in harmony with one another
18. Do not be proud, associate with low positions
19. Do not be conceited
20. Do not repay anyone evil for evil
21. Be careful to do what is right
22. Live at peace with everyone
23. Do not take revenge
24. Overcome evil with good

Additional Questions:

• Which ones are most challenging for you to follow?
• Which ones are easiest for you to follow?
• Can you think of a time in the past year where you had the opportunity to implement one of the items on the list? If so, how did it go?
• How does this behavior help create unity in the body? How does this behavior help the members of the Church get along with one another?
• Pick four of the behaviors and jot down how the consistent practice of that behavior helps maintain unity in the Church.
• What kind of impact could a church/Life Group have if its members consistently strived to live out all the items on this list? How would that impact the people around the church/Life Group?

Scan the list above. Next to any item, jot down the initials of anyone who comes to mind that has done a good job of putting that item into action.

Additional Questions:

• Who came to mind for any of the items, and what have they done that caused you to think of them?
• Do you have an example when you or someone else did the opposite of one of these items? What was the result?

If you had to pick one of the items on the list that you think is most needed in the body of Christ right now, which one would that be? How about most needed in your own life?

2. Humility and pride play a big role in how much our differences create divisions in the family of God. Pride has a way of attaching itself to certain areas of our lives like our image, possessions, strengths and position. In what ways have you dealt with pride in these or other areas of your life?

Facilitation Tip: This question asked people to be vulnerable about their struggle with pride, so you as the leader may want to go first in answering it in order to make it easier for others to share.

What things in your life have helped you to be humble or deal with pride?

Can you think of any examples of how your view of humility and pride has changed over the years? If so, explain.

Additional Questions:

• Humility is often defined as “passive” and “powerless.” Yet in reality, humility could be considered the power behind service. Can you think of any examples of power and humility coexisting?
• Pride is something virtually all of us have struggled with. Yet it is often difficult for us to see in ourselves but very easy to spot in others. Can you think of a time when you were struggling with pride?
• When and how did you become aware that you were being prideful?
• Why do you think it’s easier to spot pride in others than in ourselves?
• What are some steps you could take if you realized you were being prideful?
• One way of understanding humility is that it is having an accurate view of ourselves. Humility can also be understood as being open about our struggles and weaknesses. How do the following verses help us see how God works through our weaknesses?
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
  • Philippians 3:12-14
  • 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1. Looking back at “the list,” is there one or two of the items on it you’d like to work on practicing more of in your life?

The answers to this question could be something you revisit during your prayer time.

2. God wants to use your unique gifts and abilities to serve in His family. One place with a great need for people to serve right now is our weekend services. While these opportunities may or may not fit your “gifting,” sometimes serving is more about meeting a need rather than using our gifts. Your service will help us to expand our weekend options so more people can join us in person. Below are a few ways you could serve during our weekend services.

Because of the pandemic and not being able to have any in-person worship service options for the past 13 months, we are having to rebuild our weekend volunteer teams from scratch. So, the need for volunteers is great right now. It would be helpful if you took some time to talk with your group about these options and whether anyone would be willing to step up to volunteer for a season.

(See below for how to sign up for a team.)