THE LAST MEETING OF THE QUARTER: How you wrap up your last meeting of the year is important. Make sure you allow plenty of time for the “Warm Up” and final “Live It” / Communion sections.  Feel free to spend your entire time there, allowing everyone time to connect. Make sure you have thought through Communion and needed supplies.

FINALIZE PLANS FOR THE FALL / ROSTER CONFIRMATIONS
Find out from your group if they know their plans for being part of the group in the fall. They can indicate their plans on the Feedback Forms. Also, let us know of any roster updates that you know of, or changes to your meeting day, time or location for the Fall Quarter when you submit your attendance.

PRAYER FOR NEW FALL LIFE GROUP LEADERS & HOSTS
Take some time to pray for new Leaders and Hosts to launch new Life Groups in the Fall. We have seen some exciting growth in the past few months. See the prayer request at the bottom of this week’s Discussion Guide.  

SUMMER CONNECTION IDEAS – Socials, Events, & Classes
Over the summer, you may want to consider planning a social with your group at the beach, having a game night, going out to dinner, attending one of our summer events/classes or meeting for guys-only/girls-only breakfast once or twice.

You may also consider sending out prayer requests via email, text or mail; this is a great way to keep people connected.

EVENTS & CLASSES COMING THIS SUMMER
You may want to consider making one of these events a summer social for your group! There will be a variety of events and classes offered on our campuses throughout the summer, covering a range of topics including marriage, parenting, spiritual growth, mental health, finance and more! These are great ways for you to grow and/or stay connected this summer! All classes will be posted Friday, May 24 on northcoastchurch.com to see what’s being offered on our various campuses. See list below to check your options. 

LEADER INFO 

IMPORTANT DATES   

• Fall Life Group Signups: August 31 – September 15, 2024
• Fall Life Group Quarter: September 15 – November 23, 2024

DIGITAL FEEDBACK FORMS & feedback on new Discussion Guide format
End of the quarter Feedback Forms were emailed to each person in your group on Monday, May 13. 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.  Also, now we have a specific form going to all leaders asking some more specific questions in regard to new discussion guide. 

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

Discussion Reminder: How you end your group as you move into time off in the summer is important. The focus of your time needs to be celebrating how God has worked in your times together as group, taking Communion, and communicating how you will pray for each other during the summer and any other details if you have plans for a social, etc. The bulk of your time should be spent on this first section and the “Live It” and Communion section.     

Good question to start with – Summer is just around the corner! Do you have any special plans, activities or prayer requests for the next few months?

1. Larry talked about the importance of staying connected to the body of Christ. This week is our last Life Group meeting before summer break. What have you enjoyed about staying connected to your Life Group this year?

You may want to add the idea of how you have seen yourself grow or be impacted this past year as a result of being in the group. This is an important question to have everyone answer.

Option – Transition to the Live It Section -– This may be where you want to transition into the “Live It” Section to ensure you have time for that and to take Communion. If time is tight, go directly to #2 in this section.  You want to ensure you have plenty of time for Communion and reflection.

2. If you were to tell a friend something you heard, learned, or were encouraged by in this weekend’s message, how would you say it in your own words?

1. Re-read Revelation 3:14-22. What warnings in this letter do you think could apply to the Church today?

2. Take another look at Uzziah’s downfall in 2 Chronicles 26. Can you think of situations where someone might be tempted to overstep the rules like Uzziah did?

1. Have you seen wealth and success be dangerous for people you know or have crossed paths with? If so, what have you observed of these dangerous blessings?

2. Larry drew an illustration of what it looks like to put God at the center of our lives. Do you think your life reflects that drawing or does your life’s drawing look different? Explain.

1. Larry listed four ways to fan the flame and avoid being lukewarm in your walk with Jesus. As we look to the summer, which of those four do you think you need to fan into flame in your walk with Jesus? What’s a step you can take to start?

You can use this as a prayer list for the summer with your group and possibly set up a prayer chain via text or email group for the summer.

Option: If time is tight, skip this question and go directly to #2 below.       

2. Constant, articulated gratitude is the greatest antidote for pride. As you prepare to take Communion as a Life Group and thank God for what He’s done for you (more on next page), take a moment to share with your group something you are thankful to God for right now.

You can add to this question by also reading and or asking what is one thing that impacts by referring to the verses below in the Communion section.  Important to question to hear from everyone.

Jesus wants us to remember what He has done for us and that He is here to walk through life with us. That’s why He told the disciples at the Last Supper to keep coming together and take Communion. Communion is about remembering all that Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. It’s through His sacrifice that we receive His grace and mercy.

This week, your Life Group will wrap up by doing what the disciples did – taking Communion together. To get ready for this, read the following verses and think about Jesus’ commitment and work in your life. Jot down a few thoughts on how each verse impacts you.

Romans 5:7-8

⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 15:12-17 

¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

1 Corinthians 11:23-28

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 

* Special note on 1 Corinthians 11:27, 28 and the importance of taking Communion in a worthy manner by examining yourself.  “The idea is plain: examine yourself, but then let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. The idea is not to keep people away from the table of Communion, but to prepare them to receive it in the right way.” – Guzik

COMMUNION: (Listen to the Leader Guide Audio for more details)

Get Communion elements ready. (Juice and bread or crackers – In-person: set on a table in the middle of the room.)

Explain that we want to end the Life Group year by remembering and celebrating Christ’s death and resurrection.

Take Communion
Option #1: Leader-Led Communion

• Read 1 Corinthians 11:-23-28 (as a group or have an individual) For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

* Special note on 1 Corinthians 11:27, 28 and the importance of taking communion in a worthy manner by examining yourself.  “The idea is plain: examine yourself, but then let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. The idea is not to keep people away from the table of Communion, but to prepare them to receive it in the right way.” – Guzik

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”  Psalm 139: 23, 24

• Remind your group we come to remember and celebrate what Jesus has done and to examine ourselves before we take Communion. relationship with Jesus. Set this up as worship time by playing a worship song and giving them time to examine themselves and transition into taking communion in their own time as the song plays.  You can choose to not worship and move directly into communion allowing people to examine themselves and reflect and then take communion. 
• Worship option while people take Communion. Oh Come to the Altar by Elevation Worship – Allow people to take communion on their own while the worship song plays. Or move directly into prayer

Option #2: Video led –  Play the video to set up Communion, followed by a worship song: Chris Brown sets up Communion. Make sure you preview the video as Chris sets up a focused time of reflection. The video then transitions into a worship song, allowing people to examine themselves and move into Communion and reflect or sing, worshipping as the song plays. You can also have someone lead your group in worship, or not end with a worship song and end your time in prayer giving thanks. Let your group know before you play the video or after Chris shares how you will take communion and sharing with them the grace and    

Close in prayer – Group prayer or leader/ hosts closes giving thanks for all that was shared.

Meeting Wrap-up: Remind your group how you plan to connect this summer and ask them to let you know of any changes for the fall as the summer progresses. 

* How to watch video online with your group – Zoom allows you to share a screen. If the platform your group is using does not allow this, you can have people listen to it on their own devices at home, then come back to your group together.  

Take Communion with us this week! If you are not in a Life Group and would like to take Communion with us, see northcoastchurch.com/communion to follow along.