These notes are designed to be a resource as you lead your Life Group each week.

FINALIZE PLANS FOR YOUR SOCIAL & SERVICE PROJECT:
Finalize your group plans for your social (find ideas here), and your group service project. Check our website for some options – northcoastcommunityservice.org

REMINDER
If you have new people in your group use name tags on for the first three weeks.

LEADERCAST IS BACK!
Be a part of an extraordinary event that will make you an even better leader. It is the largest, one-day simulcast leadership event on the planet, with more than 100,000 current visionaries and future world-changers attending each year. As a Life Group Leader or Host we’d like to honor you and provide you with a special ticket rate. Here are the details:

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.

Discussion Reminder: You may choose to only answer question 1 or 2 to allow you enough time for the Digging Deeper Section.

1. What do you enjoy most about being at home?

Good question to have everyone answer. Remember by “home” we mean those who know us best including family, close friends and co-workers.

2. Chris said living out our faith at home will lead to four things. Which one caught your attention the most and why?

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

1. This weekend in our study of Mark, we were given an incredible picture of the powerful effect we can have when we live out our faith back home. (“Home” meaning those who know us best including family, close friends and co-workers). God is giving us the opportunity to have an impact on those around us. That can be encouraging but it can also be humbling. Humbling, because if we’re honest, we’re our “real” selves at home and sometimes that can be messy. Fortunately, Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, lays out a number of “check points” to help them (and us) be affirmed and see what authentic faith in Jesus looks like.

This week we’re going to take a closer look at what Paul tells the Ephesians about living out their faith at home to encourage us on how we’re doing and how God wants to help us make a difference.

• Read the verses in Ephesians 4 listed on the next page and jot down the check points Paul refers to.

Start here and have everyone fill in the boxes before you go over the rankings.

Additional Question: Are there any other categories / verses you think should be added?
Additional Verses / Check points:
Matthew 20:26 – servant
Proverbs 10:19 / 18:2 – be slow to speak, gain understanding 

• How do you think the two people that know you best would grade you using the following scale?

Discussion Tip: It’s fine if someone can only come up with one person that can rank them. Getting different perspectives from others about who we are and how we come across is important, but also must be done in a sensitive way. Have someone start that can be real, authentic, and even be somewhat light hearted about it. It may need to be you as leader. Try to not make this too heavy, but also real. Then compare and contrast between what people think and what we as individuals think should be engaging. They are also not limited to only one letter per box. Someone can actually put all three in one box. They do not need to name the person, but if your group is OK with it, feel free to do so.

Discussion Flow: Have people respond how they think person #1 would respond, then person #2, then their own. Then go to the next check point and do the same. Be aware of how long it is taking and getting caught on long explanations. You may want to go through the rankings a bit quicker, and spend your time focusing on the additional questions below.

a. Grown the most
b. Need to keep watch
c. You’re doing well

• Rank yourself in the third column.

Recommended Additional Questions:
Depending on time you could use this as men-only / women-only discussion at the end. 

• Which one would you say you’ve grown the most in? Can you identify how you’ve grown, why, and/or what caused it? If so, explain.
• Do you agree with what your family/close friends/co-workers say?
• Which one would you say is your highest ranked?
• Which one would you most likely need to pay attention to or need to grow in? Has your awareness of it changed over time? 

2. An important element of home is a sense of safety and peace. In fact, God calls us to “seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:11/Colossians 3:15-16). It’s important to note that the peace that’s mentioned here doesn’t just happen. It also doesn’t mean just giving up for the sake of peace, but it’s something we actively pursue. How do the following verses help us understand what pursuing peace looks like?

1 Peter 3:11 – They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.

Colossians 3:15-16 – ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Proverbs 15:1 – A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

& Proverbs 16:24 – Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

How I say or what I say can make a difference.
Additional Question: What’s an example of grace-filled words vs. non-grace?
Grace can show by simply asking a question instead of making a statement; (Statement: “Go get that report for me” Question: “Can you go get that report for me?”)
Additional Verse: Romans 14:9

Romans 12:17-21 – ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

–  My focus should be to return good for evil/frustration/harsh tone.
Additional Question: What good would doing this accomplish?
–  “Do what is right in the eyes of others” – this means have the reputation of doing the right thing.
– “If it is possible” – realize I may not be able to make peace with all.

Here are the same verses in the Message Translation:  “Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

Galatians 6:1-5, 9 – Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ⁵ for each one should carry their own load.

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Ignoring an issue may seem like it brings peace, but in reality it may move you to further separation. Pursuing peace may mean, as Galatians says, that I have to go through the discomfort of talking to someone about a concern or sin issue. As these verses state, the goal is restoration not condemnation, with a humble heart. Watch yourself. “Carrying the burden reminds us again that pursuing peace may not be easy.
Additional Passage: Matthew 5:23-26 speaks of the urgency to make things right with others. Also see Proverbs 27:6.

Colossians 3:13 – ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Forgiving someone and not holding a grudge may be what needs to happen to bring peace to the situation even when they have not admitted their wrong.
Additional Question: Is there someone you need to forgive?

Which of the verses above is most important for you to remember regarding pursuing peace?

Looking back on this week’s sermon and study, what’s most important for you to remember?

If you haven’t divided into men-only / women-only groups in a while, we encourage you to do so. 

The Scariest Jesus Story Ever Told

An enemy from the grave:

Mark 5:1-13

1. Satan’s plan is to distort and destroy God’s image.
   John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Genesis 3:1-5
2. If we don’t know where we are being attacked, we have lost the battle.
   Ephesians 4:17-28, Matthew 26:41, 1 Corinthians 10:11-13
3. When it comes to spiritual warfare there are two sides, but it’s not a fair fight.
   1 John 4:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Ephesians 6:10-18, James 4:7

A call to take this back home:

Mark 5:14-20, Matthew 5:13-16, Ephesians 5:8, James 3:1-12

The focus of our story is not Jesus, but what Jesus has done.

Living out our faith at home will be the:

• Hardest for us
• Most real for others
• Place of greatest impact
• Death of hypocrisy

The rest of the story:

Mark 5:20 + 7:31 + 8:1-10