I retain information best when I sit down and dive in with a group of people. That’s the benefit of using the Rooted in Love guide with a small group—to invest in God’s Word and have accountability towards gospel transformation.
In this leader guide, I will provide direction and an activity to go along with each week/session. There are already questions in the guide that you can use for discussion.
Some helpful tips:
- When there is Scripture, read all of it and out loud as a group
- Pray before and after. Maybe consider having prayer partners through the four weeks.
- Consider different discussion leaders for the following weeks. Everyone has different creative gifts and can approach Scripture or the message in a unique way. Instead of rotating discussion leader, you could also assign roles for someone to provide an activity or tangible action step for each session.
Session 1: Introduction and Part One (pg. 4-10)*
Ice-Breaker: What is your most used emoji when you text your friends?
Read through the intro section. At the conclusion of this section, ask:
“What excuses have you used up to this point to avoid “laying down your life for others?”
Read through Part 1 and follow through questions on page 8 and 9.
Ask a few women to read their prayers out loud for the group.
Closing Activity: From the written prayers on page 8, write down a mantra you can use when you feel the temptation to hunker down in front of the television instead of helping out a friend.
*this could be split into two different sessions
Session 2: Part Two (pg. 12-15)
Ice-Breaker: Do you like to have your whole day planned out or be spontaneous?
Read through the section and discuss the questions.
Closing Activity: Hand each person a white piece of paper and have them write out their schedule for tomorrow, with the hours they wake up until they go to bed. Encourage them to pause and look at what their day usually holds and where there could be pockets of time to give to their relationships. Is it a 15min phone call on the drive to school pick-up? Is it inviting your co-worker to eat lunch with you? Could there be an opportunity to wake up 30minutes earlier to read your Bible? The, have them write their new habit they want to practice in on their schedule and encourage them to try to practice it tomorrow or sometime through their week.
Session 3: Part Three (pg. 16-18)
Ice-Breaker: If you could invite anyone to your dinner table, who would it be?
Read through the section and discuss the questions.
Closing Activity: Write a letter to someone they have been feeling contempt towards. They will not have to share this out loud. At the end, do something to get rid of the papers. Light them up in a fire, tie them around a rock and throw them in a pond, or find some other way to “let go” the contempt they held onto and one forward with a fresh start.
Session 4: Final Encouragements (pg. 19- 22)
Ice-Breaker: What have you enjoyed most about the study thus far?
Read through the section and discuss the questions.
Closing Activity: Ask each woman to come with a magazine they can cut up. Have glue sticks and a blank piece of paper available for each woman. Have them write at the top of their papers “A life loved” and have them find words or images to cut out and glue to their paper of what they think a life loved looks like. This could take 10 minutes or 45 minutes, decide depending on what time you have but leave time for each woman to share what she put on her paper and what this study has meant to her.
You are amazing for leading intentional conversations with your community! Any questions? Just comment below!
Thanks for loving your corner of the world!
P.S. Want the Rooted in Love mugs for your group?? Shop them here.
