LIFE GROUPS WEEK 3 – FALL 2025
LIFE GROUPS – WEEK 3
FULL SERMON – 31 MINUTES
ICE BREAKER:
Think back to when you were growing up, what’s one stage of life you couldn’t wait to outgrow… and why?
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 20:20-28 NLT
20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked.
She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
KEEP IT UNCOMPLICATED:
Quick Recap
In Sunday’s message, we learned that just like physical growth, spiritual growth happens in stages:
- Not Yet Born – hasn’t experienced new life in Christ yet.
- Baby – saved but fully dependent on others for spiritual nourishment, doesn’t feed themselves.
- Child – “me-centered,” focused on feelings and wants, often resisting obedience.
- Teenager – passionate, but thinks God’s plan is about them instead of for Him.
- Parent – mature disciple-maker who baptizes and has developed a their testimonies. Who mentors and and can confidently say, “If God did it for me, He can do it for you.”
Discussion Questions
- Not Yet Born → Baby
- What are some barriers that keep people from being “born again”?
- For new believers, what are healthy ways to depend on others as they grow?
- Baby → Child
- What are signs someone is still in a “baby” stage spiritually?
- Why do you think we can resist obedience, even when we know what God wants?
- Child → Teenager
- In what ways can a believer still be “me-centered”?
- What helps shift our faith from “What’s God doing for me?” to “What’s God doing through me?”
- Teenager → Parent
- Teenagers often think life revolves around them. How can that show up in our faith?
- What changes when we realize God’s plan is ultimately about Him, not us?
- Becoming a Parent in the Faith
- A spiritual parent invests in others and shares their testimony. Who could you start encouraging with your story this week?
- How can your personal “If God did it for me, He can do it for you” story impact someone still in an earlier stage?
Reflection
Which stage describes where you are right now — and what’s one next step you can take to grow to the next one?
Pray together for:
- The honesty to recognize your current stage.
- The humility to obey what God’s already shown you.
- The heart to invest in someone else’s growth this week.
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