I Don't Have Time | Can We Be Friends? | Drew Moore

What if we asked: God, what do you want to change about my approach to friendships? Sometimes, we don’t take steps in community because we think we just don’t have time. But as we see in Ephesians 5 and Galatians 6, God created us from relationship for relationships. How can you be full of care in how you invest your time, and realign your calendar to form your friendships?

Key Verses

• Romans 12:2 NLT: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

• Acts of the Apostles 1:7-8 NLT: He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

• Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT: So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

• Galatians 5:16-25 NLT: So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasuresidolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, divisionenvy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulnessgentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

  
  One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.

Recap

• Reconnect

  To begin the study, each person answers these questions:

  • What are you thankful for?

  • What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?

  • What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?

• Recap

  • Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.

  • Did you live out your response from last week?

  • Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?

DISCOVERING WHAT GOD IS SAYING

• Read and Retell the Bible Story

  • One person reads the story out loud to the group.

  • Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.

• Read and Look

  • Read the passage again (different version if possible)

  • What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?

• Read and Look Again

  • Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.

  • What does this passage say about people in general?

DISCOVER WHAT GOD IS SAYING

• Consider

  • What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?

  • How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?

  • Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.

SHARING WHAT GOD IS SAYING

• Praying Together

  • Take prayer requests

  • Pray together

• Share

  • Who in your life needs to hear this story?

  • Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?

Practice Generosity Here

Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.