WEEKLY HOME GROUP GUIDE

Belong
Welcome/opening prayer
Gather your HG together before the meal & talk about Jesus, the Bridegroom. Pastor Davids message focused on Jesus as the Bridegroom (& the Church His Bride). Our Core Competency is Eternity, which affirms our belief that there is a heaven and a hell and that Jesus Christ is returning to judge the earth and to establish His eternal kingdom. The Bible tells us that there will be a great celebration in heaven someday...the wedding supper of the Lamb. It will be a feast of feasts, a party like no other! Lets read Revelation 19:6-10 to get a picture of this glorious day! Before we feast tonight, lets do something special. Lets take communion together to remember what Jesus has done for us through His death, burial & resurrection. (Instructions on how to take the Lords Supper are at the bottom if you need them.) After we take communion, lets celebrate our meal together as a foreshadowing of the GREAT wedding feast that God is preparing for us!

Oct 21 Oct 27, 2012

Become
Family Time
What makes a wedding day so special for the bride and groom? Ask a couple of married couples to talk about how excited that day was for them. The Bible describes Jesus as a Bridegroom coming to take His Bride (the Church). How much does Jesus love us? Isnt it great that Jesus loves us so much that He is going to come & get us someday to take us home to heaven? Are you excited about that day? Lets thank Jesus for loving us so much & ask that He come soon!

Kids Time
Have you ever been to a wedding? What did it look like? Lets have a pretend wedding march. Line up the wedding party; choose bridesmaids & groomsmen; choose a boy & girl to play the bride & groom (try not to embarrass anyone); do the traditional Dum, dum, da-dum wedding song as people march down the aisle & cheer at the end! Did you know that a bridegroom loves his bride and he promises to love her and take care of her needs? The Bible talks about Jesus like He is a Bridegroom and the Church (all who are saved) is His Bride. How does Jesus take care of your needs? (loving parents, food, clothes, a home, friends, church, school, etc.) The Bible says that Jesus is one day going to come back to earth to take His Church home to heaven. What can we do to make sure that we are ready for Jesus to come back? (love Him, obey Him, tell others about Him so they can go to heaven, etc.) Lets sing Thank Him. Thank Him. All ye little children. God is love. (Then Love Him. Love Him. Then Serve Him. Serve Him.)

Adult Time
In a wedding ceremony, the bride & groom covenant with each other (& with God)...they make a solemn promise that they pledge to keep until death parts them. Jesus made a new covenant with His followers (see I Corinthians 11:25). Since Jesus, our Bridegroom, is alive and lives forever, and since all who drink of the living water (the Spirit) which He gives will live eternally, how long will the covenant between Jesus and His Bride be kept? (Eternally) So...even though humans do not at times keep their covenants/promises with each other, what will Jesus do? (Keep His Word) What can you ever do to make Him love you more? (Nothing) What can you ever do to make Him love you less? (Nothing) Lets close our time tonight in praise & adoration of the covenant-keeping God that we love & serve!

Beyond
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, has your HG thought of a way to serve in the community around you? You might have a brainstorming session in your group to think of ways to Go Beyond to meet the needs of others less fortunate. Consider serving at Mission Arlington, the Union Gospel Mission or the Salvation Army serving/delivering Thanksgiving dinners to others in need. Or encourage your HG members to keep their eyes & ears open to the needs of those on their street. Instructions for leading Communion in your HG 1. Prepare the elements - grape juice, small cups, bread (loaf or wafers/crackers) 2. Lead the group to take a moment of silence to prepare their hearts & confess any known sin to the Lord. 3. Read I Corinthians 11:23-24 - pass the bread around to each person & invite them to eat the bread. 4. Read I Corinthians 11:25-26 - pass the juice cups around to each person & invite them to drink the cup. 5. Close in prayer, thanking God for the sacrifice of His Son & pray for His return to be soon.

Pantego Bible Church