Life Group - Leader Guides

One of the most common statements in today's culture is: “I don't need to be in church to be a Christian.” And while salvation does not come from church attendance, scripture shows us that faith was never meant to be lived in isolation. Some people stay away from church because of past hurt or the convenience of doing church at home. Others attend but only treat it as a check box on their spiritual to-do list. Neither approach reflects the purpose God intended for His Church. The Church isn't a building or a service—it's a gathering of people who belong to God. It’s where we grow together, serve one another, and stir up faith. Being planted in God’s Church isn't about earning salvation—it's about becoming who God called us to be.

This past weekend, we took time to recognize and honor the mothers and mother figures in our lives. For some, Mother's Day is a time of gratitude and celebration. For others, it can bring up difficult emotions due to loss, broken relationships, or unmet desires. In moments like these, it’s important to remember that days like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day are meant to be about honor, not our identity. Our worth isn’t defined by whether we’ve had a good parent, are a parent, or hope to be one. For those who follow Jesus, our identity is rooted in Him. From that foundation, we’re called to honor those God has placed in our lives--especially those who have shaped us for the better. This week our focus is on learning how to honor others, not just on special days, but as a way of life.

This week's message focused on the question, "How do I know what God wants me to do?" We explored the anxiety many people feel about making the “right” decisions in life. While scripture clearly outlines many of God’s commands, there are also gray areas- places where the Bible doesn't give a direct answer. Together, let’s discover biblical wisdom and spiritual clarity for navigating those uncertain moments with faith and confidence.

As we walk through our faith journey as Christ followers, it's natural to have questions or encounter things that don’t make sense. Over the next four weeks, we’ll be discussing a series designed to address some of those common questions. This week, we’ll dive into a question that has been asked for generations: Are we living in the end times? From biblical times until now, believers have wrestled with this topic—and likely always will. Together, we’ll explore what God’s Word says about the end times and learn how to develop a healthy, biblical perspective on it.

The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, our hope is empty (1 Corinthians 15:17). But if He did—everything changes. After rising from the grave, Jesus didn’t immediately ascend to heaven. He stayed. He appeared to His followers. He comforted, taught, corrected, and commissioned. These moments weren’t random. Each encounter shows us how Jesus meets us now—in our grief, our doubts, our fear, and our questions.