5-11-25 Liturgy

Main Theme:  Draw near to God and he will draw near to you

Opening
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and be open to what He wants to do & say in our gathering.

Suggested Practice:
Read Hebrews 10:19-25 aloud and take a moment to thank God that we can draw close to Him because of the life and work of Jesus Christ.

Worship
Goal: Make Jesus central in our gathering. This could be done through songs, prayerful scripture reading, communion, etc.

Suggested Practice:
Choose 2 songs to sing together (or listen to) that celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Possible Options:

• The Heart of Worship (YouTube)
• Lord, I Need You (YouTube)
• Nothing Else (YouTube)

____[Dismiss the Kids/Youth]____

Sharing
Goal: To know each other's stories.

Suggested Practice A:
Select one person to answer the following question:

• When was a time where you intentionally drew close to God and experienced His presence? What impact did it have on you? How has it changed you?

Suggested Practice B:
Select one person to answer the following question:

• When was a time where you witnessed a friend or family member intentionally draw close to God and experience His presence? What impact did it have on them? How has it changed them?

Suggested Practice C:
Break into groups of 3 people. Answer the following questions:

• What are you thankful for this week?
• What has stressed you out this week?

Give the groups 10 minutes to answer the question. Encourage everyone to share.

Discussion
Goal: Learn how to follow Jesus in everyday life.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand that God promises to draw close to us if we draw close to him.
• Explain why is it so important for Christians to draw close and remain close to God.
• Describe how to cultivate a life that draws close and remains close to God.

Suggested Practice A:
Possible Questions:

1. Steve identified 5 factors that determine the closeness of our relationship with God (our calendar, our check-book, our character, our contacts, our conversations). How does each factor reveal the closeness of our relationship with God?
2. What factors would you consider a strength of yours? What factors are a growth area for you?
3. In 4:4, James highlights that we cannot be both a friend of the world and a friend of God? What does it mean to be a friend of the world? Why does James believe that being a friend of God is incompatible with being a friend of the world?
4. How do we cultivate a life that draws close and remains close to God?

Suggested Practice B:
Read James 4:1-12 together. What do you notice? What questions do these words provoke? What does this passage reveal about being a follower of Jesus?

____[Kids/Youth Rejoin Adults]____

Prayer
Goal: Respond appropriately to what Jesus is doing & saying in our gathering.

Suggested Practice A:
Break into groups of 3 people and ask everyone to identify one person in their life that needs to draw close to God. Spend 5 minutes or so praying that these individuals would have a desire to draw close to God.

Suggested Practice B:
Choose one person in your Small Church to sit on a chair in the middle of the group. Ask the person if they have any specific prayer requests for their own life, the lives of their family/friends or an area of concern. Take 5 minutes or so to surround this person and pray into the areas identified.

Communion
Goal: Remember Jesus' death and resurrection. Receive strength & joy that He is with us. Renew our hope for Jesus' return and the restoration of creation.

Suggested Practice:

• Distribute bread and juice.
• Read Luke 22:19-20.
• Read the following statement…“the body of Christ has been given, broken for us and the entire world. This bread reminds us that He paid a debt that He did not owe so that we wouldn’t have to pay a debt that we did owe”.
• Eat the bread.
• Read the following statement…“The blood of Christ has been poured out, shed for us and the entire world. This juice reminds us that we have a permanent and unbreakable relationship with Him and that death has no power over us and no power over creation”.
• Drink the juice.

Blessing
Goal: Focus our attention on Jesus and consider what He wants to do & say this coming week.

Suggested Practice:
Read Matthew 11:28-30 aloud and pray that, this week, all those in your Small Church would draw close to Jesus and find rest, peace and healing from their heavy burdens.