Small Group Discussion Guide

"The Power of Connecting" — Pastor Mirek Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

In this message, I shared that life is found in connection — first with God, and then with one another. Just as the scattered dry bones in Ezekiel's valley came together by the Spirit of God to form a mighty army, the body of Christ is meant to be knit together in love, not living as isolated, disconnected individuals. When we connect with our brothers and sisters and pour out what God has placed in us, life, healing, and joy flow in both directions.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV) "From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."

3. ICE BREAKER

Think of a time someone said one encouraging word to you at exactly the right moment — what happened, and did they probably even know how much it meant to you?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Opening the Conversation I said in the sermon that "life is in relationships, not in your stuff." Do you genuinely believe that, or does the way you actually spend your time and energy tell a different story? What does your weekly schedule reveal about what you truly value?

2. Going Deeper on Scripture Looking at Ephesians 4:16, I pointed out that every joint — every person-to-person relationship — has a supply to give. What do you think your unique "supply" is? What encouragement, gift, skill, or simply quality of presence do you bring to this body that someone else genuinely needs?

3. Getting Honest I was pretty direct about this: Satan is the great disconnector, and hurt is one of his most effective tools for getting us to pull back and isolate. Has a past hurt — whether from a church, a pastor, or a fellow believer — caused you to put walls up? How has that affected your spiritual growth, honestly?

4. Looking at Jesus In John 13:34-35, Jesus said the world would recognize His disciples by their love for one another. When you look at our group, our church, your own life — what would an outsider actually observe? What's one honest gap between the love Jesus described and what we're currently living out?

5. The Ezekiel Picture I talked about the vision of the dry bones coming together — flesh, muscle, skin, and finally the breath of God. I said I believe this is a prophetic picture of God's army rising in these last days. Where do you see the body of Christ coming alive and connecting powerfully? And where do you see bones that are still scattered and disconnected?

6. Bringing It Home I mentioned that our frequency of connection with the local body sets our spiritual temperature. Be honest with yourself — are you a fully connected member, a casual observer, or somewhere in between? What is one honest, practical reason that keeps you from going deeper?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, reach across one uncomfortable gap.

Choose one person — someone you don't know well, someone from a different background or age group, or someone you've been keeping at arm's length — and make a deliberate, specific move toward connection. That might mean texting them to say what you appreciate about them, inviting them to coffee or lunch, or simply staying after church next Sunday to ask their name and genuinely listen to their story for five minutes. Come back next week ready to share what happened — even if it felt awkward.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for the disconnected. Ask God to bring to mind the people in our church and in our lives who are isolated, lonely, or quietly hurting — and give us the courage and sensitivity to reach out to them this week.

• Pray against the spirit of division. Ask God to expose and dismantle any strife, offense, or unforgiveness that the enemy is using to keep members of our body separated from one another — and give us hearts that are quick to forgive and eager to restore.

• Pray for our church to become an oasis. Ask God to make our community so genuinely warm, loving, and life-giving that people who are hurting on the outside look in and want what we have — and that we'll be ready to welcome them when they do.

7. MEMORY VERSE

John 13:34 (NKJV) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

Leader's tip: Don't feel pressure to get through every question. Let the conversation breathe. If your group gets stuck on question three and genuinely works through some real hurt together, that IS the sermon coming to life — and it's worth far more than covering every point on the page.