Small Group Discussion Guide

"Uncomfortable Obedience" — Pastor Chris Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Chris Hufton challenged the congregation to pursue obedience to God even when it is deeply uncomfortable, focusing specifically on how believers handle offense, conflict, and difficult conversations within the body of Christ. He walked through Jesus' step-by-step instructions in Matthew 18 for reconciling with a fellow believer, emphasizing that avoiding hard conversations out of fear is actually a form of disobedience that steals joy, purpose, and spiritual fruitfulness. He reminded the church that God has not given believers a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind — and that genuine love for God is inseparable from genuine love for fellow believers.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Matthew 18:15 (NLT)

"If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back."

3. ICE BREAKER

Think of a time you had to have an awkward or uncomfortable conversation that turned out better than you expected. What made you finally decide to go through with it?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Pastor Chris Hufton described how believers often respond to correction with defensiveness rather than humility, and he held up the posture of a radio host who dedicates a weekly segment to hearing where he got things wrong. What does it look like practically to be the kind of person who is genuinely safe to correct? What gets in the way of that for most people?

2. He pointed out that a "half truth" exists in church culture — people tell themselves they have forgiven someone and are keeping the peace, when in reality they are simply avoiding a necessary conversation. How can a person honestly tell the difference between genuine forgiveness and avoidance disguised as niceness?

3. Ephesians 4:26-27 warns that unresolved anger gives a foothold to the devil. Pastor Chris Hufton connected this to the pattern of letting offenses accumulate rather than addressing them. In practical terms, what does that "foothold" tend to look like in a person's life or in a community when anger is left unaddressed?

4. Pastor Chris Hufton was direct that sharing someone else's offense with multiple friends under the guise of seeking advice or prayer requests places an unfair burden of unforgiveness on people who had nothing to do with the situation. How does the group distinguish between genuinely seeking wise counsel and simply spreading an offense? What guardrails help with that?

5. He described a woman who stayed silent in a toxic environment because she did not want to upset the dynamic, and he told her that her fear of an awkward conversation had stolen her joy, confidence, and sense of calling. Where does the group see this pattern — the fear of discomfort trading away something far more valuable — showing up most commonly in everyday life?

6. First John 4:18 says that perfect love drives out fear, and Pastor Chris Hufton connected fear of difficult conversations directly to not yet having fully experienced God's love. How does a deeper experience of God's love actually change a person's courage in relationships? Is that connection between love and boldness surprising, or does it resonate with what the group has seen?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, each group member is asked to identify one specific conversation they have been avoiding with a fellow believer — whether it involves offering correction, seeking reconciliation, or simply clearing up a misunderstanding. Before the group meets again, each person should take one concrete first step: writing down what they want to communicate, reaching out to schedule a time to talk, or asking a trusted and wise person to accompany them if needed. The goal is not to have the conversation perfectly resolved within the week, but to take the first step of obedience rather than continuing to wait for the discomfort to disappear on its own.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that God would give each group member the humility to receive correction without defensiveness, and the courage to offer it in love when the Holy Spirit prompts them to do so.

• Pray for any specific relationships within the group or within the broader congregation where offense, bitterness, or unresolved tension has taken root, asking God to prepare both parties' hearts before those conversations happen.

• Pray that the church as a whole would become a community where it is genuinely safe to speak the truth in love — where reconciliation is valued more than the avoidance of discomfort, and where the fruit of the Spirit grows visibly in how members treat one another.

7. MEMORY VERSE

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."