Belong

Week of October 23-29

Welcome Be sure to introduce any guest present and encourage everyone to make them feel welcome! Its always such a blessing to hear children pray, so invite a little one to open up your HG night! Opening Prayer During the prayer...take just a moment (about 15-20 seconds) to NOT pray; rather to ask that in this moment of silence that the Holy Spirit would intercede for us to the Father regarding Gods will for each individual in the group.

Become
Family Time Have the children go in another room. Hide a small package of bite-sized candy, but put it in a place that is out of their reach so they wont be able to find it on their own. Designate one adult who can lead them in the right direction. Bring them back in the room & give them a few minutes to search for it. Then tell the children that the leader will point them in the right direction...so its important that they listen to & follow him. Whether he/she silently leads or the kids ask questions to help them find the candy, point out to the children how the Holy Spirit guides us in how we live & He will bless us if we listen & obey. Kids Time Have you ever found yourself in a pickle & felt helpless to do anything about it? Share of a time when Mom or Dad stepped in to save the day. How much confidence did that give you to face future challengesknowing that your parents are ready to help you with wisdom & unconditional love in your time of need. How can we relate this to the fact that the Holy Spirit prays for us when we dont know what to pray for? Describe a time when you looked back & realized that your parents knew you better than you knew yourself. For instance, think about a movie you wanted to see, a trip you wanted to go on or a game you wanted to play but your parents insisted otherwise. But looking back you realized that they had the best plan all along. How does this compare to the Holy Spirit praying on our behalf according to the will of God (v. 27)? Adult Time Reread this weeks passage (Rom. 8:26-27). Now read Ephesians 6:18. What is the significance/relationship of us praying in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18) relative to His intercessory role as described in Rom 8:26-27. How do you think this should impact what we pray for? How might this help us to cultivate a vibrant, biblically-based prayer life? Describe a past decision that needed to be made yet was so challenging that it left you wondering what to pray for (v. 26). Discuss it & share how you can attest to the truthfulness of todays passage. How does it affect your confidence in prayer knowing that the Spirit intercedes on your behalf? Prayer Time Thank God for giving us the Holy Spirit to watch over our lives & pray for us with groans that cannot be expressed. Pray that God would make His will for our lives this week exceptionally clear; pray that we would gain a better understanding of how we are to love, serve & honor Him as His children.

Beyond
Community Calendar Encourage the members of your HG to use Halloween night as an opportunity to meet & develop better relationships with their neighbors. Look for ways to cultivate friendships on your street! God can use you to be Light in the darkness. Church Calendar Remember: Operation Christmas Child begins NEXT Sunday, Oct 30. Stop by the Lobby booth to pick up information about your OCC Shoebox. Collection Sunday is November 20th. Organize your HG to participate in this wonderful ministry.

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