Written in Heaven

WHEN LOVE COME TO TOWN: A U2 CHRISTMAS
WALK ON

***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.

***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.

1. What is the one movie about Christmas that you love to watch this time of year? Why is it your favorite? When you think about Jesus and his Christmas story, what details of the story move you the most?

2. Read Matthew 1:22-23. When you think of prominent criminal cases that have been in the court system in our lifetime, which ones have we been quick to judge, right or wrong? What person or groups of people are we quick to judge or put labels on in our own lives? Why? What should we do with these preconceptions in light of Galatians 3:26-28?

3. Joseph was quick to judge and he was afraid to take Mary as his wife. Why was he afraid to marry her? What would you have done in that situation? Why do we still have fear when God asks us to do something? Is there or has there been a situation in your life that you’d be willing to share when God was calling you to do something and you were afraid? What was the outcome?

4. God’s presence came to earth through Jesus. To fully experience that presence, we have to take next steps in our lives. This means doing something or becoming something God’s called us to. It may also mean that we need to leave certain things behind. What needs to happen in your life for you to fully experience God’s presence in your life this Christmas?

As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.