GOING DEEPER
08.09.2020 | THEREFORE | Wk 7: “Therefore Be Authentic”
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Breaking Ground
What is your oddest/funniest quirk or habit?
The Dig
Reflect on the value for this week: “When the Holy Spirit is moving in & among us, we live authentic lives, to ourselves & to others.”
How do you define authenticity?
What does it mean to live an authentic life to yourself?
What does it mean to live an authentic life to others?
Read & reflect on Romans 12:15-16.
What role does authenticity play in being able to “rejoice with those who rejoice & mourn with those who mourn”? Do you find it easy to truly rejoice or mourn in front of & with people?
How might authenticity help produce harmony in a community (as opposed to strife)?
How does pride & being conceited get in the way of being authentic – with ourselves & others?
Reflect on where you currently find it easiest & hardest to be authentic (NOTE: think vulnerability).
Where do you find it easiest & hardest to be authentic to yourself? Why?
Where do you find it easiest & hardest to be authentic to others? Why?
What could you do to deepen your ability to live an authentic life? What is holding you back from doing so?
If you have extra time, close by reading through the “How We Live It Out” points in the next section.
Getting Out of the Hole
Take each week during this season to reflect on each value.
Authenticity – When the Holy Spirit is moving in & among us, we live authentic lives, to ourselves & to others.
What It Means – The life Christ calls us to live is incompatible with false posturing. We should strive to be unafraid of brokenness – in ourselves or others – because to fear and hide from brokenness only fosters its stranglehold over our lives. We believe Authenticity is a crucial step in the lifelong process of healing and Growth which God has for us. Reasonable boundaries can and should be respected, but we aim to always think of and present ourselves as honestly as we know how.
How We Live It Out
- We do not pretend that we have it all together. To be human is to be broken, and this truth helps to free us, so we do not hide our struggles.
- We tell the truth, in love, to each other.
- In the right contexts, such as our close relationships and Growth Groups, we commit to being vulnerable with each other, recognizing the scriptural imperative to share openly as a means of Godly growth.
- We admit imperfections and mistakes as an organization. We are not afraid to say
Journal, reflect, & pray over this value. Note any insights that stand out or really hit home. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World by James D. Hunter
Resident Alien by Stanley Hauerwas
A Community of Character by Stanley Hauerwas
The New Testament & the People of God by NT Wright
Organizational Culture & Leadership by Edgar Schein
Leading Change by John Kotter
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, August 16: Join us for the next week of our series Therefore, where we will explore why grace in all things is a core value at E3.
* Please see mye3.org for details.