A weekly guide to carry the conversation beyond Sunday morning.
Icebreaker Question: What’s one thing on your calendar this week that you’re looking forward to? What’s one thing that feels overwhelming?
This connects to the sermon’s discussion about how our calendars can become idols and how busyness hardens our hearts.
Briefly recap the main points:
Question: The pastor said, “Every week is a heart transplant. We need it.” What are some events or experiences in daily life that have a way of hardening your heart toward God or others?
Context from Sermon: The pastor explained that events and experiences have a great way of hardening the heart, and when we allow our hearts to continue to be hardened, we’re hardened toward the presence of God first, and then toward one another. He even mentioned how we can grow a hard heart toward ourselves, becoming skeptical of the work God is doing in us.
Leader Tip: Create a safe space for honest answers. People might mention disappointments, betrayals, busy schedules, or even church hurt. Validate these experiences before moving toward hope.
Question: The pastor suggested that our calendars can become “high places” of worship. How does the way you organize your schedule reflect (or not reflect) God’s priorities? What would it look like to start with God first when planning your week?
Context from Sermon: The pastor said, “Our calendar is our high place… We have no issue predetermining how this month and these days and these times are gonna work out. And then we’re like, okay, now let’s take a step back and look at what’s going on. Where’s God in all of this? What if we flipped the script and we started with God?”
Leader Tip: This can be convicting, so approach with grace. Encourage the group to think practically: What would it look like to pray over your calendar? To schedule time with God before scheduling everything else? To ask “Where does Jesus want to bring light?” before committing to activities?
Question: The pastor emphasized the importance of regular time in God’s Word, saying, “If you don’t have a regular rhythm of getting your eyeballs on the Word of God, you are choosing to not be sprinkled by the Word.” What is your current rhythm of reading Scripture? What obstacles keep you from being in the Word regularly?
Context from Sermon: The pastor referenced Ezekiel 36:25 (“I will sprinkle clean water on you”) and connected it to being sprinkled with God’s Word. He used the image from Psalm 1 of a tree planted by streams of water, with the Word washing over the roots constantly, bringing new life and new breath.
Leader Tip: Don’t shame people who aren’t reading daily. Instead, problem-solve together. What realistic rhythms could work? Morning coffee with a verse? Audio Bible during commute? A weekly group study? Help people find what fits their season of life.
Question: The pastor pointed out that Peter wrote his letters under his new name (given by Jesus), not his old name Simon. He said, “Some of you are still writing your letters to people under your old name… living your life still under the old name.” What does it mean to live under your “new name” versus your “old name”?
Context from Sermon: The pastor explained that Peter lived his days out of the overflow of his new heart from following Jesus. He challenged listeners: “Some of you are living your life still under the old name, the name, the heart that has the old name written on it.”
Leader Tip: Help the group understand that our “old name” represents our identity before Christ or the patterns of our old self. Our “new name” is who we are in Christ. Encourage sharing: What characterized your “old name”? What does your “new name” in Christ say about you?
Question: The pastor made a strong statement: “I want to say this to those who have been following Jesus and you have found yourself today with a moderately hardened heart. I want you to know that that is not on Him. It is on you.” How does this challenge you? What daily choices contribute to either a hardened or softened heart?
Context from Sermon: The pastor explained that while God does the work of transformation, we are responsible for turning our hearts over to Him daily. He said hardness comes from “day to day unwillingness to be in His Word… unwillingness to hold your heart in humility in his presence… to not go through the regular pruning process.”
Leader Tip: This is a tough truth. Balance accountability with grace. Help people see that while we can’t transform ourselves, we are responsible for positioning ourselves before God—through Scripture, prayer, worship, and community—where He can do His transforming work.
Question: The pastor asked us to identify “flare-ups of the old self”—patterns from our old heart that still show up. He gave examples like responding in anger or imposter syndrome. What is one flare-up of your old self that you’re still wrestling with?
Context from Sermon: The pastor explained that he’s not just talking about who we were before Christ, but about “these flare ups of your old self.” He shared his own struggle with imposter syndrome and self-deprecation, and mentioned hearing from others about quick temper and anger issues.
Leader Tip: Model vulnerability by sharing your own struggle first. This isn’t about shame—it’s about identifying areas where we need God’s transforming power. After sharing, pray for one another specifically about these struggles.
Question: The pastor said that when we’re hardened, we can become “thankful when we don’t see people that we know” in public. How does a softened heart change the way we engage with our neighbors, coworkers, and community?
Context from Sermon: The pastor confessed, “When my heart is ragged, when my heart is hardened, this is the point that I get to where I’m thankful when I don’t see people that I know.” He explained that we can’t say God’s Spirit is in us if we’re avoiding community and not following His decrees about how to be with others.
Leader Tip: This is about practical Christianity. Discuss: How do we show up in our neighborhoods? At the grocery store? In our workplaces? What does it look like to bring a softened heart into everyday interactions? Challenge the group to be intentional this week about engaging rather than avoiding.
Question: The pastor said, “The older we get, the more softened we should be towards God and toward one another, period.” Do you see this pattern in your own life? What would it look like for your heart to become increasingly soft rather than increasingly hard as you age?
Context from Sermon: The pastor emphasized that God’s work isn’t just a one-time event at salvation. He said, “Just because you said yes to Jesus when you were 5 years old at a revival service doesn’t mean that that was his one and only work in your heart. There’s an ongoing work of softening in you.”
Leader Tip: This is especially important for long-time believers who might feel “done” with spiritual growth. Encourage reflection: Are you more patient now than five years ago? More gracious? More quick to forgive? If not, what needs to change? For those in retirement or later seasons, affirm that God’s work continues in every chapter.
Give everyone 2-3 minutes of silence to complete the GrowCard exercise from the sermon:
Pair up group members and encourage them to text each other mid-week to check in on the specific “old self flare-up” they identified. Ask: “How are you doing with rejecting that old pattern? How can I pray for you?”
This Week’s Action Steps:
A weekly practice you can do beyond Sunday morning.
Share how being part of a family gives someone identity and security. Ask: “How does knowing God is our Father change how we see ourselves?”
A weekly practice you can do beyond Sunday morning.
Challenge: Stop Identifying with Your Old Name
The Challenge: Identify one label from your past you still live from — and intentionally reject it this week.
Concrete Action:
