ICEBREAKER: When have you felt like an outsider in a group or community? How did you respond?
Have someone read John 15:19-20 and John 15:27-16:1 for the group.
What do you think Jesus means when he says, “I have chosen you out of the world”?
Why do you think rejection by the world can serve as a marker of alignment with Jesus?What does it look like to “stand firm” against cultural pressure in your day-to-day environment?
When you face rejection, what determines whether it becomes a catalyst for growth or a source of bitterness?
How do small, daily choices to follow Jesus accumulate into a life of faithfulness?
What “small, daily choice” of faithfulness do you feel prompted to make this week?
In the face of cultural opposition or misunderstanding, how can you become more resilient without becoming calloused?
What would change in your life if your deepest source of identity truly came from being “chosen by God” rather than accepted by others?
Where is God inviting you to rest instead of striving? How might you respond to that invitation?
CLOSING PRAYER: Father, thank you for choosing us before we could ever earn it. May we stop trying to earn acceptance from the world when we already have it from You. Show us the small, daily choices we need to make in order to stay faithful to you. Amen.
