Advent: Peace
December 8 | Discipleship Guide
Be Real Together:
Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together. Trust and friendship take time to build. If you’re launching a new DG, one person should tell their story — what do we need to know about you? Next week, have another person in your DG share their story.
Read Together:
Isaiah 9:6 CSB
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Around this time of year, we hear many platitudes about peace—particularly relating to an end of war. Though an end to war is certainly important, peace is more than a lack of conflict. True peace occurs when we unselfishly seek the best for another. Peace is indicative of a wholeness in which everything is in its right place. This is how God designed the world. Because Jesus is the Prince of Peace, everything done by Him is designed to create wholeness.
Pastor Sean highlighted three types of peace we get from Jesus. First is upward peace. This is the foundation of all other kinds of peace. It is the experience one has when submitting to Jesus as Lord and Savior. The second type of peace is inward peace. We have a choice to focus our minds on the God of peace or on the worries of the world. The third type of peace is outward peace. This is our responsibility to extend peace by the grace of God despite our own brokenness.
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Around this time of year, we hear many platitudes about peace—particularly relating to an end of war. Though an end to war is certainly important, peace is more than a lack of conflict. True peace occurs when we unselfishly seek the best for another. Peace is indicative of a wholeness in which everything is in its right place. This is how God designed the world. Because Jesus is the Prince of Peace, everything done by Him is designed to create wholeness.
Pastor Sean highlighted three types of peace we get from Jesus. First is upward peace. This is the foundation of all other kinds of peace. It is the experience one has when submitting to Jesus as Lord and Savior. The second type of peace is inward peace. We have a choice to focus our minds on the God of peace or on the worries of the world. The third type of peace is outward peace. This is our responsibility to extend peace by the grace of God despite our own brokenness.
The One Question:
Ask this question at your family meal or Discipleship Group.
Where in your life do you most need God’s peace right now, and how can you invite Jesus into that place?
Grow Together:
Use these questions to go deeper with your DG or for personal study.
- Peace is more than a mere concept; it is a person. With that in mind, how can we handle the distress and chaos in our lives (cf. Matthew 6:33-34)?
- What practical steps can you take to set your mind on God and trust Him, as described in Isaiah 26:3?
- In what ways have you been both a perpetrator of broken peace and a victim of it? Consider examples of each.
- What are the biggest distractions from peace in your life right now (cf. Matthew 14:25-31)? How can you refocus?
- Name one way you feel God may be calling you to extend peace to a scenario or individual in your life this week.
Pray Together:
Take time to pray with and for each other. Invite God’s peace into specific areas of your lives, relationships, and circumstances.
Suggested Prayer Prompts:
Suggested Prayer Prompts:
- Thank God for the gift of peace through Jesus.
- Confess areas where you feel anxious or disconnected from peace.
- Pray for the courage to extend peace to others this week.
Application Challenge:
Engage in one of these three practices this week to experience peace:
- Pause — Spend 5 minutes each day in silence, reflecting on God’s peace. Breathe in and say, “Abba,” breathe out and say, “I belong to You.”
- Pray — Ask God to bring peace to a specific situation in your life.
- Pursue — Take one step toward reconciliation or kindness in a strained relationship.