Rule of Life
LG Leader Guide
Welcome
Briefly welcome the group & pray before eating.
Welcome to life group! Life group is a safe, committed community to walk out our journey with Jesus together. Let’s pray and then eat!
Dinner Discussion (30-40 mins)
Usually dinner discussion will focus on reflecting on last week’s practice. Tonight, spend time first connecting with each other before diving into more focused discussion on last week's topi. Here are some questions to get you started. Encourage people to share, not report.
Welcome to life group! Life group is a safe, committed community to walk out our journey with Jesus together. Let’s pray and then eat!
Dinner Discussion (30-40 mins)
Usually dinner discussion will focus on reflecting on last week’s practice. Tonight, spend time first connecting with each other before diving into more focused discussion on last week's topi. Here are some questions to get you started. Encourage people to share, not report.
- How has awareness of the influence of the surrounding environment changed your interactions this past week?
- Are there specific things you approached or did differently?
- Does increased awareness help you engage with Jesus throughout your days / week? Why or why not?
- Does increased awareness bring certain emotions or thoughts to the surface more often? (Peace, anxiety, joy, anger, etc.) Why or why not?
Vision / Prayer / Bible Reading
Vision & Prayer (5 mins) (optional)
This is to help transition into the night’s practice.
We are going slow, we don’t need to change everything or overhaul our lives now. We are purposely not building a rule of life this week as we need time to engage deeply with practices over the coming months. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but instead allow Jesus to set the pace. As we practice various means of apprenticeship to Jesus, the intent is for us to engage with them as part of our Rule of Life, following the guide of the Holy Spirit. Feel free to share any of these thoughts and expectations with your group.
Tonight, we’re going to spend time reflecting on our current Rule of Life - both the intentional and unintentional. Let’s first pray over the evening again.
Father, help us to have open eyes to see you, ourselves, and others clearly.
Jesus, help us to engage each other in light of your sacrificial love.
Holy Spirit, help us to walk in your grace and power.
Amen.
Bible reading (10 mins)
Together, read John 15:1-8 out loud. Slowly. Twice. Leave time between and after for reflection.
Here are some questions to think about while listening to the passage. This is not for discussion but for individual reflection.
This is to help transition into the night’s practice.
We are going slow, we don’t need to change everything or overhaul our lives now. We are purposely not building a rule of life this week as we need time to engage deeply with practices over the coming months. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but instead allow Jesus to set the pace. As we practice various means of apprenticeship to Jesus, the intent is for us to engage with them as part of our Rule of Life, following the guide of the Holy Spirit. Feel free to share any of these thoughts and expectations with your group.
Tonight, we’re going to spend time reflecting on our current Rule of Life - both the intentional and unintentional. Let’s first pray over the evening again.
Father, help us to have open eyes to see you, ourselves, and others clearly.
Jesus, help us to engage each other in light of your sacrificial love.
Holy Spirit, help us to walk in your grace and power.
Amen.
Bible reading (10 mins)
Together, read John 15:1-8 out loud. Slowly. Twice. Leave time between and after for reflection.
Here are some questions to think about while listening to the passage. This is not for discussion but for individual reflection.
- What is a word or phrase that stands out to you?
- Which words or phrases resonate with your heart, your season of life at this moment?
- What do I need to remember, sit in, or practice in light of the text? What does this mean for my life today?
Practice: Awareness of our current Rule of Life
Overview (10 mins. Read through this together.)
A rule of life is a schedule and set of practices and relational rhythms that help us create space in our busy world for us to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what he did—to live “to the full” (John 10:10) in his kingdom and in alignment with our deepest passions and priorities.
While the word “rule” may strike you as a strict or binding constraint, the Latin word we translate as “rule” was originally the word for a trellis in a vineyard. In a vineyard, a vine needs a trellis to lift it off the ground so it can bear the maximum amount of fruit and keep free of predators and diseases. In the same way, a rule of life is a support structure to organize our life around “abiding in the vine,” (John 15:1–8) as Jesus imagined. Rather than a rigid, legalistic to-do list, it’s a life-giving structure for freedom, growth, and joy.
Our Practice this week is simply to assess what our current rules of life look like (official or unofficial), and consider what rhythms and Practices we are currently engaged in. The goal is to assess where we are and how that’s impacting us, not to set new sky-high goals. This is something that can be done quarterly even as we establish a more intentional Rule of Life. Let’s get real with where we’re really at, right now.
Sticky note priorities (15 mins. Need paper & pens / pencils)
This should be done individually. Encourage quiet and time spent in thoughtfulness or prayer after completion. Play worship in the background.
Make a list of all the habits and responsibilities you currently have that comprise your current rule of life with a single item per square of paper. Some questions to help you think of these are:
After you have everything written down, reorder them into order of importance. Use the following questions to help process about your current Rule:
Practice Discussion (15 mins)
Come back into smaller groups (3-4 ideally). Consider the following questions:
A rule of life is a schedule and set of practices and relational rhythms that help us create space in our busy world for us to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what he did—to live “to the full” (John 10:10) in his kingdom and in alignment with our deepest passions and priorities.
While the word “rule” may strike you as a strict or binding constraint, the Latin word we translate as “rule” was originally the word for a trellis in a vineyard. In a vineyard, a vine needs a trellis to lift it off the ground so it can bear the maximum amount of fruit and keep free of predators and diseases. In the same way, a rule of life is a support structure to organize our life around “abiding in the vine,” (John 15:1–8) as Jesus imagined. Rather than a rigid, legalistic to-do list, it’s a life-giving structure for freedom, growth, and joy.
Our Practice this week is simply to assess what our current rules of life look like (official or unofficial), and consider what rhythms and Practices we are currently engaged in. The goal is to assess where we are and how that’s impacting us, not to set new sky-high goals. This is something that can be done quarterly even as we establish a more intentional Rule of Life. Let’s get real with where we’re really at, right now.
Sticky note priorities (15 mins. Need paper & pens / pencils)
This should be done individually. Encourage quiet and time spent in thoughtfulness or prayer after completion. Play worship in the background.
Make a list of all the habits and responsibilities you currently have that comprise your current rule of life with a single item per square of paper. Some questions to help you think of these are:
- What do you do in the mornings? Evenings?
- How do you spend your free time?
- What do you spend extra money on?
After you have everything written down, reorder them into order of importance. Use the following questions to help process about your current Rule:
- Does your time and energy reflect this order of importance?
- What can you do to remove / eliminate some of them to make more room for the highest priorities?
- Are there some things the Holy Spirit is bringing to mind that should be added?
Practice Discussion (15 mins)
Come back into smaller groups (3-4 ideally). Consider the following questions:
- What are your current rhythms, habits, or routines - your unofficial rule of life? (E.g. the fact that they are at LG is a practice of community.)
- Consider the following categories: Abiding, Mind, Body, Relationships, Rest, Work/Money, and Gospel/Hospitality.
- Based on your personality and preferences, which categories do you find easiest? Most challenging?
- Based on your life circumstances (such as, single with no roommates, new parent, working in a demanding job), which categories fit most easily into your routine? Which might take more creative planning?
- Does thinking of this as a Rule of Life feel constricting? Helpful? Overwhelming? Exciting? Why?
Closing
End in a time of prayer, sharing short prayer requests if time permits.