Signs and Stories

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants answer, “What comes to your mind when you think about the expression ‘show your faith?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Read Matthew 3:1-12.

Who was John the Baptist? [Jesus’ cousin, chosen by God to "Prepare the way of the Lord” (Matthew 3:3).]

What was John the Baptist’s message to the community? [“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matthew 3:2).]

John the Baptist called out the Pharisees and Sadducees who were watching him baptize people in the river. He told them in verse 8 to prove that they had repented of their sins and turned to God by how they lived their lives.

• What does it mean to walk with God? How can we demonstrate our faith in God?

The Preaching Notes for December 7 state, “What if repenting is something else? Not the groveling admission of our many inadequacies, but a willingness to live by a different story?”

• How are you living a different story today?

John the Baptist’s invitation calls us to “Bear fruit worthy of repentance.” How are you expressing your faith in Christ? What can you do this week to show your faith? What are your fruits?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

Heavenly God, help us each day to live a different story, one that allows us to walk humbly with you. Guide us to bear the fruits of our faith, so that everywhere we go, people can know that we are children of God!

Rev. Rosedanny Ortiz serves as the senior pastor at Agape Memorial United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. She is a local pastor in The United Methodist Church (UMC) with a master of divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a bachelor of computer engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Rosedanny is passionate about racial justice, finding new ways to connect with the community, promoting unity and diversity, and working toward creating a multicultural space for all to worship the God of all. You can learn more about Rosedanny and her ministry through her blog, More Faith (morefaithblog.com).