Grow Group Questions - October 26, 2025
Announcement: Don’t miss the special “What’s NEXT?” (Releasing on Monday, October 27) podcast conversation with Pastors David and Steve.
Example Topical Prayer Guide sample using “PRAY”:
P – Praise God for His faithfulness, that He remains committed to us even when we are unfaithful to him.
R – Repent of and confess any ways you’ve treated people as objects instead of image-bearers of God.
A – Ask to show you what you need to “cut off” so that you can pursue faithfulness and purity in your relationship with God and others.
Y – Yield your heart fully to God, asking Him to purify and renew you with the courage to do whatever it takes to live in purity and faithfulness.
Ice Breaker: When’s a time someone went the ‘extra mile’ for you—did something kind or helpful they didn’t have to do?
Discussion Questions:
- BEFORE The Message Discussion, Discuss “NEXT”
- What was your first reaction to Pastor Steve’s update about “NEXT”?
- What are you excited about or wondering about?
- How does this teaching on honesty, mercy, and love connect to the heart of Bethany’s NEXT initiative—being ambassadors who treat people well inside and outside the church?
- When you think about the “Giving Pathway” or “One Fund,” how might generosity itself become an act of love and witness to others?
- Why do you think Jesus spends so much of Matthew 5 focusing on how we treat others rather than personal rituals or religious habits?
- What does this tell us about what matters most in God’s kingdom?
- When have you experienced someone’s integrity drawing you closer to Christ (or when has lack of integrity pushed someone away)?
- How could practicing mercy become a witness to those outside the faith?
- Where do you most resist giving mercy—especially when you’re “in the right”?
- How does loving enemies reveal the character of our heavenly Father?
- What are some practical ways to show love to someone who’s challenging, oppositional, or a struggle for you to like?
Application:
- Choose one area this week—integrity, mercy, or love—and ask:
- “How can I go the second mile in this area for someone outside the faith?”
- Share with someone in your group, ask them to check in on you for this commitment.