THE HABIT OF WINNING TOGETHER

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MEETING AGENDA

  1. OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
  2. GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
  3. ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
  4. TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
  5. GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on the App.
  6. CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.

GROWTH QUESTION #1

Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?

GROWTH QUESTION #2

What did you learn from this week’s sermon?

GROWTH QUESTION #3

What was your most important accomplishment this week?


INTRODUCTION

  • God did not design us to go through life alone. We need healthy relationships with people who help us become who God has called us to be.

    • Whether we are single, dating, engaged, married, or building relationships with family and friends, we should not treat the people closest to us like our competition.

    • Healthy relationships have a “win-win” mentality: I want to succeed, but I also want the people around me to succeed.

    • When we fight to be right, keep score, compare people to others, tear people down, or make everything about ourselves, we may win the moment but damage the relationship.

    • Winning together means helping the people God has placed in our lives become stronger, healthier, and closer to Christ.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

What are some ways people can begin treating those closest to them like opponents instead of teammates?

TRUTH #1

WE ARE STRONGER WHEN WE FIGHT TOGETHER, NOT AGAINST EACH OTHER.


Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (NLT) - “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help... A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer...”

  • God gives us relationships so that we can help each other succeed.
  • Healthy relationships are built on the understanding that people are not the enemy.
  • Difficult circumstances, failures, pressure, disappointment, conflict, and spiritual attacks will come, but we can face those battles together.
  • When someone we love is struggling, we should not kick them while they are down. We should help them get back up.
  • This should be our attitude toward the people God has placed in our lives: “You can depend on me. I have your back. We are going to get through this together.”
  • This applies in marriage, dating relationships, friendships, families, Discipleship Groups, and every relationship God has entrusted to us.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (GNT) - “And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing.”

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

What does it practically look like to help someone who’s struggling instead of tearing them down?

TRUTH #2

WINNING TOGETHER REQUIRES THE MIND OF CHRIST.

Philippians 2:2-5 (ESV) “...being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves... Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

  • The mind of Christ changes our relationships from “What do I want?” to “How can I love and serve this person?”
  • Instead of selfish ambition, Jesus teaches us humility.
  • Instead of only looking after our own interests, we intentionally consider the needs and interests of others.
  • Winning together does not mean we will always have the same opinion.
  • It means that we submit our attitudes, priorities, words, and decisions to Christ and His Word.
  • The more our thinking becomes like Jesus, the healthier our relationships will become.
  • We cannot control how another person treats us, but we can choose to bring the mind of Christ into every relationship.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

How does choosing humility and considering others’ needs create greater unity in relationships?

tRUTH #3

GRATITUDE HELPS US BUILD THE FUTURE TOGETHER.

Philippians 1:3 (CEV) “Every time I think of you, I thank my God.”

  • Healthy relationships intentionally develop the habit of gratitude.
  • Instead of constantly noticing what people do wrong, we learn to recognize, appreciate, and communicate what they do right.

Proverbs 16:24 (NIV) “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

  • Gratitude can become a daily habit:
    • Tell someone what you appreciate about them.
    • Thank someone for something they did.
    • Send an unexpected text expressing gratitude.
    • Encourage someone who may not hear encouragement very often.
    • Thank God regularly for the people He has placed in your life.
  • Gratitude also helps us stop living in the past and begin building healthier relationships for the future.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) - “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

  • We cannot move forward while constantly looking backward.
  • Healthy relationships learn from the past without allowing previous failures, offenses, disappointments, or hurts to control the future.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

Who is someone in your life that you may have taken for granted and need to begin expressing gratitude for more consistently?

CLOSING QUESTION

What is something you learned today that you can apply to one of your relationships this week?

GIVING

Giving generously ensures that we will have all that we need and that we become channels through which God's abundance flows to the lives of others.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Encourage everyone to give their tithes and offerings.

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PRAY

QUESTION #1

Who are you praying for to be saved?

QUESTION #2

Who can you invite to the next meeting?

QUESTION #3

What are your prayer requests?