EmBrAcE DiVeRsItY

1) Sharing: Joy (What’s going well this month?), Junk (What isn’t going so well this month?), Jesus (How have you seen Jesus acting through others this month?)

-If your best friend had to pick one word to describe you, what would it be?
-The hardest part about being in a relationship with another person is… (Think friends, family, or dating)

2) Focus:

Different
Individuals
Valuing
Each other
Regardless of
Skin
Intellect
Talents or
Years.   -Pinterest quote

Discussion:
-What does diversity mean to you?
-How can we embrace those who are different than us?

*What different types of diversity do you see every day?
*How does social media and our culture influence the way we think about diversity?
*Why do people shy away from or avoid things that are different or unknown?

3) Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 (MSG) I want to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way– the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary.

Discussion:
-Why do we sometimes hide what makes us different; even if those things could bring our the best in others?
-How can we make other people feel valued for the gifts they have?
-What is something good that could come out of embracing other people’s diversity?
-How can you recognize and value what makes you diverse?

4) Sending: What will you do this next month to live out embracing diversity as a faithful follower of God?

5) Closing Prayer: Close your small group time in prayer by coming up with a prayer as a group, or read the following together:

Dear God, Please help us to speak and think kindly to impact people’s lives in a positive way by showing your love and compassion. Empower and strengthen us when we need to go out of our comfort zone to welcome others and invite them in. Amen.