Great Commission Church

Only One Gospel Saves

2026-09-27

Small Group Leader Guide

You will not have time to cover every question. Choose the questions that best fit your group.

Red notes are helpful tips for leaders. Use them as examples or to help start the conversation.

Announcements

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Live Out What You Learn

The good news of Jesus is not just for us? It is for everyone, but not everyone wants to listen. Some will listen quickly while others need time. That time gives us an opportunity to pray, do acts of kindness, and look for an open door to perhaps share how Jesus has changed our lives. Winning the world for Jesus starts with winning your world for Jesus. It helps to focus on "one" person

In your day-to-day routine (the places you work, eat, live, and play), who is someone naturally in your orbit who might be far from God?
Who is your "one," and have you had any contact with them in the last week or so?
Evangelism is partnering with God to share the message of Christ, then trusting Him with the results. What is one low-pressure, simple way you can take a step toward your "one" this week?

Sermon Overview

What do you remember most from Sunday’s sermon? (the mislabeled medicine illustration; Jesus plus works; confident voices; Jesus has done enough.)

Paul warned the Galatian churches not to accept a message that sounded Christian but added human effort to Jesus' saving work. Salvation is God’s gift to those who trust Christ, not something anyone can earn or complete.

Here are a few quotes from the sermon:

“A confident voice is not the same thing as a true voice.”
“The moment you add something to Christ as the basis for the saving of your soul, you haven’t improved the gospel. You’ve lost the gospel.”
“If my acceptance with God rests on what Christ has done, then the question changes from, have I done enough? And the question becomes, has Jesus done enough?”
“Not everything spiritual is true, and not everything impressive is from God.”

Sermon Discussion

Romans 4:4–5 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted righteous not because of their work or their effort, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

Trevor said: “If my acceptance with God rests on what Christ has done, then the question changes from: Have I done enough? And the question becomes: Has Jesus done enough?”
Romans describes wages as something earned and salvation as a gift received through faith. Our work, religious effort, or good behavior cannot make God owe us acceptance. Jesus died for our sins and rose again, and only he can save us.
- How does the difference between wages and a gift clarify the gospel? (wages are earned; a gift is received; salvation cannot be put on a timesheet.)
- Where does the pressure to prove yourself show up most easily in everyday life? (parenting; work performance; relationships; keeping up appearances.)
- What changes when you remember that your acceptance with God rests on what Jesus has done? (less fear; honest repentance; gratitude; confidence in Jesus rather than yourself.)
In the sermon, Trevor mentioned: “The moment you add something to Christ as the basis for the saving of your soul, you haven’t improved the gospel. You’ve lost the gospel.”
Following Jesus includes constant change/adjustments as we learn to obey. But those actions do not complete his saving work. They are a response to Jesus, not the basis for being accepted by God. His work on the cross is finished and sufficient.
- Why can adding personal effort in your walk with Jesus feel appealing? (we want him to approve of us and if we just try harder, he will be happier with us, it offers a sense of control; it feels measurable; it lets us take some credit.)
- What good activity might someone mistakenly treat as a way to earn God’s acceptance? (church attendance; serving; giving; avoiding certain failures - all obedience to Jesus could also be twisted it we think it somehow increases his love for us. It can secretly become the basis of why we think God loves us - because we are doing "good.")
- How do you seek to live a life of obedience to Jesus but not let your obedience (or lack of obedience) become the reason you think Jesus either "likes you" or "doesn't like you." (When you obey, when you could have disobeyed, give thanks to your Lord for helping you. Remind yourself it came from him - not just you. When you disobey and feel awful, rehearse the gospel in your mind. Jesus died for you when you were your worse. He paid for all your sin - past, present and future - just so he could enjoy you as you slowly grow and develop. Tell him you are sorry and ask him to help you experience his forgiveness that he paid so dearly for you to have. Then, trust Him, get up and renew your desire and commitment to walk with him.)

Live It Out

Do you think it would be surprising for a lost person - your one - to hear how you deal with your own failures with Jesus? How you experience his mercy in daily life that flows from him dying for your sins? Since your sins are paid for, you are now free to enjoy a growing relationship with someone who chose to accept you and remove all the barriers. Quite the relationship! Nobody loves you like Jesus!

Pray for One Another

What specific need would you like the group to pray about this week? (a work decision; family stress; health concerns; confidence in the finished work of Jesus, reaching out to your one.)

Pray together as a whole group, with men and women separately, or in small clusters. Keep prayers brief and specific so each person who shares can be prayed for.