By Dan Lentz

1. Think about things you love to do. Then think about things you do often but don’t necessarily love. Go around the group and list three items. Choose two you love and one you don’t love—but don’t tell which is which. Then see if the rest of the group can figure out which one of the three things you mentioned is not your favorite activity. Make it fun.

Read Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Mark 12:28-34.

2. Using the Deuteronomy passage, describe all the ways to remember and incorporate the truth of God’s Word into your lives.

3. Divide into sub-groups. Designate a scribe in each group, and then rewrite Deuteronomy 6:6-9 into your own words, using current and creative examples of ways to apply the verses. For example, instead of “when you walk along the road,” you could say “as you drive to work listening to the Bible on your iPod.” Once everyone has rewritten these verses, have each sub-group share its paraphrased verses.

4. Back in the larger group, discuss what needs to change in most of our lives in order for us to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds and with all our strength.

5. Close in prayer, specifically naming “neighbors” who need the love of Christ. 

Dan Lentz works for the Small Group Network in Whitestown, Indiana.

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