Small Group Discussion Guide

"Unlocking Grace" | Titus 2:11-15

Harris Creek Church

A Note to Facilitators: Welcome! This guide is designed to help your group engage deeply with Sunday's message on grace. You don't need to be a theological expert to lead a great discussion — your job is simply to create space for honest conversation and let the Holy Spirit work. Feel free to skip questions that don't fit your group's needs, and don't worry about getting through every question. Meaningful conversation matters more than covering all the material. Estimated total time: 75–90 minutes.

📋 OVERVIEW

This week's sermon explored one of Christianity's most familiar — and most underestimated — concepts: grace. Drawing from Titus 2:11–15, the message revealed that grace does far more than most of us realize. Grace doesn't just save us from our sin — it actively shapes us away from sin and sets us apart as people who live differently in the world. Like a high-performance car with features we've never discovered, many of us are sitting outside of grace, or inside it but only using a fraction of what it offers.

🧊 ICEBREAKER

(5–10 minutes)

To get the conversation started, ask everyone to share:

"Think about a time you received something you clearly didn't earn or deserve — a second chance, unexpected kindness, a gift that surprised you. What was that like? How did it make you feel toward the person who gave it?"

Allow everyone who wants to share a chance to respond. Keep it light and fun — this is just a warm-up!

📖 SCRIPTURE READING

(5 minutes)

Have someone read the passage aloud. Invite the group to listen for words or phrases that stand out to them.

Titus 2:11–15 (NIV)

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."

Context to share with your group:

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to his young protégé Titus, who had been sent to the island of Crete to help struggling, broken churches get back on track. After weeks of addressing church leadership, false teaching, and calling different groups of people to live faithfully, Paul lands here — on the foundation that makes all of it possible: grace. Everything Paul has asked of Titus and the churches flows out of what grace does in a person's life.

💬 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(30–45 minutes)

Work through as many of these questions as time allows. Questions are arranged from lighter/observational to deeper/personal. Feel free to skip or reorder based on your group.

SECTION 1: Grace Saves Us (Titus 2:11)

1. What stood out to you most from Sunday's message — a story, an illustration, a phrase, or an idea? Why did it stick with you?

[Leader Tip: This is a great opening question because there's no wrong answer. It helps you gauge what connected with people and naturally surfaces the themes you'll discuss. Give everyone a chance to share briefly before moving on.]

2. The sermon defined grace as "unmerited favor" — receiving something from God that you did nothing to earn or deserve. In your own words, how would you describe grace to someone who had never heard of it?

[Leader Tip: Encourage people to move beyond "churchy" language here. If someone says "it's a free gift," push gently: "What makes it free? What does that cost God?" This helps the group move from head knowledge to heart understanding.]

Follow-up if discussion stalls:

"The sermon also used the acrostic G.R.A.C.E. — God's Riches At Christ's Expense. What does that phrase add to your understanding of what grace actually is?"

3. The sermon made a distinction between Christianity and every other world religion: "Every other religion tells you what you must do to reach God. The gospel tells you what God has done to reach you." Why do you think that distinction matters so much? How does it change the way we relate to God?

4. The pastor said something that might sound surprising: "God loves you right now — not a future version of you, not when you get cleaned up. Right now." He even said, "God likes you." How do you personally respond to that idea? Is it easy or difficult to receive? Why?

[Leader Tip: This question can open up deep, vulnerable sharing. Some people carry significant shame or a performance mindset toward God. Create a safe space for honest answers — including "I find that really hard to believe." Affirm honesty over polished answers.]

SECTION 2: Grace Shapes Us (Titus 2:12–13)

5. Verse 12 says grace "teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions." The sermon described grace as our "instructor" or "trainer." How does understanding grace — what it cost, what it gives us — actually help us resist temptation? Have you experienced this in your own life?

Related passage to reference:

"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." — Acts 20:32

6. The sermon described sin as "a proposition to not trust God — a shortcut, a momentary pleasure." Between grace and glory — between Christ's first coming and his return — we're called to say "no" to shortcuts because something better is coming. Where in your life right now is it hardest to believe that God's "something better" is worth waiting for?

[Leader Tip: This question invites real honesty about areas of struggle. Model vulnerability if you can. Remind the group that this is a safe space and that the point isn't to confess specific sins, but to honestly name where trusting God is hard.]

7. The sermon introduced two versions of Jesus people sometimes want: "John Wick Jesus" — who comes in and fixes everything — versus Jesus who actually changes you. Which version are you more naturally drawn to? What does that reveal about how you view grace?

SECTION 3: Grace Sets Us Apart (Titus 2:14–15)

8. Verse 14 describes God's people as "eager to do what is good." The sermon described this as being the "do-bestester" — the first phone call when someone is in need, the person who shares what they have, who speaks life into others. Who in your life has modeled this kind of grace-fueled generosity? What made them stand out?

9. The sermon closed with a powerful story about a boy who had been neglected and raised in deeply damaging circumstances — and a couple from the church who chose to adopt him. The boy was saved, but he still had habits and patterns from his old life that needed to change over time. How does that story help you understand the relationship between being saved by grace and being shaped by grace? Where do you see yourself in that story?

[Leader Tip: This is one of the most impactful moments from the sermon. Give it space. The pastor asked directly: "You are either the boy in the crate or the couple." Don't rush past this. Let people sit with the question. Some may find it emotional.]

10. Verse 15 ends with a striking phrase: "Do not let anyone despise you." The sermon connected this to living "above reproach" — a life so clearly shaped by grace that the only reason someone might be separate from you is because you're pursuing holiness, not because of anything you've done wrong. What would it look like practically for your life to make "the teachings of Christ attractive" to the people around you? (See Titus 2:10)

🙏 PERSONAL APPLICATION

(10–15 minutes)

These questions are designed for quieter, more reflective sharing. You may want to give people 1–2 minutes of quiet to think before discussing.

1. The sermon used the image of being "locked outside" of grace — believing in its power but not knowing how to access it. On a scale of 1–10, how much are you currently living inside the full experience of grace? What might be keeping you from going deeper?

2. The sermon identified three things grace does:

• Saves us (forgiveness, relationship with God)
• Shapes us (teaches us to say no to sin, changes us from the inside)
• Sets us apart (makes us people who are eagerly doing good in the world)

Which of these three dimensions of grace do you feel most connected to right now? Which one feels most underdeveloped in your life? What might God be inviting you toward?

3. The pastor shared about a season on tour where he experienced what it felt like to "live every day like a mission trip" — waking up in God's Word, caring for his body, and sharing the gospel everywhere he went. He described it as "a whole different high." What would it look like for you to live one week like that? What would need to change?

📅 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Choose one (or more) of the following to put into practice before your group meets again:

• 🔓 Unlock Grace: If you've never fully surrendered to God's grace — or if you've drifted — take time this week to pray honestly: "God, I need you. I can't earn this. I receive it." If you'd like to talk with someone about this, reach out to your group leader or contact the church at hello@harriscreek.org.

• 👀 Look for the Need: Identify one person in your life this week who needs a "do-bestester" — someone to show up, help out, speak life, or offer something they have. Do it as an act of grace, expecting nothing in return.

• 📖 Read & Reflect: Read Titus 2:11–15 every day this week. Each day, ask: "Which dimension of grace — saving, shaping, or setting apart — do I most need to lean into today?" Journal what comes up.

• 🤝 Pray for Someone: Think of one person in your life who doesn't yet know the grace of God. Commit to praying for them by name every day this week. Consider how your life might make the gospel "attractive" to them (Titus 2:10).

🙏 PRAYER FOCUS

(5–10 minutes)

Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a group, in pairs, or have one person lead. Use these prompts to guide your prayer:

Pray together for:

1. Gratitude — Thank God for the grace that saved you. Name specific ways you've experienced it.

2. Transformation — Ask the Holy Spirit to identify one area where grace needs to do its shaping work in you this week. Surrender it honestly.

3. Others — Pray by name for people in your life who are "locked outside" of grace — who may believe in it but haven't received it. Ask God to use your life to make the gospel attractive to them.

4. Your Group — Pray that your small group would be a community where grace is both received and reflected — a place where people experience what it means to be "his very own."

"Father, help us understand that amazing grace — that we would have the audacity to call it amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, and shaped a wretch like me, and set a wretch like me apart in this world because of your goodness, because of your grace. Conform our hearts to the character and likeness of Jesus. Make us new." — Pastor's closing prayer, Sunday's message

📚 OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

(For groups wanting to go further — add 15–20 minutes)

Deep Dive 1: What Grace Is Not

Read Romans 6:1–4 together:

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

The sermon addressed a common concern: "If I preach high grace, won't people just go wild?" Paul asked the same question. How does Paul answer it? Why does a true understanding of grace not lead to careless living — but actually the opposite? Where have you seen this play out in real life?

Deep Dive 2: The "Blessed Hope"

The sermon described the Christian life as living between "grace and glory" — between Christ's first coming and his return. Read Titus 2:13 again alongside Romans 8:18:

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

The sermon used the illustration of agreeing to endure one terrible day in exchange for a lifetime of joy — and said our entire earthly life is actually shorter than a day relative to eternity. How does keeping eternity in view change the way you make daily decisions? What does it look like practically to live with this kind of "blessed hope"?

Deep Dive 3: Living Above Reproach

The sermon referenced the qualifications for an elder (read aloud during the service from Titus 1:6–9) and connected them to the call for all believers to "live above reproach." Read 1 Peter 2:12:

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

The sermon said: "The only thing that makes you separate from [the world] is that you're pursuing holiness in a way that they're not." What does it look like to live in a way that causes people to ask, "Who is your teacher? Where did you learn that?" What's one relationship in your life where this kind of witness could take root?

📌 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Related Scripture for Further Study:

• Ephesians 2:1–10 — The classic passage on grace and works
• Romans 5:1–8 — God's love demonstrated through grace while we were still sinners
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 — God's grace sufficient in weakness
• Hebrews 4:14–16 — Coming boldly to the throne of grace

Questions? Need Prayer? Reach out to your group leader or contact Harris Creek at hello@harriscreek.org

This guide was prepared for Harris Creek small groups based on the sermon "Unlocking Grace" from Titus 2:11–15.

Facilitator Reminder: Your group doesn't need to finish every question or arrive at perfect answers. Your most important job tonight is to help people feel seen, safe, and one step closer to Jesus. Trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest. Thank you for serving your group!