Small Group Discussion Guide

"Five Discipleship Principles from the Prodigal Son"

Based on the sermon by Adam Paw | Luke 15:11-32

A NOTE TO YOUR FACILITATOR

This week's message was deeply personal and covered some sensitive territory — addiction, family pain, shame, surrender, and the reckless love of God. Your group may include people who are quietly carrying heavy burdens related to these topics. Create a safe, grace-filled environment where people feel free to share honestly or to simply listen. You don't need to be a counseling expert or a theological scholar to lead this discussion well. Your job is to ask good questions, listen well, and point people back to Jesus. That's it. You've got this.

A quick reminder: If someone in your group discloses a crisis situation (suicidal thoughts, active addiction, abuse), please connect them with pastoral care or the church's recovery ministry after your meeting. You don't have to handle that alone.

SERMON OVERVIEW

(For facilitators — read or paraphrase to open)

Using the familiar story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, Pastor Adam Paw walked us through five discipleship principles that are as relevant to everyday life as they are to recovery: We Need Community, Surrender, Take Responsibility, See the Other's Perspective, and Jesus Loves You. Woven throughout was a central truth — that God is not a distant, reluctant Father waiting to punish us, but a recklessly loving Father who runs toward us when we return. This message was an invitation both to those who need to surrender a "prodigal" in their lives and to those who are the prodigal — to trust that there is always a way back home.

KEY SCRIPTURES

Print or have participants look these up. Full text is provided below for convenience.

Luke 15:11-13 (The Younger Son Leaves)

"He also said, 'A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me." So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country where he squandered his estate in foolish living.'"

Luke 15:17-20 (The Son Comes to His Senses)

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger. I'll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.' So he got up and went to his father."

Luke 15:20 (The Father Runs)

"But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran and threw his arms around his neck and kissed him."

Luke 15:25-30 (The Older Brother's Reaction)

"Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'"

2 Corinthians 7:10 (Godly vs. Worldly Grief)

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

SECTION 1 — ICEBREAKER

⏱ Estimated Time: 5–10 minutes

Choose one of the following to open your time together:

Option A (Lighter, fun start)

"Adam opened with a fishing story — and talked about how skills and wisdom get passed down from person to person across generations. Think about something you know how to do because someone took the time to teach you. Who taught you, and what did that mean to you?"

Option B (More reflective)

"Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like you'd wandered far from where you were supposed to be — and then found your way back? You don't have to share details. Just: what did 'coming back' feel like?"

[Leader Tip] Option A is great for groups that are newer or need a lighter on-ramp. Option B works beautifully if your group has some established trust and safety. Either way, keep this section moving — it's just a warm-up.

SECTION 2 — DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

⏱ Estimated Time: 35–45 minutes

Work through as many of these as time allows. Questions are organized by the sermon's five themes. You don't have to use all of them — choose what fits your group best.

THEME 1: We Need Community

1. Adam said, "The opposite of addiction is connection. Really, the opposite of any of the enemy's schemes is relationship." What do you think he meant by that? Do you agree?

[Leader Tip] This is a good opening question because it's observational and not immediately personal. Let people respond to the idea before you invite them into personal sharing. If discussion stalls, follow up with: "Can you think of a time when isolation made a hard situation worse?"

2. He also said we don't just need community in general — we need people who can help us apply biblical truth to our specific lives, our specific stories, and our specific differences. What's the difference between having a church community and having that kind of close, personal discipleship relationship?

THEME 2: Surrender

3. The father in the parable knew his son was going to make destructive choices — and he let him go anyway. Adam described this as "surrender requiring radical sacrifice and radical trust." What makes surrender so difficult, especially when it involves someone we love deeply?

[Leader Tip] This question may surface real pain for people who have a prodigal in their lives right now. Hold space for that. You don't need to fix it or rush past it. If someone shares something heavy, a simple "Thank you for trusting us with that" goes a long way before moving on.

4. Adam gave three encouragements to people who are surrendering a loved one to God:

• God loves your person more than you do.
• Information alone won't change them — it's a heart issue.
• Surrendering isn't giving up; it's preparing for their return.

Which of these three is hardest for you to believe or live out, and why?

5. For those who might identify more with the prodigal son himself — Adam said that the place of desperation the son found himself in was actually "the gift of desperation." How does reframing rock-bottom as a gift change the way we think about our own low points, or the low points of people we love?

THEME 3: Take Responsibility

6. Adam drew a distinction between worldly grief (being sorry for consequences) and godly grief (being genuinely sorry for sinning against God and others). In your own words, what's the difference? Why does it matter which kind of grief drives our repentance?

[Leader Tip] Reference 2 Corinthians 7:10 here if it would help anchor the discussion. You might also note that the prodigal son's speech in Luke 15:18-19 is a good example of godly grief in action — he doesn't blame the famine, the people who wouldn't help him, or his circumstances. He simply says, "I have sinned against heaven and against you."

7. Adam said real responsibility means "playing the long game" — not just asking for forgiveness and expecting everything to snap back to normal immediately. He also said we have to go underneath the surface behaviors to the core beliefs and lies we're believing. What do you think that kind of deep, below-the-surface work actually looks like in real life?

THEME 4: The Other's Perspective

8. The older brother in the parable was technically right about the facts — his younger brother had wasted everything and hurt the family. But the father says he's missing something crucial. What was the older brother missing? And where do you see "older brother thinking" show up in your own life or in the church today?

[Leader Tip] This is one of the richest questions in the guide. "Older brother thinking" can show up as self-righteousness, resentment toward people who seem to get grace they don't "deserve," or frustration when someone who hurt us seems to get off easy. Encourage honest reflection here — most of us have more older brother in us than we'd like to admit.

9. Adam said: "Be curious. Try to understand where they're coming from. What values are they sharing? What story has made up who they are?" Think about a relationship in your life where you've struggled to understand someone's perspective. What would it look like to approach that person with genuine curiosity instead of judgment?

THEME 5: Jesus Loves You

10. Adam ended with a long list of people Jesus loved — tax collectors, outcasts, foreigners, the sick, the condemned, the betrayer. He said, "Don't be a Pharisee in your life. And don't listen to the Pharisees in your life." What "Pharisaic voices" — internal or external — have told you that you've gone too far, or that God's love doesn't really apply to you? How do you push back against those voices?

[Leader Tip] This is the most personally vulnerable question in the guide. Give people permission to pass if they're not ready to share. You might open it up by sharing something from your own experience first, which often gives others the safety to do the same.

SECTION 3 — PERSONAL APPLICATION

⏱ Estimated Time: 10–15 minutes

These questions are designed for quieter, more personal reflection. You can have people answer silently and journal, share with a partner, or share with the whole group — whatever fits your group's culture.

1. Of the five discipleship principles Adam shared — Community, Surrender, Responsibility, Perspective, and Jesus Loves You — which one do you feel God is most specifically speaking to you about right now? What would it look like to take one concrete step in that area this week?

2. Adam told the story of David, a man who "never got over God's love for him — it just always kept surprising him." On a scale of 1 to 10, how surprised are you by God's love for you right now? What would it take to move that number up?

3. The father in the parable "prepared for his son's return" during the time of waiting and surrender. If you're in a season of waiting for someone — or waiting for something — what would it look like to spend that time preparing in faith rather than just enduring?

4. Adam mentioned that some people in the room may have been significantly hurt or betrayed by others — and reminded them that they bear zero responsibility for what was done to them, but they do have a responsibility to join God in the healing process. If that's you, what is one small step toward healing you could take this week? (That might be making a counseling appointment, reaching out to a recovery group, or simply telling one safe person what you're carrying.)

SECTION 4 — THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

**⏱ 2–3 minutes to share and commit*

Choose one of the following to focus on this week:

🎯 Option 1 — For Those Surrendering a Prodigal: Write that person's name on a piece of paper. Pray over it every day this week, specifically asking God to do what only He can do in their heart. Then put the paper somewhere visible as a reminder that you've surrendered them — and that God sees them and loves them more than you do.

🎯 Option 2 — For Those Who Feel Like the Prodigal: Take one step toward "the road home" this week. That might be attending a recovery group for the first time, calling someone you've hurt, making an appointment with a counselor, or simply saying out loud to God: "I'm coming back."

🎯 Option 3 — For Everyone: Think of your "fishing tree" — the people who discipled you, taught you, and passed faith down to you. Reach out to one of them this week to say thank you. Then ask God to show you one person in your own life who needs you to pass something on to them.

🎯 Option 4 — Looking Ahead (Made Alive Weekend): The church's Made Alive Weekend is coming up August 1–3. Prayerfully identify your "one" — that person in your circle who needs to hear the good news of Jesus. Begin praying for them by name this week and ask God for an opportunity to invite them.

SECTION 5 — PRAYER FOCUS

⏱ Estimated Time: 5–10 minutes

Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a group, in pairs, or have one person lead. Here are suggested prayer themes drawn from the message:

• For the prodigals — People in your group's lives (or in the room) who feel far from God. Pray that God's kindness would draw them home.
• For those surrendering — People who are exhausted from trying to control or fix someone they love. Pray for the peace that comes from trusting God with what we cannot control.
• For healing — Those who have been deeply hurt or betrayed. Pray that God would lead them into the healing process with gentleness and hope.
• For Made Alive Weekend — Pray for your "one" by name. Pray for One Night, One Name and the high school students who will hear the gospel.
• For your group — That you would be the kind of community where people can be honest, find disciplers, and experience the reckless love of God together.

A suggested closing prayer (feel free to use or adapt):

Father, thank you that you are the kind of God who runs toward us. Thank you that your love is reckless — that you don't count our sins against us when we return. Help us to surrender what we're gripping too tightly. Help us to take responsibility for our part. Help us to see others with your eyes of compassion. And above all, help us to believe — really believe — that Jesus loves us. May that truth be the foundation of everything we do. In Jesus' name, amen.

OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

For groups that want to go further, or for personal study during the week.

Deep Dive 1 — The Full Context of Luke 15 Adam pointed out that Jesus told the Prodigal Son story in response to the Pharisees criticizing him for eating with sinners. Read Luke 15:1-32 in full — all three parables (the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son). What pattern do you notice across all three stories? What does the repetition of this theme tell us about what God most wants us to understand about his character?

Deep Dive 2 — The "Prodigal" Father Adam shared Tim Keller's insight that the word "prodigal" actually means recklessly spendthrift — and that it applies more to the father than to the son. Read Romans 5:6-8 alongside Luke 15:20. How does the image of the father running toward his son illuminate what God did for us through Christ? What does it mean to you personally that God's love is described as "reckless"?

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans 5:6-8

Deep Dive 3 — Godly Grief and Real Repentance Read 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 in full. Paul writes about a letter he sent that caused the Corinthians grief — but he rejoices because it led to godly grief and repentance. What are the specific fruits of godly grief that Paul lists in verse 11? How is that different from simply feeling bad about consequences? How does this connect to what Adam said about the prodigal son taking full responsibility without making excuses?

QUICK REFERENCE CARD FOR FACILITATORS

Facilitator Reminders:

• ✅ You don't have to cover every question. Choose what fits your group.
• ✅ Silence is okay. Give people time to think before jumping in.
• ✅ Your honest sharing opens the door for others to share honestly.
• ✅ If someone shares something heavy, acknowledge it before moving on.
• ✅ End on time — it builds trust and respects people's lives.
• ✅ If someone needs more support than the group can provide, connect them with pastoral care or the church's recovery ministry.

This guide was prepared for small group use at The Village Church. Permission granted to print and distribute within your group.