Before the Session

Facilitator: In advance of the session

• Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
• Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
• Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media)

Context

Begin by talking with the group about how God loves people who may seem to have little value in the world. You might want to start by asking the group to think about someone they pass by regularly but pay little attention to, such as a grocery clerk, a traffic cop, a person on the street, or a hotel staff person. Share the story of the storm chasers who used GPS dots to honor Bill Paxton and ask:
– Jake DeFlitch drove to a point on the map to register his GPS dot. He “waited for the right moment to log his contribution,” he said. “I waited until all the letters lined up. I was part of the ‘P,’ right below one of the connections, where the half-circle came back and connected with the straight line.” What do you think it meant to him to be counted in this moment?
– If we saw one GPS dot on the map, it might be easy to overlook or ignore. Why does this tribute of many dots make an impact?
– In what ways does it matter to someone to know that they “count.”
– When you pass by people, how often do you stop and think about how this is a person God loves?
– Why is this often the last thing that might cross our mind?