Everyone has expectations for what they want out of a group. Not talking about these expectations can lead to frustration and confusion. In this episode, Lee and Robby start the conversation and give us one key question every group should ask.

Main Ideas

• Loneliness is a problem in our culture. Changes in communication, pace of life, and urbanization are a few of the many causes.
• We can’t fully experience God’s love apart from relationships.
• Being known by a few takes intentionality; we rarely “drift” into deep, authentic community.
• Not every guy is looking for the same relational depth from a men’s group.
• We can create mutual understanding by having a group conversation about each member’s relational expectations.

Discussion Questions

1. What was a lonely season in your life? What was a season when you felt a strong sense of belonging? What factors contributed to each?
2. Think through the following questions as a “community self-assessment”:

• If you’re in a crisis, who do you call at 2:00 in the morning?
• Who do you ask to pray for you?
• Who do you call to celebrate a victory in an area of your life?

   3.  Share your answers to the questions Robby and Lee asked with your group:

• What do I (currently) need relationally?
• What am I going to do about it?
• How can the group help?

   4. If there are strong different expectations between group members what do you want to do about it? …gravitate toward one? …split the group? Let’s go there.

What does this mean (for me personally)?

What am I going to do about it? (What step of faith is God inviting me to take?)

How can we help?