This Is True: WK 3 - GROUP GUIDE

The Truth We Tell: How Story Shapes Seeing

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.

OPEN: Think of a story from your childhood, family, or past that has shaped you in some way — it could be funny, serious, or meaningful. Why does that story still live in your memory? What about it formed you?

Follow-up: Share a time when someone’s story impacted your faith or worldview more than an argument ever could.

SCRIPTURE READING

John 20:11–18 (Mary Magdalene’s testimony)
Luke 24:13–35 (The Emmaus story)
Acts 4:18–20 (“We cannot help speaking…”)
Revelation 12:11 (“They overcame by the… word of their testimony.”)

Listen for themes of story, seeing, and witness.

CONTEXT & SETUP (Read Aloud)
We live in a culture that is skeptical of institutions, distrustful of authority, and suspicious of truth claims. Yet people still crave something real, something lived, something authentic. That is why story — testimony — continues to be one of the most powerful ways truth is revealed.

This week, we explored how Christian truth is not just something we argue or explain, but something we bear witness to. God forms us into a storytelling people: people whose lives tell the truth about Jesus.

Testimony is not “my truth.”
It is my witness to the Truth — Christ at work in my life.

In a world full of curated identities and algorithmic narratives, Christians embody a different reality:
truth that has become flesh in us.

HEAD: Explore the Text

What stands out to you in Mary Magdalene’s simple testimony, “I have seen the Lord”? Why is that more powerful than an argument?
In Luke 24, why do you think the disciples failed to recognize Jesus until after He re-told the story? How does story shape what we are able to see?
Acts 4:20 shows Peter and John refusing to be silent. What gave their testimony such authority?
Revelation 12:11 describes testimony as part of overcoming evil. How can a story be spiritually powerful?
Discuss this statement from the sermon: “We don’t see with our eyes; we see with our stories.” What does this mean in practical terms?

HEART: Personal Reflection

What story have you believed about yourself that God is beginning to rewrite?
Do you ever feel nervous or unqualified to share your testimony? What holds you back?
Consider a moment when God revealed Himself to you — even in a small way. How did that moment change your sense of truth?
How have other people’s stories strengthened your faith? What did you receive from their honesty?
Where in your life do you sense Jesus inviting you to “see differently” by trusting a new story?

HANDS: Practice This Week
Testimony Practice: “The 3-Minute Story”

Invite group members to do this at home and share next week:

Write a simple 3-minute testimony following this pattern:

Before: What was your situation, mindset, or struggle?
Encounter: Where did Jesus meet you?
After: How did your story shift — even a little?

Share it with:

a friend,
a family member,
or someone who needs encouragement this week.

This is NOT about sharing a “big” or dramatic story.
This is about truth-telling, humility, and authenticity.

FINISH WELL: Bring It Home

What story do you sense Jesus asking you to share right now — and with whom?
What part of your life needs to be re-narrated by the gospel — your identity, your fears, your relationships, or your sense of purpose?
How can you become a more attentive listener to the stories of others?

CLOSING PRAYER (Leader or Participant Reads)
Jesus, our True Story,
You meet us on the road,
You open our eyes,
You rewrite our lives in Your love.

Make us a people who tell the truth with our lives.
Give us the courage to speak honestly,
the humility to listen well,
and the imagination to see the world through Your resurrection.

Shape our stories into testimonies of grace.
Amen.