Small-Group Discussion Guide for Cornerstone One Day Retreat
Big idea:
The Good Shepherd does not just keep us. He moves us. He starts with who we really are, and he has already given us everything we need to turn toward him.
Before You Begin
Ground rule, read aloud:
"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3)
Everyone here already has what repentance requires. Tonight is not about ranking who is further along. It is about noticing where the Shepherd has been leading each of us.
Group agreements
What is shared here stays here.
Listen to understand, not to fix.
It's fine to pass on any question.
"Still in progress" is an honest answer.
Speak in the first person: “I feel,” “I notice,” “I am learning,” “I struggle with,” “I reflect,” “I wonder,” or “I need.”
Avoid broad statements such as: “We all do this,” “Everyone feels this way,” “You should,” or “People like you always…”
Speak from your own story, not someone else’s story.
Do not use the group to criticize a spouse, family member, pastor, leader, church member, or another participant.
Do not give advice unless the person specifically asks for it.
Ask permission before praying directly about a specific issue someone shares.
Opening Scripture (5 min)
Read aloud, slowly:
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3)
"For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Peter 2:25)
Leader framing (1-2 min):
The Hebrew word for "restores" in Psalm 23:3 (shuv) comes from the same root as repentance: a turning back. So the Shepherd's work has a direction, from Point A to Point B. That movement can look like:
Repentance: turning back toward him
Fruit: new life showing up in us
Deep formation: good slow change in who we are
And he leads the real you. "He calls his own sheep by name" (John 10:3). He "delights in truth in the inward being" (Psalm 51:6).
Discussion
1. Movement: an easy way in
Where has the Shepherd moved you this past year? Name a Point A you can actually describe, and where you are now.
Leader tip: If someone says "I've grown," gently ask, "What did it look like before?"
Scripture: Psalm 23:3
2. Awareness
What part of yourself are you more aware of now than a year ago? It doesn't have to be fixed. It just has to be visible now.
Follow-up: How did it come into view? A situation, a person, a season?
Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24: "Search me, O God, and know my heart."
3. Yielded Ground
What part of you is under the Spirit's control now that wasn't before? And what part are you still holding onto?
Leader tip: Consider answering this one first yourself. Honesty from the leader makes it safer for everyone else.
Scripture: Philippians 2:13: "It is God who works in you, both to will and to work."
4. His Voice
How have you learned to recognize his voice this year? What does it usually sound like for you: Scripture, a person, a restlessness?
Scripture: John 10:4: "The sheep follow him, for they know his voice."
5. His Pace (use if the room gets quiet)
Has he led you faster or slower than you wanted?
Leader note: This helps people who feel stuck. Slowness may be tenderness, not absence.
Scripture: Isaiah 40:11: "He will gently lead those that are with young."
Closing (15 min)
6. Fruit Others See
What has someone else noticed in you that you didn't notice yourself?
Then invite the group to speak up: "Is there something you've seen the Shepherd growing in someone here?"
Scripture: John 15:8: "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit."
7. Turning Outward
Who is one person the Shepherd might be leading through you this season?
Closing Prayer
Invite one or two people to pray, or pray together:
Good Shepherd, thank you for calling each of us by name. Thank you that you lead the real us, not a version we perform. Thank you that your kindness leads us to repentance, and that you have already given us everything we need. Restore our souls and lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake. Amen.