Discover. Nurture. Act.
What is a DNA group? A DNA group is a key aspect of how we seek to grow as followers of Jesus at the Brook. Each group typically consists of 3 members (3 men or 3 women, including youth), who meet 3-4 times throughout the summer. The meeting times are based on your own summer schedules. The goal is to help each other grow spiritually, and to connect at a deeper level together relationally.
What do you do in a DNA group? At each DNA meeting, members will walk through the following five steps:
1. PRAY: One member opens up the DNA meeting in prayer, asking for God’s leading and power to guide the group. This is an important reminder that we absolutely need God’s help in order to fully understand and obey his Word.
Next, members follow the DNA acronym:
2. DISCOVER: This step is all about making discoveries in God’s Word. As a group, we ask questions of the Scripture passage in order to gain a clearer understanding of it.
3. NURTURE: The nurture step is all about nurturing our faith by seeing how the Bible relates to our lives. As a group, we dialogue honestly about how the Scripture passage relates to us.
4. ACT: The act step is all about action. As a group, we share with one another any practical steps we plan to take in response to God’s Word. We also encourage and offer support to one another in taking these steps of obedience.
5. CLOSE: Close the meeting by dedicating time to pray for one another.
This summer, we will be focusing on the theme of the “Fear of God” in Scripture. In order to do so, we will be looking at the following passages:
WEEK 1: Proverbs 1:1-7 | The Fear of God Defined
WEEK 2: Exodus 1:8-22 | The Fear of God Exemplified
WEEK 3: Matthew 25:14-30 | The Fear of God Misunderstood
WEEK 4: Acts 9:20-31 | The Fear of God On Mission
Thanks for DNA-ing with us this summer. We look forward to how God will move!
DNA Guide 2025
Passage: Proverbs 1:1-7 | The Fear of God Defined
Introduction: This passage is an introduction to the book of Proverbs. The majority of this passage is about the purpose of Proverbs– to help people grow in wisdom. Wisdom means the ability to choose what is godly. Verse 7 highlights “the fear of the Lord” as the key ingredient that enables people to grow in this wisdom.
Drawing from what we find throughout Scripture, the “fear of God” includes both a proper view of ourselves and a proper view of God. In other words, it is seeing God for who he truly is, and seeing ourselves for who we truly are.
Putting it all together, if we want to be able to grow in living godly lives, we need to start with a proper view of God and a proper view of ourselves. That is the fear of God. It is correctly viewing God and ourselves in a way that compels us to live godly lives.
Discover:
– What observations can you make about this passage? Notice the who, what, where, and when, as well as things emphasized and keywords.
– What does this passage tell us about the fear of the Lord? Why is that important?
– What does this passage tell us about God? What does it tell us about ourselves?
Nurture:
– What situation am I facing in life right now?
– How might having the fear of God help me in this situation?
– How does the gospel offer me good news in this situation?
If it helps, feel free to walk through the “gospel fluency” questions and apply them to your situation: 1) Who is God? 2) What did God do? 3) Who am I? 4) How do I respond?
Act:
– Based on God’s Word and our discussion today, how do I believe God wants me to respond?
Extra:
In his book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis illustrates the fear of God in a description of Aslan– a lion who symbolizes Jesus. One of the characters asks if Aslan is “safe.” Another character then famously replies: “Safe… who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you!” Another author described Aslan as both severe and tender.”
– How does this illustration help you to further understand the fear of God? How might it help you also have a correct view of yourself?
Passage: Exodus 1:8-22 | The Fear of God Exemplified
Introduction: Last DNA, we discussed what the fear of God is. Exodus 1:8-22 builds on that by giving us a glimpse of what the fear of God looks like in action. It is about the courageous example of two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah.
Discover:
– What observations can you make about this passage? Notice the who, what, where, and when, as well as things emphasized and keywords.
– How do the actions of the Hebrew midwives demonstrate the fear of God?
– What does this passage tell us about God? What does it tell us about ourselves?
Nurture:
– What situation am I facing in life right now?
– How might the example of the Hebrew midwives help me in this situation?
– How does the gospel offer me good news in this situation?
[If it helps, feel free to walk through the “gospel fluency” questions and apply them to your situation: 1) Who is God? 2) What did God do? 3) Who am I? 4) How do I respond?
Act:
– Based on God’s Word and our discussion today, how do I believe God wants me to respond?
Extra:
– Look up the following passages: Daniel 3:16-18; Daniel 6:6-10; Acts 5:27-32.
– What do these passages have in common with Exodus 1? What might they show us about the fear of God?
Passage: Matthew 25:14-30 | The Fear of God Misunderstood
Introduction: The concept of the fear of God can easily be misunderstood. We often misunderstand it as being afraid of God. Matthew 25:14-30 provides us with an example of what it looks like when someone misunderstands the fear of God in this way.
Discover:
– What observations can you make about this passage? Notice the who, what, where, and when, as well as things emphasized and keywords.
– How does the servant with one talent misunderstand the fear of God?
– How does this contrast with the actions of the other servants?
– How does this contrast help us to further understand what the fear of God looks like?
Nurture:
– What situation am I facing in life right now?
– What actions might I take in this situation if I was acting like the servant who misunderstood the fear of God?
– How might the fear of God help me in this situation?
– How does the gospel offer me good news in this situation?
[If it helps, feel free to walk through the “gospel fluency” questions and apply them to your situation: 1) Who is God? 2) What did God do? 3) Who am I? 4) How do I respond?]
Act:
– Based on God’s Word and our discussion today, how do I believe God wants me to respond?
Extra:
– Meditate on the Scripture verse 1 John 4:18.
– How does this verse help you form your understanding of the fear of God?
Passage: Acts 9:20-31 | The Fear of God On Mission
Introduction: So far, we have seen what the fear of God is, what it looks like in action, and what the fear of God isn’t. This final passage, Acts 9:20-31, touches on how the fear of God can be an ingredient in the church being multiplied. In other words, having the fear of God helps us to be on mission.
Discover:
– What observations can you make about this passage? Notice the who, what, where, and when, as well as things emphasized and keywords.
– Notice verse 31. What does the expression “walking in the fear of the Lord” emphasize?
– What do you think might be the connection between the fear of God and the church being multiplied? Why might this be an important ingredient? What might happen to the mission of the church without the fear of God?
– Although not directly stated, how might the Apostle Paul’s actions in this passage demonstrate the fear of God?
Nurture:
– What situation am I facing in life right now?
– What might me walking in the fear of God look like in this situation?
– How might this situation lead to an opportunity to be on mission?
– How does the gospel offer me good news in this situation?
[If it helps, feel free to walk through the “gospel fluency” questions and apply them to your situation: 1) Who is God? 2) What did God do? 3) Who am I? 4) How do I respond?
Act:
– Based on God’s Word and our discussion today, how do I believe God wants me to respond?
Extra:
– Read Acts 2:43. Although translated “awe” in the ESV, this is the same word translated “fear” in Acts 9:31 (compare other English Bible translations).
– Next, read the entire passage– Acts 2:42-47.
– How does this passage relate to Acts 9:31?
– How might this further deepen or reinforce our understanding of the fear of God?