Anchored, “Breaking Free from Isolation”
The following content can be used as a guide for TFH Groups.
You don’t have to follow the guide like a script! Use discernment from the Holy Spirit as you lead your group discussion. If you notice that someone in your group needs additional care or support that’s beyond your capacity, please let a pastor know.
ICEBREAKER QUESTION OPTION:
If you had to teach a class on something non-work related, what would you teach?
SERIES: Anchored: Anchored in Community
TITLE: Part 7: Breaking Free from Isolation
SPEAKER: Pastor CJ Cody
Scriptures—
Acts 1, Acts 13:22, Hebrews 3:12–13, Genesis 2:18, Genesis 2:20–22, Matthew 18:1–4, Matthew 18:3, and Matthew 18:15–17.
Summary—
Pastor CJ’s powerful message confronts the cultural lie that we can thrive in isolation. Drawing from Hebrews 3:12–13 and Genesis 2, he reminds us that encouragement and community are essential—because being alone is the only thing God called “not good.” Success and achievement mean little if we are isolated; we are not thriving, but slowly hardening. Just as God formed a solution to Adam’s loneliness, we must be intentional and willing to step outside our comfort zones to overcome isolation. Community requires humility, change, and commitment to the messy work of real relationships. The call is simple: stop waiting for community to find you and start forming it.
Key Takeaways—
Community is essential for the believer’s life, not just a bonus—without it, we drift from God and our hearts can become hardened through isolation.
Isolation was never God’s design; in Genesis 2, the only thing called “not good” was man being alone, showing that success means little without relationship.
Community must be intentionally formed, not passively found—we have to step outside our comfort zones instead of waiting for connection to come to us.
God calls us into community, and that call is part of His design for our spiritual growth and protection.
Every call comes with challenges, but the presence of difficulty does not cancel the call.
Commitment is required to push past excuses like busyness, personality, or past hurt, trusting that God provides the blueprint to build a healthy, life-giving community.
Discussion Questions—
How can someone appear successful outwardly—stable job, finances, accomplishments—yet still be living outside of God’s design because of isolation, and how have cultural messages shaped your view of independence and relationships?
In what ways have barriers like introversion, busyness, past hurt, or feeling excluded kept you from pursuing community, and how might isolation have distorted your perspective?
The message said we want thriving relationships without inconvenience—what practical sacrifices or discomforts does authentic community actually require, and where have personal preferences replaced God’s standards?
What small shift might God be asking you to make to step into community, and what does it look like to intentionally form connection rather than passively wait for it?
How does Jesus’ approach to conflict in Matthew 18 challenge the way our culture—and you personally—handle disagreements and confrontation?
Of the practices of humility, biblical conflict resolution, and forgiveness, which is hardest for you, and what change might God be asking you to make to pursue an authentic, healthy community?
Practical Application—
Join Community – Scan the QR code, pray over the group options, and commit to joining one this season, or reach out to someone you’ve been meaning to connect with and set up a time to meet.
Pursue Reconciliation – If there is unresolved conflict in a relationship, follow Matthew 18 by reaching out in humility and seeking resolution and restoration.
Form Community – If what you’re looking for doesn’t exist, start something new by hosting a group around a shared interest and inviting a few people to build it with you.
Closing Prayer—
Close your session by praying together as a group. Pray for courage to step out of isolation and into the relationships God has designed for you. Ask for humility to change where He is calling you to grow, and for wisdom to intentionally form and maintain biblical community. Invite God to bring healing to past hurts that have kept you guarded or distant. Pray for strength to embrace the inconvenience and commitment required for authentic, life-giving relationships.
