Length: 30-40 mins

Explore some of the Biblical basis for the missional habit of union with God and discuss it with your group.

Link to printable version coming soon

The habit of cultivating union with God is all about knowing God and being shaped by his heart for the world.

You may notice that union is the only word in the PULSE acronym that is not a verb. This is intentional! Union with God, a meaningful, personal relationship with God, is not just a checklist of actions to complete.

God wants us to know him, be with him, and abide in him in real and transformative ways that impact every part of our lives – not just in the “doing,” but in the “being” as well. When I engage in this habit, I am reminded that God’s mission of redeeming and restoring all things is not just “out there,” but is for me, too.

Union with God in the Bible

Read the following verses together, reading each passage twice in a row. One suggestion is that group members could make notes about their observations on union with God from each verse.

  • Jeremiah 17:7-8

  • Psalm 73:28

  • Luke 10:38-42

  • John 15:4-5

  • John 17:3

  • Romans 8:1-10

  • Galatians 2:20

  • Galatians 5:25

Discussion Questions

  • What are some of the ideas about union that you noticed in these verses?

  • How would you summarize God’s heart for relationship with you as you understand it, from these verses and the rest of Scripture?

  • What does this habit look like in your life right now? What can you celebrate in this area?

  • Where is there room for growth in your practice of union with God?

  • How does knowing God's heart for union with him lead you to action, or to a new way of “being”?

  • What’s one next step you could take this week in the area of union?