Missions Weekend – Discussion Guide
Getting Started
Main Idea:
We are called to be disciples who make disciples.
Introduction:
A disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ, a person who lives their life to be more like Him. Growing in our relationship with Christ is necessary to be a maturing disciple. This growing requires discipline (which you may notice shares the same root as disciple).
Discussion Starter:
Think of the person with whom you are closest. How does that relationship grow? What things do you both have to do in order to become closer?
Encounter God
Primary Scriptures: Matthew 9:36-38, Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 10:9-17
Discussion Questions:
- Read Matthew 28:19-20. The word “go” in this context, as the pastor has said, means “as you are going.” As you go about your day where you live, work, shop, and play, how can you share the gospel? What is the first step you can take today to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus commands of us in this passage?
- The Timothy Initiative (TTI) strives to bring the gospel to unreached, unengaged people groups. “Unreached” means there is no local community of believers living nearby to evangelize without outside assistance. “Unengaged” means TTI has no plans underway for a church plant or sharing the gospel. These groups have less than a 2% chance to ever hear the story of Jesus Christ’s love, forgiveness, and redemption. Think about how you heard the good news. What do you think the probability was that you would hear about Jesus given where you were born and where you have lived? Think about your interactions with others in your community. Are they more likely to hear about Jesus because you are a part of their community?
- Read Matthew 9:36-38. What does Jesus mean when He says the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few? We see injustice in the world and ask God to send someone to do something. But as Matthew West said in his song, Do Something, “We shake our fist at Heaven and say ‘God, why don’t You do something?’ And He says He did. ‘I created you.’” We are the workers that are sent into the harvest. If you were to live life as if God created you to be the one who did something, how differently would your life look on a daily basis?
Discovery Bible Method:
For deeper study, as an alternative to the questions above, read Romans 10:9-17 and use the Discovery Bible Method to explore the passage.
Embrace Others
Suggestion: Consider breaking the group into twos or threes for this section.
Not everyone is called to move across the globe to be a missionary. But everyone’s mission field can be right next to them. What does your mission field look like?
Engage the World Around Us
Engaging at Faith Promise: Live Sent Missions groups are forming at Faith Promise. This group is for anyone who is interested in finding out more about missions, whether it’s with our local partners, global partners, or missionaries in the field. Reach out to h[email protected] for more information.
Engaging in Community and the World: We have local missions’ partners all over East TN. You can serve with them in many ways. Check out this link: https://faithpromise.org/love-local.
Engaging the World: David Nelms of The Timothy Initiative spoke of their work we support around the globe. Pray for those planting churches. Find one area of the world where we have helped plant a church and learn more about the culture. Pray for that area daily for the next week. https://www.ttionline.org
Expand God’s Kingdom
We are all called to be disciples who make disciples. Maybe after this weekend, that command from Jesus will not be so daunting. Who are you praying for that you can begin to disciple?
Leader’s Notes
ALL groups at Faith Promise should follow Jesus Christ and lead others to do the same. Below are the marks of a growing follower and disciple of Jesus.
– A follower of Jesus desires to encounter God through the deeper study and application of God’s Word.
– A follower of Jesus embraces people and values relationships on a deeper level so everyone can grow together.
– A follower of Jesus engages and serves the world around them and in their community, through local partners or God-directed opportunities.
– A follower of Jesus expands God’s Kingdom through development and multiplication of disciple-makers, possibly to lead more groups at Faith Promise.
