THANK YOU HOW TO MULTIPLY LEADERS NOTE STORIES.CITYHOPE.CC CONNECT WITH US

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2 THANK YOU Please accept our sincerest thanks for hosting a Fusion group this semester. It is people like yourself who are key in helping to establish the health and longevity of City Hope Church. Your time, sacrifice, and investments are eternally powerful! We may not grasp the depth of the difference that we have made in the lives of others until we get to heaven. Our prayer is that God will bless you abundantly beyond what you can imagine. HOW TO MULTIPLY The health and longevity of Fusion is dependent upon continual multiplication. The requirements to host a Fusion Group are minimal. However, it becomes paramount that we relationally identify, coach, and mentor a prospective future host. This individual will naturally be relational. They connect well with others in the group and understand the DNA of Fusion. This is the individual you ll want to build a strong relationship with early on. There will come a point when you (the host) will feel comfortable delegating certain small group responsibilities to this individual; things like prayer, facilitating a portion of the study questions, etc. When the time is right, the host will have a conversation with this individual about the possibility of hosting his/her own small group in the next semester. All of this should be regularly communicated with the host s Fusion Captain and Campus Pastor. LEADERS NOTE The Participant Guide contains information about NEXT. If someone in your group would like to know more information about City Hope Church, or they d like to get involved, please point them toward the NEXT class. STORIES.CITYHOPE.CC Everyone s got a story, and if God has been at work in your life, we want to hear about it! We look for all kinds of stories of how God is moving through our community. If your life is impacted through this series, maybe it s time to tell His story. CONNECT WITH US #FusionAtCityHope Facebook /cityhopelive

3 I M A SHEEP pages four + five I M A FRIEND pages six + seven VALUE HIS VOICE pages eight + nine RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE pages ten + eleven

4 I M A SHEEP why hear the voice of God JOHN 10:11-14 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. 1 WHAT ARE SOME DISTINCT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHRIST FOLLOWERS AND NON-CHRIST FOLLOWERS? Christ followers are spiritually alive. Christ followers are capable of hearing God s voice because of the spiritual connection (personal relationship). We can hear God because of who we are. 2 WHAT ARE SOME ADVANTAGES OF HEARING GOD S VOICE? Wiser decisions, Keener discernment, healthier perspective, which ultimately leads to richer purpose. The knowledge of His will enables us to experience a more fulfilling and productive life. 3 IS IT POSSIBLE TO SUCCESSFULLY FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE AND DESTINY WITHOUT CONSISTENTLY HEARING GOD S VOICE? Read Proverbs 3:5-7. Remember, God has a perfect plan for each of us. If we re not listening to His voice, we can t possibly know His plan.

5 Lord, help us to become more aware of who we are in Christ. Remind us that we are valued, and that you desire an intimate relationship with each of us. 5

6 I M A FRIEND why God wants to speak to us JOHN 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. JOHN 16:12-13 I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. We would all agree that healthy relationships require hard work. It is imperative that we recognize things that indicate potential for trouble in a relationship, thus knowing what a healthy relationship looks like. 1 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST CRITICAL DYNAMICS OF A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP? Communication, quality time, openess, honesty. 2 IF YOU WERE ASKED TO COMPARE THE QUALITY OF YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH GOD TO THAT OF YOUR CLOSEST RELATIONSHIP(S), WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? The truth is that quality communication begins with our communication with God. Therefore, if we haven t yet learned effective communication with God, chances are our relationships aren t as effective as they could be. Our level of effectiveness with people is always a direct result of our closeness to God. Therefore our ineffectiveness with people could be a reflection of our distance from God. 3 WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT KEEP US FROM MOVING CLOSER TO GOD? Busyness, pride, lack of faith, apathy.

7 Lord, forgive us for allowing things to come between us. We humble ourselves now to listen, and to learn how to communicate with you better. 7

8 VALUE HIS VOICE practical steps on how to hear the voice of God EXODUS 19:10-11 And the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. JOHN 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one s life for one s friends. 1 WHAT ARE SOME VOICES THAT YOU RECOGNIZE IMMEDIATELY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE? WHAT STANDS OUT ABOUT THEM? Your dad/mom, your spouse, best friend, boss, etc. God desires to be that familiar voice in your life, just like the ones you ve described. In fact, if we were being honest, we d be hard pressed to find a single person here that wouldn t want to hear His voice more clearly and more often. How do we make that happen? One of the best ways is to simply set an appointment to spend time with God. It is in that preparation that we ll consistently find His voice. 2 WHEN DO YOU FIND IS THE BEST TIME TO SPEAK TO GOD? HOW COME? In the shower, in the car, early morning, late evening, etc. Have you ever had a conversation with a person who wouldn t let you have a word in? Actually, the best word to describe that wouldn t be a conversation, but a monologue. God does not desire times of monologues, but rather, times of conversation where He not only hears our voice, but we, in turn, quiet ourselves to hear His. 3 WHY DO YOU THINK GOD FINDS IT SO IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE TO US? WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BE A BETTER LISTENER? To reveal His will and His heart. Make time, meditate, read God s word.

9 Lord, let us become more intentional with our time with you. Give us the desire to anticipate that special time and place where we speak to you and we hear your voice. 9

10 RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE three principles about a personal relationship with God GENESIS 3:8-10 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, Where are you? He answered, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. HEBREWS 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Each one of us were made for relationship with others. After each act of Creation, God would stop and say, It is good. However, after all had been created, God looked at man, stopped and said, It is NOT good that man be alone. It was out of that desire for us to have relationship that God created woman, and it is with that same desire that God seeks for us to be in relationship with others. 1 DESCRIBE THE MOST MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP YOU VE EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE. WHAT MADE IT SO MEANINGFUL? The quality of communication, companionship, honesty, transparency, trust. God passionately desires relationship with each one of us. However, many people find it difficult to have a real, personal relationship with God because they find it difficult to see Him as a person. Being a person doesn t mean that He is human, it just means that He has a mind, will, and emotions. 2 HOW DOES SEEING GOD AS A PERSON MAKE IT EASIER TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM? It makes him seem more approachable, more personable, and able to relate. Ever wonder how Christ sees us, wrapped up in all our weaknesses and struggles? Read Hebrews 4: WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU VE FOUND DIFFICULT TO BRING TO HIM? IN WHAT AREAS DO YOU NEED HIS GRACE AND MERCY THE MOST, TO BECOME WHAT HE S CALLED YOU TO BE?

11 Lord, may your voice become distinct in our lives. Our prayer is that we would become better listeners that your voice would penetrate through everything else. 11

12 THANK YOU FOR HOSTING A GROUP