God s Mission for My Life: Rick Warren: Principal #5

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1 God s Mission for My Life: Rick Warren: Principal #5 Jesus: In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. John 17:18 (The Message) The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to tell people the Good News about God's grace. Acts 20:24 (NCV) So far in this series, we ve discovered that we are put here on Earth to practice for Heaven by 1) loving God; 2) loving others; 3) learning to be more like Jesus; and 4) serving God through our lives. This week we ll focus on the fifth goal God has for us: to tell others about the purpose of life. Our mission has a part that is common to all and a part that is unique to us. In this lesson, we ll focus on the part that is common to all. MY 5th PURPOSE IS TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS HOW? BY BRINGING and BY GOING OPEN YOUR GROUP WITH A PRAYER. THIS IS ONLY A GUIDE SELECT THE POINTS YOU WANT TO DISCUSS. 1. GOD EXPECTS ME TO BRING OTHERS TO JESUS. In 2 Timothy 4:5, we are given a major life purpose. What is that purpose? How does bringing people to Jesus bring fulfillment to our lives? Who do we bring to Jesus? (Everyone I know!) From Luke 14:21-23, who does God want us to reach and why? Why do you think Jesus targets the poor and needy? Do you think people who are down and out are more open to the Gospel than people who have many material things? Why or why not? What does it mean to urge or compel a person to come to Christ? When do we bring people to Jesus? (Now!) According to John 1:40-42, what was the first thing Andrew did after he met Jesus? What did Andrew do next? Why is it better to bring people to Jesus now, rather than later? How do we bring people to Jesus? (Begin with what we have in common.) When we want to share the Gospel with others, what does 1 Corinthians 9:22 tell us to do? Why is it important to find common ground with people who don t know the Lord? How can we use things that interest us to build a bridge to others?

2 Mission: Mark 8:35 gives a wonderful promise to those who bring others to Jesus. It says, Only those who give away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live (LB). According to this verse, how can we begin to find the purpose for which God created us? During this series, what steps have you been taking toward this end? Briefly share with your group what God has been revealing to you.

3 2. GOD EXPECTS ME TO GO WHEREVER I CAN. Based on Mark 16:15, what does Jesus expect us to do? As a group, share examples of people who you believe have spent their lives following this command. According to John 13:15, what does Jesus ask us to do? What has He done to help us in this task? How did Jesus bring His message to the people He came in contact with? In modeling ministry for us, what kinds of people did Jesus minister to? What does Jesus want you to be, according to Acts 1:8? In this passage, Jerusalem referred to the local community; Judea and Sumaria to regions outside of Jerusalem. What are examples of needs in your local community, the areas beyond, and in the world? What are two things that matter to God, according 2 Peter 3:9? Why does God want us to obey Him in this? What motivates people to share the Gospel with others? Where does God want us to start sharing His Good News? See Luke 8:39. What other ways are there to share the Good News in addition to saying it directly? Worship: Worshipping God includes living a life of sacrifice. Read Mark 10:29. What does this promise mean to you? How will filling the needs in your community and beyond be an act of worship? What are some steps that can be taken to fill these needs? Briefly share with the group your dream for sharing Christ with others and ask for prayer as you prepare to take the next step in making that dream come true. Take a moment to review any assignments/challenges made during the personal application and commitment section of your previous meeting. Seeing God at work in the lives of those who commit to Him is essential for growth. PERSONAL APPLICATION AND COMMITMENT: Each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:12 (NIV) Your mission has eternal consequences. Your mission involves risks and sacrifices. It requires time, effort, money, and maybe even your privacy. But if you miss it, or if you fail to accept it, you are wasting your life. If you want to be blessed in amazing ways, you must care about what God cares about and God wants His lost children found. In the next year, approximately 54 million people in the world will die, many of them never having heard the Good News about Jesus Christ. The test to know if your mission is completed is this: Are you still alive? If so, God still has a mission for you. Whatever you do, don t miss out on your life mission. To help you discover your life mission, write down some of the goals we know God cares about. Here are some local goals for you and your group to commit to: Create a Top Ten list of people to pray for family members, friends, and associates you long to bring to Christ Pray for people to complete a mission class and commit to going on a mission Pray for someone you can bring into your small group and pray for small groups Pray for churches to increase Pray for unreached people throughout your community to be invited to church

4 Sermon Discussion Guide Leader Notes Goals for this Week s Study Most of us have heard or used the expression on a mission. What does it mean to you to be on a mission? Make it your objective in this lesson to grasp the reason God has us in this world and to identify what He might be asking of each group member. Close your time together by agreeing that your mission needs to define your life. Pray for God to unfold His plan to you and help you choose daily obedience. Preparing to Lead Your Group PRAY for insight as you begin to prepare for leading your group. Ask for God s wisdom, that the Holy Spirit will be the teacher and that you will be God s instrument to lead the group to greater understanding and a willingness to commit to becoming more like God. Prayer should be your primary source of personal preparation for leading your group. PLAN where you want to take your group in the next days. Is your group strong in some areas and weak in others? How can you challenge the members to live more balanced Christian lives? Consider God s five purposes for the church: Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, Mission and Worship, and make a plan to encourage your group members to growth and commitment in their weak areas. PONDER YOUR PROGRESS after each session and at the end of a series. Reflect on what went well and what didn t. Re-evaluation is key to your growth as a leader. Consider whether your plan is being effective in moving the group to greater understanding and commitment. How are you doing with leading the discussion: is it stimulating, challenging, and meaningful? Are you able to keep the group on track? Do you need to make some changes? Using This Sermon Discussion Guide This Sermon Discussion Guide is only a tool to aid you in meeting the needs of your group. For most groups there are too many questions to answer in one session together. After considering the needs of your group you may choose one of the following options: One section of questions; One or two questions from each section Feel free to adapt the format to meet the needs of your group. If your group is mature and wants to dig deeper, add Scripture and ask suitable questions. Remember that this is only a guide. The questions relating to the five purposes are helpful to develop balance and spiritual maturity in our lives. You can bring your group to an awareness of their needs in these areas by using these questions as a regular part of each discussion. Personal application is key to everyone s growth and should be included in every discussion. When asked how he or she intends to apply a certain principle a group member may say, I need to spend more time in the Bible and in prayer. It is important for you to help group members make applications that are more specific and commit to a specific plan of action by asking, for example, How are you going to begin? An example is to get up 30 minutes earlier each morning, spending 15 minutes reading the Bible and 10 minutes in prayer. Encourage each group member to be accountable to the group for personal progress at the next meeting.

5 As the leader your goal is to help bring the group into a stimulating discussion that helps the members recognize their need for personal life change. Ultimately you want them to be willing to commit to change with accountability to the group. Accountability helps us to persevere in our commitments and achieve the blessings of success.