(please bring a pen and paper)
Today's session is all about courage. In Luke Chapter 10, when Jesus sent out the 72 on mission he sent them ahead to specific villages where he was planning to go. These villages are the equivalent of the workplaces, sports teams, colleges, families etc that Jesus is ending us to as his representatives. He knew that his disciples would need courage, which is why he warned them that they were being sent out like “Lambs among wolves”. He didn't want them turning back when it became challenging, so he prepared them for it. Like them, we need to be prepared for the fact that leading others to follow Jesus will not be easy, but we are sent by him and he goes with us by his Holy Spirit who gives us courage.
Breakout rooms to find out how everyone is and follow up from last week.
How are you?
How did you get on praying the prayer you wrote? Did you notice a difference?
How did you get on meeting up with someone and seeking to listen to God and bless them?
Feedback from this - please unmute and comment / Has anyone got a story of God answering prayer this week or of being missional in any way?
Today we are looking at having the courage to be involved in mission. Courage does not mean an absence of fear instead it is an awareness of the challenges that face us in sharing God's love and good news and being willing to hear God's call and to trust him as we step forward. Hebrews 12: v 3 “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”.
Lets take a moment to reflect on remembering Jesus example of trusting the father and courageously going to the cross - thanking God for Jesus and for his example of courage would strengthen us to have courage in our witness.
Breakout rooms - discuss
What has been everyone's experience of sharing faith with non-Christians in the past?
What are the things that give you confidence in the gospel and sharing your faith?
What are the things that reduce your confidence?
Feedback from this - please unmute and comment.
Jesus promised the disciples that he would be with them and fill them with the Holy spirit. When he did this at Pentecost they moved from hiding in a room together to spilling out onto the streets and telling the good news of Jesus to everyone around them.
Time to reflect on these questions as we hear today's bible passages from Acts 2: v 1-13 and John 16: v 7-15
What does this teach us about God's Spirit and what he will do?
What does this teach me about how to live in relationship with the Holy Spirit?
Today's session is really about seeing that speaking of our faith to others is a spiritual task and in partnership with the Spirit, which deepens their relationship with God and dependency on him and in which we see the need to pray because it is only the Spirit who can work within people's hearts to reveal Jesus.
Worship- Open the eyes of my heart Lord
We are going to have a time when you pray for one another for the filling of the Holy Spirit. In breakout rooms
Thank God for the person
Pray for filling of the Holy Spirit
Ask for our dependency on God, give thanks for what he is doing in our lives, the Holy spirit and for him to work within people's hearts to reveal Jesus, ask him to show something
Jesus sent out the 72 in pairs into various villages, and Mission Shaped Living is based on the premise that wherever we are today Jesus has commissioned us to reach those people. Our families / friends / neighbours and colleagues are our villages so we have to ask “Who have I been sent to?”. This is when we are going to need our pens and paper. We are going to draw a picture of our key relationships.
Mapping your relational world - you are in the middle of this and all the people you know who are far from God orbit around it, if there are relational connections also link them together. Aim is then to choose the names of 5 people who you have regular contact with who you want to pray for and to come to faith in Jesus. You may have lots of people or less. Then pray to God asking who it is he is asking you to focus on. We need to spend time praying and bringing them regularly to God - either daily or each one on a different day of the week. This could be a prayer you began to think of last week.
1 persons testimony
Takeaway in the week
Finish your map of your relationships and praying for your 5 people
For us to be accountable with each other, maybe a person from your homegroup or another Christian friend whom you will share this with and pray it over with.