Come and See

Understandable.  Jesus-centered. Invitational.  Those are some of the ways that people in our community describe Journey of Faith.  But what, exactly, are we inviting people into at Journey?  During this first 5-week series of the Fall, we’ll explore the unique blend of values, mission, and programs that define us as a church.  Along the way we’ll find new ways to grow closer to God together and share his love with the South Bay. Watch Full Message Groups Discussion Guide  To view the Leader Guide for this week, click here. To view a .docx version of this guide, click here. Begin your time together with prayer  Introduction  Take some time to discuss how everyone’s summer went! What were some standout moments for everyone?  This week we’ll be talking about what it means to share our faith in Jesus, and how we can support one another in doing that.   Connect   What is something you recommended to a friend recently, and why were you excited to share?   Has anyone ever invited you to be a part of something that turned out to be meaningful? What made their invitation meaningful to you?  Opening  When we feel strongly about something, we often want to tell other people about it. We want to tell our friends and family about the latest great movie or debate why we believe that it is, in fact, pronounced “car-mull”, not “care-a-mell.” In many ways, we may feel this same way about sharing our faith in Jesus, but it can feel more complicated. We might worry that we won’t know what to do or say in the moment or we might think, “what if I mess up?” God knows that it can be challenging to do this on our own, however, which is why he created a system of collaboration and support for his follower to rely on: each other!  This leads us to our main idea for this week  We should work together to share  the love of God in the South Bay.  Unpack  Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses:  Read   2 Corinthians 5:15-21  What stands out to you from the verses we just read?  What do you think living a “new life” in Jesus practically looks like?  What could it look like to live your life as an ambassador for Jesus?  Read   Psalms 105:1-2  John 13:34-35  Romans 15:5-6  How do these verses say we can share the love of God to the world around us?  Share how someone living these ways has affected you in your life? Why did this experience stick with you?  What do you struggle with the most when it comes to talking with others about Jesus?   How could you begin to improve in this area to share the love of God with others better?  What support do you need from the group to be able to do this well?  Action Step   Invite one new person to join you at church next Sunday.  Who is someone in your life that doesn’t seem to follow Jesus that you could invite to come to church with you? Try inviting that person, then go out to lunch after and talk with them about how it went for them.  As a group, brainstorm a couple of invitational blurbs you could use this week as a guide.   You could say something like, “Hey I’m going to church this weekend, would you want to check it out with me?” Make it casual, open, and friendly.  Next week, talk about how this went as a group and see how you can support each other to continue improving on how to sharing your faith with those around you.  Closing   Sometimes sharing our faith can feel complicated or even intimidating. It’s easy to overthink what to say or worry about how someone might respond, so we put it off or stay quiet. But God didn’t design us to figure it out alone. He gave us each other to lean on, to encourage one another, and to remind us that we don’t have to carry the weight of sharing his love by ourselves. This week, encourage each other in your group to look for opportunities to share your faith and invite someone to know Jesus.   Pray Together  Pray for the Missionary Focus this week, then take prayer requests for your group and conclude in prayer for your group. Prioritize this time well!  Missionary Focus  Miguel Adame  Pastor Miguel leads a growing church in Mexicali, Mexico, where he and his family have been serving the community since 2013.  Prayer Requests:   To achieve effective local outreach   To support the ongoing growth of their school on the church campus   Spend a few minutes in prayer for Pastor Miguel  Reflection Verse for the Week   *Read this verse, then encourage the practices of reflection and memorization through the week.  Hebrews 10:24  “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”  **When practiced consistently, memorizing Bible verses can be an important spiritual practice that centers your mind around the truth that God has given us.  Daily Devotional Verses   Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below.  Scripture: Read the verses several times. Reading out loud can be helpful as well. Observation: What can you see about the scripture you read? Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do, or feel, based on what you have read? Prayer: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned.  Day 1: Hebrews 10:23-25  Day 2: Psalm 119:17-18   Day 3: Psalm 119:33-35   Day 4: Psalm 119:73-76   Day 5: Psalm 119:105-106  Day 6: Psalm 119:142-144  The post Come and See appeared first on Journey of Faith.