• James 2:14-26
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Genesis 22:15-18
• Genesis 15:4-6
• Joshua 2

Takeaways:

Real Faith Trusts

• Compassion is one piece of evidence that the gospel has begun changing a heart.
• Compassion isn’t the cause of saving faith. It’s one of its fruits.
• James says, “Show me your faith apart from your works…” Noticing the word “show” we can see that faith is invisible but its fruit is seen.
• Demons know Jesus is God’s son, God exists, judgment is coming, and Jesus has authority.
• Having an intellectual understanding of Jesus is not the same as trusting Jesus with your heart; real faith trusts.
• Saving faith doesn’t merely agree with Jesus, it rests in Him.

Real Faith Matures

• James points out that Abraham’s faith was active along with his works. Faith and obedience were working together.
• Obedience didn’t replace faith. It strengthened it, it matured. It brought it to its full expression.
• The actions don’t create the relationship, they deepen it, they reveal it. The same is true with faith.
• Abraham’s obedience didn’t earn God’s acceptance. It was the fruit of years of walking with Him.
• Obedience doesn’t compete with faith, it is one of the primary ways faith grows.

Real Faith Shows Up

• Real faith endures trials, receives God’s word (specifically do-ers, not just those who hear the word), and shows mercy to all people. Real faith becomes visible.

Discussion Questions:

• Which ditch are you more tempted to drift toward: Trying to earn God’s approval through your works or using grace as an excuse to stay the same? Why?
• James says even the demons believe and shudder. What does that reveal about the difference between correct theology and saving faith?
• Think of someone in your life who has a vibrant faith. What evidence of their faith do you see in the way they live?
• How is obedience different when it’s motivated by love and gratitude instead of guilt or fear?

https://missio.life/home

• James 2:1-13
• Luke 14:7-14
• 1 Samuel 16:7
• Matthew 7:1-2

Takeaways:

We Naturally Reserve Seats

• Favoritism doesn’t begin with where someone sits. It begins with what my heart believes someone is worth.
• We may not overtly give someone special seats in our church, but the attitude behind what was happening with these early church members can show up for us too.
• Jesus actually gives two lessons: Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted, and invite the people who cannot repay you.

A Reordered Seating Chart

• The world honors the successful, Jesus notices the forgotten; that’s the upside down kingdom. The world celebrates the influential, Jesus notices the forgotten.
• Consider the people Jesus stopped for: blind Bartimaeus, Zacchaeus, the woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman, lepers, children, and widows.
• The world judges by appearance, but God looks at the heart. The world measures people by appearance, but God measures the heart.
• The world rewards status, while Jesus honors humility. The world builds ladders, while Jesus gathers people around a table.
• Jesus reorders the seating chart. Everyone has value in the Kingdom. Everyone is loved and is welcome.

Mercy Wins

• Mercy isn’t pretending sin doesn’t matter; mercy cost Jesus everything. At the cross, judgment fell. Justice was satisfied so mercy could triumph.
• The measure you use toward others reveals the measure you’ve understood from God.
• Jesus and James are not teaching salvation by works. They’re teaching that our treatment of others reveals the true condition of our hearts.

Discussion Questions:

• What kinds of people are we most tempted to admire? What does that reveal about what we value?
• If everyone comes to Jesus by grace alone, why is favoritism so out of step with the gospel?
• Why is remembering God’s mercy toward us essential if we’re going to show mercy to others?
• What attitudes or assumptions make it difficult for us to see people the way Jesus sees them?

https://missio.life/home

• James 1:19-27
• Luke 6:45

Takeaways:

An Unteachable Heart

• Healthy anger is a voice to be heard about something that is not right. A passionate response to an injustice.
• Man’s anger is not a pure emotion; it is usually heavily impregnated with sin, self-importance, self assertion, intolerance, and/or stubbornness.
• In verse 21, James gives us a clue of how to close the gap. “...receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
• The Christian life isn’t behavior modification. It’s God’s word growing inside us.

A Deceived Heart

• Information without obedience creates the illusion of maturity.
• Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by how much truth I’ve consumed. It’s measured by how much truth has changed me.
• We convince ourselves that exposure equals transformation. We assume because we felt convicted, we’ve changed.
• When the word reveals something to you like a mirror, do something about it.

A Transformed Heart

• If you want to be a religious person, a spiritual person, a follower of Jesus tame your tongue. Don’t harm others with it.
• Christian love always moves toward people who have nothing to offer in return.
• The life of transformation does not come from sheer willpower or white knuckling obedience. It comes from a heart that has been transformed by grace.
• The gospel doesn’t eliminate obedience, but it changed the reason for it.

Discussion Questions:

• Why is the gap between listening and living so dangerous?
• James says to “receive with meekness the implanted word.” What do you think it means for God’s Word to be implanted rather than simply heard?
• James calls us to be doers of the Word. How can we pursue obedience without slipping into a works-based mindset?
• If you were to act on just one thing God has already shown you, what would it be?

https://missio.life/home

• James 1:1-18

Takeaways:

Mature Faith Sees Trials Differently

• Joy is not pretending pain doesn’t hurt. Joy is confidence that God is accomplishing something good, even when we can’t yet see it.
• We want God to calm the storm. Most of the time he doesn’t. He uses it to reveal His presence with us, His power to guide and provide what we need in the midst of the storm.
• The goal is maturity. James says, “...that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”. In Greek, perfect would be described as something that has reached its intended purpose. Something fully developed, whole, complete, or mature.
• James wants us to consider that maybe God’s greatest work isn’t getting us out of the storm, but it’s us growing through the storm.

Mature Faith Seeks God’s Wisdom

• James challenges us to pray, “God, what do You want to teach me?” and consider the hard questions like: How do I respond to this person? Do I speak up or stay quiet? How do I forgive someone who hurt me? How do I parent this child? How do I care for aging parents?
• Mature faith comes with open hands. It’s saying “Father, I trust You. Show me the way.” It isn’t being double minded or two souled where one foot is with the Father and one foot is somewhere else. That would be saying, “God, I want Your wisdom as long as it matches what I already want.”
• Mature faith doesn’t simply ask God to change our circumstances; it asks God to help us know what to do in the midst of them (wisdom).
• Trials have a way of exposing what we’re really trusting.

Mature Faith Trusts the Father’s Character

• God may allow a trial. God never leads us into sin.
• At the root of every sin is a failure to trust God.
• The Progression of Sin looks like: Trial - Temptation - Desire - Sin - Death
• When life hurts, don’t conclude that God has stopped being good. When temptation is strong, don’t conclude that God has abandoned you.
• Verse 17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
• That Father gives generously. He gives wisdom. He gives every good and perfect gift.
• Don’t interpret God’s character through your circumstances. Interpret your circumstances through God’s character.

Discussion Questions:

• James says, “Count it all joy.” How is joy different from pretending suffering doesn’t hurt?
• Think about a trial you’ve experienced. Looking back, how did God use it to grow your faith or reveal something about your heart?
• Why do you think our first instinct is usually to pray for the storm to end rather than asking what God wants to produce in us?
• When circumstances are difficult, what truths about God’s character are hardest for you to remember?

https://missio.life/home

• Mark 8:14-21
• John 10:27

Takeaways:

• What was the last question God asked you?
• Arguing pushes us away, but confessing our lack of understanding draws us near to Jesus
• A simple practice for hearing God: 4 hours in a peaceful place with only a journal and a pen, write down what bubbles up, explore what questions God might be asking you, confess your need for him.

https://missio.life/home

• Psalm 103:8-14
• Exodus 34:6-7
• Deuteronomy
• Jeremiah
• Luke 15
• Matthew 7
• Romans 8

Takeaways:

The Father is Compassionate Toward His Children

• In verse 8 it says, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry, and filled with unfailing love." Though sometimes we believe and think the opposite.
• Compassion is when someone sees your weakness, your pain, your struggle, and instead of moving away from you, they move toward you.
• David wants us to know God’s heart is bigger than our failures.

The Father Forgives His Children Completely

• We are all guilty of sin which includes pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and/or lust.
• God’s anger is not opposed to his love; it flows from his love.
• The Father treated His Son as though He were guilty so that He could treat guilty sinners as beloved children.
• God’s love and forgiveness are immeasurable.

The Father Understands His Children’s Weakness

• The Bible presents God as a Father who carries and disciplines His children, has compassion on His children, longs for wandering children, runs toward repentant children, gives good gifts to His children, and adopts sinners into His family through Jesus Christ.
• God knows our limitations, fears, exhaustion, struggles, and failures.
• Nothing surprises Him. He knows us completely.
• Biblical fear is not terror that causes us to run from God. It is reverence that causes us to run to God.
• Fear is a gift when it reminds us that we are not self-sufficient. Fear tells us we need help, fear tells us there are things we cannot control, and it tells us we are not as strong as we thought we were.

Discussion Questions:

• Why might it be hard to grasp that God forgives and completely forgets our sins?
• Is understanding God’s love and compassion for you something that you struggle to believe at times? Why?
• God says we are but dust, we have limitations and weaknesses. Why is it hard for us to come to terms with this?
• Have you ever tried to hide from God? What was your reason for hiding?

https://missio.life/home

• 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
• 2 Corinthians 8:2
• Malachi 3:8-12
• Matthew 6:21
• Matthew 6:24

Takeaways:

• Generosity begins when we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God.

Generosity Begins with Trust

• A scarcity mindset is rooted in the belief that there is not enough to go around so I need to protect what I have. Some of our thoughts might include: What if I give and then don’t have enough? What if my contribution is too small to matter? What if I need that money later? What if I give and nobody appreciates it?
• God says you will have “all sufficiency in all things at all times.”
• The gospel itself is a story of generosity. “For God so loved the world that he gave…”
• A life that constantly holds back will experience fewer opportunities to see God work through them.
• In the passage today, Paul is not saying, “giving money means getting more money.”

Generosity is a Matter of the Heart

• A guilt culture says, “You have to”; a generous culture says, “You get to.”

Generosity Shows up in Other Areas

• Financial generosity looks like: donations to ministry or benevolent needs. Holding back looks like not giving.
• Missional generosity looks like opening our homes, serving others, and making room for people far from God. Holding back sounds like, “I don't really care that much about your needs or pointing you toward Jesus.”
• Relational generosity looks like giving time, attention, hospitality, and encouragement. Holding back sounds like, “I’m not available”, “I don’t have time for you”, or it looks like holding back encouragement or kindness.
• Generosity is choosing to use whatever God has given me for the benefit of someone else.

Discussion Questions:

• How have you seen God be generous to you in your life?
• What messages resonate with you from the scarcity mindset? Why?
• What do our spending, priorities, and use of time reveal about what we truly value?
• Which area of generosity comes most naturally to you? Which area is most difficult for you to live open-handedly? (Financially, serving, hospitality, encouragement, time, relationships, etc.)

https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:

• Ephesians 4:29
• John 13:35
• Proverbs 4:23
• Luke 6:45
• Proverbs 17:22
• John 15:4

Takeaways:

• Encouragement over criticism. We build each other up with words of hope and truth; choosing to see the good and call it out.

Consider Others

• Paul repeatedly emphasizes that unity and encouragement are the marks of followers of Jesus.
• Encouragement includes building up, it fits the need, and gives grace.

Consider the Problem

• Criticism is not the problem, it’s a symptom.
• We’ve lost sensitivity to care.

Consider the Source

• When Christ fills our hearts, grace begins to flow from our mouths in a way that builds others up and gives grace to all who hear.

https://missio.life/home

• Psalm 23
• Matthew 11:28-30
• John 15

Takeaways:

• Rhythms over hustle. We embrace a Spirit-led pace of life, rooted in rest, presence, and intentionality; not burnout or busyness.
• Hustle culture looks like being hurried, emotionally unavailable, constantly exhausted, or always producing and striving.

The Shepherd Leads Us

• God’s people are often described as sheep, possibly because they are deeply dependent creatures. Goats on the other hand are much more independent. They wander, climb, and do their own thing.
• The sheep are God’s people because the follow the shepherd; goats do not.
• A hustle culture trains us to live more like goats than sheep: independent, self-sufficient, always pushing, always striving, and always proving ourselves.
• The Good Shepherd leads his people, provides for needs, protects from evil, sets a healthy pace, and invites us to rest.
• Many of us struggle to rest because we struggle to trust the shepherd. His way is best and he is leading us to another way of life.

The Shepherd Restores Our Souls

• Jesus knows how to care for a depleted soul that looks like emotional fatigue, constant stimulations, anxiety, endless scrolling, overwork, or burnout.
• The rest or restoring of our souls is found in Jesus. Jesus taught in John 15 the idea of abiding in him. The true need for our souls is met by being with Jesus.
• We are invited into a different way of living, a different rhythm with Jesus. Jesus says, “Let me teach you, and you will find rest for your souls with me.”
• The Shepherd leads His sheep down certain paths because He knows where life is found.

Healthy Rhythms

• Everybody already has rhythms of life. The question is, “Are your rhythms forming you toward Jesus or away from him?
• Healthy Spiritual Rhythms include prayer, scripture, worship, and solitude
• Healthy Physical Rhythms include sleep and exercise.
• Healthy Missional Rhythms include bless, eat, celebrate, story-formed, and ReCreate

Discussion Questions:

• How can you tell when your soul is becoming depleted or restless? What are the warning signs?
• What are some places people commonly go to find rest or restoration apart from Jesus? Do those things actually satisfy?
• What is one rhythm in your life that is helping you stay close to Jesus right now?
• How might a life of constant hustle make it difficult to notice and respond to opportunities God gives us to love and serve others?

https://missio.life/home

• James 1:22-25
• Matthew 23:23
• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• 1 John 4:16
• 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
• John 13:35

Takeaways:

• Information-based Christianity consumes content, debates theology, appears knowledgeable, and can still lack love.
• Transformational Christianity learns and applies the gospel, grows in patience and humility, shaped by grace and truth, and matures in love.

Information

• Despite all the content we have at our fingertips, we don’t automatically get discipleship or spiritual maturity.

Transformation

• We can mistake sudden changes in a person’s behaviors as transformation.
• A new Christian might stop swearing, stop partying, start attending church, and start listening to worship music instead of explicit music.
• Transformation goes deeper than behavior management.
• External behavior can change faster than the heart. That’s why Jesus continually focused on the heart.

Love

• Love is the most important aspect of Jesus’ nature.
• 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”
• The truest measure of spiritual maturity is not how much you know about God, but how well your heart had been transformed by God’s love.

Discussion Questions:

• How do you think it was possible for the Pharisees to know so much about God, and yet miss the heart of God? What happened?
• Why do you think people, including ourselves, often settle for outward change instead of inward transformation?
• Who is someone in your life that reflects the love of Jesus well? What characteristics stand out about them?
• Why do you think love is such a powerful witness to people who don’t know Jesus?

https://missio.life/home

• Galatians 1:6-9; 3:1-9
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Psalm 51:3-4

Takeaways:

Grace is the Gospel

• The good news of Jesus (the gospel) is a message of grace, not of works.
• There are laws God gave through Moses. It included moral laws (do not murder, steal, and commit adultery), civil laws (laws about debt and restitutions, property boundaries, agricultural laws for caring for the poor), and ceremonial laws (animal sacrifices, circumcision, dietary restrictions like clean/unclean foods).
• The ceremonial laws pointed to Jesus, the civil laws governed Israel as a nation, and the moral laws still reflect God’s heart for how we live.

Grace and Relating to God

• Conviction moves us towards God in repentance. Condemnation makes us hide from God in shame.
• Conviction says, “I have sinned”, but shame and condemnation says, “ I AM my sin.”
• Grace is not just how we begin the Christian life. Grace is how we continue living it. We are saved by grace. We are sustained by grace. We are transformed by grace.
• Grace is how we relate to God, at the point of salvation and for the ongoing day-to-day living.

Grace Shapes Culture

• Grace turns ministry from something we HAVE to do into something we GET to do.
• A guilt-driven church culture becomes: performative, self-righteous, exhausting, and unsafe. People start hiding, pretending, and wearing masks because they feel like they always have to look okay.
• A grace-driven culture has: trust, safety, humility, confession, and restoration. A grace-filled church is where people can actually tell the truth about their lives.
• Grace does not remove passion for obedience - it changes the reason we obey.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think it’s easy to begin the Christian life with grace, but then drift into trying to earn God’s approval through performance?
• In what ways can God’s grace free us from shame, pressure, or pretending?
• How have you experienced guilt or pressure being used as motivation in church, family, or other relationships? What effect did it have on you?
• What might people experience in a grace-filled church culture that feels different from the world around them?

https://missio.life/home

• John 4:19-30
• Hebrews 3:12-13
• Romans 1:16

Takeaways:

Spiritual Conversation

• Jews believed the right place was Jerusalem because God authorized the temple there through David and Solomon, sacrifices were established there, and it remained central even after being rebuilt.
• Samaritans only believed the Pentateuch, so they rejected everything about Jerusalem.
• Samaritans believed the right place was Mount Gerizim (gare-a-zim) and they saw it as significant because Abraham built an altar nearby, and it was associated with blessings in Deuteronomy. So they built their own temple and continued worship there even after it was destroyed.
• For the gospel to be good news, Jesus has to be at the center. Without Him, people try to reach God on their own. The gospel isn’t about being right, it’s about knowing and loving Jesus.

Speaking Good News

• Gospel fluency is not just saying Jesus is the answer, it’s showing how Jesus is the answer.
• The gospel exposes the lies we believed before we knew Jesus and the lies we still believe as we follow Him.

The Power of God

• The gospel is not just words, the Bible tells us that it is the power of God for those who believe.
• When the gospel touches a person’s heart it changes them, it has an impact.
• When people experience Jesus and the truth of the gospel in their life they respond.
• The gospel is powerful. It saves us and continues to shape us each and every day. We are saved by the gospel and we are shaped by the gospel.

Discussion Questions:

• Based on her story, what do you think the woman at the well was truly longing for? How did Jesus meet her needs?
• How does being fluent in the gospel help us recognize the lies we believe and the lies others believe?
• Imagine a friend says, “I don’t get it, I worked hard, I did everything right, came in early and stayed late. I thought for sure I would get the promotion to manager. After 10 years of dedication and effort, they gave the promotion to Chris. He’s only been here for a year. Honestly, it just makes me feel like I don’t matter.”
• What do you think they are longing for?
• What might they be believing?
• What “wells” are they going to for life?

https://missio.life/home

• John 4:1-18
• Colossians 4:5-6
• Ephesians 4:29
• Jeremiah 2:13

Takeaways:

Start the Conversation

• Mission often starts with ordinary conversation

Discover the Deeper Desire

• Jesus listened closely to the woman at the well. Jesus knows she’s thirsty for something more than water. People are always expressing their deeper longings.

Reveal the Wrong Well

• Jesus knows that the woman at the well has been placing her hope in the wrong well. Placing her hope in these things that haven’t satisfied her.
• What we do on the outside is driven by what we believe on the inside. Behavior reveals belief.
• Some behaviors include: Anxiety, comparison, overspending, and people-pleasing. Behaviors are shaped by what we are believing to be true, even if it isn’t true.
• If we want to share the gospel in a way that actually reaches people’s hearts… we need to spend more time listening than talking.
• Everyone is longing for something like: purpose, identity, peace, satisfaction, or true love.
• With the help of the Holy Spirit we begin to discern what’s really going on. We begin to see the longing in their heart, the brokenness in their story, the emptiness they’re trying to fill.
• Jesus is the living water; He satisfies what nothing else can.

If we don’t take time to understand someone’s story and what they’re longing for we’ll miss the chance to share Jesus in a way that truly reaches their heart.

Discussion Questions:

• If a friend says, “Honestly, I just feel like I’m always the one giving in relationships. I show up for people, I care, I invest, but it never feels like it comes back.”
• What might they really be longing for?
• What beliefs might be driving that longing?
• What are some “wells” you have seen people drink from to fulfill the longing of their souls?
• What are some of the specific longings in your soul that Jesus meets? How is that good news?

https://missio.life/home

• Luke 5:27-32
• Isaiah 25:6-8

Takeaways:

The Table has Always Been Significant

• Adam and Eve took their hunger to a place they were told not to.
• People have been taking their hunger to the wrong places ever since, but God redeems this.
• What happens at this “table”? A feast for all peoples, death is swallowed up, tears are wiped away, salvation is fully realized.
• Jesus takes an ordinary meal and fills it with eternal meaning. He uses the table as the place we remember the gospel.
• The table is about relationship, belonging, and connection.

Jesus’ Hospitality

• Levi didn’t find Jesus - Jesus found Levi.
• Jesus walks up and says, “Follow me.” without conditions. No “get your life together first.” And Levi does and leaves everything.
• After meeting Jesus, Levi doesn’t clean up his friend group, distance himself from people, nor go into isolation.
• True hospitality isn’t just about inviting people into your space… it’s about how you receive them when they are with you.
• The table wasn’t just a place to eat, it was a place where people encountered grace - they encountered Jesus.

Jesus is Criticized

• People assume that if you want to stay spiritually pure, you have to separate yourself completely from the world.
• Peoples’ fear of being influenced by the world leads them to distance themselves from it. So instead of engaging with people who are far from God, they avoid them.
• The Pharisees grumbling isn’t just disagreement, it’s resistance to what God is doing.
• A meal wasn’t just a meal - it was connecting with people, it was mission.
• Our tables are a place of mission. We are family, and we make room because adopted people accept people. We are servants, we serve because saved people, serve people. We are missionaries, we accept the invite because found people find people.

Discussion Questions:

• What happens around a table that doesn’t happen as easily elsewhere?
• Can you remember a time where you either felt included or excluded from a table? What did that feel like?
• What are some of the obstacles that keep you from following Jesus’ example of the table ministry?
• Are there people you hesitate to spend time with because of what others might think? Why? How does Jesus challenge that?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 Corinthians 15:3-9
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 6:23
• John 20:25-28
• Ephesians 2:1-2

Takeaways:

What Jesus Accomplished

• There is no forgiveness of sins without the death and resurrection of Jesus. This payment for our sins is a gift from God; it’s not something we earn, but something we receive.
• Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What Jesus is Doing Now

• Since the resurrection, Jesus has been revealing himself to people.
• He is saving people from sin, redeeming their stories, and giving them new purpose.
• Jesus is alive and still at work. The global church continues to rapidly expand.
• You can’t stop the risen Savior. No government, threats, or persecution has been able to. Jesus can’t be stopped.

What Jesus Can Do in You

• Apart from Jesus, we’re not just struggling, we’re spiritually dead.
• Jesus didn’t come to make bad people better - He came to make dead people alive.
• God’s desire for you is to be forgiven, to be set free from sin, to be restored, and to walk in a new life with him. Jesus sees you. He knows you. He loves you.

https://missio.life/home

1. Matthew 21:1-11
2. Matthew 20:17-19
3. Zechariah 9:9
4. Matthew 5:38-39
5. Mathew 27:27-31
6. Romans 12:19

Takeaways:

The King Come On His Terms (Control)

1. Jesus doesn’t fit into our story - He invites us into His.
2. Some of us aren’t rejecting Jesus - we’re just quietly frustrated that He’s not running our life the way we wish he would.

The King is Humble (Humility)

1. Jesus not only models humility - He teaches a completely different way of responding to wrong.
2. We prefer strength. We prefer winning. We prefer outcomes we can point to and say ‘That worked’. But Jesus invites us into a different way of living; a life shaped by surrender and sacrificial obedience.
3. Some won’t follow Jesus because His way feels too slow, too weak, or too costly.

The King is Misunderstood (Condition Allegiance)

1. It’s possible to celebrate Jesus and still not surrender to Him.
2. The cross did not make sense. Until it did. God knows what he is doing.
3. Some of us aren’t walking away from Jesus - but we are quietly disappointed in Him.
4. We have a choice to follow Jesus because of what we thought he would do, or because of who He is.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some ways we become “quietly frustrated” with how God is running our lives?
2. Why is it difficult to trust God with the outcomes of our lives - especially when we’ve been wronged by someone else?
3. Where are you most tempted to hold onto control instead of trusting Jesus right now?
4. Why do we sometimes want Jesus to be different than he actually is? What kind of Jesus do we tend to prefer?

https://missio.life/home

1. Ephesians 2:1-10
2. Ephesians 1:4-5
3. Ephesians 1:5
4. Mark 10:45
5. Luke 9:23
6. John 16:8

Takeaways:

1. Last week’s highlight is that: All people matter to God. Therefore, all people matter to us. You are not here by accident. No human life is an accident.
2. If life is random, then purpose is something you have to create for yourself; but if God made and planned you, then your life is not an accident.
3. To understand purpose, we have to understand identity, because ‘doing’ flows our ‘being’.
4. We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our baptism reflects something of each member of the trinity. Father being family, Son is the servant, and Holy Spirit is missionary.
5. We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
6. Each part of our new identity, rooted in the trinity, has real life implications for us. Let’s look at each one, starting with our family identity.

We Are Family

1. It is important for us to understand God’s love and acceptance into his family because it shapes us.
2. God is pleased to welcome lost people into His family.
3. We get to treat everyone like family, even before they believe and are adopted into God’s family. Adopted people, accept people.

We Are Servants

1. We are baptized into the name of the Son, Jesus. From Jesus we got our servant identity.
2. You can’t follow Jesus’ example of servanthood and be a selfish person. Saved people, serve people.

We Are Missionaries

1. The Holy Spirit is working on drawing people to the family of God all over the world. When people say they found God, the truth is God found them because the Holy Spirit was working on drawing them to Jesus.
2. The Holy Spirit is at work in the world and in the lives of people. We get to live into our missionary identity. Found people, find people.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why does God give us a new identity in Christ? What’s wrong with the other things we tend to build our identity on?
2. Do you agree with the statement that “doing flows from being? If so, how have you seen it play out in your own life?
3. Why is it important to focus on identity before focusing on behavior?
4. Which of the three (family, servant, missionary) is easiest for you to live into? Which is the hardest?
5. Which of these identities do you most need to grow in right now? Family (accepting others), servant (serving others), missionary (living sent)
6. What is one thing you could do this week to lean into that identity?

https://missio.life/home

1. Genesis 1:26-28
2. Galatians 3:28
3. Isaiah 66:13
4. Matthew 23:37
5. 2 Corinthians 3:18
6. Colossians 1:15

Takeaways:

Made In God’s Image

1. God exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
2. God is one God, existing in three distinct persons.
3. Masculinity reflects attributes of God. Femininity reflects attributes of God. Together, humanity reflects the image of our Creator.

Sin Distorts the Image

1. Humans were made to reflect God’s likeness, nature, and character. We were also created to bear God’s attributes like the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control).
2. Sin corrupted humanity, but the image is not destroyed, it is distorted.
3. The distorted image reflects pride replacing humility, selfishness replacing love, greed replacing generosity, violence replacing peace.
4. Jesus didn’t come JUST to forgive sinners. He came to restore the image of God in us.

Jesus Restores the Image

1. God’s plan is to restore His image in us.
2. The gospel is not just forgiveness, it’s restoration.
3. Jesus consistently gave dignity to people society ignored

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you give some examples of how you have seen certain people valued more than others?
2. Why do you think God wants to restore broken image bearers?
3. How did Jesus stand out in his day for the way he treated people?
4. Who are the hardest people for you to love? Why?

https://missio.life/home

1. Genesis 12:1-8
2. Galatians 3:13-14
3. Ephesians 1:3
4. John 14:26
5. Isaiah 49:6
6. Galatians 3:28
7. 2 Timothy 1:9
8. 1 Timothy 2:5
9. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
10. 2 Peter 3:9-10
11. Isaiah 49:6
12. Revelation 7:9
13. Matthew 28:19
14. Acts 1:8

Takeaways:

What is the Mission of the Triune God?

To Bless and Restore Humanity

1. God the Father is the source of blessing
2. The Son (Jesus) is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s blessing
3. The Holy Spirit (the Helper) helps bring blessings into our lives

For Humanity to be In Fellowship with God

1. The Father chooses and calls His people
2. The Son redeems and unites His people
3. The Spirit forms his people into a living community

To Reach All Nations (The Global Mission)

1. The Father’s plan has always been global
2. The Son commissions the mission
3. The Spirit empowers the mission

https://missio.life/home

1. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
2. Romans 1:16
3. John 20:21

Takeaways:

1. Sometimes we reduce the gospel, the good news, to a moment instead of a movement, a decision instead of power, a transaction instead of a transformation, or personal forgiveness instead of expanding God’s Kingdom.

Power of the Gospel

1. God’s words have power, and his gospel has power.
2. The gospel is power for salvation. It is freedom from sin, it is regeneration of a dead soul, and it is eternal life starting now.
3. The gospel doesn’t just save us from something - it saves us for something.

Purpose of the Gospel

1. The bigger gospel does not just save us, it sends us. The gospel gives us a purpose bigger than ourselves.
2. Our lives need a bigger purpose, and that is found in a bigger gospel.

Good New for All of Life

1. When we are living in God’s intended plan, we are living righteously.
2. If the gospel really makes us new creations, then it must affect every part of our lives.
3. Inner Life - where we deal with things like anxiety, shame, fear, identity, and ambition.
4. The gospel is good news for your Inner Life and says you are seen, you are loved, you are NOT your past. Because of Jesus you are not broken, you are enough.
5. Our Relationships - everything in our lives revolves around relationships and it is inevitable that we will face conflict with some of these people.
6. The gospel is good news for relationships and says “I don’t need to prove that I am right. I value the person and relationship more than getting even. I can work through this issue with humility and grace.
7. Our Work - The world would tell us that we are measured by what we do.
8. The gospel is good news for our work because it says your work is not about proving yourself and your worth. Your work is an opportunity to serve others in the world. Be faithful wherever God has you.

Day to Day Life

1. The gospel is good news for day-to-day life.
2. It says the ordinary spaces of our lives are transformed into places of mission. We get to partner with the working of the Holy Spirit in amazing ways.

Discussion Questions:

1. How was the gospel first explained to you? Was it shared as a big gospel or a small one?
2. What benefit do you think there could be to understand both the power and purpose of the gospel? How might that change things?
3. Why would applying the good news of the gospel to all of life be helpful to the follower of Jesus?
4. How could it make a difference to apply the good news to your family, work, or school environment?

https://missio.life/home

1. Matthew 11:28
2. Hebrews 12:11
3. Genesis 2:1-3
4. Isaiah 40:28
5. Exodus 20:8-11
6. Deuteronomy 5:15
7. Exodus 31:13
8. Colossians 2:16-17
9. Mark 1:35
10. Luke 5:16
11. Matthew 11

Takeaways:

God Rested - Creation

1. Adam and Eve’s first full day of life was not a work day - it was a rest day.
2. Humanity was created to live from enjoyment, not from exhaustion.

Sabbath is Given - Israel’s Rest

1. By the people of Israel keeping this rhythm they were acknowledging the God who made them and living his intended pattern.
2. Rest is a blessing to them as free people.
3. Slaves don’t get days off - free people do. Sabbath is not a burden, it’s a gift.
4. Most of us live like this: Work all week… collapse at the end. Repeat.

Jesus and Rest

1. Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.
2. Circumcision and Sabbath were covenant signs with God.
3. Jesus models rest. He shows us, rest in not escape. Rest is return to relationship with God.
4. Rest is not just a day. It’s a person. His name is Jesus and we are invited to be with him.

Bringing It All Together

1. Making space to be with Jesus by pausing from the grind of life. From doing to being, from control to trust, and from striving to abiding.
2. Rest reminds us: I am a beloved child before I am a productive worker. Make the shift from doing to being.
3. Rest is releasing control. Rest is trusting that God is at work even when I am not. Make the shift from control to trust.
4. Rest is not laziness. It is returning to the Father and living from Jesus’ finished work. Make the shift from striving to abiding.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think so many people are pushing themselves to the brink of burnout in our world?
2. What are your thoughts on the Sabbath that God gave to the people of Israel?
3. Which of those three shifts do you feel strongest need to embrace? Doing to being, control to trust, or striving to abiding? Why?
4. What makes it difficult to rest; to practice this spiritual discipline?

https://missio.life/home

1. Matthew 11:28
2. Hebrews 12:11
3. Psalm 63:1-8
4. Mathew 6:5-13
5. Romans 8:15-16
6. Matthew 6:16-18

Takeaways:

1. Prayer turns our hearts back toward God while fasting loosens our grip on what competes with Him. Both are ways of making space for Jesus. Prayer names our desire; fasting resets it.

Prayer - Expressing Desire to God

1. Adoration - Praising God for who He is
2. Confession - Bringing our sin into the light
3. Supplication - Bringing our needs to God
4. Intercession - Praying for others
5. Prayer is not primarily asking God for things; it is learning to be present with the God who already loves us.
6. Before requests. Before needs. Before confession. Prayer starts with relationship.
7. Prayer gently brings us back to this truth: God is the safest place for our desire.

Fasting - Making Space by Resetting Our Desire

1. Gluttony is when we look to food to fill a spiritual hunger.
2. Fasting exposes what we turn to for comfort and reorients our desire back to God. These desires can be for comfort, control, approval, distraction, or enjoyment. Our true desire is to be full physically and spiritually.
3. The point is not what you fast from, the point is what you’re fasting towards. It could be a skipped meal, time without social media, an evening without screens.

Prayer turns our hearts toward the Father. Fasting loosens our grip on the things that pretend to satisfy.

Discussion Questions:

1. What desires have you been hesitant to bring to God in prayer? Why?
2. How does our view of God directly affect our prayer life?
3. What challenges do you find with fasting as a spiritual practice?
4. Why might it be helpful to name our desires before fasting? The idea of praying and fasting together?

https://missio.life/home

1. Hebrews 12:11
2. Matthew 11:28
3. Luke 10:38-42
4. Matthew 7:21-23
5. Revelation 3:20
6. 1 Timothy 3:16-17
7. Hebrews 4:12

Takeaways:

1. Jesus invites us to a different way of life. A life of abiding.

Jesus’ Availability

1. Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem.
2. Jesus doesn’t say “I don’t have time”, “I’ll catch you on the way back”, or “my schedule is kind of full.”
3. Jesus is available. He is close, never distant, he enters ordinary homes, and he welcomes relationship.
4. Sometimes we think our spiritual formation is about us initiating something, like it’s all up to us to “get our life together”, “need to pursue God harder”, or “need to make ourselves worthy”.
5. You don’t have to get your life in order before being with Jesus. He is already there. Reading scripture is simply welcoming Him into the room.

Being Present with Jesus

1. Jesus is saying that presence matters more than productivity.
2. In the story about Mary and Martha, the heart of the issue is priority, not effort.
3. A relationship with Jesus is more important than doing things for Jesus.
4. Spiritual formation does not begin with doing more for Jesus, but with being present with Jesus.
5. Being with Jesus is not rushing through chapters, checking off boxes, proving devotion.
6. Being with Jesus is slowing down, listening, being present.

Making Space in the Word

1. The goal is listening. Getting to know the God of the Bible. Telling him, “Jesus, I want to hear You more than I want to hear myself.”
2. Start small and stay consistent. Consistency forms us more than intensity.
3. Have a simple plan. Use whatever helps such as apps like YouVersion Bible, Blue Letter Bible, or Dwell.
4. Take notes or journal. Start with 4 simple questions: Who is God? How do we know? Who am I? How do I get to live?
5. Remember to show yourself grace if you miss a day.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does it make you feel that Jesus is available to meet with you? Why?
2. How can spiritual disciplines sometimes turn into religious duties?
3. What are some helpful tips you have for being consistent with in scripture?
4. What barriers have you faced in having a regular rhythm of being in the word?

https://missio.life/home

1. Genesis 1:31
2. Genesis 3:23
3. Romans 3:23
4. Genesis 12:2-3
5. 1 Peter 3:18
6. Acts 1:8
7. 1 Corinthians 3:16
8. Revelation 21:3-5

Takeaways:

1. We don’t just live life through facts and information - we live life through narrative, or storyformed. To be storyformed means that we are shaped by the stories we believe and live in.
2. The story you believe about life becomes the lens through which you interpret everything. This includes what success, suffering, and love means as well as what your purpose is.
3. When we step into God’s Great Big Story, we begin to see ourselves - and everything else - clearly.
4. The Bible isn’t just a collection of disconnected lessons - it’s the true story of the world.

The Tree- Creation

1. God created everything and called it very good.
2. Humans were made for purpose, beauty, and belonging with Him.
3. Genesis 1:31 - Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

The Broken Heart - The Fall

1. Sin entered when Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
2. Brokenness affects every part of life and separates us from God.
3. Romans 3:23 - For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.

The Stars - Promise

1. God chose Abraham and promised blessing for all nations.
2. Even when people fail, God remains faithful.
3. Genesis 12:2-3 - All the families on Earth will be blessed through you.

The Cross - Jesus

1. Jesus lived perfectly, died for sinners, and rose again.
2. He restores our relationship with God.
3. 1 Peter 3:18 - Christ suffered for our sins once for all time... to bring you safely home to God.

The Fire - Spirit & Church

1. The Holy Spirit empowers God’s people to share the gospel.
2. God now dwells in the hearts of His followers.
3. Acts 1:8 - You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

The Crown - New Creation

1. Jesus will return, defeat evil, and renew creation.
2. God will wipe away every tear forever.
3. Revelations 21:3-5 - Look, I am making everything new!

https://missio.life/home

1. Matthew 24:4-8, 30-31
2. Acts 1:11
3. Matthew 24:36
4. Revelation 20:11-15
5. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
6. 2 Corinthians 5:10
7. Romans 8:1-2
8. Revelation 21:1-5
9. Romans 8:20-22
10. 1 Corinthians 2:9
11. Isaiah 65:17

Takeaways:

Scene 1: Second Coming

1. Jesus came once in humility - He will come again in glory.
2. Christians may differ on how Jesus may return. The main views include:

Premillennial View - Jesus returns first, then reigns.

Amillennial View - Jesus is reigning now and His return completes everything.

Postmillennial View - The kingdom grows, then Jesus returns.

Dispensational Premillennial View - Jesus will return after a future tribulation to establish a

literal 1,000 year reign on Earth, following a distinct plan for Israel and the Church.

1. Faithful Christians have held all of these views, and our unity is not in agreed upon timelines - it’s in Jesus.
2. The Second Coming means evil will not have the last word, suffering is temporary, justice is coming, hope is reasonable, and faithfulness matters.

Scene 2: Judgement

1. A Good God must judge evil. If God never judged evil, He would not be loving - He would be negligent.
2. There are two types of judgement; The Great White Throne and Bema Seat
3. Great White Throne judgement answers the question “What have you done with Jesus? It is pass or fail; in or out.
4. Bema Seat judgement answers the question “How did you live in response to grace?”

Scene 3: New Creation

1. New Creation is… heaven and earth reunited, bodies restored, relationships healed, creation liberated, God dwelling with His people.
2. New Creation is NOT… floating clouds, disembodied souls, escape from creation.
3. The end of the story is not us going to Heaven - it’s Heaven coming to Earth.

Discussion Questions:

1. What comes to mind when you think about the second coming of Christ? How do you imagine it will happen?
2. Why does it matter that we understand the final judgement? How might there be confusion about it?
3. What questions do you have about what the new creation will be like?
4. How does God invite us to trust him in the final parts of the story?

https://missio.life/home

1. Acts 2:1-21
2. 1 Corinthians 3:16
3. Acts 10:9-20,30-35
4. Acts 17:6

Takeaways:

Scene 1: Pentecost

1. God has been telling one story all along. These feast weren’t random holidays- they were signposts pointing to Jesus.
2. At Sinai, the Law was written on stone - 3,000 people died because of sin.
3. At Pentecost, the Spirit writes the Law on hearts - 3,000 people are made alive.
4. We are now God’s temple and the Spirit dwells inside you. This matters because the Christian life is impossible without the Spirit. We don’t advance the kingdom by effort alone, but by dependence, and the same Spirit who empowered Peter lives in us.

Scene 2: Cornelius

1. Keeping the law didn’t make you right with God. Trusting that Jesus fulfilled the law for you makes you right with God. Faith.
2. God shows no favoritism; he loves all people and we all have access to God. The gospel breaks every boundary - ethnic, cultural, religious.

Scene 3: Paul

1. Paul becomes the primary missionary that traveled across the Roman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Greece, and beyond)
2. Paul proclaimed Jesus as Lord in cities, synagogues, marketplaces, and homes; he planted churches, not buildings, but communities of disciples; appointed leaders and moved on , trusting the Spirit to grow the church; suffered beatings, imprisonment, rejection, and hardship - but never stopped.
3. Paul didn’t just make converts, he started movements.
4. Every church is called to make disciples, and some if not most do.
5. Not all churches multiply gospel expressions to reach those that don’t yet know Jesus. Not all plant churches.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the church sometimes send a different message? A message that God does have favorites?
2. Why would God challenge His people to be uncomfortable with who gets into the kingdom?
3. Why do some churches seem to really embrace church planting while others do not?
4. How does the idea of helping start a new expression of the gospel in a new place make you feel? Why?

https://missio.life/home

1. Mark 15:16-39
2. John 1:29
3. 1 Corinthians 5:7
4. Matthew 28:18-20

Takeaways:

1. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a religious event - it’s the turning point of human history.

The Cross

1. The irony of this scene is that the truly guilty people were those accusing Jesus - and the only truly innocent person was the one who died.
2. Jesus didn’t just die as an example - He died as a substitute.
3. The cross shows how serious sin is, but also how deep God’s love is.
4. “It is finished” means the debt is paid.
5. Because of the cross, Jesus redeems our past - sin is forgiven, shame is covered, and our stories are not defined by what we’ve done.

The Empty Tomb

1. Mary and Mary are the first to witness the resurrection. They saw Jesus on the road and were sent to tell the disciples.
2. This is why the resurrection matters: The resurrection is victory over sin and death, it proves Jesus is who He said He is, it launches new creation, and it is historically and theologically significant, but, it is also personally significant for you.

The Great Commission

1. The mission is disciple-making. A disciple sounds like Jesus, acts like Jesus, and treats others like Jesus.
2. We go with His presence. Jesus says, “I am with you always.”
3. The Kingdom's future is secure. Jesus will return and we get to invite others into Jesus’ eternal kingdom.
4. Because of the Great Commission, the Kingdom is advancing, and we get to carry this story into the world.

Jesus changed the world forever. Jesus didn’t just enter history - He redefined it.

The cross redeems our past, the resurrection renews our present, and the Great Commission reorients our future.

The cross says we are forgiven, the resurrection says we are made new, and the commission says we are sent.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the tearing of the temple veil illustrate a new access to God?
2. Why do you think Christians sometimes struggle with shame even after they are forgiven?
3. Does the idea of living on mission with a group of people sound better to you than trying to do it alone? Why?
4. How does life sometimes get in the way of carrying out the Great Commission of Jesus?

https://missio.life/home

• Matthew 3:1-2
• Matthew 3:11-16
• Matthew 5:3-12
• Luke 4:18
• Luke 19:10

Takeaways:

Scene 1: John the Baptist

• The word repentance is translated from the Greek word, metanoia, which involves a changing of attitude, mindset, and direction.

Why does Jesus want to be baptized:

• To fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was saying “This is part of the Father’s plan, and I’m going to obey it completely.” Jesus didn’t get baptized because He needed cleansing. He got baptized because He came to fully obey where we failed. 
• To publicly identify with sinners. In baptism, He identifies with us, on the cross, He substitutes for us.
• To reveal the Trinity and confirm Jesus’ identity. We share the same heart posture of John. Jesus must become greater and I become less.

Scene 2: Jesus’ Teaching - The Kingdom Declared

• People would often comment on how they were amazed, or astonished by his teaching. It had authority.
• Jesus talks about the “beatitudes” which in Latin means: blessed, happy, fortunate, or deeply satisfied.
• Jesus’ teaching was revolutionary: Blessed are the poor in spirit, love your enemies, forgive without limits, and build your life on His words.
• Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom re-teaches us how to be human.

Scene 3: Jesus’ Power - The Kingdom Demonstrated 

• Every time Jesus performed a miracle, he was giving a preview of the new creation.
• Jesus’ Demonstrations of the Kingdom of God: Heal the sick, because in God’s kingdom, broken bodies won’t last. Cast out demons, because evil does not get the final say. Feed the hungry, because God is the provider. Forgive sin, because the deepest healing is for the soul. Raise the dead, because death itself must bow to the Hero.
• “The kingdom of God expands at the speed of relationships, and the gospel moves along the lines of trust.”
• We get to demonstrate the kingdom, following the example of Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think that message of repentance was important for people to hear from John?
• How does the coming of the kingdom bring good news for us? What does it mean?
• Where do you need Jesus’ Kingdom power to bring healing or freedom in your life right now?
• What is one practical way you can demonstrate the Kingdom this week through love, service, or reconciliation?

https://missio.life/home

• John 1:1-14
• Luke 2:10-11
• Luke 2:8-14
• Romans 10:9-10

Takeaways:

The Gift of a Savior

• Why was it necessary for Jesus to go through all the trouble on the cross? Because our biggest problem isn’t outside of us - it’s inside of us. Brokenness of our own hearts. Our sinfulness.
• Christmas is God saying “I know what you really need… even if you don’t.”
• Jesus - the gift we would never have asked for, but the gift we cannot live without. The gift we didn’t know we needed.
• Jesus is revealed to those with open hearts. Not everyone is ready to receive Jesus. Some don’t see the need. People have always rejected Jesus.

The Gift of His Presence

• The good news is that the gift of Jesus is not only about our afterlife, but our life right here, right now.
• Every person carries quiet ache. Smiling on the outside, but hurting on the inside, surrounded by people yet feeling as lonely as you’ve ever been, or haunted by regret - wishing you could go back and change the past. Pains of the soul: longing to be known and loved; the longing for peace we can’t manufacture.
• Jesus is the Savior designed for your exact wounds. Shame? He came to remove it. Fear? He came to speak peace over it. Emptiness? He came to fill it.
• Jesus being present brings hope, peace, joy, and love. He is what we need, and what we really want. Deep down, he meets our deepest desires and longings.
• He saves us, changes us at the heart level, and meets every need of our soul.
• Your heart will truly be satisfied when you look to Jesus. When you worship him. When you see him for who he truly is.

https://missio.life/home

1. Luke 1:11-19
2. Isaiah 40:3
3. Luke 1:26-38
4. Matthew 1:19-20
5. Luke 2:6-20

Takeaways:

Scene 1: Elizabeth

1. God often begins His greatest work in the places we feel forgotten, disappointed, or barren.
2. Have faith, pray, and lean into the God of the impossible.

Scene 2: Mary

1. We have seen over and over from the story that God uses people that we would not expect.
2. Abraham, a nobody from a pagan land; Moses, a fugitive with a speech impediment; David, the forgotten youngest brother (little shepherd boy)

Scene 3: Jesus’ Birth

1. This baby wasn’t just another child… he is Emmanuel - God with us. The savior of the world. The promised messiah.
2. Sin is anything we think, say, or do that is contrary to God’s nature.
3. Jesus came to deal with the problem we cannot fix - sin.
4. You can’t rescue yourself. Jesus, the Hero has come and He can.
5. The Hero has come - and He has come for you.

Discussion Questions:

1. How did God show grace to Zechariah when he doubted the angel’s message?
2. Scripture tells us that there were 400 years of silence. Why do you think God was silent leading up to Jesus?
3. What role did John the Baptist play in the story? Why was he significant?
4. Why do you think God often chooses to use available people over qualified people?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 Samuel 8:6-20
• 1 Samuel 9:1-2
• 1 Samuel 16:1-3
• 1 Samuel 16:7
• Acts 13:22
• 2 Kings 17:13-14
• 2 Chronicles 26:19-21
• Jeremiah 29:10-14

Takeaways:

• This series of The Great Big Story is to cover themes from this story arc like:
• God has a plan to redeem and restore what is broken and seems hopeless
• God’s story is bigger, and better, than the one we try to write for ourselves
• Even when the world goes wrong, God’s story keeps going right
• God’s promises don’t depend on perfect people - just willing ones

Scene 1: Three Kings

• In this scene, this wasn’t just wanting leadership - it was rejecting God as King.
• King Saul Leadership Lesson: Charisma without character collapse.
• King David Leadership Lesson: God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.
• King Solomon loved the ladies, he worshiped idols, and he drifted from obeying God.
• King Solomon Leadership Lesson: You can be the wisest person in the world and still act like a fool.

Scene 2: The Prophets

• The Prophet’s Job Description included: Speaking on God’s behalf; Exposed idolatry, injustice, and empty religion; Called the people to repentance; Announced judgment and hope.
• The prophets reveal God’s heart - patient, pursing, holy, and unwilling to let His people destroy themselves.
• We often settle for religious activity instead of real obedience.
• The Prophets remind us that God wants our hearts, not our habits. God still sends warnings because He cares.
• God invites you to come home. The prophets show us that God pursues us even when we stop pursuing Him.

Scene 3: The Exile

• Sometimes God has to bring correction, and discipline before he can bring new life. Sometimes things need to be broken down before they can be rebuilt.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think Israel wanted a human king instead of God being their king?
• Why would God choose a king that he knew would fail?
• Do you see exile as an act of cruelty or love to the people of Israel? Why?
• We talked about the Prophets calling the people’s attention back to God. How have you seen God get someone’s attention in our day?

https://missio.life/home

• Joshua 5:13-15
• Judges 6:14-17
• Judges 6:36-40
• Romans 12:2
• 1 Samuel 3:1-5; 8-11
• Hebrews 4:12

Takeaways:

• How am I making space in my life to clearly hear from God?
• What am I hearing today that God is asking me to test and approve?
• Who am I walking with that can help confirm what God is speaking to me?

https://missio.life/home 

• 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
• Exodus 20:1-21

Takeaways:

• God never intended death - He intended to reveal that He provides redemption for sin.
• Rules without relationships leads to rebellion
• “I am willing, Lord, to receive what You give. To lack what You withhold. To relinquish what you take, to suffer what You inflict, to be what you require. By the power of the Spirit. For the glory of God, in Jesus Name.

https://missio.life/home 

• Genesis 21:11-13
• Genesis 26:23-25
• Genesis 27:21-24;41-44
• Genesis 28:12-15
• Genesis 32:22-29
• Genesis 50:17:21

Takeaways:

Scene 1: The Promised Son

• God showed that he never intended death - He intended to reveal that He provides redemption for sin.
• Every follower of Jesus faces tests of faith. It will happen. We get to choose how to respond.
• Twenty years without a child. Isaac prays persistently, and God hears - giving them twins, Esau and Jacob.

Scene 2: The Wrestler

• Jacob goes to live with his uncle Laban (His uncle becomes for Jacob what Jacob had been for others - a deceiver, a manipulator, someone always looking for an angle).
• Jacob wrestles with God
• Jacob is given a new name “Israel”. The deceiver becomes the namesake of God’s chosen people. Jacob goes from grasping to trusting, from manipulating to surrendering.

Scene 3: The Dreamer

• Joseph’s descent into suffering becomes the very path God uses for salvation.
• Joseph’s life teaches us: God is present even when we can’t see Him, human evil cannot stop God’s purposes, suffering can be redeemed for good, forgiveness is a reflection of God’s heart.
• God can redeem your story. Your past doesn’t limit God’s future.
• He is faithful. He is patient. He is powerful.
• Nothing is too hard for him. He has you. He has your family. He has the future.
• The God who kept his promise to Abraham’s family will keep His promises to yours.

Discussion Questions:

• What tests of faith do we experience in life, and why would God want to test our faith?
• Isaac lived a quiet, faithful life. What does his example teach us about steady obedience?
• How do we see God’s grace show up in Jacob’s story?
• How might we “wrestle” with God? What would that look like?

https://missio.life/home 

• Genesis 12-16
• Genesis 13:14-18
• Genesis 15:6
• Genesis 16:1-3, 11-12
• Genesis 19:12-13

Takeaways:

• God still writes His story through imperfect, ordinary people who are willing to trust Him.

Scene 1: Abram’s Calling

• Abram’s calling was a call of grace, a call to trust, and to be a blessing.
• That’s the heartbeat of God’s story: He blesses people so they can bless others.
• Sometimes faith looks less like having all the answers and more like taking the next step when all you have is God’s promise.

Scene 2: Two Sons

• It’s not Abram’s actions that make him righteous - it’s his faith.
• Like Abram and Sarai, we can start with faith and end up in frustration - because waiting is one of the hardest parts of trusting God.
• When we stop trusting God’s promises, we start trusting our own shortcuts.

Scene 3: Sodom and Gomorrah

• It’s a reminder that trusting God means moving forward - not looking back.
• You can’t walk toward the future God has for you if you’re always facing your past.
• Even in judgement, God is preserving His plan through Abraham’s line - a plan that will one day lead to Jesus.
• Key takeaways from this story are: Faith doesn’t ignore evil - it prays and acts for mercy. God’s judgement is always paired with His desire to save. You can’t follow God’s promises if you keep looking back.
• God didn’t choose Abraham because he was perfect. He chose him because of grace.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think God told Abram to go, without telling him where he was going? What was God trying to accomplish?
• Has God ever called you to do something difficult that required big faith? What was it?
• How do you see God’s grace evident in the story of Abraham and Sarah?
• Why does creating our own shortcuts in life often bring pain and messy situations?

https://missio.life/home 

• Genesis 4-11
• Genesis 4:1-15
• 1 John 3:12
• Hebrews 11:6
• Genesis 6:5-8;14-21
• Genesis 9:11
• Genesis 11:4-9

Takeaways:

• When we try to make sense of our own stories apart from God’s story, they often don’t make sense at all. 

Scene 1: Two Brothers

• Sin, envy, jealousy, pride. They drove Cain to kill his own brother.
• Are we responsible for others? God’s answer is yes.
• You are your brother’s/sister’s keeper.
• Sin always tries to isolate us - to make life about me
• Sin moves from eating of the forbidden fruit, to a family murder generational problem. The pattern continues until the whole world is filled with violence.

Scene 2: The Flood

• The word God called “good” at the time of creation - has become corrupted. God grieves. It says, “His heart was deeply troubled.”
• Righteous - in right relationship with God and others. 
• It’s not about perfection; it’s about direction
• The Righteous take God seriously, seek to live righteously, walk by faith.

Scene 3: Tower of Babel

• God prevents them from building a future without Him - which would only lead to more destruction.
• We sometimes try to build our future based on what we think is best instead of trusting the great author of the story - God.

Humanity sins. God judges. And yet - God shows mercy.

God hasn’t abandoned His story. He hasn’t abandoned His people. He hasn’t abandoned you.

Discussion Questions:

• After Cain killed Abel, God questioned him. What do we learn from his response to God?
• How did God show mercy to Cain after he murdered his brother?
• What do we learn from Noah about trusting God when obedience doesn’t make sense?
• Why do you think God didn’t completely wipe out all the people and animals? What does this tell us about God’s character?
• What does Babel teach us about how God feels about pride and self-sufficiency?
• What examples can you share of God getting a person’s attention?

https://missio.life/home 

• Genesis 1-3
• Job 38:4-7
• Isaiah 14:12-14
• Revelation 12:7-9
• Genesis 1:1-9; 26-28
• Genesis 3:1-4; 6-11
• Luke 10:18

Takeaways:

• The Bible is the true story of the world. He is the main character in the story, but you and I are also characters in his story.
• God wants to redeem and reframe your individual story. God can give you a better story to live into.

Scene 1: Origins

• God will not allow sin to remain in his presence: He is holy.
• Understanding the origin to God’s story sets the stage for why sin exists, why the world is the way it is, how to have a relationship with God, and why we need help.
•  Stories don’t make much sense without origins.

Scene 2: Creation

• God made the world perfect. His original design, his intent was for people to live in perfect relationship with him.
• Adam and Eve always did what was good, right, and perfect (Holy) so they could be in God’s literal presence. God’s desire for Adam and Eve was for relationship.
• God’s desire for you and me is the same as it was for the first humans. God has not changed.
• What is important to understand is that God’s intention for humanity was to be with them. For humans to enjoy God and his creation. To be blessed and multiply.

Scene 3: Fall

• God asked questions, not because he didn’t know the answers, but for Adam and Eve to admit that they had sinned. Adam and Eve bore the responsibility for their actions.
• Often people wonder why the world is the way it is. Because of the fall, sin has plagued our world.
• Because God will not allow sin to remain in his presence, he removed Adam and Eve from the garden.
• We were made to live in close relationship with God for eternity. In Ecclesiastes, it says that God has put eternity in the heart of man.

God’s story tells us that we were made in God’s image, for relationship, and with purpose. 

When we remember that our story begins with God, we recover true identity and belonging.

Discussion Questions:    

• What words come to mind when you imagine life in God’s original design?
• What does Genesis 1-2 reveal about God’s character and His desire for us?
• What did Adam and Eve want that the serpent offered to them?
• What kinds of temptations are we face with?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 John 5:1-5
• 1 John 5:11-13
• Matthew 7:13-14
• John 1:12
• Matthew 11:28-30
• Isaiah 64:6

Takeaways:

Become a Child of God

• John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
• Adoption is not earned - it’s received.
• You have a choice too, if you want adoption into the family of God. The invitation is to everyone.
• If you want to know that you know that you have eternal life, adoption into the family is essential.

Love and Obey

• John goes on to say that if you want to be sure your faith is real, that it’s not a sham, obedience will be present.
• The way of Jesus is rooted in love. Rooted in relationship.
• Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.
• Burdensome Obedience is: Driven by fear, motivated by guilt, focused on appearance, fueled by pride, and devoid of love.
• Loving Obedience changed the weight of obedience. What used to feel like duty becomes delight. It’s the difference between: “have to” vs. “get to”, Law vs. Love, Obligation vs. Overflow.
• If obedience feels heavy, it may be a sign you’re trying to earn what’s already yours.

Know That You Have Eternal Life

• John says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
• If we are trying to “be” good enough, we will constantly question our salvation.
• Now, you can grieve the Spirit of God by living in disobedience and unbelief. You can quench the Spirit of God, but he is not leaving.
• One of the greatest gifts Jesus gives us is assurance that we are his.

Discussion Questions:    

• Which do you think is more common: burdensome obedience or loving obedience? Why?
• What are some of the blessings/benefits of being adopted into God’s family?
• Why would God want us to be sure of our salvation? Why would that be for our benefit?
• If the gospel is good news, which is better news: assurance of salvation or “wait and see”? Why?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 John 4:7-21
• Romans 5:8

Takeaways:

Who is God?

• Without God, we would have no knowledge or experience of love - at all.
• Love is a decision to will for the good of someone else.

4 Main Types of Love we see in the Bible:

• Storge - Familial Love (Connected)
• Eros - Romantic Love (Physical)
• Philia - Friendship Love (Loyal)
• Agape - Unconditional Love (Sacrificial)

How Do We Know?

• God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
• God showed us how much he loved us by sending Jesus.

Who Are We?

• “On my worst day I am: adored, enjoyed, clean, righteous, absolutely forgiven, new, acceptable, complete, chosen… intimately loved, smiled upon, planned for.”
• Fear of punishment is gone when we experience the perfect love of God.
• If we struggle to live as truly loved by God, we will probably struggle to love others well.

How Do We Get to Live?

• Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
• We have to love the people who may be hard to love. Why? Because God is love. Because Jesus laid down his life for us when we were absolutely unlovable. Because they are our brothers and sisters in the family of God. Because of all that, it’s what we get to do.

Discussion Questions:    

• Scripture says God is love. How else might people describe God?
• How does the world distort love?
• What kind of people do you find the hardest to love?
• Why do you think fear of punishment (from God) is a common trap?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 John 2:15-17
• Proverbs 4:23
• John 3:16 
• Ephesians 2:1-3
• Hebrews 11:6

Takeaways:

Love for the Father

• Love of the world crowds out the love of the Father
• Jesus said the greatest command is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.”
• The Love of the Father is rooted in relationship.
• We get to pour fuel into one of two trains; Love for God or love for the world.

Love for the World (Pleasure, Possessions, Pride)

• In our text, the world is referring to a set of values, or a system that is run by our spiritual enemy. The whole aim of Satan is to get your heart.
• Satan uses things like politics, entertainment, consumerism, sexuality, and technology to advance his agenda.
• John lists the “big three” offers of the world: Craving for physical pleasure (Lust of the flesh), Craving for everything we see (Lust of the eyes), and Pride in our achievements and possessions (Pride of life).
• When the heart lusts, loves the world, the love for God is crowded out.
• It is possible to avoid the “things of the world” externally, but still have issues because love comes from the heart.
• We can aim our hearts to love God or the world.

Live Forever

• Verse 17 says, “anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
• Real faith is evidenced by obedience, but rooted in trust. 
• The lie we are told is that we need to “Do to Be”. We don’t “do to be”. We are already His - therefore we live out of who we are.

Discussion Questions:    

• How does knowing that Satan is behind the systems and values of the world make you feel?
• How might people who don’t know Jesus be living in bondage to the world?
• What do you think of the statement: Real faith is evidenced by obedience, but rooted in trust.
• How does loving the world distract us from the big picture of eternity?

https://missio.life/home

Matthew 25

https://missio.life/home

• 1 John 2:3-14

Takeaways:

Real Obedience

• Obedience to Jesus is an indicator that our faith is real.
• If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
• Your actions - the way you live your life, tells the truth about you. Either you will obey Jesus or self.

Real Love

• Jesus told his disciples the world will know you are Christians by your love for one another. 
• Jesus specifically says, “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment - to love one another - is the same message you heard before.”
• He goes on to say, “If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.

Real Identity

•  Identity > Love > Obedience
• We don’t obey to get loved; we are loved, so we learn to love, and that leads to obedience.
• John addresses Stages of Growth: Children - forgiven and knowing the Father; Young - strong, with God’s Word living in you, overcoming the evil one; Fathers (Mature) knowing Christ who is from the beginning.

This is how we know authentic Faith:

• Real obedience - a growing “yes” to Jesus
• Real love - a widening circle of grace
• Real identity - living as the forgiven, the strong, the overcoming, with God’s Word alive in us.
• Real faith produces real fruit - obedience, love, and spiritual growth.

Josh led us through an Application/Reflection Moment. Take a moment to think and pray through the following:

• Obedience Check: Where do my choices show I trust Jesus? Where do they show I trust myself?
• Love Meter: Who is hardest for me to love right now? What would “walking in the light: look like toward them this week?
• Identity Anchor: Which identity word from verses 12-14 do I need to cling to - forgiven, strong, overcoming, knowing the Father/Christ - and why?
• Practice: What one habit will help align my behavior with my beliefs this week? (Getting into scripture, confession, encouragement, serving) 

Discussion Questions:    

• Why is loving one another such an important teaching of Jesus? What happens when love is missing?
• How does obedience motivated by love look different than obedience not motivated by love? How can you tell?
• How might a skewed identity affect our obedience to Jesus and love for others?
• When a person does not live with authentic faith, how does that affect those around them?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 John 1:5-2:2
• James 1:16-17
• John 13:4-10

Takeaways:

• The apostle John uses this imagery of walking in the light to describe the kind of spiritual life we are to live in relationship to God.
• We can learn from all passages of scripture, but we need to understand the context of when, where, and why it was first written.
• Last week, John established that we can know the truth. We can know the true Jesus who has always been. He is God, second person of the trinity, and knowing him brings joy and fellowship.

God is Light 

• In verse 5 it says, God is light, in him there is no darkness.
• There is a constant assault on truth and more specifically God’s identity.
• Some world religions teach that God is good and evil and make us question: Is God really good? Could he also have a dark side? Maybe he does things to hurt us?
• God does not have the capacity or ability to sin. There is no darkness in God’s nature. He is perfect and holy.
• If you want to know God, truly know him, have lived experience; you have to know in him there is no darkness. Even when we are tempted to believe otherwise. God is light, and in him is no darkness.
• If we want to live in the light, we have to first understand God’s nature.

Living in Spiritual Darkness

• John is telling us to be honest. Don’t try to hide your sin, or cover it up. Bring it into the light where there is freedom and healing.
• If we try to handle our sin ourselves, we are walking in spiritual darkness.
• God is light, he wants us to bring our sin to him.
• Some ways people live in Spiritual Darkness include: Denying it, being distracted from it, excusing it, comparing it away, and self-atone for it.
• We all have sin; pretending otherwise is self-deception.

What To Do with Sin

• God offers confession, forgiveness, and cleansing through Jesus.
• Judicial Forgiveness (One-Time at salvation) - You were forgiven once and for all of the penalty of sin.
• Parental Forgiveness (Ongoing in Fellowship) - Sin doesn’t undo our salvation, but it damages our fellowship with God.
• Confession is how we keep the relationship healthy. We don’t confess to keep God loving us - He already does. We confess to keep the relationship close and clear.
• Confession restores intimacy, not identity.
• Judicial forgiveness makes us God’s children once for all. Parental forgiveness keeps the family relationship close and healthy. We confess our sins not to keep God loving us, but because He already does.
• What do we do with sin? Confess it, and rest in the grace of God. Live in the light.
• “Sin finds its power when I hide.”

Discussion Questions:    

• Why do you think it comes naturally to deny our sin?
• Why does it matter that God is light and in him is no darkness? How does this play out in our daily living?
• What do you think about the quote, “sin finds it’s power when I hide”?
• How might confession be over emphasized or underemphasized in our lives?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 John 1-4
• John 14:6
• Hebrews 4:16
• John 8:32

Takeaways:

• Information without application never leads to transformation. We must not just know the truth but live it - that’s where faith becomes real.
• There is a spiritual battle going on for truth and people’s souls
• When everything around us is shifting, God gives us His Spirit and His Word to help us know what is true and to stand firm in it.
• His invitation is to live in a way of daily trust, where we experience peace and even joy.

Know Jesus (The Real Jesus)

• Jesus is fully God and fully man; this is a profound theological truth. The theological term for this is the hypostatic union.
• Jesus is not a created being. He is eternal. And one of the reasons it matters that Jesus is divine is for our salvation.

Know Fellowship (A personal connection with God himself)

• The word fellowship is used in 1 John 1:3, and the Greek word is koinonia which means communion, association, partnership.
• When we trust Jesus for salvation, we have fellowship with Jesus himself. We have fellowship with Jesus and other Jesus followers.
• Stay connected to the body of Christ - we discern truth in community, not isolation

Know Joy (The Joy of being in God’s eternal family)

• Happiness is not a bad thing, but it is temporary and fragile and relies on changeable conditions. On the other hand, joy is a deep abiding confidence and contentment that comes from knowing God and being secure in Him.
• We lose joy when we lose truth.
• When we believe the lies of the enemy we hear: You are not enough. God could never love you after what you’ve done. Joy is for other people, not you.
• Joy comes when we let go of lies and walk in freedom of what God says: You are a child of God. You are forgiven. You are loved with an everlasting love.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think some people struggle to believe they can approach God without a mediator?
• Why do you think Satan would want to distort Jesus’ true identity?
• Why do you think joy is something God wants his people to experience?
• Can you think of someone who showed great joy through a hard situation? How did it impact your faith?

https://missio.life/home

• Ephesians 5:1-10
• Matthew 22:36-39
• 1 Corinthians 6:15-18
• Matthew 16:24-26
• John 8:12

https://missio.life/home

• 2 Corinthians 5:17
• 1 John 2:15-17
• Galatians 2:20
• Romans 12:1-2
• Acts 1:8

Discussion Questions: 

• Who do you represent in today’s story; the caterpillar or the butterfly?

https://missio.life/home

• Colossians 3:15-17
• Isaiah 26:3
• Philippians 4:6,7
• Philippians 4:4,5
• 2 Corinthians 5:20

Takeaways:

• Jesus changes EVERYTHING
• When it comes to the Gospel, there are no limits on access
• Do EVERYTHING in the name of Jesus

Discussion Questions:    

• What has the greatest say in your life right now?
• What exchange needs to take place in order for you to be more grateful?
• Are there any areas of your life that you need to give up the keys in order for Jesus to dwell richly?
• How can you elevate the name of Jesus this week?

https://missio.life/home

• John 10:1-18

Takeaways:

• In the midst of all the noise and business of life, we tend to ask: “Is God speaking? How can I hear him?” 
• Truth is, God is speaking, but he doesn’t shout over the noise.
• God is a relational God and he longs to speak to his people - you and me

The Shepherds Voice

• Recognition begins with relationship
• The relationship between the shepherd and his sheep is based on trust. Learning the voice of the shepherd comes from relationships and repeated interaction.
• Animals recognize their owners' voices. They learn to listen and it’s not that complicated.

Other Voice

• The false voices of culture, fear, lies, self-talk all want our attention.
• Sometimes we need to turn down the volume on other voices to discern the gentle whisper of Jesus
• Our spiritual enemy is out to wreck people’s lives. He kills - he is literally out to end lives.

Words of Life

• Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.”
• Jesus’ words give life. He will at times bring corrections to us, but it is always done in love. Not harsh or cruel.
• Jesus brings words of life. (Example: Words of truth/identity, encouragement, direction, through others, mission, correction).
• God’s voice always leads to freedom, peace, and abundant life - even when the path of life is difficult.

Discussion Questions: 

• Whose voice is shaping your life the most right now?
• When was the last time you clearly sensed God speaking to you? What did he say?
• What kinds of things in your life do you need to hear God’s voice about?
• What distracts you from recognizing God’s voice?

https://missio.life/home

• 1 Samuel 3:1-10
• Amos 8:11-12
• 1 Kings 19:11-13

Takeaways:

• We are constantly hearing, but not always listening.

There are 4 Ways God Speaks to us:

• His written word
• Circumstances
• Other people
• The impressions of the Holy Spirit

God is Speaking

• If we don’t believe he is speaking, we probably won’t hear him.
• God is powerful and his very words are more powerful than we can even comprehend.
• Before you can learn to listen to God speak, you must first have the faith that he does still speak and that he wants to speak directly to you.

Learning to Listen 

• God desired for Samuel to know him personally, and he desires that for us too.
• God designed us to hear and know his voice. God gave us the needed equipment to hear him.

Things to keep in mind when distinguishing God’s voice include:

• Is it biblical? Does what I am hearing square with God’s word? 
• Does it reflect the character of Christ? Loving, gracious, and true.
• Does it move me to love God and others?
• Do others in Christian community affirm what I am hearing?

Including Others

• Having trusted, godly people in our lives can help us learn to listen
• We need wisdom to discern what God is really saying to us. Josh uses the examples of giving your car away or having the faith to walk on water.

Discussion Questions: 

• Why could it be important to hear God speak to us on a regular basis? What might he want to say?
• What kinds of competing voices might we hear when trying to hear God? Where do they come from?
• Who are some of the people in your life you can include in discerning God’s voice?
• What is keeping you from hearing God?

https://missio.life/home

• Jeremiah 29:4
• Acts 13

• Luke 22:54-62
• John 21:15-17
• Matthew 16:15-18
• Titus 3:5
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Galatians 3:2-3, 11-12

Takeaways:

• Review of the 4 G’s
• God is great, so I don’t have to be in control.
• God is good, so I don’t have to look elsewhere for satisfaction.
• God is glorious, so I don’t have to fear others.
• God is gracious, so I don’t have to prove myself.
• Grace meaning God’s unmerited favor.

The Problem

• The problem for Peter: He was not perfect. He failed, and let Jesus down.
• Peter’s problem is also our problem. We all mess up and fail. We don’t always live and act in the ways we would want to.
• The truth is, we can never strive hard enough or earn our way into being right with God.
• You don’t get right with God by doing more. You get right with God by trusting that Jesus has already done enough.

God is Gracious

• Jesus doesn’t scold Peter, he restores him. He doesn’t cancel Peter, he graciously reaffirms his calling.
• Peter didn’t deserve a second chance. Jesus sought him out and restored him. Jesus is gracious.
• God’s grace is not just for the lost - it’s for the failed disciple who thought he should’ve known better. 

I Don’t Have to Prove Myself

• The idea of proving really comes from self righteousness. In essence telling Jesus that his sacrifice wasn’t enough.
• You don’t need to prove yourself to God. You can’t prove yourself to God.
• A quote from John Lynch says, “This life in Christ is not about what I can do to make myself worthy of His acceptance, but about daily trusting what He has done to make me worthy of His acceptance.”

Discussion Questions:    

• If Jesus had not been gracious, describe how that interaction on the beach might have gone.
• What are some of the false beliefs people have to “get right with God”?
• Do you think a person needs to experience grace before extending it to others? Why or why not?
• How might grace sound too good to be true to someone that doesn’t know God?

https://missio.life/home

• Luke 12:4-7
• Proverbs 29:25
• Isaiah 8:11-13
• John 12:42-43
• Psalm 97:1-6
• Isaiah 42:8
• Psalm 27:1-3
• Galatians 5:13
• Luke 12:7

Takeaways:

• In this life of discipleship, we behave according to what we believe.
• God is glorious, so I don’t have to fear others.
• The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

God is Glorious

• Glorious, meaning possessing consummate worth, beauty, virtue and excellence
• In Hebrew, the idea of glory is actually related to the idea of heaviness, the idea of weight. Your boss carries more weight than your co-worker. Your spouse carries more weight than a friend 
• God’s glory is what makes us see him as big; as he truly is. The problem is that we sometimes don’t see God as big, we make people bigger.

The Problem

• When others feel weightier than God in our decisions, our hearts are disoriented.
• The fear of man or fear of what others think shows up in many ways such as fear of confrontations, needing affirmations, social anxiety, and people-pleasing.
• The fear of being judged, disliked, or unwanted; that’s the fear of man.

Healthy Fear/Unhealthy Fear

• The Lord is my light and my salvation’ whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
• …the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
• We can walk into hard conversations, be honest, live truthfully - because our identity is secured by God’s glory, not others’ opinions.

Discussion Questions:    

• Who are some of the people we make glorious in our lives? How do you know?
• Why do you think the Bible says the “fear of man” is a trap?
• Why is it sometimes difficult to see God as big and other people as small in comparison?
• Do you think it is freeing to live with God as glorious over people? Why?

https://missio.life/home

• Luke 15:11-32
• 1 Chronicles 16:34
• Psalm 34:8
• Psalm 119:68
• Luke 15:11-32
• Colossians 2:20-23

Takeaways:

• Freedom from sinful patterns does not come by trying harder, but by believing truth and letting behaviors flow from that truth.
• True beliefs bring obedience to God, false beliefs bring disobedience to God - sin.
• God is good, so I don’t have to look for satisfaction elsewhere.

God is Good

• When we think of God’s goodness, we can think of it in two ways: One has to do with His character; the other focuses on His actions. 
• Psalm 119:68 captures both when it says of God “You are good and You do what is good…”
• His plans, His timing, His commands, His grace - is drenched in goodness.

I Don’t Have to Look for Satisfaction Elsewhere

• Satisfaction: The feeling of deep contentment that comes when a need or desire has been truly fulfilled.
• True satisfaction is soul-deep. It’s when your heart is no longer restless, no longer searching.
• In the story of The Prodigal Son, the son came back to the father. The point of the story is not to focus on the sins of the son, but the response of the father. The father runs to meet him. Why? Because the father is good.
• The desires of the prodigal son’s heart were not met with wild and reckless living. He longed for relationship. He longed to be home.
• Every time we look to God to satisfy our longings we are affirming truth. God is good and he does what is good. The satisfaction that my heart longs for is found in him.

Idols and Real Life

• God is not against us having good experiences in this life. He has not called us to be miserable people.
• Money. We need money to live in this world, but when it’s something our heart longs for it turns into greed or lust. 
• Love. We want to be loved and to give love. God created intimacy. However, when we believe that love or intimacy with another person is what will truly satisfy us, we push God out of the picture.
• Every longing in us is a version of our longing for God. That longing may be a distorted version of our longing for God, but it’s still a longing for the God we were made to know.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think the younger son in the story expected to be treated like a slave at his return? What does this reveal about his perception of the father?
• Why do you think the older son complained to his father about not getting his own party? 
• Why do we sometimes struggle to believe that God is good all the time?
• Can you describe the difference between having things and having idols?

https://missio.life/home

• Genesis 50:15-21
• Psalm 145:3
• Psalm 33:6
• Luke 12:25-31
• Matthew 6:10

Takeaways:

• Behaviors come from a place of belief - our heart.
• We don’t typically think on truth long enough to change the operating system of our hearts.
• God is great, so I don’t have to be in control.

God is Great

• God is more powerful than anyone else. He is present in all places at all times. He is in total control of everything. That’s what it means for God to be great.
• The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word and all the stars were born. No one can do what he can.

Joseph’s Story

• Joseph probably struggled with trusting God through his trials.
• The events in his life weren’t fair and he was mistreated by people-in-power and his own family.
• God protected him. God redeemed his awful situation.

I’m Not in Control

• Things we don’t control include: Time/place/family you were born into, the weather/natural disasters, actions and behaviors of other people, your genetics, trials that happen to you.
• Things you do control: Your attitude, your priorities, your choices of how you treat others or yourself, who you love, if you will worship and trust God.
• Jesus invites us to a better way. His invitation is to life, peace, and freedom; but we will never get there as long as we are trying to maintain control.

Discussion Questions:    

• How do you think God used those hard experiences in Joseph’s life to build his faith?
• Why is it easy to doubt God’s greatness when we face hardships? 
• Why is it so hard to acknowledge that we are not in control and that God is?
• Why do you think Jesus focused more on addressing attitudes of the heart than behaviors?

https://missio.life/home

• Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
• John 5:24
• Revelation 20:11-12, 15
• Colossians 1:21
• 2 Corinthians 5:10

Takeaways:

Don’t Forget God

• Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old.
• Solomon tells his readers to remember God: Honor, obey, and prioritize God while you have strength and clarity to do so.
• Don’t forget about God, he says. He also reminds us that while we are living wisdom will guide us. He says it is painful, but helpful.

Painful but Helpful

• Sometimes wisdom is painful. You feel it because applying wisdom requires that you change. You learn.
• If you want to live wisely, it is not always going to be comfortable. Too often we trade wisdom for comfort.

Judgement is Coming

• Fear God and obey his commands. Judgement is coming after this life.
• Fearing God does not mean to cower and hide from him. Fear of God is a deep respect that he is powerful and holds everything in his hands.
• Two judgements that the Bible talks about: 
• The Great White Throne Judgement - for unbelievers
• The Judgement Seat of Christ - for believers
• Judgement is not a threat, but a reminder our lives have weight and consequence

Discussion Questions:    

• If a person thinks they can “get right with God” later, what does that reveal about their heart?
• Can you think of any examples of how people choose comfort over wisdom? 
• What kinds of emotions do you feel when you think about God’s Judgement?
• Why is it wise to fear God and obey his commandments? 

https://missio.life/home

• Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
• Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
• Ecclesiastes 3:13
• Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
• Ephesians 5:18
• 1 Corinthians 10:31
• John 6
• Matthew 22:24-30
• 1 Corinthians 15:58

Takeaways:

Enjoy Simple Gifts

• Enjoy the simple gifts in life that God has given to us with a joyful heart.
• Solomon encourages his readers to enjoy food, drink, clothing, and oil.
• However difficult it can be, this life is also a gift.
• Gifts of God can become sinful things when the heart longs for them.
• Gluttony - Self indulgence, lack of self-control, and misplaced satisfaction.
• Jesus’ point is that our souls are really longing for him. He is true food and drink. 
• Jesus says He is the source of that joy.
• Key thought - God gives us permission to enjoy life, even in a broken world.

Cherish Those You Love

• Life is short. It’s a mist, a vapor. So don’t waste your relationships.
• Enjoy your marriage. Call your friends. Hug your kids. Forgive often. Say, “I love you” more, because we’re not guaranteed tomorrow.
• Life isn’t just about what we can get out of it, but it’s about sharing life deeply with others.
• Love people well - it’s one of the greatest ways we honor God in our time on Earth.

Work with Heart

• God reveals himself by the works of his hands.
• Solomon was living before Jesus, we live after Jesus. Even so, we can still learn from Solomon’s reminder that life is short. Life ends. 
• So no matter what you do in life, do it with passion. The work you are doing now serves other people, and the purposes God has for you. Your work is bigger than just your paycheck.

Discussion Questions:    

• God gives his people simple gifts to enjoy. How does this show us what God is like?
• What are some practical ways to make life count with your loved ones?
• Why do you think so many people struggle to enjoy their work?
• How does reflecting on the brevity of life help us live wisely?  

https://missio.life/home

• Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
• Ecclesiastes 12:13
• Proverbs 9:10
• 1 John 4:18

Takeaways:

Seasons of Life

• Solomon says “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
• All the things happening on earth (under heaven) there is a season, a time, a reason, even though we don’t always understand it.
• We, like Solomon, may ask: why are things in life not better than they are? If I am a follower of God, why do I have to go through winter? Why doesn’t God treat me better, why all this pain in life?
• Life is filled with contrasts. Different seasons. A time to prune and a time to flourish.
• God is the God of seasons. Whatever season you find yourself in, he sees you, and he loves you.
• Spring is a season of new beginnings. Summer is a season of lighthearted enjoyment. Fall is a season of change again, but you sense it might get worse. Winter is a season waiting and a test of your faith.

Eternity is Hardwired

• Josh points out how some say, ‘How could a loving God send people to hell?’ Josh in return asks, 'how could any person turn down God’s invitation to eternal life?'
• Relationships, pain, this life are not the way it is supposed to be. That is why people struggle so much with death.
• We long to live forever, we were not built to live with pain and death.

Fear God

• The fear of God is a deep respect and awe for who God is; holy, sovereign, just, and powerful.
• Recognize He is God and we are not.
• Proper fear brings humility: “I don’t run the universe - He does.” 
• Proper fear produces worship, surrender, and obedience.
• In the end you will either face the wrath of God or the grace of God.

Discussion Questions:    

• Why is it both encouraging and discouraging that we live life in seasons? What kind of season are you currently in?
• How does understanding we are hardwired for eternity give you perspective about your life now?
• How does understanding God’s character impact how you live on a daily basis?
• How have you seen parents, pastors, or teachers misrepresent God’s nature?

https://missio.life/home

• Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
• 1 Kings 3:16-28
• 1 Kings 11:1-3
• John 6:35
• Matthew 22:37-39
• Psalm 16:11

Takeaways:

Limits of Pleasure

• Pleasure is a gift from God, but pleasure itself makes a lousy God.
• Solomon was distracted by pleasures that offered momentary distraction, but not lasting fulfillment
• People all around us and maybe even ourselves, run after pleasure to escape emptiness - but it never fully satisfies.

Limit of Accomplishments

• Solomon’s accomplishments didn’t answer the deeper questions of purpose.
• Accomplishments in life are like pleasure; they distract but do not truly satisfy.

True Satisfaction

• Looking for meaning and purpose in this life is hopeless - apart from Jesus.
• The invitation from Jesus is to do life with him. To walk in his ways, enjoying life but with true meaning.

Discussion Questions:    

• What are some of the things God has given to us to enjoy in this life?
• Why does pleasure fall short of satisfying the deep longing of our hearts?
• What kinds of accomplishments do you see people chase? Why do they disappoint?
• Why do you think it’s hard to believe that Jesus offers true satisfaction?

https://missio.life/home

• Ecclesiastes 1:1-18
• 1 Kings 3:5-14
• Ecclesiastes 12:13
• Proverbs 3:5-6
• James 1:5-6

Takeaways:

The Wisest Man to Ever Live

• Solomon asked God for wisdom and God gave it to him.
• Solomon’s Accomplishments include: Building the temple, being famous for his wisdom, prosperity and peace, as well as his writings of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.
• Downfall - Despite his wisdom, Solomon’s heart strayed. He married many foreign women and built altars to their gods, leading Israel into idolatry.

A Little Bit Jaded

• Solomon was trying to understand life purely based on his own understanding.
• Wisdom is valuable, but without God it leads to frustration - not fulfillment.

A Pattern of Life and Wisdom

• Chasing wisdom without God is pointless. Chase after God and you will be wise.
• Human wisdom exposes the brokenness of the world, but it cannot heal it.
• We are not meant to understand everything. But we are meant to trust in one who does.
• Jesus brings meaning into each day. Each trip around the sun. We want to find meaning in life, purpose, we look to Jesus

Discussion Questions:    

• Why do you think Solomon initially asked God for wisdom?
• Why do you think wisdom apart from God can make us jaded about life?
• Did God give Solomon wisdom for himself or others? What was the purpose of the gift of wisdom?
• Why is it hard to trust God when we don’t understand everything going on around us?  

https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:

• Romans 8:31-39
• Romans 8:28-29
• Luke 6:40
• Romans 8:1
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Romans 4:5
• 2 Peter 3:9
• 1 Timothy 2:4-5

https://missio.life/home

• Matthew 28:16-30
• Hebrews 10:4
• Ephesians 5:2
• Luke 9:23
• John 13:35
• Luke 10:5-11
• Acts 1:8

Takeaways:

• Missio’s mission statement is Love Jesus, Live Sent which is a combination of The Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

The Motivation

• Jesus’ coming to Earth had a motivation behind it; that motivation is love.
• The great commission is rooted in love for others. 

The People

• Every follower of Jesus is a missionary.
• We make disciples of people of peace. People that are in our lives and are leaning into relationship.
• There are people of peace in all our lives. We just have to pay attention and be aware of what God is doing around us.

The Plan

• The kingdom expands at the speed of relationships. The gospel moves along the lines of trust.

Discussion Questions:    

• Why is it hard to love certain people? How do you think Jesus was able to love the unlovable?
• Where are some of the places we might meet people of peace?

https://missio.life/home

• John 3:1-10
• John 19:38-42
• John 3:16
• Matthew 28:1-10

Takeaways:

Questions for Jesus

• Jesus knew what Nicodemus wanted [which was] access to the kingdom.
• Jesus’ invitation to Nicodemus to be born again is the invitation to every person who wants access to the kingdom, who wants a relationship with God.
• It doesn’t matter how good a person tries to be, without Jesus we are spiritually dead.
• A lot of religion is aimed at getting us to God

The Turning Point

• Nicodemus’ faith shows up in the story, and he is not hiding it.
• Jesus isn’t looking for secret admirers. He is calling us to be his followers, his friends.

The Resurrection

• This is the single most important event in all of history.
• Jesus is in the business of redeeming and restoring people.
• Jesus sees you, Jesus knows you, and Jesus loves you.
• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Discussion Questions:    

• Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions. What are some of the questions you would ask Jesus if you had the chance?
• Nicodemus struggled to understand being born again. How does our need to fully understand things sometimes get in the way of belief?
• How does the resurrection of Jesus make a difference in your daily life?
• Why do  you think so many people know the story of Jesus, but do not believe?

https://missio.life/home

• James 1:17
• Zechariah 9:9
• 1 Corinthians 6:19
• Ephesians 1:13-14
• Matthew 6:25-33
• 1 Timothy 6:10
• Proverbs 11:24-25
• Luke 21:1-4

Takeaways:

God’s Heart 

• Throughout scripture, it is God’s generosity that we see over and over again. God made us, he loves us, and takes care of us.
• Jesus is the greatest gift God has ever given. It cost God everything and the value of that gift changed everything for eternity.

The Human Heart

• If we know God is generous, and we tend to like people that are generous to us, why do we gravitate back to being stingy?
• We are likely not going to be generous if we don’t think there will be enough to meet our own needs.
• The human heart needs to be redeemed by Jesus.

A Generous Heart

• People can be stingy with time just like money. We can use time to serve others, or to serve ourselves.
• Being generous with our talents is similar to our time. Again, we can use them to serve us, or we can be generous with our talents and serve others.
• Generous with treasure: we want to be generous with the money that God gives to us.
• Being generous isn’t just about how much we give, but the heart posture we give with. God sees our hearts and what he is concerned with most.

Discussion Questions:    

• Do you think it is more common for God to be thought of as generous or stingy? Why?
• Describe some of the ways you have seen or experienced others being generous to you.
• Which is the easiest for you to be generous with: time, talent, or treasure? Why?
• Why do you think loving money is not good for us?

https://missio.life/home

• Psalm 100:5
• Colossians 1:22
• Psalm 23

https://missio.life/home

• Matthew 11:28-30
• Mark 10:45
• Luke 19:10
• Luke 7:34
• Luke 5:30-32
• Genesis 12:3
• 2 Corinthians 9:11
• Exodus 20:8-11
• Mark 2:23-28
• Matthew 11:28-30 (NTFE)

Takeaways:

• Recap of the Rhythms of last week: Story-formed, Listen, Celebrate. The other three include Eat, Bless, and ReCreate.

Eat

• What if eating could be an active way to engage in discipleship? 
• Meals are more than food. They’re social occasions. They represent friendship, community, and welcome.
• “Son of Man came to…”
• “...to serve”
• “...to seek and to save the lost.”
• “...has come eating and drinking.”
• Living in Rhythm: Regularly eat meals with others as a way of inviting them into the family of God.
• Eating meals with others not only shows care and inclusiveness, but lets them experience love in community.
• The Pharisees and scribes were focused on personal holiness above all else.

Bless

• We are blessed to be a blessing to others. When we bless others, it brings glory to God.
• Word Blessings: Speaking words of life to others. Words of appreciation, encouragement, or affirmation.
• Action Blessings: Doing something for another person for their benefit.
• Gift Blessings: Giving something material or monetary to others for their benefit.

ReCreate

• Sabbath has more to do with placing our trust back in God, reminding ourselves that he is ultimate - we are not.
• Our predisposition is to earn our worth by doing. We work hard for status, love, acceptance, and value. By resting, we can acknowledge our worth by simply being.

Discussion Questions:    

• Can you list some of the ways God has blessed you in your life?
• Why do you think eating with people is such a good way to build relationships?
• Why is it easy to find our worth in doing, and harder to find it in simply being?
• What do you think about Jesus’ words… “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”

Josh also left us with a challenge to put into practice:

• Eat - Eat 3 intentional meals this week. 1 with a Not-Yet Believer
• Bless - Bless 3 people this week. Whether it be by words, actions, or gifts.
• ReCreate - Take some time to recharge with Jesus.

https://missio.life/home