"The Task Remaining" Discussion Guide

Main Thought

God has a heart for the lost! Jesus came to earth on a mission to redeem us. He then commissioned us to continue His mission as He ascended to Heaven. It’s a call that carries great honor and a great cost. We’re all called to respond in different ways, at different times. We’re all called to pray, go personally, and help send others. Engaging those around us is a task that begins wherever we are and continues until we are in eternity.

Main Passages 

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20

11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
- Romans 10:11-15

Discussion Questions

1. God has a heart to reach people who are far from Him. Why do you think He has such a passion for engaging unreached people?
2. What costs do you think you may need to pay to engage unreached people around you? (Time, effort, learning to witness, money, etc.) Does anything keep you from being a witness?
3. Pair up and pray for ENLV’s mission team being sent out to Rocky Point, Mexico!
    

“Winning Away Games” Discussion Guide

Main Thought

Jesus gave us a mission to make disciples! If we’re going to succeed, then we need to reach people who seem different from us. It can be intimidating to approach people with whom we share no observable commonalities. But we need to look beyond the surface, into the deepest needs of their souls. Everyone shares deep needs for things like love and fulfillment that only Jesus can meet completely. If we remember this, then compassion can overcome our needs for comfort or convenience. Building bridges with people who seem different from us begins when we relate to them. These relationships provide a context for us to discover peoples’ needs. We can be effective witnesses when we share ways Jesus can meet their needs.

Main Passages

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
- John 4:7-9

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
- Luke 10:29-33

“…I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:22

Discussion

1. Have you ever befriended someone who you consider to be, or thought would be, different from you? How did become friends? 
2. Legitimate needs often get in the way of our ability to help meet other peoples’ need for Jesus. What gets in your way when trying to live as a witness?
3. It can be awkward to introduce a spiritual idea into a conversation. We can do so by being direct (typically by asking a question or making a statement), being indirect (use the topic of conversation as a bridge to a spiritual topic), or by using an invitation (by inviting someone to a Christian event related to the topic of your conversation). Which do you feel would be most helpful for you? Give it a try this week!

“Called to the Witness Stand” Discussion Guide

Main Thought

A witness is someone who testifies about what they have seen or heard. God calls us to be witnesses; people who share what Jesus did for us. “Witness” is not merely an activity. It is an important part of our God-given identity. Living as a witness will give our lives on earth a lasting, eternal impact. We become effective witnesses, in part, as people close by see a change in our lives. Unchurched people need more than principles explained - they need a person to experience. We can invite these people to experience Jesus in church, in a Community Group, and through us. It can be difficult to invite someone to experience Jesus. One effective way to look for opportunities is to listen for the “Three ‘Not’ Cues.” They are:

1. Things are not going well.
2. I was not prepared for something to happen.
3. I am not attending a church.

Main Passages

8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- Acts 1:8

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
- 1 Peter 2:9-10

35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
- John 4:38

Discussion

1. Every Christian is called to be a witness. What’s one thing you have “witnessed” God do in your life recently? How does that reveal God’s goodness?
2. What is the biggest obstacle you face in regards to inviting someone to experience Jesus? How might you partner with God, and even your Community Group, to overcome that obstacle and live out your identity as a witness?
3. Think about people close to you (relationally, geographically, situationally, etc.). Who might one of the “Three ‘Not’ Cues” apply to? Pray for opportunities to make an invitation this week.