The Recipe for Ministry

Main Thought

Advancing God’s Kingdom through the fulfillment of the Great Commission is a noble cause - but it will take a lot of work. Who is responsible for completing this great task? One might assume that it should be the “professional” Christians - the pastors, prophets, and other leaders - who are primarily responsible for ministry. The Apostle Paul clarifies this in Ephesians 4. Christian leaders are responsible for equipping other Christians to minister. 

Every member is a minister! Everyone can pray with someone else. Everyone can share Jesus through an invitation, a scripture, or their testimony. Everyone can bring Jesus into their daily lives. If you’re a member of the body of Christ, then God empowers you to do all of these things right now. Maturity comes more quickly through participation than it does through observation alone. God can help us make a difference, and He can help us grow as we go.  

Main Passages

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 

- Ephesians 4:11–13 NLT

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

- 1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 

- 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or the Main Passages above?

2. What does it mean to you that every believer is called to ministry? How does this perspective change your view of your role in the church?

3. Think about your connections, your story (or testimony), and your spiritual gifts. How can you use these things to serve people outside the church? How can you use those things to serve people inside the church? (Thank you to everyone who is already serving so well!)

Discipleship is Relationship

Main Thought:

When you hear the word discipleship, what picture comes to mind? Maybe a class, a workbook, or a teacher lecturing students? Those tools can help, but when Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” He wasn’t thinking of a program—He was thinking of people walking together. Discipleship is not about stuffing our heads with Bible facts. It’s about letting Jesus change our hearts and walking alongside others as He does the same in them. Discipleship happens when life is shared in Christ-centered relationships.

Life Groups, let’s remember:

• Discipleship begins with your relationship with Jesus. 

• Discipleship grows as we share life with others. 

• Discipleship multiplies when we invest in relationships that last beyond us.

Discipleship is not a class to finish; it’s a life to share. Jesus came not to give us a religion, but to bring us into relationship—with God, and with one another. So let’s live this truth: “Discipleship is relationship.”

Main Passages:

'“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”’ (Note: the Greek for ‘you’ here is plural, meaning that Jesus called the disciples as a community - not only as individuals.) 

- Matthew 4:19 NIV

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- Mathew 28:18-20 NIV

“so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

- 1 Thessalonians 2:8 NIV

Questions:

1. What do you think it means to “get closer to God “ or “walk with Jesus”?

2. Are you walking closely with Jesus? Who is helping and encouraging you to achieve that?

3. What relationship is God calling you to start investing in today? Is there an opportunity for you to disciple someone, or help them grow closer to Jesus?

One Move That Changes Everything

Main Thought

There is a story of a young man who won a judo tournament after mastering one unstoppable move. In his book WikiChurch, Every Nation president and pastor Steve Murrell writes that the one move we should try to master - as individual Christians and as churches - is making disciples in small groups. Small groups, which ENLV refers to as Life Groups, give us the opportunity to connect authentically. Entering into safe, caring, and genuine community with others unlocks incredible benefits that God intended for us to experience. We can process God’s Word together, and strive to apply it to our lives. We can pray for one another. We can learn from each other. Over time, as trust is built, we can experience healing and growth when we’re open and honest with one another. We can lovingly hold one another accountable to God and His Word. All of these benefits and blessings can grow as people are added and when Life Groups are multiplied.

Main Passages

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.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, 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, NIV

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem… to the ends of the earth.”

- Acts 1:8

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness..“

- 2 Corinthians 12:9

Discussion Questions

1. What is your favorite part of Life Group and why? (If you’re new to Life Group, then which one of the benefits listed above intrigues you most?)

2. Why do you think vulnerability is so crucial for building genuine relationships, and what are some barriers that prevent us from being vulnerable?

3. Is there anyone you know in Las Vegas who would benefit from a Life Group? Try to think of at least one person. Pray for them, then look for ways to help them connect to one.

Famous Last Words

Main Thought

So many of us have busy lives. There’s a lot we have to do as individuals, as families, and even as a church. What should we do first, and who gets to decide? As Christians, we follow the lead of Christ. Jesus used His last moments on earth to make our mission clear. He sent His people out to “make disciples,” or to help people know and follow Him. The last words of Christ should be our first priority. It’s the best way to love God and love people at the same time. It’s the only thing we can do for God on earth that we can’t do in eternity. But is there a way to balance the last command of Christ - the Great Commission - with everything else we have to do? Absolutely. We can bring the Great Commission into every other mission. The Great Commission involves helping other people know and follow Jesus. Almost everything we do involves other people. We can pray for and pursue opportunities to connect, with peoples’ need for Christ in mind. Doing this helps us make a difference that lasts forever. Everything becomes meaningful when we live for eternity.

Main Passages

'After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…'

- Revelation 7:9

'And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”'

- Matthew 28:18-20

'For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

- Luke 19:10

Discussion Questions

1. A lot of people are searching for purpose or meaning. Why is it important to find purpose in a cause or a calling that lasts?

2. Why do you think Jesus used His last moment on earth to send His disciples out on mission?

3. How can you “bring the Great Commission into every other mission,” and make a difference as a part of your day-to-day life? (Examples: is there a person or a group of people you can pray for or connect with? Are you in the process of knowing God more, and/or making God known?)