LET'S START...
What’s 1 thing you would dis-invent if you could? Why?
DISCUSS:
When you consider the world around you, what things create an ache in your heart?
MAIN IDEA – Jesus’ mission is our mission
Jesus came to save ‘the world’; not just individuals but all aspects of the world – creation, systems, relationships, societal structures. He came ‘to reconcile all things to Himself'. (Colossians 1:20). His first aim was to save humanity, to transform and empower us, and then send us out to carry on His mission (co-mission) with Him, fulfilling humanity’s original purpose: to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, care for it and subdue it—all out of relationship with God the Creator.
EXPLORE THE WORD:
Read the following verses. What do you learn about God’s plans for the world and our role in those plans?
INTERESTING QUOTES:
“We are God’s secret agents disguised as doctors, housewives, mechanics, computer programmers, schoolteachers and business managers. We are part of a covert Kingdom. We are powerful believers concealed as everyday people, strategically assigned to serve society while simultaneously destroying the works of the devil.” – Kris Vallotton
“God is a Worker, a Maker; so are we. We are his handiwork, called and commissioned to co-create works of goodness along with him in this world.” - Eugene Peterson
“People get very puzzled by the claim that Jesus is already ruling the world, until they see what is in fact being said. The claim is not that the world is already completely as Jesus intends it to be. The claim is that he is working to take it from where it was–under the rule not only of death but of corruption, greed and every kind of wickedness–and to bring it, by slow means and quick, under the rule of his life-giving love. And how is he doing this? Here is the shock: through us, his followers. The project only goes forward insofar as Jesus’ agents, the people he has commissioned, are taking it forward.” - NT Wright, Matthew for Everyone
PRACTICE:
Daily – Practice awareness: put your phone away while waiting in line, for the bus, appointments; look around you; silently pray for people or ask God to give you His heart for people.
Weekly - Create daily rhythms that put you in the path of the same people. Go to the same grocery store, coffee shop, gas station, etc. Ask them their name. Get to know them beyond them serving you.
Monthly - Get to know someone who is very different from you (socially, politically, faith, ethnicity). How is God changing your heart through these interactions?
Draw a tic-tac-toe grid; in the middle put your name. Now fill in the names around it with people you interact with regularly—neighbors, coworkers, parents of your kids’ friends, a teammate, the homeless person you see every day. Take time over the next few weeks to meet them and ask about their story.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS to keep you growing
Are there activities I’m already involved in that I could infuse with greater missional intentionality?
How will I engage in deeper and thoughtful conversations with others?
How am I cultivating awareness in my everyday life by being open to trying new things, meeting new people, and listening to new ideas?
How could I be more inviting to those around me?
What changes need to take place in my life and heart so my life reflects God’s heart and intentions for His world?
Who can I tangibly bless this week?
Congratulations on completing these 12 sessions of this discipleship tool - The Journey!
We invite you to revisit this anytime or invite a friend to go through it with you.
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