Related Message
It has been said that, "Thoughts disentangle themselves through the lips and the fingertips." That's the spirit of this weekly post, to provide the kinds of questions—the conversation starters—that can help us delve more deeply into the ideas and implications of our Sunday conversations. Use these questions to stimulate your own personal reflections, or use them to start a conversation with your family, friends and especially your Life Group, to walk with each other into becoming more fully devoted followers of Jesus, individually and as a community. You've experienced the service, now it's time to Talk.
1. As you reflect on this series, Six Conversations About One Thing, how has it impacted your ability, confidence and conviction about having spiritual conversations with people who don't yet follow Jesus?
- What was the best week/idea of the series for you (come and see, share your story, ask questions, rely on the Holy Spirit, connect with culture, or be a healing helper)? Why did this idea matter to you?
- At the end of this series (and/or season of conversations), how have you grown or changed in your commitment to talking about faith with people as compared to seven months ago?
- As the result of this journey that we've been on as a church, what spiritual conversations have you been able to have that you weren't having a year ago? How are they going?
- Who do you hope to invite to our Easter program next Sunday, as a way of advancing a spiritual conversation with someone who doesn't yet follow Jesus? How is that going?
2. Read Acts 3:1-10. Prior to this morning, had you thought about being a need-meeter as a powerful way to open the door to spiritual conversations with people? Why or why not?
- When have you seen an opportunity for spiritual conversation emerge from an opportunity to simply love someone as Jesus would? What happened?
- Why is it that "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"? How could being these kinds of caring Christ-followers transform people's openness to the good news about Jesus?
- Confucious has said, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do (or experience) and understand." In what ways do you believe that practically meeting needs gives people a greater ability to understand the message of Jesus?
- How much do you believe that being part of Southridge gives you the opportunity to have these kinds of conversations? How could you better leverage that opportunity?
3. Read James 2:14-20. Why do you think that "faith" and "deeds" have become so completely separated in the minds of many churches and Christians?
- Why do some Christians and churches promote the idea of spreading "faith" instead of serving people's practical needs? Why do other Christians and churches promote the idea of serving needs instead of talking about faith?
- Which way do you tend to lean? Are you, by default, a person who believes that "evangelism" or "serving" is more important? Why?
- What does James have to say about the debate between the importance of "evangelism" and the importance of "serving the poor"? Why is this so hard to live out?
- St. Francis of Assissi has said, "Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words." In what ways does bringing healing to people's lives "preach the gospel"? Why are "words" sometimes still necessary?
4. How are you doing at being the kind of person whose loving acts of service bring about opportunities to talk to people about Jesus? In what ways could you grow?
- Do you believe that God still miraculously intervenes in people's lives? Why or why not? If so, does your prayer life reflect that belief? Why or why not? How could this kind of prayer become an evangelistic opportunity?
- Would you say that you are attentive to the needs all around you? Why or why not? How could you become more aware of, and sensitive to, the needs that surround us all the time?
- Have you gotten involved with Southridge's "anchor causes", our church's way of serving the homeless, single parent families, and seniors and widows of our region? Why or why not? What difference would in make in you, and in your ability to share Jesus, if you would?
- Have you engaged with Southridge's Global Action Plan, our church's way of rallying our community to fight global poverty? Why or why not? (If not, consider attending Passport, on Saturday, April 14.)
5. As a group, spend some time in Colossians 4:2-6 prayer.
- Pray for a heart of compassion, for a heart that breaks for the plight of the poor, both in Niagara and around the world. Pray that you would learn to love the poor as he does.
- Pray for a greater awareness of the needs all around you, both in your day-to-day life and in our church's anchor causes and global action plan.
- Pray for wisdom to take advantage of those opportunities, both to proactively meet those needs and to use those moments to initiate conversations about Jesus, both with the people being served or those who have observed.
- Pray for your friends by name, who need to hear and respond to the good news about Jesus Christ. Pray for the opportunity to invite them to our Easter program next Sunday and for the conversations that will emerge from it.
