04 Aug I’m a Christian but I Still… | Part 4 “Don’t Know My Purpose”
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I’m a Christian but I Still ….” | PART 4 “Don’t Know My Purpose”
Key Verse: Hebrews 13
We have a purpose and we were created for more than having a good education, job, marriage – these are activities. Activities serve a purpose but are not our purpose.
Ice-Breaker Question:
Q. At what point in your life did you think ‘is this all there is?’, that there must ‘be more to life than what I am doing now’?
God is the umbrella of our purpose. We are part of His purpose. We need to know why we are here, or without purpose, we can fall into depression.
My purpose in Christ is THREEFOLD.
1. Love and become like Jesus. (worship/discipleship)
We are all worshippers. We were made to worship God. We all worship something and if we are not worshipping God, something else will get our worship. Love and discipleship work together. Whatever you love you will become.
Q. What are some ways you worship God other than singing? What things have easily taken your attention away from God which allowed you to worship them and not Him?
2. Loving/Serving the Family of Jesus. (fellowship/ministry)
Everyone needs a church, especially Christians. We need to connect with others, fellowship and serve. More of us Christians need to give using the gifts and talents God gave us.
Q. If you are not currently serving, what is preventing you from doing so?
(Leader, this is a good opportunity to encourage those in your group who are still not serving. They can visit waterschurch.org/serve or you can take them to serve application here: Sign Up To Serve
3. Love others by sharing the Message of Jesus. (evangelism)
This is not by arguing. Arguing is not witnessing, that would be debating. We are not to force non-Christians to act like Christians. Once we were lost and now we are found, once we were blind and now we see, once we were dead in our sins and now we are alive in Christ! Witnessing is sharing what Jesus has done for us, it is much simpler than arguing or fighting.
Q. Can you share a personal example of both debating/arguing with someone and simply sharing what Jesus had done for you? What was the outcome of either situation?
…equip you with everything good that you may do his will – He enables us to do His will, this is our purpose.
LIVING YOUR PURPOSE PRACTICALLY (Hebrews 13):
1. OPEN YOUR LIFE TO OTHERS.
We are to practice the act of not closing ourselves off. We are called to have a family. We may or may not have a natural family but we have a spiritual family. We have a tendency to close ourselves off from the body and slowly fade into relationships that lead us away from Christ. We can become like those we hang around with. We should surround ourselves with fellow believers. We need to be connected.
Q. In what ways have you closed yourself off to others and why? What relationships do you/did you need to sever that may have led you away from Christ?
FIRST: Open your life to the family of God.
Let brotherly love continue.
SECOND: The stranger and prisoner.
We are called to be outwardly focused. Too many churches are in holy huddles. We are to go out and share the love of Jesus.
Leader: here is an opportunity to think of some ways you can help someone together as a group. Being outwardly focused.
Some strangers are angels. There are angels among us. You never know what that person you choose to love and befriend will bring into your life.
We need to love people the world cast away, that is what the Gospel is all about. Jesus came to us when were cast off.
Q. Have you ever chosen to befriend someone who others had written off and why? Can you share how that relationship changed your life?
2. CLOSE THE DOOR TO ILLICIT DESIRES.
FIRST: The illicit desire of lust.
God created sex. Sex is good between a married man and woman. God’s passive judgment on sexual immorality is unwanted pregnancy, diseases, etc.
SECOND: The illicit desire of greed.
This will rob you of your purpose.
God will always be with us, so we don’t need to worry about money. Greed can get into our spirit and take us right out of the Church.
Q. Do you find it difficult to be content with what you have? If so why? Why do we, as Christians, have a hard time believing God will never leave nor forsake us?
3. DEEPEN YOURSELF IN THE SIMPLE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
The Gospel never changes. Jesus dies so we could have the Holy Spirit.
TWO TEMPTATIONS CHRISTIANS STILL FACE:
1. To stray into mystical teachings (I.e. moving forward)
Q. As a new believer, had you ever been led to some teaching that was not biblical yet sounded right? If so, how did get there and what brought you back to the truth?
2. To slide back into where you came from (unbelief, agnosticism)
Q. After you had become a Christian, what, if anything, had tempted you to return to your old ways or to unbelief and how?
4. ENGAGE IN WORSHIP AND GOOD WORKS.
Action Groups: Groups that perform a task/project for people in our community that need help. These groups will not be sermon based but must have a spiritual component such as talking about what God is doing in your life and praying for each other. They will meet weekly same as Small groups and the projects can be both given to the group and the group will actively find projects and tasks.
Leader: Discuss action groups. Is there anyone in your group who is leader material but might not be able to or want to lead a sermon based group, who is a DO-er and would like to lead an Action group? You can share this link with them or take them to it now and have them fill out an application.
5. HONOR YOUR LOCAL CHURCH
Make time for prayer and fellowship and allow yourselves to end on time.
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