It's Go Time!

God. Our. Sins. Paying. Everyone. Life.  There is it, the Gospel message wrapped up into 6 words...6 life changing words.  The question is, have they changed your life?  Has this truth of God's love sent to us in the perfect life, death, and ressurection of Jesus, become more than just information to you?  Has it transformed you?  Your way of thinking about yourself, others, your idea of love, your purpose in living, etc? 
Need help figuring out if this truth has taken root in your life?  Paul, in Romans 1:16 encourages us to take the "ashamed/not ashamed" challenge.  Knowing that he has understood the Gospel message fully, he is on fire and unashamed to live it out and speak it out to whomever...Greek, Jew, Roman, Christian, or un-Christian.  How about you?

1. Put bluntly, are you ashamed of the Gospel message?  Would you rather just talk about it with other Christians instead of those who don't know Jesus at all?  Don't feel guilty...be honest, and confess this to God, asking for strength and a desire to not be ashamed.

You see that is the first step...we have to take care of the heart...do you put all your hope and trust in this message of grace and mercy?  Because if you don't, then living out its truth in both your actions and words will feel more like a burden then an opportunity!

So where do we go from here?  How do we "live out" this "LIFE THAT STARTS NOW AND LASTS FOREVER" truth?  Lucky for us, Jesus gave us some last minute instructions before heading back to heaven after He rose from the dead...it can be found most famously in Matthew 28:18-20...it's called the Great Commission.

2. Read Matthew 28:18-20.

- Jesus encourages us to make disciples.  What do you think a disciple is?

- Jesus gives us three steps in the disciple-making process: GO, BAPTIZE, TEACH.

3. What do you think Jesus means by GO?

4. When Jesus says BAPTIZE, he really means help people know Him, and introduce them to the importance of church and being a part of a community...of all the things Jesus could list, why this one?  What is so important about belonging?

5. TEACH...why is teaching and maturing so important?  If you look closely, Jesus doesn't want us to just teach, but teach to obey...to put the things we learn into play.

So this is the disciple-making process...the CAUSE as Dare to Share would call it.  What do you think? 

6.  What does disciple-making look like as a teen?  Should it look/be lived out differently than how adults do it?

Read Matthew 28:17...it says some believed and worshipped the risen Jesus, but some doubted.  Which are you?  Still struggling with if you can do it/if you believe this whole Gospel thing?  Do you doubt if you can make disciples and introduce your friends to Jesus?  Luckily its not on you solely to be able to do it...Jesus has got your back..

7. Read Matthew 28:18b...What does it mean that all authority has been given to Jesus...How should that affect our desire to make disciples?

Plan to join us Thursday night at Matt & Amanda's barn at 7pm as we dig deeper into this week's topic, pray for one another and for our friends!