SERIES:  Rethinking Habits

 

2/21/2021: WEEK 3

Icebreaker

Would you rather be able to read minds or accurately predict the future? 

Recap

As Christians we have an enormous advantage in that we have Jesus as our leadership role model. We are called to daily grow to be more Christ-like. That includes being a leader and encouraging others to lead, too! Jesus took the time to develop the twelve apostles as leaders and sent them to tell others about Christ. This week we learned the importance of developing others, speaking words of encouragement over them, calling out their skills and talents, and what Biblical prophetic declarations look like and where they fit in. 

Scripture Reference

Numbers 27:15-20; Judges 2:10; Matthew 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 14:1,3; Hebrews 4:12

Focus Questions

Read the Scripture passages referenced above out loud one at a time. What did each passage say? What did you hear? Try to repeat what you heard. (Others in your group can help you along the way.)

  1. What does this passage tell us about God, Jesus or his plan?

  1. What does this passage tell me about people?

  1. What does this passage tell me about myself? What am I doing well? What do I need to change? If this is God’s word for my life, how will I obey it?

  1. Who needs to hear this story, and how can I tell them? Who am I going to tell?

Send Out

The future of the Christian Church depends on the development of people today. If no one is encouraged, developed, and raised up into leadership positions, the Church will be unable to move forward and continue to grow. Imagine a bunch of parents piling into a bus to go get groceries, except no one knows how to drive. Without the driver, no one waiting in the bus will ever get to the grocery store, and several families and children will be unable to  receive nourishment. In a way, it is the same for the soul-nourishment a relationship with Jesus can provide. We need to be developed into drivers to bring others to Christ.


Over and over in my social media feed I saw a young mother post about her love for yoga. She would mention scripture along with a picture or talk about how doing yoga provided her space to focus on Christ. While she thought she was just updating her social media with a picture from her mat on the kitchen floor, many of us began to see the leader she could be. Her relationship with Christ was evident and so was her talent for yoga. Imagine, people told her, if you started a Christian Yoga class as a way to invite people to learn more about God while learning how to slow down their bodies, their breathing and the thoughts racing through their minds. Others began to speak into her: “I can see you leading a Christian-based class!” “You are such a natural teacher.” “I would totally take a class taught by you!” 


We know our purpose in life (to make disciples); it’s the “how” that hangs us up. In this case, we could clearly see that the “how” would be through yoga. Maybe for you it’s through running, or tutoring, or cooking, or car repair. Most of the time it’s an interest we already have inside of us – it just needs to be called out and developed. 


Have you ever had someone speak something into you? Maybe they saw a skill or talent you overlooked. Maybe they could see how your skills or talents could be developed into something more than you ever dared to imagine for yourself. Did you ignore what they saw in you, or did you embrace it?


Think about someone you know that you can see has a skill or talent that could be developed to do Kingdom Work in an even bigger way than it is now. Tell that person. Send a text or a card in the mail or tell them in person: “I see this in you.”


Pray for a deep conviction to develop others and to allow others to speak into you for your own development. The more drivers we have, the more busses that can run. That means, the more people we can introduce to Christ!