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GO BIG OR GO HOME!
(Part 5: Passion for Mission)

Opening Prayer, Confession of Faith & Worship

Big Idea:
The Christian life is not a quiet, boring, or passive existence. Rather, it is a daring life of action, risk, and faith. As followers of Christ we have a mission – to follow Christ with total abandonment! Is this your passion?

Summary:
As Christians, our mission is to risk it all, leave it all, and give it all for Christ. For the early church this mission was embraced as their destiny; their reason for living; the purpose for which they were born. Becoming a Christ follower produced an immediate and radical change in behavior. When people fully surrendered to Christ, bondages were broken, bad habits were released, weakness was turned into strength, and sorrow gave way to joy. Are you expecting and experiencing personal transformation like this in your life? Are you onboard with the mission?

The mission to risk, leave and give everything for Christ is possible because God has provided all we need for success. The Holy Spirit is God and He desires to fill us with power from on high; power for daily living: power to overcome spiritual weakness; power to do what He has called us to do. The New Testament norm was that every believer was entitled to experience the Holy Spirit. They understood that the Holy Spirit was to be experienced, not just admired. They took a very utilitarian approach to the availability of the Holy Spirit and His gifts of power. We must also embrace the Holy Spirit.

God uses the process of discipleship to prepare us for the mission – for our destiny. In fact, according to Detrich Bonhoeffer, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son… There is trust in God, but no following of Christ.” Without discipleship the mission will not be realized. Becoming a disciple means that I learn what Jesus taught His disciples, the will of God, and then begin to incorporate that teaching into my daily life in a practical way. God has a mission that He is calling you to embrace.  Do you accept the call?

Discussion Questions: (read the Scripture & discuss)

Acts 2:42-47
How did the early church respond to their new mission? How can you incorporate this new way of life into your own life?

John 16:5-16 (The work of the Holy Spirit)
How does this passage display the important roll the Holy Spirit (Counselor) plays in our lives? Discuss how the Holy Spirit is actively experienced in your life. 

Matthew 28:18-22
Our mission is to make disciples, but we must also be disciples. How does Jesus say we make disciples? Discuss practical ways this can be accomplished. What assurance does Jesus give that being and making disciples is possible?

Taking Action: Go big this week. Identify anything in your life that is preventing you from completing the mission and living the great adventure. Bring it to the cross, surrender it to God, and accept His invitation to enter the life He has called you to live. It is a life unlike any other.

Ministry Time

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GO BIG OR GO HOME!
(Part 4: Passion for Purpose)

Opening Prayer, Confession of Faith & Worship (optional)

Big Idea:
You were created by God on purpose and for a purpose. But, do you know your purpose and are you pursuing it with passion?

Summary:
Man’s ultimate purpose is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever (Westminster Shorter Catechism). You were made by God, you were made for God, and you were put here for His purposes. Just as everything in the created world around us has a purpose—sun, moon, stars, plants and animals—there is a purpose for every human being and we are called to pursue this purpose with a passion.

Do you ever find yourself asking the following questions: Why am I alive? Does my life matter? What is God’s purpose for my life? You will only find the answers to these questions as you pursue God, understand His will, and live passionately for Him and Him alone. In fact, finding purpose outside of God is an endless journey of disappointment, emptiness, and substitute passion. God has made it clear in His Word that we were made to know Him, we were made to be like Him, and we were made to serve Him. Those are the 3 primary purposes of your life. And if you are not living them out with passion, then you have settled for something less than God intends for you.

If my purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, then what does that look like? Well, God is most glorified when we are most satisfied and we are most satisfied when we rest in Him and do His will. We are told to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things, our satisfaction included, will be added. In other words, live passionately for God and the rest of life will be put in its place – our purpose will be accomplished. On the contrary, if we live for ourselves and seek our own glory, comfort, and happiness, we will not be satisfied, we will not glorify God, and we will not fulfill our purpose. Let’s glorify God and pursue our ultimate purpose with a passion.

Discussion Questions: (read the scripture & discuss)

Psalm 139:13-16
Was your life planned and does it matter to God? How does this scripture reveal that you made on purpose? Discuss how this passage also shows that you were made with a purpose.

Matthew 5:16
How does this instruction by Jesus relate to our purpose and why is this important? What is our light? How do we let our light shine? Discuss practical examples.

Matthew 25:14-30
How does this parable help us discover and live God’s purpose for our lives? Give examples of “talents” and how they can be invested with passion for God’s kingdom. What happens when we fail to live out our God-given purpose?

Taking Action: Go big this week. Pursue your purpose with passion. Identify areas of your life that are outside of your God-created purpose and submit them to God by making real changes.

Ministry Time

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GO BIG OR GO HOME!
(Part 3: Passion for Jesus)

Opening Prayer, Confession of Faith & Worship (optional)

Big Idea:
Just having passion isn’t enough. As followers of Christ, our passion must be for Christ himself. He must be our first love and we must give our utmost for Him.

Summary:
What is your greatest desire? What gets you out of bed in the morning? Where is your passion? For some, the answers to these questions include sports, music, food, work, bank accounts, or friends and family. But the answer for a Christian should always be, without reservation, from the bottom of his heart – JESUS! Why, because Christ demonstrated ultimate passion for the Father and for us when He gave His all. Christ didn’t just give up a meal or a few comforts and pleasures. Rather, He passionately gave 100% of Himself and this is why Jesus demands our undivided and complete passion. His passion for us was undivided and complete. He went all-in and expects us to go all-in.

It is one thing to be intrigued by Jesus and His message, but quite another thing to be His disciple – someone who is willing to leave everything and everyone to follow Him. Being a disciple of Christ requires passion; an intense, driving desire, and devotion. Jesus Himself tells us in Luke 14 that our passion for Him must be so intense and uncompromised that everyone and everything else is relegated to a very distant second place. Passion for Jesus is ultimately displayed in our total allegiance to Him. “Forsaking all others” for Christ Jesus must not just be our motto, but our way of life.

Discussion Questions: (read the scripture & discuss)

Isaiah 53
How far did Jesus go with His passion? How did Jesus go all the way? What is your reaction to this display of passion for God and for you?

Mark 10:17-31
What did the Rich Young Ruler desire more than Jesus? What are some things that compete for our primary passion? Is Jesus OK with a competing passion? What does Jesus require in order to be His disciple? How does, or how should, this affect your daily life?

Luke 14:25-27
Was Jesus telling his followers to be hateful toward their families, or was He going to an extreme to make a point? What point was he making with this radical statement?

Taking Action: Go big this week. Do a little self-examination. Do you desire Jesus more than anything else? Is He your reason for living? Does He have your undivided allegiance? Is He your first-love and your passion?

Ministry Time

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GO BIG OR GO HOME!
(Part 2: Living a Passionate Life)

Opening Prayer, Confession of Faith & Worship (optional)

Big Idea:
Are you living a passionate life? In other words, do you live your life from a position of fear or from a position of faith? True faith in Christ will be passionately expressed – it can’t be contained.

Summary:
“The glory of God is a man fully alive.” Passion matters to God, and Jesus pointed out the importance of passion when he rebuked the church in Laodecia for lacking passion by being “neither hot nor cold.” We are called to make a decision. Playing both sides of the fence is the antithesis of passion. It is the definition of “playing it safe” – not wanting to go all-in. For the Christian, it is actually a position of fear rather than of faith. Fear kills passion and renders us ineffective. We see in Judges 7:3 how God told Gideon to release those soldiers who were fearful. Twenty-two thousand went home that day. They left the fight. Their fear was greater than their faith. A lack of passion eliminated them from the battle and they missed out on the victory.

People living with passion can make history. They can change the world. The early church grew because of passion. The early Christians poured out their best for Christ. They gave their all – their lives. They lived passionately for their Savior and Christianity spread throughout the entire world. Jesus lived a passionate life. He was passionate for God and for people. He only did the will of His Father and He went all the way with it. No short cuts. No compromises. No riding the fence with Jesus. He was all-in and that changed everything for all eternity. Are you all-in? If you answered yes, then jump off of the fence, cast off fear, submit wholly to the will of God, and live the passionate life.

Discussion Questions: (read the scripture & discuss)

John 12:42-43
What killed their passion? Discuss things that keep us from living passionately for God (examples: pride, selfishness, desire for comfort and stuff, reputation or personal gratification)

Revelation 3:15-16
What does Jesus think about us riding the fence with one foot in the His camp and the other foot in the world? Give examples of how we might be riding the fence.

Matthew 14:25-31
Why did Peter have the confidence to walk on the water to Jesus? What caused Peter to sink? Discuss how Peter’s experience can be applied to our lives.

Taking Action: Go big this week. In your personal prayer time, ask God to reveal areas where you are “riding the fence” because of fear. Submit those areas to His Lordship. Confidently step out with faith and passion to follow God’s leading.

Ministry Time