Each session we will cover our 3 key areas:
Inspire + Engage
Support + Coach
Review + Update
Start your time with:
Welcome & Prayer
Inspire & Engage
We are now into month 3! How is everyone doing with Sharing Life?
Ask individuals in the group to share what they have done to find people to share life with and how they have started to share their lives with people. Encourage each other.
Progress will look different for each person – it is important that each person is taking steps towards sharing but not all steps will look the same.
Celebrate each individual in the steps they have taken.
Remind people that if they know other Christian friends who want to join the movement, they can come to this group.
Share FAITH
So this week we will move on to sharing faith, before we begin, share this verse for encouragement:
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Ultimately, we play our part but God makes things grow. When we share faith and Jesus we are in God’s service – He will be with you and sees your heart and efforts!
Hopefully now we have started to build a foundation of sharing our lives with others and now as part of sharing our lives we can take a step to share our faith.
Sharing Faith is a personal thing and something that was done in the bible a lot! Jesus outlines in the greatest commandment to love above all else. From a heart of love for others it pushes us to share our faith – how God has changed our lives. Here are some bible references about, loving and sharing faith that we hope will encourage you…
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
At this stage we’re not looking to share the gospel necessarily, we are aiming to share our personal story. How Jesus has helped us, how we have our faith in everyday life, what it means to us and how our faith has changed our lives.
Below are some examples of how you might share your faith:
- Telling someone you are a Christian, simply letting someone know you have an active faith.
- Sharing something you have been through and how your faith helped get through.
- Sharing how being a Christian has changed your life.
As a group discuss how you might share your faith, you could use the following questions as discussion prompts:
- How does the thought of sharing your faith make you feel?
- Has anyone shared their faith like this before?
- Who have you shared life with, and could now share faith with?
Review & Update
Following the discussion review your goals…
How have people progressed with their previous Share Life goals? Have any been completed?
> Set the goal!
Set a Share Faith goal (or if people are not at this stage yet, set another Share Life goal).
By month 3 people may have more than one goal running. It’s good to be flexible with the amount of goals – they may be reaching out to more than one person at a time.
Coach: At this stage you will be able to see how people in the group are progressing. If some people are finding it difficult to move forward with their goals it may be worth discussion outside of the group to encourage them to go for it, or change their goals if needed.
Don’t forget to keep the group up to date this month with how you are finding things, let us know your stories and sharing faith/life prayer requests. Also if you have an encouraging story to share please let the I61m team know too!
Finish your time with:
Thanks and prayers for the month ahead.
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
We are here to support you on your journey with Isaiah 61 Movement.
If we can help in any way please email us at support@i61m.org.
If we can help in any way please email us at support@i61m.org.
