Ice Breaker Activity
- How might you disguise the invention of GPS? Self-driving cars? Roombas?
- Did you ever get away with something as a child by blaming a sibling? Or a pet? Or a vegetable?
- Have you ever successfully used misdirection to hide a surprise or a gift?
- Other than night vision, what superpower would you most like to have?
Snacks
The key metaphor this week is carrots and radar. We suggest cutting whole carrots (not baby carrots) into circular slices so they look like coins—and also like radar screens. Dip them in hummus or ranch dressing and enjoy!
“The goal of missions is the worship of God through the intended and eternal diversity of all people and cultures in the kingdom of God.” – F. Lionel Young
Perception
Global missions is one of many good activities. It is in the Bible but is not a central theme.
Chapter Summary
The theme of the Bible is God bringing glory to Himself by blessing all nations on earth through Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abraham. It’s a main dish, not just a side salad. As God’s people, do we organize our lives around that redemptive theme? Or are we just biding time until we die and go to heaven? We must be on guard against attitudes and ideas that pull us away from our mission. Our enemy loves to see us merely drift. Don’t let the enemy distract you from your purpose, convince you it only applies to other people, or make you think it can’t be done. We must periodically stop and ask ourselves whether we are aligning our lives with the plan that God lays out in His Word.
Questions from the Book
- Do you agree that God wants to glorify Himself by blessing all the nations on earth through Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abraham? Do you see that as the theme of the Bible?
- What distracts you from that big picture plan or discourages you from getting more involved?
- What activities or resources help you to lift your eyes to the harvest and take in God’s big picture plan for the world?
Additional Questions
- What has been your experience in missions? What led you to join this group?
- Are you playing your part in the story of the redemption of the world? Is it hard to believe that you have a part to play in that great cosmic drama?
- How hard does the Great Commission seem to you? What do you think are the biggest obstacles to fulfilling Jesus’s command?
- If millions of believers over thousands of years have yet to complete the Great Commission, how do you feel about attempting such a vast, formidable task?
- How did you feel when reading about the disciples’ courageous (and often deadly) pursuit of the Great Commission?
- Are you aligning your life with the Great Commission? If not, what’s stopping you?
- What is your key takeaway from this week’s discussion? What are you going to do differently this week as a result of what you learned?
