Topic: Missions

Title: Look Far – God’s Heart for the Nations
Series: Neighbours to Nations
Text: Revelation 5:9-10

God’s heart is for people of all nations to come into a faith relationship with Him. How can we participate in this global purpose of God?

General Questions:

1. Have you been involved in global missions in any way, either long or short term, directly or indirectly? What are your experiences like? What motivates you to want to be involved in missions?

Perspective Questions:

1. If not for missionaries who took the step of faith to come to Singapore since the 1800s, Christianity would not have reached and stayed on Singapore’s shores. What should our response be to God who placed a tiny country like Singapore into the hearts of many of His faithful followers, such that they would leave their homelands and travel round the globe to share the love of Jesus with the people here? What can we learn from their examples?

2. What are some fears or concerns that believers may have that hinder them from getting involved in missions?

3. The missions field is full of happy stories of people coming to know God and also sad tales of people rejecting or leaving God. How does knowing that God is on the throne (Rev 5:1) help us to face the triumphs and tragedies we see on the missions field?

Application Questions:

1. What are various ways you and your LG can be involved in missions? What are the practical steps that you want to take to prepare yourself or start to get involved? 

God has a great purpose for us on earth; one that includes nothing less than the world. Discover how God’s heart for all people will impact the way we respond to individuals who look, talk and live differently from us.

Series: The E Word
Title: A Desire For Boldness
Text: Acts 4:23-31

Being witnesses of Christ requires us to ask God for boldness in the face of opposition. 

General Questions:

1. Would you consider yourself bold? Why? 

2. How did recognising that God is in control affect the response of Peter and other believers? What did God do in response to the believers’ prayers (see verse 29-31)? How does this encourage you? 

Perspective Questions:

1. Why do you think that out of all kinds of requests the believers could make, they asked God for boldness? Reflect on the prayers that you have heard other Christians say in the midst of a crisis. How similar or different are their prayers from that of the believers in Acts 4? What do you think their prayers reveal about their fears and concerns?

2. Last week, we learned that compassion is also an important attitude in evangelism. Which do you think you need to grow in, compassion or boldness? Why?  

Application Questions:

1. What can your LG do to cultivate a desire for boldness? What would your LG look like if everyone responds to God’s sovereignty with boldness to do His will?

2. Sometimes when we face opposition, it is difficult simply to stand firm on our values, much less proclaim the Gospel. What kind of opposition do you foresee you would encounter if you were to share the Gospel? How can the LG support one another through such times? 

Series: The E Word
Title: A Call To Compassion
Text: Matthew 9:35-38

The call to share the Good News of Jesus Christ is a call for all believers to capture the heart of Jesus for the lost.

General Questions:

1. What is so good about the Good News of the Kingdom (Matt. 9:35)? Why is it important that people are told of this Good News?

2. What is evangelism? If a friend asks you about evangelism, how will you explain what it is? 

Perspective Questions:

1. Jesus had compassion on the people. What is compassion? What is the difference between empathy and compassion? Consider a time when you progressed from empathy for people to compassion for them. What motivated you to show compassion? What stopped you from doing so? What is the right lens we should use to see the lost?

2. Matt. 9:38 tells us that the harvest belongs to the Lord. How does this truth change the way we think about doing God’s work? How does it encourage or motivate us to participate in His mission?

Application Questions:

1. What can we do to cultivate a heart of compassion for the lost? What would your LG look like if everyone steps out in compassion next week?

2. It is difficult to reach out to people who are different from us because our differences may lead to tensions. How can the LG be more open to different types of people? What are some important qualities a LG needs to have so that it is able to accommodate different types of people? 

Is ‘Evangelism’ knocking on doors, giving gifts, or inviting people to events? While these could be effective methods, they do not capture the complete picture of what it means to evangelise.

Revisit and regain the deeper implications of evangelism as we explore how Jesus and His followers carried out their mission to preach the Good News.

WHY LET THE WORLD SEE?
Series: ‘Let The World See’ Hope Conference 2019

Discussion Guide

Is God an attention-seeking God? Is He a narcissist with a desire for admiration? Why does God want the world to see Him?

It is not out of ego that God desires for the Gospel to be preached. It is to fulfil His purposes of redemption that He calls upon His Church to witness, to Let the World See and hear the Gospel proclaimed. Out of love and kindness towards man, He seeks to lead us out of darkness and into His light. His heart is to bring salvation to all who may believe.

Reflection Questions

1) As God’s church, we are sent to the world. Why is it important that we make Christ relevant to people who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with Christian jargon and activities? What are the obstacles we may face? Who are such people in our lives today? How can we think creatively to reach them with compassion?

2) As we preach the Gospel, how are we preaching it with both our words and with our lives? What challenges do we face in it? What can we do as a community to preach in this way?

Missions is often seen as something only for the ‘super spiritual’ believers who are willing and able to uproot themselves and settle in an unfamiliar land. But God is a global God with a global mission.

Enlarge your heart and view on how God prepares His church for missions, and how we should respond to His leadership on the missions ground.

SERVING ON THE MISSIONS FIELD
Acts 10:23b-48
Series: Light of The World

God has commissioned every Christian to be a messenger of the Gospel and to make disciples of all nations. How can we obey His call to serve on the missions field?

Discussion Guide

1) Prioritise God’s commands above man’s demands (23b-33)

What are some situations where we commonly experience a conflict between what God requires of us and what man wants from us? What drives our decisions during such times? For some of us, prioritising God’s commands requires us to first know what they are. To do so, we need to grow in our understanding of God. What are some understanding or view of God that you need to work on? How can mentors and the LG help us to grow in our understanding of God? Or we may already know God’s commands, but we struggle with the will to carry them out. What are some usual hindrances we face? What would help us to overcome these hindrances?

Obeying God doesn’t mean that we completely disregard cultural traditions or customs. Some are aligned with godly values, some are not. When human traditions or rules contradict God’s commands, it is time to take a stand. What are some traditions or practices in your family, community or workplace that may seem ‘normal’ or harmless but may not be God-honouring? How can we support Christians struggling to choose between God’s commands and man’s demands? Recall a time when you had to make such a decision. What did you do, and what did you learn from that experience? If you could turn back time, what would you have done differently or continued to do?

2) Proclaim the Gospel boldly (34-43)

Our church does outreach via BFMP (Bless, Fellowship, Minister, Proclaim). BFM gives the context and impetus for Proclaim. Do you struggle to proclaim? List down the top concerns you have or the common obstacles you encounter. To proclaim does not mean we have to close the deal i.e. ensure that our hearer converts. Only God can convict and convert hearts. Our role is to obey God by witnessing for Christ and leaving the outcome to Him. How does knowing that we do not need to have all the answers or take charge of the outcome encourage a believer to share the Gospel boldly?

As we share the Gospel, we should let the Spirit work through us to bring people to a state where eventually, they may acknowledge their sins and their need for forgiveness. This process usually takes time and requires courage on our part. Do you struggle to share this aspect of the Gospel to your friends or loved ones? What are your concerns or fears? What do you think will happen to people if they do not realise the severity of their sins? Do you think they can truly appreciate the Cross? Why? Look through Scripture for how Jesus or the apostles approached the topic of sin. What was their attitude or motivation? What were the reactions of their hearers? What can you learn from their examples?

3) Keep up with the Holy Spirit (44-48)

From verses 44-46, we see that God moved in the hearts of Peter’s hearers and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit. We can be assured that the Spirit is with us and He is doing the work in people’s hearts when we are serving on the missions field, be it is overseas or local. How does this assurance of His presence motivate believers to take bold, faithful steps to make disciples of all nations?

Often, the Spirit works in ways we do not expect. He may disrupt us or surprise us with unpredictable outcomes. Our role is to flow with His leadership. How do you think you can prepare yourself to keep up with the Spirit? What would affect your sensitivity to Him? What are some simple practices the LG can establish to build one another’s awareness of the Spirit? What are some attitudes or understandings you would need to change or reinforce so that you can be more obedient to the Spirit?

How can you be a Peter to a Cornelius today? Who may the Spirit be leading you to so that he/she may have the opportunity to find out more about Jesus?

Reflection Questions

1) Prioritise God’s commands above man’s demands (23b-33)

What are some traditions or practices in your family, community or workplace that may seem ‘normal’ or harmless but may not be God-honouring? How can we support Christians struggling to choose between God’s commands and man’s demands?

2) Proclaim the Gospel boldly (34-43)

Only God can convict and convert hearts. How does knowing that we do not need to have all the answers or take charge of the outcome encourage a believer to share the Gospel boldly?

3) Keep up with the Holy Spirit (44-48)

How can you be a Peter to a Cornelius today? Who may the Spirit be leading you to so that he/she may have the opportunity to find out more about Jesus?

1) God chooses to involve us in missions (1-8)
John Piper once said, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” What do you think he means? Do you agree with this quote? Why? How does this quote illustrate the significance of missions? God graciously involves us in His mission to redeem the world. Missions is not the church’s idea – it is God’s. How does knowing that God is the initiator of missions change or reinforce our perspective of why we do missions? What is one way you or your Life Group can be involved in missions? How do you plan to carry it out? What could hinder you? Pen down some concrete steps you can take today.

2) God challenges us to let go of our prejudices (9-16)
How can prejudices affect the way we relate to those who are ethnically, socially or culturally different from us? How do you think prejudices arise? How does holding onto prejudices hinder missions or unity within the Church? As a Life Group, how can you help one another by correcting or guarding against prejudices?

3) God challenges us to be cross-cultural believers (17-23a)
For most people, it is more comfortable to stay within their own cultures than to step out and get to know people who are from different cultures. Why is it important to be willing to step out of this comfort zone? How would our willingness to embrace discomfort affect our involvement in missions? What are some activities you can do together as a Life Group to expand your heart for people of other ethnic or social backgrounds?

Reflection Questions

1) God chooses to involve us in missions (1-8)
Missions is not the church’s idea – it is God’s. How does knowing that God is the initiator of missions change or reinforce our perspective of why we do missions?

2) God challenges us to let go of our prejudices (9-16)
How does holding onto prejudices hinder missions or unity within the Church?

3) God challenges us to be cross-cultural believers (17-23a)
What are some activities you can do together as a Life Group to expand your heart for people of other ethnic or social backgrounds?

PLANT CHURCHES
Series: Unchanging

Planting churches is integral to our vision and we have the privilege to do so in the communities God places us in. Will you tap on the power of the Holy Spirit and partner with Him to fulfil the Great Commission?

1) Holy Spirit As Our Power Source

List the different kinds of power (electrical power, political power, the power of wealth etc) you experience in daily life. What do you think are some common features these types of power share? How are they similar to or different from the power of the Holy Spirit?

What are some situations where a Christian would realise his need for the Holy Spirit? Can you identify with any of them? Share an incident in your life where you really needed the Spirit. How did He empower you? The Holy Spirit is not just for some but all believers (see Acts 2:17-18). Why do you think this truth is important? How does it impact your life?

We partner with the Spirit to fulfil the Great Commission. Inevitably, we will meet obstacles. How then, should we perceive and approach our challenges (see 2 Cor 12:9-10)? We cannot be strong in God until we recognise our weaknesses and learn to depend on Him. Do you think this is an easy truth to accept? Why? If all Christians live by this truth, what do you think it would look like? How do you think God’s glory will be revealed if all of us rely on the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit empowers us for life transformation (Gal 5:22-23). Knowing this truth, how would you encourage believers who feel that they will never be able to change? How can your Life Group encourage one another to be more sensitive to the Spirit and to obey His leading? How can you assure one another that you are no longer bound to the sinful desires of the flesh? Share some spiritual breakthroughs you hope to see as you keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Pray for one another and keep them in the know of your progress.

2) Planting Churches As Our Calling

Why is the Church important (see Eph 3:10)? God may be challenging some of us to not just make disciples of those who live in the same country but also of those from other nations. How can you grow your heart for the people of other lands? If God were to provide opportunities for you to bring the Good News to other countries via say, an internship or overseas job posting, would you be willing to do so? Why?

God can send any of us to plant churches abroad – it is up to Him who He calls. Our role is to ready ourselves if He were to summon us. How do you prepare yourself to be a Christian who is willing to stay but is also prepared to go? What would hinder you from going overseas to plant churches? What are some concerns you have? How does God’s word assure you? How do His promises encourage you?

With globalisation bringing in foreigners to our land, we can even do missions on our doorsteps. Do you encounter foreigners daily? How can you show kindness to them? How can you love them as your neighbour? As a Life Group, how can you witness to them together?