WEEK 5 SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS

Activate: Impact the world.

Introduction:

The idea that people are created to impact the world is based on the belief that God created people in His image and called them to serve and love others. The Bible says that people can significantly impact the world through their faith in Jesus Christ.

Bottom line: You were created to impact the world.

Something To Talk About:

Our goal is to become living examples of God’s love. The way to reflect this transforming love is to share and reflect that love. We cannot manufacture or initiate love but share God’s love with others. And that’s the nature of love that lasts forever.

Spoken love: Love spoken here was posted in a church sign. It makes sense—the language spoken as a church and as believers should be love. The language of the Bible is the language of love, When believers receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, their lives and home were different. They learned a new language–the language of love. They also discovered that what Paul wrote to the Corinthians was true, that “…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Speaking in love becomes more difficult when you are dealing with difficult people. Navigating the complexities of loving people who are hard to love can be challenging but worth taking. We understand that loving difficult people involves more than just good intentions. It requires a deep commitment to personal growth and spiritual maturity. It requires the language of love. It’s the one taught by the Father to His children whose lives have been changed by the Spirit of God.
Supernatural love: Most love in this world is natural love based on human instincts or on plain selfishness. Natural love, though necessary, is often weak and fickle. The Bible presents something better. The love of God is supernatural. The Bible says it never fails. The love of God is patient. It doesn’t drop you the moment you mess up. It’s not rude. It’s not puffed up or self-serving. It is the kind of love that makes sacrifices for even those who don’t appreciate it. It’s the kind of love that goes after the unlovely. It sees the good and the possibilities in those the world has given up on. It forgives, even when the offender is clearly in the wrong. It overcomes evil with good. Anyone who receives God’s love can become a channel of change in the darkness. His perfect love casts out all fear. His love, when experienced, moves His people to love others. The goal of the believer should be to excel in this love.
Sacrificial love: When it comes to living a life modeled on God’s gracious love, we can look at no other except Jesus. Jesus taught extensively about loving others and practically lived that out in His life, death, and resurrection. The greatest act of sacrificial love is seen on the cross, where “…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Although Jesus was with God from the beginning and loved by the Father (John 1:1), He did not count this equality as something to hold onto, but laid it down, made Himself nothing, became like a servant, took on the likeness of human flesh and humbled Himself in obedience to suffer the death a sinful humanity deserved (Philippians 2:6-8). If Jesus lived His life like this, we should seek to love others in the same way, counting others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Jesus died for us when we were enemies against God while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). All of us have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There is not one who is righteous (Romans 3:10). Knowing all that Jesus did on the cross for us, how can we not live a life of sacrificial love, reaching out to the poor, the marginalized, the lost and those whom God loves and are made in His image?

Discussion Questions:

What are some of the ways that our culture twists love?
What is your response to this quote? Love is transformative. Especially God’s love. How would you describe some of the ways that God’s love is transforming your life or has brought good changes into your life?
Our purpose in loving others is to show people that we are His disciples, to be a picture of God’s love, and ultimately point people to God. Agree or disagree and why?
Are we a “display window” for the supernatural love of Christ? How do your actions reveal the depth of your love for people?
To truly love the way Jesus did, it’s only possible through God’s strength. How do we tap into that strength to love supernaturally?
How can remembering who God is and what He has done help us to love others?
What does it mean to you to reflect God’s love to others? What are some practical ways to give others a taste of what the love of God is like?
What can we do to impact our world positively?
What is the biggest takeaway from this message?

Take one thing home with you:

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” – Matthew 5:7.

The Lord has done so much for us, blessed us with so many things, and allowed us to come into His Kingdom and be a part of the great things He’s doing in our state, country, and the world. What we have received should not only be for our own enjoyment but also for the salvation of people around the world.

So often, we think of blessings in terms of how God has personally blessed us, and we tend to connect it with God’s favor. God blesses others through the blessings we have received. In a way, we keep those blessings moving forward as we partner with God and share our blessings with others. We do not have to have a lot, even a lot of free time to be a blessing to others. The Lord welcomes what we have and uses it to bless others, no matter how small.