Life Shared: You’re Invited

Begin with prayer + debrief last week (5 minutes)

Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting. Have somebody lead a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together. 

If time, debrief on last week's media fast and idea audit practice.

Introduction

Much of Acts emphasizes how every believer is qualified and empowered with the Holy Spirit to share the Way of Jesus with others. Paul demonstrates a radical life transformation of taking life to laying down his life; sharing the Gospel with the lowest and highest of culture.

OUR CULTURAL CHALLENGE: Christianity is controversial and often in post-modern, post-Christian cities like LA, Christians have moved from the respected to the disrespected. Tonights discussion centers on feelings and thoughts around the idea of sharing your faith in this present culture and context.

Optional: Watch This Video (15 minutes)

This 15 minute short film is from Alpha’s Life Shared Series. It gives testimonies and stories of our cultural challenges and confidence in sharing our faith with others meant to lead us into discussion. The questions below can be done without the video, or perhaps the leader wants to watch it ahead of time and summarize the film to save time. You can find this film and the entire 3-part series at lifesharedseries.com. For groups continuing on needing a couple more weeks of resources, we recommend Life Shared: Join His Heart, and Life Shared: Take a Step.


Discuss the Following with Your Community (20 minutes)

  1. How do you feel about the idea that God wants to partner with you?

  2. What stood out to you from what Danielle shared? What inspired and challenged you?


Read & Discuss This Scripture: Acts 1v8 (25 minutes)

The entire book of Acts begins with Jesus' commissioning of his followers:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

  1. What fears come up when you think about God wanting to use you to reach others? 

  2. In what way(s) does the Holy Spirit empower us to share our faith? 

  3. What do you think about the idea that God can use unlikely people? 

  4. Have there been times when you have viewed people as projects? What do you think Danielle meant by that statement? Have you seen evangelism practiced like this?

  5. When it comes to the idea of God using us to reach others, what kind of unnecessary pressure do we put on ourselves? 

  6. Think back to the person that God used in your life to invite you into a relationship with Him. What made their witness so compelling and attractive to you?

  7. What would it look like for you to change your posture by asking the questions that Danielle suggested like, “How can I serve? How can I love? How can I connect?” in your local context?


Do This Practice As a Community Right Now If Time Allows (15 minutes) 

Spend some time as a group or in smaller groups of two or three, praying that the Holy Spirit would give you (And make this your prayer in the coming week and season of life):

  • Love (Rom 5:5)

  • Boldness (Acts 4:29)

  • Fearlessness (Rom 8v:5-17)

  • Power (Eph 3:14-21)

  • Wisdom and Opportunity (Col 4:2-6)