September 21, 2014 Sermon Title: Faith Sharing: Principles for Faith Sharing Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16-­‐23 Focus: Faith-­‐sharing is God’s idea and God’s activity, so where does humanity fit in? Challenge: prepare your one-­‐minute testimony: who is Jesus to you? Opening and Group Reminders: (5 minutes) • Pass the attendance sheet around. Opening Prayer: God of Scripture, Clear our minds of distraction, give us focus. Open our minds and our hearts to your Word. Inspire us to action. Amen Read the Scripture: (5 minutes) In this section the scripture will be read and explored. Any supporting scripture may also be read, as well as supporting information shared. Read: •
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Summarize the passage. What is the passage about? Who are the people involved? What are the people doing? •
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Is there conflict? What is the conflict? How is it resolved? Where does this passage take place? What is the point or focus of the passage? Discussion: (20 minutes) In this section you’ll find questions that relate to the sermon topic and scripture. These questions are meant to help you start discussion. Not all questions must be answered. Those with an ‘*’ by them are optional questions. •
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Does Paul think he/we deserve praise for sharing the gospel? If you think about sharing the gospel as a privilege or sacred trust instead of a duty, how might that change your perspective on attempting to share your faith? In the passage here “Gospel” is translated from a Greek word meaning announcing the Good News. What is the Good News? Who is the Good News for? Faith sharing is not trying to persuade others to your belief. It’s simply sharing information about Jesus. How does that change your perception of faith sharing? What is the purpose of faith sharing that Paul identifies in 9:22? Is it to have others think the way he thinks? What advice does Paul give about sharing with different types of people? Why do you think he gives this advice? How would it make faith sharing easier? Application: (15 minutes) How can we apply this to our daily life? Does this scripture inspire me to action? What questions do I have after studying the scripture? What might I change about my life? How might I live out what has been taught? • Have you ever tried sharing the Gospel with someone else? (sharing the Gospel = sharing the Good News of Jesus) • How did it make you feel? Were you nervous, excited, unsure, or confident? • Try developing your “elevator speech” for faith sharing. An elevator speech is a 1 minute speech that you’d give to someone if they asked you a question in an elevator and you only had about 1 minute to give them the most important information before they got off. Think through answers to these common questions to help you: o Who is Jesus? o Why is Jesus important to you? o Why should I learn more about Jesus? o How has your life changed by knowing Jesus? • Is there someone you can think of in your life who could benefit from you sharing your faith? • Was there someone who shared their faith with you that was pivotal in helping you accept Jesus as your Savior? Think about that person…how did they share their faith with you? Are there ideas from that experience that you could use? Challenge: prepare your one minute testimony: who is Jesus to you? Prayer Requests: (5 minutes) Take time for prayer requests, and close your time in prayer. Resources used: Brian’s bible study notes www.versebyversecommentary.com