Go After The Next One

‍ICE BREAKER

Who introduced you to something you now love, like a hobby, a restaurant, a band, or a sport? How did they get you to try it?

‍LOOK BACK

• Who is your one? Someone who is far from God, but close to you.
• Who first helped you take a step toward Jesus? What did they say or do that made a difference?
• Have you ever felt unqualified to talk about your faith? What made you feel that way?

‍LOOK UP

• Read 2 Timothy 2:2. Paul passed the message to Timothy, who passed it to others. Who has shared Jesus with you, who can you share Jesus with, and how can you help them share Jesus with those around them?
• Read John 4:28-30 and 39-42. Many believed because of the Samaritan woman's story. What impact could sharing your story have on the people around you?
• Read Mark 5:18-20. The man begs to go with Jesus, but Jesus tells him, "Go home to your own people." Why do you think Jesus sent him home, and what does that say about where your story can be heard?

‍LOOK AHEAD

• Try your 15-second story with the group: "Before Jesus I was ___, then I met Jesus, now I am ___." What is different in your life because of Jesus?
• Think about your one's world. Who are the friends, family, or coworkers they are close to who may never hear your story but would listen to theirs?
• Who can I help tell their story?

‍WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Help your One reach their One. Practice your 15-second story until you can share it naturally. Then pray with your One for someone in their life, and help them put their own before and after into words.

SUMMARY

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus calls us to make disciples: help people follow him, be baptized, and learn to obey what he taught. Last weekend 31 people chose to be baptized, and baptism is not the finish line. It's the starting line. The next step is helping your One reach their One, because you don't know who God might reach through the person you are trying to reach.

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy to entrust what he has heard to reliable people who will be qualified to teach others. The truth about Jesus keeps moving through relationships. "Qualified" can sound intimidating, but the Bible is full of unlikely people. In John 4, Jesus crosses cultural barriers to talk with a Samaritan woman at a well, and many in her town believed because of her testimony. In Mark 5, a man freed from demons begs to go with Jesus, but Jesus sends him home to tell his own people how much the Lord has done for him and how he has shown him mercy. He wasn't a trained teacher, but his story spread through the ten cities of the Decapolis. Your One has a community of friends, family, and coworkers who may never hear your story but will listen to theirs. A 15-second story is a simple place to start: before Jesus I was ___, then I met Jesus, now I am ___. It works like a teaser trailer, a short introduction that gives someone the opportunity to ask more.

MAIN TAKEAWAY

Help your One reach their One.

CONVERSATION TIPS

• Stay Curious. Ask follow-up questions instead of jumping to conclusions or trying to fix everything.
• Don't Rush. Let silence happen. Give people time to think before jumping in.
• Be Real. Share honestly about your thoughts, struggles, and questions. You don't have to have it all figured out.