RUN

SUMMARY

Our new series opened with a question most of us have asked: God, what is your will for my life? We usually mean his specific will for our lives: this job, this person, this decision, etc. But God has already been clear about his general will, the salvation of his people, and the answers to our specific questions are often found in obedience to that.

Most of the Old Testament is the story of God sending prophets to warn people to repent, and Jonah is one of them. His assignment was explicit: go to Nineveh, the capital of Israel's most feared and brutal enemy, and announce judgment over it. But... Jonah ran away. His problem was not knowing God's will; it was obeying it. Jesus gave his disciples the same kind of clear assignment in Matthew 28: go and make disciples. That calling is not reserved for a few; it belongs to all of us. The question this week is whether we will follow God's call on our lives and live his mission.

MAIN TAKEAWAY

God's will is for us to go and make disciples. The answers to his specific will for your life are often found in practicing obedience to his general will.

‍ICE BREAKER

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

‍LOOK BACK

• What steps did you take last week to connect with and be genuinely known by others? 
• Have you ever asked God what his will is for your life? Why do you think we want God to decide the specifics for us?
• When you think about what God wants from your life, where does sharing Jesus with others land on the list?

‍LOOK UP

• Read Jonah 1:1-3. God sent Jonah to Nineveh, the capital of Israel's most feared enemy, to announce judgment on the people there. Why do you think Jonah ran, and is there anything you have been running from lately?
• Read 2 Peter 3:9 and Luke 19:10. What does God want and how does that shape the way you see God's will for our lives?
• Read Matthew 28:16-20. When you hear "go and make disciples," does that sound like an assignment meant for you, or for someone else? What scares you about this mission and how can you make disciples?

‍LOOK AHEAD

• What is one thing you know God is asking of you that you have been running from? What would taking the first step toward it look like this week?
• If you asked God every morning to point you toward someone who needs him, how do you think your ordinary days would look different?
• End by reading Luke 15:4. Your "one" is a person in your life who may not yet be surrendered to Jesus. Who is your "one," and what does God want you to do next on their behalf?

‍WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Pray daily this week for your "one," and take one step to reach out to them: a text, an invite to coffee, find a way to connect with your one this week. 

‍CONVERSATION TIPS

• Listen Well. Give others your full attention, and listen to understand rather than to respond.
• Share Honestly. Be open about your thoughts and questions; none of us have all the answers.
• End with prayer. Share requests around the group, then close your time together in prayer.

‍