Every Member is a Minister

Main Thought

Christianity was never meant to be a spectator sport. Jesus founded His Church with the idea that every member should minister! In the Bible, the word “ministry” did not refer to full-time Christian professionals. Instead, the word “ministry” referred to service. It was a verb - an action that any Christian could take. Everyone can serve using their talents and spiritual gifts. Everyone can pray with someone else. Simple and sincere prayers can make a big difference. Everyone can share Jesus through an invitation, a scripture, or their testimony. We make an eternal difference whenever we help to make disciples in these ways. Every member is a minister! If you’re a member of the body of Christ, then God empowers you to do all of these things right now.

Main Passages

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

- Matthew 28:19-20

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people… This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

- 1 Timothy 2:1, 3-4

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” - John 4:28-29

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. Does anything stop you from ministering to others? If so, what?

3. Is there an opportunity for you to take a step in faith and serve others, pray for people, or share Jesus?

Equipping Every Believer to Minister

Main Thought

Have you ever played a sport, or learned some form of martial arts? Developing skill in these things takes time. If you remain committed, then you’ll grow gradually. It may seem slow, but the results can be incredible! Spiritual growth can be very similar to this. Spiritual growth is intentional, or planned. There are some things - like the Bible, prayer, and community - that are vital for growth. Spiritual growth is incremental. It’s a process that takes time. Finally, spiritual growth comes as we invest time and energy into our own relationship with God and other people. As we remain committed to spiritual growth, we’ll become more and more equipped for the purposes that God has called us to.

Main Passages

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:11-13

27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

- Colossians 1:24-29

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. What do you think it means to be “equipped to minister”?

3. Spiritual growth is intentional, incremental, and requires an investment. Which of these three things, if any, do you struggle with most?

Built to Last

Main Thought

The foundations of a building are incredibly important. They may not be visible, but they determine the strength and height of the structures they support. Our spiritual lives need foundations too! A spiritual foundation can be thought of as the beliefs, actions, and character that help us build a relationship with God. We can establish spiritual foundations is through obedience to God’s Word. God knows best! If we consistently obey Him, then we’ll achieve the best outcome for our lives from an eternal perspective - and often from an earthly one too. A spiritual foundation is also formed through the continual testing of trials and tribulations. Enduring trials gives us the ability to persevere. This is very important because life is more like a marathon than a sprint. If we can establish spiritual foundations, then we’ll eventually be spared from destruction and set up for a life of purpose in God.

Main Passages

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

- Matthew 7:24-27

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

- Romans 5:3-5

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Passage above?

2. Do you feel that you have a strong spiritual foundation? Why or why not?

3. What’s one way that you can obey God’s Word, or one trial that you need to persevere through? What do you think God is forming in you (or how is God teaching you) through this?

Engaging Glorious Purpose

Main Thought

Have you ever wondered about God’s purpose for the World? It can be said that God’s purpose is simply to love and bless. Creation, and mankind in particular, is best positioned to experience God’s love when in right relationship with Him. Yet God’s purpose was derailed when Adam and Eve chose not to trust God and rejected His love. Mankind’s relationship with God was ruined. But God immediately set out to make things right! God promised that a Man, born from a woman, would crush the Serpent. This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus died for our sin, then was restored to life - which also restored our ability to experience God’s love. We begin to experience God’s love and blessings again when we hear and believe the Good News about Christ. God’s purpose also expands to others when they hear and believe. Thus, we can engage our place in the glorious purpose of God when we engage others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Main Passages

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

- Genesis 1:27-31

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

- Ephesians 1:3-10

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

- Romans 10:14

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Main Passages above?

2. How have you tried to find purpose in the past? What worked, and what didn’t?

3. Do you think that you’re fully engaging your role in the purpose of God? Why or why not?