What would it look like for you to live in the fulness of God’s design for your life?
To Go where God wants to take you will require intimacy with Him.
John 15:4-11 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. NIV
What would it look like for you to live in the fulness of God’s design for your life? Home? Work? Everywhere?
We are all part of the bigger story of God and in this story, we begin to realize how we are part of the eternal plans and purposes of God. A deeper narrative exists within all of us. We are all created to experience This Garden where we know God intimately and interact with Him conversationally. In this place we discover deep and meaningful friendship and a joining of our lives realizing it is not good for man to be alone. Even in our brokenness God is working to restore and rescue us. In his image we discover our design to build some form of an Ark to help and even rescue others.
As we journey forward God invites us to explore the reality of a Ladder that exists between heaven and earth revealing how God’s presence can come into any place in which we dwell. We were born for more than the wilderness of this world. We were born to more than conquer!
Jesus didn’t die on a cross so we could merely go to church.
Typically, in America, if people won’t come to our churches, they won’t be reached or discipled. Research for decades has shown a steady decline in church attendance. Within the past decade those who don’t attend church have become the majority. Yet we have continued to focus our efforts on a big event Sunday model of church.
Recently I heard a pastor sharing about an incredible production their church does for Christmas. They literally spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on this event. The cast and crew has to commit up to 20 hours a week for 3 months in preparation. The production is amazing and thousands of people attend!
That pastor was asked afterward by a trusted friend, “What would happen in this community if we could get all these people to commit 20 hours a week for 3 months reaching out to their others, inviting them into their homes and just loving their neighbors well not spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on this production?”
His response, “That would be amazing but unfortunately people just won’t do that.” We’ve resolved that we can’t get people to be who God has called them to be so we reduce them to people dressing up like singing reindeer to attract crowds into a room. The problem is that this has worked before but it’s not going to work for the next generation church and we must stop perpetuating ideas that are misaligning to our mission and purpose as sons and daughters of God in the earth!
We need to encounter God and the next generation needs to encounter God. It’s time to go deeper!
John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing…
We have no true ability to be fruitful in ministry without the rich, deep love union with our Father. Everything flourishes from this.
Daniel 11:32 “…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out (do) great exploits.” NKJV
Know God! Be Strong! Do great things!
John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…
This speaks of your God-given conversational design. You are designed by God to be awakened more fully by this conversational lifestyle with God. His words abide in you. Prayer isn’t a place, it’s a constant conversation. Find a regular place to cultivate a stronger rhythm so you can walk in a greater awareness of God’s voice in your everyday life!
What would it look like for you to live in the fulness of God’s design for your life?
To Go where God wants to take you will require intimacy with him.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Make time to simply be in God’s presence allowing him to do a deep work in your heart. Something powerful happens in the human heart when we experience the presence of God.
DEEPER: Born For More
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
A deeper narrative exists within us. We are all created to experience The Garden where we know God and interact with Him intimately. In this place we discover deep and meaningful friendship and relationship realizing it is not good for man to be alone. Even in our brokenness God is working to restore us and rescue us. In his image we discover our design to build an Ark to help rescue others. Promises are awakened within us even if we feel we may be too old or question being qualified or capable in any way. As we journey forward God invites us to explore the reality of a Ladder between heaven and earth revealing how God’s presence exists in any place even if we didn’t realize it at first. We explore a greater place of promise realizing we were born to conquer giants and strongholds that try to keep us from all God says is ours.
Philippians 3:10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him... (AMP)
Daniel 11:32 “…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (NKJV)
God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with this question first:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Realize there is great power in just reading the Bible together and allowing the Holy Spirit to awaken his conversational nature in the group.
John 15:4-5 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
2. Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words.
3. What do these verses teach us about God?
4. What do these verses teach us about people?
5. What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing?
6. Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Make time to simply be in God’s presence allowing him to do a deep work in your heart. Something powerful happens in the human heart when we experience the presence of God.