Strategic Discipleship Guide Instructions

GROWTH GROUP GUIDE

UPward

INward

OUTward

Meeting in groups of 3 people to discuss 3 areas to help us GROW in our relationship to Christ, with each other

and to His mission!

INward: Connect & Serve Others

The Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 4 that gifted leaders

are given to the body to equip, empower and release the saints to do “the work of service, to build up the body of Christ.” We should use the gifts Christ has given to us to encourage and edify the other parts of the body of Christ.

In addition to our service to each other we “speak the truth to each other”. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” Some questions/ areas we could be discussing:

QUESTIONS: (Loving One Another) 1. Are you in a small group of believers?

2. How are you serving others in the family of God? (Are you using your gifts?)

3. What sins (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes or pride) are tempting you this week?

4. Holding ill-will toward anyone?

5. Have you looked at anything sexually explicit or had sensual thoughts?

6. Are you guilty of falsehood or stealing?

7. Are you guilty of covetousness or envy?

OUTward: Connect to the Mission

Jesus said in John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me… even so I send

you.” Jesus came to us on a mission and now He sends us to the world on His mission. We are to go and take the Gospel to the world and to make disciples of Jesus.

The challenge is that many disciples are not praying and are not taking the gospel to their world. In this section we take time to pray for by name 2-3 people.

QUESTIONS: (Loving our Neighbor) 1. Are you making yourself available for those who are seeking Christ?

2. Have you been praying for those who you know are lost? Who?

3. Are you serving people outside of your comfort zone to share the gospel? How?

4. Have you actively listened to others who are seeking God? Example?

5. Have you shown and told the Gospel in day to day life. Eating with seekers?

6. Who is the person of peace that the Lord is directing you to? How is it going?

7. Are you praying for laborers? Lk. 10:2

Discipleship Simplified and Illustrated:

In Ephesians chapter one, the Apostle Paul is declaring to the church that God has exalted Jesus and placed “all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Eph. 1:22-23).

Now in this passage we see terms like feet, head and body. These terms indicate that the church is not like a body, but the church IS His body. This is a declaration that the church is the body of Christ and He is the head of the body. The Apostle Paul elaborates on this in letters written to the church at Rome and the Corinthian church as well.

In these passages it is clear that Jesus is the head of the body, believers are members of the body and the body when formed becomes the hands and feet of Jesus to the world.

Since the church is the body of Christ our goal is to connect the individual

members to the Head (UPward), connect all the members to the

body (INward) and connect the functioning body to the

mission (OUTward).

What is a GROWTH Group?

A GROWTH Group is a group of 3 persons of the same sex, who gather together weekly to encourage each other to make progress in their walk with Christ.

The purpose of a GROWTH group is for us to grow in our relationships to Christ, to each other and to His mission. This plan is meant to be simple, relational and reproducible. There are only 3 directions that make up this simple plan.

UPward- time in God’s Word and in His presence through prayer. Reading and reflecting on Scripture and recording Prayer requests and insights.

INward- connected to the other parts of the body in a small group, confession of sins and using your spiritual gift(s) to build each other up in the Lord.

OUTward- connecting the body to the mission of Christ. The group regularly prays for opportunities to share Christ.

The goal would be that every believer discovers their connection to Christ, to His body and to His mission (100% is the goal).

UPward: Connect to Christ

Jesus told His disciples in John 15, that we should “abide” in Him.

Abiding in Christ means that we spend time in His Word and we spent time in His presence through prayer and meditation.

We practice a simple form of prayer like A.C.T.S. Adoration/ Confession/ Thanksgiving and Supplication. Or using the Lord’s Prayer as an outline.

We also agree to read 25 chapters per week (equal to reading through the Bible in one year) and we record insights from God’s Word as the Holy Spirit leads.

QUESTIONS: (Loving God) 1. How is your reading going this week?

2. What is God saying to you through His Word? Writing it down? Memorizing?

3. Are you spending time in prayer every day? Explain your prayer practice.

4. What is God saying to you through your time in prayer? Are you writing it down?

5. What is the Holy Spirit revealing to you?

6. What are you attempting only with the Spirit’s enabling? Dreams/ Visions?

7. Are you fasting for or about anything?