3/28/10 Guide

Who’s Your One?

Week of 2/28/10

Luke 15:1-7

Getting Started

What are some marketing slogans/jingles that you wish you could erase from your memory?

Digging Deeper

1) What was one thing that stood out to you from last Sunday’s message? Read Luke 15:1-7 and discuss the ways that Sunday’s talk relates to this parable.

2) Verse 1 says that the tax collectors and sinners “gathered around to hear him.” What was it about Jesus that attracted the irreligious to hang with him? How do we develop this quality?

3) Since becoming a Christian, how hard has it been to maintain relationships with non-believers? Why?

4) Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep in response to the comments found in verses 1 and 2. How does the parable address the specific concerns of the Pharisees and teachers of the law?

5) In verse 4 we see the phrase, “go after.” Where else in Scripture can you find encouragement to “go after” lost people? What do you suspect to be ineffective ways of “going after” people?

Matthew 20:4; 28:19; Mark 1:38, 16:15; Luke 4:43, 9:60, 19:10; Acts 16:10, Romans 1:14-15

6) How does Jesus (the good shepherd) fulfill this image of seeking out a lost sheep through his incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection?

7) Look up the word “lost” from verse 4 in your concordance and find the definition for the Greek word. How does this help us view people the way that Jesus did rather than the way the religious leaders did?

The Strong’s Concordance number for lost is 622. The Greek word is apollumee. It means to destroy, to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, ruin, render useless, to kill, to declare that one must be put to death, to perish, be lost, ruined, destroyed.

8) Often, when we people talk about evangelism, they refer to the “go and tell” method and the “come and see” approach. What are those two phrases describing? Which are you more involved with?

The “go and tell” method could be described as evangelism proper. In other words, it is the activity of preaching the Good News to people from your own mouth.The “come and see” method is inviting someone to a setting where the Good News is being preached by someone other than you.

Putting it into practice:

This past week we were challenged to invite our “one” to church. Spend some time discussing what it means to have a “One,” as well as what might be the next steps of reaching out to them.

Distribute some fliers for the Easter service to your group members. Take some time to pray for our Easter service. Ask God to use our personal invitations and fliers to draw people to hear and respond to the gospel.