Next Steps

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Next Step Questions

1. We live in a rushed, overextended, and exhausted culture. How are your rhythms of life… do you feel refreshed? Overextended? Exhausted? And if so…why?

2. In slavery, we are valued by how much we produce. How does rest and Sabbath remind us of our identity in Jesus?

Practice:

Set aside a time this week to examine your calendar and commitments. Where are you overextended? Ask God for wisdom in how your schedule could better reflect a heathy rhythm and allow you to rest.

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NEXT STEP QUESTIONS

1. Jesus’ ministry seemed to be centered on sharing meals with people – even those who were sinners and outcasts. How should this shape the way we follow Jesus?

2. Seeing ourselves through the lens of grace humbles us, enabling us to be welcoming to others. Who do you struggle to see through the lens of grace and welcome like Jesus?

3. Grace moves us from the posture of a guest to a host – welcoming people wherever we are. How would this shift change your Christian life and involvement at Restoration?

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This past Sunday, we had a special service focused on our values of leadership and empowerment. We met around tables, met new people, and talked about how God has uniqued gifted each one of us. We also met our elders and heard their heart for our Church. In this audio, Justin recaps the day, as well as offering next steps for stepping into our calling. Let us know here how we can get you connected! 

Next Step Questions

We live in times that have driven many of us to be suspicious of leadership and institutions. How have you seen this struggle impact your idea of the Church?

Finding our calling happens at the intersection of God’s mission, our giftings, and the needs around us. As you see the diagram above, what is stirring in you about your next step? Spend this week intentionally praying and listening to God. Ask the Spirit to speak and guide you in how he might call you to life out your calling in the coming year.

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Next Step Questions

Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. How would you describe the connect between our money, possessions, and our hearts?

Jesus’ kingdom operates in a different economy with different values than our own. How are would you describe the differences in how we as Jesus followers see our stuff?

What would intentional generosity look in your life? Who are some of the people in your life that could benefit most from your generous living?

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Next Step Questions

Church is not a service or a building – it’s a group of people who live like a family. How have you defined Church in the past? If Church is a family, how does this change your view?

In John 13:34-45, Jesus tells us that our love for one another will show the world we’re his disciples. How might our love for one another as a family be on display to our city?

Life as a family is intentional, consistent, relational, and formational. Who are you connecting with this year for this kind of life together?

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Let’s not overcomplicate it. This isn’t the business of experts and know-it-alls. We’re starting this year by hearing Jesus’ call to ordinary people like us, responding to his simple invitation: follow me.

Next Step Questions

Disciple literally means apprentice – learning to live and act like your Master. How does this impact how you see your faith journey?

We’re often surrounded by the pressure to make progress in becoming our “best self.” Have you ever felt pressure to force change into your life that didn’t start in your heart?

Jesus’ invitation is the same to all of us, no matter where we are on our spiritual journey. What does responding to Jesus’ invitation to follow him look like for you as 2019 begins?

 

 

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Next Step Questions

Looking through Jesus’ family history in Matthew 1, you see unlikely people. What about your own story might you be tempted to believe makes you unlikely to be used by God?

When someone asks you to share your own story, where do you start? Do you have trouble telling your story?

As you look into 2019, think of the coming year as a new chapter. What do you see shifting in your life? How do you anticipate God’s movement of change in and around you?

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Next Step Questions

As you read through the Christmas story in Luke 2, what about how Jesus arrived communicates the message of the gospel?

Jesus embodied the message of God to the world. How do we embody that same message in our own lives?

As you look ahead to next year, what are the ways you want what you believe to to move out of the hypothetical and into the everyday practices of your life? 

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Next Step Questions

Describe the difference between happiness and joy. How do you know the difference when you’ve experienced joy?

Joy can come even in our sorrow. Can you think of a time where, in spite of painful circumstances,  you experienced joy?

Read Romans 5:3-5. How has God used your past sufferings to make you more hopeful today?

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Next Step Questions

What has been your typical pattern for making decisions and determining how to move forward? What guides you?

God’s ultimate will above all else is to make us like Jesus. How does this shift the way you understand his direction?

What wisdom do you need right now concerning your future? How do you sense God might be leading you?