Crossfire Student Ministry
Choose Church (BEING CHALLENGE)
March 31, 2021

Choose Church (BEING CHALLENGE)

March 31, 2021

Choose Church

CONSISTENCY

Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV, Acts 2:42-47 NIV 

CHALLENGE Assess how you “CHOOSE CHURCH.” Scale of 1-5 (5 represents mastery, 1 represents improvement needed)

  1. I consistently choose to attend church each week.
  2. I often invite others to come with me.
  3. I use my spiritual gift(s) for the benefit of the church.
  4. I’m connected in relationship with people at my church.
  5. I tithe (give 10% financially) to my church.

Based on your answers, where is your greatest opportunity for growth?

JESUS

The way a church looks – the how, when, where, and who can be quite varied but the reason the church exists will never change. The purpose of a church is to bring glory to God.

Responding to the Good News and growing in our faith magnifies Jesus. The church exists to magnify Jesus. It invites us into a relationship with Him and challenges us to take steps of faith and grow in our relationship with God.

CHALLENGE: What’s your story? Spend some time thinking about your testimony and write it down.

SPIRITUAL BUT NOT

We need to readily admit that every person in the church is still broken, messy, and fails to a significant degree to represent our amazing God. We have hurt one another, we do hurt one another, and we will hurt one another.

Even though there will be times that we hurt one another, there are also times we help one another. In times of struggle, we can remind each other of hope found in the promises of Scripture, worship together, and offer emotional support through expressions of kindness and compassion.

CHALLENGE: Hospital or Hotel? – Does our church look like a hospital for sinners or a hotel for saints? List three things you can do to help our church be more of a hospital for sinners or less of a hotel for saints.

AN INVITATION TO GOD

It doesn’t matter if you are man or woman, black, white, brown, young or old, rich or poor. God says to you, “Receive my grace and be part of the story.” In a world filled with FOMO, the Gospel of Jesus removes this fear. We don’t have to miss out.

  • We were outsiders, but He made us insiders.
  • We were disqualified, but He qualified us.
  • We were powerless, but now we have the Holy Spirit living inside us.
  • We had a self-absorbed story, but now our story is part of the greatest story ever told.

CHALLENGE: Step into God’s Story –

  • If you could join God’s story anywhere, where would you join and what would you do?
  • If you are going to step into God’s Story more fully (or if you’ve already stepped in) who would you choose to take with you? Explain why. (Consider reaching out to them and discuss your response to this challenge.)
  • What obstacles are stopping you from stepping more deeply into God’s Story?

ONE – MANY

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explains that the Holy Spirit gives us each a spiritual gift: 1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT 

Paul describes the church as a body, reminding us that we each play a part:  1 Corinthians 12:12 NLT, 1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT 

Do you know how God has uniquely gifted you?

CHALLENGE: Discover your Gifts

THE AND THE

The spiritual gifts we have been given are for the benefit of others. If you do nothing with what God has entrusted to you, the church can’t become the full expression of love, wisdom, and power God intends it to be.

Luke 12:48 “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

How are you using your gifts to serve others?

We want to broaden our definition of “choosing church” and what it means to worship God. Most of us have thought of worship as what we do for one hour a week, but Paul offers us a broader definition:  Romans 12:1 NIV 

Worship doesn’t happen only in the 1 hour. It’s a mindset of trusting God and being used by God all day every day.

CHALLENGE: What’s my 111? – List three ways you can use your unique spiritual gifts to serve the church’s mission in the other 111 waking hours of the week.

THE

Here’s the good news that the church reports:

  • God’s faithfulness in our past! Colossians 2:13-15 NIV 
  • God’s power in our present! Philippians 4:13 NIV 
  • God’s hope in our future! Revelation 21:3-4 NIV 

CHALLENGE: Share the News! – Share the Good News of Jesus with someone. Consider inviting someone who doesn’t consistently choose church to sit with you at church. You could invite them to Sunday worship, Wednesday nights, or a church event. The only thing that might be keeping them from coming back is an invitation!

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