Reach Sunday – Study Questions (3.12.23)

Kyle Bartholic   -   March 10, 2023

Loving in word and deed.

Acts 4:20 & Rom. 10:15

 

INTRODUCTION:  Reach Sunday is a time for us to focus as a body on the outward call for us as a church and as individual Christians, that is, the call of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). As a church, we believe in the importance of that call and the responsibility of believers to engage it as Jesus commanded. That means that we look for opportunities to share the gospel in the everyday places that we go and to join in gospel-advancing work to the ends of the earth. We join in that “ends of the earth” work by praying for, financially supporting, and going to serve alongside global partners for short periods of time. We also join God in his Great Commission Calling on our lives when we love the sojourner in our own neighborhoods and communities.

This week, we looked at our partnership in Gemena, Congo, with Rachel and Gilbert Balia. This is a partnership that has existed for decades and has seen God do amazing things there and here. Ultimately, we, as Christians, are compelled to love and care for others because God first cared for us. As we seek to extend the love of the Father over others in our lives, we have a responsibility to do so in word and deed. That is, we are to use our time, talents, and treasures to meet the physical needs of others, and we are to share the Word of God that meets our spiritual needs. The question we must ask is, how am I using my time, talents, and treasures to love in word and deed?

 

GETTING STARTED – As you get started in your group time, share about a time that someone went out of their way to love you. How did they do that? And how did it impact you?

 

IN THE WORD –   Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.

 

Two passages were referenced on Sunday, Acts 4:20 & Rom. 10:15. Read those passages in their larger context and follow the simple Bible study method below.

 

First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)

Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.

 

 

Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?

 

 

Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?

 

 

 

Some questions to help with discussion:

  1. What is something that stood out to you from the service on Sunday morning?
  2. Why is loving in word and deed important? What happens when you love with only deed or only in word?
  3. When and where was the first time you heard the gospel? What was your reaction? What happened in your life to lead up to your acceptance of the gospel?
  4. If you had to tell your testimony, could you? Try this format to help you:
    1. When and how did you realize your need for a savior?
    2. Who were the influential people in your spiritual journey, and what did they do?
    3. What has changed in your life since following Jesus?
  5. Take some time to list out and discuss the resources (time, talents, and treasure) that you have and how they can be used to love others in word and deed.