𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• What is your preferred way to get to know someone more? Do you meet up with them or send them a message? Recall an instance explaining this.

• What is one thing you’re always excited to do? Would you call it your passion? Why?

• What is one partnership or collaboration you’ve participated in? How did it turn out?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟯

“. . . 𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟭

(Read also 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟭:𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟴; 𝗛𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗦 𝟮:𝟵; 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝟳:𝟵–𝟭𝟬.)

Jesus’ prayer in John 17, right before His betrayal and crucifixion, was an intercessory prayer to God—for Himself, His disciples, and all believers. In this prayer, Jesus declared that eternal life is knowing God and Jesus. To know here is not the superficial knowing of God and what He did. It means to truly learn and realize deeply who God is. When we know God, we will find our source of joy and our meaning in life. When we know God, we can recognize His voice and get a glimpse of His nature. Today, we will talk about how knowing God connects us with His heart and mission.

𝟭. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟯

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘉𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩.” 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟭:𝟮𝟴

God’s creation of mankind sheds some light on His heart and mission. We were made in His image and are called to 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘵 as His representatives. God’s mission is for all of creation to fully know and experience Him, as people bear His image—filling and taking dominion of the entire earth. However, because humanity sinned, humanity and the rest of creation are in a fallen state. The good thing is that God’s mission remains the same. God’s goal is to redeem humanity and creation so that we can be restored to His original purpose for us. This story of God’s mission of redemption is the overarching story of the Bible. Have you ever read the Bible in this light? How does God’s word help us understand this truth?

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

“. . . 𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙚, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟭

We humans cannot save ourselves from sin. In order to accomplish His mission, the Father sent His Son on a mission to redeem us. Jesus was given the greatest mission of all time. He was born on earth to live as a human, and then died a grisly death on the cross to take our sins on Himself, though He was sinless. He then resurrected, defeated death and sin forever, and made salvation available to all. Jesus is the only way that people can be reconciled with God and be restored to their original purpose. What is the importance of knowing that Jesus is the only way?

𝟯. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

“. . . 𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟭

We are participants in God’s mission. His heart is for the nations to know Him, and Jesus gave us our greatest commission: to make disciples. This could be to our family and community, and to the nations as well. Our calling as His body is to make Him known. We are not just to hear from God and know Him personally, though that’s how it begins. We are meant to partner with God in making Him known. The ultimate picture that Jesus has for the world is for redeemed people from every nation, tribe, people, and language to know and worship God (Revelation 7:9–10). How has knowing God’s heart for the nations helped you have a heart for the nations as well?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• To know Jesus is to experience life in Him. What are some ways you get to know God in a deeper way?

• As we go deeper in our devotion with God, we hear Him speak and experience His wisdom. What are some things that you believe that God has spoken to you recently? What do you think is He asking you to do?

• The ultimate picture God gives us is every tribe worshiping Him. How does partnering with Him in this mission play out in your life?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His heart for the nations. Thank Him for sending His Son, Jesus, on the mission to save us.

• Ask God to continue revealing His heart to you as you talk to Him and meditate on His word this week.

• Pray for His strength and grace to wholeheartedly fulfill His call to partner with Him in the mission. Pray for clarity on what your mission field is and the grace to obey God in it.