𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Name someone whose talent amazes you. How did you feel when you first saw or met this person?

• What is one description you don’t like people using to introduce you? Why don’t you like it?

• Tell us about a time you sacrificed for something that you knew was more valuable.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘪𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.” 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟰

(Read also 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟮𝟴:𝟭𝟴–𝟮𝟬; 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟭:𝟴; 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝟱:𝟵–𝟭𝟬.)

As we know God through devotion to Him, we can also know His heart for the nations. From devotion, we are moved to mission. In Acts 20, Paul spoke a farewell speech to the Ephesian elders, knowing he would return to Jerusalem to be imprisoned. He expressed his passion for testifying about God, and that this was of the greatest value to him: to finish his race and the ministry he received from God. Today, we will look at important lessons from Paul about our mission of making the gospel of the grace of God through Jesus Christ known.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 . . .” 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟰

Paul was willing to obey God even at the cost of his own life. He left the comfort of his home. He even worked to finance the mission to Corinth which he himself was on. He was willing to be mocked and persecuted; moreso to suffer and die for the sake of the gospel. He valued the mission because he had received it from Jesus. Likewise, we are to wholeheartedly treasure the mission. When we realize that it was given to us by Jesus Himself who suffered and died for our sake so that we might receive the grace of God for salvation, we will grow to value God’s mission more. What are some ways you have shown value for God’s mission?

𝟮. 𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

“. . . 𝘪𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.” 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟰

We are given the privilege of participating in completing God’s mission here on earth. In God’s mission to reach all nations, He has given each of us a part to play. Not everyone is called to long-term missions, but we each have a distinct purpose in Christ. Though we may not see how it ends, we can take peace knowing that we answered God’s call and participated in His mission to redeem people from every tribe and language (Revelation 5:9). From where you are today, what would you say you are being called to? How can you make Jesus known to those around you?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Reflect on your personal life and walk with God. How have you valued or treasured God's mission? What do you think God is calling you to do today?

• Do you know how to continue God’s mission from where you are? Where do you believe that God is sending you?

• Name one person that God has placed in your heart. Pray for wisdom to make God known to that person.

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His heart for the nations and His people. Thank Him for the privilege of participating in His mission.

• Pray for boldness and courage to guide others to know Christ. Ask God for the words to say and for creative ideas to make Him known.

• Pray for a revelation from the Spirit of the purpose God has called you to in your time and season. Pray to clearly hear God’s leading for both His short-term and long-term calling for you, and that you will always be on mission wherever He calls you.