"GETTING STARTED"

Why do you do different things?

What things do you want to do?

How many of you want to do things for God?

What are some things that that you want to do for God?

Proposition - As we think about chapter two in our book study of “Start Here.” We are going to see two things that must happen before we get started. 1) Remember your life before Christ, and 2) Remember what Christ has called you to do.

Interrogative question - What are you doing with your life?

Ephesians 2:1–10 NASB95

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

1. Remember your life before Christ -

Ephesians 2:1 -

Romans 3 -

Jeremiah 17:9 -

Daniel 12:2 -

God is far more concerned about His glory, your good, and the good of those around you than you are. That means you don’t have to engineer something—you can trust Him, be faithful, and be ready for His timing. Harris, Alex; Harris, Brett. Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (pp. 5-6). PRH Christian Publishing. Kindle Edition.

When we think or talk about doing hard things, it’s easy to think only about the big stuff. If we assume that being a rebelutionary means fighting slavery, digging wells in Africa, running a political campaign, or writing a book, then it is hard to know where to begin! But if our goal is to glorify God—to point other people to Him and show more of what He can do—then our first priority is to be faithful with what He’s already given us to do, not embark on a big new adventure. What we’re doing doesn’t necessarily change right away, but how and why we’re doing it will change dramatically. Harris, Alex; Harris, Brett. Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (p. 6). PRH Christian Publishing. Kindle Edition.

If we say we want to do hard things for God, but we’re not satisfied with pursuing excellence where He has placed us (at home, at school, and at work), it’s likely that we’re really more interested in getting glory for ourselves than in getting glory for Him. So where do you start? Right where you are—with a new attitude, a new heart, and a mind open to how the everyday hard things available to you right now will lead you to the next step. Harris, Alex; Harris, Brett. Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (pp. 8-9). PRH Christian Publishing. Kindle Edition.

2. Remember what Christ has done -

Ephesians 2:8-10 -

Luke 9:23 -

Colossians 1:10 -

Discussion Questions -

Doing hard things to glorify God knocks selfishness out of the picture. We can follow God’s calling without worrying about whether we get noticed for it. Being a leader or being a follower, doing small hard things or doing big hard things, accomplishing something big right now or preparing for the future—all this is secondary to having an attitude that is open to God’s direction and purpose. Keeping this in mind will help you answer the question we all ask at some point: Where do I start? This chapter offers ideas about how to move forward for the right reasons.

How does our attitude toward doing something change when we do it to glorify God? Why?

Do you know what hard thing God is calling you to do? If you do, what is it and why is it important to you? If you don’t, what do you think is the next step in figuring it out?

What small hard things is God calling you to do before (or while) you do big hard things?

When has someone else’s willingness to do a small hard thing made a difference in your life?

SO WHAT?

What are you going to do with your life?