The Cause Circle Friendship Challenge Part 2

CARE

Introduction:

Q. What is one of the nicest things that anyone has ever done for you?

Nice things stand out

Ministering

Body:

Review for Prayer Steps:

Pray for your friend’s salvation

Pray for your friend’s well-being

This week: Care

Nobody will listen until you care

Relationship/Investing into lives

Real fruit

Each step at a time

CARE

Find a way to serve your friend

Serving = bridge

Modeled by Jesus

Matthew 8:1–4 (NLT)

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

Q. What are some ways that Jesus meets this man’s needs?

1. He listens

Q. What makes it so hard to listen?

Discover needs through listening

2. He is willing

He actually cares

Willing to inconvenience ourselves

3. He meets the need

The command “be healed!”

Follow-through

Practical examples?

From the video: “Healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and helping the hurting.”

Q. Other examples from Jesus?

Feeding of the 5,000

Q. Practical examples for us?

Buy your friend something to eat

Help with homework

“Physical, emotional, and relational needs”

Q. Examples of each?

Hang out!

“The whole person, not just their souls”

Jesus = body

“We must seek to love our unreached friends by listening to them, and caring for them”

LISTEN cannot be overstated

“Not projects; people”

Not a HW assignment; a lifestyle of relationships

Ex. Dr. Wheeler on “if it counts”

The Bottom Line: everybody can be served.

2. Invite your friend to a program

Q. Why is this important?

Isolation and COVID

Social/relational needs

MDWK = whole person

Where in Bible?

John 1:35–42 (NLT)

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

Q. Where is inviting in this text?

“Come and see”

Andrew brings Simon

Bring people to hear about Jesus

Social needs (COVID)

1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT)

We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

Q. What does this verse have to do with inviting?

Sharing life together

To invite = care, meeting a need

Essentially “do you want to hang out?”

Back to purpose: we are BUILDING something

We need more BUILDERS

God calling to GROW

MDWK = perfect opportunity for this

Take 3 fliers and invite people on your card

Romans 10:14–15 (NLT)

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Go and meet needs!

Small Group Questions:

Out of the three people that you wrote down on your card, have you ever served one of them in some way? How so?

How can you better listen to your unsaved friends in order to know how to care for them?

What makes it difficult to invite our unsaved friends to church?

What can you do to overcome these difficulties and invite them?

1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT)

We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

5. How can you apply this verse to the way that you serve and invite your unsaved friends?

6. Who are you going to invite first? When will you do it?