“You are standing side by side with one strong purpose—to tell the Good News.” Philippians 1:27 (TLB)
You were made for a mission. God wants you to share his love with other people—your friends, family, and the people you work with—who are not in his family, because God wants everybody in his family.
But you’re not alone! God wants you to go on mission with other people. Philippians 1:27 says, “You are standing side by side with one strong purpose—to tell the Good News” (TLB).
How do you share with your friends that God loves them? And how do you do it in partnership with other people? You do it through your small group.
First, you pray together. You ask your small group to pray for your friends who don’t have a relationship with God. You can’t force anybody to love God, but you can pray for them. Your friends may reject your arguments or refuse to listen to your logic. But they are powerless against your prayers. It goes straight to their heart!
The Bible says in Colossians 4:3, “Pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message” (NCV).
As you pray for opportunities, you know what happens? You start seeing them everywhere! Prayer makes you aware. When you start praying for your family, then you start seeing the needs of your family. When you start praying for your co-workers, you start getting concerned about your co-workers.
And as you get to know the people around you better, you can start appealing to your common interests and create opportunities to share the Gospel with them.
Before you can share the Good News with others, you need to establish a relationship with them. What are your common experiences, interests, and needs? Talk with people in your small group about things you like to do and then ask, “Who do we know who also enjoys that who isn’t yet a believer? Who can we invite to join us?”
God will provide all kinds of opportunities and ideas like this. Start praying about it with your small group, and open your eyes to the people around you that you can serve together.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
What are the benefits of doing evangelism as a group?
How might people react differently if you invite them to church or your small group while you are in a setting that is familiar and comforting to them?
Which of your friends or co-workers is God leading you to pray for? How can you get to know them better by appealing to your common interests?
Will you follow Jesus today?
God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 CSB).
Are you ready to trust God to fulfill his promise of eternal life? If so, start by praying this simple prayer: “Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
God wants you to share his love with those who are not in his family. But you’re not alone! Discover how to go on mission with other people in God’s family in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
40 Days of Community – 2023, Community, Mission, God’s Love, Evangelism, Small Groups, Prayer, Friends, Relationships, Philippians 1, Colossians 4
Broadcast Series: 40 Days of Community – 2023
Sermon Series: 40 Days of Community
Sermon: 016202_Reaching Out Together
