Message Title: Tag! You're it!
Scripture: John 20:19-22 NRSV
Bottom Line: Instead of experiencing a post Easter letdown, lets all experience a past Easter build up!
Small Group Check in:
How is it with your soul?
Prayer Request? Praises?
Ice Breaker:
How did you celebrate Easter this year?
What's one thing your group can do together to help the community this week?
Overview:
Jesus is the one carrying our wounds. They are not His wounds. They are our wounds, they are our hurts, and they are our pain. He took them upon Himself so you don't need to carry them anymore. He saved us at a great cost. The cost was Jesus would carry our wounds into eternity for us.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross because we were perfect, He went to the cross because we weren’t.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross to point out the distance between a perfect Creator and an imperfect creation, He went to the cross to bring us back together.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross so we could sit back and watch from the sidelines, He went to the cross to call into action His believers - His Church paid for by His blood for His Purpose – empowered by His Spirit.
Jesus says to those who follow Him then and now:
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
We are to be His flesh – His body in the world – not just theologically, not just metaphorically, but LITERALLY! We are to be the ongoing movement of God from heaven to earth. We are to be a “deployed people” in the world. We are on a mission – God’s mission to change the world.
Discussion Questions:
Read through the passage again together, What other gifts do we receive because of the resurrection of Christ? peace (vs 19), joy (vs 20), Holy Spirit (vs 22)
Jesus took on our wounds, our pain, and our suffering. How does that set us free? How does knowing that help you get through tough times?
How do we recognize the Risen Christ when He just appears in our life?
What commission does Jesus give His disciples (and His church?) What authority does He give them? See John 20:21-23
The Father sent Jesus, and now Jesus sends the disciples. How was Jesus sent, what message was He sent with? What implications does that have for how we are sent now in our lives?
Allow the Holy wind of God to change you, empower you, and send you off on your God given mission. If you do, you’ll fly on eagles' wings. When you do, the scared just became the sacred through the Holy making Spirit that breathed on us.
Challenge:
Pastor Mark challenged us on Sunday by saying, "What if this church caught fire with the vision of being “for them.” Not for us – but for them? What if this church took the blessing of Easter and all our energy and all our resources and gave it away to others as our way of changing this broken world…to the little ones...to the little ones who do not yet know what church is, who do not yet know what faith is, who do not yet know what God is?"
How can your Small group help?
Pray together for the Holy Spirit to set this church ablaze with passion for our community children.
If you can, give joyously, to support all our efforts to reach our community of children.
SERVE TOGETHER! We need your help in our Kids Ministry - especially during our two Summer Camps. This is a great opportunity for small groups to serve together. Click here to sign up to volunteer.