
Hosted by Josh Huseby · EN

https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:John 4:19-30Hebrews 3:12-13Romans 1:16Takeaways:Spiritual ConversationJews believed the right place was Jerusalem because God authorized the temple there through David and Solomon, sacrifices were established there, and it remained central even after being rebuilt.Samaritans only believed the Pentateuch, so they rejected everything about Jerusalem.Samaritans believed the right place was Mount Gerizim (gare-a-zim) and they saw it as significant because Abraham built an altar nearby, and it was associated with blessings in Deuteronomy. So they built their own temple and continued worship there even after it was destroyed.For the gospel to be good news, Jesus has to be at the center. Without Him, people try to reach God on their own. The gospel isn’t about being right, it’s about knowing and loving Jesus.Speaking Good NewsGospel fluency is not just saying Jesus is the answer, it’s showing how Jesus is the answer.The gospel exposes the lies we believed before we knew Jesus and the lies we still believe as we follow Him.The Power of GodThe gospel is not just words, the Bible tells us that it is the power of God for those who believe.When the gospel touches a person’s heart it changes them, it has an impact.When people experience Jesus and the truth of the gospel in their life they respond.The gospel is powerful. It saves us and continues to shape us each and every day. We are saved by the gospel and we are shaped by the gospel.Discussion Questions:Based on her story, what do you think the woman at the well was truly longing for? How did Jesus meet her needs?How does being fluent in the gospel help us recognize the lies we believe and the lies others believe?Imagine a friend says, “I don’t get it, I worked hard, I did everything right, came in early and stayed late. I thought for sure I would get the promotion to manager. After 10 years of dedication and effort, they gave the promotion to Chris. He’s only been here for a year. Honestly, it just makes me feel like I don’t matter.”What do you think they are longing for?What might they be believing?What “wells” are they going to for life?https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:John 4:1-18Colossians 4:5-6Ephesians 4:29Jeremiah 2:13Takeaways:Start the ConversationMission often starts with ordinary conversationDiscover the Deeper DesireJesus listened closely to the woman at the well. Jesus knows she’s thirsty for something more than water. People are always expressing their deeper longings.Reveal the Wrong WellJesus knows that the woman at the well has been placing her hope in the wrong well. Placing her hope in these things that haven’t satisfied her.What we do on the outside is driven by what we believe on the inside. Behavior reveals belief.Some behaviors include: Anxiety, comparison, overspending, and people-pleasing. Behaviors are shaped by what we are believing to be true, even if it isn’t true.If we want to share the gospel in a way that actually reaches people’s hearts… we need to spend more time listening than talking.Everyone is longing for something like: purpose, identity, peace, satisfaction, or true love.With the help of the Holy Spirit we begin to discern what’s really going on. We begin to see the longing in their heart, the brokenness in their story, the emptiness they’re trying to fill.Jesus is the living water; He satisfies what nothing else can.If we don’t take time to understand someone’s story and what they’re longing for we’ll miss the chance to share Jesus in a way that truly reaches their heart.Discussion Questions:If a friend says, “Honestly, I just feel like I’m always the one giving in relationships. I show up for people, I care, I invest, but it never feels like it comes back.”What might they really be longing for?What beliefs might be driving that longing?What are some “wells” you have seen people drink from to fulfill the longing of their souls?What are some of the specific longings in your soul that Jesus meets? How is that good news?https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:Luke 5:27-32Isaiah 25:6-8Takeaways:The Table has Always Been SignificantAdam and Eve took their hunger to a place they were told not to.People have been taking their hunger to the wrong places ever since, but God redeems this.What happens at this “table”? A feast for all peoples, death is swallowed up, tears are wiped away, salvation is fully realized.Jesus takes an ordinary meal and fills it with eternal meaning. He uses the table as the place we remember the gospel.The table is about relationship, belonging, and connection.Jesus’ HospitalityLevi didn’t find Jesus - Jesus found Levi.Jesus walks up and says, “Follow me.” without conditions. No “get your life together first.” And Levi does and leaves everything.After meeting Jesus, Levi doesn’t clean up his friend group, distance himself from people, nor go into isolation.True hospitality isn’t just about inviting people into your space… it’s about how you receive them when they are with you.The table wasn’t just a place to eat, it was a place where people encountered grace - they encountered Jesus.Jesus is CriticizedPeople assume that if you want to stay spiritually pure, you have to separate yourself completely from the world.Peoples’ fear of being influenced by the world leads them to distance themselves from it. So instead of engaging with people who are far from God, they avoid them.The Pharisees grumbling isn’t just disagreement, it’s resistance to what God is doing.A meal wasn’t just a meal - it was connecting with people, it was mission.Our tables are a place of mission. We are family, and we make room because adopted people accept people. We are servants, we serve because saved people, serve people. We are missionaries, we accept the invite because found people find people.Discussion Questions:What happens around a table that doesn’t happen as easily elsewhere?Can you remember a time where you either felt included or excluded from a table? What did that feel like?What are some of the obstacles that keep you from following Jesus’ example of the table ministry?Are there people you hesitate to spend time with because of what others might think? Why? How does Jesus challenge that?https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:1 Corinthians 15:3-9Romans 3:23Romans 6:23John 20:25-28Ephesians 2:1-2Takeaways:What Jesus AccomplishedThere is no forgiveness of sins without the death and resurrection of Jesus. This payment for our sins is a gift from God; it’s not something we earn, but something we receive.Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”What Jesus is Doing NowSince the resurrection, Jesus has been revealing himself to people.He is saving people from sin, redeeming their stories, and giving them new purpose.Jesus is alive and still at work. The global church continues to rapidly expand.You can’t stop the risen Savior. No government, threats, or persecution has been able to. Jesus can’t be stopped.What Jesus Can Do in YouApart from Jesus, we’re not just struggling, we’re spiritually dead.Jesus didn’t come to make bad people better - He came to make dead people alive.God’s desire for you is to be forgiven, to be set free from sin, to be restored, and to walk in a new life with him. Jesus sees you. He knows you. He loves you. https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:Matthew 21:1-11Matthew 20:17-19Zechariah 9:9Matthew 5:38-39Mathew 27:27-31Romans 12:19Takeaways:The King Come On His Terms (Control)Jesus doesn’t fit into our story - He invites us into His.Some of us aren’t rejecting Jesus - we’re just quietly frustrated that He’s not running our life the way we wish he would.The King is Humble (Humility)Jesus not only models humility - He teaches a completely different way of responding to wrong.We prefer strength. We prefer winning. We prefer outcomes we can point to and say ‘That worked’. But Jesus invites us into a different way of living; a life shaped by surrender and sacrificial obedience.Some won’t follow Jesus because His way feels too slow, too weak, or too costly.The King is Misunderstood (Condition Allegiance)It’s possible to celebrate Jesus and still not surrender to Him.The cross did not make sense. Until it did. God knows what he is doing.Some of us aren’t walking away from Jesus - but we are quietly disappointed in Him.We have a choice to follow Jesus because of what we thought he would do, or because of who He is. Discussion Questions:What are some ways we become “quietly frustrated” with how God is running our lives?Why is it difficult to trust God with the outcomes of our lives - especially when we’ve been wronged by someone else?Where are you most tempted to hold onto control instead of trusting Jesus right now?Why do we sometimes want Jesus to be different than he actually is? What kind of Jesus do we tend to prefer?https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:Ephesians 2:1-10Ephesians 1:4-5Ephesians 1:5Mark 10:45Luke 9:23John 16:8Takeaways:Last week’s highlight is that: All people matter to God. Therefore, all people matter to us. You are not here by accident. No human life is an accident.If life is random, then purpose is something you have to create for yourself; but if God made and planned you, then your life is not an accident.To understand purpose, we have to understand identity, because ‘doing’ flows our ‘being’.We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our baptism reflects something of each member of the trinity. Father being family, Son is the servant, and Holy Spirit is missionary.We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.Each part of our new identity, rooted in the trinity, has real life implications for us. Let’s look at each one, starting with our family identity.We Are FamilyIt is important for us to understand God’s love and acceptance into his family because it shapes us.God is pleased to welcome lost people into His family. We get to treat everyone like family, even before they believe and are adopted into God’s family. Adopted people, accept people.We Are ServantsWe are baptized into the name of the Son, Jesus. From Jesus we got our servant identity.You can’t follow Jesus’ example of servanthood and be a selfish person. Saved people, serve people.We Are MissionariesThe Holy Spirit is working on drawing people to the family of God all over the world. When people say they found God, the truth is God found them because the Holy Spirit was working on drawing them to Jesus.The Holy Spirit is at work in the world and in the lives of people. We get to live into our missionary identity. Found people, find people.Discussion Questions:Why does God give us a new identity in Christ? What’s wrong with the other things we tend to build our identity on?Do you agree with the statement that “doing flows from being? If so, how have you seen it play out in your own life?Why is it important to focus on identity before focusing on behavior?Which of the three (family, servant, missionary) is easiest for you to live into? Which is the hardest?Which of these identities do you most need to grow in right now? Family (accepting others), servant (serving others), missionary (living sent)What is one thing you could do this week to lean into that identity?https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:Genesis 1:26-28Galatians 3:28Isaiah 66:13Matthew 23:372 Corinthians 3:18Colossians 1:15Takeaways:Made In God’s ImageGod exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy SpiritGod is one God, existing in three distinct persons.Masculinity reflects attributes of God. Femininity reflects attributes of God. Together, humanity reflects the image of our Creator.Sin Distorts the ImageHumans were made to reflect God’s likeness, nature, and character. We were also created to bear God’s attributes like the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control).Sin corrupted humanity, but the image is not destroyed, it is distorted.The distorted image reflects pride replacing humility, selfishness replacing love, greed replacing generosity, violence replacing peace.Jesus didn’t come JUST to forgive sinners. He came to restore the image of God in us.Jesus Restores the ImageGod’s plan is to restore His image in us.The gospel is not just forgiveness, it’s restoration.Jesus consistently gave dignity to people society ignoredDiscussion Questions:Can you give some examples of how you have seen certain people valued more than others?Why do you think God wants to restore broken image bearers?How did Jesus stand out in his day for the way he treated people?Who are the hardest people for you to love? Why?https://missio.life/home

Verses Used:Genesis 12:1-8Galatians 3:13-14Ephesians 1:3John 14:26Isaiah 49:6Galatians 3:282 Timothy 1:91 Timothy 2:51 Corinthians 12:12-132 Peter 3:9-10Isaiah 49:6Revelation 7:9Matthew 28:19Acts 1:8Takeaways:What is the Mission of the Triune God?To Bless and Restore HumanityGod the Father is the source of blessingThe Son (Jesus) is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s blessingThe Holy Spirit (the Helper) helps bring blessings into our livesFor Humanity to be In Fellowship with GodThe Father chooses and calls His peopleThe Son redeems and unites His peopleThe Spirit forms his people into a living communityTo Reach All Nations (The Global Mission)The Father’s plan has always been globalThe Son commissions the missionThe Spirit empowers the missionhttps://missio.life/home

Verses Used:2 Corinthians 5:17-21Romans 1:16John 20:21Takeaways:Sometimes we reduce the gospel, the good news, to a moment instead of a movement, a decision instead of power, a transaction instead of a transformation, or personal forgiveness instead of expanding God’s Kingdom.Power of the GospelGod’s words have power, and his gospel has power.The gospel is power for salvation. It is freedom from sin, it is regeneration of a dead soul, and it is eternal life starting now. The gospel doesn’t just save us from something - it saves us for something.Purpose of the Gospel The bigger gospel does not just save us, it sends us. The gospel gives us a purpose bigger than ourselves.Our lives need a bigger purpose, and that is found in a bigger gospel.Good New for All of LifeWhen we are living in God’s intended plan, we are living righteously.If the gospel really makes us new creations, then it must affect every part of our lives.Inner Life - where we deal with things like anxiety, shame, fear, identity, and ambition.The gospel is good news for your Inner Life and says you are seen, you are loved, you are NOT your past. Because of Jesus you are not broken, you are enough. Our Relationships - everything in our lives revolves around relationships and it is inevitable that we will face conflict with some of these people.The gospel is good news for relationships and says “I don’t need to prove that I am right. I value the person and relationship more than getting even. I can work through this issue with humility and grace. Our Work - The world would tell us that we are measured by what we do.The gospel is good news for our work because it says your work is not about proving yourself and your worth. Your work is an opportunity to serve others in the world. Be faithful wherever God has you.Day to Day LifeThe gospel is good news for day-to-day life.It says the ordinary spaces of our lives are transformed into places of mission. We get to partner with the working of the Holy Spirit in amazing ways.Discussion Questions:How was the gospel first explained to you? Was it shared as a big gospel or a small one?What benefit do you think there could be to understand both the power and purpose of the gospel? How might that change things?Why would applying the good news of the gospel to all of life be helpful to the follower of Jesus?How could it make a difference to apply the good news to your family, work, or school environment? https://missio.life/home