- This past weekend in our Ripple Effect series was about our global outreach as a church. To kick things off, what’s one place you’ve visited outside the US or a place you’d like to visit? What is one thing that stands out to you about that place?
- Take turns reading the following passages: Matthew 6:9, Psalm 68:5, and Deuteronomy 10:17-18. Which of God’s titles or attributes (e.g., "Our Father," "Father to the fatherless," "Defender") resonates most with you, and why?
- How have you personally experienced God as Father? Tell us about a time when the reality of God as your Father sunk in.
- Reflect on a time when someone stood up for you or defended you. How did it make you feel, and how do you think God feels when we defend his children?
- Read James 1:27. What is it about orphans and widows that makes them particularly vulnerable, whether in the culture of the Bible or in our culture today?
- Read Acts 1:8. Given God’s call for us to reach out to the world, how can being involved in global missions help us grow?
- Have you ever been on a mission trip? If so, where did you go and how did it impact you?
- This weekend’s message highlighted three global needs: orphans, extreme poverty, and unreached people. How do these needs affect you personally, and what role or specific steps do you feel God is calling you to take in addressing them?
- How can you involve others (family, friends, or our small group) in creating a ripple effect that aligns with God’s mission?
- Let’s share prayer requests and pray for the next steps God is inviting us to take to make a difference globally.
VERSE TO MEDITATE ON AND MEMORIZE
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE (OPTIONAL)
As a church, we partner with two organizations that are on mission throughout the world. Take a moment this week to learn more about each of these organizations:
You can also learn more about how we as a church engage in global missions. Check out our Chase Oaks Missions page and pray about how God is inviting you to engage and make a difference globally.