·       Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again, Rejoice! 

·      Dallas Willard – Joy is a pervasive sense of well-being that is infused with hope because of the goodness of God.

·      Reach.  

·      80% of churches in the US are plateaued or in decline. 

·       Matt 28: 18-20 - 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

·      You can live under the authority of Jesus or you can live against the authority of Jesus. 

·       19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

·      James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

·      John 15:12 – My command is this: Love each other
as I have loved you. 

·       And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

·      Next. 

·       Deut. 31: 7-8 - 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and
you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

·       128,000 have no meaningful connection with a church. 

·       Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged. 

·       Own. 

·       We want something for you, not something from you. 

·       Ownership costs!

·      Phil. 2:2 - 2 then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 

·       Love one another as I have loved you

·      You must invest to love.

·       kbuynak@adbc.org

·       Step in and give something. 

·       Step up and tithe. 

·       Step out and give according to God’s blessings. 

·       Who can you reach with your story this year? 

·       Will you pray for our new pastor? 

·       What step of ownership do you need to take? 

·       Following Jesus makes your life better and makes you better at life.   

LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

Starter:  Imagine our church in five years.  What will it be like? 

Discussion:

1.      Read Matthew 28:18-20

2.      In your opinion, what keeps a church from being under the authority of Jesus?

3.      In your opinion, why do so many Jesus followers struggle with sharing their story?

4.      Read Deuteronomy 31:7-8

5.      Imagine you are Joshua.  How would you feel as Moses
speaks these words to you in front of all the people of Israel?

6.      Why do you think God might use one leader for one part of the mission and another leader for the next chapter?

7.      What might discourage Joshua?  How can we best
encourage our new pastor?

8.      Read Philippians 2:2

9.      Why do Jesus followers find it hard to love like Jesus?

10.  In your opinion, how can we help people make the choice to own their place in the body of Christ?