1 Peter 3:8
1 Corinthians 12:27

As a community of faith, we can encourage each other.
Hebrews 10:23-25
As a community of faith, we can strengthen one another.
Proverbs 27:17 NIV
1 Thessalonians 5:14-22
As a community of faith, we can correct/restore one another.
Galatians 6:2
As a community of faith, we can support one another.
1 Corinthians 12:26

1 Corinthians 12:27
I am committed to deepening relationships in our community of faith.

Follow Up Questions to Week 9 Message
1 Corinthians 12:27 says Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. We talked about different aspects of what a community of faith can do for us. How have you experienced each of these the following aspects of community here at Portico?

encourage one another in our faith.
strengthen one another as w4 follow Jesus.
correct one another when we are in error.
restore one another back to Jesus.
support one another in good times and bad.

Are there areas you feel you/we are good at? Are there areas you/we need to grow in?
I am committed to deepening relationships in our community of faith.
In what ways are you pursuing deeper relationships with others at Portico? Are you allowing people to speak into your life? Are you lovingly speaking into other people’s lives as well?

Each week we’ll continue to challenge ourselves with making greater effort to share the gospel with people around us who don’t know Jesus. There are five “steps” we can take to be sure we are doing this consistently:
PRAY for those who don’t believe.
CONNECT with those who don’t know Jesus.
ENGAGE in spiritual conversations.
SHARE the gospel message.
INVITE others to discover and follow Jesus.

Engage. That’s the next step to take. Look for ways to engage the people you are praying for in spiritual conversations.

Each person you are praying for has a unique life and circumstances. Give some thought and prayer as to HOW you could go about initiating a spiritual conversation with each person on your list if the opportunity arises. Is there something happening in their life that you could speak to, or add some spiritual insight, that might draw them toward Jesus?

Pray that God would open doors to those opportunities for you in the next few days with one or more of the people on your list. Ask him to prompt you, letting you know who you should reach out to this week.

Philemon 1:4-6

We are doing it, but aren’t good at it.
We are doing it, but people aren’t open to Jesus.
We just aren’t doing it.
Romans 1:16a (end after: believes…”)

Jesus is God’s plan for salvation, but I am God’s plan for sharing it with the world.

Matthew 28:18-20
Romans 10:14
2 Timothy 4:1-2
1 Peter 3:15

Everything in a house that needs repair or attention is a war that has not yet been fought. ~Jordan B. Peterson:

PRAY. CONNECT. ENGAGE. SPEAK. INVITE.

I am sharing the gospel with others around me.

Follow Up Questions to Week 5 Message

I am sharing the gospel with those around me.

Is this statement true for you? To what degree? What are main things that stand in the way: Inadequacy? Fear? Apathy? Inadequacy? Something else?

In the message we talked about these ideas:

PRAY for those who don’t believe.

CONNECT with those who don’t know Jesus. 

ENGAGE in spiritual conversations.

SHARE the gospel message.

INVITE others to discover and follow Jesus. 

PRAY. CONNECT. ENGAGE. SHARE. INVITE.

Which ones are easiest for you?   Which ones do you struggle with the most?  Why do you think that is?

In the message, you were extended an invitation to join in a renewed effort to fight on behalf of those who do not yet know Jesus. If you are willing to step into it, write down the names of 3-5 (or more) people that you will pray for each day or throughout the week.

Pray that their hearts and minds would be open to Jesus.  Pray that they would see him at work in their lives. Pray that God would use you to help them come to know Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17
2 Corinthians 5:10-21
2 Corinthians 5:10
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Luke 19:11-26 (don’t put the verses up for this one, just list the passage)
2 Corinthians 5:11
2 Corinthians 5:12
2 Corinthians 5:13
2 Corinthians 5:14
2 Corinthians 5:15
2 Corinthians 5:16
2 Corinthians 5:17
Christ cannot be our Savior without also being our Lord
Matthew 7:21-23
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
2 Corinthians 5:20
Our identity is as messengers
2 Corinthians 5:21

(There are no follow-up questions for this particular message.)

Follow Up Questions to Week 5 Message

Who are “your people” – the people you feel you connect with most deeply?

Psalm 100:3 suggests that we belong to God; we are His people. Do you experience a deep connection to Jesus, just as you do with others who you are close to in life? Why do you think that is (or isn’t) the case?

I am chosen. I am valued. I am secure. I am loved (deeply, for certain and forever).

Which of those statements do you most resonate with?  Which ones are hardest for you to embrace? Why do you feel that way?

I am growing in deeper connection with the Lord.

Is this true in your life these days? What do you find hindering you from connecting more deeply with Jesus? What obstacles seem to be standing in the way? Is there anything you can do to minimize or remove those obstacles in your life? 

Selfish Desire
Selfish Jealousy

Gen 11:1-9
Genesis 9:1
Selfish Ambition
Selfish Pride
Luke 12:13-21
Selfish Greed
Luke 16:19-31
Selfish arrogance
Psalm 14:1
Selfish Unbelief

Selfish Sinfulness vs Selfless Surrender

I am surrendering to Jesus, making him central in every aspect of my life.

Follow Up Questions to Week 4 Message

Read these passages: Luke 6:46-49 and Matthew 7:21, 24-27 They weren’t mentioned in the message, but may be familiar. What do they say to you about following and obeying Jesus? 

In what ways do the following areas of selfish sinfulness get in the way of you following Jesus more closely?

selfish desires           jealousy         ambition                    pride   

arrogance                  greed              disobedience             unbelief

“The antidote to selfish sinfulness is selfless surrender.”         Agree or disagree?  Why? 

The overarching point of the message was that we need to stop trying to be our own God and surrender to Jesus. This week’s key statement was: 

I am surrendering to Jesus, making him central in every aspect of my life.  

Is this true for you in general? Are there specific areas of struggle and resistance, where your life you need to raise a white flag and surrender to Jesus? Why do you think these areas are so difficult for you? Is there someone you can talk and pray with about these things?

Galatians 2:11-21 (NLT)
1 John 3:4 (NLT) and (ESV)

“It was a blessed illustration of substitution – the innocent dying in the stead of the guilty” – Arthur Pink

Isaiah 53:5-7 (NIV)
Hebrews 10:1-4, 11-12, 18 (NLT)
John 1:29 (NLT)

“It’s always been about this substitutionary sacrifice that mankind has needed from the beginning because we were never able to obey the law” – Francis Chan

Galatians 2:16 (NLT)
Romans 3:20 (NLT)
Galatians 2:17-21 (NLT)

I am certain that Jesus is the source of eternal life.

“I love it when a plan comes together” – John “Hannibal” Smith

Follow Up Questions to Week 3 Message

God’s plan of salvation: God sent His only son, Jesus, who lived a perfect life, then gave it for us by dying on a cross. His death made a way for sinful, fallen people to be right again with a perfect, holy God. When we put our faith in Him, we are made righteous, and have eternal life with God through Jesus. 

Galatians 2:16 says “…yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ”

Can you think of people, places and times when you heard someone share God’s Plan (the gospel) with you?  (IE – in your family, in church, having coffee with a friend, etc) Describe some of those moments.

If you were asked to share the basics of God’s plan with someone else, what are the things you would mention? How comfortable would you be sharing it?

I am certain that Jesus is the source of eternal life.

Is this true for you? If so, why are you so convinced?  If not, what is holding you back from being convinced?  What are the biggest question you have about God’s plan of salvation?

Exodus 3:1-14
Exodus 34:1-8

I AM merciful.
I AM gracious.
I AM slow to anger.
I AM abounding in strong steadfast love.
I AM just.
I AM forgiving.
I AM faithful.

Other characteristics of God:

I AM creator
I AM infinite and eternal.
I AM all-powerful
I AM holy.
I AM righteous.
I AM all-knowing (and wise).
I AM kind and I AM good.
I AM sovereign.

I am longing to know who God really is.

Exodus 34:8

Follow Up Questions to Week 2 Message
If you were asked to describe yourself to someone, how would you describe “you?” What things stand out the most to you about yourself?

Where does God fit in that picture? Do you know him in a personal way? How well do you know him?

If you were asked to describe yourself to someone, how would you describe “you?”  What things stand out the most to you about yourself? 

I am longing to know who God really is.

Is that statement true for you? Why or why not? What things in life prevent you from really knowing God in a deeper way?

God wants us to know Him. Following are some passages of scripture that point to the specific characteristics of God and His nature. Select one or two topics each day and read the verses related to it.  As you read the verses, please consider the following questions: 

What do these verses show me about who God is? 

Has anything I read changed my perspective of God?  

In what ways has my understanding of God been confirmed or strengthened? 

Here are the verses to look up:

I AM merciful 2 Chronicles 33:1-13 Jonah chapters 3-4 Luke 23:26-43 John 8:2-11

I AM gracious 2 Kings 13:1-6, 22-23 Psalm 103:13 Ephesians 2:8-9  2Corinthians 12:1-10

I AM slow to anger Genesis 15:12-16 Psalm 103:8-10 Micah 7:18-19  1Timothy 1:15-16  2Peter 3:3-4, 8-9

I AM abounding in strong, steadfast love Psalm 103:11 Deuteronomy 7:6-9 Isaiah 63:7

I AM just Genesis 18:20-33 Psalm 9:7-10 Isaiah 30:18 Acts 10:34-35

I AM forgiving Psalm 32:5 Psalm 103:12 Psalm 130:1-14 1John 1:9

I AM faithful Psalm 36:5 Micah 7:20 2 Timothy 2:11-13

I AM creator Gen 1:1 Nehemiah 9:6  Jeremiah 32: 17 Psalm 8:3-4 Colossians 1:16 Romans 11:36

I AM infinite and eternal  Psalm 90:2 Colossians 1:17 Revelations 1:8

I AM all-powerful Psalm 115:3 2 Chronicles 20:6 Job 42:2 Jeremiah 32:27

I AM holy Exodus 15:11 Psalm 96:9 1 Samuel 2:2  Isaiah 6:1-3 Revelations 15:4

I AM righteous Psalm 11:7 Psalm 145:17 Romans 3:21-22 

I AM all-knowing (and wise) Psalm 44:21 Psalm 139:1-4 Psalm 147:5 1 Kings 8:38-39 Romans 11:33-36

I AM kind and I AM good. Psalm 34:8 Psalm 69:16 Psalm 100:5 James 1:17 Titus 3:3-7

I AM sovereign. Psalm 115:3 Isaiah 46:10 Job 42:2 Jeremiah 32:17