MISSIONS: Pray for Roger and Laurie K. They are missionaries in East Africa. They work with Live Dead, which plants churches among unreached people groups through teams. Learn more at livedead.org

COMMUNITY: Pray for people who are considering gun violence. Pray for families that have been affected by gun violence. Pray for safety in our nation.

CHURCH: Pray for opportunity and provision for us to plant in new communities.

What is more dangerous: not knowing what to do or trying to do everything? Why?

What is the power of “want”?

How does “want” lose its power?

John 13:34-35

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Mark 12:31

31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

James 2:8-9

31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Galatians 5:14

14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 10:14

10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Deuteronomy 15:10-11

10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

1 John 3:16-18

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

James 2:14

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

Hebrews 13:15-16

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Matthew 5:38-42

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

James 1:27

27 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.

Luke 3:10-11

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Ephesians 4:14-16

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Where do you see these concepts leading you?

Local • Early • Together

How do you move from “want to” to action as it pertains to local, early and together?

Read Romans 6:1-14.

What picture of God did you grow up with? Was He the loving father, no-fun rule enforcer, the angry or distant father, the old man with the beard in the sky, or some other picture?

How do you feel/what do you think when you’ve done something amazing or accomplished something great?

How do you feel/what do you think when you’ve made a huge mistake or done something terrible?

What does it mean to be alive?

What’s one thing you feel defines your being alive-ness?

Is it possible to do “Christian” things and not know Jesus? How?