From Program to Practice

Matthew 28:18-20

By Pastor Craig Phelps, March 26, 2022

Introduction: This week we are going to begin doing some self-examination. We are going to begin looking at our mission as a church and as individual believers. We are going to be asking some hard questions and looking at the scriptures to see if there is some room for improvement (hint: there is always room for improvement). I would encourage you to listen to the message and then look at the questions to further process what we are considering.

  1. What are some current trends in the church (not just Gorman) and society that concern you?
  2. How would you describe to an outsider what the purpose of the church is?
  3. In Matthew 28:18-20 and according to the insight that pastor Craig shared in the message, when and where does it seem that Jesus wants this disciple making to happen?
  4. If disciple-making is limited to inside the church at a certain time and covering a certain topic then how might that method alone fail to meet the needs of certain people?
  5. If the beginning of disciple making is evangelism, who do you encounter as you go about your day that needs to hear the gospel? How might you start the conversation about Jesus?
  6. Surely, you encounter Christians regularly inside and outside of the church. Do you have spiritual conversations with them or do you just talk about secular stuff? How could you change the way you talk so that you might help them or they might help you in some way along this path of being a disciple?
  7. Think back over that past month. What opportunities did you miss to share the gospel or to encourage a brother or to pray for someone one-on-one or even to share a struggle you are having or a question you have about the faith with another believer? How might you do things differently when those situations arise again?
  8. What info or resources or abilities do you think you really need to do this better?
  9. Find another Christian sometime this week and go over these questions together. Talk about how you can better be an active disciple maker as you go about your daily life. Pray with them and for them at the end.