As You Go: Your Story

May 30/31, 2015



READ Acts 26:12-29
Saul turned Paul has one of the most powerful stories in the Bible. 

• What are the points of Paul's story that you find most compelling? 
• Do you feel that you need to be speaking to kings to make a difference? 
• Would you agree or disagree that through the lens of Paul's transformation, there's hope for all of us to become more like Jesus as we go? 

SHARE with each other a story from the Bible that means a lot to you. What is it about this story that touches you? What have you learned as you've spent time contemplating this story? What makes you passionate about it?

What about your story? How does that fit into God's story? Can you define your story and explain it simply? Maybe it's time to come to know your own story. CHECK out the next steps below for some ideas. HELP each other fine tune your stories.

What about other people's stories? How do their stories intersect with your story and with God's story? Often, the best way to share our story with others is to listen first to their story. Are you intentional about building relationships and getting to know a person? Do you seek to LISTEN and ASK good questions to clarify and draw out a person's story? 

How do you LIVE OUT your story as a way of sharing with others? Are you aware of those people God places in your life each day who need to see Jesus? 

• SPEND TIME with your small group sharing your story.
• SHARE with your group how your story has intersected with another person's story. CELEBRATE those moments God has brought you together for His purposes. 
• MAKE A LIST of people in your lives who need to hear God's story. TAKE this list with you this week to continue praying for people as they journey. 
• PRAY Colossians 4:2-6 together.
• PRAY for opportunities to share with others.

next steps

     worship
THANK God for your small group, for their support in your life, and for the opportunity to be part of God's story together.

     belong
Do you know a few people who need a group to Belong to? INVITE them to church, or ENCOURAGE them to join a group. You could even go as far as joining a short-term group with them until they become more comfortable.

     grow
If you need to spend more time reflecting on your story, author Beth Moore gives a great tool in the book Believing God (chapter 12). She suggests outlining our stories with a timeline. Here's the process... 

1. Draw a timeline with a big dot at the beginning and a big dot at the end. Record your DOB at the beginning. 
2. Record your current age at the end. 
3. Break the timeline into five segments. Breaking your life up helps to organize your thoughts. 
4. If you received Christ, mark that on your timeline with a cross. 
5. Take several days or even weeks to recognize moments in your life where you see God's work in your faith life. Mark these moments on your timeline. Even in a tumultuous life, God places people and events in our lives to draw us to Him. Here are some questions to think about... What re-locations or moves have you made? Are there any births or deaths that had a great effect on you? Did God place people in your life who made a great impact on you? Did you ever attend Bible camp, a conference, revival, or school that became life changing to your faith? Has there been any significant event, positive or negative, that has had an effect on your faith? Have you been baptized? Beth states on p. 179, "God has been there all along, even before you acknowledged Him as Savior." TAKE some time to recognize God's hand in your life. That's your story intersecting with His story!

     serve
Are you serving somewhere? By serving, we open doors for sharing our stories with others. CONSIDER how you can do small things for others that make a big difference on God's eternal timeline.

     share
In the book Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels, Bill asks us to condense our story into a one minute before and after pattern (p. 122-123). e.g. Before Jesus, Mary Magdelene was possessed by seven demons, but after Jesus she was free of the demons. Before Jesus, Zacchaeus was a cheating tax collector, but after Jesus he was generous. Before Jesus, the woman at the well was of no value to five husbands nor the man she lived with, but after Jesus she felt her worth. FIND a simple way to explain who you used to be and who you are now.