Ignite: Growing Your Passion For the Gospel

Session 1: Organic Outreach for Ordinary People

In this session, we will discover many ways that ordinary followers of Jesus can naturally and graciously shine the light of Jesus. From our home, to our neighborhood, to schools, the workplace, on sports fields, and everywhere we go, there are organic ways to fulfill God’s call to be witnesses to the love, grace, and presence of Jesus! We are called to be a candle glowing in the dark, not a spotlight shoved in people’s faces and blinding their eyes!

What is Organic Outreach?

Why is love for God, His Church, and the lost absolutely essential if we are going to bring the hope and truth of Jesus to the world around us?

How does grace propel the mission of Jesus forward in our world? Why does a lack of grace create roadblocks for the gospel?

What happens to our witness and power to shine the light of Jesus when the Church (and believers) compromise on the truth of the Bible?

How can we steward and increase our outreach temperature? The One-Degree Rule.

Who is called to shine the light of Jesus and share the Good News of our Savior?

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the work of Organic Outreach?

How can we open the door for spiritual conversations?

What are ways we can share the Good News of Jesus?

The Gospel GOGO

● God’s Love

● Our Problem

● God’s Solution

● Our Response

Your Story

Other Ways

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:6)

Session 2: Praying With Eyes Wide Open – Organic Prayer

“Pray continually.” (I Thessalonians 5:17) It’s not that you have to pray continually, it’s that you get to pray continually.

Many people in the Bible prayed with eyes wide open. (Genesis 24:42-45)

Nehemiah prayed in the middle of his conversation. (Nehemiah 2:2-5)

Even Jesus prayed with His eyes wide open!

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1)

Feeding of the Five Thousand- Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. (Mark 6:41a)

When you pray with your eyes wide open, you can pray all the time. That unleashes the power of God!

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 1:18-20)

OURMINDSET “Learning to pray in the power of God is the primary place we learn to live with the power that God gives us.”- Dallas Willard

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

“In prayer, real prayer we begin to think God’s thoughts after Him: to desire the things He desires, to love the things He loves. Progressively we are taught to see things from His point of view.”- Richard Foster

When you pray with your eyes wide open (spiritually and physically), you can discern spiritual openness and be ready to share your story and His story.

God Is Present and Powerful (Exodus 3:11,13-14)

Jesus assured us that His sheep recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. …His sheep follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:4)

The issue is not, is God speaking, but are you listening?

Prayer is not a formula to master so we can master God.

Start each day asking God for opportunities.

How to Pray: Lab time…

1. Make a list

2. Journaling our prayers

3. Listening Prayer: Ask God how you should pray

4. Pair prayer with another activity, or routine prayers

5. Silent Prayers

6. Challenge Prayers

7. Scripture Prayers: Allow the Word of God to shape your prayers

8. Prayer walking (or running)

9. Text or email prayers

10. Natural prayers weaved into your conversation

Session 3: Organic Disciples

In this session, we will see how growing in Jesus (Discipleship) leads to going with Jesus (Evangelism). When we take steps forward as disciples, we always move in the direction Jesus is going. As we mature in faith, our love for lost and wandering sheep reflects the passion and compassion of our Savior. An Organic Disciple grows in the fruit of the Spirit so that their character is shaped by the will of God. Then, their practices of spiritual growth make them more like Jesus and lead them to go into the world and make disciples of all nations!

How can I know I am growing as a disciple?

Is discipleship bigger than my relationship with Jesus?

What is the relationship between Discipleship and Evangelism?

• How does growing in the Scriptures make me more like Jesus and move me into the world with the gospel? (Bible Engagement)
• How can prayer change the world and unleash the Good News of Jesus? (Passionate Prayer)
• How does wholehearted worship draw the lost to the heart of the Savior? (Wholehearted Worship)
• What happens when we serve others the way Jesus served us? (Humble Service)
• What might God do when we share our resources with a generous heart like Jesus? (Joyful Generosity)
• How will the world know we are followers of Jesus and what difference does this make? (Consistent Community)
• Why did Jesus come to live among us? What was His mission statement? (Organic Outreach)

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Additional Resources:

Organic Disciples, Seven Ways to Grow Spiritually and Naturally Share Jesus book by Kevin and Sherry Harney

Spiritual Growth Self-Assessment available at www.OrganicOutreach.org