Back to menu
Courage Crossing Study Work Sheet
Just Walk Across The Room
GRANDER VISION LIVING
‘Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.’ COLOSSIANS 4:5-6
BIG IDEA—GRANDER VISION LIVING
What is Grander Vision Living? It’s allowing other pursuits to fall away in order to focus on the priority that is nearest to the heart of God: People. When you choose to pursue the Grander Vision, you will be partnering with God in the most magnificent mission imaginable: fining what’s lost, restoring what’s broken and reclaiming what’s His.
OVERVIEW
This week, you will be introduced to Jim Glas, a long-time friend of Bill Hybels who is still wrestling with issues of faith. When Jim invited Bill to attend weekly dinner parties at his home, Bill chose to leverage them as spiritual opportunities. You may have similar social situations that you can maximize, or you may wish to investigate a few of your own; either way, this session will reveal the power of the ‘Matthew Party’ as a magnificent catalyst for personal evangelism
VIDEO OPENER (2 Minutes)
ICEBREAKER (8 Minutes)
How can spiritual rituals similar to the one Bill Hybels described reestablish a person’s desire to submit to God’s agendas for their day?
VIDEO TEACHING (15 Minutes)
Video Observations:
GROUP STRIDES, PART A (30 Minutes)
1. Have you ever thought that being a Christian necessarily meant that you had to become a ‘lifestyle referee’ to the world around you? How did it strike you when Bill and Christ-Followers are under no obligation to play such a role?
2. What do you think of the ‘Matthew Party’ concept—an event where you invite a few Christians, several seekers and several people who want nothing to do with God—as presented in this sessions video?
3. Whether or not you’ve ever been involved in a Matthew Party, what fears or concerns would you have about hosting one now?
4. Besides the ‘Highs and Lows’ exercise employed by the group in the video, what other methods could be used to invite meaningful conversation during a Matthew Party?
The Hope in throwing a Matthew Party, as Bill Hybels mentioned in the video, is that in the midst of a social atmosphere, something spiritual would ignite. Seeing this happen firsthand, you will be reminded how crucial it is to tap into God’s supernatural power that’s alive and well in the heart of every believer. The stakes are simply too high in evangelistic situations to ‘go it alone’.
5. Based on the following verses, what do you learn about the Holy Spirit’s involvement in the life of the Christian?
John 14:16-21
Acts 1:8
Romans 8:26-27
John 15:7 says that if you remain in Christ and his word remains in you, you may ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. You might think that since God has the power to grant you whatever you wish, he would always move dramatically in people’s lives. But as was evidenced by Jim and Bill’s decade-long friendship, God’s timing and plans are often different from ours. (See Isaiah 55:8)
6. How Can Christians cultivate God’s degree of patience when it doesn’t seem like any spiritual progress is being made in the lives of people they care about?
7. Jim Glas mentioned in the video that the trust he and Bill forged in their relationship played a key role in Jim reopening his heart to spiritual dialogue. Based on what you have learned in this series, what are some ways you can build trust with people who are so far from God, so that when things finally turn spiritual, they are confident that you have their best interest at heart?
VIDEO SUMMARY (2 Minutes)
By definition, Christians who choose to become walk-across-the-room people live all of their life with the Grander Vision in mind—working, shopping, recreating, and partying with God’s people-priority constantly on their radar. Even if their friends and family members don’t seem initially receptive to spiritual dialogue, they pray believing that one day, perhaps because of their faithfulness to ‘take a walk,’ everyone they know and love will be compelled to submit their lives to Christ.
GROUP STRIDES, PART B (2 Minutes)
Thinking back on the importance of God’s power in evangelistic situations, if the Holy Spirit is the highway that leads to this supernatural power, then the onramp is prayer: constant, fervent prayer. The impact of prayer throughout the Bible is undeniable: healing occurred, barren women bore children, wars were won, wisdom was increased, forgiveness was extended, strength was offered, God’s judgment was stayed, and so on. When have you experienced proof of the power of prayer most significantly in your own life?
PRAYER |