Deploy the Called | Deep and Wide | Week 4
Opening
Start your group by praying for the Shrode church plant. Pray for the right people to join their team, for gospel conversations to happen with the right people, for them to have clarity and discernment over their next steps.
Overview
Another aim of Deep and Wide is to deploy the called. Sitting among us are people who are called to church plant, to go to other cities and work, to go to the unreached people groups and share the gospel. There are a lot of reasons that called people do not go. We may emphasize safety and success over participating in God’s mission. Or we might desire control and compensation before we accept God’s invitation to join the work.
We want to be a church that helps people identity their calling and that gathers around to send them. The Holy Spirit calls and equips workers to give and go to start new churches to reach new people. Both for the goers and the senders, the Holy Spirit is the perfect faith-builder, team-builder, and strategy-builder.
Discussion Questions
- Who has helped you hear and obey God’s voice?
- Are you currently called to be a giver or a goer?
Practice
Acts 13:1 Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
Prayerfully read the Scripture passage out loud. Consider together how you are making space to ask questions of the Spirit and listen for God’s voice. If no one is regularly making time for that, brainstorm together how that could become part of your time, both individually and when you are together.
Commit to praying specifically about whether God has called people in your group to be goers. If someone is curious about what that looks like, come around them in support and prayer. If no one is currently called to go, consider ways that you can come around and support a goer with prayer and finances and any other way you can think of.
Closing
Pray for the people in our church who are called to go.