Connect:
- Open in prayer.
- What’s one cultural tradition from another country that you find fascinating or beautiful?
Discuss:
1. When you hear that there are over 50 countries where it is costly to follow Jesus, what emotions or thoughts come to mind? How might those feelings shape the way you pray for believers in these countries?
2. Describe your understanding of the difference between being a pioneer in missions and being a partner. What are the benefits and challenges of these approaches?
3. What does sacrificial giving look like for you personally? In what ways might God be inviting you to greater generosity for the sake of the gospel?
4. Sometimes our Western culture shapes how we communicate or live out the gospel. What are some examples of cultural baggage that can get in the way of people hearing the good news clearly? Share any stories of a cultural faux pas you may have accidentally committed. What did you learn through that experience about being a learner of culture?
5. “Business as Transformation” is about bringing gospel influence through legitimate work in hard and dark places where typical missionaries cannot get a visa to enter. How does this expand your understanding of what missions looks like today? What skills or abilities do you possess that could be used on a short-term team to give lift to a community?
Prayer – choose one:
- According to Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net), over 5,000 people groups comprising 24% of the world’s population (almost two billion people) are without any visible gospel witness. These groups, called Frontier Peoples, are primarily Muslim and Hindu and are found in North Africa, the Middle East, and all across Asia. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few so pray for more workers, even if that means going yourself, sending your own kids, or sponsoring someone you know who feels called to go. Pray that we will finish the task Jesus has given us by taking the gospel to every ‘ethne’ (Matt 24:14) so that He can return to establish His rule and reign.
- The very worst places to be a Christian are North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and India. Yet, through stories that are shared anecdotally, it is clear that the faith of believers in these countries is profound and that faith is growing in these unlikely places. Pray for the church to grow and even thrive in the midst of persecution. Pray that the gates of hell will never prevail and that Jesus will be exalted. Pray that those who lose family, jobs, and even their own lives, will be powerful witnesses for the gospel, planting seeds that will fall on receptive soil.