We Heard Jesus Could Help

This message was preached at Casey.

Read Romans 10:13-17

Unless we speak how will they hear? (Romans 10:14)
Here we see the Apostle Paul talking about the great promise that those who believe in Jesus will be saved. He then goes down a path of logic asking how will they then be able to call upon the name of Jesus if they have not heard of Him. The message is clear for us, we must share the good news of Jesus with the world!

- Describe the time you first heard the good news of Jesus
- When was the last time you used your words to share the good news of Jesus? How did it go and what motivated you to share?
- What holds you back from sharing the good news of Jesus with others?

Faith comes from hearing the message (Romans 10:17)
When we hear the good news of Jesus it inspires faith! When we hear stories of what God has done and is doing in the world around us it makes us come alive with hope. Sometimes we hold back from sharing the good news because we don’t think people will agree with us. However, the Scriptures tell us that it is as we speak people's faith will be stirred up.

- Describe a time when someone shared a message or story that inspired faith in you. Did you have faith to begin with or did it rise up as you heard the message?
- If faith comes from hearing the word of God, how does this change the way we approach sharing the good news of Jesus with people?

Activity: How to Share Your Story
One easy way to share the good news of Jesus is by sharing our own stories of what God is doing in our lives. The Apostle Paul described it this way,

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Colossians 1:13)

This can be summarised as:

We are rescued from darkness,
and brought into the Kingdom of God.

How would you describe the kingdom of darkness? 
Perhaps you could use words like: Sadness, depression, loneliness, pain, isolation, confusion, apathy, addiction and so forth.

How would you describe the kingdom of God? 
Perhaps you could use words like: Freedom, justice, healing, peace, joy, the presence of God, and restoration of community.

Part A) Using your own words fill in the blanks and share with the group:
Tell a story from your own life where God has rescued you, or transferred you from darkness to the Kingdom of God. Fill in the blanks below by picking a couple of words from the darkness category, and then from the Kingdom of God category to complete your story.

Jesus rescued me from __________,
and brought into __________.

Part B) More than one story
Sometimes we only think about sharing the story of when we first came to Christ. However, as followers of Jesus we have lots of stories of how God has worked in our life. For example, times God has directed us, given us peace, provided for us and so forth. These are great stories that can encourage others and inspire faith.

What story from your own life would you share with someone who:
- Was anxious and worried about life
- Was looking for direction in life
- Was questioning if God was real

Spend some time sharing these stories with one another.

Prayer 
Ask God to reveal the name of someone He wants you to share one of your God stories with this week.

Then pray that you would each have the courage to share your story. Ask God to stir up faith as you speak and that people will be inspired to follow and trust Jesus.