HOPE Discovery Q’s

H – Hear from God

  • What does the passage say? Read it twice out loud or write it out.
  • What does the passage mean? Have each person retell or paraphrase the story in his/her own words (be careful not to skip ahead).

O – Observe what He said

  • What stands out to you?
  • What does the passage teach us about God’s character or personality?
  • What does the passage teach us about human nature/ourselves?

P – Put it into practice

  • How can you apply these lessons to your life?
  • What are you going to do about it? Have each person create an I-will statement that expresses his/her commitment to change this week.

E – Encourage someone

  • Who can you share this with so that they can be encouraged?

Note: Adapted from HOPE acronym used by Novo (h/t Phil Alessi).

New HB Logo

The new HB logo has a few features that are noteworthy…

  • Green color scheme used to show life and growth
  • White lettering used to give contrast and show purity/holiness
  • Vine imagery used to show Christ as the vine and disciples as branches
  • Vines/branches reach beyond the sphere to show the Great Commission

Confident hope

I have been searching for a key verse that exemplifies the life of a Hope Broker – an agent of hope to those who are searching for truth and I was reminded of Ephesians 1:18.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)

Below are some observations and applications to disciple-making:

  1. Paul says that he prays, asking the Lord that the hearts of those to whom he is ministering would be flooded by light (the truth of God’s Word). Disciple-makers pray that the Lord will illuminate the hearts of men and women in order to discover His truth.
  2. God’s truth is abundant (not lacking) and is required to understand the hope we have in Christ. Disciple-makers rely on the abundance of the Holy Spirit to reveal the real Jesus as they study the Word together.
  3. God has called His holy people to live out and share this confident hope. His confidence and holiness are both granted (not earned). Disciple-makers obediently share the grace that God has granted to them.
  4. We are God’s rich and glorious inheritance – Disciple-makers glorify God by bringing others into the Kingdom and share in this rich and glorious inheritance.

15 common mistakes made in DMM/DBS

The following are some common mistakes made in DMM and DBS. They are not listed in any particular order and, depending on the situation, may result in a variety of outcomes. Thankfully, God is able to work through us, despite our mistakes. Please comment with any additional ones that should be added to the list and/or any stories of how to deal with these common mistakes.

  1. Not allowing enough time for the discovery process,
  2. Inviting others based on worldly credentials (family, education, etc),
  3. Not addressing a participant’s lack of participation after multiple visits, 
  4. Misidentifying a Person of Peace (PoP),
  5. Not connecting service/compassion work to PoP search activities,
  6. Not recognizing a PoP’s natural circle of influence (a.k.a. oikos)
  7. Permitting or encouraging teaching/preaching rather than the discovery process,
  8. Attempting to introduce Christ before He introduces Himself,
  9. Assuming that multiplication will happen without intentional planning,
  10. Failing to pray, encourage, and keep each other accountable,
  11. Having a hidden agenda or failing to recognize others’ hidden agendas,
  12. Assuming that we know how to help someone rather than asking them directly,
  13. Insisting that participants adopt our spiritual development goals rather than meeting them where they are,
  14. Using outside materials or other passages to supplement the scriptures,
  15. Not rotating the facilitator role so that everyone has the opportunity to practice.

Count the Stars: A lesson in faith

I was meeting with a Discovery Group in Senegal recently and we read Genesis 15 – the story of the Lord’s covenant with Abram. You may already be familiar with the story, but the Lord showed me an important truth for any disciple-maker:

What does it say?

Here is Genesis 15:1-6 (ESV): “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

What does it mean?

God spoke to Abram in a vision and told him that He would make him into a great nation, but Abram questioned how this could be since he was childless. God told him to look to the heavens and showed him the countless stars and told him that he would have this many offspring.

What do we learn about God or mankind?

  • Abram was childless and had no land. In the same way, we may have limited resources (skills, time, money, connections, etc.)
  • Abram knew that he was serving the Creator, but had difficulty understanding how God would be able to use him to achieve His plan. In the same way, we may also ask God how he can use us to make disciples.
  • God did not chastise Abram, but directs him to look up at the stars. God makes a promise that Abram will be blessed and his descendants will be numerous. In the same way, God speaks to us through Abram’s story and through the Holy Spirit, promising that our ministries will be blessed and multiplied to produce a great harvest for His glory.
  • Abram believed and it was counted as righteousness. We, also, must not doubt, but take faithful steps of obedience.

What are we going to do about it? What is my I-will statement?

I will do as Abram did and, despite my questions, lift my eyes to heaven and believe that God will multiply my limited resources to fulfill the Great Commission.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

– Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

God speaks and we respond

I helped my friend, Mary Skelton, who has partnered with me on the Repentance and Reconciliation DBS series, to launch a new blog called Pray Thru the Bible. As I was was loading content for this site, I immediately recognized the simplicity of her concept – read a chapter of scripture and then form a prayer that responds to it. I have been familiar with the practice of praying through scripture, but haven’t used it frequently.

I suggested a tagline “God speaks and we respond” for Mary’s blog and that resonated with her right away. We used the heading of “God speaks” for the scripture portion and “We Respond” for the prayer portion. This got me thinking…

Isn’t this the essence of a relationship with God – He speaks and we respond? So simple and yet, so powerful. This pattern seems to be the underlying approach of Discovery Bible Study (DBS) too. We read the Word of God, we discover His truth, and then we respond by taking steps of obedience.

How have you seen this pattern play out in your own life? How has God spoken to you through His Word and how has that prompted you to respond in faith?