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Christlife Posture: Loving Like Jesus

Topic: Reaching Out Beyond My Circle of Friends

Suggested Approach: Choose 1 thing from each of the three boxes

OR Choose 1 from Media or Reflection + 1 from Scripture 

Media Excursions           (Watch/read/listen and be ready to discuss Q's)

Photo

  • “Embrace” by Michael Belk  Have you ever considered intentionally reaching out to someone from another faith? Why or why not?  What "groups" are hard for you to reach out to? 

Video Clip

  • #Eat Together  What kinds of ideas or actions does this clip inspire for you?  Do you think something like this could work in your context? How?

  • Anonymous Love Letters (Upworthy) Sometimes reaching out to others can be more powerful and more simple than we think.  What ideas do you get from this video (or beyond this video) to reach out?

Song

  • “Won’t You Be My Love” (Thad Cockerell)  When you think of reaching out beyond your comfort zone, which of the three scenarios in this song challenge you the most?   Is there someone near or far that this inspires you to reach out to?

Article/Blog

  • Bursting the Christian Bubble (Christine Lambert) How extensive is your "bubble"? What is your desire in regard to bursting that bubble?  How does this article help you think about how to do that? 

Video Teaching

Reflection Options  

Journal  (Reflect on one or more of these questions)

  • When you hear “outside of my circle of relationships”, what do you think of? Who or what groups of people come to mind?  What are some reasons you have not reached out to them before?

  • Has anyone made an effort to reach out to you from outside your circle?  What was that like? What things can you learn from that person’s actions (whether it’s things to avoid or things to emulate)?

  • Think of an instance of Jesus reaching out beyond the Jews.  Make a pro/con list of what the effect of that was.  Why do you think Jesus did it anyway? What were his motivations?

Quote Interaction  (Agree, disagree or otherwise engage with the quote/quotes)

  • You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves. (St. Francis de Sales)

  • Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.  (Benjamin Franklin)

  • Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?  (Abraham Lincoln)

Reading & Reflection from the book, Shaping The Journey of Emerging Adults:

  • Read the “Intentionality” ideas for chapter 9 (pp. 155-160).  Do any of these ideas fit the conversation you have been having? Think about them for yourself.  Then, together, explore potential strengths or weaknesses in relational pursuits.

Explore Scripture

Meditate on one or more of the following passages. Always look them up in context.  Take some time to really explore the verse in relation to this topic.  Look for examples of reaching out or wisdom in how to reach beyond your comfort zone from these verses.  Make a note of what you discover to share later.  See "Learn More About Ways to Study Scripture" below for help in getting the most out of the verse.

  • Matt 5:44-48

  • Luke 10:30-37

  • Luke 14:12-24

  • Luke 15:1-10

  • Romans 13:10

  • Romans 15:7

  • I Corinthians 12:21

  • I Corinthians 13:1-13

  • James 1:19-27

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