Personnel Changes
October 8, 2023
Your favorite barista took another job. The person who cut your hair for years retired. The manager who hired you and became a friend and mentor resigned suddenly. Personnel changes are disruptive. Sometimes, they result in minor inconveniences, and sometimes, they lead to a tidal wave of change. Join us for part 6 of Philippians: Relentless Joy, where we will see how God uses personnel changes to accomplish His work in our lives.
Passage
Philippians 2:19-30
Principle
A commitment to the ##Gospel## requires a readiness to say “ ##goodbye## .”
God places specific ##people## in your life at particular ##seasons## for precise ##reasons##.
God sends ##people## to stand in the gap between ##heaven## and ##earth##.
Practice
Consider your answers to the following questions.
- Are we ##honoring## those who are sent?
- ##Whom## are we ##sending##?
- Are you ##willing## to be ##sent##?
Small Group Questions
Use this outline for personal reflection, as a couples or family devotion, or with a small group.
HANGOUT
How would you describe your pace of life over the past seven days? “If we are followers of an unhurried Savior, what should our pace of life look like?”
What is the difference between traveling with Jesus and following Him? Read Chapter 2 of An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling to dive deeper into this subject.
HEAR
Jesus and the Crowds:
- Read Luke 4:14-30. What do verses 14 & 15 tell you about Jesus’ popularity? What was the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ message? What influence did the crowd’s admiration for Jesus have on His message? What was Jesus’ response to their reaction?
- Read Luke 5:12-16. Why did Jesus instruct the man not to tell anyone (vs. 14)? What happened after this interaction? What was Jesus’ response to the crowd? Why did He react this way?
- Read Luke 8:40-56. Why should Jesus have been in a hurry? What “distracted” Jesus? What were the consequences? How did Jesus respond to the crowd throughout this passage?
Jesus and His Apprentices:
- Read Matthew 28:1-8 & 16-20. Where did Jesus first direct His disciples to go (vs. 7 & 16)? What did they do when they got there (v. 17)? Where did Jesus direct the disciples to go next (v. 19)? What did He direct them to do there (vs. 19-20)?
- Paul Jensen says this passage, known as the Great Commission, contains two commissions. What does he mean? How important is it for disciples to see Jesus, worship Him, and even wrestle with their doubts before “going to all nations”? What happens when we skip this step? Would obeying Jesus’ first commission make us more or less effective at answering His second?
HUDDLE
On a scale of 1-10, one being a part of the crowd that traveled with Jesus and 10 being a fully committed apprentice, how would you rate your relationship with Jesus? What is your next step to move away from the crowd and toward apprenticeship? Talk about it, invite accountability, and take time to pray together.
Daily Reading
This week’s reading plan focuses on passages in which people were sent, set apart, or separated to accomplish God’s bigger plan. As you read, invite the Holy Spirit to reveal how He might set you apart for His purpose.
- Day 1: Philippians 2
- Day 2: Esther 1-2
- Day 3: Esther 3-5
- Day 4: Esther 6-7
- Day 5: Luke 10
- Day 6: Acts 6
- Day 7: Acts 8
Think Deeper
- Have you ever experienced a separation because of God’s call on someone’s life?
- Have you ever resisted God’s call because you wanted to avoid a separation?
- Has God ever used someone to “make up for what was lacking” in your understanding of the Gospel?
Suggested Reading
Radical, by David Platt
The Insanity of God, by Nik Ripken
An Unhurried Life, Alan Fadling
Check out these and other books from our suggested reading list at https://bit.ly/AspireSMB.