Echo Church
Discussion Guide

Our Circle is Open

Pastor Paul Feuerstein
|
September 15, 2024

Main Idea

The central message from Pastor Paul was about the significance of keeping our relational circles open, just as Jesus did. He illustrated this through two biblical stories where Jesus and his disciples encountered individuals outside their immediate group. In the first story, Jesus welcomed someone driving out demons in His name, despite the disciples' reluctance. In the second story, Saul, after his transformation, faced resistance from the disciples due to fear. Pastor Paul encouraged us to follow Jesus' example and resist the temptation to close off our circles, reminding us that heaven will be filled with people from every race, tribe, and tongue. Echo Church embraces this by keeping our relational circle open and pushing past fear.

Scripture References

Mark 9:38-41, Acts 9:26, Acts 9:27, Psalm 133:1-2, Acts 9:28-30, Acts 9:31

When was the last time you stepped outside your relational comfort zone and took a risk?

To see what no one else can see, you must be willing to do what no one else is willing to do.

How can we ensure that our church's relational circle remains open to new people?

Discussion Questions:

What fears might be preventing us from welcoming new individuals into our community, and how can we overcome them?

Can you share a time when you felt welcomed into a new group and how it impacted your faith journey?

How can we follow Barnabas's example and be a 'but' in someone's story of faith?

There's nothing like the family of God when it's right; there is safety, healing, protection, and love.

Summary

Last week at Echo Church, we saw relationships begin and people rally to the vision as Pastor Paul Feuerstein introduced us to the new series 'This is Us.' The series aims to equip us to lead people to life in Jesus. We learned that like individuals, churches have unique personalities, and Echo Church is characterized by keeping our relational circle open. Pastor Paul shared how the early followers of Jesus struggled with closed circles, which hindered the inclusion of new believers. He emphasized the importance of welcoming new people to ensure the church thrives, including those from different backgrounds and those starting their spiritual journey from scratch.

Call to Action

Some next steps to take this week:

Take Jesus' name for yourself, recognizing Him as the gatekeeper and the only way in.

Move your eyes outside your circle at church, ensuring no one is alone, and take a loving risk this week by getting into a group or starting one.

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