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These notes are for personal application and/or group study.  

Bible Reading: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew Chapters 5-7!), especially Matthew 6:25-34

Understanding:  [NB The section in italics is intended to 'set the scene' for the person leading a group study.  You don't need to read it out the group, unless you think it would be helpful.]

John Piper (an American Pastor) once said 'Mission exists because Worship doesn't' ie that Mission is about Worship because it is about bringing glory to God by bringing in more people to worship Him.  

Jesus had a very clear mission, and he talked to his disciples about mission at various points, but most famously after his resurrection in 'The Great Commission' [Matthew 28:18-20].  Jesus mission was the reason for his incarnation, but his motivation for that mission was fueled by something even more important.  'The Great Commandment' [Matthew 22:36-40] is about loving God and loving others ie all about relationships, firstly with our heavenly Father, then with everybody else.  If we can get this right, 'Mission' moves from being a job or a task that we should do to show that we are grateful to God, and becomes a joy and an opportunity of seeing God at work in transforming lives.

Ultimately 'Mission' is all about looking for people that the Holy Spirit wants to connect to God, and that is where Disciple Making starts.

Application:  Whether we end up with our own building or not, God has called us to Be Disciples and to Make Disciples.

Making Disciples begins with friendship and service or partnership, but it can grow to be life transforming and even change eternal destiny's.

All it takes is love, time and sacrifice ... which is pretty much the same gift that Jesus offered to us.

The question is:  Is 'mission' for people who are more mature than I am, or more gifted than I am, or for people who have more time than I do ... or is mission for everybody and at every stage of life?  (The answer is: Yes, it's for everybody and at every stage of life!)

So, what does that look like for us?  What can it look like?  What should it look like?!

A little more than a year ago, God was speaking to us about increasing our visibility and our credibility in this community.

This building will certainly help increase our 'visibility' ... but the 'credibility' part is not automatic.

Please pray for us as a church as we continue to walk forward into the purposes of God. 

Use Ephesians 4: 11-16 to feed your praying.