SERIES TITLE
Courageous Week 2
series overview
In a world that rewards conformity and celebrates mediocrity, what does it mean to live a life of courage? What would it look like to get outside our comfort zones and have the boldness to expect more? Join us on a courageous journey beyond the beaten path as we uncover the extraordinary life God has designed for each of us.
sermon TITLE
Courageously Weird
Sermon Summary
Gene Appel’s message “Courageously Weird” encourages listeners to embrace a different way of living by following Jesus, even when it means being labeled as weird by society. He reflects on personal experiences and the importance of living out Jesus’s teachings, like loving enemies and forgiving others. Gene challenges believers to choose the narrow path of following Jesus over conforming to societal norms that end nowhere. Ultimately, he invites his audience to make the courageous choice to live a life centered on following Jesus, promising purpose, joy, and fulfillment in return.
ice breaker
If you could live in any fictional world from a book or movie, which one would you choose and why? What is it about that world that would make you want to experience it?
DISCUSSion
Select 3-4 questions from the list below to guide your discussion time.
- Read Matthew 7:13-14. If the wide road leads to destruction, then why do you think so many people use it? If the narrow road leads to life, why do you think few people use that road? Can you think of people you know who have illustrated both these roads and their destinations for you?
- Gene said that if you want what normal people have, do what normal people do. What is normal in our culture when it comes to schedule, money, relationships, and faith?
- Proverbs 16:25 describes how people can think and believe something so intensely that they don’t see the consequences. How does Jesus’ teaching in John 10:9 add detail for finding the best way in life?
- Explore the Message version of Romans 12:1-2 What fresh insights on this topic do you get from this idiomatic translation?
- Read 1 Peter 2:11-12 in the Message version also. Has your way of life ever refuted someone’s prejudices about Christians? Tell the story if it did.
WRAP UP & PRAYER
Please share any prayer requests you might have.
- Ask for prayer requests first.
- Ask God to help us embrace being different in a God-focused way.
- Pray for courage to follow Jesus daily, even when it’s challenging.
- Pray for support and understanding within the group as we strive to live out these teachings.