The Patterns of This World
Mason Cornelius
Review this week's message.
Key Thought: Choose to live an unlimited life for God.
Key Quote
“Often, the ‘inner me’ is our worst enemy. Negative thoughts won’t lead us to a positive life.” - Mason Cornelius
Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.
- What sport or club were you involved with in high school?
- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- What’s your favorite thing about, or memory of, Church Unlimited?
- If you could pick any career other than the one you have, what would it be?
Start thinking. Ask a thoughtful question.
- How can someone’s surroundings affect their mindset towards life?
- Mason shared a stat that the average American has over 500 negative thoughts a day. How can we counter these thoughts?
- If our trains of thought tend to go negative, how can we drive our trains to a positive track?
- What is stopping you from living the life you dream about?
Start sharing. Choose questions that create openness.
- When was the last time you shared your faith with someone? What did it look like?
- Do you need to change your surroundings? Do the people around you push you closer or further away from Jesus?
- What do you have in your environment that makes you feel limited?
- How has knowing God changed your life? Now that you’ve told that to the group, commit to telling it to the one person God put on your heart during the message.
Start praying. Be bold, and pray with power.
Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us. Help us to choose our community wisely and share your love with others more urgently. In your name we pray, Amen.
Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- It’s our church’s heart and God’s heart “To take as many people to Heaven as we can before we die. Period.” Write someone’s name on your wrist that God has placed on your heart to share the Gospel with this week. Don’t wipe it off until you’ve reached out and shared the good news with them.
- Our community can make or break us. Write out the names of your five closest friends, and put a check by the names of those who push you closer to Jesus and an “X” by the names of those who push you further away from Jesus. Spend more time with the friends who are positive influences and begin lovingly distancing yourselves from those who are a negative influence.
- Write a positive scripture or affirmation on your mirror and state it out loud every day to start your train of thought on a positive track.
- Who is your “one” that God laid on your heart? How are you planning on following through? Make a plan, tell the group about the plan, then carry out the plan.
Scriptures
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45 NIV