SOCIAL / SERVICE PROJECT Plans!  Yes, you can do a social online and make an impact in our community even when you’re “Stay @ Home!”  We’ve got some great ideas!

Online Group Social Ideas –  Go to https://lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/group-socials/ to get more details and links that can help you figure out how to put the ideas into action! Enjoy!

Service Project Options – If you’re still looking for a service project idea, check out some options on our Community Service website https://northcoastcommunityservice.org/.

Meeting Online Reminders &  “PRO TIPS”

• Resend your meeting link to everyone in your group.
• Continue to log on early if some are arriving a bit early. Welcome people in.  
• Change it Up – Changing the flow of your meeting can create a new energy and increase engagement. Here are some ideas: Pray at the start of group instead of the end; break into groups in the beginning and then come back together; have each person in your group look up 2-3 extra verses relating to one of the questions in the homework and be ready to share them in the meeting, etc.  
• DISCUSSION TIP / BREAKOUT ROOM REMINDER
  • BREAKOUT ROOM PRO TIP – Break into small groups to ensure you’re hearing from everyone! Zoom offers a breakout room option, but don’t worry if you’re using a platform that doesn’t give you that option; we have a work-around below.

• • Zoom Breakout Room Tutorial 

• • Breakout room work-around for other platforms – Even if the platform you’re using doesn’t have the breakout room option, you can still do it by having another person in your group host and create an additional meeting at the same time on the platform you’re using. Send the link to who you want in the other room, and now you have two rooms to meet in.

• • What to do in the room – Before you break into smaller groups, remember to give the questions you want your group to answer, a general length of time they will be in the room and when they are coming back to meet with the group as whole. You can use room time to discuss a question and then join back together, divide into smaller groups for prayer time or divide into men / women only groups.

ATTENDANCE
Submit your group’s attendance online at northcoastchurch.com/attendance. If you’re not sure how to post attendance, you can check out the guide here: lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/how-to-post-attendance

Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or something that caught your attention, challenged or confused you?

1. This weekend Larry shared “to fulfill our calling, we must know our calling.” When you think about the idea of knowing your calling, how do you respond?

a. The concept of a calling confuses me.
b. My calling seems very vague.
c. I don’t currently know my calling, but I want to discover what God has for me.
d. I know my calling but struggle to prioritize it.
e. I am living in the sweet spot of my calling.

Discussion Note: This can be a great start to see where everyone is in regard to identifying their calling. Larry defined our specific assignment (also referred to as “our calling at this time”) as using our SKILLS, RELATIONSHIPS and ROLES to help advance the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). To help discover your skills, a spiritual gift assessment might be a great place to start. We discussed spiritual gifts in our Life Groups in the Winter quarter of 2020 in week 7: https://lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/leader-guide-2020-winter-week-7/.

• FOR GIFTS:
  • Here is a spiritual gift inventory: https://giftstest.com/test/signup
  • Definitions of Spiritual Gifts: https://giftstest.com/allgifts
  • Here is an in-depth 9-week study with video on finding your spiritual gifts and abilities: https://open.life.church/resources/1934-chazown-experience
• FOR RELATIONSHIPS: Make a list of the people you have spent time with in the last week or month. Who have you spent the most time with? Is there someone God might want you to spend more time with? Is there someone God might want to you to spend more quality or intentional time with?
• FOR ROLES: Make a list of the roles you play. Think through the circles of your involvement: family, friends/neighbors/hobbies, church/Life Group and work/school. Which roles stand out? What are the top three to five roles getting the majority of your time? Is there a role in which you want to sharpen your skills? Is there a role you want to release so you may be able to lean into something that may be more of a strength for you?

2. This weekend we learned as Christians our “main thing” needs to fit under the umbrella of the Great Commission. When you think about your part in the Great Commission, what roles have you played in the past? What roles do you hope to play in the future?

Discussion Note: This question can help your group dig into the Great Commission further. Feel free to lean into Larry’s examples of roles at war or under the umbrella of the Great Commission. Sometimes we can think the Great Commission means all of us are only evangelists—we can encourage our group members to use their gifts, skills, passions and the relationships around them to help them further identify their role in the Great Commission. This question can be a helpful lead into the “Digging Deeper” question #2.

1. This past weekend we were encouraged to keep first things first. In 2 Timothy 2:4-7, Paul is encouraging Timothy with a similar message. Read the passage below and make a note of anything that might stand out to you about what it means to keep first things first.

2 Timothy 2:4-7 New International Version (NIV)
⁴ No one serving as a SOLDIER gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. ⁵ Similarly, anyone who competes as an ATHLETE does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. ⁶ The hardworking FARMER should be the first to receive a share of the crops. ⁷ Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Let’s think about the soldier, athlete and farmer:

Discussion Note: Feel free to choose one (or any combination) of the soldier, athlete or farmer. They are slightly different but all point toward the intentionality of living out our calling.

The soldier has to stay focused in order to avoid getting entangled in civilian affairs. What are some examples of how a soldier could get entangled in a civilian life?

What are some of the things that might entangle you as you pursue your calling?

The athlete has to play by the rules in order to win the competition. What things might tempt you to take a shortcut or ignore the rules when it comes to accomplishing your God-given assignment?

 The farmer has to be patient in order to be rewarded with his share of the crops. What things might cause you to become impatient and lose focus on your life’s top priorities?

 Can you think of someone you know who models the principle “keeping first things first?” What stands out to you about this person?

Discussion Note: Sometimes it can be helpful to look outside of ourselves and think about how someone else has modeled this for us.

Additional Questions:

• Can you think of a time when you focused your energy/efforts/attention away from your God-given priorities? What impact did that have on you and those around you?
• Can you think of a time when you were giving your all toward a goal/calling? What was the result?

2. This weekend Larry defined our “main thing” as our God-given assignment in the body of Christ. Jesus modeled knowing and prioritizing His life around His “main thing” in Luke 4:40-44. Notice how Jesus chose not to heal people because He needed to move on to other towns to continue His mission.

Luke 4:40-44 New International Version (NIV)
⁴⁰ At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹ Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. ⁴² At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Note: Jesus’ self-proclaimed mission (v.43) can be directly tied to the Great Commission Jesus gave in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus models early on in His ministry what He calls us to do.

Can you think of a time when you had to say “no” to a good thing in order to say “yes” to your God-given assignment?

Note: Saying YES to things that closely align to our assignment/calling is one of the most helpful things we can do. One exercise that may help is to keep a log of how you spend your time over a week. Then, reflect on your priorities compared to how you spent your time.

• Here are some printable examples of time logs: https://www.wordtemplatesonline.net/time-log-sheets/

With shelter-in-place, schools closed, and our current work-from-home orders, how would you define your specific assignment (skills, relationships and roles) in the Great Commission at this time?

Discussion Note: If you didn’t cover this in “My Story” question #1, this can be a great start to see where everyone is in regard to identifying their calling. Larry defined our specific assignment (also referred to as “our calling at this time”) as using our SKILLS, RELATIONSHIPS and ROLES to help advance the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). To help discover your skills, a spiritual gift assessment might be a great place to start. We discussed spiritual gifts in our Life Groups in the Winter quarter of 2020 in week 7: https://lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/leader-guide-2020-winter-week-7/.

• FOR GIFTS:
  • Here is a spiritual gift inventory: https://giftstest.com/test/signup
  • Definitions of Spiritual Gifts: https://giftstest.com/allgifts
  • Here is an in-depth 9-week study with video on finding your spiritual gifts and abilities: https://open.life.church/resources/1934-chazown-experience
• FOR RELATIONSHIPS: Make a list of the people you have spent time with in the last week or month. Who have you spent the most time with? Is there someone God might want you to spend more time with? Is there someone God might want to you to spend more quality or intentional time with?
• FOR ROLES: Make a list of the roles you play. Think through the circles of your involvement: family, friends/neighbors/hobbies, church/Life Group and work/school. Which roles stand out? What are the top three to five roles getting the majority of your time? Is there a role in which you want to sharpen your skills? Is there a role you want to release so you may be able to lean into something that may be more of a strength for you?

Additional Verses:

• Kingdom perspective on our actions:
  Colossians 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
• Spiritual gifts:
  1 Corinthians 12:7-11 – Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
• Roles of the family:
  Ephesians 5:21-6:4 – Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. ²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” ⁴ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
• Leaders and workers:
  Ephesians 6:5-9 – Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, ⁸ because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. ⁹ And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
• God’s chosen people:
  1 Peter 2:9-12 – But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

 What are one or two of your current top priorities?

Have any of these priorities changed in the past several months? If so, how?

On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree), how would you rate yourself with the following statements:

Discussion Note: The rating allows for group members to give more intentional thought and not be so black and white with their answers. There is great power in writing down our rating and sharing with the group. These ratings could help point toward the “Taking It Home” section with next steps of application.

• In the past four weeks, my priorities are reflected in how I’ve spent my time.

Note: This question is focused on the “inputs” of my time and behavior toward my specific assignment.

Additional Statement:

• In the past four weeks, my priorities and how I have spent my time are reflected in what I sense my God-given assignment is at this time.
• I’ve been focusing on my God-given priorities, and I feel like I have something to show for it.

Note: This question is focused on the “outputs” or results of my time and behavior toward my specific assignment. It is possible to score high on bullet point one, but lower on bullet two because someone may not see the fruit yet or because they are putting time into something that does not generate fruit toward their specific assignment.

Which point from this weekend’s message or Life Group study questions is most important for you to remember?

Note: It may helpful to have everyone share their specific assignment at this time. If someone doesn’t know their specific assignment, it may be a good opportunity to start next week’s discussion asking if anyone was able to share their discovery, reprioritize their time or if they have seen some fruit from living out their calling. (If someone shares their discovery/update – CELEBRATE!)

Check out these links, also available on our homepage: northcoastchurch.com.

• Need some extra help or are you looking to serve in the midst of this crisis?
  Visit the COVID-19 Resources page for a variety of options.
• Also, check out our Daily Doses to help encourage you while dealing with the potential health, financial and relational challenges COVID-19 may cause.
• Many of the current projects and needs change rapidly. For the most up-to-date information and ways to volunteer:

FOLLOW OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM
Instagram: @nccommunityservice
Facebook: @northcoastcommunityservice