HEART OF A CHAMPION

Week 1 - A Heart for Others (Outline)

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People have PHYSICAL needs                                                      John 9: Blind man

Food, shelter, clothing, physical safety, etc.                                              

 

People have EMOTIONAL needs                                                   Luke 19: Zacchaeus

To be liked, understood, accepted, loved, respected, etc.                   

 

People have SPIRITUAL needs                                                     John 4: Woman at the well

To be forgiven and reconciled with God

 

 

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT SPIRITUAL NEEDS

 

·         Every person needs Jesus (Romans 3:9,23; John 3:18)

·         God loves every person & He has provided a way to have a personal relationship with them (John 3:16; Romans 2:4)

·         God desires to save each lost person—provide salvation (1 Timothy 2:4; 1 John 2:2)

·         God has chosen to use others to show and share their experience (Acts 1:8)

 

 

WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO IN YOUR LIFE

 

·         He wants to change you in ways you can never change on our own

·         He wants to give you a reason to live

·         He wants to help you do the right thing

·         He wants to give you a heart for other people

·         He wants to save your soul and take you to heaven with him forever

 

 

DEVELOPING A HEART FOR OTHERS

 

1. Show GENUINE concern for others

 

2. Listen to theirs and share YOUR STORY

 

3. Extend an INVITATION

to talk                              to hang out                                 to listen                 

to church                          to get more information                to explain salvation

 

4. Expect a variety of RESPONSES

closed hearts                              distracted hearts

shallow hearts                             fertile hearts

 

5. Follow-up with the POSSIBLE (love) and ask God for the IMPOSSIBLE (prayer)

 

How to shout without screaming

Week 1 - Making Noise with Your Friendships

 

Overview of series:

 

Evangelism: Caring about God and people who don’t know Him.

No one likes to listen to a screamer, but when someone shouts it can help communicate their point. What’s the point? God deeply loves you and wants a relationship with you. How can you shout that to others? You shout with your…

 

1. Friendship                 Goal: Be a good friend

2. Lifestyle                   Goal: Live a good life

3. Words of truth           Goal: Share the Good News of God’s love

 

But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

 

"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere . . . ”

(Mark 16:15).

 

Good News comes from good friends who . . .

 

1. Take an INTEREST

Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others (Philippians 2:4).

 

 

2. Are AVAILABLE

There are "friends" who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

 

 

3. Speak less, LISTEN MORE

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak (James 1:19).

 

 

4. Use words that BUILD UP

Good people have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things. But evil people have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things (Matthew 12:35).

 

Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction (Proverbs 18:20).

 

 

5. Tenderly CORRECT

It is better to correct someone openly than to have love and not show it. The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you, but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies

(Proverbs 27:5-6).

 

 

 

 

Take-home actions . . .

 

(1) Evaluate your friendship CAPACITY

 

(2) List your non-Christian friends

 

(3) Commit to PRAY for those friends daily

 

 

One last thought:

God uses people to IMPACT other people. People are willing to hear about God’s love … that message of love comes across a lot clearer when it comes from a FRIEND.