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1. Why is “Sharing Him” in this Quarterly—that is, how is it one of the ways to “Grow Your Relationship with God?”

2. What are other examples where “only in the doing” can you grow more deeply into a relationship or experience? (e.g., what’s the difference between “learning about marriage” and being in a marriage? Or “learning about friendship” and being in a friendship? “Learning about nursing” and doing nursing?)

3. The first disciples went from “consumers” (“let’s check this Jesus out and see what He’s got for us”) to “apostles” sent out (“And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” 2 Cor 5:19-20).
Have you noticed that giving someone a ministry in the church often has the same effect in moving them from peripheral “consumers” to committed members? Why is that so?

4. How is your church doing at calling everyone to a ministry vs “hoarding” ministries among a few?

5. C.S. Lewis writes about how he discovered that worship of God made perfect sense. He noticed that people “worship” (that is, show overflowing excitement and an intense desire to share their experience with others) about all kinds of things – music, a trip, a book, a new person they are dating, etc.
Under this definition, willingness to share about Jesus is a measure of our worship of Jesus. What’s your reaction to this assertion?

6. Pastor David Hartman, in his book Winning Ways to Witness, identified 7 different “witnessing styles” that are all effective, but vary by our gifts and personality. These are:

1. Prayer for others who need Christ
2.  Being a true friend to those God has placed around us
3. Serving the needs of people in most need
4. Telling your own story/testimony
5. Inviting others to meet church friends/inviting to church
6. Spiritual conversations (moving conversations to questions of why we are here, the purpose of life)
7. Proclaiming: Classic evangelism in which we proclaim God’s truth authoritatively and invite people to baptism/repentance

Which of these witnessing styles comes most naturally to you? Which is hardest; why?

7. Where do you see the greatest “cost” (actual or potential) to yourself in trying to witness in today’s society?

8. In Scripture, how did various believers’ “ministerial attempts” deepen their relationship with God? Consider both the ministerial failures and successes recounted in Scripture among the heroes of faith.

9. One of the “problems” identified in the Adventist church is that, after people join, within a few years, all of their closest friends are often in the church. So the light is at risk of being “under a bushel” –  inside the church walls. In that light, to what extent do people outside the church know that you are a seriously committed Christian? How do they know; or if not, why do they not know?

10. Can you share a story when you “shared Him” in some way? What was the result? What was it like for you?

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