God of the Lost Ones

SERMON OUTLINE

““The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40)

The Triune God and the Mission of God

• The Father sending the Son
• The Father and Son sending the Holy Spirit
• The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sending the Church

Blank Spaces and the Bible

• Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar (Genesis 16-17, 21)
• Joseph (Genesis 37-41)
• Ruth (Ruth 1-4)

Where are the Blank Spaces of Our World?

Living with God in Blank Spaces

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. When have you felt lost in life? What happened to you in that moment or season of time? What changed it?
2. This weekend we begin a new series tied with our Missions Festival entitled “God in Blank Spaces.” We will explore the ways in which God is present in the midst of the lost, forgotten or marginal spaces of our world and lives. Begin your study in prayer, asking God to speak to you through His word, and then continue the study.
3. Read one of the following stories and reflect on where and how God is at work in the periphery of these lives:
   1. Joseph (Genesis 37-41)
   2. Abraham, Sarah and Hagar (Genesis 16-17, 21)
   3. Ruth (Ruth 1-4)
   4. Naaman (2 Kings 5)
   5. Widow with Son (Luke 7:11-17)
   6. Thief on the Cross (Luke 23:32-43)
   7. Leper (Matthew 8:1-4)
4. In Philippians 2:5-11, the Apostle Paul describes the identity of Jesus and His work. Read that passage aloud. What does this passage tell you about what God is like? What does this passage tell you about what God’s Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, was all about?
5. What is one thing that God is speaking to you through this study? If you are on your own, write it down and pray about it. If you are in a small group, take time to discuss this with one another before praying together.