Lesson Seven: Just Say Yes.
When my son Jon was in the 4th grade he sat next to a young girl named Emily. During class one day Emily asked Jon what he was doing on the weekend and Jon told her he would be going to church on Sunday. She said, what is that? After explaining what it was, Jon asked her if she would like to attend this weekend? To his surprise, she said yes. That Sunday after the service, we were standing in our normal place towards the front and this little girl ran up to Jon and said, we are all here. We looked back and there was her entire family! We introduced ourselves and had a wonderful time getting to know them. They continued to attend and eventually all of them gave their lives to Jesus and got involved in various ministries. How does something like this happen. One young boy understood it was not his ability that mattered, but his availability. He was willing to say Yes.
In our study today we are going to see how God is at work all around us, whether we realize it or not. We do not have to manufacture opportunities to talk about God, but rather join Him in what He is already doing.
Warm-Up question
Each man share a time when you felt very inadequate, but God used you anyways to encourage another person or help another person.
Bible Study
For our study today we are going to look at one of the most famous conversions in the Bible. In our study we are going to see that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, and that all God is looking for is an available person. Read together Acts 9:1-18
Discussion Questions
What do you learn about God from this passage?
What do you learn about mankind from this passage?
How did God prepare Saul for his conversion? How did God prepare Ananias for his role in the conversion of Saul?
What is the application for each of you?
What’s Next?
Take time to discuss what you want to do next as a small group. Over these past seven weeks, you have had the opportunity to get to know a new group of men and start the process of becoming a “band of brothers”. While there are many things you could do as a group, I recommend you go through the first study in the Base Camp Bible Study Series, “Living as a disciple of Jesus” This study is a six-week study of basic scriptural principles, much like the one you have just participated in, designed to encourage and equip you to be a godly man in your home, church, workplace, and world.
The study covers topics like:
● What does it mean to follow Christ?
● Dealing with Temptation
● Living life on Purpose
● Building a Band of Brothers
Each week you will gather together, as you have for the past seven weeks, to share, discuss and pray for one another, following up on homework you did on your own.
To get more information on the study and to order copies go to www.menwithnoregrets.org/basecamp and look under Base Camp Studies.
Talk by Steve Carter
Listen to the talk by Steve Carter entitled, “Just Say Yes” given at the 2022 No Regrets Men’s Conference. It can be found on the No Regrets app under Conference Media/2022 Platform talks.
Steve Carter is a speaker, author, consultant and sports enthusiast. Steve is the author of “This Invitational Life” and “The Thing beneath the Thing” as well as the co-host of the “Home Team” podcast about the intersection of sports, faith and culture. He currently travels the world speaking to congregations and coaching leaders.
Notes:
Discussion Questions
What was the most helpful idea from this talk as it relates to making an impact in our world today?
Have the group read Acts 9:1-18.
How did God prepare Saul for his conversion? How did God prepare Ananias for his role in the conversion of Saul?
“The reason we are here is that one man named Ananias said yes to God’s prompting”. How can the simple act of obedience (saying yes to God) have a far-reaching impact?
What is one practice that you can begin to implement to lead a more invitational lifestyle? Who is one person that you are praying for?
Each man share what taking a risk for Jesus looks like for them.
Sharing and Prayer Time
What is the one thing you have been most challenged by, or encouraged by in the last seven weeks of this study?
What is one thing the men can pray for you about as your wrap up this study?
Wrap Up
For the past seven weeks, you have been working together as a team to learn how to Press On to a deeper walk with Jesus. You have looked at how to more effectively live out your faith in the world, to experience God’s love at a deeper level, grow your marriage and BLESS those around you. Guys, it is one thing to know these truths, it is another to stand up and take action. You need to get in the game, the choice is yours. In order to put these things into practice, you will need the encouragement and camaraderie of your “band of brothers.” So make sure to stay together, cheer each other on, and Press On to run the race that God has for each of you.
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“God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go.” —Tony Evans
Consider these Next Steps:
Now that you have formed your band of brothers, consider meeting together weekly on a consistent basis. All the resources you need to continue studying God’s Word together can be found on our website (menwithnorgerets.org)
Sign up for a Basecamp study to learn foundational Christian truths. Meet together, pray together, and do life through one of our Basecamp Studies.
