For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. —2 Timothy 1:7

Introduction

We are not a people of

, but of love, power, and self-discipline.

Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, destructive of good government and good stewardship. —The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church

Followers of Jesus are all in for the

of God.

This Week: We are

of Jesus’ love in the world.

What Witness Is, and Is Not

Disciples share our

of what Jesus has done in, through, and for us.

Sharing our witness is not

.

We don’t

people into faith.

Witnessing is not sharing a formulaic

.

Sharing is at the

of our faith. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)

If we never share about Jesus, we

others the opportunity to experience God’s power in their lives.

The Witness of Jesus

Jesus modeled how his disciples can be witnesses for him:

1. He taught and told
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   about what the Kingdom of God is like.
2. He
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   people to become part of the Kingdom. (Matthew 4:18-20)
3. Jesus
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   was his witness. (Matthew 9:10-11, Philippians 2:5-8)

When we follow Jesus’

, we can help others experience his love in their lives.

The Witness of Your Life

Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another, and he modeled that love by washing their

. (John 13:34-35)

People will know we follow Jesus by our

.

When Christians fail to act in love, our witness can

people away from Jesus.

Our

policy is a witness to our love and care for children.

The best testimony to the truth of the Gospel is the quality of our life together. —Christine Pohl

Our lives can bear witness to a love that creates a community where

are welcome, where people from all kinds of backgrounds love one another

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, and where Christ’s

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shines.

When people see the

of God’s love at work in our lives, they will want what we have.

Come and See

Living out Jesus’ love is a great start, but people will never know why we’re different if we don’t

them.
Jesus not only taught people about Jesus’ Kingdom, but

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them to be part of it.
We can share the

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of Jesus with non-religious people and non-active Christians. (John 1:43-46)
Philip did not argue with Nathanael; he simply invited him to “

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.”
Two simple ways to share with others:

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and

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.
Not just come to my church, but come

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.
Who helped you come to faith in Jesus?

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How has Jesus made a difference in your life?

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One way to share hope is to share with

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in your family.
Our communities are full of people who desperately need the

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that Jesus brings.

Action Steps

Reflect on the witness of your life—

and in person.
Pray and ask whom God would have you

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to worship. Invite them this month.