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Date: May 16, 2021
Live the Message
The Point: How we live reflects on the message we share.
Get Into the Study
Use the following information to introduce Question #1.
In December 2020, Forbes magazine published a list of certain companies to watch in 2021, as the pandemic has brought many positive changes in the ways companies do business. For example, Forbes named several companies that have acted to support their employees’ mental health during the pandemic. These companies include:
* BlackRock, an investment management company that conducted surveys to measure its employees’ stressors and then made changes to encourage better mental health with more work flexibility and time off.
* EY, a global company that provided group counseling for parents and caregivers, virtual workout classes, and extended backup childcare help.
* The Wikimedia Foundation, whose CEO sent an email to the staff saying, “If you need to dial back, that’s okay,” and then stated that hourly workers would be paid based on their normal hours, whether or not they were able to fulfill them.
Say: Forbes recognized these companies because of the positive ways they supported their employees’ mental health during the past year. Then call attention to Question #1 (Which companies do you appreciate for genuinely living out their values?) and invite volunteers to respond.
Information for this post was gleaned from:
Get Into the Study [Option from Adult Leader Guide]
In advance, play the commercial of a company you respect for living out its values. Then ask Question #1.
Study the Bible
Use the following information to introduce Question #3.
Dr. Justin Lohmeier is a medical doctor who grew up hearing stories about IMB missionaries. He never thought of himself as someone who might serve as a missionary, wondering “What would they need from somebody like me?” But then in 2009, a missions pastor asked Lohmeier if he would be part of a medical team traveling to Kenya for a missions trip. Lohmeier prayed and felt God calling him to be obedient and go on the trip.
Lohmeier is a radiologist, and in 2011 he learned that his training in using an ultrasound machine would be very useful for a medical team. “That was a very specific need that I could do,” he said. “I stepped out in faith and answered the call to go and train doctors in Tanzania on how to use this ultrasound machine.”
Lohmeier, who is a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church in New Albany, Mississippi, has now been on more than 20 missions trips to countries in Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Central America. He hopes to be part of another medical team soon, when Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted. He encourages others, especially people in the medical professions, to think about how their skills might be used in medical missions work.
“Do not wait. It is so rewarding to work with our co-laborers, especially when there is a current demand in specific medical strategies,” he said. “We just need to be obedient and act on faith using biblical principles and our God-given talents.”
Say: Dr. Lohmeier has skills and talents that he is putting to practical use as he shows Christ’s love to people around the world. Then call attention to Question #3 (What are some practical steps believers can take to put on the character of Christ?) and invite volunteers to respond.
Information for this post was gleaned from:
— Donna McKinney wrote these Leader Extras. Donna is retired from a career with the federal government of the United States. She is a veteran Bible study group leader living in North Carolina.
Additional Questions
Icebreaker
- What’s a positive example of the saying “actions speak louder than words”?
- What words characterize someone who is authentic?
- Who do you know who “walks the talk” when it comes to the Christian life?
Colossians 3:1-3
- What are some examples of “things above”?
- What are some examples of “earthly things”?
- What kinds of things tend to distract you from pursuing “things above”?
Colossians 3:12-15
- Do you find it easy or difficult to forgive those who wrong you?
- When have you seen the damage caused by Christians who say one thing and live another?
- How do our actions reflect the character of Christ?
Colossians 3:16-17
- When have you had opportunities to obey these commands in the past week?
- What role does our Bible study group play in helping one another grow in Christlikeness?
- When have you recently had the opportunity to show gratitude? What happened?
For Those in Your Group
Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:
Podcast
Magazine Article
This article complements the study. Share this link with your group members.
- Mature Living – I’d Rather Be Poor
Tips for Leading Bible Study Groups
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
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