Leader Guide
This weekend we talked about inviting the next generation along on our faith journey. This may be your own children, grandchildren, youth at The Cove, teammates at work, or anyone God places in your life. We are to make disciples and pass the baton. To teach the next generation how to carry on and leave a faith filled legacy.
What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
Leaders: This section is designed to get discussions started, examine God’s truth, and apply it to our week. Life Group leaders should not assume everyone in their group is a Christ follower. Because they are taking part in a Life Group, they must have some openness to knowing more, exploring. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work and let Him lead you as well.
1. Has there been someone in your life that invested in and modeled a life of faith for you?
2. Invite someone along. Read 2 Kings 2:8-12, Matthew 4:19. As Elijah invested in Elisha, can you identify someone to invite along and mentor? What did Jesus ask his disciples to do?
Leaders: Discipleship is caught more than it is taught. We should be living out our faith to the next generation. We may not always understand the next generation, but we must care about them, invite them along and invest in them. This should be a priority in life groups, as they are designed for discipleship.
3. Let go of the reins. Read 2 Kings 2:12-14, Luke 9:1-2. Do you struggle to let go of the reins? How can we trust and encourage the next generation, and those we lead to continue Jesus’ actions?
Leaders: We must give up control and empower others. We can’t control everything, and we need to learn to trust them. Most of the time we did not learn from the words we heard. We learned when we had those moments that we had to trust God on our own. Jesus let go of the reins a little and empowered the disciples to go out. I also would like to take the time to encourage you as life group leaders to raise up the next leaders so that others can experience community and discipleship. Let go of the reins and challenge and encourage the next leader you have been building into.
4. Let them run. Read Matthew 28:18-20. How did Jesus let the disciples run? How can you feel a sense of accomplishment when watching rising leaders do great things?
Leaders: Keep it positive here. Of course we see brokenness with a lot of our younger generation, and those we lead but God is faithful. He has called us to raise up the next people to carry on His work. Sometimes we must get out of the way and be there to support and encourage along the way. They will make mistakes, but so did you and I. Jesus literally passed on His ministry to His disciples to tell the world! We can too!
Deeper
5. Read Numbers 27:15-23. What did Moses ask of God? Who did God tell Moses to invest in?
Leaders: God honored Moses’ request to send someone to lead His people. Moses knew the need and value of the next generation. He commissioned him and sent him out. Ask God to show us who to invest in.
6. Read Deuteronomy 31:7-8. How do we see Moses letting Joshua “run” as the next generation? How did Moses encourage him?
Leaders: We see this concept throughout the whole bible. Jesus trusts us and allows us to spread the Good News to others. God help us invite someone, let go of the reins, and send them out to run.