OUTPOST GROUP GUIDE
November 16th - Forward: Week 3
This powerful message confronts us with a profound truth: service doesn't begin with action—it starts with the right attitude. Drawing from John 13, where Jesus washes His disciples' feet just days before His crucifixion, we're challenged to examine our own heart posture. Here's Jesus, facing betrayal and death, and His response isn't self-preservation but radical service. He washes the feet of those who will abandon Him, including Judas who will betray Him. This stunning example reveals that serving others breaks the grip of self-focus, freeing us from the disease of self-preservation that keeps so many of us stuck. The call isn't just about financial commitment to a building campaign—it's about understanding that small sacrifices made consistently create big impact eventually. When we shift from asking 'what can I get?' to 'how can I serve?', we align ourselves with God's strategy to change the world. The teachers featured in the message demonstrate this beautifully: pouring into students emotionally, mentally, and academically, often with limited resources but unlimited heart. We're reminded that giving is an act of worship, and forward movement requires our hands, hearts, and sacrifice. The question lingers: are we willing to pick up our cross and follow the example of the One who took the ultimate cross for us?
Key Takeaways
-Small sacrifices consistently make a big impact eventually
-Service does not begin with action, it starts with the right attitude
-Serving others breaks the grip of self-focus.
-Serving is God's strategy to change the world
-Giving is an act of worship, not just a financial transaction.
-Service does not begin with action, it starts with the right attitude
-Serving others breaks the grip of self-focus.
-Serving is God's strategy to change the world
-Giving is an act of worship, not just a financial transaction.
Discussion Questions
1. Read John 13:12-17 together. What strikes you most about Jesus washing the disciples' feet, especially knowing He washed Judas's feet too?
2. What looks different between serving with the right attitude versus the wrong one? Can you think of examples?
3. The sermon mentioned that small sacrifices consistently make a big impact eventually. What small, consistent sacrifice is God calling you to make right now?
4. How does the disease of self-preservation prevent you from experiencing the fullness of what God wants to do through your life?
5. In what ways have you been treating church as a dispensary of religious goods and services rather than committing to genuine transformation?
6. The sermon highlighted that Jesus's response to pressure, anxiety, and betrayal was to serve. How do you typically respond when facing difficult circumstances? What would it look like to respond with service instead?
7. Pastor Mark asked, "Where's your attitude when it comes to what God wants to do in your life?" How would you honestly answer that question right now?
8. Whether or not you made a financial pledge, how is God calling you to commit to the mission of Mercy Road Church Anderson? (Consider: time, talents, prayers, presence, financial resources)
9. If serving is God's strategy to change the world, what specific area of brokenness in your community is God calling you to address through service?
2. What looks different between serving with the right attitude versus the wrong one? Can you think of examples?
3. The sermon mentioned that small sacrifices consistently make a big impact eventually. What small, consistent sacrifice is God calling you to make right now?
4. How does the disease of self-preservation prevent you from experiencing the fullness of what God wants to do through your life?
5. In what ways have you been treating church as a dispensary of religious goods and services rather than committing to genuine transformation?
6. The sermon highlighted that Jesus's response to pressure, anxiety, and betrayal was to serve. How do you typically respond when facing difficult circumstances? What would it look like to respond with service instead?
7. Pastor Mark asked, "Where's your attitude when it comes to what God wants to do in your life?" How would you honestly answer that question right now?
8. Whether or not you made a financial pledge, how is God calling you to commit to the mission of Mercy Road Church Anderson? (Consider: time, talents, prayers, presence, financial resources)
9. If serving is God's strategy to change the world, what specific area of brokenness in your community is God calling you to address through service?