Stretch Week One

week one

Welcome to Stretch

To begin this series, we'll introduce you to Paul and the book of Romans, along with a few more people who made commitments to follow Jesus: Andrew, Peter, and Mary Magdalene

THE BIG IDEA: You can stretch your faith with a commitment.
THE BIBLE: Romans 5:6-8, 6:1-4; Matthew 4:18- 20; Luke 24:1-10; Philippians 3:13-14

Group Stretch with Shama (Church Aerobics)

As we begin this new series called Stretch, what better way to kick it off than with a group stretch? Watch this short video!

Watch this weeks
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Consider these questions

1. On a scale of "telephone pole" to "silly putty," how flexible are you?

2. What are some commitments that are easy to keep? Which ones are difficult?

3. Have you ever jumped into a new commitment and followed through? What motivated you to stay committed?

4. Do you know anyone whose life was changed because of Jesus? Write their names in your journal.

5. What are some of the qualities of Paul, Peter, Andrew, and Mary that made it possible for them to make a commitment to Jesus?

6. Why do you think some people's lives are immediately changed by Jesus, while others' lives are changed more gradually, or not at all?

Take a minute to read Philippians 3:13–14.

7. When we're making commitments to follow Jesus, why do you think Paul says it's important to forget about what's behind us?

8. What are some commitments we can make to stretch our faith?

9. Have you ever made a commitment to God before? How is your commitment going, and why?

10. What commitment are you making to stretch your faith this week?

What will your response be?

Stretch Commitment Card
So do you want your faith to grow? Do you want it to get stronger? Ten years from now, do you want to...

Follow Jesus?
Love God more than you do today?
Love people more than you do today?
Make a lasting impact in the world?

To reach our goals ten years from now, we have to start with a commitment today — a commitment to stretch and keep stretching.

Every week of this series, we're going to ask you to make one of five “stretch” commitments. This week, which stretch will you commit to doing?

SHOW UP. To start, maybe you'll commit to showing up next week (or even for the next three weeks) to listen, discuss, and consider how God might want your faith to be stretched this year. The first step toward a stronger body isn't a two-hour spin class — it's walking into the gym. (Well, and paying your gym membership fee. We won't charge you one of those here.)

FOLLOW JESUS. If you've never made a commitment to follow Jesus before, today might be a great day to start. Or maybe you made a commitment to Jesus once before, but recently your excitement has faded and you're having a tough time keeping your commitment going. If that's you, today's the day to get back in the game! No matter how many times we forget our commitments to Jesus, He never forgets His commitment to us. He's always waiting for you to come back.

LOVE GOD. Maybe you already love God, and you're pretty committed to following Jesus, but you want to grow in your relationship with God. Maybe you want to spend more time with God or are tired of struggling with the same mistakes over and over again. We'll talk more about how we can do this in the coming weeks, but today you can commit to growing in your love for God.

LOVE OTHERS. Maybe your relationship with God doesn't feel like the problem, but you could really learn how to love other people better! After all, Jesus said in many different ways that if we're going to love God well, we have to love each other well. Maybe the best way for you to stretch your faith right now is to ask God for the help you need to care more about others or to love someone you struggle to love.

ASK QUESTIONS. If you’re not ready to make any of these commitments right now, that’s okay! If you have questions or doubts, or you want to know more about why so many people in this room have decided to follow Jesus, this is a safe place for those questions. You may not find every answer you're looking for, but there might be something new for you to discover