“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” John 20:19-21 (NIV)
- FEAR SILENCES A WINSOME WITNESS
“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples weretogether, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders . . .” John 20:19a (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer andsupplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Phil. 4:6 (ESV)
Action Plan: 2020 has been a difficult year in many ways. Many of us became fearful during the pandemic, election rhetoric, and confinement. What fears did you develop? Were you surprised that you had those fears? Write down a few of the fears you developed.
- PEACE STRENGTHENS A WINSOME WITNESS
“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” John 20:19b (NIV)
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guardyour hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because hetrusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
Action Plan: Take your list of fears to your Small Group meeting and/or a trusted friend and share the list with them. Talk through your list with them, and ask them to pray for you and your fears.
- THE CROSS SPURS A WINSOME WITNESS
“After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” John 20:20 (NIV)
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8 (NIV)
Action Plan: As peace starts entering your heart and your fears start to fade, how can you use your peace to start talking to others, to help others with their fears? Set a goal to reach out to friends and family and share how you overcame your fears.
- JESUS SENDS A WINSOME WITNESS
“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” John 20:21 (NIV)
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)
Action Plan: The pandemic should not keep you from ministry! Take a moment and reach out to your ministry group and get reconnected. If you are not yet in a ministry, start by looking at the different ministriesopportunitiesat our church.
Weekly Action Steps
We recommit our lives to Jesus Christ. Text NEWSTART (1 word) to 99000 or email newstart@saddleback.com
We express our gratitude to God for his goodness by giving back to him. Your generosity online is feeding tens of thousands of out-of-work families and serving many other needs. Give at Saddleback.com/give
We meet in small groups online to discuss what we’ve heard. To join a group, text SMALLGROUP to 99000 or email SMALLGROUP@saddleback.com.
Listen to our new Doable Discipleship podcast season, “Politics and the Church” at Saddleback.com/learn
