Welcome (Greetings and Announcements)

• Open in Prayer

Warm-up (icebreaker, games, skit)

Work-out (Bible studies, devotionals, testimonials)

• What is the gospel of Jesus Christ? 

• You would think that defining the gospel, the message of Christianity, would be easy. We are all here this morning as part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. If I asked the football players to explain how to play the game of football or soccer players to explain the game of soccer, they could easily describe their sport, their playbook, and rules of the game.

• Why then is it so hard to define the gospel?

• A well-known Christian artist was asked during an interview to define the good news of Christianity (from What is the Gospel by Greg Gilbert):

o “What a great question. I guess I’d probably…my instinct is to say that it’s Jesus coming, living, dying, and being resurrected and his inaugurating the already and the not yet of all things being restored to himself…and that happening by way of himself…the being made right of all things…that process both beginning and being a reality in the lives and hearts of believers and yet a day coming when it will be more fully realized. But the good news, the gospel, the speaking of the good news, I would say is the news of his kingdom coming, the inaugurating of his kingdom coming…that’s my instinct”

• Huh??? What does that mean?

• Why is it important that not only we here at FCA but all Christians clearly communicate the gospel? – (some possible answers)

o The gospel is history’s only essential message

o A message without Christ is empty of any real meaning or hope

o Our mission is to proclaim the gospel. FCA’s mission statement is “to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.”

• What happens if we don’t make the gospel the main theme or message of our ministry?

o We begin to assume the gospel message is being communicated

o We begin to confuse the gospel (what is it?)

o We lose the gospel

• A good story is: Simple, Relevant and Repeatable

• FCA’s theme this year is ‘Let’s Go’. Let’s fulfill the Great Commission laid out in Matthew 28:19-20. Go out and share the good news of Jesus Christ. We need to make our message Simple, Relevant and Repeatable.

• Take a few minutes at your table and write down how your small group would explain the gospel message. Be prepared to share your gospel message with the rest of the group.