Missio Church - Bismarck

Josh Huseby

Missio Church is a group of regular people following Jesus together. Our mission is to "Love Jesus and Live Sent." read less

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A Generous Life: Generous with Treasures

A Generous Life: Generous with Treasures

Verses Used:1 Timothy 6:7-10Matthew 6:19-21Proverbs 11:24-25Luke 16:10-13Deuteronomy 8:17-191 Corinthians 11:23-25Takeaways:Being generous brings such joy to the person who gives and to the people who receive.We know that a culture of generosity in a church doesn’t just accidentally happen.If we live for the here and now, that’s all we get. If we live for eternity, we experience God’s blessing now and rewards in eternity.An Eternal PerspectiveWe brought nothing into this world and we take nothing with us when we die.When we learn to live generously, we are set free from the power of greed.If we start trying to calculate how much we are storing up in heaven based on how much we give now, that kind of defeats the purpose.Changing Our MindsLiving with a scarcity mindset kills generosityWhen I believe that I have enough I no longer have to hold on to all I have.Crazy GenerosityIt’s called the little-big principle. If I can be trusted with little things, God can trust me with bigger things.The more faithful we are with what God has given us, the more He will trust us with greater wealth to give away.God truly wants what is best for his people.God says:Remember where your wealth, your possessions came from. I gave them to you.Remember that eternity matters most. Don’t live for the promises of this life. It might seem like it will satisfy, but idols never do. They overpromise and under-deliver every time.Live generously and you will experience the most blessed life possible.Discussion Questions:What kinds of things do people try to store up for themselves on earth?Why is it so hard to live with an eternal perspective in this life?Why is it hard to live with an open hand?What would it take for you to believe that God has given you enough?What do you think life would be like if you could give away 90% of your income?Why do you think God tests us with little before giving us more?

A Generous Life: Generous with Treasures

A Generous Life: Generous with Treasures

Verses Used:1 Timothy 6:7-10Matthew 6:19-21Proverbs 11:24-25Luke 16:10-13Deuteronomy 8:17-191 Corinthians 11:23-25Takeaways:Being generous brings such joy to the person who gives and to the people who receive.We know that a culture of generosity in a church doesn’t just accidentally happen.If we live for the here and now, that’s all we get. If we live for eternity, we experience God’s blessing now and rewards in eternity.An Eternal PerspectiveWe brought nothing into this world and we take nothing with us when we die.When we learn to live generously, we are set free from the power of greed.If we start trying to calculate how much we are storing up in heaven based on how much we give now, that kind of defeats the purpose.Changing Our MindsLiving with a scarcity mindset kills generosityWhen I believe that I have enough I no longer have to hold on to all I have.Crazy GenerosityIt’s called the little-big principle. If I can be trusted with little things, God can trust me with bigger things.The more faithful we are with what God has given us, the more He will trust us with greater wealth to give away.God truly wants what is best for his people.God says:Remember where your wealth, your possessions came from. I gave them to you.Remember that eternity matters most. Don’t live for the promises of this life. It might seem like it will satisfy, but idols never do. They overpromise and under-deliver every time.Live generously and you will experience the most blessed life possible.Discussion Questions:What kinds of things do people try to store up for themselves on earth?Why is it so hard to live with an eternal perspective in this life?Why is it hard to live with an open hand?What would it take for you to believe that God has given you enough?What do you think life would be like if you could give away 90% of your income?Why do you think God tests us with little before giving us more?

A Generous Life: Generous with Talents

A Generous Life: Generous with Talents

Verses Used:Exodus 35:23-36:7Romans 12:3-81 Corinthians 9:6-7Takeaways:God Gives People GiftsGod still uses people’s skills to accomplish His purposes.God gives talents to everyone in some measure. God gave you your abilities for His purposes.It all starts with recognition that God is the giver of gifts.More Than EnoughGod is building His church and uses us - with our talents and abilities to contributeWhen everyone lives generously, there is more than enoughThe Right MotivationLiving generously with our talents comes from a heart that is ready to share them with others.We have the exact amount of talent that God intended for usOur talents are not meant to sit on the shelf, they are meant to be usedDiscussion Questions:What are some of the talents God has given you?Why do you think it’s hard for some people to take credit for their abilities?Why do you think God wants us to be generous with our talents?How does the posture of our heart affect the use of our talent?

A Generous Life: The Value of Time

A Generous Life: The Value of Time

Verses Used:Mark 10:46-52Psalm 90:10,12James 4:13-14Ephesians 5:15-17John 17:4Takeaways:Time is LimitedTime is short, but God gives us enough to live the life He intends for us.Our time is God’s timeGenerosity and PrioritiesBeing present with other people is possible when we manage our priorities.Discussion Questions:Why is it hard to live with margin in our schedules?What is your response to the statement, “Time is short, but God gives us enough to live the life He intends for us.”How does seeing your time as God’s time change your mindset?Can you think of an area of life that you could steward time more wisely?Can you think of an example of something urgent that isn’t necessarily important?Why is it hard to properly prioritize our time?

Jonah: It's a Heart Thing

Jonah: It's a Heart Thing

Verses Used:Jonah 4Samuel 16:7Luke 6:45Proverbs 4:23Job 1:21Takeaways:A Heart of AngerJonah’s anger came from a place of judgment and self-righteousnessGod was not operating the way Jonah thought He should. Jonah thought he knew better than God.A Heart LessonGod is sovereign over creation, He decides when to give and when to take away. God brings the plant and He brings the worm.God was dealing with his heart and trying to help Jonah see that He needed to trust in God even though he didn’t understand His ways.It is for God to give and for God to take away.Stop putting yourself in the place of judgment; that belongs to God.A Heart for PeopleJonah cared more about his personal comfort than other people.We won’t have a heart for people if we focus only on ourselves and our own personal comfort.Discussion Questions:Have you ever been angry with God? What for?How did being angry with God help your situation?Have you ever found yourself telling God what He should do? How did it go?Why is it hard for us to have a thankful heart in times of trial or suffering?

Jonah: Sin City Repents

Jonah: Sin City Repents

Verses Used:Jonah 3Takeaways:The Reluctant MessengerJonah was God’s mission while he was on God’s mission.God doesn’t wait for us to “arrive” spiritually before sending us on mission.The Repentant CityRepentance is not just feeling bad about sin, it’s about belief and behavior.The God of MercyThe Ninevites repented, so God relented.It was humans who changed their course, not God.The good news for us is that when we repent, we receive God’s mercy.The more we understand God’s mercy, the more we can extend it to others.Discussion Questions:What kinds of things do we believe disqualify us from being God’s messengers?How might God expose what’s in our heart while living on mission?Do you think behavior modification brings lasting change? Why or why not?Can you think of a sinful behavior that is shaped by a wrong belief?How would you define mercy in your own words?Is it harder for you to receive God’s mercy or to show mercy to others? Why?

Missio's 3rd Birthday

Missio's 3rd Birthday

Happy Birthday Missio!Today you'll hear the stories of members of Missio. Each story brings something different, but they all point to the Father.

Jonah: The Rescue

Jonah: The Rescue

Verses Used:Jonah 1:17-2:20Takeaways:Jonah gets a second chance.Prayer is often our last resort. Prayer is often the last thing we do when all else fails.God gives second chances even though we don’t deserve them.God gave grace to Jonah by giving him a second chance. God gives that same grace to us too.Jonah and Idolatry.If we turn to worship idols, we give something up. Idol worship costs us something.The good news is that we can turn from idols back to God and experience God’s best for us.Jonah is Rescued.We all need God to save us. Like Jonah, we need to be rescued too. Salvation comes from the Lord.Discussion Questions:Do you agree with the statement that idol worship costs us something? What is it?What idol is the most difficult for you to turn away from? Why is it difficult?

Jonah: Man on the Run

Jonah: Man on the Run

Verses Used:Jonah 1:1-16Psalm 139:7-10Hebrews 12:6Takeaways:God will often ask you to do things you don’t want to do.Like Jonah, we can always find a boat sailing in the wrong direction.God sometimes sends a storm to get our attention.God disciplines His children because He loves them and knows what is best for them.God will ask you to do the hard things.You can’t outrun GodWhen we need discipline from God, He does it out of love.Discussion Questions:Have you ever run from something God asked you to do? How did it work out?Why would God ask His followers to do things they might not want to do?When we face a storm in life, what kind of emotions do we feel towards God?Do you think God has a purpose in every challenge we face? What might it be?Why is it sometimes hard to believe that God still loves us when we are being disciplined?

The Greatest Comeback Ever

The Greatest Comeback Ever

Verses Used:Luke 24:13-32Takeaways:Creation - we can ask: What do they look to, trust in, depend on, for their worth?This answers: Who or What a person credits for who they are.Fall - we can ask these questions: What is wrong? What is the real problem/issue?Fall answers: Why things and people are not the way they are supposed to be and who is to blame for it.The key question for fall is: Why are things NOT the way they were supposed to be?Redemption - Redemption answers: Who or What you hope will rescue you and redeem what is broken. What can fix this?True redemption only comes through Jesus. He is the only one who can redeem our lives, our past mistakes, our present circumstances and our future.Restoration - This answers: What the world - or your world - will look like when all is as it should be AND… Who or What will be the focus of this world.

The King Has Come

The King Has Come

Verses Used:Luke 19:37-44Luke 2:14Matthew 5:3-8Zechariah 9:9Luke 23:18-25Takeaways:Jesus’ kingdom was a different kind of kingdom, and His entry into Jerusalem reflected not only His teachings, but who He was.It’s easy to worship Jesus when things are looking up; circumstantial worship.Jesus came to fill the earth with God’s glory—to show the world what God is like.God created humans to experience His glory and worship as a result.Pharisees loved their position more than God and saw Jesus as a threat to their power and authority.Not everyone close to Jesus receives Him; it’s possible to be close to Jesus and still miss Him.Jesus says you want to follow me, you have to die to yourself.Jesus knew that there was no way to save the people He loved without enduring the cross.Sometimes it’s hard to understand God’s purposes.Discussion Questions:Why is it easy to worship Jesus when our lives are going good?When life doesn’t go our way, or trials come, how does our response reveal what’s going on in our heart?How have you seen religion keep people away from Jesus?What other reasons might someone have for rejecting Jesus?

All in with Jesus

All in with Jesus

Verses Used:Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:19-20Col. 2:11-12Genesis 15:6Takeaways:Baptism isn't about your personal holiness, it’s about God’s purpose for us.For John, it was a recognition that his role was to point to Jesus.For Jesus, it was a demonstration of God’s purpose for him, and the start of his earthly ministry. Through His own baptism, Jesus was declaring God’s claim on His life and purpose.Faith (or trusting God), is the first step to walking in our God-given purpose.The point of baptism isn’t that we are declaring our self-righteousness, it’s declaring that we want to change. We are publicly declaring God’s claim on our life and purpose.A disciple is baptized and finds their identity in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Or kingdom identity - Family Servant and Missionary. The Father gives us our family identity. We get to treat everyone like family.Jesus gives us our servant identity. Saved people, serve people.The Spirit gives us our missionary identity. Found people, find people.The Holy Spirit is every much God as the Father and Son, but He has a different role. He is personal, present, and powerful.God is a missionary. God and the Holy Spirit is the actively growing the kingdom by reaching more and more people with the gospel of Jesus.Discussion Questions:Do you think God has a purpose for your life like He did for John the Baptist and Jesus? What do you think it is?If you believe God has a purpose for you to live in to, how might that impact your day to day living?

Galatians: It's Hard to be Good

Galatians: It's Hard to be Good

Welcome back Missio Family. Today you’ll hear Pastor Josh talk about how the fruit of the spirit is evident in the life of a believer, not because they try harder to exhibit the fruit, but because they walk in the Spirit. God produces the fruit of the Spirit when we walk in faith. We have one quick announcement for you! On March 26th, we are going to have a Baptism Sunday. If you have any interest, please reach out to Josh for more info. If you have any questions about Missio, you want to join an missional community, or have any prayer requests please contact us as missio.lifeVerses Used:Galatians 5:16-26Romans 7:18-19Takeaways:Walk by the SpiritAll humans are sinful at their core, and without God, have no hope.If we walk by the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.Two Lists - We have the works of the flesh and the fruit of the SpiritThe works of the flesh are categorized into four groups:Sex, religion, relationships, and “nightlife”Fruit of the Spirit:Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-controlWhen we walk by the Spirit, we bear all the fruit. They are not split up, but all are evident in the life of a person walking in the Spirit.Fruit to RootWalking in the Spirit has a lot less to do with trying harder and a lot more to do with believing better.Discussion Questions:When we desire to have control, we ask these questions:Who am I? What has God done? Who is God?When we repent and recognize what’s true and correct our false beliefs, we ask ourselves these questions:Who is God? What has God done? Who am I?TRY THIS AT HOME. Think about a behavior in your life that isn’t of God, but of the flesh. And go through the fruit to root exercise. Let this exercise expose an area of unbelief in your life and deal with it based on truth. If you’d like to see the diagram, please email Pastor Josh at office@missio.life

Galatians: It's Better than You Think

Galatians: It's Better than You Think

Verses Used:Galatians 4:1-12Galatians 3:8Ephesians 1:4-5Takeaways:Heirs - Paul uses the analogy of being an heir, something is coming in the future, but not knowing it right away. He is referring to God having good things in store for his people, and that it is coming.We get to share in the reward of Jesus because he was/is perfect. Even though we don’t really deserve it, we get to be in the royal family.Understanding our inheritance as God’s kids, his heirs radically changes our perspective.Adopted into the family - As adopted children, we can enjoy the same favor Jesus has with the Father.A waste of Grace - Galatians started out in grace but had a hard time continuing in grace.The Galatians had lost perspective, started to listen to the wrong voices, and drifted into lies about needing to keep the law instead of trusting in the grace of God through faith.

Galatians: How to Please God

Galatians: How to Please God

Verses Used:Galatians 3:1-14Hebrews 11:6 (ESV - NLT - TLB)Takeaways:There is a common thread running through every world religion: I do what my god wants, therefore I am accepted.Christianity teaches: There is nothing I can do to get right with God on my own. I trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, therefore I am accepted. I am accepted, therefore, out of love and relationship, I obey God.The only thing we can do to please God is to trust Jesus and put your faith in Him.Faith is enough. At first our faith in Jesus is enough, but over time we start trying to keep up our own righteousness. Faith is enough, but what about living by faith?Living by faith. We talk about defining discipleship as moving from unbelief to belief in every area in life in light of the gospel.Stop trying harder or striving to be better, but rather, believe the truth of the gospel and live by faith.Living in grace.Living in grace is tough, we love law. It gives us a sense of how we are doing like a scorecard. We need to embrace the grace that Jesus offers us and rest in His righteousness on our behalf.Discussion Questions:How does a Christian please God? What area of your life is the hardest to trust God with right now? Why?How might God be growing your faith through your circumstances?Tim Keller asks the question, “Do we grow spiritually by ‘being good’ or by repenting of ‘being good?’” What do you think about the Keller quote? Has your idea of growing spiritually been based on being good?Why is it so hard for us to live in grace, even after coming to saving faith through grace?

The Story of the Seifert Family

The Story of the Seifert Family

"When you are thrust into a situation that is like mine or similar to mine, you learn a lot of things. You will definitely learn who you are as a person. You will have all of your life choices, good and bad, flash before you and you will either feel sickened by them, or you will be satisfied with what you see. The most important thing that I learned through this is that I need to trust God no matter what happens. I need to stay rooted in Him and try not to stray. If anybody hears about what happened to me, I want them to learn that they need to have a strong relationship in Christ because they never know when they will meet Him. Don't get into a life threatening situation in order to truly start living out your faith." -Hunter Seifert (2002-2019)

Galatians: Knockoff Gospel

Galatians: Knockoff Gospel

Verses Used:Galatians 2Takeaways:There will always be religious people who want to add to the gospel and make it legalistic.We all get pressured to be religious. People may say, “Your gospel is too easy, there must be some added rules to this.” That’s being legalistic.Hypocrisy is one of the main complaints of people who are not Christians. Hypocrites are… Someone who says they have particular moral beliefs but behaves in a way that shows those beliefs are not sincere.A basis for hypocrisy may include: Fear of what others think of us rather than resting in what God thinks of us, but when we live in grace, we live free from trying to keep up appearances. If keeping the law could make us righteous, then we really wouldn’t need JesusWe use the phrase: “Do to Be” to describe a mindset when we believe we can earn our righteousness. This mindset includes: What I do (works, rule keeping) makes me who I am (my identity, my self worth). I do things, therefore I have value."Do to be" says: Our behavior makes us right with God; Grace says: We are made right with God because of Jesus and our behavior flows from that reality.Discussion Questions:Do you believe God is happy with you? What is your answer based on?How might the dynamics of your relationships change with more grace?Who in your life needs to receive grace from you right now? Is it hard for you to extend it? Why?

Galatians: We Need Some Rules

Galatians: We Need Some Rules

Verses Used:Romans 3:23Galatians 1:1-10Mark 7:6-8Colossians 2:20-23Mark 7:18-23Takeaways:Grace says, “take off the mask, you don’t have to prove anything here.”The greatest commandment - love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.Undermining the Messenger - False teachers were trying to discredit Paul’s teaching. There was a battle for truth happening. Distorted Gospel - We don’t get to redefine the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s God’s gospel, not ours to meddle with.We are justified before God not because of anything we do, but because of what Jesus did for us.No one can improve the gospel, it’s already good news. We can’t make it better by adding law to it. With legalism the heart is wrong. We start to believe (more right behavior + less wrong behavior = Godliness)Legalism says: Your good works will make God pleased with you. Grace says: God is already pleased with you because you trust in the finished work of Jesus.Legalism says: you should rate people based on their personal holiness. Grace says: You get to live free of ranking people’s sin against your own.Legalism says: You need to be better, why can’t you stop sinning? Grace says: You don’t have to be perfect Jesus was perfect for you.Living in grace is free, and the way that God intended for us to live. Unfortunately, many Christians do not know how to live in grace.

How to Reach a City: The Most Important Thing We Don't Do

How to Reach a City: The Most Important Thing We Don't Do

Verses Used:Luke 3:21Luke 5Mark 1:35-38John 17Galatians 4:61 Thess. 5:17Matthew 6:7-8Phillipians 4:6-7Luke 6:12-13Jeremiah 33:3Takeaways:We can learn to pray “up, in, and out”. Up - Prayers of communion with God. Which means to be talking with him and being in His presence. Jesus understood His relationship to the Father and pursued God through prayer because of it. Jesus knew he was a beloved son.Knowing God’s character and iIs heart toward us changes how we approach prayer.In - prayers of petition. This would be praying for our needs and asking for things.God is all knowing, He knows what His kids need but He still wants us to ask Him.Out - prayers of intercession or, otherwise known as praying for others.Some people aren’t sick or in need of intercession because of health, but they are spiritually needy.When we pray for others - we are reminded that we can’t save anyone, only God can.Discussion Questions:What has been the biggest challenge for you in communing with God? (praying regularly)Does prayer feel like a “have to” or a “get to”, why?How might our attitude toward prayer change when we understand our identity in relation to God?What would have to change for you to start listening more in prayer?

How to Reach a City: Invitation and Challenge

How to Reach a City: Invitation and Challenge

Verses Used:Matthew 11:28 (invitation)Luke 1:16 (invitation)John 7:37 (invitation)Luke 9:60 (challenge)Mark 9:37 (challenge)Matthew 16:24 (challenge)Matthew 4:19 (both)Mark 1:15 (both)Matthew 16:15-23Ephesians 5:22-24Colossians 3:21Ephesians 6:4Takeaways:Josh mentioned last week that: We can’t reach people who don’t know Jesus if we don’t know people who don’t know Jesus.Invitation refers to an attitude that says, “I’m glad you’re here, I’m committed to you and will welcome you no matter what.”Challenge refers to an attitude that says, “I want you to grow, I’m committed to holding you accountable to change for the better.”Notice that in Jesus ministry, invitation generally precedes challenge.Life transformation begins with invitation, but continues with challenge.People are used to experiencing cultures that are either highly invitational or highly challenging, typically they don’t ever experience them together.The Kingdom of God expands at the speed of relationships, and the gospel moves along the lines of trust.

How to Reach a City: People of Peace

How to Reach a City: People of Peace

Verses Used:Luke 10:1-12 NLTTakeaways:We can’t reach people who don’t know Jesus if we don’t know people who don’t know Jesus.The Harvest is Big; Jesus tells us that there are more people to be reached than there are workers to bring in the spiritual harvest. Our belief in what Jesus says about the harvest radically changes how we live our lives.Just because we don’t see the harvest, doesn’t mean it’s not there.Finding people of peace. We find people of peace where we live, work, and play. People of peace are people that enjoy being around you and you enjoy being around them. They will often serve you or meet a need.Be good news people. Jesus calls us to live as good news people, not salespeople. Discussion Questions:Why is it sometimes hard for us to believe Jesus’ statement that the harvest is plentiful? What opportunities or challenges do you see in your own life to developing relationships with people of peace? What needs to change in your heart or attitude to live as a good news person?