The Grid

How do we live in ways shaped by the Gospel?

How can our everyday lives become a compelling picture of the Gospel?

Conversations to consider:

Conversation #1
Show & Tell Gospel

💡 Bottom Line

The Gospel is something we show and tell — demonstrate and declare.

💡 Explain

  • The apostle Peter wrote letters to early Christians living in a secular society

  • He called them “exiles” — people who belong to heaven but live somewhere else

  • He wrote to them because they were struggling with the different ways of living

📜 Read Together: Texts from 1 Peter

REFERENCE: 1 Peter 1:13-16, 17-19, 21; 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10

  • 🙋 Ask: what does Peter seem to be focused on?

  • TIP: What is Peter focused on as they live in the society around them?

REFERENCE: 1 Peter 2:11-12, 13-17; 21-23; 3:1-2, 8-9

  • 🙋 Ask: what does Peter anticipate will happen if they live like this?

  • TIP: Why is Peter so focused on these Christians living “different” from the society around them?

💡 Explain

Peter does not shrink the differences between Christians and non-believers. For Peter, contrast becomes a compelling reason to believe the Gospel.

  • Different “home” —> different values (reason they are different)

  • Different values —> point of conflict (reason they suffer for it)

  • Different lives —> compelling call (reason they will win people anyway)

📜 Read Together: 1 Peter 3:15

ASK: What does Peter anticipate will happen as differences arise? How will it lead to Gospel opportunities?

💬 Discuss

  1. Exiles still | Consider the ways Peter calls Christians to live. In our lives today, would these “ways” stand out?

  2. Gospel show | How do these “ways” point people toward the Gospel?

  3. Gospel tell | Peter anticipates a moment where we are asked to explain our belief in action. How would you explain your reasons for why you live the way you live?

  4. How we live | How can our GC live and interact together in ways that especially show the Gospel to others?

⏭️ Next: the Grid and how we live as ambassadors for the King.

In a Picture

  • How do we live now?

  • How can we be more intentional?

Everyday patterns can be opportunities to show and tell the Gospel:

Disciples of Jesus are intentional about using everyday patterns for Kingdom purposes!

Conversation #2
The Grid

💡 Bottom Line

Everyday living can become an opportunity for Gospel demonstration. All it takes is intentionality.

💡 Explain the Left Side of the Grid

The left side of the Grid shows the general pattern by which we all live, Christian and non-Christian alike:

  • Eat: We all have meals multiple times a day. Most of us share these meals with others, and they become occasions to slow down, relate to one another, and grow in relationship. (Do you ever invite someone you don’t like for dinner?)

  • Celebrate: We all have things we celebrate or stop to honor. These may vary from holidays to special events, memories or sporting events, and so on. They become occasions to stop, relate to one another, and share what’s special to us. (Who do you think of first when you get good news?)

  • Work: We all work throughout the day, but this can be paid work as well as the upkeep of our lives. While we may view our coworkers differently, we all would prefer to share a task with someone we know and respect. In fact, working shoulder to shoulder can build trust and respect, deepening our relationships.

  • Rest: We all need to take a break and stop working. This can be simply taking a break or a nap, as well as ways we actively rest — like in recreation below. Stopping from earning and working is a necessary part of our lives, but it also gives an opportunity to know one another apart from what we produce for each other. (Who have you recently “just spent time with” for no purpose other than to be with one another?)

  • Recreate: We all refill our tank through recreation, a kind of active rest where we are not earning something or validating ourselves. Instead, we are simply enjoying activities for the sake of enjoying ourselves, sharing with another, or finding beauty in our lives. (Who do you call to “play” or “create” with?)

💬 Discuss

  • Which of these can you most easily see “Gospel Opportunities” in?

  • Which of these is hardest to see “Gospel Opportunities” in?

  • Which of these 5 patterns is missing from your life? (How can you change that?)

💡 Explain the Right Side of the Grid

The right side of the Grid shows the Gospel pattern which can shape all our everyday patterns:

  • Storyformed: Being story formed means we all are shaped by the stories we perceive and tell.

  • Bless: Blessing means we add to others lives and show grace to others. As God has done toward us, we offer freely to others!

  • Listen: Listening means we speak less than we hear, and we intend to learn about others’ stories, how we can bless them more, and how we can connect the Gospel to their lives.

TIP: These will be discussed more in the next conversations, but you can also reference the Circle content for more or this PDF for examples.

⏭️ Our everyday patterns can become opportunities to show and tell the Gospel. How can story play a part?

Pause to Discuss

Read 2 Cor 5:17-6:1 together then discuss:

  • How does Paul envision our lives on earth? (He calls us “___ for Christ”)

  • If you make your appeal on behalf of God, whose name or reputation is “at stake”?

  • In all this, what are you in control of? (Do you control their response or growth?)

  • If others meet God through you, or come to know Him through you, then consider what you life shows them. What picture of “God” do they get from the way you live and interact with them?

“

What we absolutely can control is the kind of life we live and the people we live it with. Do you show others a compelling lifestyle?

Conversation #3
Storyformed Living

💡 Bottom Line

How we tell stories reveals how we perceive our lives. The distinct difference between a disciple of Jesus and a non-believer is who is the center of our stories.

💡 Explain

Everyone has a “story” — what makes them “who they are” and where they see life going.

The central question is whose story is it?

📜 God’s Story: Genesis 1-3 —> Gospels and Beyond

In God’s story according to what Scripture reveals, we are linked to God in the core of our being yet attempting to live without Him. This of course has damaging consequences but is not the final word: He offers a way to restore us to Him!

  • Creation = God is the Creator and Originator of all things

  • Fall = Humankind rebelled against Him and separated from Him

  • Redemption = Whereas the result of the fall is ultimately death, God saves us by His action and free gift

  • Restoration = Humankind can experience life with God again and help others experience the same

❌ Our Story without God

In our story without God, we determine what we become, we excuse our faults by some outside influence, and we choose what we are made acceptable by or what we can accomplish within our own efforts.

  • Creation = I exist for ____

  • Fall = What’s wrong in my life is ____

  • Redemption = What will fix my life is ____

  • Restoration = Once this happens, I will finally ____

✝️ The Gospel in our Story

In our story with Jesus, He becomes the Hero of our story gone wrong. We can be honest about our misplaced priorities, our choice to sin, and its consequences. The Gospel changes everything, and that simply becomes a backdrop to His great work to save us!

  • Creation = I have lived like I exist for ___

  • Fall = What’s wrong in my life is ___ (my choice and my sin)

  • Redemption = Jesus changed my life when ___

  • Restoration = God is giving me new chances everyday to ____

💬 Discuss

  1. Which of these do you find “easiest” to understand? Which do you find hardest?

  2. Can you retell God’s story in a brief, clear way? (Practice right now with a partner!)

  3. Can you retell the Gospel story in a brief, clear way? (Practice right now with a partner!)

  4. Think of stories people around you tell? Can you see their Creation/Fall/Redemption/Restoration responses in there?

  5. Think of stories you tell others daily? (How your day was, what happened this week, etc.) In those stories, do you see and hear a story with or without God? How could the Gospel story be better heard in your daily stories?

⏭️ How do stories shape our lives? From our stories to God’s story, stories matter.

Conversation #4
Bless - Listen - Serve

💡 Bottom Line

People learn through more than just being told something. We must aim to influence head, heart, and hands through Biblical teaching, modeling, experiences, reflection, and the work of the Spirit.

💡Explain

Today’s goal is simply to drive our recent conversations into intentional practice. We want to move from talking about these ideas to really practicing them with one another and with our names & faces that we have identified.

We will discuss the ideas and suggestions below, then adopt one practice to take up for one week. Let’s explore the ideas, add our own, and begin growing in our ability to hear and speak the gospel naturally — or our “gospel fluency.”

🤲 Bless & Serve

Ideas to bless & serve others:

  • Bring them coffee or a favorite snack

  • Buy breakfast or lunch for them

  • Help with a house project or tidying up an area

  • Give a card or gift for special occasion

  • Offer to bring a meal or to babysit and send them out

💁 Ask

Ideas to ask better questions of others:

  • Can you tell me about your family — where/how did you grow up?

  • Did you have a favorite coach/teacher/etc.? What made them so meaningful?

  • What are some of your best memories of/from ___?

  • What would you say are some of the most formative experiences of your life?

  • What have been your best and worst jobs?

  • How do you like to spend your days off?

  • What are some of the best places you’ve traveled to?

Note: any great follow-up response is “why” or “tell me more…”

👂 Listen

Ideas as you listen to others:

  • How does their story sound like a creation or fall?

  • How did they not live by faith? / How could they have lived by faith?

  • How does the Gospel speak to their story?

  • Where in this story are we struggling to believe the Gospel? (Where aren’t we living like it’s really true?)

  • What about Identity are we struggling to believe and live from? What is God’s answer to that?

Note: the goal is to learn more about who a person is, not just what they do, to hear what they value and how they make choices. You want to get better at hearing the inner story that shapes others so that you can begin to understand how God’s story relates to theirs.

🫱🏻‍🫲🏾 Act on the Plan

  • Name your practices, ideally one from each area — bless & serve, ask, and listen.

  • Set your time period, at least one week, before gathering again to discuss

  • Be specific, saying “I will [action] on/when [time] with [person].”

  • Re-group to reflect! See what you gain, learn, and can improve on together.

🙏 Pray together

TIP: Focus your prayer time on building relationships with your names & faces, on becoming more aware of peoples’ stories, and being emboldened to share God’s story and Jesus’ role in your life…