Introduction

Sometimes, your mission from God may become clear to you early on in your journey with Him, eliminating the need to wait. This can be a great blessing! However, more often than not, it takes time for things to become clear. You will gradually discover who you are meant to be and what the Lord wants you to do with the life and gifts that He has entrusted to you. While waiting for clarity regarding your mission from God, there is no need to passively wait. God wants you to actively prepare for it by faith by focusing on four areas of your life that will be crucial in fulfilling your mission from God.

Four Areas to Focus On

1. Fulfilling your *roles* and *responsibilities* (Genesis 12:10-20) – For Abraham to become the father of many nations, he must begin with his own family. In fact, he must begin with his marriage. God had to teach him in a painful way how to be faithful as the husband of Sarai. In the same way, the Lord will teach us faithfulness in our roles and responsibilities first.

2. Dealing with *relational* *conflicts* (Genesis 13:1-18) – There will always be relational conflicts in our lives. We cannot avoid that. But the Lord wants us to learn how to live peacefully with others. Dealing with relational conflicts and learning how to resolve them is part of our preparation.

3. Managing *riches* and *resources* (Genesis 14:1-17) – Our mission will surely involve some form of funding. Wherever and however it will come, we must learn how to manage riches and resources early on. Our honesty and integrity in this area will determine our success in fulfilling our mission later on.

4. Living in *righteousness* before God (Genesis 15:1-21) – Trusting God and learning to walk by faith in Him will be our most important preparation. God’s glory must be our utmost priority, not success or accomplishment. If we don’t learn how to walk faithfully with God early on, our mission can easily become our destruction.

Conclusion

1. Central Idea: “Mission *preparation* is equally important as the *mission* itself.”

2. Don’t worry about not knowing your mission yet. It will become clearer in due time if you continue to wait on Him. In the meantime, learn to prepare well by faithfully and fruitfully following Jesus in each of these four areas everyday.

3. This week, take the time to analyze yourself in these four areas. Which area do you need to focus on? Ask God to help you become faithful and fruitful in that area before moving on to another area.

Discussion

1. In the first area of focus, we discussed the importance of fulfilling our roles and responsibilities in preparation for our mission. Can you think of a time when you had to learn faithfulness in a specific role or responsibility? How did that experience contribute to your growth in faith?

2. Relational conflicts are a part of life, and the sermon highlighted the need to learn how to deal with them in a Christ-like way. Could you share a personal experience of handling a relational conflict in a manner that aligns with God’s teachings? What did you learn from that situation?

3. Managing riches and resources was emphasized as an essential part of mission preparation. How do you currently manage your resources, and how do you think this aligns with your mission or calling in life? What changes or improvements can you make in this area?

4. The sermon stressed the significance of living in righteousness before God and trusting Him in our mission preparation. How do you prioritize your relationship with God in your daily life, and what steps can you take to ensure that His glory remains your utmost priority?

5. The central idea of the sermon is that “Mission preparation is equally important as the mission itself.” How do you understand the significance of this idea in your personal journey of faith and mission? Can you share an example of how focusing on preparation has positively impacted your mission or calling?