Culture of Care

Pastoral Care first and foremost is care of the soul.  Soul care is care of the inner life of a person. The goal is the maturing of disciples who become more like Christ.  Two of the foundational metaphors for pastoral care is that of the Shepherd and Priest.

One of the key values in discipleship is actively hearing and obeying the Word. Therefore, it is important to have accountability to one another for our step of obedience from studying the Word. Spend the first part of your discussion asking – how did your step of obedience go from the last time we met?

Read the Amplified version and the Message version of Philippians 1:1-11.

• What do these passages tell us about God?
• What do these passages tell us about you and your life?
• What did you like about this passage?
• What did you not like about this passage?

Ps Chee shared three insights about how to become a caring disciple-maker:

1. Grow In Self Giving Love
2. Love With The Riverbanks of Knowledge and Discernment
3. Our Love Disciples The Heart

Discuss one or more of the following questions.

• Share a time when your life was touched by a moment of self-giving love
• Share a story where you helped someone and it changed their situation but not their hearts. Why is discipleship through care so important?
• We all want to love but sometimes we find it hard for various reasons. Which of the following reasons can you identify with? What can you do to take a step to grow in self-giving love?
  1. We don’t have time
  2. We don’t know how
  3. Our love tank is empty
  4. We are afraid of the cost and discomfort
  5. We don’t care.
• Many people want to love much, but they don’t love well.Describe a time when you wanted to love much, but you have not loved well. What did you learn from that experience? How did it influence the way you love people today?
• Loving with the riverbanks of knowledge and discernment guards our love against becoming naive, cynical, cultural and sentimental and directs our love to become Christ-like, selfless, wise and hopeful. Reflect on an opportunity for care in your life now. What would loving with knowledge and discernment look like?

1. Is there a truth that God wants you to obey?
2. What will you do to obey this? I will…

• Download Sermon slides here
• Love Loud Campaign video/li>