ICEBREAKERS
Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more questions to open up with.
- What did you do during the most recent winter storm?
- Do you feel like you are currently wanting time to slow down or speed up? Why?
- If you were stranded on a remote island, who is the one person you would want to bring with you and why?
Message Review
Main points and scriptures from this week's message.
This weekend Pastor Kevin continued talking about how to Release Your Potential.
Esther 4:14 (NIV)
. . . And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
These are the words of Mordecai to his younger cousin Esther who is now the queen of Persia. Esther was the most unlikely queen because she was a Jewish woman living in exile in Persia. She was seen as a second class citizen, but she was now in a position to release her potential, because this was in the middle of an intense season where genocide was taking place. She potentially had the power to stop it.
POINT 1: WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR UNUSED STRENGTHS, HIDDEN TALENTS, AND UNTAPPED ABILITIES.
The good thing about Esther is that she had prepared herself for this time. You don’t just arrive in your potential. You prepare for your potential!
Luke 16:10 (NLT)
If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.
POINT 2: YOUR POTENTIAL IS NOT JUST FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT. IT’S FOR GOD’S PURPOSE.
Just like God was working in Esther’s life from the beginning, God has been working in your life to bring about his purpose in you.
Philippians 2:13 (NIV)
. . . for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
POINT 3: YOUR POTENTIAL IS NOT DECIDED BY YOU. YOUR POTENTIAL HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED BY GOD.
In the same way that a manufacturer determines the potential of what he designs and creates, God has pre-determined your potential. Don't waste your time wishing you were someone else.
- Celebrate who you are.
- Pay attention to what you hear.
- Cultivate what you have.
- Develop what’s inside you.
- Maximize your opportunites.
- Walk through the doors God opens for you.
POINT 4: JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE POTENTIAL DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE LIVING YOUR POTENTIAL.
2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness . . .
POINT 5: ONLY YOU CAN RELEASE YOUR POTENTIAL.
You can learn from other people how to discover your potential or cultivate your potential. BUT only you can cultivate and release your potential.
TALK-IT-OUT
The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.
- Have you ever struggled with the thoughts of wishing you were someone else?
- Esther responded to something going on in her world that she wanted to change. What is happening in your world right now that you want to change?
- Luke 16:10 (NLT) If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. What little thing is God asking you to be faithful with?
- In what ways are you currently living in your full potential? In what areas do you need improvement?
- What is something you are going to do this week to cultivate your purpose?
WRITE-It-Out
Encourage your group to start writing things down. In a journal or on paper, do the following exercises.
- On paper respond to the following prompts:
- What can you celebrate about who you are?
- Who are you currently listening to, and what are they saying?
- What do you have that you want to cultivate?
- How are you going to develop your potential?
- What opportunities are currently in front of you?
- What doors are you praying that God is opening for you?
- Write out a prayer thanking Him for all that He has blessed you with. Ask for His help with developing and cultivating it what He has put within you.
Live-It-Out
Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- Commit to one daily intentional act to cultivate your potential. (Ex. Read a chapter a day from a book.)
- Complete Growth Track. Every Sunday at all of our campuses. Bellevue 9:45am & Tacoma 11:30am.
- Serve together as a group. To view serving opportunities with Champions Foundation, click HERE.
Closing Thoughts
- Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
- More resources are always available here: Group Resources.