Know What You're FOR Bible Study Guide

A Strategy for Living the Life God Wants You to Live

Jeff Henderson

• Publisher: HarperChristian Resources
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9780310119647
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Religion
• Index: Business

Do the people in your world know you’re FOR them?

In our world today, people are often known more for what they are against than what they are for. Unfortunately, this extends even into the church. We want to reach the lost with the incredible good news of Christ, but often all they ever hear us emphasize are the behaviors and attitudes we are against.

In this video Bible study (DVD/digital videos sold separately), pastor Jeff Henderson points out God is FOR the people in our world. He is FOR breaking down unnecessary barriers that keep people away from experiencing his love. And as his followers, he calls us to be spouses, parents, friends, leaders, and employees who do the same.

The Know What You’re FOR Study Guide includes video teaching notes, discussion questions, and weekly personal study and reflection questions.

Sessions include:

1. What Are You FOR?
2. FOR Your World
3. FOR Your Team
4. FOR Your Community
5. FOR Your Life

Designed for use with Know What You’re FOR Video Study (9780310119654); sold separately. Streaming video also available.

SESSION ONE

WHAT ARE YOU
FOR

Everything you and I do as leaders is about people. People want to know they matter. People want to know we are FOR them.

JOHN MAXWELL

WELCOME

Today we are going to talk about two questions that I believe are essential for living the life God wants you to live: (1) What do you want to be known for? and (2) What are you known for? These questions are similar, but notice the subtle difference. The first is about what you want to be known for in your roles and responsibilities in life. The second is about what you are actually known for in your community. These two questions will not only affect your personal life but will also have the capacity to influence your relationships, community, and world—especially if you are willing to honestly assess the answers and make adjustments to close the gap.

I have the privilege of working with teams and leaders in businesses and community organizations. What I find is that these two questions have a huge impact in those spaces. Think of it this way. If a shoe company says they are for their customers, but they won’t return a damaged shoe because of company policy, then who are they really for—the customers or the company? I’m guessing many of you have experienced this kind of “customer service.”

On the flip side, I think about the story of an employee at a shoe company who spent six hours on the phone with a customer who had just lost her husband. When the call ended hours later, there was a budding friendship between the employee and the customer . . . but no shoe purchase. The leadership team at the company celebrated the employee anyway for delivering happiness (the company mission) to a customer in need. This is a great example of alignment between what the company wants to be known for and what they actually are known for.

Now, I realize that I am getting a little ahead of myself here. But I want you to hear this: when you are known for one thing but talk about being known for something else, you lose credibility. And once you lose credibility, you lose trust. Trust takes a lifetime to gain . . . but only a moment to lose. For this reason, we need to determine if these two areas are out of alignment. So, as we begin this study, let’s have the courage to honestly ask these key questions and figure out how to close the gap. As we do, we will be committing to growth as individuals and as a community.

SHARE

If you or any of your group members are just getting to know one another, take a few minutes to introduce yourselves. Then, to kick things off for this session, discuss one of the following questions:

• What is your favorite role or responsibility in life right now?

— or —

• What descriptive words do people use about you?

WATCH

Play the video segment for session one. As you watch, use the following outline to record any thoughts or concepts that stand out to you.

Notes

There are two key questions that can help grow your business, your organization, your career . . . and you as an individual.

The first question is what do you want to be known for? What do you want to be known for in the roles and responsibilities of your life?

[Your Response Here]

The second question is what are you known for? This question is for the people in your life—what do they perceive to be your values, goals, and priorities?

[Your Response Here]

Growth happens when the answers to these two questions match. You grow as a person but also in your roles and responsibilities in your business, your church, and your organization.

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

JESUS (LUKE 18:8)

The reality is that none of us are perfect. There is going to be a gap between what you want to be known for and what you actually are known for. The goal is to close the gap!

These two questions can grow your business and your organization. What does your business want to be known for? What is your business known for? When the answers match, your customers experience your vision and tell others about your company.

The two questions can also grow your church. What does your church want to be known for? What is your church known for in the community? When the answers match, those who have said no to church in the past can realize the church is still saying yes to them.

In a hyper-cynical world that often is known for what it’s against, let’s be a group of people known for who and what we’re for.

Vision is like a bucket of water. The more words in the bucket, the more the vision spills out.

JEFF HENDERSON

DISCUSS

Take a few minutes with your group members to discuss what you just watched and explore these concepts in Scripture.

1. Think about the first question: What do you want to be known for? This relates to the roles and responsibilities that you have in your life. How would you answer this question?

[Your Response Here]

2. Think about the second question: What are you known for? This relates to how other people in your world perceive your vision, goals, and priorities. How do you think they would answer this question?

[Your Response Here]

3. In what specific area of your life might there be a gap between what you want to be known for and what you are known for? What areas of your life do you feel are in the greatest alignment between these two questions?

[Your Response Here]

4. What factors do you think contribute to the gap or the alignment in your life? How would the people closest to you answer this question?

[Your Response Here]

5. Read Acts 15:12–21. In this story, James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the church, was concerned about unnecessary barriers that were keeping people out of the church. How does this passage relate to what we are talking about today? What do you think are some of the barriers in the church today that turn people away?

[Your Response Here]

6. What do you think the impact would be if people in the world really believed that the church was for them? What part could you play in making this happen?

[Your Response Here]

RESPOND

Briefly review the outline for the video teaching and any notes you took. In the space below, write down the most significant point you took away from this session.

[Your Response Here]

What specific action steps will you take this week to move toward what you want to be known for?

[Your Response Here]

PRAY

Close your time together by praying for each other. Pray that God would clear up any confusion and help each one of you discover what you want to be known for. Ask God for the wisdom and self-awareness to pay attention to what you are known for. And if there’s any disparity between the two, ask God to give you the courage to move toward more alignment in your life, as individuals and as a community. Write down any specific prayer requests in the space below so you can remember to continue praying throughout the week.

[Your Response Here]

SESSION ONE

BETWEEN-SESSIONS
PERSONAL STUDY

Just as our cars need a regular tune-up and our bodies need physical therapy on occasion, our souls require realignment as well. In this session, we saw that most of us need realignment between what we’re for and what we’re known for. Start this process right this week by spending time with God each day and engaging in any of the following activities. Be sure to make any notes about the experience, as there will be ti...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Ebook Instructions
• Contents
• Introduction
• How to Use This Guide
• Session 1: What Are You FOR?
• Session 2: FOR Your World
• Session 3: FOR Your Team
• Session 4: FOR Your Community
• Session 5: FOR Your Life
• Epilogue
• Leader’s Guide
• Endnotes