God's design for our growth in Him includes a commitment to one another in love, fellowship and encouragement.  For the church to experience and express this as a whole will require small manageable groups of families, whose relationships can grow deeper beyond the 2 hours of accessibility of a Sunday morning worship service... these are called Life Groups at Grace.

One of the essential mechanisms for our growth and encouragement in the faith is the Christian community. Paul's interaction with Philemon reveals many of these characteristics that we can learn from today.

The sending of disciples on mission was determined by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. If we too are to be sent, we also must learn to be led by the Spirit.

One of the most difficult aspects of being sent is submitting to the one who sends you. We are most secure when we are in the center of God's purpose and calling, no matter where He sends us.

Our true opposition in this world is not the men and women we are sent to, rather it is the unseen enemy that opposes the glory of our God.  We are protected from this deceiver by grounding our understanding upon God's Truth!

The task of being "sent" begins with following Jesus.

God's intention for the commissioning of missionaries was to function through the local church by leading of God's Spirit.  When this happens as designed, it helps grow those believers who "hold the reins" in their participation with the mission of God.

The commissioning of the disciples by Jesus serves for the church as a lens to see and understand the unfolding plan of God.  He has chosen to dispense the message of salvation through those equipped and sent with orders.

The nature of Jesus' commission from the Father will help us in our understanding for how Jesus' disciples are also sent.  We will see that at the foundation, Jesus is sent to display what the Kingdom and rule of God looks like on the earth.

There are some certainties when it comes to the nature of mission work in a fallen world. Jesus gives his disciples a required strategy for their success as they are sent out like sheep among wolves.