"You're invited!"

When Jesus says you're invited...he means it. He knows everything about us and yet he still pursues us. What is Jesus inviting us into? How do we respond?

Join us this week as we sit down with Jon Weece to talk about the greatest invitation we've been given. We'll dive into the steps to accept Jesus' invitation and celebrate how he redeems our stories to help reach others.

This season of Locker Room we're taking each week to talk about two words. Two words to drive our content and our discussion with different guests.

If you're starting a Locker Room Group or simply having conversations with other men--your sons, your friends, or coworkers--our hope is to create some critical discussions about things that matter.

LOCKER ROOM DISCUSSION GUIDE, S1E2 - "You're Invited"

1. Did your family members or friends give you a nickname? If so, what is it and how did you earn it? 
2. What's the most recent event you've been invited to (ball game, concert, wedding, etc.)? What resonated with you about the experience? 
3. Who was the first person to invite you to church? How would you describe your first church experience?
4. Read Matthew 16:24. Jesus gives an open invitation for anyone to follow Him with two qualifiers – denying ourselves and picking up our cross. Why are these two conditions listed first? What does this mean practically? 
5. Read Ephesians 2:8-9. These verses tell us that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Why is it important to remind ourselves that we are not saved by our own works? 
6. Read Acts 2:37-39 and 2 Peter 3:9. When we hear the Gospel, our natural response should be to turn away from our former life and reorient ourselves to our new life in Christ. In light of God's patience with us and promise for us, why do we tend to respond in rebellion instead of repentance?
7. Read Romans 10:9-13. If you've done so, what led you to the decision to confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord? How has your life been different since making this decision?  
8. Read Matthew 3:13-17 and Acts 22:16. Jesus Himself demonstrates humility by being immersed in the waters of baptism. In the 1st century Church, we also see this sense of urgency to be baptized as a response to hearing the Gospel and obediently following the example of Jesus. If you have been baptized, what was your baptism experience like? If you have not been baptized, what questions or reservations have kept you out of the water?    
9. Read Romans 6:1-14. In this passage, Paul clarifies our relationship to sin in light of God's grace. When we accept Jesus' invitation through faith, repentance, confession, and baptism, we put habitual sin to death and walk in our new identity in Christ. How do we not abuse God's grace? Why is it important for us to understand our new identity in Christ?  
10. Grab a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, describe your new life in Christ. On the other side, write down what your life would be like without Jesus. Use this resource as a tool to help you craft your testimony as you share what Jesus has done in your life with others.