“May the God of hope fill you with all
joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13, NIV It’s not half empty. It’s not half full. It’s overflowing. If what the Bible says is
true (and we believe it is), then your life isn’t meant to be anything life half
a glass of water. God created you to be so perpetually full of rich
experiences, rewarding relationships, and abundant blessings that you can
afford to pour out huge amounts of hope, comfort, and refreshment on others-and
still have more than you’ll ever need! “The water that I shall give him will become in him a
fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14, DARBY Imagine your life as a
fountain—the old fashioned, four-tiered kind of fountain. God is the source and your
heart is the first level of that fountain. God is pouring his blessings into
your life—filling you to the brim with his love, joy, and hope. Then the moment
comes when you are so full that you can’t possibly contain it anymore. Maybe
it’s a drip at first—a small bit of hope trickling from your life into someone
else’s—but it isn’t long before the water is flowing freely and spilling into
the next level of the fountain, and then the next, and the next. God’s love
unabated—overflowing from you into the lives of your family, friends,
neighbors, community, and the world. Outflow is outreach like you’ve never experienced it before:
natural, everyday, overflowing. Imagine… You’re waking up in the
morning refreshed, revitalized. It’s Monday, but you’re excited for the day to
begin. You pour some coffee as you smile to yourself. “I’m loved,” you think as
you settle into a chair and begin to talk to your beloved…to God. Outflow is about a richer relationship with God. A
relationship like it was intended. Powerful. Intimate. Constant. It’s about a
conversation that never ceases—a conversation with a God who is constantly
filling you up with his love, his power, and his blessings. Imagine… You’re hanging out at a
pub with a friend, listening quietly as he tells you again about the problems
he and his wife are having. You pray silently, desperately pleading that God
would heal their marriage and turn both their hearts toward Him. He turns to you and for
the first time asks if you think there’s someone at your church who could help
them. He’s seen your marriage, watched your life, and appreciated your
friendship. There’s something different about you and he’s thinking it has
something to do with your God. Outflow is about overflowing with God’s love into your
friends and family—the people who are closest to you and the people you
desperately want to see experience the joy of Jesus’ love. Imagine… You’re swinging open the door of your favorite coffee
shop. As you step in you hear your name being called. You look up and see that
one of the clerks—you remember her name is Shannon—has recognized you and is
smiling as she waves. You smile and wave back, and then wait patiently as she
finishes with her customers. You see another clerk open but decide to wait so
you can talk to Shannon. As she gets your coffee, you ask about her family and
her studies at the local college. She tells you things are going better than
they were at the beginning of the year and she thanks you again for
recommending the young adult church on campus—she’s made a lot of friends
there. Then she smiles and tells you that she’s seriously considering this
whole “Jesus thing.” Outflow is about overflowing into your community. It’s about
reaching out with God’s love to everyone around you. It’s about natural and
relational ways of engaging with the people of your city. It’s about serving
them with no strings attached. It’s about loving them with God’s love. Imagine…. You’re on your deathbed
and there are people milling all around you. You smile as you recognize many of
the faces—old faces, young faces—faces that are dear to you. As you lie there,
you hear snippets of what they’re saying… “...the world will never
be the same…” “…touched so many lives…” “…good and faithful
servant…” “…loved God so much…” Outflow is about a living legacy—a legacy that will last
long after you’re gone. It’s about reaching your world—the world God has placed
you in. It’s about being known for loving God…and loving God’s people. Your life is meant to overflow with unimaginable joy
and power. Outflow is your field guide for discovering the truth of
this God-given promise. In the next five weeks, you’ll explore…. >>How God’s love can
overflow through you >>How you can have a
richer, more meaningful relationship with God >>How you can share
God’s love with your family and friends >>How you can overflow
with God’s love into your community >>How you can change
your world through the power of God’s love One reading a day This book is designed so you
can tap into what God has for you by reading and reflecting on one brief
reading every weekday for the next five weeks. Of course, you could go through
it much faster if you wanted to, but taking it in smaller sips, one day at a
time, will allow the ideas to percolate through your mind…and begin to flow out
into your life. Getting your feet wet Faith separated from
practical experience always remains in the realm of doubt. So each day we’ll
also provide you with an opportunity to get your feet wet through reflective
activities and hands-on experiences that focus on the day’s reading. The reflection pool Taking time to reflect,
deliberate, and bring something into the personal context is how people grow
and keep from becoming stagnant. At the end of each daily reading, take a few
minutes to answer the questions in “The Reflection Pool.” If you’re reading Outflow
with you small group, set aside time during your small-group gathering to talk
through the group discussion questions at the end of each week’s readings. Diving into the deep end Get out there and live it
for yourself! At the end of each week,
you’ll have an opportunity to dive into the deep end and really experience what
you’ve been reading through practical, hands-on experiences. It might be
walking through your community and praying for people or investing time and
money in someone you normally wouldn’t. Whatever it is, each experience will
help you begin living just a bit more generously and outwardly. You’ll be
amazed at how each experience will change your perspective whether you do it by
yourself, with you family, friends, or with a small group from your church. Be
prepared for exciting result! It’s more fun with a friend Outflow is about changing you, but it’s also about changing
the church. As a small group, commit to going through the five weeks of Outflow
together. Meet together once weekly to discuss the group discussion questions
at the end of each week’s readings, and to dialogue about the ways your group
can become more outward-focused. We’ve also designed a DVD specifically for use
in your small-group gathering time. This DVD will guide your group through an
exploration of outreach (the Outflow way!) and pose some provoking
questions for your group along the way. To purchase your small group kit, visit www.group.com/outflow or your local
Christian bookstore. How about 50 friends? Change the atmosphere of
your entire church! Commit to experiencing Outflow together as a
congregation. The Outflow pastor kit is designed to lead your church
through five worship services, outreach activities, and church experiences.
Include your kids in this exciting program as well with the Outflow
youth and children kits—each one designed for five weeks of growing deeper in
relationship with God and overflowing into the people around them. To purchase, check out www.group.com/outflow
or visit your local Christian bookstore. Go…outflow! In the weeks to come—through
the daily readings, personal experiences, and small-group activities—you’ll get
to embrace God’s shockingly positive promises, remove any obstacles that might
be blocking their flow in your life, and experience God’s love with far greater
fullness than ever before. You’ll also learn some simple, but world-changing
ways to keep God’s kindness flowing into you and through you to many, many
others. Your
world will never be the same! Introduction