Get your men's (or mixed) group impacting their world with this brand-new Tony Dungy study, based on Tony's bestselling book Uncommon.

What each person will need:

• Bible

• Your wallet

• Pen

• Scissors

Think About It

"The dreams that God put in your heart never change. Your integrity…demands that you step us and follow those dreams to a better place, to pick yourself up and push on.”—Coach Dungy

After John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most quoted verses in Scripture. Just as many people miss the simple truth of salvation in John 3:16, many people miss the heart of the promise in Jeremiah. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future hope.’” Many of us forget that this promise is about God’s plans. It doesn’t say anything about our plans.

As we develop and think about our mission and purpose on earth, we often create our own plans then ask God to bless them. But a mission that makes a real difference, that makes the very most of our lives, comes from seeking and following God’s plans. If we want a life-changing, earth-shattering mission—if we want real purpose in our lives—we need to empty ourselves of our ambition and our own plans for our lives. In exchange, God gives each of us a life of meaning, peace, and fruitfulness.

"The first step in developing a good game plan is to determine who we really are—or should be—beyond the perceptions of the world and beyond the lure of who society says we should be.”—Coach Dungy

Get in a group of 4. Each of you take out one of your credit cards and throw it in the middle of the group. Then, throw down your driver’s license. Then, toss in any membership cards you have. Now, proceed to empty your wallet of its contents. If you’re able, include your cash as well. (You might want to count it first.) Mix the items up a little.

As you hold your empty wallet, discuss the following questions:

• What does it feel like to have all of your stuff out of your wallet?

• How easy or difficult would it be for you right now to walk away from this pile and leave the room? Why?

• How would your own ambitions and plans be affected if you walked away from everything in your pile—permanently?

As you return the items to your wallet, carefully check to make certain you don’t have something that belongs to someone else.

Talk About It

You may already have a personal mission statement. If not, you may have a vague idea of what you hope your life accomplishes. Perhaps you’re just responding to life as it comes at you. None of these approaches do much good if you’re not really living out what you say, hope, or think you want to be.

Imagine for a minute that you died today. For some reason, a news show found your life newsworthy and decided to do a report on you. (Or maybe it had more to do with the events surrounding your demise.) The reporter was especially smooth and endearing, so your surviving family, friends, and co-workers gave her access to your financial documents, your home, and your office. They also granted her candid and honest interviews. Take a minute or two to write down what you think—and perhaps fear—she’d find out about you (it’s OK—you won’t have to show what you wrote to any reporters here!):

Get back into your group from earlier and discuss the following:

• What do you think the interviews would reveal about what you really care about?

• Do you think the reporter would get one fairly consistent story or a bunch of conflicting ones from the people she interviewed? Explain.

• Do you think your life matches the mission you believe God has for you? Why or why not?

Study It

God puts passions and desires in our hearts. God created you and loves you, and wants you to enjoy and thrive in the mission he has for you. But your mission isn’t really about you. Your mission is about making the most of the time God’s given you for his purposes and glory. Scripture does not promise a life of ease or success. But we’re given the offer of peace, meaning, and efficacy if we wholeheartedly take on the mission God has for us. Scripture gives us clear direction on our mission while on earth.

Get back into your groups and go through each of the following Scriptures. For each of the passages, discuss the following questions:

• What does this passage say about your mission?

• How would your life be different if this passage became your personal mission statement?

1. Matthew 28:19-20

2. Micah 6:8

3. Matthew 22:33-40

4. John 4:28-29 and Hebrews 11:6

5. Proverbs 3:5-6

Afterward, discuss this question together:

• What’s the most difficult part of finding and following God’s mission for your life?

Live It

Whatever your mission in life, it needs two things to line up with Scripture. First, it must be concerned with knowing and loving God. Second, it needs to include reaching out to and loving others. There are millions of approaches to living out the mission God’s given us, and we’re free to take the unique approach God’s put in our hearts. You don’t need a complicated scheme or plan to live this mission out. You can become mission-minded and mission-focused at this very moment.

Get with a partner right now. Share what you think God is asking you to change or begin, then spend a few minutes praying for one another. Write out your commitment below.

I will live out my God-given mission to the best of my abilities. I can start by:

Commit to It

Before you conclude this session, commit to one or two of the action points that follow or another you come up with. Be prepared to share what happened or what you learned next week.

Option 1: Read Chapter 6 of the book Uncommon. When you see an area where God is speaking to you about mission, underline it and pray about it, asking God to help you see how you can make a difference in the lives or others.

Option 2: You don’t need training to make a difference in someone’s life. Anyone can show genuine care, concern, and love. Prayerfully consider whom God might be asking you to come alongside. Just get involved in that person’s life, be his friend, and wait for the opportunity to share the ideas and principles you’ve learned in this study. Or, better yet: Go ahead and work through this study with him.

Option 3: Write a personal mission statement. Reviewing the passages you just studied, and make a list of all the things that you’d like God to do through you in the lives of others. Circle one or two that really stick out to you. Then write down the people groups you have a strong desire to reach—for example, “the homeless,” “the unchurched,” or “young men.” Circle the one that sticks out. Now put those two phrases together in a brief statement that’s easy to remember. For example, “To bring life and freedom to the unchurched.” Keep revising it until it embodies what you want your mission to be all about.

Option 4: Don’t forget that mission starts at home. Spiritual leadership begins with our families. Look over the requirements of a spiritual leader in 1 Timothy 3:1-13. Then review the passages we studied in this session with your family in mind. Make a plan for how you can be more mission-minded in your own home. Scratch down your initial thoughts here: