Sent

September 1st, 2026
by Minister Kendra Joseph

Bible Study Series

SENTA Study on Evangelism

For youth and young adult small groups. Each session runs about 30-45 minutes and includes an icebreaker, scripture, teaching notes, discussion questions, an application step, a group challenge, and a closing prayer.

Mark 16:15 · Go Into All The World

How to Use This Study

This series is designed for small groups, youth gatherings, or one-on-one mentoring - helping students and young adults grow in confidence to share their faith at every level.

Leaders: read the Context & Teaching Notes ahead of time so you can guide discussion naturally, not just read it aloud.
Discussion questions are meant to spark real conversation - it's okay if the group doesn't get through all of them.
The Group Challenge is best followed up on at the start of the next session - ask who tried it and what happened.

Session 1

You Are Sent

Opening Icebreaker (5-7 min)

Think of a time someone gave you directions, advice, or a heads-up that really helped you. What made you trust what they told you?

Romans 10:14-15

"How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?"

John 20:21

"As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you."

Context & Teaching Notes

Paul lays out a chain here that runs backward: no one calls on God without believing, no one believes without hearing, and no one hears without somebody telling them. Each link depends completely on the one before it.

This isn't abstract theology - it's a call to action. Somewhere, someone's faith is waiting on a person willing to go and speak. That person could be any of us.

Discussion Questions

In your own words, walk through Paul's chain in Romans 10:14-15. What happens if one link is missing?
Why do you think Paul emphasizes being "sent" rather than just "volunteering"? What's the difference?
Has someone ever been the "link" that helped you hear about Jesus? What did that look like?
What excuses do we commonly use to avoid being that link for someone else?

Application

This week, identify one person in your life who might be waiting on you specifically - not a stranger, but someone you already know.

This Week's Group Challenge

Everyone writes down one name (privately, if preferred) and commits to praying for that person daily this week.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for sending Your Son, and for sending us in the same way. Help us see the people already in our lives as the mission field You've placed us in. Give us courage to be the link someone is waiting on. Amen.

Session 2

Your Story Matters

Opening Icebreaker (5-7 min)

If you had to describe a major turning point in your life in one sentence, what would it be?

1 Peter 3:15

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this in a gentle and respectful way."

Mark 5:19

"Go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."

Context & Teaching Notes

Peter writes to believers under real pressure, encouraging them to be ready to explain their faith - not with a rehearsed argument, but with honesty and gentleness.

A testimony is simply the true story of what God has done: what life looked like before, how you encountered Jesus, and what's different now. It doesn't require perfect theology - just an honest account.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think Peter emphasizes being "ready" rather than being an expert debater?
What makes sharing your own story feel easier or harder than explaining doctrine?
Read Mark 5:19 - Jesus tells the healed man to go tell his own family what happened. Why do you think Jesus sends him home instead of somewhere new?
What's one part of your story you've never shared with anyone? What's held you back?

Application

Write out your testimony in three short parts: before, how you met Jesus, and now. Keep it to a few sentences each.

This Week's Group Challenge

In pairs, take 60 seconds each to say your testimony out loud to a partner in the group.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for my story - even the messy parts. Help me be ready to share it gently and honestly when someone asks, without feeling like I need to have it all figured out. Amen.

Session 3

Not Ashamed

Opening Icebreaker (5-7 min)

Describe a time you felt embarrassed to admit you liked or believed in something. What made it hard to be honest about it?

Romans 1:16

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes."

2 Timothy 1:7-8

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord."

Context & Teaching Notes

Paul wrote to a church facing real social and even physical danger for following Jesus. His declaration of "not ashamed" wasn't naive - it was a deliberate choice made in the face of real pressure.

Shame around faith often isn't about doctrine - it's about fear of how we'll be perceived. Paul reframes the gospel as something with actual power, not just a personal opinion to defend.

Discussion Questions

What's the difference between feeling nervous to share your faith and feeling ashamed of it?
Paul calls the gospel "the power of God." How does that change the way we talk about it, compared to sharing just an opinion?
Read 2 Timothy 1:7-8 - what does Paul say we've been given instead of a spirit of fear?
What situations make you most tempted to stay quiet about your faith?

Application

Identify one specific setting this week (a group chat, a classroom, a lunch table) where you've been tempted to hide your faith, and plan one small way to be more visibly you.

This Week's Group Challenge

Share as a group: what would it look like to support each other in that "not ashamed" moment this week?

Closing Prayer

God, I don't want to hide who I am or Whose I am. Give me quiet courage - not to force anything, but to stop shrinking back when it would be easier to stay silent. Amen.

Session 4

Let Your Light Shine

Opening Icebreaker (5-7 min)

Think of someone whose kindness or integrity has genuinely impressed you, even if they never said a word about faith. What did you notice about them?

Matthew 5:14-16

"You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden... let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

Philippians 2:14-15

"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you... shine among them like bright lights in a dark world."

Context & Teaching Notes

Jesus doesn't tell His followers to "become" light - He says they already are. Identity comes first; visibility is the only open question.

A hidden light isn't broken, it's just not doing what it was made for. Good deeds aren't meant to earn anything - they simply reveal what's already true and point people back to God.

Discussion Questions

What's the difference between doing good deeds to be noticed and doing them because your light naturally shines?
Read Philippians 2:14-15. How does Paul connect our everyday attitude (not complaining/arguing) to being a light?
Have you ever noticed someone's actions before you ever heard what they believed? What impact did that have?
Where in your life is your light currently "dimmed" rather than fully hidden - and what would it take to turn it up?

Application

Identify one ordinary place this week (school, work, home) where a small act of kindness could visibly reflect Jesus without saying a "churchy" word.

This Week's Group Challenge

Each person commits to one deliberate act of kindness this week for someone who wouldn't expect it, and shares what happened next time the group meets.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, You already called me light - help me actually live like it. Let my actions point people toward You, even in small, ordinary moments. Amen.

Session 5

Power to Witness

Opening Icebreaker (5-7 min)

Have you ever had to do something you felt totally unqualified for? What helped you get through it?

Acts 1:8

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

"My message and my preaching were very plain... so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God."

Context & Teaching Notes

Jesus puts "power" before "witness" - evangelism isn't fueled by human confidence, but by the Holy Spirit working through ordinary people.

The geography in Acts 1:8 moves outward: Jerusalem (home turf) → Judea (nearby) → Samaria (people they might avoid) → the ends of the earth. Evangelism usually starts closest to home, not far away.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think Jesus mentions receiving power before mentioning being a witness?
What does the order of Jerusalem → Judea → Samaria → ends of the earth suggest about where evangelism should start?
Who is your "Jerusalem" - the people geographically or relationally closest to you?
Read 1 Corinthians 2:4-5. How does Paul describe the source of his impact? What does that free us from needing to prove?

Application

Reach out to your "Jerusalem" person this week - a text, a call, or a conversation - trusting the Spirit to lead rather than needing to have all the right words.

This Week's Group Challenge

Spend a few minutes as a group praying specifically for the Holy Spirit's power over each person's "Jerusalem" conversation this week.

Closing Prayer

Holy Spirit, I can't do this in my own strength, and I don't have to. Fill me with Your power today, and help me reach toward the person You've already put on my heart. Amen.

Session 6

Everyone Means Everyone

Opening Icebreaker (5-7 min)

Is there a type of person or group you find it harder to imagine sharing your faith with? (You don't have to name anyone specific out loud.)

Mark 16:15

"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone."

Luke 15:1-2

"Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach... the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complained... 'This man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!'"

Context & Teaching Notes

"Everyone" in Mark 16:15 removes every excuse about who is or isn't "my job" to reach. No group, background, or history disqualifies someone from the invitation.

In Luke 15, Jesus is criticized for spending time with exactly the people religious leaders had written off. His response wasn't to distance Himself - it was to draw closer.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think it's easier to imagine sharing faith with people similar to us than with people very different from us?
Read Luke 15:1-2. What does this passage reveal about who Jesus was drawn to, and how others reacted?
Is there a group or type of person you've quietly assumed is "too far gone" or "not your job" to reach?
What would change if you genuinely believed "everyone" includes that person or group?

Application

Name (privately, if needed) one person or group you've been avoiding, and take one small step this week - even just praying for them by name.

This Week's Group Challenge

As a group, brainstorm one way you could collectively show kindness to a group or person your circle doesn't usually reach out to.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You that Your invitation really does include everyone - even the people we've quietly written off. Soften our hearts toward them, and give us the chance to love them well. Amen.

Session 7

Reflect & Recommit

Opening Icebreaker (5-7 min)

Looking back over the past several weeks, what's one moment that stuck with you the most?

Galatians 6:9

"So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up."

Philippians 1:6

"I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished."

Context & Teaching Notes

Evangelism was never meant to be a one-time event - it's a rhythm, a posture, a way of living that we keep choosing. Paul's encouragement to "not get tired" assumes this is a long obedience, not a single sprint.

Philippians 1:6 reminds us that growth isn't something we're solely responsible for finishing - God is faithfully at work in us over time, even when progress feels slow or uneven.

Discussion Questions

What's one thing that felt easier by the end of this study than when you started?
What's one thing that still feels hard or uncomfortable?
Read Philippians 1:6 together. How does knowing God is the one finishing the work change the pressure you might feel to "get it right"?
What's one practice from this study (testimony, prayer for a name, an act of kindness) you want to keep doing going forward?

Application

Write down one specific way you want to keep living "sent" beyond this study - a habit, a person, or a practice.

This Week's Group Challenge

Go around the group and have each person share one story - big or small - from the past several weeks of stepping out in faith.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for this season - for the courage You gave us, the people You put in front of us, and the moments we got to be part of. Help us not stop here. Keep sending us, keep using us, and keep reminding us that we get to be part of Your story every single week. Amen.

Faith in Action. Hope in Motion. Jesus Everywhere.