Clocked In - Notes/Discussion

Notes/Outline

1. SEE YOUR WORKPLACE AS A MISSION FIELD

Matthew 5:14–16 — “You are the light of the world.”

 Your job is more than a paycheck.

 Your workplace is one of your primary spheres of influence:

o Family

o Friends

o Job

 You spend some of your best hours with the people you work with.

 Therefore, your workplace is a place where your faith should be visible.

 Key thought: You are the light of the marketplace.

Application:

When you clock in, dont just ask, “What do I have to accomplish today?”

Ask, “Who has God placed around me today?”

2. GO THE SECOND MILE

Matthew 5:41 — “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.”

 Jesus challenges the “thats not my job” mentality.

 The first mile is doing what is expected.

 The second mile is doing more than what is expected.

 Excellence and a good work ethic can become a testimony.

 Your goal isnt simply to get recognition, a raise, or a promotion.

 Your actions should cause people to ask, “Why do they live and work like that?”

Key phrase:

Do what youre asked to do—and then look for opportunities to do what isnt asked of you.

3. TREAT PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY

Luke 6:27–35 — Love your enemies; do good; bless; pray.

 Jesus doesnt tell us to simply treat people the way they treat us.

 He tells us to treat people according to His example.

 Dont take your cue from your coworkers.

 Take your cue from Christ.

 Especially when dealing with difficult people:

o Love those who dont love you.

o Do good to those who mistreat you.

o Bless those who curse you.

o Pray for those who mistreat you.

Key thought:

The worse the work environment, the greater the opportunity for your light to shine.

4. LIVE BY THE GOLDEN RULE OF WORK

Luke 6:31 — “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Apply the Golden Rule to whatever you do:

 Work unto others as you would have others work unto you.

 Boss unto others as you would have others boss unto you.

 Supervise unto others as you would have others supervise unto you.

 Sell unto others as you would have others sell unto you.

 Serve unto others as you would have others serve unto you.

 Teach unto others as you would have others teach you.

 ________ unto others as you would have others ________ unto you.

Key thought:

Dont reproduce the treatment youve received.

Break the cycle and treat people the way Jesus would.

5. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE THERE FOR

Acts 17:6 — “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”

 Your workplace isnt just where you work.

 Its where God has placed you to influence people.

 Your co-workers matter because people matter to God. -

 God may have placed you in that workplace to be a light.

 The goal isnt simply to survive your work environment.

 The goal is to help turn someones world right side up.

Closing Challenge

Before you go to work tomorrow, pray:

“Lord, help me be light today.”

Then:

1. Stop responding to people the way they respond to you.

2. Look for someone you can serve by going the second mile.

3. Treat your coworkers the way you would want to be treated.

4. Let your work ethic point people toward Jesus.

Bottom Line

Your job matters to God because the people you work with matter to God.

Golden Rule of Work:

“Work unto others as you would have others work unto you.”

Discussion

1. If someone observed me at work for a week, would they see the “light” Jesus talked about in

Matthew 5:14–16? Why or why not?

2. Knowing what I know about myself—my work ethic, attitude, honesty, productivity, and

treatment of others—would I hire me?

3. Do I see my workplace primarily as a place where I earn a paycheck, or as a place where God

has given me a sphere of influence?

4. Who is the person at work I struggle with the most? How might Jesus be asking me to treat

that person differently?

5. When someone treats me poorly at work, do I tend to respond the way they treat me, or do I

take my cue from Jesus?

6. What would “going the second mile” actually look like in my workplace this week?

7. Is there someone at work who has been difficult, disrespectful, or even hostile toward me that I

need to begin praying for?

8. What does my attitude toward my boss or supervisor reveal about my heart?

9. Do I treat people differently depending on their position—boss, coworker, employee, customer,

or someone “beneath” me?

10. If my coworkers know I am a Christian, what conclusions might they draw about Jesus from

the way I treat them?

Going Deeper

11. Am I more concerned about being noticed by my boss than being noticed by my heavenly

Father?

12. Where have I allowed frustration with my job to become an excuse for having a poor attitude

toward people?

13. Is there anything I am doing at work that compromises my Christian convictions or

conscience? What would faithfulness look like in that situation?

14. Have I allowed the behavior of someone else to determine my behavior? What would it look

like to “take my cue from Jesus” instead?

15. Who is one person in my workplace that God may have intentionally placed within my sphere

of influence?

If God has placed me in my workplace because the people there matter to Him, what might He want

to do through me in the life of one person this week?

What would change at my workplace if I actually lived the Golden Rule of Work—not