Foreword

empowering Bible translation, church planting, and personal evangelism. This fight is about gathering Kingdom networks and leaders around the world to mutually serve one another and work together, so that the Bible will be translated and made available in every single language by the year 2033. This fight is about mobilizing the Church to plant churches, as we are endeavoring to have a local church Body for every 1,000 people across the globe. We are also believing for a great harvest, longing for every person on the planet to have access to a Believer who will share the Good News with them. We are mobilizing Breakthrough Prayer, as millions of people are praying for God’s Spirit to move in a fresh way to empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission by the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s death and resurrection. Will you join us in this fight? This book that you hold in your hands represents the fight that we are in to live lives of purpose and mission. What fight are you waging right now? Are you fighting for your marriage, your finances, your children, or your reputation? In Fight for It, Roger gives clarity to the four fights of every believer. He provides us with fresh insight, simple application, and thought-provoking questions to help you fight for yourself, your home, your church, and your city. We are living in a fascinating time where the Church must come together in a spirit of unity to seek the welfare of our cities. Would you pray for a fresh movement of God’s Spirit in our lives, our homes, our churches, and our cities? We need to rise up and Fight for It, as we go about Finishing the Task in our generation.

Keep Fighting,

Pastor Rick Warren

WELCOME

As you look around our world today on the macro-level, things are a mess. Our nation’s healthcare system has been stretched to its limit. Our education system had to reinvent itself. The political landscape is deeply fractured. The country is divided right down the middle on which way we should head. On the micro-level, we have isolated from our neighbors. Our trust in leaders seems to be at an all-time low. We are tired, frazzled, at our limits. We wonder if things will ever return to normal.

Yet all these facts and feelings do not negate the reality that we have great potential as a people. Our story is not too dissimilar to what happened in the divided nations of Israel and Judah beginning in 605 B.C. Many were asking, “Where did we go wrong?” Others asked, “Is there a way forward?” In this context—where the temple of the Lord, the walls of the city of Jerusalem, the hearts of the residents of the land, were lying in ruin—this is where God was up to something. Before we dig into this story and learn about what God was up to, let me ask you some key questions to consider. In a sentence, can you clearly articulate: • For what are you fighting? • For whom are you fighting? • What do you believe is worthy of your fight? In this study, we will examine things that are worth fighting for. This includes fighting for yourself, your home, your church, and your city. We’ve got a lot of fighting to do. Let’s get ready for round one!

USING THIS WORKBOOK

Tools to Help You Have a Great Small Group Experience:

1. Notice in the Table of Contents there are three sections: (1)

Sessions; (2) Appendices; and (3) Small Group Leaders. Familiarize yourself with the Appendices. Some of them will be used in the sessions themselves.

2. If you are facilitating/leading or co-leading a small group, the section Small Group Leaders, will give you some experiences of others that will encourage you and help you avoid many common obstacles to effective small group leadership. 3. Use this workbook as a guide, not a straightjacket. If the group responds to the lesson in an unexpected but honest way, go with that. If you think of a better question than the next one in the lesson, ask it. Take to heart the insights included in the Frequently

Asked Questions pages and the Small Group Leaders section. 4. Enjoy your Small Group experience. 5. Pray before each session—for your group members, for your time together, and for wisdom and insights. 6. Read the outline for each session on the next pages so that you understand how the sessions will flow.