Missions Mobilization
Global Christian Experience / Teaching: God, The Nations, and the World

2.3 God’s Heart for the Foreigner

Guide

This teaching explores Scripture’s consistent emphasis on the foreigner, sojourner, and outsider, and helps participants connect God’s heart for the nations with the people He has already brought near.

This lesson is especially helpful when CCC includes local cross-cultural engagement.

(The ppt slide deck for teaching is at the bottom of this page, under resources)

What This Teaching Covers

This teaching traces God’s concern for the foreigner throughout Scripture, including:

  • God’s commands to love and protect the foreigner in the Old Testament
  • The role of outsiders and foreigners in God’s redemptive story
  • Jesus’ countercultural engagement with those on the margins
  • A biblical foundation for hospitality, justice, and welcome The goal is not political commentary, but biblical clarity and posture formation.

How This Teaching Is Typically Used (Recommended)

In CCC contexts, this teaching is often delivered as:

  • ~45–60 minutes of teaching

  • followed by ~20 minutes of guided discussion It pairs especially well with:

  • Mapping Your City

  • Prayer Walks

  • Visiting a Place of Worship

Choose One Teaching Format

You only need to choose one format below.

Option 1 — Watch a Long-Form Teaching (Turnkey)

  • Use a recorded, long-form teaching on God’s Heart for the Foreigner (if available)

  • Watch together as a group or assign for individual viewing

  • Use discussion questions afterward to process and reflect This option works well if:

  • You prefer consistency across groups

  • You want to minimize preparation time

  • You are facilitating rather than teaching live

Option 2 — Teach It Yourself (Facilitator-Led)

  • Use the God’s Heart for the Foreigner slide deck

  • Reference provided teaching notes and handouts

  • Teach the content live, adapting examples to your local context This option works well if:

  • You are comfortable teaching

  • You want to contextualize Scripture to your city

  • You are leading a smaller or more interactive group

Option 3 — Hybrid Approach

  • Assign the teaching as pre-work
  • Use in-person time for:
    • Scripture reflection
    • discussion
    • prayer This approach works well when time together is limited.

Discussion & Reflection (After Teaching)

Transition from teaching into discussion rather than extended lecturing.

Start with one or two of the questions below, and add more only as needed.

Core Discussion Question

How does Scripture challenge or affirm the way you’ve thought about immigrants, refugees, or foreigners in your community?

Additional Reflective Questions (Use as Needed)

Was there a passage or story that stood out to you? Why?

Did anything feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar as you listened?

How might God be inviting His people to respond to the foreigner today?

Where do you see opportunities—or resistance—in your own context?

These prompts are provided to support groups that may need help getting conversation started.

Looking Ahead

This lesson is most effective when followed by Experiential Activities, where participants can encounter these realities firsthand.

Understanding God’s heart is important—but CCC is designed to move from conviction to engagement.