THE JESUS-CENTERED LIFE

Transcription

1 THE JESUS-CENTERED LIFE At First Methodist, we are leading people in the most important journey from a self-centered life to a Jesus-centered life. The Jesus-centered life is encouraging each other to discover our identity, belonging, and purpose in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Who are we? IDENTITY Christ in us. People of Grace: We receive forgiveness, renewal, and encouragement by the unconditional love of Jesus. People of Scripture: We receive life and wisdom as we encounter God through the Bible. People of Trust: We receive courage from the Holy Spirit to walk by faith. PRIMARY PRACTICES: Prayer We offer ourselves to God through consistent and fervent prayer. Worship We offer ourselves to God through consistent, passionate, and engaged worship. Where do we fit? BELONGING Christ with us. People of Welcoming: We embrace people as they are, choosing love over judgment. People of Story: We embrace each other in our faith journey in order to know and be known. People of Neighbors: We embrace our neighbors and influence our circles. PRIMARY PRACTICES: Mutual Mentoring We offer ourselves to God through consistent and intentional intergenerational relationships. Community Groups We offer ourselves to God through consistent presence and engagement with a group of people who have committed to doing life together. What difference do we make? PURPOSE Christ through us. People of Empathy: We give our attention to others, inviting others to tell us more. People of Generosity: We give abundantly of our time and resources. People of Mission: We give ourselves intentionally to God s redemption plan for the world. PRIMARY PRACTICES: Giving We offer ourselves to God through consistent and joyful giving of our money and gifts to the church and community. Service We offer ourselves to God through consistent and faithful service to our family, church, neighbors, and community. How does this life-change happen? POWER The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the source and empowerment for the transition from a self-centered life to a Jesus-centered life.

2 The Jesus-Centered Life: Discipleship at First United Methodist Church of Tulsa Aaron Tiger

3 The Jesus-Centered Life is our framework for understanding discipleship at First Methodist. We believe that we are leading people in the most important journey- from a selfcentered life to a Jesus-centered life. The goal of the Jesus-Centered Life is to provide a common language, common characteristics, and common practices that help us to be like Jesus in our lives, while answering the most common questions that people ask. The framework and the language came into being through hours of discussion with various leaders both lay and staff in the church and deep reflection on scripture and the ethos of the church. It has been approved by the church council, and you should start hearing more consistency of language across departments of this church as time goes on. This curriculum is designed to help people engage with scripture and discuss the fundamentals of the Jesus-Centered life together. The lessons build on each other, but should stand alone if someone misses a few weeks. On the next page, you will see our one-page summary which should be printed out and ed to the class to use as the reference throughout the class. Each week I start the curriculum with the big idea, the key question, and the guiding scripture. These are the key things that will ground this week s lesson. Following that I have suggested opening and opening questions to get the conversation started, followed by an outline and approach for going through our guiding scriptures. Following the text, I have made some notes for teachers as well as suggested questions. At the conclusion, I have a transition statement and final questions to possibly wrap up the discussion. (All scripture is ESV.) Overview of Lessons 1. The Most Important Journey: The Jesus-Centered Life 2. How does life-change Happen: The Power of the Holy Spirit 3. Who are we? Identity in Christ 4. Receiving Identity through Prayer and Worship 5. Where do we fit? Belonging with Christ in community 6. Embracing community through Mutual Mentoring and Community Groups 7. What difference do we make? Purpose through Christ 8. Purposeful Living through Giving and Service

4 The Most Important Journey: The Jesus-Centered Life Week One Big Idea: The most important journey any of us can make is from a self-centered life to a Jesus-centered life. Key Question: What is the center of my life? Guiding Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-22 Opening Thoughts: Today, we are beginning the study on the Jesus-Centered Life, which is our framework for understanding and communicating discipleship at First Methodist. Each week, we will be looking at a different component of our discipleship framework. Today, we begin with talking about the center of faith: Jesus Christ. o Opening Questions: What are some of the biggest indicators of what is important to someone s life? Based on your criteria, what would people say was most important in your life? How does one change priorities? Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 o Text: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, o Thoughts for Teachers: At the end of this letter, Paul reminds them of what is of first importance. The priority of Christian teaching must always be on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is easy for teaching to descend into moralism (don t do bad things) or inspirationalism (encouragement) or behaviorism (do these three things), but the task of teaching and life is Jesuscentered. If the life, death, and resurrection isn t influencing our teaching, our life, our decisions, then it is not Christian. It may be good, but it is not necessarily Christian. o Potential Questions: Why is this of first importance? How have you experienced Christ s death and resurrection as most critical? What happens to faith if this is not true? Read 1 Corinthians 15:5-11 o Text: And that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last

5 of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. o Thoughts for Teachers: For Paul, everything hinged on the resurrection. If the bodily resurrection of Jesus in true, then everything in the world is different. It is the cornerstone of our faith, and it must change everything. Paul verifies its truth by the witnesses, who would have been alive at the time he wrote that. Not only is it the sheer number of witnesses (over 500), but it also is that Paul was one of those. He was an unlikely person for God to choose, but that certainly played into why Jesus appeared to him. His life did a radical transformation when Jesus became the cornerstone of his life. o Potential Questions: Why are the witnesses important? How does your life reflect the reality of Jesus resurrection? Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 o Text: Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. o Thoughts for Teachers: Here Paul makes a concluding argument for what would happen if Jesus had not been raised from the dead. Pay attention to these phrases, our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. If the resurrection is not true, then our faith crumbles. But if the resurrection is true, then faith in Jesus is everything. However the challenging thing for most people is letting the resurrection be central in everything. Jesus

6 make take center in a few things, but how do we let the gospel be center in all things. o Transition Statement: For Paul, Jesus life, death, and resurrection was central, and it effected every aspect of life. This is truly of first importance. However, sometimes for us we have Jesus being first importance in somethings, some importance in other things, and little importance in a few things. Thus, the journey that First Methodist encourages people to be on is from a self-centered life to a Jesus-centered life. It is a journey of us putting more trust that Jesus truly is the center of our life, and our thoughts, words, and actions flow from that center. o Final Questions: How do we shift the center of our life from ourselves to Jesus? What stops us from truly centering our life on Jesus? Where have you seen the positive effects of the Jesus-Centered life?

7 How Does this Life-change Happen? The Power of the Holy Spirit Week Two The Big Idea: The Holy Spirit is the source and power for the transition from a selfcentered life to a Jesus-centered life. The Key Question: How does life-change happen? Guiding Scriptures: Luke 1:30-38 Acts 4:23-31 Opening Thoughts: We live in a do-it-yourself, self-help, pull-yourselves-by-your-ownbootstraps society. If people will just know more and try harder, then all the problems will be fixed. However knowledge and will-power is not enough. All the donut stores are in business because even though we know donuts are not good for us, we eat them because we want to. So how does life-change happen? For Christians, life change doesn t happen when we try harder. It happens when we surrender more. o Opening Questions: What is an example of something that you put your mind to that you succeeded in? What is something that you have wanted to change, but have been unable to? Why does some change, when it is good for us seem so hard? Read Luke 1:30-34 o Text: And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin? o Thoughts for Teachers: Imagine being Mary. Out of seemingly nowhere, you get this incredible news. That is unfathomable and impossible. She asks the question that all of us ask, when we face an unsurmountable issues, How? Notice her faith didn t say no this is impossible. She had faith, but she also couldn t imagine the steps that would need to be taken for it to happen. o Potential Questions: How would you have responded if you were Mary? What do you notice about what she didn t say? What has seen overwhelming to you, but somebody showed you how? Read Luke 1:35-38 o Text: And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age

8 has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. o Thoughts for Teachers: This is from Dr. Arden Autry s article Mary asked How? Gabriel answers in Luke 1:35: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (NIV). The answer to the how? question is the Holy Spirit. That means God, not man, will cause this to happen. That s why Gabriel s answer is important to us as well as to Mary. How can we ever become like Christ (which is God s will, according to Romans 8:29)? Not by our will-power, cleverness, or discipline. No, the answer to our how? question is the Holy Spirit. How can I defeat besetting sins and habits? Others can encourage me, but only the Holy Spirit can set me free and transform my character and desires. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are produced by the Holy Spirit at work in me and you, not simply by our trying harder to be good. How can I love that difficult person? How can I find the courage to do a difficult but necessary thing? How can I obey God s will when others may not approve and may even oppose me? The answer for how? to do God s will is always the Holy Spirit. Although our choices are important (and God won t force his will on us), we cannot truly do his will without his presence and power in our lives the Holy Spirit. o Potential Questions: What is significant about the response of the angel? What does it mean that the answer to the how question is the Holy Spirit? How do we let the Holy Spirit provide the power in our own how questions? Read Acts 4:23-31 o Text: When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to

9 speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. o Thoughts for Teachers: The disciples here prayer for boldness. And they were filled with boldness and were empowered by the Holy Spirit. Notice how early in the book of Acts is this story. What would have happened had they not prayed for boldness? Ephesians 3:20-21 is a great text, Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. o Transition Statement: In comparison to our American mottos of you can do it. The Jesus-Centered Life is all about God can do it. It makes me think of the Home Depot motto that says, you can do, we can help. Maybe the Jesus-Centered Life motto is this, God can do, we get to help. If you want personal or societal life change, the answer is not try harder, the answer is surrender more. o Potential Questions: How was their prayer answered? How have you had your how prayers answered by God? What happens to us when we relinquish power and seek God s power? What is something that you have been trying to do by your own power, instead of relying on the power of the Holy Spirit?

10 Who are we? Identity in Christ Week Three The Big Idea: As Christ lives in us our lives reflect him and we become people of grace, scripture, and trust. The Key Question: Who am I? The Guiding Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4 Opening Thoughts: If someone was to ask you (60, 40, 20, 10, and/or 5) years ago to answer the question, Who are you? How would you answer them? We all ask the question of who am I? throughout our life, particular when we experience any kind of life transition. How do we in a constantly changing world ground our identity. It must be grounded in Christ and in his character. As we find our true identity in being children of God, then we can find a solid ground and footing to live our life. The goal of this lesson is to help people wrestle with their identity and to begin to understand that we are people of grace, scripture, and trust. o Opening Questions: How do you answer the question, Who are you? What is essential to your identity? What would your spouse, your kids, your co-workers say defined you? Read Colossians 3:1-2 o Text: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. o Thoughts for Teachers: Paul is talking to people who are Christians. If you really have been raised with Christ, if you really have a Jesus-Centered life, then that has to be the defining feature of your life. It is inescapable. Being raised with Christ, also means that we surround ourselves with the thoughts of God. We have power to set on minds on things. We have to courageously set our minds on the things of God. o Potential Questions: What in these two verses stood out to you? How do we set our minds on things above? What happens when we set our minds to something, to God? Read Colossians 3:3-4 o Text: For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

11 o Thoughts for Teachers: Verse 3 is one of the more startling texts in scripture, but what does it mean that we have died. Does that mean that when I follow Christ that I lose my personality, my hobbies, my family, etc? I do not think that is what it means. I think what it means is that those things that we have built our identity on are not really things that can hold our identity. Those may be my gifts or a calling, but those are not my identity. What Paul tells us here is that our life is a part of something so much more than me, but we are a part of God s heavenly life for us. Christ lives in us, and Christ lives through us. This provides an incredible opportunity for discussion as people wrestle with this difficult text. o Potential Questions: What does death to self mean to you? What does it mean to have your life hidden with Christ s life? What is the promise of the Jesus-Centered life? Thoughts for Teachers: At First Methodist, we are going to be talking about specific discipleship characteristics that flow out of the Jesus-Centered Life. We d like for you to have a conversation about these in your class. When it comes to our identity, we believe that our identity is not something that we seek, but it is something that we receive from our relationship with God. I would read these aloud and then use the rest of the time to have discussions about how these embody Jesus living in us. o People of Grace: We receive forgiveness, renewal, and encouragement by the unconditional love of Jesus. o People of Scripture: We receive life and wisdom as we encounter God through the Bible. o People of Trust: We receive courage from the Holy Spirit to walk by faith.

12 Receiving Identity through Prayer and Worship Week Four Big Idea: We receive our identity when we offer ourselves to God through prayer and worship. Key Question: How do I become who God created me to be? Guiding Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 7:14 & Psalm 95:1-6 Opening Thoughts: This week is about helping people see the primary practices to help form their identity is worship and prayer. These two things are key because they help us see ourselves in light of our creator God instead of see ourselves in comparison to the world. Prayer and worship help us be formed and receive our identity from God. This lesson is designed to have conversations about the practice of prayer and the practice of worship as general priorities. It is not necessarily intended to be a how-to. o Opening Questions: Today, we are talking about the practices of prayer and worship. Can anyone give a specific occasion that prayer or worship helped you experience life-change? Prayer and worship can also feel empty at times, have you had experiences where prayer and worship haven t been that fulfilling? Prayer Thoughts: The Jesus-Centered Life offers two primary practices for us answering the question, Who am I? Prayer and worship. We are going to begin with prayer. Offer the following statement and invite people to give their general responses: We offer ourselves to God through consistent and fervent prayer. Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 o Text: If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. o Thoughts for Teachers: There are multiple parts to this text. It is not as simple as pray and everything is going to be right. There are so many adjectives, postures, and actions in this text. my people, called by name, humble themselves, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways. All of these add nuisance and depth to the practice of prayer. This is your opportunity as a teacher to encourage the deep practice of prayer. There might be some great prayers in the room, encourage them to share the depth of their meaning and how they practice. o Potential Questions: What does this text teach us about prayer? How do you practice prayer? How have you learned how to pray? What helps you keep a

13 regular practice of prayer? How can this class help each other in the practice of prayer? How does prayer help us receive our identity from God? Worship Thoughts: The other primary identity practice is worship. Our Jesus-Centered Life says it this way, We offer ourselves to God through consistent, passionate, and engaged worship. Read Psalm 95:1-6 o Text: Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our o salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! Thoughts for teachers: One definition of worship is our obedient response to who God is and what God has done. Someone else said that worship is gratitude. This text affirms both of these thoughts including who God is great God and great King and what he has done for sea he made it. Worship is our response offering. It always should be in response to what God has done.i like to think about the strange economy of worship. True worship is something that we offer to God. It is not about us, but it is about honoring the God who created us and loves us. However, whenever we truly worship God, then we receive through worship peace, love, insight, and sanctification. We offer ourselves to God, and God then chooses to give us abundantly more than we give to him. The church has long practiced and organized itself around the fact that worship is central. o Potential questions: What does this text tell us about worship? What do people often get wrong about worship? How do you prioritize worship in your life? How does Sunday-morning church worship and general worship differ? What happens to you when you are not regularly worshipping God?

14 Where do we fit? Belonging with Christ in community Week Five Big Idea: As Christ embraces us as part of his family, so to we embrace others and become people of welcoming, story, and neighbors. The Key Question: Where do I fit? The Guiding Scriptures: Galatians 3:25-29, Galatians 5:13-15 Opening Thoughts: We all want to find the place where we belong. The hit show Cheers had the well-known theme song that includes the line, Sometimes you wanna go, where everybody knows your name, and they re always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, the troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody knows your name. Everyone is looking for community. They are looking for a place to belong. If they do not find it in the church, then they will find it somewhere. The goal of this lesson is that our ultimate community is with Christ and together we are the body of Christ, our ultimate place of belonging. As we embrace being a part of God s family, then we can embrace others who are searching for community. This lesson is divided into 3 major discussion section. Section 1 is belonging in the Christian community. Section 2 is loving our neighbors who are not Christian and helping them feel belonging with God. Section 3 is discussing our discipleship characteristics. o Opening Questions: Who do you go to in a crisis? How do you get connected to them? How do you know that you belong to a group? How did it feel when you lost connection to a community? Have you ever asked the question, where do I fit? Read Galatians 3:25-29 o Text: But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ o Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Thoughts for Teachers: Paul is making clear here that we see our mutual belonging is in Christ Jesus. Our primary form of community is not shaped on our heritage, status, or gender, but we belong together because we belong to Jesus. This is where our true community is found. We may find community and belonging in lots of places, but all of those may be fleeting. (We graduate high school. We change jobs. We lose family

15 members.) The constant is Jesus. What we are hoping for in this part of the conversation is to wrestle with the concept of true belonging with Christ in a community. o Potential Questions: What in this text stood out to you? What does it mean for you to be in the family of God? How are we called to see one another who believe in Jesus Christ? What makes it challenging to have Christ-centered community? Read Galatians 5:13-15 o Text: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. o Thoughts for Teachers: Throughout our scriptures, the Bible repeatedly talks about loving your neighbor. We can find it in the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the Epistles. It is clear, the only way to live a Jesus-Centered Life is to love your neighbors. Even your neighbors who are different. Jesus makes that clear in the story of the Good Samaritan, and Deuteronomy 10:17-19 says, For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. God is clearly the God of all, and he calls us to love our neighbors. In this part of the conversation, we want to push people for how we are called to love our neighbors who are difficult to love. o Potential Questions: What makes it difficult to love some neighbors? What other scriptures talk about loving our neighbors and those outside the faith community? How can you better represent Christ to those who are not Christians? How would someone who is not a follower of Jesus feel like they belong with people who are followers of Jesus? Thoughts for Teachers: At First Methodist, we are going to be talking about specific discipleship characteristics that flow out of the Jesus-Centered Life. We d like for you to have a conversation about these in your class. When it comes to our belonging, we believe that belonging occurs when you embrace one another both in a faith community and in the world. You could offer up these characteristics for discussion and reflection in your class. o People of Welcoming: We embrace people as they are, choosing love over judgment. o People of Story: We embrace each other in our faith journey in order to know and be known. o People of Neighbors: We embrace our neighbors and influence our circles.

16 Embracing our Neighbors through Mutual Mentoring and Community Groups Week Six Big Idea: We embrace our neighbors when we offer ourselves to God through engagement in mutual mentoring and community groups. Key Question: How do I intentionally embrace others for mutual spiritual formation? Guiding Scripture: Hebrew 10:19-25 Opening Thoughts: This week is about helping people see the primary practices to help form their belonging with intentional relationships that are found in Community Groups (though feel free to say Sunday School in this context) and Mutual Mentoring. These two things provide us Jesus-Centered relationships that are different than a group of friends. In Christian community and in intentional mentoring relationships, Christ is always at the Center forming us through our embrace of one another. o Opening Questions: What are the key ingredients to a successful relationship? If you were to describe this class to someone, how would you describe it to them? What makes a Sunday School Class different than a group of friends? Read Hebrews 10:19-25 o Text: Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. o Thoughts for Teachers: Verses 24 and 25 are very popular verses as we think about the importance of meeting together. They give us some important insights about community including the great image of stirring up one another to love and good works, the importance of meeting together, and encouraging each other. However, this verse needs to be understood in its context. It is centered on the action of Jesus as our priest. It is centered on him and for him. We are able to do 24 and 25 because of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done.

17 o Potential Questions: What does this text tell us about relationships? How do verses help us understand 24-25? What does this text tell us about Jesus- Centered relationships that help people feel that they belong? Community Group Thoughts: The Jesus-Centered Life offers two primary practices of Jesus-Centered relationships that help people find their sense of belonging. The practices are Mutual Mentoring and Community Groups. (Make sure that classes understand that their Sunday School class is a community group.) Our hope in this part of the conversation is to dig deeper into the meaning and value of Community Groups and then also have some conversations about mentoring and what that may look like from their perspective. Here is our statement of Community Groups: We offer ourselves to God through consistent presence and engagement with a group of people who have committed to doing life together. o What is the best part about being a part of this Sunday School class? If someone new was in your class, how would they feel like they belonged? What makes consistent participation in this group difficult for you? Mutual Mentoring Thoughts: First Methodist is full of people of all ages with gifts and insights. We believe that when we engage in intergenerational conversations that are Jesus-Centered that we can have great spiritual insights and guidance from one another. Mentoring is always mutual because it benefits the giver and the receiver. Mentoring is not the older person telling the younger person what to do, but mentoring is walking with people asking questions and prompting them to make wise choices for themselves. If you have a story or an experience of a mentor, then share it here. This is our statement on Mutual Mentoring: We offer ourselves to God through consistent and intentional intergenerational relationships. o Who has been a mentor to you, and how did they impact you? When you hear mutual mentoring what does that signal to you? Why should First be engaged in intergenerational mentoring practices?

18 What difference do we make? Purpose Through Christ Week Seven Big Idea: As Christ gave himself for us, so too must we give and become people of empathy, generosity, and mission. The Key Question: What difference do I make? The Guiding Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-10 Opening Thoughts: Martin Luther King Jr. once said, Life s most persistent and urgent question is What are you doing for others? Most people want to make a difference, but we still wonder if we actually are making a difference. Our jobs can be routine. Our home life can center around Netflix. Our relationship can feel mundane, so we ask Is my life making a difference? The hope in this lesson is to see that the difference that make is not our own doing, but it is through what Christ has done and participating in the mission of God that we can truly make an eternal difference in big ways and small ways. This lesson is divided into two major discussion sections. Section 1 looks at how our service flows from what Christ has done in our life. Section 2 looks at our discipleship characteristics that describe people of Jesus-Centered purpose. o Opening Questions: How do you know that you are making a difference in the world? Has there been a time that you have not felt your life was making a difference, how did that make you feel? What do you think of Martin Luther King Jr. s quote? Read Ephesians 2:4-10 o Text: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. o Thoughts for Teachers: There is so much goodness in this text! I love the opening line. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he love us. Everything is because of God s great love including our salvation through Jesus Christ, and also our good works. We are created and called to be people who contribute, bless, and make a difference in the world. We do good works not to

19 earn our salvation or prove that we are good enough to God. We do good works as a natural outflow from the grace of Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father. As we abide in his love, then we pour out his love to the world. One image that someone shared with me is sometimes we see our lives as a cup in which the love of God is poured out into and once it is full, then it overflows out of the cup. He suggested that we see our lives as a pipe, where we are a channel for his love to flow from as we receive it from God. o Potential Questions: Read verse 10 first. Ask them what the text means. Then read 4-10, and ask them how they understand verse 10 differently. What does this text tell us about good works? How are we called to see ourselves because of this text? How do we join God in the good works of this world? Thoughts for Teachers: At First Methodist, we are going to be talking about specific discipleship characteristics that flow out of the Jesus-Centered Life. We d like for you to have a conversation about these in your class. When it comes to purpose, we believe that purpose occurs when we give of ourselves to God and others. As we give of ourselves, then we become people of empathy, generosity, and mission. You could offer up these characteristics for discussion and reflection in your class. o People of Empathy: We give our attention to others, inviting others to tell us more. o People of Generosity: We give abundantly of our time and resources. o People of Mission: We give ourselves intentionally to God s redemption plan for the world.

20 Purposeful Living through Giving and Service Week Eight Big Idea: We give to God and our neighbors when we offer ourselves to God through intentional acts of giving and service. Key Question: How do I make a consistent impact for God? Guiding Scripture: 1 John 3:16-18 Opening Thoughts: We do not live just for ourselves, but we live for others. God has entrusted humanity with the care of the world and the care of one another. In Genesis, we see that Adam was given authority over the earth and Cain was his brother s keeper. We have a deep responsibility to give and live for others. This week we are focusing on two practices that help us to live out our purpose to make a difference in this world. The practices of giving and service. The point of this lesson is to engage the class in a discussion that enlightens people to a deep sense of responsibility, calling, and passion for offering ourselves to God through our gifts, time, money, and resources. o Opening Questions: How do you know that you are serving others? What does giving generously mean to you? What prevents us from giving or serving others? Why do you choose to give or serve in a particular place? Read 1 John 3: o Text: By this we know love that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. o Thoughts for Teachers: Throughout these lessons, I hope we continue the focus that everything happens from and through Christ. We don t give out of our spirit, but we give because he first has given to us. His giving of himself is the source of our giving and serving others. This straight-forward statement does not give us wiggle room, and I want us to feel the uncomfortableness of this text without us feeling shameful of our failures. Here is how I understand what John is saying, If Jesus is the center of your life, then it should cause us to live like Jesus. When Jesus say someone in need, he had compassion on them. So if Jesus is the center, then when we see a neighbor hurting then we should too have active compassion on them. Feeling bad for them isn t enough. People don t need them to feel sorry for them. They need someone to offer themselves to help them out.

21 o Potential Questions: What stands out in this text to you? Why do you think John is so straight-forward here? By this standard, does the love of God abide in you? Share stories of how you were moved to active compassion. Share stories of how you saw someone in need and were not moved to active compassion. Giving Thoughts: I heard a Pastor once respond to the question of why would a loving God allow people to starve to death, and his response was to ask them, Is there enough food in the world to feed everyone? The person said there was, and so he said, Then, whose responsibility is it? Giving invites us to participate in the mission of God to bring wholeness to the world. God is clear about our giving. We are called to the biblical standard of the tithe as the minimum for giving. We are told that God loves a cheerful giver. This is a chance to prompt people as to their giving habits and perspectives. You can offer our statement on giving and then have a discussion about giving. Let the class be the advocates for giving! They ll have great stories. We offer ourselves to God through consistent and joyful giving of our money and gifts to the church and community. o Potential Questions: What in this statement stood out to you? Why do you choose to give? What happens to you when you give? How do you know your giving is making a difference in the world? Besides money, what are some other ways you give? What makes it difficult to give? How does God call us to give consistently? Service Thoughts: Jesus said in Matthew 20:26, It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. Serving is the natural outflow of the Jesus-Centered life. We are the hands and feet of Jesus for the world. Serving is not just volunteering for this or that, but serving is a way of living in which we consistently look and listen for the true needs of others, and we respond with generosity and grace in tangible acts of love. This is a chance to prompt people on serving in all areas of their life. We d love for them to serve the church, but service is much more than volunteering at First Methodist. We offer ourselves to God through consistent and faithful service to our family, church, neighbors, and community. o Potential Questions: What in this statement stood out to you? What gives you joy in service? Who has consistently served you? What is different between an act of service and a posture of service?