follow as I follow 5.0

Transcription

1 follow as I follow 5.0

2 follow as I follow 5.0 How to help others follow Jesus as you follow Jesus. Welcome Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. Paul s First letter to the Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) You are a leader. Think of a mother duck leading her ducklings to water. They walk in a single file line. Only the first duckling follows the mother. The rest follow another duckling. Each duckling does not need to be a mature duck in order to lead the one behind it. It needs only to be one step ahead of the next duck. The same is true of our spiritual lives. Jesus is the only one who is totally mature. We each follow and learn from someone one step ahead of us in maturity. And even the newest disciple can lead someone who is at least one step behind him. You are a leader. So lead. 5.1 make disciples pass it on teach them to teach others hard times Leader s Guide how to lead your I am Second group helps Be sure to register your group at iamsecond.com/join e3 Partners Ministry. All rights reserved. 2 1

3 follow as I follow 5.1 make disciples Go and make disciples Jesus (Matthew 28:19) Opener Watch: the Natalie Sebastian film. Question: What did Natalie learn from her friend? How did this change her life? Talk with God Worship. What has God taught you through your I am Second group? Share this with your group. Thank God for what he has done in your life. Ask. Ask God to continue to teach you through the Bible and through your I am Second group. Ask. What is something you need God to help you with? A need, a struggle, a hurt. As a group talk with God about each other s needs. Hear the Bible Read this as a Group Background: The first followers of Jesus were all Jews. Paul pioneered the movement that brought the message of Jesus to the rest of the world. He accomplished this by making disciples everywhere he went and training them to be leaders who brought the message of Jesus to the world. One of his most prominent and faithful disciples was Timothy. The New Testament preserves two of the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy. This is the second of these letters, and at the time of its writing Paul is in jail for sharing Jesus. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in 2 3

4 follow as I follow 5.1 you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light Find a Timothy. through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Paul s Second letter to Timothy 1:1-14 (NIV) Who do you know who wants to become a stronger Second? Ask yourself these questions to find your Timothy. A. Who have you been sharing your faith with? B. Who has expressed interest when you share your faith? C. Live and Tell. Who have you been telling about what you are learning? D. Who has been most interested in hearing about what you are learning? E. Do you already have a Timothy? How can you be more intentional with this person? Talk about the Bible What it says 1. What did you like about these readings? 2. What did you not like or find confusing about these readings? What it means 3. What does this reading teach about people? How does Paul pray for, encourage, and role model for Timothy? 4. What does this reading teach about God? Live and Tell 5. What will you do now? Find a Timothy. Find a person who has already shown interest in talking and learning about Jesus from you. Answer the questions in the Find a Timothy box below to begin this search. Once you identify your Timothy(s), do as Paul did. How can you pray for, encourage, or role model for your Timothy? Share specific ideas with your group. 6. Who will you tell? Everything you learn in your I am Second group you have been telling others. You have been asking spiritual questions and sparking conversations about God and faith and the things you are learning. Continue to do this. But now begin focusing your time and energies into just a few people, your disciples. You do not have to call them disciples, especially if this will negatively affect the relationship. But focus your attention on these relationships. Pray for them. Encourage them. Spend time with them. Share the things you are learning with them. 4 5

5 community dialogue 0.4 follow as I follow 5.2 pass it on Opener Watch: the Colt McCoy film. Question: Who is your hero (besides Jesus)? Who do you know that has inspired, helped, or encouraged you to be a better Second? Talk with God Worship. Thank God for putting these kinds of heroes in your life. Ask. Ask God to teach you to be a leader and a role model to those around you. Check-up Live and tell. Last time you met you discussed how to find a disciple and how to begin discipling this person. Have you identified a disciple? What have you done to begin discipling this person? (If people did not do what they committed to do, consider going back and reviewing the last discussion topic again. It is important that people do what they say they will do before moving on.) 6 7

6 follow as I follow 5.2 Hear the Bible Read this as a Group You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Talk about the Bible What it says 1. What did you like about this reading? 2. What did you not like or find confusing about this reading? Keep reminding God s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Paul s Second letter to Timothy 2:1-2, (NIV) What it means 3. What does this reading teach about people? What is Timothy supposed to do with the things he has heard from Paul? 4. What does this reading teach about God? Live and Tell 5. What will you do now? How specifically are you going to live out what you have learned about making disciples? Where do you fit in this diagram? Paul Timothy Faithful Men Faithful Men Faithful Men Others Others Others Others Others Others Others 6. Who will you disciple? Paul taught Timothy to pass on what he was taught. The first thing you were taught was how to share your faith in What s First. Consider asking your disciples to go through What s First with you. 8 9

7 community dialogue 0.4 follow as I follow 5.3 teach them to teach others Opener Question: If you could be anyone else in the world who would you be? What about this person inspires you to be like him or her? Check-up The last time you met you talked about how to make disciples. How did you live out that discussion? Have you made plans with your disciple to go through What s First? (If people did not do what they committed to do, consider going back and reviewing the last discussion topic again. It is important that people do what they say they will do before moving on to the next discussion topic.) Talk with God Worship. What is something that God has been doing in your life that you can thank him for? Ask. Share with the group something in your life that you have been worrying about. Ask God to work out these situations. Surrender. As you are talking with God about these concerns, tell him that what you really want for these situations is for Him to work out things the way he sees best. Decide to trust God and try to stop worrying

8 follow as I follow 5.3 Hear the Bible Read this as a Group You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that all God s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Paul s Second letter to Timothy 3:10-17 (NIV) Talk about the Bible What it says 1. What did you like about this reading? 2. What did you not like or find confusing about this reading? What it means 3. What does this reading teach about people? What sort of things did Paul teach Timothy? What is Timothy supposed to do with what he has learned from Paul? 4. What does this reading teach about God? How does God want you to teach others about Him? How does He want you to pass on what you know? Live and Tell 5. What will you do now? Are you still going through What s First with your disciple? Paul did more than teach lessons, he also let Timothy see his way of life, his faith, patience, love, and sufferings. Discipleship can happen as you eat dinner with your family, run errands, or work on a project around the house. What specifically can you do with your disciple to allow him or her to see more of your life? 6. Who will you tell? What from today s discussion can you share with your disciple(s)? 12 13

9 community dialogue 0.4 follow as I follow 5.4 hard times Opener Question: Paul is going to mention some hard times (both legal and otherwise) that he has faced as a result of sharing his faith as a follower of Jesus. What hard times or difficult circumstances have you faced? Check-up Live and tell. How have you lived out what you learned from teach them to teach others? Have you started leading others through What s First? Who have you told about what you are learning? (If people did not do what they committed to do, consider going back and reviewing the last discussion topic again. It is important that people do what they say they will do before moving on to the next discussion topic.) Talk with God Worship. Ask God to make himself more famous so that your friends, family, your country, and people all around the world will know him. Forgive. How have you failed to obey God recently? Share with the group some of your struggles. Take a few moments right now to allow everyone to ask God for forgiveness. As you ask God for forgiveness, is there anyone that has wronged you that you need to forgive? Protect. Ask God to protect you from temptation in these areas in the future. Ask God to also protect you from the evil one as he tries to destroy what God is doing in and through you. Hear the Bible Read this as a Group Background: Paul was arrested for sharing his faith as a follower of Jesus. Such a crime was punishable by death. Despite the consequences, Paul encourages Timothy to stay strong

10 follow as I follow 5.4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist [one who shares the gospel], discharge all the duties of your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Paul s Second letter to Timothy 4:1-8 (NIV) Talk about the Bible What it says 1. What did you like about this story? 2. What did you not like or find confusing about this story? What it means 3. What does this story teach about people? What can you learn from Paul about making disciples? What charge or instructions did he give his disciples? What warnings did he give them? 4. What does this story teach about God? Live and Tell 5. What will you do now? Based on today s reading what specifically will you do to live out what you have learned? 6. Who will you tell? Who do you know that needs to hear about what you have learned today? 16 17

11 leader s guide Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ -Paul Follow as I Follow is about making disciples. It is about helping others become stronger Seconds. It is about stepping up and teaching others what you learn about God. Jesus said, Go and make disciples. That means you. No matter who you are or where you are, you are commanded to make disciples. The people you know need to hear about Jesus. They need to hear about his love, his commands, his salvation. And you get to tell them. You are a leader. You are an agent of change. So go out and make disciples. How to lead your I am Second group This I am Second discussion guide is about much more than knowledge. It is about changed lives. It is about discovering truth. It is about freeing people. It is about being Second. Keep in mind the following tips: Talk with God. You have heard it a thousand times but it is still true. Without God you are alone. And this group is much too important to be doing alone. Talk with God about the group s needs, difficulties, and successes. You are only on your own when you neglect to ask God for help. need to be addressed, but do not stop there. Teach them to care for the poor, love their spouse, and change their world. Teach them to obey all of Jesus commands. Filled with Prayer. If you are not praying, you are not discipling. Do not fool yourself into thinking that you can disciple without God s help. If you want to see change in your disciple change that lasts and touches the heart then talk with God. He alone can bring the change necessary to make a person a better Second. Inspires Action. You are not trying to make smart sinners. You are making disciples. A disciple not only takes in information but he or she also lives it out and tells others about it. If you are just passing on information and not inspiring action, then you are not discipling. Open and Deep. You are not perfect. You are full of holes like everyone else. Let your disciple go deep enough into your life to see your holes so they can learn from them and possibly even avoid them. You may be tempted to make yourself look squeaky clean when you re not. Fight this temptation. Be open about your struggles and help your disciple deal with his struggles. Make Disciples. How do you disciple? You and your group will learn the basics of this as you go through this discussion guide, but here is a preview. Not Just a Meeting. Some are used to seeing discipleship as a one-on-one thirty minute meeting over coffee. This is not enough. Discipleship is sharing your life with someone. They eat dinner with your family, spend time with you on the weekend, shop with you at the mall, and see you raise your kids. In short, they see you live out your faith, not just talk about it. All-Encompassing. Discipleship is not a self-help program for alcoholism, sexual addictions, or other bad habits. It is a relationship with another Second aimed at teaching all of Jesus commands. These bad habits and addictions do 18 19

12 leader s guide helps make disciples 5.1 Summary: Go and make disciples. This is the commission of every follower of Jesus. Paul lived this out with Timothy. As Paul wrote to Timothy, he reminded him of his prayers for him, encouraged him to remain strong even in hard times, and taught him to keep the pattern and not stray from what he was taught. Have you done this? Do you have a Timothy? Talk with God about the people in which you are investing. Encourage and help them where they are weak and struggling. Inspire them to follow you as you follow Christ. Talk with God: Ask. Paul prayed for Timothy. Do the same for the people in your life. Talk with God about their needs and struggles, their successes and failures. Do this as a group today. Have everyone share with the group something for which they need prayer, and then ask someone to pray for them. Some Help with the Discussion Have you talked about the main things? 1. What did you like? Paul was sure to do and remind Timothy of three things. (a) He prayed for Timothy. This prayer was both constant and balanced. Paul did not just have a laundry list of needs for Timothy, he also took time to simply thank God for him. (b) He encouraged Timothy. Paul knew Timothy. He knew his weaknesses. Timothy was timid, so Paul did his best to make Timothy strong even in hard times. (c) He role modeled for Timothy. The things Paul taught, the faith he lived, and the love he expressed were all a pattern that Timothy was taught to follow and pass on. 2. What did you not like or find confusing? Hard times. Suffering. Imprisonment. People live to avoid these things. But Paul asked Timothy to join him in these things. In Paul s day, those who followed Jesus were oppressed, beaten, jailed, and even killed. When these hard times came, many who claimed to follow Jesus abandoned the faith to escape the suffering. Paul encouraged Timothy not to do this, but to be willing to join in when the hard times came, to learn from them, to grow in them. 3. What does this teach about people? Do as Paul did. Pray, encourage, and role model for your Timothy. Open up your life and invest in another person willing to learn about following Jesus. Discipling someone is more than a book study or a weekly meeting. It is praying for them constantly. It is speaking tough love when you find a weakness. It is a pattern of teaching and of living out faith and love. 4. What does this teach about God? God is a part of this. Discipleship is not something you do alone. You do it with God. So talk with God about your disciple. The teaching, faith, and love that you give your disciples must be guarded and not forgotten. And as Jesus said in John 14:26 and as Paul says here, the Holy Spirit who lives in every Second will help guard and remind every follower of the teachings of Jesus. Live and Tell You may already have a Timothy, but if you do not have one, it is time to find one. Go through these questions with your group to help everyone identify their Timothys. 5. Find your Timothy A. With whom have you shared your faith? Each time you share your faith with someone on your list of 50 you are searching for a disciple. Not everyone wants to hear about Jesus. But some do. Those that do have taken the first step to become a Timothy. B. Who has expressed interest when you share your faith? Some quickly decide to follow Jesus. Others become curious and ask questions. Either of them may be your Timothy. C. Live and Tell. Who have you been telling about what you are learning? You are constantly trying to spark spiritual conversations about Jesus and the things you are learning. Some of these conversations fall flat and go nowhere. Others develop into meaningful discussions. With whom have you been talking? D. Who has been most interested in hearing about what you are learning? You cannot force a conversation. If someone does not want to talk about spiritual things then find someone who does. E. Who will you tell? The Live and Tell commitments have challenged everyone in your group to tell others about the things they are learning. Continue to encourage them to do this. But now help them focus their time and energies into just a few people, their disciples. You do not have to call them disciples, especially if this will negatively affect the relationship. But have them focus their attention on these relationships. The people in your I am Second group are your disciples. Pray for them. Encourage them. Spend time with them. Show them with your actions how to make disciples

13 leader s guide helps pass it on 5.2 Summary: Pass it on. Making disciples means teaching others what you know about God. Have spiritual conversations. Talk about God. How can you pass on what you know? Talk with God: Today you are going to be discussing how Paul was a role model for Timothy to follow. Thank God for the role models he has given you and ask him to make you into someone worth following. Check-up: If people did not do what they committed to do, consider going back and reviewing the last discussion topic again. It is important that people do what they say they will do before moving on. Some Help with the Discussion Have you talked about the main things? 1. What did you like? Pass it on. Everything Timothy learned needed to be passed on to others who would be reliable to pass it on to others as well. Learning about God required action. Timothy needed to pass on what he knew to faithful people not opponents. If someone did not wish to hear about Jesus they were to be kindly instructed and then left alone. Arguments do not work. Kindness, love, and peace do work. 2. What did you not like or find confusing? Arguments never seem stupid to those doing the arguing. They always seem important. But arguments do not win people to your side, they usually push them away. Paul taught Timothy to state his case in love and leave it at that. 3. What does this teach about people? Pass it on. Paul taught Timothy. Timothy was to pass these teachings on to faithful men. These faithful men were to pass it on to others. That is the model. What you learn, you are to pass on to others. What have you learned about God? Are you passing it on to others? 4. What does this teach about God? God wants you to pass it on. What you learn about God, pass on to others. Talk about God. Discuss spiritual things. Pass on what you know. Live and Tell What you learn about God you are to pass on to others. The first thing you taught your I am Second group was how to share their faith in What s First. Help and encourage the people in your group to teach others what you taught them. Encourage them to ask the people they have identified in their life as possible disciples to go through What s First. Guide them along as they do this. Sit in with them if they are going to lead a whole group. Follow up with them, ask questions, share wisdom and experiences. They may be nervous. Instill some confidence. teach them to teach others 5.3 Summary: Paul encouraged Timothy to continue to follow the love, faith, the whole way of life that he lived out. Discipleship is more than a book you read or a checklist. It is living your whole life in such a way that someone else learns to live like Jesus by watching you. Opener: There is no film for this lesson, but there is an opener question. Use this question or one like it to break the ice for your group. Check-up: Your group was challenged to ask their disciples to go through What s First. If they have not taken any steps towards doing this, consider going back to the previous lesson. It is important that everyone follow through with their commitments before moving on. Talk with God: Worship. Take some time to thank God for what he has done in your life. Ask. God cares about your life and wants to hear about your worries. You and your fellow Seconds should care about each other s worries as well. Share with the group your worries and encourage them to do the same. No worry is too small. Ask God to work out these situations. You may even want to write down and track these requests, as you will be surprised by how faithful God is to answer prayer. Surrender. Remember, Jesus taught that it is God s will that you are to seek and not your own. Tell God your worries and trust him to take care of them. Though it may not work out in the way you want, God knows best. Trust him to work things out. Some Help with the Discussion Have you talked about the main things? 1. What did you like? Paul lived life in such a way that he could tell Timothy You know my way of life, patience, and love continue in what you have learned. Making disciples is more than 22 23

14 leader s guide helps going through a lesson with someone. Discipleship means you tell them what you know about God, but you also live it out. 2. What did you not like or find confusing? Discipleship is not a twenty minute meeting at Starbucks. Discipleship is sharing your life with someone. There is a time for teaching but that was only the first item on Paul s list. Discipleship also means passing on a way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love and endurance in hard times. 3. What does this teach about people? Timothy learned love, patience and endurance. He learned to follow Jesus with every part of his life. He learned this by following Paul. Paul was not a perfect person. He had his faults, but his life reflected Jesus. Discipleship means passing on what you know. Not just your knowledge about God but your whole way of life. 4. What does this teach about God? The Bible is God s voice to mankind. Learning what God has to say is vital to having a strong walk with Jesus. But discipleship is not giving someone a Bible and telling them to read it. It is giving them a Bible and showing them how to live it. Live and Tell Paul is consistently reminding Timothy to remember and pass on the things he has learned from others. Continue to remind the people in your group to do the same. They learned how to share their faith. Are they helping others learn to do the same? Are they bringing others through What s First? If so, how can you help them? Are you calling them periodically to field their questions and concerns about how to teach others? Have you sat in on new groups that may be forming to lend your support? hard times 5.4 Summary: Be ready to preach the Bible. This does not mean you have a thirty minute sermon and outline ready to go. It means that wherever you are, whoever you run into today, you need to be ready to share with them what you are learning about God. Not everyone will listen. Invest in those who will listen. Are you ready to tell others, no matter the cost? Opener: There is no film for this lesson but there is an opening question. Use this question or one of your own to jump start today s conversation. Check-up: Your group has been discussing leading others through What s First. Has everyone begun doing this? Where are they at in that discussion guide? What can you help them with? And as always, if you find your group not obeying what they have expressed God has told them to do, then consider going back and redoing the previous lesson. It is important that people do what they say they will do before moving on to the next discussion topic. Talk with God: Forgive. Everyone has their failures. Sharing those failures with others can be difficult. But when you finally cultivate a group environment of forgiveness and openness, sharing those failures and even beating those failures becomes easier. Spend some time today encouraging each other as you share your failures and ask God for forgiveness. Some Help with the Answers Have you talked about the main things? 1. What did you like? Paul was jailed unjustly, rejected by those uninterested in the gospel, betrayed by rogue disciples, and abandoned by scared ones. But through all of this he was still sure that God was in control. He knew that Jesus would one day return to reward him and bring him safely to heaven. 2. What did you not like or find confusing? You follow Jesus. You are an agent of change. You are here to teach the world love, kindness, and goodness through the good news of Jesus. And this mission stands no matter how hard the times become. Be ready. Preach the Bible. This is a tough reality. Paul knew that Timothy would face hard times, but he needed to continue to carry on the message of Jesus. 3. What does this teach about people? Paul had many disciples. Some followed him sincerely, others later abandoned him. Not everyone who begins following Jesus will continue to follow Jesus. But no matter what, you need to be ready to preach the Bible. This does not mean you give a sermon to everyone you meet. It means that you openly share with people what you are learning about God and the Bible. Not everyone will listen. Invest in those who do. 4. What does this teach about God? Jesus will judge you and everyone else. As a follower of Jesus, eternal life is yours forever. But this does not mean he is not concerned with your obedience to his commands. Are you making disciples? Are you telling his message? 24 25

15 what is the DNA of an I am Second group? I am Second s immediate appeal is aesthetic with its slick design, cool website, and inspiring films. But the real difference is more than skin deep. As you lead, keep in mind the heart behind I am Second s materials: Notes Stories and small. Encourage people to tell their story. Listen to the stories of others. Then discuss stories from the Bible. Keep your group small (between 2 and 8 people) to maximize impact and allow everyone to discuss these stories. Everyone learns. Help people learn how to do these things themselves: a) tell others about Jesus, b) study the Bible, c) pray, d) live in community, and e) endure hard times. They learn these things as they go through the I am Second curriculum. Consider everyone a potential leader. View everyone as a potential leader, both before and after they trust Christ. Give people opportunities to lead if they continue to obey and progress. Hand over leadership roles to different people each meeting. Obedience based, not knowledge based. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide people in the life changes they need to make as you do the Live and Tell questions. Then as you start the next session, ask each Second to share how they did with their Live and Tell commitments. Consider not moving on if people did not complete them. This creates an environment in which loving Jesus means obeying Jesus. New groups rather than big groups. As people share with others, encourage them not to invite the new people to your group, but instead start a new group. Encourage new leaders to stay in your existing group, which is a learning group for them. Their new group becomes their leading group. So they get on the job training, but stay connected for ongoing training and accountability. Discuss and discover. Focus on the Bible. Trust the Holy Spirit to help each person discover the meaning of Scripture as your group discusses it. Lead through asking questions rather than lecture. Help everyone participate

16 where next? 1. Follow and trust Jesus. Want to follow Jesus? Tell him you know you do wrong. Tell Jesus you believe that He died to pay the penalty for your sins, and then rose from the dead. Ask Him to forgive you. Tell him you trust only in Him for eternal life. Commit to follow Him today. 2. Keep meeting. Download the next discussion guide and keep meeting. 3. Talk with God. God cares about what you are doing. He wants to work through you. He wants to change lives. Through this whole process, continue to ask God to give you His plan. Listen for His voice. You are only on your own if you forget to ask for God s help. Need help about how to talk with God? Download the free I am Second Prayer Journal at iamsecond.com/getinvolved or purchase a printed copy through the I am Second store. 4. Keep it simple. In your I am Second group, forget big church models where a skilled musician leads worship and a highly trained teacher preaches a sermon. Teach new believers how to hear and respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit through His Word and in their hearts. Encourage everyone to take part. 5. Keep it biblical. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42) When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. (1 Corinthians 14:26) Perhaps share a meal when you meet. Ask what the Lord has done in each person s life during the week. Make time to study God s Word. Discuss its meaning and specific applications. Don t answer questions yourself; point people back to Scripture. This helps to establish that the authority is God s Word, not a person. Take time to pray for one another and for those who have not put Jesus First. 6. Choose a Discussion Guide. Below is the I am Second core curriculum. We recommend going in sequence, for each guide builds on the ones before it. Download at iamsecond.com/getinvolved. Or order printed copies from the I am Second store. A good next step is highlighted below. Prayer Journal How to Start Second Group Film Discussion Guide (stories of Jesus relating to people) 1.0 What s First (how to tell others about Jesus) 2.0 Second Start (four steps to feed yourself spiritually) 3.0 Jesus Says (Part 1: how to live the seven basic commands of Jesus) 4.0 Jesus Also Says (Part 2: how to live the seven basic commands of Jesus) 5.0 Follow as I Follow (how to make disciples) 6.0 Multiply your Group (how your group can start new groups) 7.0 Lead (help others start to lead) 8.0 Go: Local (develop an Acts 1:8 strategy locally) 9.0 Go: Global (develop an Acts 1:8 strategy internationally) 10.0 Where to Go from Here (continue strong as a group) 11.0 Commit (commit to continue to obey Jesus) 7. Multiply. Don t let your group grow too big. As additional people become followers of Jesus, start new groups in their homes or work places. Teach those who lead people to Christ how to lead their own groups. Show them how to identify persons of peace through whom they can make more followers of Jesus and start more groups. 8. More I Am Second tools. Check out iamsecond.com/getinvolved for other leadership kits, small group material, t-shirts and everything else you need to start your Second group. Lots of good stuff to help start spiritual conversations. 9. Register. Connect with I am Second by registering your group at iamsecond.com/join. 10. Questions? Do you need help or have questions? us at coach@iamsecond.com

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18 Notes I am Second info@iamsecond.com iamsecond.com All scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved worldwide. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material provided that you include the following copyright notice: Rev e3 Partners Ministry. All rights reserved. Used with permission. 32

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