section>
Journey 101
Steps to the Life God Intends
Knowing God
Leader Guide
JOURNEY 101
Steps to the Life God Intends
This three-part basic faith course is designed to teach what it means to know, love, and serve God. Each of the three separate, interactive six-week studies uses a group teaching format, combining video teaching and small group table breakouts. The three studies include:
KNOWING GOD. Explore the good news of the Bible and discover Bible study tools and resources to deepen your understanding of God and the Scriptures.
LOVING GOD. Experience spiritual transformation through spiritual practices that will help you fall more in love with God and grow in your relationship with God and others.
SERVING GOD. Understand the biblical context for service that will enable you to use your hands, your time, and your spiritual gifts to serve others and share Christ.
Components:
Participant Guide (1 for each study)—Six interactive session guides with space for responding to questions and activities and recording personal reflections.
Leader Guide (1 for each study)—Six complete session guides for facilitating a group with additional leader helps.
Daily Readings—Serves as the devotional companion for the entire three-part Journey 101 series. Ninety devotions (thirty devotions per study).
DVD—3-disc set (120 minutes per DVD/study; 360 minutes total)
Preview Book—Provides an overview of the topics covered in the entire three-part Journey 101 course.
Leader Kit—One each of the components listed above.
Journey 101
Knowing
God
Leader Guide
Carol Cartmill
Jeff Kirby
Michelle Kirby
Abingdon Press
Nashville
Journey 101: knowing GoD
Leader Guide
Copyright © 2013 by Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or emailed to [email protected].
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
ISBN 978-1-4267-6575-9
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM
Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked CEB are from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 by the Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission. www.CommonEnglishBible.com.
Scripture quotations marked “The Message” are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Contents
Introduction
Fifteen CoreTraits of a Deeply Committed Christian
Session 1 Receiving Christ
Session 2 Comprehending Christ’s Teachings
Session 3 Learning the Scriptures
Session 4 Studying the Scriptures
Session 5 A Study of Christian Ethics
Session 6 The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
Notes
introduction
The Journey
When we give our lives to Jesus Christ and commit to follow him, we embark on a lifelong journey of knowing, loving, and serving God. Growing as a Christian and becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ means . . .
knowing God by becoming theologically informed,
loving God and experiencing spiritual transformation, and
serving God by using our hands to serve others and share Christ.
Journey 101 is a three-part course designed to help you guide individuals on this journey of knowing, loving, and serving God. The destination or goal is to help participants engage in the discipleship journey and move toward becoming deeply committed Christians—people who know, love, and serve God with increasing passion and dedication. As you lead participants toward this destination, creating an atmosphere where they can experience growth and find support, you will help to provide answers to the following questions:
• How does a deeply committed Christian grow to know God
more deeply?
• How would our lives be transformed if we loved God with the fullness of our hearts?
• How should we, as deeply committed Christians, be serving in
the world?
To help you and your group know that you are on the right track to your destination, we have identified fifteen markers to guide you. We call these markers the fifteen core traits of a deeply committed Christian. These traits paint a picture of what it looks like to live as a deeply committed follower of Jesus Christ. Each study in the Journey 101 series focuses on five of these core traits. (See pages 12-13 for detailed descriptions of these core traits.)
Because starting any journey can sometimes be daunting, particularly for those who may be new to the faith or the church (or your church in particular), Journey 101 serves as a navigation system that provides directions, routes, and traveling companions to support and encourage participants along the way. Here is a description of what your group will learn in each study:
KNOWING GOD
• Gain a better understanding of the essentials of the Christian faith.
• Experience new Bible study tools and resources.
• Discover more about the church.
• Discuss ethics and our Christian response to life’s decisions.
• Understand more about God’s will for your life.
LOVING GOD
• Learn about the Holy Spirit’s transforming