Session 2: Leader's Guide
Session 2:How to construct a solid Christian Foundation
Key point: A solid relationship with Jesus is built on obedience
- sub-point: A strong relationship with Jesus requires commitment
- sub-point: Perseverance through difficult circumstances forges a stronger trust with Jesus
Leader notes:
- Break the group into their clans and allow them to catch up and share the results of last week's prayer requests
- Re-emphasize the key points from last week
- Have the clan groups quiz each other on the memory verse from last week
Review:
How would you summarize Luke 14:25-33 in one sentence?
What did you learn about yourself from Luke 14:25-33?
What do you learn about God from John 14:1-7?
What is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus?
Last week recap:
Last week talked about how spiritual leadership is different from regular leadership because:
1. A good spiritual leader must be a follower of Jesus
2. Spiritual leaders move people to follow Jesus
Now that we’ve discussed some nuances ins spiritual leadership we need to address how we can be sure that we are following Jesus so that we don’t lead people to follow ourselves. We must remember that a successful relationship with Jesus is built on obedience and this is underlying principle defines the heart of the Christian faith. Last week our memory verse was John 14:21. We talked about how obedience demonstrates our love for God, that obedience=love.
This week we’re addressing the reality of what it means to be in a relationship with Jesus. Relationships are hard and our relationship with Jesus is no different. Relationships, especially between married people are difficult because there are two different identities with different perspectives and priorities competing against each other. As time goes on the perspective and priorities of each spouse become aligned and the relationship doesn’t take as much work as before. The same is true in our relationship with Jesus. Our love and obedience for Him grows over time. It takes practice to build a habit of changing our perspective and giving up our priorities to live out Christ’s. But if we persevere, we can rest assured that our relationship with Jesus will bring us the comfort, peace, and contentment that comes from His presence.
Leader Notes:
Allow the groups to work through the questions based off of their time studying the passage. Remember to emphasize the questions that should be asked to be a good communicator.
What does it say?
What does it mean?
How does this apply to me?
Questions:
1. What does it mean to be a Christian?
2. What is the our cultural definition of Christian?
3. Is being a Christian something that’s only defined by what you believe? By what you do?
4. If being a Christian is something that is only defined by what we believe, what should we believe to be a Christian?
5. If being a Christian is something that is only defined by what we do then what are we supposed to do?
Read Matthew 7:13-27
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’[i][j]
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”
*Plug in the verses that correspond to the questions
Key Points
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Discussion Questions
1. Which gate does Jesus tell us to enter?
2. What is the narrow gate compared to? What do each of the gates lead to?
3. How does the bible describe the road that leads to the narrow gate?
4. Why do people choose the wide gate and easy road if it leads to destruction?
5. How does Jesus tell us to recognize false prophets?
6. Why would a wolf disguise himself as a sheep? Why is it important to beware of a wolf dressed up as a sheep?
7. What are examples of wolves in sheeps clothing in the church?
8. What happens to trees that produce bad fruit?
9. What does it mean to be an unfruitful follower of Jesus?
10. Why does Jesus turn away the people mentioned in vs 22?
11. Are the people in this vs 22 doing bad things? Do we associate the things mentioned in this verse with maturity and spiritual intimacy with God?
12. Who decides who has access to the Father according to this passage?
13. Why is it important to build on a firm foundation?
14. Who is the wise man compared to? Who is the foolish man compared to? What is the difference between the wise man and the foolish man?
15. What is the solid house built on?
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Supplemental reading: Hebrews 6:1-12 and 10:22-39, Romans 2
What does it say?
What does it mean?
How does this apply to me?
Leader Notes: Make sure to read the passages in Hebrews before setting up the next section. Also a helpful definition to use while covering the next section is to define faith as “choosing to believe the bible is true regardless of circumstances, emotions, or cultural trends. “
Growing is a process that requires commitment
A theme that you may have picked up on reading these passages is the idea of perseverance. Most people in modern America view love as an emotion. People have been spurred to do crazy, impulsive, and sometimes obsessive things all in the name of this feeling called love. However, a relationship built on an emotion is very shaky foundation. People’s emotions can change at the drop of a dime. A person that only understands love as an emotion can be your best friend in one moment and your worst nightmare in the next. This modern definition of love is selfish and gives no assurance to the people we claim to love. This is because our behaviors are based on erratic and conflicting chemical signals we receive from our brain. No one wants to be the recipient of primitive hormonal urges that fuel the evolutionary response to procreate. This harsh reality is the way modern American culture describes and defines love. There’s no assurance or sense of selfless care involved in this definition of love.
“Biblical love is an unswerving commitment to do good for others without thought to the benefit for self.”
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Biblical love is an unswerving commitment to do good for others without thought to the benefit for self. Biblical love is a response to the love God has demonstrated toward us. The passages we’ve read earlier help us to understand that love for God is love for ourselves. Followers of Jesus believe this because we trust God. We choose to trust what He’s revealed to us about Himself through the Bible. One of the things followers of Jesus also believe is that God loves us and desires the best for us, because He says so in His Word. We trust that the plans God has for us are better than the ones we have for ourselves. So love=obedience to God really works in our best interest. Therefore the thing we are called to commit to is to trust God. Can we commit to trusting God in any and every situation? Can we trust that God loves us? If we can trust God then we demonstrate our trust by staying with Jesus and committing to obey=love Him.
John 15:7 Memory Verse:(Discussion)
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Before the next Session
Check when completed
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Activity
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Read James 4:1-10, James 1:12-15, Jeremiah 29:11-14
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Ask and Answer (What does it say, What does it mean, How does this apply to me)
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Summarize/Bulletize the passage(s)
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Prepare to share 1 of your spiritual markers next week
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Work on memorizing John 15:7
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Continue assembling SERVE Profile(Spiritual Growth Assessment, Spiritual Markers 3 experiences)
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Pray God would reveal 2 people you can share your Spiritual Growth plan with
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Pray for Clan Group
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How does John 15:7 affect your understanding of who God is?
What is the relational implication of John 15:7?
What is the biblical definition of love?
According to the bible what is evidence of my love for Jesus?
How do I grow in my relationship with Jesus?
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