Session 1: Student Workbook
Session 1: Introduction
Key point: A good spiritual leader must be a good follower of Jesus.
- sub-point 1: a follower of Jesus has relational experiences with Jesus
- sub-point 2: a good spiritual leader grows in their intimacy with Jesus
Introduction
Welcome to Journey in the Wilderness. This course geared towards helping people become effective and faithful followers of Jesus Christ. The call to follow Jesus carries several stipulations that are important for any disciple of Christ to know because these stipulations affect the way we live. The decision to follow Jesus isn’t something to be considered lightly. Jesus tells us that those that follow Him should expect to receive the same treatment He did while on this earth. Jesus was scorned and rejected by the leaders of his day. He was abandoned by his close friends and family. He was imprisoned, tortured and eventually killed. Jesus lived a life of suffering, and he promises the same life to his followers. Before we choose to make Jesus the boss of our lives and follow Him we need to count the cost. In fact, Jesus himself tells us to carefully consider the decision to follow Him before committing to making Him the boss of our lives.
Read Luke 14:25-33
What is he saying?
What does it mean?
How does this apply to me?
Summary of main points(Lk. 14:25-33)
-the use of hate is a comparative to the love that we should have for Jesus
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Reflective questions
1. Does this passage mean I need to hate my family to follow Jesus?
2. What does it mean to carry my cross? What is my cross?
3. Does Jesus mean that if I can’t finish something that I shouldn’t bother starting? Does this mean I shouldn’t bother trying to follow Jesus if I know I’m eventually going to fail?(28-30)
4. What point is Jesus making about salt losing its saltiness?(v34-35)
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*Match the questions to the corresponding verses in the text
Responding to the call of discipleship
All the stuff we just read in the passage above(Luke 14:25-33) about following Jesus seems daunting and most people that might read or hear what Jesus says about following Him may give up before ever starting, but that’s because we’ve only covered part of the story. It is true that making Jesus the boss of your life isn’t going to be a cakewalk and it will be hard at times. However, the decision to follow Jesus also brings innumerable blessings. The only way to experience a fulfilling and loving relationship with God is by making the decision to follow Jesus wherever He leads, no matter the cost. The only way to experience the true grace, forgiveness, and divine healing that comes only from God is through a relationship with Jesus. True life can only be experienced through a commitment to follow Jesus Christ.
Read John 14:1-7, 27
Read Colossians 1:13-23
Read John 10:10
What are the main points of the passage?
What is the message communicated in the passage?
What do I think about what God says through the passage?
What is my response to what God is saying?
Living Life to the Fullest
Something you might have discovered in reading these passages is that God wants us to know Him. The only way we can know Him is through His Son Jesus Christ. We know God and experience Him by trusting in His Word(Jn 14:1-7). Trust is the foundation of every relationship we have. The only way we achieve greater intimacy in our relationships is by putting ourselves in vulnerable positions of trust. We observe this principle at work in our human relationships. We trust that when we confide personal information our confidant will not expose our deepest secrets to the world. When we set an appointment or date with someone, we trust that the person will show up. When friends tell us they will do something for us we trust they will keep their word and do it.
In our relationship with Jesus we must take steps of faith and trust in what He has revealed about Himself and what He intends for us. Jesus tells us that He desires us to have peace and abundant life but we only receive those things when we spend time with Jesus (Jn 14:27, 10:10). Relational experiences and intimacy require time. We can be open to growing in our relationship with Jesus, but until we truly choose to spend time with Him and make Him the priority in our lives we will never grow in our relationship with Jesus. We will never grow in our relationship with Jesus if we never put ourselves in a position to trust Him. It’s a little hard to have experiences with someone we don’t spend any time with.
John 14:21 Discussion(Memory verse)
“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, I too will love him and show myself to him.” (NIV84)
SERVE Profile
During this journey we’ll be exploring the unique attributes, characteristics, and experiences God has given you to form you into a specialized instrument. God tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made(Ps 139:14). We each have a role to play in God’s Master plan. God gave each of us gifts and tools so that we could participate in God’s plan to build the Church and advance the gospel. The SERVE Profile will help us discover our unique characteristics and figure out how to use them where God has placed us.
This week work on completing the Spiritual Growth Assessment packet and come up with 3 experiences God has used to mold and shape you into the person you are today.
Before the next Session
Check when completed
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Activity
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Read Matthew 7:13-27
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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
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Review the Supplemental reading
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Work on memorizing John 14:21
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Begin assembling SERVE Profile(Spiritual Growth Assessment, Spiritual Markers 3 experiences)
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Pray for Clan Group
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Write out John 14:21
Write down the names of the people in your clan group
What are the three questions we ask ourselves when God communicates to us? Why do we ask these questions?
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