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How to Disciple New Christians

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Do you remember what it was like?

You’d heard the word “Christian” before. Maybe you were a teenager, fighting the fact that your parents frequently brought you to church and you didn’t really see why. Maybe you were far along into adulthood, struggling with the purpose of what you did.  Maybe you were yet a small child, hearing about concepts of Christ and the cross and trying to piece things together.

Whatever your story of coming to know and cherish Christ, we all began somewhere and had to then begin the next step in our journey: understanding more fully what we believe and how to follow Christ.

Where did you turn?

A specific person might have started to intentionally disciple you. Perhaps a book became pivotal in your spiritual formation. Maybe a church, through preaching and small groups, stepped into this foundational time.

Yet maybe the process of pursuing spiritual understanding and growth wasn’t so smooth. You could have floundered finding sure sources to teach you.

Now, you might be on the flip-side. Leading a small group, you might be surrounded with people new to the faith or asking how to rebuild their life on the foundation.

The need for accessible, direct, helpful, and deep discipleship resources for new believers cannot be understated. And, because of this need, we acted. 

Meet My New Life: A New Christian’s Guide to Building Your Life on the Word of God.

This is a six week Bible study which covers the basics of the Christian faith for new disciples of Christ. Each session contains sections that introduce you to scripture with a specific focus, provide questions to help you engage with the scripture, and give a prayer focus and journaling sections to conclude your weekly study.

What topics are covered? 

  • Week One: My New Life in Jesus
  • Week Two: Understanding the Gospel
  • Week Three: The God Who Made Us
  • Week Four: Abiding in Jesus
  • Week Five: The Importance of the Church
  • Week Six: Joining God on Mission

You can engage with this study on our own, give it to those in your group to do individually, or go through the content with a group. 

No matter the way you use the resource, it is our hope that it can serve as a go-to for early discipleship, centering new believers on the Word of God and the cross of Christ as we seek to be faithful to the Lord and as He transforms our hearts.

Here’s to growing in our walk with Christ. Here’s to intentional, practical discipleship. Here’s to more new believers in 2020.

Find out more about this recourse, access the first session for free, and find more additional church items at lifeway.com/mynewlife.

Deborah Spooner is a Minnesota-born analytical creative serving as a Marketing Strategist for LifeWay’s Groups Ministry. As a pastor’s daughter with a background in Digital Communications and Media and Biblical & Theological Studies, you can find her at her local church, in deep conversation, or with a book or pen in hand as she seeks to know Christ more and make Him known.

 

Church Leadership

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 6

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What does a mature disciple of Christ look like? Over the past decade LifeWay Research has delved into this with thousands of pastors and church leaders. Culling through the data, we discovered that strong discipleship ministries and practices could be put in eight categories. We call these eight categories the signposts along the discipleship pathway. One sign of growing disciples is that they exercise faith.

Faith may be a common word in our vocabulary, but we don’t all use it the same way. For some people, the concept of faith is essentially wishful thinking. “I have faith that they’ll win the championship.” For others, the concept of faith is tied to a set of beliefs. “I follow the Christian faith.” And others see faith as something they can use to manipulate God. “If you believe hard enough and have enough faith, God will do what you ask Him to do.”

Faith is trust, taking God at His word and confidently trusting that He will do what He said He will do. Faith can begin simply, even as we place our trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. But as we mature in our faith, that trust only grows deeper and we are more and more adept at trusting Him.

In the research that indicated a mature believer exercises faith, it was noted that these believes knew the importance of living by faith as opposed to living by their own strength. Trusting in God deepens and reliance on self lessens. Exercising faith means risk-aversion is set aside. Maturing believers concern themselves with bold faithfulness to God’s work. The concerns of personal cost become less concerning. The transformation that occurs because we put faith in God’s power results in faithful obedience.

Two statements were strong among mature believers who exercise faith: 

  1. “I believe God has a purpose for all events in my life, regardless of whether I perceive each event as being good or bad.” Our faith in Christ gives us both new life in the eternal sense and redefines our perception about life here in this world. When we engage our faith in everyday living, it allows us to have a longer view of life’s events. Rather than wishing our way out of difficulty, it gives us the opportunity to simply trust God’s goodness no matter what we face.
  2. “I express praise and gratitude to God even in difficult circumstances.” The believer who is exercising faith can look beyond the current circumstances to the greater issues at work. They do not ignore what is happening, but by trusting and living by faith, they see life in light of all of God’s providence. Faith looks beyond difficulty and trusts in the character of God.

The apostle Paul gave us a wonderful summary of what it means to exercise faith:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

Rather than sinking into the doldrums when things go wrong, we keep our eyes lifted toward Christ. Exercising faith is a result of God’s transforming work in our lives. As we grow in our sanctification and walk with Christ, we are able to follow more closely to Him. Our trust and faith only deepens.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Exercise Faith.

Challenge believers. Challenge people to give as an act of worship and trust in God’s provision. Challenge them to get involved in a mission project or ministry and trust God to work.

Provide opportunities to step out of their comfort zone. Point to specific ministry and mission opportunities and encourage participation. When people step out of their comfort zones, they can experience God’s presence and hand at work. The more they do this, the more they learn to trust God.

Give testimonies. Give a platform for individuals in the church to share how they learned to exercise faith. A testimony of how they learned to trust God in a specific situation encourages others to do the same.

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in LifeWay’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.
Church Leadership

Top Studies for the New Year

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2019. A year is ending, and with it, a decade comes to a close. Many, Bible study groups included, begin to reflect over the past year as we excitedly look towards a new beginning when another page in the calendar turns.

What are your hopes for the next year? And how can you work to craft these hopes to be centered on Christ for your whole group?

We’ve been thinking about it, too. Here’s six resolutions for your group (and the Bible studies that can help you work towards achieving them) as 2020 rounds the corner.

  1. Discover who you are in Christ

Defined: Who God Says You Are

When you introduce yourself to someone for the first time, you have an opportunity to define yourself. You disclose your name, profession, and interests. These factors help our culture define us, but are those answers enough? There are bigger questions our culture can’t answer: who am I? and why do I matter? And before asking, who am I? you must first answer, who is God?  The Scripture teaches that we are all made in the image of God. We do not define ourselves—the Creator does. We were all created to be known and loved by God. Once the answers are clear, we can move forward and discover all God has called us to be. (8 sessions)

Join LifeWay Women for an online Bible study staring January 9th!

  1. Say yes to anything God asks

Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need

When David Platt took a trip to the Himalayan mountains, the staggering hardship he witnessed transformed the trajectory of his life. Now, in this study, he’s inviting you to reflect and wrestle with him as he describes his heart-wrenching trek through the Himalayas. You’ll ask hard questions alongside Platt about human need, suffering, faith, the gospel, and our role. For Christians, ignorance of profound human need is not an option. Neither is indifference. It’s time to explore what it means to follow Jesus in a world of urgent physical and spiritual needs. (8 sessions)

Have  the first two sessions of the Bible study for free here (and find a 7-Day prayer guide for unreached people groups)!

  1. Rest in the love of God

The Prodigal Son: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father

At some point we have all been tempted by the allure of a life outside God’s design. Thankfully, Jesus addressed this issue through the well-known parable of the prodigal son from the Gospel of Luke. In this story, we meet a young man who demands his inheritance, then goes and squanders it in a far-off country away from the watchful eye of his father. When he realizes that the world and its pleasures do not deliver on their promises, he arises and returns home. This Bible study walks through the parable verse by verse, showing us that the best life is found in the love of our Father. (8 sessions)

  1. Experience more of God

Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God

Revised and expanded, this classic study guides readers to experience a relationship with God through which they come to know and do His will by learning to recognize when He is speaking. It also helps them understand the importance of His timing. Many truly amazing testimonies are included in this revised version. (13 weeks)

  1. Learn how to follow Jesus

My New Life: A New Christian’s Guide to Building Your Life on God’s Word

The new Christian can become easily overwhelmed trying to figure out how to be a Christ-follower. For the believer to grow, it’s necessary to have an understanding of God’s Word, God’s character, prayer, the gospel, and so much more. This study explains these deep biblical truths in short and simple to understand chapters. It will help a new believer grow in knowledge of God’s Word and provide a foundation on which daily trust in Jesus will grow for the rest of their lives. (6 sessions)

Church Leadership

Top Bible Studies for Christmas

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Christmas. The best time of the year?

The calendar flipped to December, and this means many churches and small groups have turned towards their plans for the new year even as they aim to finish out the Christmas season well. After all, Christmas is supposed to be about Christ, right?

Yes, but many church and group leaders feel pressure and stress around this time and can actually find it harder to focus on Christ than during other times in the year.

We understand. And we want to help in any ways we can.

Here are some Bible study suggestions to help you, as the group leader, keep your focus on Christ during this season, and here are some resources to help center your group on Christ as 2020 rounds the corner.

For You

  • Foundations: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers

With Foundations, you can read through the key, foundational passages of the Bible in one year, while still having the flexibility of reading 5 days per week. Along with supplementary devotional content each day, you can experience the miracle of reading and responding to God’s Word. By using the H.E.A.R. journaling method, you will be guided through Highlighting, Explaining, Applying, and Responding to passages, allowing for practical application throughout the year-long plan.

 

 

Based on the success of Foundations (described above), Foundations: New Testament uses the same H.E.A.R. method to provide a 5-day a week, year long devotional scripture reading experience that takes studiers through only the New Testament. You’ll also be guided with weekly scripture memory options for the duration of the study

For Your Group

With the recent Thanksgiving release of the latest Kendrick brothers movie, OVERCOMER, you can launch your group into thinking through themes of identity and overcoming difficulties this Christmas and New Years season. Many people feel they are less than who God says they are. We get our identity from our careers, our political positions, our roles in the family, and a number of other lesser things. However, when we understand who God is, we more fully understand who we are. This new small-group Bible study uses clips from the Kendrick Brothers film OVERCOMER to examine how we determine our identity and how we can find our true identity in Christ. (5 sessions)

Most Christians want to make real, noticeable progress in their walk with Christ. We long to forgive, to have a pure heart, and to find peace, but we just don’t know how to get there. It’s time to get unstuck and build momentum toward a more godly life. The understanding and strength we need to pursue holiness are available through the path Christ laid out for us in the Beatitudes. Find out what it really means to be poor in spirit, to be meek, and to mourn, and discover how those qualities will help you live a life in which God’s blessings are abundantly clear and present. (8 sessions)

Christmas and New Years is a time of reflection, so why not direct your group to reflect towards eternal change? When David Platt took a trip to the Himalayan mountains, the staggering hardship he witnessed transformed the trajectory of his life. Now, in this study, he’s inviting you to reflect and wrestle with him as he describes his life-altering trek through the Himalayas. You’ll ask hard questions alongside Platt about human need, suffering, faith, the gospel, and our role. For Christians, ignorance of profound human need is not an option. Neither is indifference. It’s time to explore what it means to follow Jesus in a world of urgent physical and spiritual need.

You can have the first two sessions of this Bible study for free here! And you can also find a 7-Day guide, showing you how to pray for the unreached people of Asia for free here.

The Gospel is foundational to all aspects of the Christian life, so why not finish out a Christ-centered Christmas by keeping the momentum towards seeing Christ in all of scripture continuing throughout the entire next year? From cover to cover, the Bible is the story of God’s plan to redeem sinners through Jesus—the gospel. Gospel Foundations tells that story. From the creators of The Gospel Project, this six-volume resource is comprehensive in scope yet concise enough to be completed in just one year. Each seven-session volume is video-enhanced to help your group engage in discussion with a clear understanding of how each text fits into the storyline of Scripture.

See the first two sessions of this Bible study as well as gain access to wallpapers, sermon guides, and more here.

Christmas doesn’t have to be the most stressful time of the year. Here’s to keeping the focus on Christ and to helping others do so as well.

 

Church Leadership

10 Ways to Optimize Small Group Bible Study

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by Reid Smith

As a small group leader, there are things that you can do in your preparation for your gatherings that can optimize the impact of God’s Word on people’s lives (Hebrews 4:12). These practices will actually help your group members get the most out of your Bible study together and become more responsive to the transformational work of the Holy Spirit in their lives:

1. Pray for it – Give each gathering over to Jesus. Pray for each group member by name. Ask for specific break-throughs and invite the Holy Spirit to have His way.

2. Preview it – It is well worth taking 15-minutes before each meeting to…

  • Read the key passages in at least two different translations (bible.com or biblegateway.com)
  • Refer to cross-references and commentaries to give yourself a good feel of the context.
  • Review the questions that are a part of the study you are using and select ones you sense your group will grab onto the best. 
  • Reduce the volume of material given by 50%. This helps the group time feel more relaxed and more focused, which increases overall participation.
  • Rephrase the questions you decide to use in ways you think will spark further dialogue. Restating the same question in different ways helps some people formulate their thoughts.

3. Facilitate it – Don’t get into ‘teaching mode’ or feel like you have to have all the answers. You want your group’s Bible study to be a peer-to-peer learning experience where every person’s insight and personality influences the discussion. Here are some reusable questions that can enliven the dynamic of any discussion:

    • What stands out to you in this passage? What impacted you during the reading?
    • Was there something read that is new for you, reaffirming, confusing or challenging?
    • How can we apply this to our lives today?
    • How could this be shared with people who do not yet know Christ?
    • Be patient with moments of silence. If nobody shares after a few seconds, put the question in another way. Here are a few other facilitation tips that will help to accelerate spiritual conversations: 1) Be ready to answer questions briefly and naturally if nobody initiates after giving a prolonged pause 2) People think primarily in pictures so try to portray a topic visually by applying questions to personal stories or hypothetical situations 3) Provide guardrails to keep the discussion on track so you don’t drift too far off topic. 

 

4. Include them – When people feel included, they feel like they belong. When people feel like they belong, they want to engage. When people are engaged, they grow. Time may not allow for every person to participate in the way they would like, but you can help them feel more included by…

    • Giving each person a purpose to fulfill in the group that corresponds with their gifting and passion – start them off with small tasks that have a shorter-term commitment.
    • Circling back to people who have not shared, but looked like they were on the verge of saying something.
    • Make eye-contact with those who share, acknowledging their input with simple affirmations like, “Thanks for sharing” or “Good insight,” and then try to relate it back to the passage being studied or keep the momentum going by inviting others to add their thoughts.
    • Expressing your love for them, e.g. “I’m so glad you’re a part of our group!” Simple acknowledgements go a very long way in boosting people’s sense of belonging, which optimizes group Bible study in the future.

5. Open up – Not enough can be said about the importance of authenticity. This is essential to healthy leadership and Bible studies. The more open you are, the more open others will be. You make the group feel safe when you are real and it frees people up to be themselves, which is the kind of community everyone wants.

6. Listen up – One of the best ways you can love on the people in your group is to listen to them. This will probably mean you lay aside your own interests, agenda, or things you would like to say. Give people your full attention and reflect back to them that you understand by nodding or putting what they said into your own words to make sure you heard them correctly. When people see that others are being heard, they will feel more secure about opening up and sharing things on their heart. 

7. Lighten up – People tend to be more reserved when there is a serious edge to the study. A light-hearted atmosphere actually encourages more involvement. If you have fun with it all, others will too.

8. Wrap-up – Summarize what happened in your group and give a teaser for what’s next before you end your group on time.

9. Follow-up – If somebody asks a question or shares a personal prayer need during your group study, be sure to follow-up with them. Also, don’t hesitate to contact people who said they were going to be at your Bible study, but were not. Let them know they were missed and see if there is anything they need. 

10. Offer up – The way a group stays healthy in the long-run and goes deeper in their Bible study is by letting the grace of God flow outward. He wants to use our Christ-centered community to engage the world, not insulate ourselves from it (Acts 2:47; Rom 1:16, 10:14-15). God always makes room for the lost so expand your group circle as much as possible (Luke 15). He will provide the time and space for additional members if our hearts are seeking to extend His grace to those who have yet to come home. Practically-speaking, you can offer up your group by…

    • Turning your group’s attention to lost people during your time of discussion and prayer. 
    • Telling members that you would LOVE for them to invite people they know to your group.
    • Thinking together about how your group can share God’s grace with spiritually empty people.
    • Traveling to locations beyond the home where you meet, e.g. hold your study in a public space or go on a mission trip together.
    • Transitioning your group into new seasons of study by empowering people to look after different aspects of your group’s life together or handing off more responsibility to a person who could co-lead with you. This will prepare your group to multiply so that more people can be impacted by the love and message of Jesus Christ.

You know you’ve been successful at optimizing your small group’s Bible study if your group members love more: Love God more, love people more, love the lost more, and love Scripture more!

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

 

Church Leadership

Links We Love

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The Simplest Way to Grow Your Love of the Bible – Michael Kelley

Here is an expression that, even if you don’t use it, I believe will resonate with you if you’re a Christian: I want, to want… “Wanting to want” means this: It means that as Christians, we are to have a different value system than that of the world. We are to value things that, in the eyes of the world, might often look like a waste of time. We are to make eternal kingdom investments rather than spending our time, finances, and emotional energy on earthly things.

3 Things for Christian Parents to Remember When Their Kids Play Sports – LifeWay Men

Here we are again – another season starting up. For our family, it’s basketball. I suppose it could be any number of other sports for you and your kid especially with year round travel leagues and all. Because the season is starting up, it’s time for me to remind myself of a few things. The reason I need to be reminded is because I see the tendency in myself to be “that dad.”

Answering 5 Questions about Starting a Bible Study – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

Starting a Bible study group can be intimidating. If you’re considering starting a small group Bible study, you probably have many questions swirling around in your head, like: What Bible study or Bible passage should I choose? Whom should I invite to participate? Can I even lead a Bible study? What preparations need to take place? Does my pastor need to know? Let’s tackle these questions one at a time to give you confidence in what God has called you to do!

3 Ways Not to Use Social Media in Your Church – LifeWay Leadership

Social media is an extremely useful tool. The way that you utilize social media personally will greatly differ from the ways that you use social media for your church, ministry, or job.

3 Questions to Test Your Ambition – Eric Geiger

C.S. Lewis gave a graduation commencement speech to graduates at Kings College at the University of London. The students were graduating from a prestigious school with their whole lives in front of them, and Lewis talked to them about their ambitions. He knew many of them would land a great job and long to be in the inner circle of wherever they worked. Lewis called it “the inner ringer.” He warned them that their desire to be in the “inner ring” is like peeling back the layers of an onion. In the end there is nothing left. When you get to the place you thought would satisfy you, you realize there is another ring. There is always going to be another ring. Lewis said this: “As long as you are governed by that desire you will never get what you want. You are trying to peel an onion: if you succeed, there will be nothing left… The quest for the inner ring will break you unless you break it.”

 

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 117: Student Groups

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk with Karen Daniel about student groups.

Karen Daniel is a publishing team leader in LifeWay Students.

Suggested resource: Within Reach by Ben Trueblood

Questions:

  • What is unique about student groups?
  • What kind of questions are you asking as you develop a Bible study for teens?
  • Why do you think some churches struggle to have consistent student groups?
  • What are a couple of studies that have worked really well with students, and what made them different?

Quotes:

  • Any student minister has four to six years to reach a group of students.
  • Students are very eager to learn, and they are at a point in their lives where they are asking themselves, “What does God want me to do?”
  • We want to meet students where they are, and we want to resource student ministers so they’ve got everything that they need to develop their strategy.
  • The conversation around identity is going to be different for girls than it is for guys.
  • From Within Reach: Of the students who say no adults from their church invested in their lives while they were in high school, 88% dropped out of church after high school. Of those who say one or two adults invested in them, 72% dropped out after high school. Of those who say three or more adults invested in them, 58% dropped out after high school.

This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

 

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in LifeWay’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at LifeWay and author of Leading Small Groups.

Church Leadership

How Can Smallgroup.com Help Us Kick-Off Our Fall Groups?

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by Tyler Quillet

As summer winds down and more groups begin to pick back up, it often leaves pastors and group leaders wondering what topic to study or what resources to use for their group time. I’d like to share with you a little bit about Smallgroup.com, both what it is and how you can use it, and also some specific series that we think will be a great kick-off to your fall!

First, what is Smallgroup.com? Smallgroup.com is an online Bible study resource. It contains an ever-growing customizable library of over 2,300 text and video-enhanced studies from all 66 books of the Bible.

With a membership to smallgroup.com, you can: 

  • Search a topic or passage to find the study you are looking for.
  • You can create a whole class or series based on any topic or text you’d like and make it your own.
  • Right there within smallgroup.com, you can further customize any existing study with your specific teaching points, language, illustrations, church information and logo.
  • You can align the content to your pastor’s sermon series in minutes.
  • If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can “request a study” as part of your subscription. The Custom Bible Study team at LifeWay will write it for you and upload it to the site.

Of particular interest to many group leaders is the ever-growing selection of popular video-enhanced studies from teachers like Priscilla Shirer, J.D. Greear, Beth Moore, David Platt, Matt Chandler, Lisa Harper, and many more. Through a membership to smallgroup.com, you can log in and stream these videos through any web-enabled device or through your Roku®, Amazon Fire®, or Apple TV® apps.

Smallgroup.com offers three subscription plans to suit every need:

  • Basic is $199/year and includes unlimited access to the entire Bible study library, the “Write your own” Bible study feature, downloadable study guides to share with group members, and streaming videos. This is perfect for a single group or a pastor!
  • Plus is $399/year and includes all the features of Basic plus the ability to email study guides and videos to an unlimited number of people, a groups management feature, smallgroup.com access for an unlimited number of group leaders, and 20% off all contracts with CustomBibleStudy.com. Every group in your church has access to just the right study for them!
  • Premium is $3,999/year. This subscription includes all of the above features, plus a fully custom experience year-round with your very own dedicated small group specialist. That means you’d have the services of someone on the Custom Bible Study team at LifeWay to whom you would send sermon outlines or study requests. Your dedicated specialist would then build or write your requested studies for you in your smallgroup.com account within five business days. Your specialist would also be available to manage your groups, leaders, and members and create discipleship pathways. This subscription plan offers 30% off all contracts with CustomBibleStudy.com.

If you are interested in checking out Smallgroup.com, but aren’t sure if you are ready to commit, go ahead and try our 30-day free trial. Just click the button on the front page and begin to explore all that Smallgroup.com has to offer you, your group leaders, and your entire church!

Let’s look at 4 newer series on Smallgroup.com to help us kick-off the fall:

Imago Dei 

This 6-session (Video-Enhanced) series examines the image of God biblically within the grand narrative of Scripture, relationally as it applies to ourselves and others, and missionally in our service to others and in our obedience to the Great Commission.

As You Go 

This series covers six passages in the book of Acts to explore what it means to live in a missional fashion.

Devoted  

This 6-session series sees that healthy churches and healthy Christians are marked by their focus on God, each other, and witnessing to the lost. We are all called to this same focus.

Love as Our Witness  

This 6-session series through 1 John explores our love for God and others in response to His great love for us.

With over 2,300 small group study guides and hundreds of series and video-enhanced studies, we are confident that you will find what you are looking for as you seek to point your groups to Jesus! We are praying for you as you enter into your fall groups!

Tyler Quillet is the Discipleship Strategist for the Custom Bible Study team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He lives in the Nashville, TN, area with his incredible wife, Cathie, and two boys, Cylas and Bowen. Tyler also speaks, writes, and coaches alongside Cathie as they pour into and love on the infertile community through Cathie’s “The Missing Peace Project”. Tyler previously spent 15 years as a pastor and is passionate about serving churches and pouring into church leaders in a variety of ways. 

 

Church Leadership

Help Your Group See Jesus in the Entire Bible

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What’s more important than the Gospel? Nothing.

As Christians, we recognize the importance of finding God’s redemptive plan throughout the Word of God. We desire to live with this plan in mind, being ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). We seek to take up our crosses daily to follow Christ while remembering His finished work on the cross even as God is still working in believers’ lives today (Matthew 16:24).

But how do we maintain a focus on Christ even in difficult passages of the Bible? Can we see Christ connections throughout all of scripture? Can we see Old Testament connections even in the New Testament?

Thankfully, we can. 

And we can help you lead your groups to dig into these discoveries as well. 

Gospel Foundations is a seven volume, year-long journey through the storyline of scripture, seeing how Christ is hero from beginning to end. Each of the individual volumes has seven sessions and can be done individually. 

But there’s more.

We’ve chosen many of the graphs that detail how we can see Jesus in various portions of the Bible and put them in a “Gospel Guide” for easy reference. Along with sample content from the studies, wallpaper, sermon outlines, video previews, and more, you can access this all for free here.

Because Jesus is that important.

 

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 108: Reid Patton on Asking Good Questions

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk to Reid Patton about how to ask good questions when facilitating a Bible study.

Reid Patton is a Content Editor for the Short-Term Discipleship Team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the thankful husband of Kristen and proud father of Ceile and serves with the Life Group leadership team at the Church at Station Hill in Spring Hill, Tennessee. In his free time, Reid likes reading, watching NBA Basketball and Auburn Football, and going to record stores. You can find him on Twitter @jreidpatton.

Questions:

  • If I’m using a pre-written curriculum, how can I make the most out of those questions?
  • What types of questions invite conversation?
  • How should I structure the questions in my group?
  • How would you sum up the big questions small groups should answer?

Quotes:

As someone who writes Bible studies, I don’t know your group better than you do.

I would rather give someone more than they need than less than they need.

The open question is far superior to the closed question.

There are going to be three types of questions in every Bible study: observational, interpretive, and application-based. A good Bible study will balance between those three types of questions.

The three big questions are what? so what? and now what? What does the Bible say? So what do we do with that, why does that matter? Now what do we do with it?

A holistic approach to the text will give you a holistic disciple.

This Episode’s Sponsor: The Overcomer movie has inspired the creation of several resources. For small groups, there is the Overcomer Bible study. For individuals, there is a book called Defined. Both are based upon powerful insights from the Book of Ephesians. Learn more about all the resources at LifeWay.com/Overcomer

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in LifeWay’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at LifeWay and author of Leading Small Groups.

 

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