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Cross
Training
A semester-long
course on
following
Jesus
“Train yourself to be godly.
For physical training is of some value,
but godliness has value for all things,
holding promise for both the present life
and the life to come.”
– 1 Timothy 4:7-8
An On-Campus Training Module
of the Ohio Valley Division of
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
“Cross Training”
Summer 2004 Version
An on-campus training module
of the Ohio Valley Division
of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Module Rationale 5
Module Objectives 5
Module Organization 6
List of Resources Needed 7
Lesson Plans
Week 1: Salvation 9
Week 2: Lordship and decision-making 17
Week 3: Prayer 21
Week 4: Bible study 29
Week 5: Witness 37
Week 6: Adjustments 43
Week 7: Temptation and holiness 45
Week 8: Faith and perseverance 53
Week 9: Community 61
Week 10: Dating relationships 67
Week 11: Faith integration 73
Week 12: Celebration! 79
Cross Training Evaluation Sheet ........................81
ON-CAMPUS TRAINING – MODULE 1 – “Cross Training”
Rationale
This curriculum is primarily designed for students who are young in
their faith. It is envisioned that these will likely be freshmen or some
sophomores who self-identify as Christians and who are interested in
developing a solid core of spiritual disciplines and foundational spiritual
understanding. However, it is hoped that the content will be useful even
for more mature students; that means that the curriculum could be used as
“entry-level” training for all students joining a chapter.
There are many benefits to having all students in a chapter go through
similar training together: for instance, you can be assured that they have
the same knowledge or set of skills; or that they all have the same
“vocabulary,” so that when you talk about something being a “lordship
issue”, everyone knows what that means.
Though uniformity of curriculum can be beneficial, uniformity of
“teaching” methods (methods used to convey or help students discover
important truths) is not desirable, as many students have varying “learning
styles” (see The Way They Learn, Cynthia Tobias). There are a number of
ways to categorize and differentiate learning styles. Traditionally, there
are three types: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Some people learn
information best when it is presented visually; some learn it better
hearing it; and others learn best through “hands on” experience. Howard
Gardner has come up with a theory of “Multiple Intelligences” which
identifies seven different types of intelligence: linguistic;
logical/mathematical; musical; spatial; bodily kinesthetic; interpersonal;
and intrapersonal, and he contends that these are all “ways of learning and
knowing.” All of this simply means that in communicating information or
trying to lead others to discover it for themselves, using a variety of
methods not only guards against boredom, but often actually enhances and
deepens the learning that occurs.
For that reason, we have made efforts to present information or lead
students to discover it for themselves in a variety of ways. Small group
Bible study is the main method used, appealing to those who learn well by
reading and discussion. Staff presentations are called for at certain
times, for those who learn well via presentation (and for staff’s own
development in biblical knowledge and presentation skill). Exercises such
as having a spiritual discussion with a friend or starting a prayer
partnership provide hands-on learning; reading assignments are frequent;
journaling and memorizing Scripture are also tools introduced as methods
for internalizing content.
We use a number of IVP booklets as “assignment” readings. We chose
this approach because: many IVP booklets are well written, concise
explorations of their subject matter, like abridged versions of much larger
books; they give students who learn well by reading a means to do that;
they are often less intimidating to students to read than a chapter in a
book (though it’s not clear why); they provide the beginnings a small
“library” of resources for each student to reference on their own later or
to share with friends; and they are cheap!
Objectives
Students will solidify their knowledge of some foundational doctrines
of the Christian faith, such as salvation, lordship, and faith.
Students will adopt some key spiritual disciplines as integral
elements of their walk of faith, such as daily prayer, regular Bible study,
and friendship evangelism.
Students will have their conception of God expanded in such areas as
the appreciation of His majesty, sovereignty, goodness, and holiness.
Students will have the opportunity to explore issues of particular
interest and lasting importance early on in their college life, such as
dating relationships and how their faith can be integrated with their
academic life and goals.
Students will develop significant relationships with others going
through this training with them, through such means as group Scripture
study and prayer and accountability partnerships.
Organization
We’ve designed a 12 week course of 1 1/2 hour sessions, to occur once
a week, with assignments for application. Later units build on earlier
ones, in content and assignments, so if you choose to rearrange sessions,
make sure you are familiar enough with the overall curriculum to realize
how future sessions and assignments may have to be modified.
The title of the 12 week training module is “Cross Training,” meant to
emphasize that this is serious, intensive training (not just unconnected,
non-practical discussions), that this training is guided by the fact of the
cross of Christ (the need for it and the implications of it), and that it
encompasses a variety of elements of the Christian life (the pun on the
athletic term, cross-training). The title “B.A.S.I.C. Discipleship” has
also been used, the acronym standing for “Brothers And Sisters In Christ.”
This is intended to emphasize the foundational level of the training (it is
“basic”), the communal nature of the learning taking place both in method
and application (“Brothers and Sisters”), and the fact that Jesus is the
center of all we do (“In Christ”). Choose whichever name you want, or make
up a new one; it’s not the name that is important, but rather the integrity
of the content.
Each session is envisioned as a small group of 4 – 8 students lead by
staff worker; however, mature students could take on the leadership of a
group in place of a staff worker. It should also be possible to use this
curriculum with even larger groups, but in that case it would likely work
better to have an overall session leader (the staff person) and some group
leaders (students) so that some small group discussion can take place. It
highly encouraged that the material be adapted to the needs and
circumstances of each particular chapter.
The language used in the curriculum is that of “lesson plans” and
“assignments.” This is not meant to make this curriculum seem overly
formal and academic – it is only for functional clarity. If you want to
call the assignments “applications” or something else instead, please do;
the hope is that they will be seen not as an extra burden of homework in
addition to the students’ schoolwork, but as a natural and important part
of applying that week’s “lesson.”
Prayer / accountability partnerships and the Lord’s Prayer are two of
the major organizing structures that flow through this curriculum. They
are used as a “skeleton” on which to hang the “muscles” of application.
Once they are introduced, subsequent lessons introduce elements which are
added to the prayer partnerships or use of the Lord’s prayer.
Though the original charter for each of the four training modules
called for 10 sessions, this course includes 12 sessions. There are 10
weeks of “crucial content” – sessions 1-6 and 8-11 – so if you only have
time for 10 sessions, focus on those. Session 6, “Adjustments,” was added
because in practice it was found that after the 5th or 6th week of content,
students had accumulated some practical questions about carrying out the
assignments, and some needed further encouragement and even help in
accomplishing them (for instance, brainstorming about how to do the ”+”
part of “2+”). Feel free to place the “Adjustments” session either after
session 5, “Witness,” or after the session “Temptation and Holiness.”
Session 12 was added to acknowledge that, by completing this “Cross
Training” course, students had accomplished something significant; perhaps,
taking the long view of their spiritual lives, even more significant than
completing an academic course.
LIST OF RESOURCES
Besides photocopies of the Scripture passages or articles provided in each
lesson, the following books or booklets are needed for this course:
IVP booklets (1 per participant):
. My Heart, Christ’s Home, Robert Boyd Munger, 1996
. Prayer, John White, 1984
. Quiet Times For Christian Growth, Kelly James Clark, 1980
. Temptation, Tom L. Eisenman, 2000
. Spiritual Compatibility In Dating, Alyce Fryling, 2002
. Finding God’s Will, J. I. Packer, 1985
These booklets are available through the InterVarsity Press website,
www.ivpress.com.
Other resources needed:
. 3-ring binders, one for each participant, for collecting module
materials
. Colored pens and pencils, for manuscript-style Bible study, if you
choose to encourage the students to study the passages in this way.
. 2+ Prayer cards, one for each participant
o available from the “Store” on the InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship website, www.intervarsity.org, under
“Studies/Training: Evangelism”
. Video: “Out Of The Saltshaker,” Becky Pippert
o available from the “Store” on the InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship website, www.intervarsity.org, under “VHS Video:
Evangelism Resources”
. Video / DVD: “The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring”, New
Line Cinema, 2001
o available from your local video/DVD rental store
. Singles At The Crossroads: A Fresh Perspective on Christian
Singleness, Albert Y. Hsu, IVP 1997 – one copy from which to make
photocopies
o available through the InterVarsity Press website,
www.ivpress.com
This list of resources does not include items mentioned in the “Alternate
Resources” sections of each lesson.
WEEK 1 – SALVATION Lesson Plan
Rationale:
We start the 10 week series with an examination of salvation, realizing
that many new freshmen (the likely target for this curriculum) will either
be young in their faith or perhaps even non-Christians. This gives staff
an opportunity to strengthen these students’ doctrinal foundations on this
crucial point, as well as assess where students are actually at in their
understanding.
Objectives:
. Students will gain a better understanding of God’s plan for salvation
throughout history, and its personal application to them.
. Students will assess their own standing with God in relation to a
basic doctrine of salvation.
Students will catch a glimpse of the grandeur and sweep of God’s plan of
redemption.
. Staff will have a chance to evaluate individual student’s
understanding of this key doctrine.
Materials Needed:
3 ring binders for every student.
Copies of the “Salvation Outline” worksheet, with Acts 3:11-4:4 on the
back.
Copies of the “Assignment: Romans 3:9-31” sheet.
Colored pencils, if you are going to encourage students to do manuscript-
style study.
Lesson Plan:
Introductions (10 min)
o Spend some time helping everyone to get to know each other in
the group.
Expectations (10 min)
o Explain the following expectations for participants:
. Each participant will miss no more than 3 sessions of the
12 (or 2 of the 10, depending on how many sessions you have
decided to do).
. Each session will last 1 ½ hours.
. There will be “assignments” given to do during the
following week – these will not take more than an hour to
do.
. Participants will be willing to grow in their faith, to be
challenged and stretched.
. You’ll also have fun, studying the Bible
o Explain the importance of training, using whatever metaphors and
examples you wish. For instance, if an athlete wants to reach
all the heights of strength, endurance, and skill that he / she
is capable of, he / she must commit to a regimen of exercise,
diet, and even sleep in order to “be all that they can be.”
Paul seems to use just this analogy in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
This implies a number of things – hard work and sacrifice;
lifestyle changes; learning to keep focused on the goal. But it
results in joy, freedom, and ever-deepening relationship with
God. A quick overview of Philippians 3:7-14 can be used to
cover this very well.
Plan of salvation discussion (15 min)
o (5 min) Pass out the “Salvation Outline” worksheet and ask each
student to take the next three minutes to write down the
important points of what they understand God’s plan of salvation
to be (ask them not to turn over the piece of paper).
o (10 min) Now ask for a volunteer to share their outline with
the group. Ask other students to add to or subtract from what
the first student shared, encouraging them to do so in a
helpful, non-judgmental way. There is no need to come up with a
universally agreed on outline at this point, however.
Plan of salvation Bible study: Acts 3:11-4:4 (50 min)
You will now lead a study discussion of this text with the main
goal of revealing the sweep of God’s plan of salvation, drawing out
how the crucial elements of that plan are explained so well in this
passage of Scripture.
o Have students turn over the worksheet and read Acts 3:11-4:4.
. But before they read, explain the background – the Holy
Spirit had come on the 120 followers of Jesus at Pentecost,
more than 3,000 became Christians that day, and in the
weeks following the early church continued to meet and
grow. Peter was a central leader of the church, and had
just demonstrated great power and authority by healing a
crippled beggar who had been lame.
. Also explain that part of the reason for having the
Scripture passage printed out like this is that they are to
feel free to write on the page – to make notes, or to write
down questions about phrases that are confusing, or to
circle things that seem to be important.
. (ed. note: We have a little bit more time available in
Session 4 for teaching some of the elements of manuscript
study, so don’t get side-tracked by spending a bunch of
time trying to teach the basics here)
o Make sure to bring out these key points during the discussion,
perhaps using questions like the following:
. What impressed you as you read this account? What
questions come to mind?
. Does Peter bring up any elements of God’s “plan of
salvation” that we missed? What are they?
. Does he emphasize some things more or less than we did?
Why might he have done that?
. What time period does God’s plan to save mankind cover?
(From Peter’s talk, when did God begin it? When will it
end?)
o It started “long ago” in the past, (before Jesus!),
at least at the time of “the prophets” (vs. 18, 21,
24), even back as far as “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”
(vs. 13, 25).
o It impacts the experiential present, “so that your
sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may
come” (vs. 19).
o And it extends into the future, “until the time comes
for God to restore everything” (vs. 21).
. So what is the central focus of it all, according to Peter?
The fulcrum on which the plan of salvation turns?
o God’s power working through Jesus and the Cross (vs.
13-16). It’s not about the messengers (the apostles.
or us) (vs. 12).
. And what is the central question Peter asked of the people
(and that he asks of us)?
o ‘How will you respond to Jesus and what he’s done for
your salvation?’
. What is the answer?
o Repentance (vs. 19, 26) and turning to God via faith
in Jesus (vs. 16, 19), and “listening to everything
he tells you” (vs. 22).
. You could even talk a bit about the question of where we
find ourselves in this plan, in Peter’s description. We
find ourselves in the place of “you handed him over to be
killed. you disowned him. ” (vs. 13). But this could be
hard to “prove” from this passage alone; it may be hard for
students to appropriate their guilt there. That is why we
have them study Romans 3:9-31.
Assignment (10 min)
o Pass out the “Assignment: Romans 3:9-31” sheet, and explain the
assignment, which is to study the passage on their own during
the next week, working through the questions provided on the
handout. Tell them that you will discuss the assignment at
next week’s meeting.
Alternate Resources:
WEEK 1 – SALVATION Salvation Outline
Outline God’s plan of salvation, as you understand it:
WEEK 1 – SALVATION Acts 3:1-4:4
. 11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people
were astonished and came running to them in the place called
Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them:
“Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at
us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man
walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our
fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to
be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had
decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous
One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed
the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are
witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man
whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the
faith that comes through him that has given this complete
healing to him, as you can all see. 17 “Now, brothers, I know
that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is
how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets,
saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn
to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of
refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the
Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 He must
remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore
everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
22 For Moses said, `The Lord your God will raise up for you a
prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to
everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him
will be completely cut off from among his people.’ 24 “Indeed,
all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have
foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of
the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham,
`Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’
26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to
bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” 1 The
priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees
came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the
people. 2. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were
teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of
the dead. 3. They seized Peter and John, and because it was
evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4. But many
who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to
about five thousand.
WEEK 1 – SALVATION Assignment: Romans 3:9-31
The book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul to the Christian
believers in Rome in 57 AD. The Roman church at this time had a Gentile
majority, but with a large Jewish minority.
What thoughts and feelings might you have if you were on trial for
committing a serious crime-and you knew you were guilty?
In verses 10-18, Paul cites several Old Testament passages to illustrate
that everyone is “under sin” (v.9). He also describes how various parts of
our bodies are involved in sin. How does the figurative language
graphically illustrate our condition as fallen people?
How do Paul’s descriptions of humanity in v.10-18 compare with how you
generally view people?
How do verses 19 & 20 connect, thematically or logically, to the verses
that came before them, v. 13-18?
The terminology Paul uses in this passage comes from the Roman legal
system. In this courtroom scene God is the judge who is evaluating men and
women on the basis of their obedience to His law.
What do verses 19 & 20 tell us about the nature and outcome of this trial?
To summarize, what do verses 9-20 reveal about our spiritual condition?
How do v. 21 and following demonstrate a shift in tone and focus? Or, in
other words, suddenly in v. 21, the whole atmosphere in the courtroom has
changed. What new evidence has been introduced to change the verdict in v.
21-22?
In verses 22 through 26, Paul uses several terms that have now become
standard terms in Christian theology, but had very specific cultural
meanings at the time he was writing. Let’s first try to understand what
they meant originally, what they meant to the original readers and hearers
of this letter.
Justification (v. 24, 26) meant that a person had no legal charges
against him or her and was therefore righteous in the eyes of the law.
Redemption (v. 24) was borrowed from the slave market. To redeem someone
is to buy them out of slavery, to buy their freedom for them.
Sacrifice of atonement (v. 25) is taken from the Old Testament
sacrificial system. The death of a sacrificial animal turned away God’s
wrath from the sinner who offered the sacrifice.
Taking into consideration these original definitions of the terms Paul was
using, summarize in your own words what this passage is saying about Jesus
and what he accomplished for us.
If you personally were in God’s courtroom right now, and He was about to
declare a verdict for you, what would it be?
How does this reality about God and your relationship to Him make you
feel?
Spend time together praising and thanking God, or honestly wrestling with
him over these issues.
WEEK 2 – LORDSHIP Lesson Plan
Rationale:
The second week deals with lordship, as a second key foundation stone of
serious Christian discipleship, and a necessary building block for the rest
of the disciplines we hope to help students adopt as vital cornerstones of
their life of faith.
Objectives:
. Students will understand that Christ has authority over all of his
creation.
. They will also understand that in trusting Christ for salvation, they
also must submit their decisions to his authority.
They will commit themselves, for the first time or as a renewed commitment,
to living out the lordship of Christ in their lives.
Materials Needed:
Copies of the “Mark 1:14-39” text sheet.
Copies of My Heart, Christ’s Home, by Robert Boyd Munger
Copies of the “Assignment: My Heart, Christ’s Home” sheet.
Colored pencils, if you are going to encourage students to do manuscript-
style study.
Lesson Plan:
Follow-through (10 – 15 min)
o Ask the students if any questions arose for them as they did the
assignment.
o Ask students to share their answers from the question on the
second page of the assignment, “If you personally were in God’s
courtroom right now, and He was about to declare a verdict for
you, what would it be?” They can just read what they wrote;
don’t force anyone to share.
Or you can just ask if anyone put down a “negative” answer
to that question – that they didn’t think God’s verdict would be
very good. If so, either gently follow up with that those
students there is the group meeting by asking why (a sort of
“teachable moment for the whole group), or immediately after
this session set up a meeting with that / those students
individually to talk more about their answer.
Bible study of Mark 1:14-39 (60 min)
This passage shows Jesus as king and Lord extending his kingdom in various
realms, revealing his authority, and doing it in a loving way.
o Discuss: What does it mean to have authority? What does it
take to be a good authority figure? What are some examples of
authority figures in your own life and how have they affected
you?
o Pass out copies of the “Mark 1:14-39” sheet.
o Explain the setting: Jesus has just come back from “passing the
test” of the temptation in the wilderness. Have someone read
aloud just vs. 14-15.
. What does Jesus proclaim?
. What does he call people to do in light of the nearness of
his Kingdom?
. (How does this compare with our study of Peter’s speech
last week?)
o Have students read vs. 16-39 aloud.
o In vs. 16-20, Jesus calls his first disciples.
. What does it cost them to follow him? (vs. 20)
. What benefits does he promise them? (vs. 17)
. What is striking about their response?
o In vs. 21-28 Jesus has an interesting Sabbath morning in the
synagogue – that is, the Jewish temple of worship. What do you
think ‘teaching with authority’ meant at that time?
o In Hebrew culture, to name someone meant to try to gain
authority over them.
. How does the demon try to get authority over Jesus?
. How does Jesus show his authority over the demon?
o What need does Jesus see in Simon’s house (vs. 29-31)
. How does he respond?
. How does Simon’s mother-in-law respond to Him?
o Now picture Jesus relaxing later that day at sundown. There is
a knock at the door and Jesus goes to answer it.
. What does he see?
. What does he do about the sea of human need?
. How long do you think it took him?
o From this passage, what are all the different things we see
Jesus having authority over?
o How does Jesus’ authority differ from other kings and dictators
and human authorities?
o From this passage, what are some qualities of Jesus that you
find that make him worthy of trust?
Assignment (5 min)
o Pass out one copy of each booklet, My Heart Christ’s Home to
each student, as well as the assignment handout. Explain that
they are to read the booklet, then using the handout draw a
picture of their own heart as a house, with whatever various
rooms they envision. Then they should “take Jesus on a tour of
their house” as it says on the sheet, pondering his potential
response, and their reaction, in each one.
o Tell them that they need to finish this assignment by next week,
as you will be discussing it at the beginning of the next
meeting.
Alternate Resources:
WEEK 2 – LORDSHIP Mark 1:14-39
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the
good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is
near. Repent and believe the good news!” 16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea
of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the
lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I
will make you fishers of men.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed
him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and
his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he
called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired
men and followed him. 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came,
Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed
at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as
the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was
possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus
of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One
of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The evil
spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27 The
people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new
teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they
obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of
Galilee. 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and
John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed
with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her
hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and
demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus
healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he
would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. 35 Very early
in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and
went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions
went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone
is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the
nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39
So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and
driving out demons. 40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his
knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Filled with
compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,”
he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you
don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer
the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to
them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.
As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside
in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
WEEK 2 – LORDSHIP Assignment: My Heart, Christ’s Home
Read the booklet, My Heart, Christ’s Home.
Draw a picture of your own heart in the space below, with the various rooms
you envision in it.
Envision touring your home with Jesus.
o Which rooms are you comfortable taking him through?
o Which ones would your rather shut the door of before he can look
inside? Why?
o Will you make the decision to let him clean up that room,
whatever it takes, whatever he demands?
Spend some time praying about these things.
WEEK 3 – PRAYER Lesson Plan
Rationale:
We want to simultaneously demystify prayer (it is not some abstract
contemplative exercise only achievable by the super-spiritual) and increase
its scope and vision (it is not just a plodding recitation of one’s own
immediate physical and emotional needs). For that reason we chose to teach
the use of the Lord’s Prayer as a guide, model, or template of prayer that
is challenging, lifting students’ eyes beyond themselves, but which still
encompasses their felt needs at the same time.
Objectives:
. Students will learn how to better pray about God’s glory, will,
provision, forgiveness, protection, and action in the world, and that
their characters would be conformed to his.
. They will understand and appreciate the meaning and implications of
the Lord’s Prayer as a model / template for daily prayer.
. They will commit to and begin to practice daily individual prayer, and
consider committing to weekly corporate prayer, that conforms to the
model of the Lord’s Prayer.
. They will commit to prayer partnerships that meet at least weekly.
Materials Needed:
Copies of the “Matthew 6:9-13” sheet (the Lord’s Prayer).
Copies of the “Lord’s Prayer ‘Translation’ ” sheet.
Copies of the IVP booklet Prayer by John White.
Lesson Plan:
Follow-through (5 – 10 min)
o Ask students what they discovered as they read My Heart,
Christ’s Home and drew their picture of their own house/heart.
You could ask some questions like:
. What was the most difficult room of your heart to let Jesus
enter? If you feel comfortable sharing, why was it
difficult?
. Were you able to make the decision to let him begin to
clean up the room(s)? Or are you still not quite there
yet?
o Spend a few minutes in corporate prayer for the issues brought
up.
. Teaching discussion of the Lord’s Prayer from Matt 6:9-13 (50 min)
o Start by explaining to the students that, as the source for our
lesson on prayer, we are looking to Jesus’ own teaching on
prayer. When requested by the disciples, “Lord, teach us to
pray,” Jesus taught them what we know as the Lord’s Prayer.
o Then ask about their own experiences with the Lord’s Prayer.
Chances are highest that they will say they have always heard it
and even memorized it, but it has meant little to them. They
probably have thought very little about it, and regard it only
as a stale, rote element of cultural piety (though they probably
won’t use those exact words!).
o This session aims to change their entire perspective on the
Lord’s Prayer itself and even to focus and deepen their whole
prayer life simply by helping them to understand the Lord’s
Prayer and begin to pray according to its pattern. You should
now lead a discussion with the students in which you ultimately
define the meaning of each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer. Perhaps
together you will even “translate” the Lord’s Prayer into
everyday campus talk.
o The goal, of course, is not to teach the students a new rote
prayer to memorize, but to help them understand the focus of
Jesus’ prayer and to learn to pray along similar lines. To help
you brainstorm new ways of saying the things in the Lord’s
Prayer, here are some possible translations for each phrase
below-just some starting points in case they’re helpful.
o Pass out copies of the “Matthew 6:-9-13” sheet. Give students a
minute to read it through a few times, making any notes or
jotting down any questions them might have.
o Now take the next 50 minutes to “translate” the prayer. This
will not be a typical Bible study – you will have to be fairly
directive, moving the students through the phrases of the prayer
quickly. It is better to think of this as more of a “teaching”
session with some discussion than as an in-depth “discussion” of
the text.
. Take the first phrase of the prayer, and ask the students,
“What do you think is the significance of ‘Our Father in
heaven’? Why would Jesus want us to pray that, what does
it tell us?”
. After a short (only about 5 minutes can be given to each
phrase) discussion of the phrase, either ask for one or two
students to offer a “translation” of the phrase, or offer
your own (see sample translations in the chart below).
Students can take notes in the margins of the “Matthew 6:9-
13” handout.
. Then move on to the second phrase, “Hallowed by your name.”
“What does ‘hallowed’ mean? Holy and revered.” Etc.
| ”Original” |
”Translation” |
| Our Father in |
God, You have adopted us as Your children – thank you! |
| heaven |
Father, You are great and mighty and glorious. |
| Hallowed be your |
We pray that You would be honored everywhere and that |
| name |
Your renown (your fame) would be great. |
| Your kingdom come |
We ask that Your ways of doing things (the way things |
| are done in the Kingdom) -with love, justice, and |
| perfect goodness-would prevail here, now. In our |
| lives; on this campus; in this country; and around the |
| world. |
| Your will be done |
We desire that just as Your will is always done |
| on earth as it is |
completely and immediately by the angels in heaven, so |
| in heaven |
it would be done by everyone on earth, starting with |
| us. |
| Give us today our |
Lord, you know what our true needs are better than we |
| daily bread |
do and we ask that you would meet those needs. We |
| think we need _____and so we ask You for |
| these things. |
| Forgive us our |
Father, we confess the following sins ___ |
| debts |
We ask for your |
| forgiveness. |
| As we also have |
Lord, give us the ability to forgive the people who |
| forgiven our |
have sinned against and hurt us such as |
| debtors |
___ [silently, again]. Help us to |
| forgive. Help us to love those we don’t like. |
| And lead us not |
Protect us from ourselves and from everything that |
| into temptation |
tempts us away from You and towards sin. We need Your |
| help to resist the desires we have for harmful thoughts |
| and behavior. |
| But deliver us |
Protect us also from the schemes of the devil who is |
| from the evil one. |
always trying to hurt us. Help us not to get |
| discouraged and give up when we encounter opposition. |
. Corporate prayer (20 min)
o Pass out copies of the “Lord’s Prayer ‘Translation’ ” sheet.
Explain that you will now lead them through a short prayer
session via the model of the Lord’s Prayer (15 min). Explain
that the group will be praying the Lord’s Prayer section by
section, and that in each section, they will have the chance to
pray prayers that go with the subject of that session, as you
discussed it. They can use their notes, and they can use the
“Lord’s Prayer ‘Translation’ ” handout as a guide for how to
pray in each section.
o Start by praying yourself, aloud, “Our Father, who art in
heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Then let 2 or 3 students pray
their own “translated” prayers; that is, they can offer up
prayers about God’s glory, his greatness.. Prayers of praise,
generally. Even praise / thanks about their relationship to him
as children to father.
o Then pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it
is in heaven.” Give space for 2 or 3 students pray about God’s
will being done in their lives, on their campus, around the
world.
o Pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” Student can then pray
prayers about their personal needs, or the needs of family and
friends.
o Pray “Forgive us our debts… (or substitute “sins”).” Give
students a couple minutes to confess sins, either outloud or
silently.
o Pray ”.as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Have students
pray for God’s help to forgive and to love those who have hurt
them, or those they don’t like.
o Pray “And lead us not into temptation.” Let students pray for
strength to resist temptation, to love righteousness.
o Pray “But deliver us from the evil one.” Students pray to not
get discouraged by setbacks and opposition, by things not always
going the way they “should.”
o After it’s over, discuss how they felt it went, ask if there are
any questions. (5 min)
. Assignment (5 min)
o Tell students they must choose a same-gender partner for prayer
partnerships that will meet once a week from now on. Encourage
them to find someone they are comfortable with, someone they
trust. Ideally, it would be someone else in the Cross Training
module (but it does not have to be) – in this case, urge them to
be sensitive to any natural pairings, such as friendships that
have already developed, common dormitory, etc. If not from
within the module, encourage them to find someone else from
within the chapter.
o Ask them to meet once during the next week and do the following:
. Start by briefly sharing what their personal prayer needs
are with each other. But briefly! They should spend no
more than 5 minutes each talking about their needs.
. Then they should go quickly into prayer, using the Lord’s
Prayer as a template just as they’ve already experienced,
filling in each other’s prayer requests at the appropriate
sections of the Lord’s Prayer.
. Also ask them to take 5 – 15 minutes each day to pray
individually, using the Lord’s Prayer as a guide. It can
be any time, morning, noon, or night; just encourage them
to try to choose a time that they can get in the habit of
doing this every day.
Alternate Resources:
If the IVP booklet Prayer by John White is unavailable, photocopies of
Chapter 2, “Prayer” from The Fight, by John White can be used (they are the
same).
WEEK 3 – PRAYER Matthew 6:9-13
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
WEEK 3 – PRAYER Lord’s Prayer “Translation”
| ”Original” |
”Translation” |
| Our Father in |
God, You have adopted us as Your children – |
| heaven, hallowed |
thank you! Father, You are great and mighty and |
| be your name |
glorious. |
| We pray that You would be honored everywhere and |
| that Your renown (your fame) would be great. |
| Your kingdom come, |
We ask that Your ways of doing things-with love, |
| Your will be done |
justice, and perfect goodness-would prevail here |
| on earth as it is |
now. In our lives; on this campus; in this |
| in heaven |
country; and around the world. |
| We desire that just as Your will is always done |
| completely and immediately by the angels in |
| heaven, so it would be done by everyone on |
| earth, starting with us. |
| Give us today our |
Lord, you know what our true needs are better |
| daily bread |
than we do and we ask that you would meet those |
| needs. We think we need ___ and |
| so we ask You for these things. |
| Forgive us our |
Father, we confess the following sins |
| debts |
_ [do so silently or |
| aloud]. |
| We ask for your forgiveness. |
| As we also have |
Lord, give us the ability to forgive the people |
| forgiven our |
who have sinned against and hurt us such as |
| debtors |
___ [silently or aloud]. Help us |
| to forgive. |
| Help us to love those we don’t like. |
| And lead us not |
Protect us from ourselves and from everything |
| into temptation |
that tempts us away from You and towards sin. |
| We need Your help to resist the desires we have |
| for harmful thoughts and behavior. |
| But deliver us |
Protect us also from the schemes of the devil |
| from the evil one. |
who is always trying to hurt us. Help us not to |
| get discouraged and give up when we encounter |
| opposition. |
WEEK 4 – BIBLE STUDY Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Listening to God through his Word is another foundational building block of
our relationship with God. We want students to taste how rich it can be to
study the Bible, while also gaining a high view of its power and
importance. Psalm 1 is a good passage in this regard, and it reinforces as
well the lordship lesson of Week 2, in the sense that the favor of the Lord
rests on those devoted to his Word rather than to their own plans.
Objectives:
. Students will begin to develop a love of and high view of the Word of
God.
. They will be introduced to a simple version of the inductive Bible
study method.
. They will begin to study the Bible on their own on a regular basis.
Materials Needed:
Students’ own Bibles; or enough Bibles / New Testament with Psalms for
students to share in pairs or triplets; or copies of the first ten to
fifteen psalms for pairs.
Copies of the “Psalm 1” handout.
Copies of the “Inductive Bible Study Method” handout.
Copies of the IVP booklet Quiet Times For Christian Growth.
Lesson Plan:
Follow-through (10 min)
o Discuss with students how their prayer partnerships went.
Answer any questions that come up.
o Discuss their experiences with daily prayer, and encourage them
to continue the discipline because “it takes 3 weeks to form a
habit”.
. Inductive Bible study of Psalm 1 (50 min)
o Tell the students that for the next 40 minutes you will be
leading them in a Bible study of Psalm 1, and that afterwards
you will discuss the method used. Pass out copies of the “Psalm
1” handout.
o Start by asking everyone to be quiet in God’s presence for a
minute. Then pray and invite the Holy Spirit to meet the group
in this Psalm and to open their hearts to hear Him.
o Have one student read Psalm 1 aloud.
o Ask, “What kind of literature is this?” A good answer is that
it’s devotional poetry.
o Then ask, “What is this entire book of Psalms about?” This is a
question about context. Students may offer some answers. Ask,
“If you wanted to find out what it was about, what could you
do?” One of the answers to this is, “Skim ahead!” So, either
have them open their Bibles and skim through the first 10 to 15
psalms, or pass out the “Psalms 1-10” sheet to skim. Take 2
minutes to have them share the themes they find.
o Ask, “So then, how does this ‘first chapter’, Psalm 1, fit in?”
Work towards the observation / interpretation that it seems like
this first psalm is an introduction to this whole book,
introducing themes that recur throughout the rest of the psalms.
o Now dive in to the psalm for the next 10 or 15 minutes. Ask and
discuss the following questions, but don’t get bogged down and
spend a lot of time on any of them. Encourage the students to
“study with pen or pencil in hand,” meaning that they can write
on the their copy of the psalm. Encourage them to think about
each of your questions for a minute and examine the text before
giving an answer.
. “Do you notice any repetitions of words or ideas?”
. “What contrasts do you see?”
. “Are there any cause and effect relationships?”
. “What are the prominent ideas?”
. “Because this is poetry, what emotions do you experience in
this psalm?”
. “What questions does this psalm provoke? What are you
curious or confused about?”
o Now say, “Do you see paragraph divisions? Take a minute on your
own to divide this psalm into 2 or 3 smaller sections, and think
of a short (7 words or less) title for each section.”
o Have at least 3 people share their titles, clarifying why they
chose them if necessary. Share your own.
o Ask, “So what was the author’s point in this psalm? What does he
want us to understand? What is the Truth of this passage?” If
there is difficult for the group, point out that the psalm
itself answers these questions at its end.
o Say, “Now that you have heard and understood the message of this
psalm, how will you receive it? Will you let it change you?
Take a minute in silence to listen to what God may want to say
to you through this psalm.”
o Either in the whole group, or in small groups / pairs, have
students share their responses (applications) to this Psalm.
o If time, close with 2 or 3 students praying; if there is not
time, you pray in closing.
. Explain the inductive Bible study method (15 min)
o Ask, “How did you like that? Was that a good experience?”
o “What we just did was to study the Bible using a method called
‘Inductive Bible study.’ ‘Inductive means to reason from the
specific to the general – in this case, to look at the specifics
of a passage of the Bible, and from those specifics to reason to
some general principles and lessons applicable to our lives.”
o Pass out the handout, “Inductive Bible Study Method.” Go
through it, reminding the students of how you just followed this
same format in leading them through the psalm.
o Encourage them that this is a method of studying the Bible that
they can learn and use themselves, with excellent results.
. Assignment (5 min)
o Give out one copy of the IVP booklet, Quiet Times for Christian
Growth. Ask them to begin going through the Bible studies in
the booklet daily; at least five days during the next week.
Explain that the questions in each study follow the inductive
method. Encourage them that they could do this before or after
the Lord’s Prayer time that they’ve already set up.
Alternate Resources:
Use First Mornings With God, another IVP booklet, instead of Quiet Times
for Christian Growth.
WEEK 4 – BIBLE STUDY Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of
the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the
seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the
LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is
like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its
fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he
does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff
that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not
stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the
righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the
righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
WEEK 4 – BIBLE STUDY Inductive Bible Study Method
1. CONTEXT – What is the setting?
a. Genre of literature – poetry, history, prophecy, letter
(epistle)
b. Overview of the book – read the whole thing, preferably in one
sitting
2. OBSERVATION – What does the text say?
a. Who is speaking / writing, and to whom?
b. What is happening or being described?
c. Where and when is it taking place?
d. Repetitions: what word, phrases, or ideas are repeated?
e. Contrasts: what words or ideas are contrasted?
Look for indicators like “but” or “however”.
f. Logical relationships of ideas: look for indicators such as “if.
then”; “for”; “because”; “since.”
g. Questions: what remains puzzling to you in the text?
3. INTERPRETATION – What does the text mean?
a. Divide the passage into thought units (paragraphs), and write
short titles for each.
b. In one sentence, state what essential point the author is
making. Consider:
1. About what main subject is the author writing?
2. What does the author say about the subject?
4. APPLICATION – What is my response?
a. What attitudes do I need to adopt or change?
b. What actions do I need to take?
c. Is there one thing to which I will specifically commit myself
this week?
WEEK 5 – WITNESS Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Watching a video is good change in teaching method from the previous 3
weeks, which was heavily Bible study focused. Becky Pippert’s message is
both motivational and practical for the discipline of evangelism, and it
addresses our objective of helping students develop an inspiring view of
God and his word. The learning of the Gospel outline reinforces Week 1’s
session on salvation, and adds, along with the 2+ prayer, a practical
expression for evangelistic energy.
Note: Though the video is dated (especially the clothes and makeup!), the
students seem to be able to look past that after the first few minutes.
Objectives:
. Students will begin to understand God’s heart for the lost, and thus
the need to participate in active witness
. They will be able to explain the basics of the Gospel in plain
English.
. They will commit to and begin daily evangelistic prayer, within the
context of accountability provided by their prayer partnerships.
Materials Needed:
Video: Becky Pippert, “Out of the Saltshaker Series” Part 1 (40 minute
section)
A TV and VCR.
A whiteboard, chalkboard, large piece of poster paper, or just a blank
piece of paper for you to draw your gospel outline on.
Copies of the “Sample Gospel Outline” worksheet, with the “Gospel Outline
Practice” sheet on the back.
2+ prayer cards.
Memorize Romans 6:26 before the session.
Lesson Plan:
Follow-through (10 min)
o Discuss how their experiences with daily Bible study have gone
this past week.
. Video (50 min)
o Before you show the Becky Pippert video, pass out the
“Saltshaker Notes” sheets and ask students to take notes during
the video on things that strike them as important or helpful.
o Show the video, which provides an inspirational / vision-casting
call to evangelism as well as practical suggestions.
o Lead a short discussion of the video by asking students what
made an impact on them.
. Gospel outline (25 min)
o Explain that it can be helpful to know how to comfortably share
the basic points of the Gospel (that we examined the first week)
during a spiritual conversation. They won’t get comfortable
with sharing that outline, however, unless they memorize and
practice sharing it.
o Explain that you will now give a demonstration of one possible,
popular outline that they may have seen before. Ask them to
imagine for the moment that they are non-Christians.
o Present a modified bridge outline to them, drawing it out on a
piece of paper (see the modified bridge outline following). A
very quick sketch of such a presentation is below, but make sure
you practice this a few times and make it your own before the
session:
. Write “Mankind” and “God” on the page first. Then draw the
“chasm” between them.
. Quote Romans 6:26 (You should have this committed to
memory), and draw the three boxes under “Mankind” and
“God”.
. Fill in the boxes under “Mankind” first, according to the
verse, explaining the meaning as you go. Something like
this:
. “Wages” are what you earn for work, they are your
payment, right? What work has mankind done?
. “Sin.” Just look around you at the state of the
world – abuse, hunger, wars, poverty, etc. And not
just mankind: look in your own life – don’t you have
areas of darkness, things that you’ve done that you
feel bad about, that you know weren’t the “best” you?
. So what are the “wages” earned by “sin”? “Death.”
. Now fill in the boxes under “God” according to the verse,
explaining the meaning as you go. Something like this:
. “Gift”. Notice how what we get is a gift, it’s not
earned as wages.
. And it’s a gift from “God”.
. What is the gift? Not death, but “Life.” Eternal
life.
. Now ask, “But how does the Bible tell us we get from “wages
of sin is death” to “gift of God is life”?
. Say the verse again, and as you do, draw a cross that
bridges the gap, and write on it “Jesus” and below it
“Savior” and “Lord”.
. Explain in your own words what it means for Jesus to
be Savior and Lord.
o Ask if they have any questions, and attempt to answer them (but
do this “in character”, as if you are still giving the
presentation to non-Christians).
o Break “out of character.” Ask them if they have any questions
on the presentation.
o Pass out the “Sample Gospel Outline” handout for their
reference. Then have them turn it over to the “Gospel Outline
Practice” side.
o Pair them up and ask them to practice sharing the outline with
each other. They can draw the bridge diagram on their “Gospel
Outline Practice” sheets.
o Listen in and offer feedback as appropriate.
. Assignment (5 min)
o Explain that, though each of us needs to be comfortable sharing
a Gospel outline, it really is the Holy Spirit who must change
non-Christian’s hearts. Without His power, our best
presentations will be useless.
o Explain the idea of 2+ prayer by handing out and going over the
2+ prayer cards (look these over in advance so that you can
explain them well and quickly). The basic idea is: praying
daily for 2 non-Christian friends to come to know Christ;
spending time with them weekly to get to know them better;
looking for opportunities to serve them; taking risks by
inviting them to Christian activities and looking for
opportunities to share the Gospel with them.
o Ask them to add 2+ prayer to their daily practice of the Lord’s
Prayer and Bible study. And ask them to add sharing updates
about their 2+ friends to their weekly meetings with their
prayer partners.
Alternate Resources:
As an assignment, pass out copies of Chapter 4, “On Being A Signpost” from
The Fight, by John White
Instead of Becky Pippert, show the video of Bill Hybels’ talk at the 1999
Willow Creek Evangelism Conference, on “God’s Heart for the Lost” from Luke
15 (however, this is very difficult to find).
WEEK 5 – WITNESS Sample Gospel Outline
Below is a sample Gospel outline, commonly referred to as the “bridge
diagram”. This presentation is based on Romans 6:26: “For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
[pic]
WEEK 5 – WITNESS Gospel Outline Practice
Use this page and the reverse side to practice giving the Gospel Outline
presentation your leader shows you.
WEEK 6 – ADJUSTMENTS Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Technically, this is an “optional” session, with nothing new, just review.
However, at this point in the training they’ve gotten a lot of content, and
have been given many assignments, which are very important as a basis of
future sessions. Therefore, if you can afford to take the time, it is good
to pause, to answer questions the students may have, to problem-solve
difficulties they may be experiencing, and to motivate and vision cast for
the importance of conforming our lives to Jesus’ via the method of adopting
the disciplines suggested in this training.
Depending on where you feel your group is at, you could also switch this
session with Week 7; that is, do “Week 7 – Temptation and Holiness” right
after “Week 5 – Witness”, and then do this “Adjustments” session after
that, just to give them one more week of content before review.
Objectives:
. See rationale above!
Materials Needed:
None
Lesson Plan:
Question answering
o Ask them if they have any questions, confusions, or
clarifications of past material. Encourage them to look through
their notebooks as reminders.
o Ask the following questions, and lead the group in problem-
solving any difficulties raised:
. Are you developing the habit of daily quiet times? What
problems are you having?
. Have you found a prayer partner? Are you meeting regularly
with him / her? Is it going well?
. What does it mean that Jesus is both Savior and Lord – what
do each of those titles mean? What do each of them mean
practically for your life? What implications do they have
for every human being alive today?
. Have you chosen your 2+ people? Have you been successful
in praying for them every day this last week? Have you
seen any changes in them, or in you?
Possible review exercises
o Pair students up and have them practice drawing and explaining
Gospel outlines to each other
o Quick quiz – without looking, what are the major elements of the
inductive Bible study method? Explain what each one means.
Possible assignment
o Challenge them to choose one of their non-Christian friends to
give their gospel presentation to. Explain that if they want,
they can actually tell their friend, “I am taking a course in
Christianity through IVCF, and one of their assignments is that
I explain the gospel outline to someone who is not a Christian,
getting their feedback on how I did, what they understood or
didn’t understand, etc.”
WEEK 7 – TEMPTATION AND HOLINESS Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Staff will use communal discovery method for the Bible study, reinforcing
the inductive method introduced two weeks before. Seeing Jesus’ use of
Scripture to fight temptation should only increase their respect of the
power, authority, and usefulness of the Word.
Objectives:
. Students will understand that there is an Enemy who wants to deceive,
discourage, and destroy their relationship with and obedience to God.
. They will understand the importance of Scripture in the fight against
temptation.
. They will begin to commit Scripture to memory, to “hide it in their
hearts.”
. They will take steps of humility and transparency by confessing their
sins to their prayer partner, turning their prayer partnerships into
accountability partnerships.
Materials Needed:
Copies of the “Matthew 4:1-11” handout.
Copies of the “Accountability Guidelines” handout.
Copies of the IVP booklet, Temptation.
Copies of the “Memory Verses” handout.
Lesson Plan:
Follow-through (10 min)
o (This session has a lot to cover, so do this follow-through only
if you did not do the “Week 6 – Adjustments” session last week.
If you did the “Adjustments”, then jump directly into the Bible
study)
o Ask whether anyone saw any progress in their relationships with
their 2+ friends.
o Pair them up and ask them to give a quick Gospel outline
presentation to their partner in 2 minutes or less.
. Bible study of Matthew 4:1-11 (50 min)
o Pass out copies of “Matthew 4:1-11.” Go around the group
reading the passage aloud.
o Ask, “What are your questions about this passage? What strikes
you as fascinating, unusual, powerful, confusing, humorous?”
o Staff should then use the students’ questions to work through
the passage (communal discovery style). Some of the main
questions / points to bring out, however, are:
. Why did Jesus go to the desert? What does this imply about
temptation?
. What was each of the three temptations about? What was
Satan trying to accomplish with each one? Notice any
progression to them, or change in Satan’s strategy?
. Do you think Jesus really was tempted? How did Jesus
respond to the temptations?
o Application
. Enter into a practical discussion with some of these
questions:
. What temptations do you hear “calling” you? You can
help them with examples like: visiting pornographic
web sites; drinking too much alcohol; excessive
physical intimacy with a partner.
. What are the “desert places” for you on campus or in
your heart where you hear these whispers or calls?
For instance: alone in their dorm room in front of
their computer; at a rush event; or time alone with a
boyfriend / girlfriend).
. Give them a couple minutes of silence to pray about and
identify the biggest 2 or 3 areas of temptation for
themselves. Encourage them to write them down on their
Bible study sheet – but they don’t have to if they feel too
uncomfortable.
. Assignment (20 min)
o If you were able to skip the “Follow-through” section at the
beginning of this session, then allow more time here to
explaining and answering questions about accountability partners
and memory verses. This is the largest amount of homework they
will receive at once in this course.
o Using the “Accountability Partnerships” handout, explain the
idea of accountability partners. You do not have to go through
the whole handout – they can read that in detail on their own.
Just give a 2 minute explanation and justification for the
practice, and if you have an accountability partner (do you?),
testify to how God has used this discipline in your life.
o Ask them to turn their prayer partnerships into accountability
partnerships. When they next get together, each partner should
tell the other what their major temptation / struggle for
holiness areas are; the ones they thought of early in the
session during the study.
. They should then pray for each other, against those
temptations, during the “Do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.” section of the Lord’s Prayer.
o Give them each a copy of the IVP booklet, Temptation, and ask
them to read it before next week.
o Give them the “Memory Verses” handout, and encourage them to
begin to follow Jesus’ model by choosing one passage to
memorize, so that they can respond to temptation like Jesus did
by “speaking Scripture.” You can add your own suggestions to
the sheet, or they can choose a different verse not listed that
particularly speaks encouragement and strength to them against
their particular temptation. The point is to begin to be able
to say with the psalmist, “I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
o IMPORTANT: Ask the students if, next week, they could come for
2 hours instead of 1 ½ hours. The reason is that session 8 is
long; an extra ½ hour gives enough time to fit everything in
well. Tell them though that it is not all study – you will be
doing a physical exercise with them.
Alternate Resources:
Give the students photocopies of the “Excerpts from The Imitation of
Christ” by Thomas a Kempis, from the book Devotional Classics, edited by
Richard Foster, pages 184-189.
WEEK 7 – TEMPTATION AND HOLINESS Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted
by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he
was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the
Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus
answered, “It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but
on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the
devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest
point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said,
“throw yourself down. For it is written: `He will command his
angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 7
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: `Do not put the Lord
your God to the test.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very
high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and
their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you
will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from
me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and
serve him only.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came
and attended him.
WEEK 7 – TEMPTATION AND HOLINESS Accountability Guidelines
“Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly
discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in
lies and hypocrisy.. He who is alone with his sins is utterly alone.”
– Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
What is it?
Admitting (confessing) to at least one other Christian the ways in
which you have failed and repeatedly fail to obey God (sin), so that
that person can help identify patterns and consistently encourage you
in your effort to overcome your sin and develop holy, godly habits and
character. In short, it is enlisting another person’s aid in your
journey to become more Christlike.
What is it not?
The other person forgiving you on God’s behalf; nor is it the other
person making you feel extra guilty for your sin.
Why do this?
It is freeing; confessing aloud your sin to another helps to break its
power. Much of that power comes from the feelings of shame it causes,
which drives us to isolate ourselves from each other. We think, “They
wouldn’t accept me if they knew I really struggled with this. So I
can’t let them see, I can’t show my real self to them.” But
confession breaks down the wall of isolation, and opens the path for
healing and change: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but
whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
Confession also helps to keep you humble! It’s hard to judge others
and sustain a critical spirit when you are regularly bringing your
failures out in the open in front of one or more brothers or sisters
in Christ.
Aren’t my sins just between me and God?
In short, the answer is, “no.” Though they are between you and God,
when you became a Christian God began the process of knitting you
together with other Christians into one fabric; or, as Peter
says,”.you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual
house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5). Paul offers
an even stronger analogy, saying we are the body of Christ (I
Corinthians 12:12-27), and as a result, our sin, even if we think it
“hidden,” affects the rest of our fellowship (see the story of Achan’s
sin, Joshua 7). Therefore, it’s their problem as well as mine.
Furthermore, God has given his body the privilege of partnering in his
work on earth. That includes being part of the means for each other
to overcome sin and become more Christlike: “Therefore, confess your
sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James
5:16.
Whom should I choose?
Someone you can trust. You may know them well, or not at all, but you
should be able to trust them, to know that they won’t tell others what
you tell them, and that they won’t judge you / condemn you.
Someone in your local fellowship of believers. It doesn’t have to be,
of course, and if you have problems with other people in your
fellowship, maybe it shouldn’t be. But the best person is usually
someone connected to your local body of believers in some way, that
you will see regularly.
Someone who is roughly on your level of spiritual maturity or above.
If there is a great gap in maturity, it may be hard for one of the
partners to keep the other accountable.
How do we structure it?
Spell out how the accountability relationship will work, practically.
How will you keep each other accountable; will you just volunteer
information, or can your partner ask you questions? How often will
you talk (getting together or calling once a week would be a good way
to start)? Decide these things in advance.
In general, focus on confessing sins that you repeatedly fall into.
These are the ones you most need to work on, that have the strongest
footholds in your life. As you deal with those, others will surface
through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
When listening to your partner confessing his/her sin, try to listen
in quietness and seriousness; don’t make jokes to lighten tension or
be distracting. Pray for the them as they share; and ask God to help
you listen with empathy and encouragement.
If agreed on, you should be free and not afraid to ask questions about
temptations, sin, and its patterns in the other person’s life; and
they must try not to be defensive about it. As you get used to this
discipline, look for patterns that may help illuminate and deal with
the sin; for instance, what temptations seem hardest to resist for
this person? Do they more often fall when feeling tired; anxious;
victorious?
You should not blame or scold the person who you are listening to – they probably feel guilty and self-conscious enough just confessing
their weaknesses to you. Give encouragement, advice if you have any,
empathy and prayer.
Finally, end in a time of prayer. Pray for a love of holiness and an
abhorrence of unholiness; but also pray in joy, celebrating the truth
that, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)” You
may even want to memorize that verse, so that you can use it as a sort
of “benediction” to close your time.
WEEK 7 – TEMPTATION AND HOLINESS Memory Verses
How to memorize a verse:
. Start by memorizing the reference (the book, chapter, and verse
number). Say it 5 times in a row without looking.
o Ex: Say “1 Corinthians 10:13” five times.
. Then memorize the first sentence (if it’s short), or the first phrase.
Repeat it until you can say it 5 times in a row without mistakes.
o Ex: Practice “No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man.”
. Now say the reference, followed by the first sentence or phrase, 5
times in a row without mistakes.
o Ex: Say “1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you
except what is common to man,” five times.
. Now memorize the second sentence or phrase. Repeat it until you can
say it 5 times in a row without mistakes.
o Ex: Say “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear,” five times.
. Now practice saying the reference, first sentence / phrase, and the
second sentence / phrase, until you can do it 5 times in a row without
mistakes.
o Ex: Say “1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you
except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not
let you be tempted beyond what you can bear,” five times.
. Continue on like this till you have the whole verse or passage
memorized.
Some suggested verses to memorize:
1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Philippians 4:8-9 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is
noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable-
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think
about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from
me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be
with you.
1 John 2:15-17 15 – Do not love the world or anything in the world. If
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his
eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the
Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but
the man who does the will of God lives forever.
WEEK 8 – FAITH AND PERSEVERANCE Lesson Plan
Rationale:
This lesson underscores the premise of this whole module – that the life of
the disciple is a life of training, of disciplined and steady pursuit of
“the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in
Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).” It also strives to convey that struggle
and suffering are a normal and indeed necessary part of that pursuit, not a
sign that one has gotten off track.
Objectives:
. Students will both “experience” and understand what faith is.
. They will understand that the life of a disciple is a spiritual
marathon, not a sprint, requiring perseverance.
. They will understand that struggle and suffering are a necessary
element of our growth in faith.
Materials Needed:
Copies of the “Hebrews 11” sheet.
Copies of the “Hebrews 12:1-13” sheet (these can be copied onto the back of
“Hebrews 11”).
Copies of the “Faithfulness Timeline” worksheet.
Copy / copies of your own “Faithfulness Timeline,” done ahead of time, as
an example.
A location that allows you to do a trust walk with some obstacles – maybe
an outdoor setting, or a large room with furniture.
Lesson Plan:
Note: This is the most “pressed for time” session in the module. Be very
prepared ahead of time in order to get all this done. Or alternatively,
Follow-through (15 min)
o Ask if they expanded their prayer partnerships into
accountability partnerships. If so, was it difficult? But
good? If not, ask what held them back. Encourage and exhort
them to take the risk; if necessary, make appointments with
individuals or prayer partners to meet with and help them take
this step of faith. (7 min)
o Ask if they read the IVP booklet, Temptation. Any comments,
questions? (7 min)
o Ask if anyone started memorizing Bible verses. If so, have a
couple of students recite one each. (1 min)
. Trust walk (20 min)
o You will now lead the students in a trust walk. It is probably
best to do this outside, but it can be done in a large room, or
in a house or public building (though it probably would not be
best in public with a lot of strangers around!).
o Set up:
. Have the students stand near each other in an open space,
grouped together.
. Have them shut their eyes until you tell them to open them.
Now rearrange the room as you want (if you are inside), so
that you can take them on a course you have planned. It
should include a small step or two up or down; ducking
under some object; and twists and turns that leave them a
bit disoriented as to where exactly they are.
. Now have them each spin around 3 times in place. Then put
them in a line, helping them put both their hands on the
shoulders of the person in front of them.
. Then you get in the front of the line.
o Start leading them around the obstacle course. The first time
you go under something, or up a step, warn the person / people
behind you. But after a couple minutes, shout out that from now
on, no one can talk. The next “obstacle” you encounter, be
elaborate in helping the person behind you know that there is a
step down or an obstacle to duck by using exaggerated body
motion. But it will be up to that person to signal the person
behind them.
. Inevitably, somewhere down the line the signal will get
lost and someone (or two or three!) will bump their heads
or stumble on the step. That’s why it’s important to go
slowly and not have any obstacles that are too dangerous.
o Stop the trustwalk and ask them to open their eyes. Then have
everyone sit down and debrief with them:
. OK, share some of your reactions? What was it like? How
did you feel?
. Was it hard to have faith in the leader, the only one who
could see? What made it hard? What made it easy?
. Why did you trust / not trust the person in front of you?
The leader of the whole line?”
. Chapter survey – Faith (25 min)
o Pass out copies of the Hebrews 11 handout. Have students skim
through chapter 11 for 7 minutes, and note as many things as
they can about what faith is, what it involves, what it means.
Warn them that they will not have time for a detailed study, and
they will encounter hard verses that raise questions that you
will not have time to answer. The goal is to get a broad
overview of faith in light of this chapter, not to understand
the entire chapter in detail.
o Take the next 10 minutes to let students share what they found.
Their answers may include:
. “being sure of what we hope for” (1)
. “being certain of what we do not see” (1)
. it commends us (5) – ?
. by it we please God (6)
. it means believing God exists (6)
. it means believing God rewards those who seek him (6, 26)
. it means going against what the world may believe (7)
. it is the means to become an “heir of righteousness” (7)
. it means obedience to God’s call (8)
. it means looking forward to what God has promised (10)
. it makes impossible things possible (11, 29, 30)
. it does NOT necessarily mean that you see what is promised
in this life (13)
. it means longing for a “better country” than the life this
world has to offer (16)
. it means following God’s call even if it seems crazy (17)
. it means rejecting the “pleasures of sin” (25)
. it means not fearing earthly threats (27)
. it turns weakness into strength (34)
. it means disgrace, opposition and persecution (26, 36-37)
. it means believing that we have received the “something
better” that was promised to “the ancients” (40)
. commendable faith does not mean making no big mistakes
(implied in most of these verses, as the “roll call”
includes men and women who were far from a perfect record
of holiness)
o At the end of the 10 minutes of discussion, ask them how they
feel having read the passage. Inspired by this “roll call” of
faith, and of God’s faithfulness? Intimidated? Share how it
makes you feel. This is a chance for both honesty and vision-
casting.
o If you think you have time, ask them to take 3 minutes to try to
come up with a definition of faith in pairs with the person
sitting next to them. Then take a minute for 3 or 4 of the
pairs share their definitions. But if you want to save 5
minutes, just share this short definition:
. “Faith is belief in God that results in obedience to him.”
o Then share this longer definition which incorporates more of the
observations of chapter 11:
. “Faith is believing so strongly in the goodness,
trustworthiness, and power of God, even when your current
life circumstances don’t seem to back that up, that you
consistently choose to act in obedience to God’s call and
commands even when it means rejecting your own desires or
incurring opposition.”
o State, however, that as good as that definition is, it is
lacking something vitally important. Ask if they can identify
what is “missing” as you read it again.
o See if anybody can come up with an idea of what is “missing.”
They may think of a few possibilities, but one big thing that is
missing is any mention of Christ as the reason for our
confidence. If they guess that, wonderful. If they don’t, say,
“Well, let’s go on to chapter 12, and I think it will become
clear.”
. Bible study (20 min)
o Pass out the Hebrews 12:1-13 handout.
o Have students take turns reading the passage out loud.
o Give them a few minutes to examine it on their own, taking
notes, highlighting repeated words, etc.
o Lead a short discussion of the passage, covering the following
questions:
. “So, what was missing in our definition? And what was the
‘something better’ God had planned for us?” (Christ (2-3)!
He is, in many ways, the “hope we are sure of” and the
“certainty we do not see”)
. “What is the main topic of this passage?” Perseverance /
Endurance (1, 7).
. What should we endure? Hardship and the Lord’s
discipline (7); often they are one and the same.
. “Why should we endure hardship / discipline?”
Because Jesus did, and he is our model (3). Because
it confirms we are God’s true sons and daughters
(6,7). Because it will produce a harvest of
righteousness and peace in us (11).
. “What might you need to ‘throw off. that hinders’ you from
‘running with perseverance (1)’? And what could you do
(besides finishing this training module!) to ‘strengthen
your feeble arms and weak knees (12)’ ?”
o As a wrap up to the study, affirm these truths if they have not
already been clearly annunciated:
. The Christian life, the life of a disciple, is a life of
faith, which is one of belief and obedience.
. It is also a life that should (yes, should) bring hardship
and discipline. If it doesn’t, we are probably not living
a life of faith.
. Hardship and discipline do not mean we should quit – on the
contrary, these trials are an opportunity to imitate Jesus
and persevere. The Christian life is not a sprint, but a
marathon.
. Assignment (10 min)
o Explain the concept of the Faithfulness Timeline.
. The idea is to prayerfully examine your life, and on a
timeline from childhood to the present, note down major
instances of God’s faithfulness to you, especially during
or after times of hardship or suffering (or “discipline” in
Hebrews terms).
. On either side of the timeline, just write down the time-
period or the event in your life, and the reason why it’s
significant, or what you felt you learned about God or from
God through it.
. The result will (hopefully!) be that a) the students can
grow in self-reflection; b) they will grow in giving God
praise even for and in the hard times of life; c) they may
gain some insight as to some overall themes God might be
trying to teach them.
o As an example, show them the Faithfulness Timeline of your own
life that you have prepared ahead of time, and take 5 minutes to
step through it with them.
o Give them their copies of the “Faithfulness Timeline” handouts
and ask them prayerfully fill them out for next week.
Alternate Resources:
. For Initiatives-trained staff, the exercise known as “Eric’s Game” can
be used instead of the trust walk (“Eric’s Game” involves one person
who can’t see, one who can’t see half the basketball court, and the
rest who cannot talk) to provoke discussion about different people
using different gifts. You would need more time for the exercise,
however (probably 45 – 60 minutes), and an outdoor area the size of a
basketball court.
WEEK 8 – FAITH AND PERSEVERANCE Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we
do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s
command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By
faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his
offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not
experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.
For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to
him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly
seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear
built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and
became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later
receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know
where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a
stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob,
who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward
to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By
faith Abraham, even though he was past age-
and Sarah herself was barren-
was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had
made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the
sand on the seashore.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They
did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them
from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on
earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a
country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had
left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were
longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a
sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one
and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that
your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise
the dead, and
figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and
worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when
his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and
gave instructions about his bones.
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was
born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid
of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be
known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along
with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
short time. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater
value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his
reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he
persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the
Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the
firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but
when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls
of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not
killed with those who were disobedient.
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who
through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was
promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames,
and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength;
and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women
received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and
refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36
Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in
prison. 37 They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were put to
death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute,
persecuted and mistreated—38 the world was not worthy of them. They
wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them
received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us
so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
WEEK 8 – FAITH AND PERSEVERANCE Hebrews 12:1-13
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from
sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to
the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that
word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not
make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he
rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he
punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not
disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are
illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all
had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.
How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and
live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they
thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may
share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time,
but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of
righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13
“Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be
disabled, but rather healed.
WEEK 8 – FAITH AND PERSEVERANCE Faithfulness Timeline
Pray that God would remind you of times in your life when He has been
faithful to you. Maybe there was an unasked for “surprise gift” he gave
you; maybe there was a hard time that he brought you through. Write down
the time-period or the event in your life, and the reason why it’s
significant, or what you felt God taught you through it.
After you’re done, spend time in prayer, thanking God for his faithfulness
in your life, and asking him to give you the willingness and trust of him
necessary to be faithful to him and persevere through future trials.
WEEK 9 – COMMUNITY Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Students will not grow far in their faith without joining and committing to
a group of believers on campus. If participants in this course have not
yet made a solid commitment to one ministry group on campus, this session
can provide the basis for a convincing exhortation, either in the context
of the study or in a follow-up one on one appointment, to make such a
commitment. If they have made a commitment to a group, this session can
help them take steps to deepen their experience of it.
Objectives:
. Students will understand the importance of Christian community.
. They will learn some key elements of Christian community.
. They will begin to understand the individual believer’s responsibility
in community.
. They will be challenged to pursue a next step in participating more
fully in Christian community.
Materials Needed:
Copies of the “Romans 12” handout.
Copies of the “Assignment: Dating Implications” handout.
Video / DVD of the movie “The Fellowship of the Ring,” set to a portion of
scene 27: “The Council of Elrond.”
Copies of Chapter 8, “Rethinking Romance”, from the book Singles At The
Crossroads: A Fresh Perspective on Christian Singleness by Albert Y. Hsu.
Lesson Plan:
Follow-through (20 min)
o Break up into groups of 3 and have students share their
“Faithfulness Timelines” with each other, 4 minutes of
explanation each.
o Have the group spend 5 minutes praying and thanking the Lord for
his faithfulness.
o Back in the whole group, ask whether anyone has seen any
progress in their relationships with their 2+ friends. (3 min)
. Video / DVD (15 min)
o Introduce the segment by saying something like this: “In the
story to this point, Frodo has brought the Great Ring of Power
to Rivendell, home of the wise elf Elrond. The Ring is a source
of the evil will of Sauron, an evil being of great might,. In
this scene, Elrond leads a council of representatives from
various races in order to determine what should be done with
this ring. As you watch this segment, look for lessons and
realities about what fellowship involves.”
o Show the 5 minute segment of video / DVD from the end of the
“Scene 27: The Council of Elrond” section of the film, “The
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring.”
. On the DVD, the start the segment either a) at 1 hour 39
minutes and 10 seconds, just before Elrond says “Never
before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here
in Imladris,” or b) at 1 hour 40 minutes and 49 seconds,
just after Boromir says “Gondor has no king; Gondor needs
no king.”
o Lead a short, 10 minute discussion about fellowship, to see what
observations they drew out of the clip. Such observations might
include:
. Fellowship involves mission – they didn’t decide to hang
out together because they just had some free time and it
was fun, they had a mission to defeat evil by destroying
the ring.
. They didn’t all like each other in this fellowship – there
was tension, clash of personalities (Gimli and Legolas,
Aragorn and Boromir), but each of the members of the
fellowship didn’t have a say to ban those they didn’t like
from joining. They were going to have to learn to get
along and work together.
. Each brought their own unique talents / skills to serve
each other and the mission – Aragorn says, “You have my
sword;” Legolas, “And my bow;” Gimli, “And my axe;” and
Gandalf is the one who can lead the way.
. Desire to join the mission can count for more than any
visible skill or strength – Sam and Merry and Pippen don’t
have anything they can obviously bring to help with the
success of the mission; yet their desire to go, to stick by
their friend. So having some clearly recognizable talent
to offer the fellowship is not a prerequisite.
. There is an enemy that opposes community – Frodo sees in
the reflection of the Ring that it is playing on and
drawing out the inner evil in the council members, setting
them against each other. The ring is of course an
embodiment of the will of Sauron, the great enemy (you can
reference Session 5’s study on temptation here – Satan is
the real Sauron).
. It’s not necessary to understand the whole mission in all
its details before you join in – witness Pippin’s (or is it
Merry’s?) statement at the end of the clip, “Right. where
are we going?”
. Bible study (45 min)
o Pass out copies of Romans 12, and lead a study which could
include questions such as:
. Why do you think Paul uses the imagery of “living
sacrifices” to describe our proper response to God’s mercy?
. In what ways are we Christians tempted to “conform to the
pattern of this world”?
. How do you think we “renew our minds”? (for help, they can
think back to previous weeks of this curriculum!)
. Who are the main “characters” in this passage?
. Reading the passage through, what are some of the main
themes you notice?
. These might include: Humility (vs. 3, 10, 16);
Community (vs. 5, 10, 13, 15-18); Balance of both
being and doing (the passage talks about being
transformed, joyful, humble; yet it also contains
urging after urging to actively do in loving God and
others).
. How would the kind of love Paul describes in verses 9-16
transform our relationships with other Christians?
. What aspects of loving community described here do
you find it hardest to live out?
. How would Paul’s advice in verses 17-21 help us to overcome
our enemies?
. What similarities do you notice between the elements of
community we observed in the movie clip and what we see in
this passage?
. As you think with “sober judgement” about yourself, what
gifts do you think you might have (not limited to the list
Paul gives here)? What gifts have others told you you
might have? (The leader should have interacted with these
students enough by now to identify some gifts or potential
gifts in students, so that at that juncture of the study,
the leader can be prepared to offer ideas to everyone in
the group)
. Brainstorm, everyone – let’s help each other out. How
might “Joe” use his gifts to serve the body of Christ ( 
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