Jesus Apprentice Leader Guide: Doing What Jesus Did - Softcover

Kirby, Jeff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1426787774 ISBN 13: 9781426787775

Publisher: Abingdon Press, 2015

Synopsis

This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the shiny gods Bible study program. Includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. The shiny gods Leader Guide and DVD are also part of the First: Putting God First in Living and Giving, stewardship program by pastor and author Mike Slaughter. This four-week all-church stewardship program encourages parents to educate and model generosity for their kids. Components for children and youth help families explore financial decisions together, with sessions on Naming Our Idols; Money, Work, and Debt; Earn—Save—Give; and Heart Giving.

About this title

About the Author

Jeff Kirby serves on the Adult Discipleship Team at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Among other duties, he leads men's ministries and the Alpha program, for which he is a national trainer. With COR since 2001, Jeff is a national and international educator and speaker, as well as a consultant on leadership development. His Bible study courses at Resurrection often bring in 500+ participants, who come to hear Jeff s rich and challenging style of teaching.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus Apprentice

Doing What Jesus Did

By Jeff Kirby

Abingdon Press

Copyright © 2015 Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4267-8777-5

Contents

To the Leader, 
1. The Message and Methods of Jesus, 
2. Share the Good News of God's Kingdom, 
3. Heal the Sick and Suffering, 
4. Push Back the Darkness, 

CHAPTER 1

THE MESSAGE AND METHODS OF JESUS

Planning the Session

Session Goals

As a result of conversations and activities connected with this session, group members should:

• explore Jesus' method of personal discipleship;

• explore the central message of Jesus' ministry;

• consider three key aspects of Jesus' ministry and our discipleship;

• reflect on tools for developing discipleship.

Biblical Foundation

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

(Mark 1:14-15)

Special Preparation

• Read the entire study book to get a sense of its scope. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be present in and through your preparation and as you lead the first session.

• If possible in advance of the first session, tell participants to bring either a notebook or an electronic means of journaling, such as a tablet. Provide writing paper and pens for those who may need them. Also have Bibles for those who do not bring one.

• Print the following questions on a large sheet of paper or a board: What does it mean for us in the twenty-first century to be disciples of Jesus? What is the essential content of the gospel, and how can we best make disciples today?

• Print on a large sheet of paper or a board the sections of the pericope (pe-RIC-o-pe) from Matthew noted in the video: Matthew 4:23-25, opening; Matthew 5–7, compilation of teaching; Matthew 8:1–9:35, survey of healing ministry; Matthew 9:36-38, summary.

• Also print and post the following list of paths to discipleship: academic path, "soul training" path, path of asceticism or self-denial, charismatic path, path of service.

• For the imaginative reflection in the closing activities, you may want to do an Internet search and download and print (or plan to project) images of the three locations (Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, and region of the Gerasenes), although actual images are not necessary.

• Remember that there are more activities than most groups will have time to complete. As leader, you'll want to go over the session in advance and select or adapt the activities you think will work best for your group in the time allotted.

Getting Started

Opening Activity

As participants arrive, welcome them to the study. If group members are not familiar with one another, make nametags available. Provide Bibles for those who did not bring one.

When most participants have arrived, gather together. Invite the group to name several topics of interest on any subject (not just religious subjects). Narrow the list down to three or four common interests. Have participants self-select a topic and form a small group. Ask them to have a brief conversation, giving each person an opportunity to talk while others in the group genuinely listen. After allowing a few minutes for discussion, bring the group back together. Tell them that as they begin this study, it is important that they get better acquainted with fellow group members, and today's opening activity has begun that process.

Ask participants to form pairs. Invite pairs to introduce themselves if they are not acquainted and then relate to their partner a learning experience they had that was particularly memorable and had a long-term impact on them. After a few minutes, gather together. Invite one or two volunteers to relate the experience they shared. Ask for a show of hands in response to the following:

• How many of your memorable learning experiences happened in a formal classroom setting?

• How many were memorable not so much for what was learned, but for how it was communicated?

• How many were noteworthy because of being in relationship with someone else?

If they have not already done so, invite participants to silently read the book Introduction. Discuss:

• Explain what you think is meant by the statement, "What Jesus promised was the kingdom of God, but what he got was the church!"

Call attention to the two questions you posted from the Introduction, regarding discipleship and the gospel. Tell the group that in this study they will be exploring these questions.

Point out that the author describes his own spiritual awakening and subsequent diminishing of his passion for ministry, followed by the recognition that he needed to return to his theological home. As you begin this study, invite participants to reflect on their own spiritual journeys. Distribute drawing paper, crayons, or colored pencils. Invite participants to draw a line horizontally across the page. It can be a simple straight line, or it can be a line that represents for them the trajectory of their spiritual journey up to this point. Ask them to note along the line high and low points in their journey. Encourage them to refer to this spiritual "lifeline" as they continue in the study.

Tell the group that the Scripture passage grounding this entire study is John 14:12, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing." In the study, participants will explore just what it means to grow in discipleship and do what Jesus did.

Opening Prayer

We yearn, O God, to know more clearly what it means to be a disciple of Jesus today. By your Spirit, give us fresh insights and a deeper commitment. In the name of Jesus Christ, whom we seek to follow. Amen.

Learning Together

Video Study and Discussion

The Session 1 video explores Jesus' message and the methods he used to communicate that message. Give the group the following information about the author of the study and video presenter:

Jeff Kirby serves on the Adult Discipleship Team at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, where he leads men's ministries and the Alpha Course, for which he is a national trainer. He is a national and international educator and speaker who is also a consultant on leadership development. His Bible study courses at Resurrection often bring in more than five hundred participants, who come to hear Jeff's message and experience his challenging style of teaching.

Before viewing, invite participants to consider as they watch the video why Kirby uses the term apprentice to refer to discipleship. After viewing, discuss the following:

• What does the video have to say about apprenticeship? How does apprenticeship apply to being a disciple, and how did it function in terms of Jesus' relationship with his followers?

• What, in Kirby's view, were the three most basic things that Jesus did?

Point out to the group that this video introduced the three basic activities of Jesus and that each of the next three videos will explore one of those activities in more depth.

Bible and Book Study Discussion

Exploring Learning in the Ancient World

Remind the group of their discussion in the opening activity about learning, and ask them to consider how many of their memorable learning experiences hinged on a relationship with a teacher or mentor. Refer them to the information in book Chapter 1 under the heading, "Replicating the Life of the Teacher." Ask volunteers to describe the pattern of mentoring in the ancient world.

Invite volunteers to read aloud Deuteronomy 6:20-25 and Proverbs 1:8-9. Discuss:

• In each passage, what does the writer say is the primary unit for education?

• If the theme of education in Proverbs is that wisdom is not just academic but moral and practical, what are the implications for parents and others who mentor?

• The writer observes that the purpose of this kind of education is to replicate the life of the master. What is the implication for the life of discipleship?

Ask participants to read silently the three passages from the Epistles included in that section of Chapter 1: Ephesians 5:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, and Philippians 4:9. Invite volunteers to describe what action is called for in each Scripture.

• What do these verses add to our understanding of our calling as disciples, or Jesus apprentices?

Three Phases of Discipleship

In that same section of book Chapter 1, Kirby describes three phases of Jesus' discipleship ministry. Ask the group to identify and discuss those three phases. Ask the group how those phases relate to Kirby's earlier statement from the Introduction: "What Jesus promised was the kingdom of God, but what he got was the church!"

Have the group think about how their congregation seeks to follow and build upon each of the three phases. Form pairs and ask participants to discuss in what ways the church offers opportunities for potential disciples in each of the three phases. Back in the large group, ask volunteers to name specific opportunities they noted. Then ask:

• In our life together, does our congregation offer ways to lead persons to an even deeper commitment to be disciples? If so, what are they?

Invite a volunteer to read aloud the letter from the Jordan Management Consultants. Discuss:

• Based on the prevailing model of rabbinic discipleship of the time, from what kinds of people would you have expected Jesus to recruit his disciples?

• What is your response to the types of persons whom Jesus did call? What observations can you make about those whom Jesus might call today and about how the church seeks to reach out to potential disciples?

Break into pairs again and ask one person to read silently Luke 10:1-12, 17-20, and Matthew 17:14-21. Ask the pairs to discuss the following:

• Do you agree that these stories make more sense if interpreted in light of what it means to be a disciple and the key role Jesus envisioned for his followers? Why or why not?

• Kirby observes that personal discipleship was Jesus' method and people were his program. What does this mean?

Exploring Jesus' Central Message

Invite the group to name the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the word kingdom. Ask:

• What do you think Jesus meant when he spoke about the kingdom of God?

• What is required of us in order to be a part of that Kingdom?

One important way Jesus taught was by using parables and metaphors. Invite participants to look up and read silently some of these presented in Matthew, such as 13:24-30; 13:3132; 13:33; 13:44; 13:45-46; 13:47-49; 18:23-35; 20:1-16; 21:33-46; and 22:1-14. Then ask participants:

• If you were to create a parable about what the kingdom of God is like using a metaphor from contemporary life, what would it be? How would you describe the Kingdom?

Key Aspects of Discipleship

Remind the group of the term pericope, a section of Scripture that represents a complete unit of thought. Invite participants to examine the pericope from Matthew discussed in the video. Ask participants to open their Bibles to Matthew 4:23 and quickly scan this section of Scripture down to Matthew 9:38. Point out the outline of this pericope that you posted prior to class.

Invite volunteers to read aloud Matthew 4:23-25, which the video identifies as the introduction to Jesus' ministry. Then ask someone to read Matthew 9:35, which summarizes the content of Jesus' ministry. Ask the group to turn to the concluding paragraphs of book Chapter 1, and ask someone to read aloud the three essential things that the writer says Jesus called, equipped, and empowered his disciples to do. Tell participants that each of the next three sessions will explore in depth one of these key aspects of discipleship.

Wrapping Up

Closing Activities

Reflect on the Challenges of Discipleship

Ask participants to look again at the spiritual lifeline they created in the opening activity. Invite them to consider the various paths to discipleship that you posted before class. Then ask them to reflect on how those paths have been a part of their spiritual journey. Ask:

• Can you think of other paths to discipleship that have affected your spiritual journey? What are they, and how did they play a part in your life?

• In what ways do these paths to discipleship relate to the three parts of being a Jesus apprentice?

Invite participants to jot down these ideas in their journals for more complete consideration in the coming sessions.

Put Yourself in the Boat

In book Chapter 1, Kirby writes about his experiences on the educational tours he has led in Israel, in which he has traveled with participants by wooden boat across the northern side of the Sea of Galilee. Invite participants to find a comfortable position and to imagine themselves seated in such a boat, floating on the sea. If you have downloaded images, point to them as you speak. Say:

As we sit here in this boat, gently rocking on the swells of the sea, we can see spread out before us illustrations of Jesus' three-part ministry. Look to the left. There we see the Mount of Beatitudes where it is believed Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Imagine that mountain all those centuries ago, and reflect on how Jesus came preaching. (Pause for a few moments of silence.)

Look straight ahead, where we can see the historic remains of Capernaum. In your mind's eye, look at the synagogue where Jesus taught and the small house where Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. (Pause for a few moments of silence.)

Now look to our right, where we see the region of the Gerasenes. Imagine Jesus confronting and casting out a legion of demons, delivering people from darkness. (Pause for a few moments of silence.)

Encourage participants to keep these imagined scenes in mind during the coming days. Suggest that they include the pericope from Matthew as part of their devotional time. Remind them also to read book Chapter 2 before the next session.

Closing Prayer

God of the first century—and of the twentyfirst—we long to sit at the feet of Jesus. By your Spirit, stir us up to seek a deeper understanding of what Jesus would have us do. Lead us to turn our lives around and to seek true repentance, as we travel the authentic path to discipleship. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

CHAPTER 2

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD'S KINGDOM

Planning the Session

Session Goals

As a result of conversations and activities connected with this session, group members should:

• gain a basic understanding of evangelism;

• be introduced to steps for sharing the good news of the gospel;

• encounter and explore how Jesus shared the good news in the story of the woman at the well;

• explore the role of the Holy Spirit in filling and renewing Christians as they seek to share the good news of God's kingdom;

• evaluate tools for apprenticeship.

Biblical Foundation

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19)

Special Preparation

• If possible, download and print, or get the equipment to project, the iconic image of a sailor kissing a woman in Times Square at the celebration of the end of World War II.

• If your church has a mission statement, make copies for participants. If there is no such statement, provide writing paper and pens.

• On three separate large sheets of paper, print each of the following:

• Transforming our faith communities

• Training to share our stories

• Filling and refilling with the Holy Spirit

• In advance, recruit three strong readers to read the dialogue from John 4—two to take the parts of Jesus and the woman and one to serve as narrator.

• Remember that there are more activities than most groups will have time to complete. As leader, you'll want to go over the session in advance and select or adapt the activities you think will work best for your group in the time allotted.

Getting Started

Opening Activity

Welcome participants as they arrive. Continue the process of group members getting better acquainted by asking each person in the large group to respond to the following open-ended prompt: "Something you don't know about me is ..." Invite the group into a brief conversation, allowing each person an opportunity to talk while suggesting that the other group members genuinely listen.

After the group has shared, show the iconic image of a sailor kissing a young woman in Times Square at the end of World War II, or direct participants with smartphones to search for and share it. Ask the group to think about these questions:

• What is the best news you ever received in your life?

• Why was it good news, and how did you celebrate? Whom did you tell?

Ask one or two volunteers to describe their good news and tell how they celebrated. Then remind the group that the word gospel means good news. Invite the group to reflect on what that good news is. How have group members responded to this good news? Who have they told, and what difference has it made in their lives?

Remind the group of the Scripture passage that grounds this entire study, John 14:12: "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing."

Opening Prayer

Holy God, we affirm and celebrate the good news of the gospel. Guide us as we seek to ignite our passion for sharing that good news in ways that honor you. In the name of Jesus Christ, whose message is the best news we ever had in our whole lives! Amen.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Jesus Apprentice by Jeff Kirby. Copyright © 2015 Abingdon Press. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Abingdon Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1426787774
• ISBN 13: 9781426787775
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 64