Bible Study Lesson Plans

March 25, 2010 Outreach Committee South Main Baptist Church 4100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan

Table of Contents  Overview of the Share Campaign .......................................................... 3  Overview of the Share Campaign Lesson Plans........................................ 3  Week 1: Introduction to Sharing & Living Christian....................... 5  PART 1, Introduction: What is the Share campaign and why is it important? ................................................................................................ 5  Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 1, Part 1: ............... 7 Part 2: Live Your Life ............................................................................ 8  Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 1, Part 2: ............. 10 Week 2: Learn... about the person you are sharing with... establish relationship ..............................................................................13  Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 2: ............................15 Week 3: Listen... to what people are saying... listen for God in your life .......................................................................................................16  Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 3: ........................... 18 Week 4: Share... your faith... your family of God... ........................19  Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 4:............................21 Reference Materials ................................................................................ 23  Possible Reference Books .......................................................................... 23  Possible Images for Use in Lessons (courtesy of Linda B.)....................... 23 

2|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Overview of the Share Campaign

The "Share Campaign" is a 4 week church-wide campaign to engage the members of South Main in reaching out to the people they know and meet to share their faith and church community. The campaign will begin the week after Easter, April 11th and run through May 2nd. Share Campaign Overview  April 11: Live, Learn, Listen, and Share o Kickoff and emphasis on the discipleship of sharing our faith in Sunday School o Roll out posters, web page, South Main Today, Twitter, Facebook, and South Main Blog. o Announce at Worship & have new member testimony. o Sermon: Luke 19: 1-10 "Live, Learn, Listen, Share"  April 18: Commit to Each Other o Emphasis on inviting long time visitors to join (covenant). o Continue SS lessons and testimony in worship. o Sermon: 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 "Writing our Letter"  April 25: Recommit to Each Other o Emphasis on getting members to re-engage existing members in the life of SMBC. o Continue SS lessons and testimony in worship. o Sermon: Mark 10: 13-17 "Everything I need to know…"  May 2: Commit to Share with Others o Focus on encouraging members to recognize opportunities to share and to commit to share. o Continue SS lessons and testimony & commitment cards in worship. o Sermon: Acts 22: 3-16 "The Invention of Sharing"

Overview of the Share Campaign Lesson Plans The overall discipleship theme will be "Live, Learn, Listen, and Share." The basic outline includes: 1. Live - Matt 5:14-16 Living Christian - Does your life reflect God? 2. Learn - Engage people around you; learn about them; be proactive. 3. Listen - Colossians 4 Listen to God, for opportunities; Who needs hope? love? peace? joy? Good news? (Note that lessons 2. and 3. Learn and Listen could be combined as one lesson) 4. Share - Faith, church family, Community Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 10:15 We have attempted to provide you as a teacher with several options for each week of teaching. The following lesson plans include a basic lesson outline that you can directly use. However, feel free to use your own stories/materials or any of the alternate materials to augment the lesson. While we would like to focus our Church’s discussion for each of the 4 weeks of the campaign, variations on a theme are perfectly fine. Please tailor this material to fit your community and your own teaching style. This is a difficult topic for many, and our goal is to put people at ease and provide a “toolbox” of ideas and methods that will help them find ways to share their faith more naturally. What we have found (and we hope you find) as we’ve been preparing is that there are a number of great ways we as Christians can communicate the amazing love of God without being pushy, knocking on doors, or awkward conversations with people we know (and all of the other negative experiences that most of us associate with traditional “evangelism”). Currently, we have a flex Sunday after the current 8 week term on May 2nd which can be used for one lesson from this plan. If you as teachers have the ability to tailor your current lesson plans, this plan includes lesson content for the previous 3 weeks as well (our preference is to have related SS lessons for all 4 weeks, but recognize that some teachers have the current 8 weeks already planned out). The curriculum will be flexible to allow teaching over one to four weeks depending on individual teacher preference. Note that it is desirable that all classes consider doing the “sharing our stories” exercise outlined below.

3|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan “Sharing our Stories” Exercise – In the week 4 lesson plan, there is an exercise in sharing our stories. This exercise can vary in duration depending on group size and dynamic. For large groups, it may be necessary to split the 2nd half of the exercise across multiple weeks (i.e. last 10-15 minutes of each session). We feel strongly that this exercise can be one of the most valuable things that our church family does. As you plan out your lessons and prayerfully consider the portions of the lesson plans that you will use, please try and find a way to work in this exercise. If you have a small group, simply using this exercise as part of the Week 4 lesson should work.

4|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Week 1: Introduction to Sharing & Living Christian Purpose: This lesson provides an introduction to the concept of "Sharing" and appropriate scoping of this potentially broad topic. The lesson should establish a shared understanding of what "Sharing" includes, what it does NOT include, why it is important, and why it is essential for participation by every Christian at South Main. The lesson may also introduce the concepts behind the theme of "Live, Learn, Listen, and Share". If time, this lesson can also include a discussion of the topic "Living Christian." By this, the lesson will discuss "how we live our lives" as it relates to "what message that sends" to those around us (who we potentially want to share with). Specifically the lesson includes 2 parts: Part 1: Introduction – What is the Share campaign and why is it important? Part 2: Living Christian – How does my behavior and what others see in me affect others ability to understand and accept God and his amazing grace and love? Note also that the pastor’s sermon will be from Luke 19: 1-10 (sermon text - Zacchaeus the Tax Collector) NIV (sermon theme: "Live, Learn, Listen, Share")

PART 1, Introduction: What is the Share campaign and why is it important? Key Question: What is the Share campaign and why is it important? Introduction (5 minutes) Review with group the following overview of the Share Campaign. Today we begin a four week church wide emphasis on sharing—sharing our faith and sharing about our church. We are in the middle of a marketing plan to announce to the surrounding community that, yes, we are a traditional church but we aren’t stuck in a rut---“fresh faith, vintage church.” We at South Main are really good at accepting and welcoming people when they get here, but how are we doing at sharing outside of church in our daily lives? The "Share Campaign" is a 4 week church-wide campaign to engage the members of South Main in reaching out to the people they know and meet to share their faith and church community. The campaign will begin the week after Easter, April 11th and run through May 2nd. The campaign will include  An emphasis in Sunday School lessons (what we are doing here) and worship/sermons.  Visual messages across the South Main campus (you may have noticed them this Sunday)  Stories and testimonies by South Main members about how they came to faith or how they came to our church family (through a number of outlets like South Main Today, worship testimonies, South Main Blog, etc.).  Highlight opportunities for members to more easily reach out and share with the people around them and facilitate member reflection and commitment to sharing. Share Campaign Overview  April 11: Live, Learn, Listen, and Share o Kickoff and emphasis on the discipleship of sharing our faith in Sunday School  April 18: Commit to Each Other o Emphasis on inviting long time visitors to join (covenant).  April 25: Recommit to Each Other o Emphasis on getting members to re-engage existing members in the life of SMBC.  May 2: Commit to Share with Others o Focus on encouraging members to recognize opportunities to share and to commit to share.

5|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Group Discussion (10-15 min) Pose the question "What should this campaign NOT be?" (Possible points to consider below)  Just about trying to increase numbers at South Main o Discuss why not: bigger is not necessarily better; intent is everything.. if our intention is anything but genuine caring for people and wanting them to be a part of our church family because we want them to be then we will fail.  Door to door/Street corner evangelism o Discuss why not: selling faith is not genuine, may lead to inauthentic faith, can become about who "I" saved and not who "God" saved, this may not be practical (safe) or effective in a city like Houston)  An exercise left to just the "one's that are good at sharing." o Discuss why not: this is a calling for all Christians... it may take different forms in each of us, but all of us are called to share God's love, we become lazy Christians... taking but not giving back... keeping the wonderful gifts of God's love to ourselves.  A guilt trip  All hype and no substance (all talk and no action – by South Main members)  About US saving ANYBODY, i.e. adding notches to our Super-Christian belts, rather than us being open to any conversation, at any time, with anyone that the Spirit Provides.  Teaching South Mainers “evangelistic formulas” or “one size fits all approaches” rather than encouraging and empowering each other to share their own authentic, personal experiences with God.  Others Pose the question, "What SHOULD this campaign be/accomplish?" (Possible points to consider below)  Inspire/Facilitate South Main members to engage in authentic conversation about their faith in their everyday lives.  Practical and realistic (given our busy lives, geographic distribution, etc.)  Recognize individual personalities, styles, and spiritual gifts.  Involve the whole church (not just the staff and lay leadership) - resulting in real commitment and action by South Main members.  Based in scripture and emphasizing our role as instruments of God.  Encouraging & supportive (providing tools for the task). Wrap-Up of Part 1 (3-5 minutes) Foundations of Sharing at South Main Shortly after we presented the proposal for the Share Campaign to the South Main deacons, one of the senior deacons came up to me and said, “You know, Ken Chafin wrote a book called “The Reluctant Witness” that really addresses this topic and may be helpful to you.” He then went on to recall when Chafin had written the book and preached on it, South Main members began to reach out in what resulted in an unprecedented time of growth at South Main. We have incredible roots and foundations here at South Main and it is time to reach down deep and open ourselves up to the opportunities to share that God puts in front of us on a daily basis. God has given us something amazing and special at South Main and we must share it! Now, moving on to “Living Christian.”

6|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 1, Part 1: The following are key excerpts/points from several books. (which are available as references – most of which I can get you copies of if you want to use more fully as you prepare your lessons. Additionally, the SMBC library has ordered extra copies of most of these books.) Note many of the points of these books were used in developing the core curriculum as well. From Ken Chafin's "The Reluctant Witness" Many of us are caught in a very uncomfortable trap when we begin to think about sharing our faith. On the one hand, we live witha a constant sens of "oughtness" about personal evangelism (great commission Matt 28:19, "you shall be my witness" Acts 1:8). We also have an inner compulsion growing out of our experience with God... heightened by our contact with people who seem to have no real meaning or hope in their lives. On the other hand, we are often frustrated because we have not found a way to share our faith that is both natural and effective. We either have to work out our own technique for doing it, or are shoved into some rigid, stereotyped, sterile approach which seems canned and unattractive. As a result, many genuine Christians with great potential give up on the possibility of becoming witnesses for Christ. From Brian McLaren's "More Ready Than You Realize" Evangelism in the style of Jesus; evangelism that flows like a dance. ... once you hear it, once you pick it up, ... it feels so familiar, so natural, that you wonder if you have made it up yourself. (more on p. 16-17) Evangelism has to be less like an arguement... not that it will not be logical, but rather that it will not be about winning and losing.... which is why the "dance" image works so well... dance is not about winning and losing. Danish philosopher Soren Kieregaard has a different model: Evengelism is like is like a person who hides behind a bush and when his friend passes by, he sneaks up behind him, kicks him it the butt, and then quickly hides again. His friend continues walking, but no longer semi-conscious... wondering "who kicked me?", "what is going on here?", "am I being watched?".... His whole mind and curiosity are awakened. The person does not ask too many questions... but hides and gives his friend time, space, and privacy to think through these matters on his own. In sharing, never be coercive, pushy, combative; rather patient and gentle knowing that this takes time and cannot be rushed. Stay out of combative, competitive, win-lose mode. Matters of the spirit cannot be decided by coercion - physical, political, or even interpersonal. This echoes both Paul and Peter: The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses.... (2 Timothy 2:24-26) Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.... (1 Peter 3:15)

7|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Part 2: Live Your Life Scriptural Basis: Matt 5:14-16 NIV 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Key Question: Does your life reflect God? Introduction (2-3 minutes) Before we can consider discussing faith with someone or even just inviting them to church, we must consider that they will be hearing that message or invitation through the filter of their experience with you. That is to say, when Jesus said “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” he was really talking about how our actions speak louder than our words. Many people today have a negative impression of religion largely due to people that they have seen or know that claim to be Christians, but seem to behave in ways that they don’t want anything to do with. They see many Christians as “caring more about the rules than about people,” the hypocrisy of people that say one thing and then do another, people that act “holier than thou”, people claiming to be Christians behaving badly, etc. As Brennan Manning states in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle." This isn’t to say that we must be “perfect” Christians in order to talk about faith with someone, but we absolutely need to be honest with them about how we are not perfect and how we struggle. We must be pure in our intentions to genuinely care for other people. If our intention is to “on our own” sell someone on being a Christian rather than caring and engaging people honestly and letting God work through our interactions, then we cannot succeed. As Dave Kinnaman explains in the Book “Unchristian,” Christians are perceived as always wanting to put another notch in their belts rather than caring about where a person is and getting to know them for the sake of getting to know them. Can people pick you out of a line up as being a Christian? Oh! Don’t we wish! So many times I’ve said something or done something (especially when I’m driving, or standing in a long line of inconsiderate people) and immediately thought, “Oh, I hope they don’t know I go to South Main! At the Walgreen’s in my neighborhood is a cashier who wears her Christianity beautifully, from the angel pin on her dress to her sweet southern voice and manner. In the twenty or more years she has stood at that register, I’ve never seen her lose patience, no matter how angry or rude a customer may be. One day as I handed her my check with a Bible verse printed on it, I grumbled that they had rearranged the store and I couldn’t find things where I expected them to be. She smiled, and in her very soft voice, Magnolia said, “I used to have a Bible verse sticker on my car and I had to be very careful the way I drove.” Her gentle response told me I was not living up to the way I hoped to live. – Bobbye Lott You don't have to wait until you are a super Christian to do share-- that part of what makes someone authentic is that they have failed sometimes. Sometimes, perhaps even usually, our most effective sharing comes from connecting with someone from our failures-- this is because it shows vulnerability which tends to break down obstacles. Discussion (5-10 minutes) Pose the question: What are elements of your life that other people around you might notice that might help or hurt your ability to communicate your faith? Discuss elements of your life that are on display to the people around you  Your positive or negative attitude  Your temper  How you treat people (are you a "waiter-hater") 8|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan      

How you communicate with people (listen, talk down to, yell, etc.) Your "integrity" level (do you "cut corners", tell white lies, leave early) What is your trust level (can you be trusted? do you trust others) Do you forgive? Do you gossip and talk badly of others? What are the priorities that others see in your life (money, power, food, yourself, others, work, family, etc.)?

Now discuss/consider how these factors would play into any discussions of faith or invitations to church/church events? Conclusion & Wrap Up (3-5 minutes) While you don't have to be perfect to share your faith or invite someone to church, you have to realize that they are seeing your invitation in light of your actions.  May mean that you are open about your struggle to be a good Christian and that is part of the package...  May mean that you need to work on some behaviors.  Consider talking about how, while you still mess up, there is a place that you go that accepts you for who you are and supports you trying to work it out with God. Closing Prayer: Pray that God will move in the people of South Main.. that we will live lives worthy of the name Christian…. That we will learn how use our gifts to be prepared, open, and aware to the opportunities God give us to share His love with others. Amen

9|Page

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 1, Part 2: The following are key excerpts/points from several books. (which are available as references – most of which I can get you copies of if you want to use more fully as you prepare your lessons. Additionally, the SMBC library has ordered extra copies of most of these books.) Note many of the points of these books were used in developing the core curriculum as well. From Ken Chafin's "The Reluctant Witness" The Witnessing Life (2 Corinthians 3:2-3) Old adage: "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one" 1. How we live serves as a foundation for our verbal witness and not as a substitute. 2. The starting place for each of us is our own personal life. 3. The witnessing life begins with the family of God, the church. "I'm convinced of two things. First, one of the greatest needs of modern man is to find a place where he is accepted as he is and is loved. Second, I'm equally convinced that the only organization in the community which has the potential for becoming that is the church." 4. The witnessing life needs to be person-centered rather than issue-oriented. 5. The ministry to persons needs to be in connection with the ordinary needs of life. (Matt 25:3146) From Bill Turner's "Anytime, Anywhere: Sharing Faith Jesus Style" Overall Book Summary Points 1) We are living in a first-century culture that is urban, secular, pluralistic, and mostly unchurched: we live in the mission field it isn’t out there. 2) There are obstacles: negative religious experiences; language (insider church speak); and our relationships (lack of interactions with non-Christians; and insular life). 3) As faith sharers we can be Jesus followers. Sometimes he initiated; sometimes he responded; and sometimes he led with his humanity. He takes prayer seriously. In all of these we can be Jesus followers. 4) The subject here is Discipleship and not conversion because being a Christian is a journey not a decision. As prodigal children who have found our way home, we can tell others how to find it as well. Chapter 8 John 18: 28 – 19: 2 – Pontius Pilate The focus of this chapter is sharing faith with the cynical.  Jesus is real. Let your own life/lifestyle be your “faith defense”.  Jesus is aware. Make sure you really know the cynic and that the cynic knows you.  Jesus is silent. Arguing doesn’t usually lead to faith. Don’t fall in to the trap.

From Bobbye Lott’s Sr. Adult Share Lesson for this Week Live, Learn, Listen, and Share - Matthew 5:13-16

Today we begin a four week church wide emphasis on sharing—sharing our faith and sharing about our church. We are in the middle of a marketing plan to announce to the surrounding community that, yes, we are a traditional church but we aren’t stuck in a rut---“fresh faith, vintage church.” We at South Main are really good at accepting and welcoming people when they get here, but how are we doing at sharing outside of church in our daily lives? Before we can consider discussing faith with someone or even just inviting them to church, we must consider that they will be hearing that message or invitation through the filter of their experience with us. When Jesus said, “let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”, he was really talking about how our actions speak louder than our words. Many people today have a negative impression of religion largely due to people that they have seen or know that claim to be Christians, but seem to behave in ways that they don’t want to have anything to do with. They see many Christians as caring more about the rules than about people, the hypocrisy of people who say one thing and then do another, people 10 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan who act “holier than thou”, people claiming to be Christians behaving badly, etc. This isn’t to say that we must be “perfect” Christians in order to talk about faith with someone, but we need to be honest with them about how we are not perfect and how we struggle. We must be pure in our intentions to genuinely care for other people. If our intention is to sell someone on being a Christian rather than caring and engaging people honestly and letting God work through our interactions, then we cannot succeed. Can people pick you out of a line up as being a Christian? Oh! Don’t we wish! Have you ever said something or done something (especially when driving or standing in a long line with inconsiderate people) and immediately thought, “I hope they don’t know I go to South Main!”? At the Walgreen’s in my neighborhood is a cashier who wears her Christianity beautifully, from the angel pin on her dress to her sweet southern voice and manner. In the twenty or more years she has stood at that register, I’ve never seen her lose patience, no matter how angry or rude a customer may be. One day as I handed her my check with a Bible verse printed on it, I grumbled that they had rearranged the store and I couldn’t find things where I expected them to be. She smiled, and in her very soft voice, Magnolia said, “I used to have a Bible verse sticker on my car and I had to be very careful the way I drove.” Her gentle response told me I was not living up to the way I hoped to live. I read a quote from Dr. Harold DeWolf, in which he wrote, “The New Testament church engaged in evangelism as naturally and normally as a robin sings or a happy child plays.” That’s what we are praying will be accomplished in this study of sharing our faith. Dr. DeWolf’s statement brings an image to my mind of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” character, Pigpen. Everywhere he goes, dirt is flaking off him and scattering all around. I picture our sharing of Christ’s love floating around us and settling on others. How do we measure up to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13-16? Cecil Sherman calls this the “You Are” Passages. “You are like salt for all mankind.” We are a small presence that changes the taste of the whole meal. “You are like light for the whole world.” Being like a bright light on a tall pole, we are there for all to see the product of Jesus’ teachings. Matthew’s style was to gather several of Jesus’ teachings from a common theme to present to us in a neat package. This passage could have been spoken in a single sermon, but Dr. Sherman writes that he thinks Matthew gathered these ideas over the whole of Jesus’ ministry, and presented them in what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. What are some things people see in the way we live our lives which might help or hurt our ability to communicate out faith? (positive or negative attitude, patience, treatment of people of lower social status, honesty, acceptance, gossip, priorities, etc. Jesus had something to say about people who are gaudy in their religion in Matthew 6:1-18. We are not to do our praying, our giving, or our fasting to be seen of people. So how do we find a way for others to see our faith as followers of Jesus? What are some thoughts and ideas of what this “share” emphasis should not be? (examples) To knock on doors, invading people’s privacy-- not a safe thing to do in Houston. To encourage only those who are good at outreach—doesn’t include me To put “Baptist guilt” on me for not doing my part To only increase our numbers at South Main What are some thoughts and ideas of what our sharing should be? (examples) To be aware that our actions and words should reflect our faith 11 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan To become aware of believers who don’t have a church home To become aware of people who are not believers To recognize our influence on those who are skeptical of Christians To become aware of opportunities to share in everyday conversations (Remember Steve’s sharing in sermons about a couple he and Ben encountered on the train on the way to an Astros game; and the small group of medical people on a plane headed for Peru to do missions work, with no way to get their supplies into the country.) If Steve had not been aware of the people around him, he would have missed the opportunity to share the connection of God working in our lives. When Randall O’Brien was our Interim Pastor, he used an illustration of “Saint Thomas” [Coker] and “Saint Bobbye” inviting people to South Main. St. Thomas had to work alone, bringing one new person at a time, but St. Bobbye’s new people each brought more new people with them. Soon, one side of the church was full and running over, while the other side had only a few new people. The Church Staff can’t do it all. We are called to do our part in sharing with everyone we come in contact with. How do we do that without turning people off? Being aware of the way people perceive us may be a great incentive to make some changes in our behavior. As we go through our everyday activities, looking for opportunities to share our faith will bring surprises of the doors that open to us. We just have to have faith to stick our foot in that door, being careful not to stick it in our mouth. One of my favorite Chafin-isms is, “I only take my foot out of my mouth when I’m changing feet!” We’ll be exploring ways to connect in the next three Sundays, and hopefully for a long time after that, praying that the Holy Spirit will move the people of South Main to live lives worthy of the name Christian, using our gifts to be aware of the opportunities God gives us to share His love with others.

12 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Week 2: Learn... about the person you are sharing with... establish relationship

Purpose: This lesson outlines our role as Christians in establishing and maintaining authentic relationship with those that we come in contact with. It will discuss various types of interactions that we have with people and examine the attributes that people notice in us that should reflect Christ in our lives. The idea behind the word "Learn" is the idea of us being genuinely interested in learning about those around us, and that this is a crucial foundation required for establishing any dialog about faith. Scriptural Basis: Matthew 9:10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. Key Question: What does it take for you to listen and believe something that someone is telling you? How does relationship affect our ability to share our faith? Introduction (10 minutes) Throughout Jesus ministry, He was many times seen having dinner at the home of sinners. I seriously doubt that during these dinners, Jesus was preaching. I think it is more likely that He was establishing relationship. Listening to his Hosts, getting to know them, and laughing. I imagine these to be dinners full of engaging conversation and honest sharing where Jesus treated each person as the special individual that God intended and not the tainted, sinful person they had become. I imagine that if Jesus had come in judgment and started off the meal by telling them all what they were doing wrong, or if He had just gone on and on about how wonderful He was and how they should just follow in His footsteps, they would have been much shorter dinners (with less than desirable outcomes). Jesus engaged in authentic relationship with these people. He listened to their stories… He learned about their struggles and their hopes. Typically, only when people feel heard and understood, do they in turn open up and listen. It is interesting to observe the effects of authentic listening as a conversation skill. When people feel comfortable to open up (without fear of reprisal or being made fun of), and then truly heard and understood, they walk away saying “that was the best conversation.” Contrast that with conversations you’ve had where the person you are talking to is clearly just thinking about what they will say next, or scanning the room for who they want to talk to, or nodding at what you say, but clearly not listening… much less hearing you. An evening of those conversations, and you probably walk away thinking… what a “waste of time.” Remember, you are not on the clock to share your faith. Be patient. You work on engaging people in real relationships and let God work through you. If we don’t establish relationship… authentic caring & sharing… then it is doubtful that we will be able to share the joy of relationship with God. Discussion (10-15 minutes) o Share your experiences with good and bad conversations? What was the relationship like? Why was it good or bad? o How do conversations differ between people that you already have relationship with and people you are still getting to know? o Are there pitfalls in trying to share with people that you already have a history with?  You assume you know them (better than you really do)  You read into their words (less than perfect listening)  You/they have observed their/your actions (which may be inconsistent with your words) o How do personality differences play into this concept? (outgoing vs. quiet ….)

13 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Conclusion & Wrap Up (5 minutes) God is so amazing. We know that because, as Christians, we see how works in our lives. We see how he loves us despite our shortcomings. Our relationship with Him IS the meaning of life. How can we not share that with the people we encounter? Have you ever read a great book or seen an amazing movie and you just have this urge to share that with someone? “Have you seen it? Oh man, it such a great story…. And the characters are so amazing… you HAVE to see it!” or then you ask someone if they have seen it and they have seen it too… and you spend the next 10 minutes reliving portions of the story line or specifics that you enjoyed… That is how it should be with our faith. We are sitting on the most powerful and amazing information in the universe…. God’s love and redemption for our lives! The one thing that brings true meaning to our lives on this Earth… How can we not share that? How can we not be excited about it in ways that just make us want to burst at the seams? Prayer: God, you are so amazing. Help us with our fear and hesitation with sharing your love. Help us to be authentic and honest as we engage others in open conversation and build relationship. Thank you for giving us the wonderful gift of deep and abiding relationship. Thank you for loving us. Amen.

14 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 2: The following are key excerpts/points from several books. (Which are available as references – most of which I can get you copies of if you want to use more fully as you prepare your lessons. Additionally, the SMBC library has ordered extra copies of most of these books.) Note many of the points of these books were used in developing the core curriculum as well. From Bill Turner's "Anytime, Anywhere: Sharing Faith Jesus Style" Chapter 3 Luke 19: 1-10 – Zacchaeus Focus of this chapter is sharing faith with those who “have it made” - Jesus stops – he had set his face to Jerusalem (a very important journey) but he stops. - Jesus speaks to the emptiness (which implies that Jesus knew enough about him to know) - Jesus offers a relationship (it wasn’t a hit and run, it was a hit and stay) Chapter 5 John 3: 1-10 – Nicodemus Focus of this chapter is sharing faith with moral people - Jesus starts by redefining reality - Jesus starts a relationship From Brian McLaren's "More Ready Than You Realize" Accepting God... What is God like? Depends on who you ask... people tend to describe God as a bigger and better version of themselves. for conservatives, God is conservative for liberals, God is liberal for intellectuals, God is clothed in abstractions and complexities for the uneducated, God is a down-to-earth and simple kind of guy for the military man, God tends to be about power for the bureaucrat, God is about policies for the artist,God has wildness and beauty that inspires and attracts for the engineer, God's gradeur is in predictability, stability, definition- opposite qualities for those loved by the artist. for the social worker, God sides with the poor and oppresssed for the entrepreneur, God rewards the diligent and clever for the chauvinist, God is strong, virile, male for the feminist, she will tell you "Well, first of all, She is...." Western cultures reflect western sensibilities.... etc.. for other tribal cultures and subcultures.... God is elements of all of these versions... but each of these versions has its distortions, imbalances, gaps, excesses, and voids... Other Scriptures Romans 14:1 (the Message) Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. Romans 14:22 (the Message) Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.

15 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Week 3: Listen... to what people are saying... listen for God in your life

Purpose: This lesson outlines our role as Christians to listen for God in our lives and to be open and prepared for Him to work with us and through us in the lives of others. This lesson discusses the various opportunities that present themselves to all of us on a daily basis and various methods/approaches that can be used (that address the various personality type and spiritual gifts of each individual). An emphasis of this lesson is that sharing is personal and something that each individual is capable of with God's guiding hand. Scriptural Basis: Colossians 4:2-6 NIV 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. The Message 2-4 Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don't forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I'm locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I'll be able to make Christ plain as day to them. 5-6 Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. Key Question: How does God work through us to touch the lives of other people? How can we be open and prepared to let God use us to do that work? Introduction (10 minutes) Have you ever noticed that right after you buy a car (let’s say a silver Honda Pilot… for instance), that while you had never noticed there being vary many silver Honda Pilots before, suddenly, they were everywhere? Your brain was somehow “tuned” to notice every Honda Pilot and especially the silver ones. I think that this is really a good way to think about sharing. Once your brain is “tuned” to recognize opportunities to share and listen to God’s nudging, suddenly you find those opportunities at every turn. Sometimes it is just the turn of a natural conversation…”Hey, what did you do this weekend?” or “We should find a time to go out to dinner some time.” Then you can simply and naturally respond “I had a really great weekend doing …..at my church” or “You know, my church has a Kid’s Night Out coming up… we could drop off the kids and go out…” (oh… and while dropping of the kids, I wouldn’t be surprised if even more opportunities to talk about your church might present themselves.) Additionally, conversations about your church provide very natural paths to talking about faith and God. You don’t need to be ready with “the Roman Road” or “5 steps to faith” for this. All you need is to be open and observant to the opportunities that God places in front of you… and then just naturally share. As you get into your conversation, remember to “BE” in your conversation… listening… and not scheming for how you are going to interject your words of wisdom. Let God lead the conversation… all you have to do is be in the conversation and open to where it leads. The following notes are from Brian McLaren's "More Ready Than You Realize": If you know anything about Jesus at all, you probably know that he was an amazing conversationalist. Unlike the typical evangelist-caricature of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centruies, Jesus was short on sermons, long on conversations; short on answers, long on questions; short on abstractions and propositions, long on stories and parables; short on telling you what to think, long on challenging you to think for yourself; short on condemning the irreligious, long on confronting the religious. 16 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Recognize that some people have experiences with Christians where they are less tolerant and loving, less forgiving, less open and friendly, less honest and authentic, less human and humble... and they don't want to become that! Three Realizations 1. many people want to talk about God, but not just anybody is safe to talk to. 2. You have to see, like, approach, and serve people if you want to become their spiritual friend. 3. many people have stayed away from Christianity for God reasons.  our faith has too often become for us just another rigid belief system instead of a unique, joyful way of living, loving, and serving  our concern for getting our own and others' souls into heaven after we die has too often seduced us into neglecting our call to seek justice and mercy here and now on this earth;  faith has too often become for us a set of easy answers and cardboard explanations instead of a window into unfathomable mystery and a pathway into an awesome adventure. Many people have "embers" of belief that they have been working through over time... often it is about kindeling those embers into a flame by encouraging... letting them know that doubt and questions are all part of the journey.. that it is not about the rules, but about relationship. It is more important to keep a conversation going than to resolve every issue as it arises. As in John Dear’s “The Questions of Jesus” stresses, Jesus’ “evangelistic” style was primarily about asking questions, then listening. Discussion (10-15 minutes)  Ask class members to share their experiences with sharing and recognizing opportunities that God has opened up to them. o Consider prompting for experiences with friends and/or family, and then experiences with more casual acquaintances or random people. (what are the differences?) 

Ask class members to share reservations or fears about opening up to God working in their lives? Why don’t we do automatically do this more? o What if God wants me to do something “big”? (change is scary) o What if the conversation gets theological and I can’t answer the questions? (Honest answers about your faith and admitting to not have all of the answers if the best bet. You are not selling your faith or convincing someone that God exists… you’re just talking)

Conclusion & Wrap Up (5 minutes) God is working in all of our lives. As Christians, we are the body of Christ…. We are His hands, feet, and mouth… If we stay open to God working in our lives, He will weave us into others lives. Maybe it will just be a compliment that you give someone at just the right moment. Maybe it is a deep time of sharing that helps someone come to grips with their faith. God is weaving a tapestry of our lives. From our vantage point, all we can see is the back of the tapestry…. Dangling strings of many colors in seemingly random colors and lengths… But from the front, from God’s viewpoint, it is a beautiful, intricate tapestry. Pray that we, as Christ’s followers, will be open to Him working our lives… That we will listen for God’s gentle nudging and direction… That we will be willing and prepared to engage in sharing the love and abundance He provides in our lives… That we will share. Amen

17 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 3: The following are key excerpts/points from several books. (which are available as references – most of which I can get you copies of if you want to use more fully as you prepare your lessons. Additionally, the SMBC library has ordered extra copies of most of these books.) Note many of the points of these books were used in developing the core curriculum as well. From Ken Chafin's "The Reluctant Witness" You're Not Alone (John 16:8-14) God gives us the Holy Spirit to work with and through us. 1. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts individual of their sins. 2. The Holy Spirit convinces people of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 3. The Holy Spirit calls bpeople to conversion. "I do not convert anyone. I do not save anyone. I do not talk anyone into becoming a Christian." Do not use "sales" or "persuation" techniques... our responsibility is to share our experience with God, to share the love and acceptance that He has given us, and to help others "unravel their own stuff" and let God work... From Bill Turner's "Anytime, Anywhere: Sharing Faith Jesus Style" Chapter 4 Matthew 9: 18-26 – A Faithful Father’s daughter dies & a Woman in hiding – two people ready to give up Focus of this chapter is sharing faith with people in crisis and/or on the edges of our culture  Jesus is not helpless  Jesus listens  Jesus shares faith during an interruption  Jesus becomes a part of her life process  You may or may not be present when life-changing decisions of faith are made

18 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Week 4: Share... your faith... your family of God...

Purpose: This lesson provides concepts and exercises that engage each individual in possible opportunities in their lives to share (which sharing can include one-on-one dialog or simply inviting someone to a South Main event where the opportunities for dialog about faith is enhanced). This lesson should include activities to help individuals be able to articulate their stories about their personal faith. Scriptural Basis: Matthew 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." 2 Corinthians 4:13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak. Romans 10:15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Key Question: How can we keep what we know to ourselves? How can we become more effective in sharing our faith and/or our church with others? Introduction (5 minutes) In order for us to answer God’s call to share, we need the will, the skill, and the opportunity to share. If we are open, aware, and observant, God presents us opportunities in our daily lives. We don’t have to seek out people to share with. We just have to be open to how God is working all around us. The only skills required are the ability to authentically relate to people and to share our story. You don’t need formulas to memorize or methods that require you to be something you are not. God will use you and your story (even if you think your story isn’t special). While you don’t need any special skills, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to be prepared. You should know your story and be comfortable sharing it. Not just how you became a Christian, but what God’s done in your life, but also maybe how you’ve struggled with your faith. People seeking God and struggling with issues of faith don’t need people telling them how perfect they are or how they need to be more like you. They need people they can relate to… that understand what they are going through, people that don’t have it all figured out, people that accept them where they are. If you are someone who is really uncomfortable with talking about faith and God with others, then simply work to get them in the doors of the church. Church is a place where all people can think and talk about faith. That leaves us the “will.” Do we have the will to share? While most of us would likely answer yes to this question (at least while sitting in Sunday School), Monday through Saturday “life” still marches on. We mean it when we say it, but how do we translate that into action? While this is something each of has to struggle with, I think there may be some simple, concrete steps we can all take to making this happen. 1) Reflect – Take some time to think about the people in your life (family, neighbors, work, school, friends). Write down their names (get it out of the swirl of thoughts in your head and on paper… this makes a difference). Think about how you relate and interact with each of them. Consider if there are any opportunities that might be a good fit for them. 2) Remind – Put something on your fridge or in your planner or on your calendar to remind you that sharing is something you want to stay mindful of. Incorporate sharing into your prayer life (pray for God to work in your life and the lives of those you meet). 3) Prioritize – Different folks are motivated by different things. Each one of us must consider why this is important. The Share campaign has laid out lots of reasons and hopefully some of the sharing of stories has inspired you to want to share. Ultimately, the priority that will give to sharing is something that each of us must prayerfully consider and determine for ourselves. 19 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan 4) Commit – Make a written commitment to yourself. There is something about writing down our commitment that binds us. If you are worried about an open ended commitment (like a New Year’s resolution… which at times results in the guilt of one more broken promise to yourself), consider making your commitment for a finite duration (6 weeks). The great thing is that if we all try, even a little, God will work in our lives and in the lives of others. Lives will be changed, the family of God will grow, and God will be glorified. Discussion (15-20 minutes) “Sharing our Stories” Exercise Depending on group size and dynamic, this activity can vary in duration. As noted in the beginning of the Share Lesson Plan, for large groups, it may be necessary to split the 2nd half of the exercise across multiple weeks (i.e. last 10-15 minutes of each session). The following exercise has proved to be extremely helpful in getting people in touch with their faith story, comfortable with being able to express that story, and it provides community bonding in a way that can be extremely powerful. 1. Read 1 Peter 3:15 verse out loud. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.... “ 2. Pass out index cards and pens/pencils to each class member. 3. As you are passing out the supplies, explain that before we can really be prepared to share our faith with people outside the church, it is important that we are able to share our own stories with our church family. It can’t just live in your head, but needs to be written down or verbalized so that you can really understand how that sounds/feels. The more we share our story, the more comfortable we become with it and how it feels to share. 4. Instruct each person to take 2-3 minutes and write down their faith story. Emphasize that afterward, we will be asking if anyone would like to share their story, but that this is not mandatory. This story can be: a. How they became a Christian. b. How God has worked in their life in some way that is important to them. c. How they came to South Main. d. A particular struggle in faith that they are working through or have worked through. e. What they most appreciate about. 5. Ask if anyone would like to share what they wrote down. If no-one offers or there is a “lull”, consider providing your story as a way to break the ice. Alternately, you can read one of the many stories that are posted on the South Main blog as part of the Share Campaign (there are several and more will roll out during the weeks of the campaign). a. It is likely that this will take some time and need multiple weeks to get through the whole class. b. Another option is to use this exercise as the entire class time on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Sunday of the campaign (where the emphasis is Learning, Listening, and Sharing). c. Yet another option for some classes would be to use e-mail or discussion groups to send each other their stories. This is not quite as personal, but may be useful for folks not comfortable talking in public or classes with limited time. Conclusion & Wrap Up (5 minutes) There are so many ways that God can and will use us if we put ourselves out there. God works in this world through us, the body of Christ. That term “body of Christ” takes on real meaning when you consider that WE are His fingers, ears, mouth, feet, …. He speaks to people through us… He touches people through us, He helps people to feel heard, listened to, and loved through us…. Are we at South Main an active part of His body? Prayer: Lord, you are so amazing. Your love and patience are abundant. You have worked in our lives personally and corporately and you have blessed us. Help us to open up to the Holy Spirit working in and through us. Keep us mindful of your presence in our lives. Use us as you see fit. Amen. 20 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Alternative/Additional Points/References for Week 4: The following are key excerpts/points from several books. (which are available as references – most of which I can get you copies of if you want to use more fully as you prepare your lessons. Additionally, the SMBC library has ordered extra copies of most of these books.) Note many of the points of these books were used in developing the core curriculum as well. From Ken Chafin's "The Reluctant Witness" Draws on the story of Ananias (Acts 9:10-25) Lessons for the reluctant witness. 1. Fear is normal and can be controlled and used to great advantage. 2. God is already at work in the lives of those to whom he is sending us. 3. God has plans for the lives of those to whom we go. The Introducer (based on Simon and Andrew in John 1:40-42, 6:8-9, 12:20-22) Evangelism DOES begin at home. 1. Your home could be your base of operations for people to Jesus Christ. 2. A person can use his social life to become an introducer. 3. Sharing Christian friends is probably the easiest method. 4. It is possible to introduce people by sharing Christian events. Learn to Tell Your Story (Acts 22: 3-16) Reasons why a Christian ought to learn to use his own experiences in witnessing: 1. People identify with a testimony. 2. The personal testimony has authority in it. 3. The personal testimony can be used in many different situations. Helpful principles in learning to share with others 1. Let the main focus of your testimony be on the NOW of your experience with Christ. 2. Try to translate your witness into words which could be understood by a non-churchgoer. 3. Give sufficient details in your sharing that people can see you as a real person. Possible exercise: each person given 30 minutes to think about his/her experience and then write it down. Complete the 4 statements: 1) I have not always been a Christian.... 2) God showed me my need by.... 3) I made personal commitment to Jesus Christ. 4) the difference Christ is making in my life.... From Bill Turner's "Anytime, Anywhere: Sharing Faith Jesus Style" Chapter 2 John 4: 1-42 – Woman at the well Focus of this chapter is sharing your faith along the way. The “everydayness” of the story gives a sharp focus to the possibilities that surround believers every day. - Jesus is intentional - Jesus starts with his own humanity - His communication was not pre-packaged; it flowed naturally out of the context - Jesus followed through Chapter 6 Luke 9: 57-62 – three people window shopping Focus of this chapter is sharing faith with people who want something for nothing - Jesus speaks the truth. Words are important and can not be left unsaid. Faith is verbalized. - Jesus lives the truth. Life is to be lived consonant with what we verbalize.

21 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Chapter 7 John 1: 35-42 – Andrew The focus of this chapter is sharing faith with seekers of faith - Whatever plan you use (John 3:16; Rom. 3:23; 10:9; Acts 16:31), make it yours – filter your own faith experience through it so that it is specific. Generalities will never do. - Jesus starts where they are; with Andrew it was his longing. - Jesus makes himself available. Chapter 9 Matthew 25: 31-46 – A very important parable The focus of this chapter is the fact that sharing our faith with others is sharing our faith with Jesus. He also provides a summary of the book. - The uprooted and the lonely – Jesus - The ex-belongers – Jesus - The cynics – Jesus - The stranger – Jesus Additional data from Barna “Empty Pews” Study  Only ¼ of people looking for a church home are invited by someone.  Only 1 in 7 that are invited will attend. o It takes on average 5-7 invitations before someone will actually attend (usually due to hesitancy, scheduling, etc.)  Resulting math….Only 4% of those invited will actually come.

22 | P a g e

Share Campaign 2010 | Bible Study Lesson Plan Reference Materials This plan includes excerpts & concepts drawn from several references that may be helpful in augmenting your preparation. Please let Steve Rader or Amy Grizzle know if you would like a copy of one of these books to supplement your preparation. These books include: Possible Reference Books  Ken Chafin's "The Reluctant Witness" (in SMBC library)  Bill Turner's "Anytime, Anywhere - Sharing Faith Jesus Style"  "Becoming a Contagious Christian" - Mark Mittelberg, Lee Strobel & Bill Hybels  "Testimony (Talking Ourselves into Being Christian)" - Thomas Long  "Just a Walk Across the Room" - Bill Hybels Possible Images for Use in Lessons (courtesy of Linda B.) The Elephant in the Room…

What do You See? We already know about this. We already have enough guilt without anyone adding more.

What do you see? What do you think it’s trying to depict?

Because of your faith: LIVE DIFFERENTLY

Share

Why? If we do this –  Maybe this won’t be a picture of our lives or our church  We’ll wisely use what we have —rather than leaving the wheels in the cart

23 | P a g e