E04 George Guides the Discovery
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E04 George Guides the Discovery
When my George has been to three or four Discovery meetings, I say, „George, can you imagine guiding it next time? I’m going to give you a little teaser so you can remind the questions. And if you need anything I can help you…“
The majority answer is: „Sure, no problem!“ Many times we have asked an unconverted friend to guide the Bible study. He does not doing interpretation. He just guides the study through a series of preset questions. Some Georges are sensitive and skilled…
If guiding the whole Discovery is too much for some George, at first we give him only one third.
One unbelieving George took the meeting step by step according to the script. After the initial questions of „what are we thankful for“ and „what are we dealing with“, George raised his eyes and declared, „Jesus, please guide us in this reading and thinking…“ In fact, he heard a similar phrase in previous meetings.
When George guides the meeting, he has completely different relationship to the whole thing. He perceives the content of the text much more deeply, he observes the other participants better, and he becomes a natural part of this small informal community.
Do you remember the three main objectives of Discovery?
1. Getting to know living Jesus
2. Getting to know the Bible and
3. Creating communities that will reproduce.
George, who has led the meeting a few times, is more easily able to start a new group with his own friends. This is exactly what we want – that our new George will soon have generations of disciples behind him, and generations of new small informal communities as well.
Besides prayer effort, the main point of those massive Christian movements around the world is engaging brand new people immediately after they invite the Lord Jesus into their lives. All they have to do is learn the basics, practice them a few times under the supervision of someone a little more experienced, and they can win their friend for Jesus the same day! Or he can start his own Discovery with a few people. That’s how some do it in India and other places. We are trying the same thing…
Do you already have your own group over the Bible that includes your non-believing friends?
Peter (that’s a fake name), whom I led to Jesus years ago, wrote to me: „I watch your videos and they inspire me to think differently. My style is quite random. I find the videos excellent, natural, with admirably thoughtful approach. But when I turn the video off and try to imagine it for myself, it somehow doesn’t work for me.“
Kate (that’s a fake name), who is actively involved in this ministry with unconverted people and with new Discovery groups, told me after one session where she did it herself, „I showed it to the different groups about ten times at the training. After I had tried it so many times inside, then out there – with unbelievers – it was completely easy for me…
While Peter finds these videos inspiring (which I’m very happy about), young Kate has learned the basic tools to the point that she trains others in them. Then it’s totally easy for her to use it with her own unbelieving friends and with complete strangers!
What is your experience? I’m trying to show you that it’s not hard. All you need is a prayer background, enough practice, and then just sensitive application of simple steps – with people „out there“…
Lord Jesus, I ask You for courage of the friends who watch these videos. I pray that they will practice these important things enough and then go out with calm confidence to the people who will be saved for eternity…