A07 Guiding Discovery, the 1st Third
List of the Online Lessons: A B C D E F G H
A07 Guiding Discovery, the 1st Third
Dozens of groups do Discovery around the Czech Republic with their friends, who don’t know Jesus yet! We’ve tried everything possible throughout the last years. The Discovery form I’m showing you here is the “most efficient” we’ve observed so far. And of course we are still learning…
The sessions are divided into THREE THIRDS. That is very important! You can download a very brief summary of the following steps as a card. Print that out and put it into your Bible for start as a small “cheat sheet”.
The first third is a look BACK. The second third of our meeting is a look UP. And then a look FORWARD comes. Each third has its own steps with a clear and important goal.
LOOK BACK
After we greet each other and have a beverage, the first step – MUTUAL CARE – comes.
“What are we grateful for this week?” Either people answer randomly or we go around. (Notice I ask “what are we grateful for”, not “how are we”. That’s a big difference. And I prefer to ask: “what are WE grateful for?” Not “what are you grateful for?” That means I’m putting myself on an equal ground with others, even when I’m guiding the meeting…)
The next question is: ”What are we worried about?” followed by: ”How can we help each other with that?” It’s really great if we can give practical help or recommend someone, who would! A community is being build! In some groups we need to watch the time during mutual care. If more people meet, ask rather a limited question: “What’s one thing we are grateful this week?” When there’s more than eight people split the group in half and share in smaller groups for a while.
The second step is called CELEBRATION OF JESUS. I just raise my eyes to the ceiling and say out loud a few sentences from what we’ve heard just now: “Jesus, thanks that Mary’s daughter is better now. And that George got promoted. And that Joseph passed the exam. Is there anything else we’ve mentioned?” Some of my unbelieving Georges often join me with a sentence…!
I also add other sentences to “celebrate Jesus” while raising my eyes: “Jesus, please, give Andrew strength and wisdom as he’s in a middle of his parents’ conflict. Please heal Peter’s mom. And also, speak to us, please, as we read another story about You. Something else?” (We add more items to “the celebration of Jesus” in the next phases…)
The following step of the first third (look back) is RETURN. The return to the last passage is so important that when you have to skip something, never skip this! Without “return” the Bible reading becomes just an intellectual talk with no impact on participants’ lives. Think about the possible impact of these questions when the whole group discusses them regularly and gets used to them. “What was the last passage about?” (Only a topic, not necessary to retell it.) “How did we manage to put our last discoveries into practice?” “Who did we share it with?”
Unbelievers usually respond to these questions better than believers! For one George it was completely natural to say to his assistant at work the next day: “Hi, Teresa, yesterday I read the Bible with my friends! Jesus miraculously made 600 litres of wine from water. I didn’t image Jesus that way at all…” And the assistant asked, where George was and what they did there. This sharing was pretty easy for George. However, even we believers have to set an example and always share our discoveries with someone.
That was very briefly the first third of Discovery: look BACK. If you didn’t catch something, you can find it in the script bellow this video.
Lord Jesus, Your presence among us at every Bible study is very important. I’m asking You again that every participant would always experience it. And that they would desire to be closer to You…
Here is a „cheat sheet“ to help you guide the Discovery Bible study.
Pdf contains four cards on one sheet. Print both sides.
