Lesson

11/18/07
We discussed Chapter 7 & 8 today. God's Good News & Lessons from the Master
The first chapter used different illustrations to relate with our relationship with God.
1. The Bridge~ God loved you so much that he asked his Son to serve as a bridge to span the chasm that separated you from Him.
2. Do vs. Done~ You don't have to earn your way into God's favor; the work that Christ accomplished on the cross declared payment for your sin "done".
3. The Morality Ladder~ Despite how good you are, you are far from perfect. The only way to make up your "morality gap" is by relying on Christ.
page 148 question #3 Which of these illustrations presented above most resonates with why you came to Christ?
We discussed Spiritual Openings; those opportunities to relate to others about our faith story. How do we handle it? Do we AVOID or ERUPT? Clam up or Over take them? We need to remember how we felt before we were believers in order to be effective.
Make sure if someone asks about our faith, we are able to respond!
Chapter 8 deals with Lessons from the Master
1. Bridge the Chasm~reach out to those whom we may view as unlovable
2. Ask Questions~seek to understand, see where they're at, develop friendships
3. Practice Patience~Be patient!
4. Beware of Rabbit Trails~they will challenge you, your beliefs and the Bible in an effort to distract you. Don't get off track with explanations.
5. Give hope to the hopeless~Give the idea of God's Grace. Explain -You are worthy! Pass on what God means to you.
Consider this from page 163 question 3: As you assess your own friendship patterns, whom do you typically reach out to?
Why do you think Christ encourages his followers to be radically accepting of ALL people?

Next week's lesson will be on Part 4 Grander Vision Living

Starting in December we will begin a new Advent study. Possibly Christmas Sermons. If anyone has any ideas, please email Julie.

Hebrew 13:15-16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Peace & Joy to you all! Beth Freehof