WELCOME TO MY316!
If you could choose one way to teach everybody in
your church how to share Jesus with others, how
would you choose to do it? MY316 would be a good
option because it helps every church member, even
children, to not only share their testimony verbally,
but to put it into action as well.
MY316 does this by helping you use what you
already know to share Jesus with your friends and
family. You know John 3:16 and you know what He
has done for you; so, you already know all you need
to know to share Jesus with others.
Researchers tell us that John 3:16 is a verse that
most people in Oklahoma already know. This makes
it a familiar method to share. John 3:16 is the
gospel in a nutshell. This makes it a thorough way to
share. John 3:16 was originally spoken by Christ
Himself. This makes it a powerful way to share! And
what better way to share your own story than
linking it with the powerful words of our Lord!
So, we hope you will use this valuable resource to
equip your people to effectively reach your
community for Jesus Christ in a personal and
powerful way.
TWO OPTIONS
We have provided you with two options to utilize
MY316.
OPTION ONE: We have included complete lesson
plans for five sessions that will fit into a normal
Sunday School time frame. This will allow your
group to work through the MY316 emphasis in
detail and to practice the various elements as a
group.
OPTION TWO: We have also included a MY316
Highlight plan. This is a 10-12 minute emphasis that
you could use at the beginning of your class period
each week to encourage your members to get
involved in reaching their friends and family and to
“take it personally.”
RESOURCES
Each downloaded session has a lesson plan for the
leader and student handouts to help with note
taking and assignments.
In addition, optional pieces can be downloaded
from www.bgco.org/MY316. You can also call
Lindsey Craig at (405) 942-3000 ext. 4313 to order
materials.
Also, visit www.MY316.com
and read the
information and testimonies to see how God is
blessing people and how He is using this powerful
witnessing tool. You can even add your own
thoughts and stories.
WEEK ONE: STORIES
BEFORE THE SESSION BEGINS
Copy Worksheets (1 per member).
Gather Pens or Pencils.
Read through your lesson plan and work
through the worksheet for yourself so you
can lead others through it.
Prepare optional posters, handouts or
visuals as suggested to highlight the session
(see attached page for suggestions).
REMEMBER: This is MY 316. You want your class to
take it personally and interject themselves into the
story. This means you will need to focus on being a
facilitator, not a lecturer. At times you may have to
endure the awkwardness of silence as people
consider some things they have never looked at
before. You can help this process by looking ahead
each week and making a personal contact or two
with some class members, asking them to be
prepared to share in class.
Be aware that your class may have lost people
present as well, so there may be items that they
cannot share experientially. Pray that by hearing
the stories of others, they may realize that
something is missing from their lives.
What a
blessing if your first “MY316” victories came from
those closest to you!
OPENING
Take a few minutes to open your class with some of
your usual procedures (welcome guests, call for
prayer requests or reports, announcements, etc.).
INTRODUCTION:
EVERYBODY HAS A STORY
Everybody has a story and most everybody loves to
tell it. It may be a favorite vacation story, a funny or
special pet they had, that frantic trip to the hospital
maternity ward, and the list could go on and on.
The truth is, we all have many of those stories and
we love to tell them over and over in spite of how
many times you’ve already heard them.
Verbal Activity: Ask 3-4 class members to share one
of these stories, but warn them ahead of time that
they only have 1 minute to share the story. Appoint
a time keeper!
It’s hard to tell these stories in a limited time, isn’t
it? It’s hard to summarize all of the feelings, events
and outcomes that succinctly. So, imagine how
difficult it might be to summarize your life in a
couple of sentences! Certainly you couldn’t recall
specific events, dates or characters. But could you,
in one short thought, in a brief paragraph of 2-3
sentences, sum up the purpose and plan of your
life? Try it.
Worksheet Activity: On the worksheet, ask them to
write a brief paragraph of 25 words or less that
would sum up their life’s purpose, goal or focus.
After a few minutes, ask a few people to share
what they wrote.
HIS STORY
Jesus was a master story teller and could say a lot in
very little space. His parables are literary
masterpieces. Most of these parables were less
than a dozen verses. One of the longest, “The
Prodigal
Son,” was less th
21
a
vers
n
es
a
,
page long,
and yet Charles Dickens called it the greatest short
story ever written!
In just 33 years on this earth, Jesus lived a full life.
Read John 21:24-25
. John, a personal witness of
only three years of that life, says that a library as big
as the earth could not contain His story. And since
He was here before time, it could truly be said that
all of history is HIS story.
But the master storyteller on more than one
occasion summarized His life in a single statement.
Worksheet Activity: Ask various class members to
look up the verses listed on the worksheet (Matthew
18:11; Matthew 20:28; Mark 2:17; Luke 4:43; Luke
19:10; John 3:17; John 10:10) and read them aloud
to the class. How would you sum up His purpose?
These verses are just a sampling of the statements
that Christ made about Himself, which were echoed
by many of the men who penned the Scriptures. But
of all of those “red letter verses” none is more
beloved, more widely known or more descriptive of
His life purpose than this:
Read John 3:16 from the NIV and display your John
3:16 poster. Leave it up during the 5 week emphasis
as a reminder and memory tool.
“
For God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish but have eternal life.
”
(NIV)
That’s
Twe
it!
nty-six words! The gospel in a
nutshell! The reason Christ came to this earth…the
summation of His life’s purpose. He showed God’s
love by giving up His life so that we could have life!
And thanks to that, we can now be a part of His
story!
OUR SPIRITUAL HERITAGE
There is only one way to receive this gift of eternal
life. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) says it this way:
“
For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God- not by works, so that no one
can boast
.” (N
)
IV
Some of us came to the knowledge of this saving
grace at a very early age. Some found it much later
in life. Some of us struggled to accept it while
others found it much easier. It is a very individual
decision as unique as our own life stories. And still,
through the years we have seen some identifiable
similarities in the testimonies of those who have
found the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
The first similarity is the power of prayer.
Ultimately, it is the power of prayer that brings
salvation. That moment when we confess our sins
and ask Him to forgive us and be our Savior is the
moment that salvation comes to the new believer.
But more often than not, long before we said that
prayer, there were others praying for us. Some
prayed for our protection that we would live long
enough to see the day we would utter the sinner’s
prayer. Others prayed for our brokenness so we
would humble ourselves before God. Still others
prayed for our enlightenment, that we would see
and understand His gift of salvation. Some of these
people were well known to us, grandparents,
parents, siblings, pastors, and youth leaders. Others
were silent warriors who we may never know, but
they were praying that we would know Him.
Worksheet Activity: Who prayed for you? Using
names, initials or symbols, list the people who you
knew were praying for your salvation. Ask if anyone
would share about someone from their list.
A second similarity was the shared Word. It may
have been in a single revival service, a week of
camp or a weekly Sunday School class over a long
period of time, but more than likely, someone
shared the gospel with you. They may have given
their own testimony, told a Bible story or shared a
tract, but somehow or another, they helped you see
that you were a sinner and in need of God’s
forgiveness. And while we are grateful for the great
evangelistic crusades of preachers like Billy Graham,
it is highly likely that the person who shared their
faith with you was a parent, a friend or a Sunday
School teacher.
Worksheet Activity: Who shared with you? Using
names, initials or symbols, list the people who
shared their faith with you in one form or another.
Ask if anyone would share about someone from
their list.
A third similarity was the example of a Christ-like
life. It’s one thing to give lip service to the Lord, but
another thing to live the Christian life. The world
today is not blessed to have personally seen Christ
in the flesh, but they are still hungering for His love.
And Ch
s rist’plan is for us to be a witness…an
example… of that love. And He has empowered us
to do just that!
Acts 1:8,
“
But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth." (NIV)
Recently my seven year old son and I were at a
baseball tournament and he asked if he could buy a
T-
shirt with the “sports” verse on it. My curiosity
got the best of me and I asked him about the sports
verse. He
.
said
4:13, I
,
can
“P
d
h
o
il
all things
through Christ who strengthens me”. Now I don’t
know if he had seen Florida’s quarterback, Tim
Tebow, wearing Phil. 4:13 on his eye-black during
games or if this was some new phenomenon I was
just catching on to. I actually grew up thinking that
the “sports verse” was John 3:16. Remember the
guy with the Rainbow wig and John 3:16 poster? His
name was Rollen Stewart, who became somewhat
of a celebrity wearing that wig and holding that
poster.
During the 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship
Game, Tim Tebow actually switched his eye-black
message from Phil. 4:13 to the namesake verse of
our evangelism training, John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life."
(NIV)
Brian Lowery wrote a great post on Tim Tebow and
his switching the verses that he proudly displayed
before playing the National Championship Game.
You can find the article here:
http://blog.preachingtoday.com/2009/01/you_me_
tim_tebow_and_john_316.html
Our journey to faith in Jesus Christ has been
influenced by many Godly people, some directly,
some indirectly.
Worksheet Activity: Who lived Christ for you? Using
names, initials or symbols, list the people who you
respected for their walk as a Christian. Ask if anyone
would share about someone from their list.
MY316:
PRAYING, SHARING, SERVING
Jesus was the ultimate example of what we have
just discussed. He prayed for us when He walked
this earth (John 17) and He still prays for us
(Hebrews 7:25). He shared the testimony of the
gospel with us in His teachings and He showed us
the gospel in His service. Now He invites us to link
our story to His and do the same, not in our power
but His.
MY316 is a tool to help us hold ourselves and each
other accountable to be like Jesus.
(Use the MY316
visual you made here and leave it up during the
emphasis.)
“MY” obviously emphasizes that this is a
personal
commitment.
OUR3
It’s
16 but M
n
Y3
o
16
t
.
And while we will all rejoice in the fruit of this labor,
we are still each commanded and expected to do
our part (I Corinthians 3:13-15).
Ove
r the next four weeks, we will look at “MY316”
from this perspective:
MY3: Who are the 3 people that God would have
me pray for? We will discuss prayer, its power and
purpose. We will join with you in encouraging each
other to pray for the lost and for the opportunity
for someone… perhaps you…to share the gospel
with them.
MY1: Who is 1 person with whom God is leading
you to share your testimony? We will show you
how to share your story in a simple and powerful
way by integrating it into John 3:16.
MY6: What are 6 ways I can serve others? Faith
without works is dead (James 2:20) and is often
more detrimental to the sharing of the gospel than
if we had said nothing at all. Jesus commanded us
to be a servant to all. We will look at what the Bible
says about serving and will come up with 6 creative
and innovative ways to serve others and show
Christ’s love.
Find six ways to serve others:
-
Serve in your community alongside non-
believers.
-
Serve others by focusing outward. We are
consumerist, so think of others and you will
be presented with many opportunities to
serve.
-
Serve others by engaging them where they
are.
- Serve others
with purpose. Don’t simply
serve others and stop there; serve them
knowing that they need Christ. Even as a
financially strapped college student you can
simply make a small sacrifice and buy a cup
of coffee or lunch.
-
Serve others by making yourself available
for a project they are working on.
-
Serve others by putting their interests over
your own.
And finally we will wrap up our emphasis by giving
you some great material to share with those you
lead to the Lord to help answer their questions and
grow them in the faith.
CLOSING
Evangelism doesn’t hap
it mu
p
st
en by accident and
become personal and intentional if we are going to
win a world that is rapidly heading down the wrong
road. “MY316” is not a magic formula, but simply a
reminder that to win the world we must pray, share
and serve, and we must take it personally.
Ask for the
class’ commitment and pray for your
class as they accept this responsibility.
WEEK ONE: STORIES
–
Option 2
Ask for a couple of volunteers to attempt to
summarize the essence of their life story in 25
words or less. After they make their attempts, point
out that, while Jesus was a master storyteller whose
personal history transcends time, He actually
summed up the essence of His own story in 25
words. We find it in John 3:16. Read the verse or
ask if anyone can quote it. Researchers tell us that
this verse is quite possibly the most well known
piece of Holy Scripture, quoted by believers and
non-believers.
We all have unique life stories and yet, when we
examine our spiritual heritages, we often find some
common elements in the majority of Christians’
spiritual heritages.
1) Somebody shared the story of Christ with
them.
2) Somebody prayed for them.
3) Somebody showed t
hem God’s love in acts
of service.
4) A
nd, of course, all
not pe
o
rish
f
,
them “shall
but have eternal
life.”
Knowing this, the Baptist General Convention of
Oklahoma has launched MY316.com, an emphasis
that calls on each of these commonalities in an
effort to encourage and train the members of our
churches to get personally involved in reaching their
lost friends and family members.
(Consider using a poster to illustrate the following
and serve as a visual reminder for the next few
weeks. A suggested layout can be found in the
Lesson 1 materials.)
MY: Take it personally. We are all commanded to be
witnesses for Him.
3: Ask God to burden you for 3 lost friends for
whom you will pray daily and focus your service.
1: Share your life story and your John 3:16
testimony with at least 1 of these three and become
involved in the one-on-one discipleship of a new
believer.
6: Determine 6 ways you can serve these three
people to show them practically the love of God.
MY316.com is a clever way to remember this, but it
is only a slogan if we
don’t take it personally and get
involved. Over the next 4 weeks, we will give you
some suggestions on how you can get involved. For
more information and additional resources, visit
www.bgco.org/MY316.
SESSION ONE: STORIES
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and
only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life.
JOHN 3:16 (NIV)
In
25 words or less…
Sum up
your life’s purpose, goal or focus.
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Look it up!
Matthew 18:11
Matthew 20:28
Mark 2:17
Luke 4:43
Luke 19:10
John 3:17
John 10:10
Who Prayed?
Who Shared?
Who Served?
SESSION ONE
POSTER / HANDOUT SUGGESTIONS
John 3:16 Poster
Under the section entitled
“His Story” we suggest
you make a large poster of the verse from the New
International Version and leave it in a highly visible
place through the study. This will keep everyone
using the same wording.
You may also consider printing copies on index
cards, or distributing blank cards and having
everyone write their own copy (we learn by doing),
and encourage them to hang this on the bathroom
mirror, in the middle of their steering wheel, on
their computer screen, or wherever they would see
it on a regular basis as a memory tool and a
reminder of the MY316 emphasis.
MY316 Visual
As a visual aid for the
section entitl
Y316:
ed “M
Praying, Sharing, Serving,
” and as a reminder for the
next four weeks, make a visual that will help the
class remember the elements of MY316. Be
creative!
One suggestion would be to cut out individual
letters and numbers from colored butcher paper or
construction
paper to spell out “MY316.” On four
strips of paper, write the words personal, prayer,
share and serve. Using four different colors for the
letters and matching words would help make the
correlations clear. Hang these on the wall as they
appear on the worksheet (see at right) and then
refer to it each week.
For God so loved
the world that He gave His one and only
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NIV)
WEEK TWO: SHARE
BEFORE THE SESSION BEGINS
Order enough MY316 Tracts from the
website for each class member to have
three. www.bgco.org/MY316
Copy Worksheets (1 per member).
Gather Pens or Pencils.
MY316 is encouraging people to share their
faith with one another; the chairs set up in
a circle can help facilitate talking to others
face to face about their faith.
Welcome
1. Greet each person as they enter the room.
(You or a team of greeters)
2. Be prepared and ready for conversation as
each person enters your room.
3. Make sure everyone has paper to write on.
4. Begin each week sharing the MY316
purpose:
“MY316 helps you use what you
already know, your story and John 316, to
share Jesus with your friends and family.
”
Introduction
Memorize John 3:16
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He
gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish but have eternal
life.”
“
What is Christianity? Some say it is
a philosophy, others say it is an
ethical stance, while still others
claim it is actually an experience.
None of these things really get to
the heart of the matter, however.
Each is something a Christian has,
but not one of them serves as a
definition of what a Christian is.
Christianity has at its core an
interaction between a person and
God. A person who becomes a
Christian moves from knowing
about God distantly to knowing
about him directly and intimately.
Christianit
y is knowing God.”
Tim Keller, How Can I Know God,
www.redeemer2.com
The goal of MY316 is not simply to know the verse
John 3:16, but that it would be a tool for people to
know God!
Today we are going to look at the MY316 tract and
become familiar with the verse and connect it to
our own personal story.
“Watch
the
in
life
g
of a contagious
Christian won’t be enough.
Somebody has to articulate the
gospel to them by spelling out who
God is, what kind of damage our sin
has caused, and how each of us
needs to receive the forgiveness and
life that Christ offers. But in order
for that to happen, we must take
the initiative and steer discussions
toward spiritual topics.
That’s
where things really get exciting.”
Bill Hybels, Becoming A Contagious
Christian.
We will take each phrase of the verse, share about
its meaning and then discover how we can tie it to
our story. Give people time to write their story on
the handout you provided as you cover each
section. At the close of the session, you can have
people post their stories on the wall or encourage
them to finish their story at home this week and
bring it back next week to post.
For God so loved
Scripture is very clear that God is love! The world
thinks it understands love, just like it thinks it loves
God. So what is God’s love? Today, there are many
who think that
God’s love is universal.
Most people love those who love
them, God loves and seeks the good
even of people who are his enemies.
But because God is good and loving,
he
cannot
tolerate
evil.
The
opposite of love is not anger, but
indifference. “The more you love
your son, the more you hate in him
the liar, the drunkard, the traitor,”
(E. Gifford). To imagine God’s
situation, imagine a judge who also
is a father, who sits at the trial of
his guilty son. A judge knows he
cannot let his son go, for without
justice no society can survive. How
much less can a loving God merely
ignore or suspend justice for us
—
who are loved, yet guilty of
rebellion
against
his
loving
authority?
Tim Keller, How Can I Know God?
www.redeemer2.com
Relate your story to how God loved you right where
you were at the point of understanding your need
for Christ. Share about God’s love from your
perspective and how you experienced it firsthand.
Who - The World!
God tells us that the world matters to Him, but even
more than that each individual in the world matters
to Him. We matter so much to Him, that He was
willing to sacrifice His own Son. He did this so that
we could become a part of His world
–
His eternity.
Share your story of how you would define your
living “in the world” before coming to Christ.
Why
–
That He gave His one and only Son
“The doctrine of substitution is
probably the one part of the
Christian gospel that the world
hates most.
People are simply
disgusted at the idea of Jesus being
punished for someone else’s sin.
More than one author has called it
“divine child abuse.” And yet to
toss
substitutionary
atonement
aside is to cut out the heart of the
gospel. To be sure, there are many
pictures in Scripture of what Christ
accomplished with this death;
example, reconciliation, and victory,
to name two. But underneath them
all is the reality to which all the
other images point
- penal
substitution.
You simply cannot
leave it out, or even downplay it in
favor of other images, or else you
litter the landscape of Scripture with
unanswered questions.
Why the
sacrifices? What did that shedding
of blood accomplish? How can God
have mercy on sinners without
destroying justice?
What can it
mean that God forgives iniquity and
transgression and sin, and yet by no
means clears the guilty (Ex. 34:7)?
How can a righteous and holy God
justify the ungodly (Romans 4:5)?
The answer to all these questions is
found at the cross of Calvary, in
Jesus’ substitutionary death for his
people. A righteous and holy God
can justify the ungodly because in
Jesus’ death, mercy and justice were
perfectly reconciled. The curse was
righteously executed, and we were
m
ercifully saved.”
Greg Gilbert, What is the Gospel? pg. 68-69.
This is the heart of the Gospel. If we ever get away
from the cross and try to substitute it with our
works or what we do then we can relate to Paul in
Galatians 2:21, "I do not set aside the grace of
God; for if righteousness could be gained through
the law, Christ died for nothing!" (NIV)
That whoever believes in Him!
Mark 1:15 says "The time has come," he said. "The
kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the
good news!" (NIV)
Jesus began his ministry by
preaching “repent and believe in the gospel” This is
God’s requirement of us in response to the gospel.
Throughout the New Testament, this is what the
disciples are calling people to do.
Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that
your sins may be wiped out, that times of
refreshing may co
(
me
NIV)
from the Lord.”
Acts 26:20
“
First to those in Damascus, then to
those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the
Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent
and turn to God and prove their repentance by
their de
(NIV
e
)
ds.”
Repentance is not optional! When you are relating
your story to MY316, take time to speak about the
repentance that took place in your life. Repentance
is turning away from your sin and turning to God.
Shall not perish but have eternal life
“
When you stand before God at the
judgment, I wonder what you plan
to do or say in order to convince
Him to count you righteous and
admit you to all the blessings of His
Kingdom?
What good deed or
godly attitude will you pull out of
your pocket to impress him? Will
you
pull
out
your
church
attendance? Your family life? Your
spotless thought life? The fact that
you haven’t done anything really
heinous in your own eyes? I wonder
what you’ll hol
Him
d up before
while sayi
on
n
ac
g
cou
“
n
God
t of
,
this, justify me!
“I’ll tell you what every Christian
whose faith is in Christ alone will do,
by God’s grace. They will simply
and quietly point to Jesus. And this
will be their pl
ea: “O God, do not
look for any righteousness in my
own life. Look at your Son. Count
me righteous not because of
anything I’ve done or anything I am,
but because of Him. He lived the
life I should have lived. He died the
death that I deserve.
I have
renounced all other trusts, and my
pleas, Him alone. Justify me, O God,
because of Jesus.”
Greg Gilbert, What is the Gospel? pg. 83.
WEEK TWO: SHARE
–
Option 2
In John 9 we find one of the most powerful and
convincing testimonies given in the scriptures. It is
that of a man, blind from birth, who Jesus healed
with a divine mud pack. After his healing, this
unschooled, baby believer was called before the
religious leaders of the day to give an account of his
healing, which he gave willingly and excitedly.
As usual, the religious leaders were attempting to
accuse Jesus of wrong-doing so they could label Him
a sinner. The formerly blind man heard these
accusations and when pressed a second time for his
take on what had happened he said,
"
…whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One
thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.”
John 9:25 (NIV)
That’s the bottom line of a strong testimony…
simply telling what you KNOW to be true and saying
it like, rather, because you believe it!
A famous Bible teacher was once asked, “What is
the greatest thought you ever had?” His answer
was: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells
me so.” When we KNOW what the Bible tells us
and we couple it with what we KNOW has
happened to us, sharing our faith testimony
becomes much easier.
Our personal story provides a wonderful opening
that engages people with the personal and practical
nature of salvation. John 3:16 provides the perfect
outline for the plan of salvation as it does several
things for us.
It keeps our presentation Biblical
It keeps my story familiar
It invokes the power of the Word
It keeps us efficiently on task
It leads to a logical conclusion
It will take practice, but the payoff could be eternal
for those with whom we share. Here is a sample
testimony from the MY316.com study which
illustrates how a person could share their own
story, transition to His story and share the plan of
salvation, and all in less than 10 minutes.
For a lot of years I was
ow
kind of a mess. I didn’t kn
what I wanted, so I tried a little of everything, but
none of it really made me happy or gave me any
real satisfaction. A couple of my co-workers seemed
to kind of have it all together, but I think I was too
envious to ask them about it. Besides, we d
idn’t
exactly run in the same circles. But one day, one of
them shared with me at coffee break how they had
really struggled early in life…he even mentioned
some of the very things I was wrestling with. I
asked him how he got over it and he told me it was
when he found Jesus and discovered that the secret
to a full and meaningful life was in knowing Him.
The more he talked, the more I knew that was what
I was looking for. A couple of days later after work I
asked him how I could know Jesus like that and,
right there in the lobby of our building, I asked Jesus
to forgive me of my sins and to help me change the
way I was living. Since then, I have had a much
different outlook on life. I find greater purpose in
what I do and I’ve even fo
nd
und the strength to me
a few of the bridges I burned before I knew Him.
And you know, the longer I know the love of Jesus,
the more I understand the things He said. Like when
He said, “For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not per
ish but have ever
well, do
lasting life,”
you realize what that means?
It says, “For God so loved…” you know I never knew
how much God loved me until I let my guard down
and opened my heart to let Him love me. But the
cool part is, He doesn’t just love me, He loves you,
too. In fact it says
the
tha
world
.”t “God so loved
Not just church people, not just preachers or
missionaries but the whole world. He loves us even
when we are not being good. And He showed that
because it says He so lo
one
ved us “that He gave His
and only Son
.” “Gave” is a short word that sums up
a lot. Whe
n you read the whole story you’ll learn
that He gave Him to be mocked, beaten, and
crucified for our sins. The Bible says that even while
we were sinning, He loved us enough to let that
happen. And then He says, “That whoever believes
in Him.” Tha
whoe
t
ver
mean
truly beli
s
eves He loves
us that much. It means that we know and believe
Christ really died for us and that He rose from the
grave to be our Lord and Savior. To believe He is
Lord means to turn away from our sin and the
things that defeat us, and trust Jesus to save us
from our sin. And then comes the coolest part of all,
“shanllot perish but have eternal life.” We don’t
deserve His love at all, but for those who believe, He
wants to give it to you now and forever. We get to
live with Him and experience His love forever.
MY316.com can help you become a powerful
witness for Christ as it teaches you to share your
faith efficiently and effectively.
Week Two Handout
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Using the following phrases from John 3:16 to tell the story of how God impacted your life. You
can write your story or use symbols or drawings to make it more personal.
For God so loved:
Relate your story of how God loved you right where you were at the point of
understanding your need for Christ.
The world:
Share how you were living in the world before coming to Christ.
That He gave His one and only Son:
What does it mean to you for God to make that king of
sacrifice for you?
That whoever believes in Him:
Explain the role that repentance played in your coming to
Christ.
Shall not perish, but have eternal life:
Explain what it means to you to know that you will live
with Christ throughout this life and in the life to come.
WEEK THREE: PRAY
BEFORE THE SESSION BEGINS
Gather Pens or Pencils.
Order enough MY316 Prayer Cards for your
class from www.bgco.org/MY316.
MY316 is encouraging people to share their
faith with one another; the chairs set up in
a circle can help facilitate talking to others
face to face about their faith.
Have your prayer target ready to place on
the wall of your class today.
Have pieces of paper ready for individuals
to place on the prayer target.
Have a prayer card ready with the name of
the person you are praying for and the
person making the request. Teachers keep
this card for
sson
nex
.
t week’s le
Have your time planned with your class.
Don’t spen
o much
d
tim
to
e in areas where
you are not talking about your lesson this
morning (ex. Announcements). Be creative
with prayer requests so they do not take a
majority of your time.
Welcome
1. Greet each person as they enter the room.
(You or a team of greeters)
2. Be prepared and ready for conversation as
each person enters your room.
3. Make sure everyone has a handout.
4. Begin each week sharing the MY316
purpose:
“MY316 helps you use what you
already know, your story and John 316, to
share Jesus with your friends and family.
”
Power of Prayer
Introduction
“Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as
breathing is of life.
” Jonathan Edwards
My316 is most effective when we have bathed our
desire to share the Gospel in prayer!
Jonathan Edwards has a sermon on Genesis 32:26-
29 entitled,
“The Way
Obtain
to
the Blessing of God
is Not to
Let Him Go Except
The
He Bless Us.”
sermon expresses how many times the Bible
commands us to repeatedly pray for God’s
blessings. He gives three reasons why it’s necessary
to pray repeatedly.
First, Edwards believed God commands us to do this
so that we would not be self-sufficient. If God
blessed us without a lot of prayer, the outcome
would not be thankfulness for his blessings, but
expectance of his Godly favor as our right.
Secondly, Edwards believed praying repeatedly is
God’s way of preparing our hearts to rejoice in Him.
God is the creator of our blessings, and without
prayer, we would fail to realize that and thus, rob
ourselves of our joy.
Lastly, Edwards believed that repeatedly praying for
His blessing when done corporately binds our
hearts together. When we pray corporately for
someone, that person feels a strong support, and
the result is a more prepared heart and better
spiritual vision.
Jonathan Edwards wrote about the spiritual
awakening that happened in his church. It was used
as a model for many and instrumental in the First
Great Awakening. The American church today is in
need of another Great Awakening and the first
place to begin is with prayer! We are reminded in
Edwards’s sermon that we cannot be self sufficient,
that our Hope is in Him, and that we are dependent
on the prayers of others!
Power of Prayer
Read Colossians 1:9-14
Read Ephesians 3:14-21
Scotty Smith writes a daily blog of prayers for the
Gospel Coalition.
If you are like me you may
struggle with putting words to your prayers. Scotty
has a way of helping to see how powerful prayer is
and here is a great blog written about praying for
your friends.
A Prayer About Praying for Friends
www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/
scottysmith
As for me, far be it from me that I
should sin against the LORD by
failing to pray for you. And I will
teach you the way that is good and
right. But be sure to fear the LORD
and serve him faithfully with all
your heart; consider what great
things he has done for you. 1
Samuel 12:23-24 (NIV)
Dear Lord Jesus,
a lot more
there’s
to friendship than praying for my
friends, but I haven’t really been a
good friend unless
I’ve prayed and
continue
to pray for them…
especially in the face of heart-woes
and heart-wars
.
As I begin this day, bringing specific
friends before your throne of grace,
I do so resting in the wonder that
you call me your friend, and that
you are constantly advocating and
interceding for me, and all your
beloved. There’s nothing I can really
add to the perfection of your
intercession, but I can surely
participate in it. Indeed, how can I
enjoy such a rich standing in grace
and not “stand in the gap” for my
friends? You tell me that I fail you
—
I sin against you by failing to pray
for my friends, so h
ere I come…
For my friends with broken hearts
…
Jesus, I pray for the reach and touch
of your tear-wiping hand. Spare
them from those (of us) who would
“heal their wounds lightly.” Heal
them in such a fashion that will
leave them mercy-full, not merely
pain-free.
For my friends with angry hearts
…
Jesus, I pray you will dialogue with
them the way you entered Jonah’s
rage. “Do you have a right to be
angry?”, you asked the conflicted
prophet. I’m not praying you will
simply make my angry friends
sweet. Help them see the sad
behind the mad… the pettiness in
the petulance… and the real hurt
being mishandled in more hurtful
ways.
For my friends with fearful hearts
…
Jesus, I pray you will bring your
centering, calming presence to
bear. To be fearful is one thing, but
to be fearful and alone is almost
unbearable. Place your hand upon
them in the gospel
—
the way you
touched
the
Apostle
John
(Revelation 1:17-18). Speak deep
into their hearts, “Do not be afraid. I
am the First and the Last. I am the
LivingOne.”
(NIV)
For my friends with deceived
hearts
… Jesus, we’re prone to
wonder and you’re prone to come
after us. For my friends with hearts
en route to being hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin… those under
Satanic spells… those who are
simply selfish, stubborn and s
tupid…
Jesus, rescue them before they bring
any more harm to themselves and
others, I pray.
Jesus, help
sta
a
rting
ll
with
of us…
me
… help all of us constantly
remember what great things you
have done for us
,
so that we might
fear you with affectionate reverence
and serve you faithfully with all our
hearts. So very Amen, I pray, in your
grace-full name.
So what can I do to pray for my friends?
“A prayerless Christian will never learn God’s truth;
a prayerless ministry will never be able to teach
Godt’s
ru
E.M.
th.
B
”
ounds
“If you may have everything by asking in His Name,
and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how
absolutely vital
C. H. Spurgeo
p
n
rayer is.”
"Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the
mission of the church as it advances against the
powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising
that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a
domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts
in the den...Until you know that life is war, you
cannot know what prayer is for: Prayer is for the
accomplishment of a wartime mission."
John Piper
It is vital that we pray! Pray for wisdom, growth,
and guidance as your class looks to be missional in
nature. The gravity pull of tradition, preference,
and our own busy schedules can easily keep us
where we are from where God desires us to be.
Create a Lost Friends List
It is important to identify our friends who don’t
know Christ and begin to pray for them. Using the
handout provided, start writing down the names of
people in your circle of i
nfluence that don’t know
Jesus personally. There are a few suggested areas
you can start with including people you work with,
family members and friends.
Feel free to add
others as well. After you have finished your list,
pray and ask God to identify three of these he
would want you to pray for in the weeks to come. If
He reveals those to you during our time together,
circle those names and transfer them to the MY316
prayer card so you’ll have a reminder to carry with
you. Otherwise, keep asking God to reveal those
names to you this week and then place each name
on the prayer card as He reveals it. Understand
this, if God is revealing this name to you, then you
can be confident that He is either currently at work
in this person’s li
to begi
fe,
n. H
o
e is
r He has plans
inviting you to be part of the miraculous encounter
He is planning for this individual.
Create a prayer target for a wall in your class. List
work associates, neighbors, acquaintances, and
family members.
The target will have three
concentric circles; the outside circle will have all of
the names that you are praying for. The middle
circle will be those who you have had the
opportunity to verbally tell about Christ. The inner
circle will be for those who have trusted Christ as
their personal Lord and Savior.
Praying for Three
Everyone should have three people they can be
praying for. Pray for them daily. If possible journal
your specific prayers for them.
God may be
answering prayers and one day you may have the
opportunity to show them your specific prayers for
them during this time. How powerful is it for us to
show them after God has begun a work in them
that we have been praying for them!
CLOSING
Remind your class of the following:
1)
If they haven’t already done so, encourage
them to write out their personal story and
practice it. Encourage them to bring their
finished testimonies to small group next
week and post it with the others.
2) Continue practicing their plan of salvation
presentation using John 3:16 (NIV).
3) Encourage them to ask God this week to
help them focus in on three specific people
from their prayer list, and ask Him to send
laborers into the field to witness to them.
Ask Him specifically for the opportunity to
share one-on-one with one of these people
and begin preparing and watching for that
opportunity.
Resources
Jonathan Edwards sermon
“The Way
Obtain
to
the
Blessing of God is Not to Let Him Go Except He Bless
Us.”
www.edwards.yale.edu/archive
Scotty Smith Blog, Heavenward,
www.gospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith
WEEK THREE: PRAY
–
Option 2
The old spiritual states, “It’s me, O Lord, standing in
the need of p
mo
ra
st certainl
yer,
y, w
”
e
an
all n
d
eed
prayer for daily strength. Additionally, there are
times when we need the power of prayer for
extraordinarily challenging times. But could it be
that we have emphasized the “me” to the exclusion
of others? One Christian research group’s findings
would suggest so. They stated that five years ago
the number one request coming into their prayer
lines across America was pray for my lost family and
loved ones that they do not go to hell! It is number
eight today. It has been replaced by number one,
pray for my physical body, and number two, pray
for my financial prosperity.
Often when we practice intercessory prayer in our
small groups at church
we shift the “me” to the
“we” as we pray for our fellow Christians who are
struggling with health issues, employment problems
or other family crises. And while we are
commanded to pray for our brothers and sisters,
the time we spend on “me” and “we” often
precludes us prayin
the lost. The
g fo
late
r “them,”
Adrian Rogers said, "We spend more time praying
for the saved who are sick than for the unsaved
who are lost, more time trying to keep the saints
out of Heaven than the lost out of Hell."
To pray for the lost is a prime directive for
Christians, and it comes with a promise. James 5:16
tells us that the “fervent prayer of a righteous man
avails much.
lled
” Go
us to
d
stand
has
in the
ca
gap
for those who are lost. Charles Spurgeon once said,
"If sinners perish, let them perish with our arms
around their knees. Let no one go [to Hell]
unwarned and unprayed for."
Zig Ziglar, in speaking of the road to success, stated,
“
You cannot make it as a wandering generality. You
must become a meaningful specific.
” This could be
equally applied to success in sharing our faith and
to the prayer involved in that effort. General prayer
“for the lost of the world” and “those” who don’t
know the Lord is not powerless, but it is rarely
effectual in OUR lives, the lives of the pray-ers.
When we become “meanin
u
g
r
fully specific” in o
prayer life, it increases the fervency of our prayers.
Evangelistic prayer concerns which have names,
faces, families, relationships, etc. punctuate the
urgency of the need for salvation. Reflecting on the
earlier Spurgeon quote, we would most likely not
lock our arms around the knees of a stranger who
might be headed in the wrong direction. But we
would readily entangle that loved one who is about
to step into the path of certain death. We must
learn to love and care more about mankind in
general, but there is no better or easier place to
initiate that love than in the lives of those we know
best.
MY316 calls on us to get meaningfully specific by
asking God to burden us for 3 specific people who
we will focus our prayer life on until the day that
they pray to receive Christ in their hearts.
As we contemplate the role of prayer in evangelism,
there are two sides to this coin. One is the prayer
we pray for those that God has placed on our heart.
We should pray without ceasing that our lost
friends and family would come to know the saving
grace of our Lord. Sometimes we might have a hard
time knowing how to voice that prayer. If you need
help, Paul summed it up nicely.
Ask for a volunteer
to read Colossians 1:9-14.
There is another prayer of vital importance. That is
the prayer by the lost for their salvation. As much as
we might “will it” for them, salvation is still a
personal matter requiring the confession and
profession of each individual. Often times they will
have difficulty knowing how to voice that prayer.
That’s where your assistance is vital. While we
know that there are no “magic words or
incantations” to invoke salvation, it is important
that those praying understand exactly what they
are committing to the Lord and what they are
asking Hi
m to do. Knowing a “model sinner’s
pr
ayer” can be ver
MY
y
316
h
tr
elp
act has
fu
a
l. The
good example that you could use.
Create a Lost Friends List
It is important to identify our friends who don’t
know Christ and begin to pray for them. Using the
handout provided, start writing down the names of
people in your circle of influence that don’t know
Jesus personally. There are a few suggested areas
you can start with including people you work with,
family members and friends.
Feel free to add
others as well. After you have finished your list,
pray and ask God to identify three of these He
would want you to pray for in the weeks to come. If
He reveals those to you during our time together,
circle those names and transfer them to the MY316
p
rayer card so you’ll have a reminder to carry with
you. Otherwise, keep asking God to reveal those
names to you this week and then place each name
on the prayer card as He reveals it. Understand
this, if God is revealing a name to you, then you can
be confident that He is either currently at work in
this perso
or He
n
h
’
as
s
plan
li
s to
fe
begin. He is
inviting you to be part of the miraculous encounter
He is planning for this individual.
SESSION THREE: PRAY
Do you have co-workers or business acquaintances, immediate or extended family members, or friends
and neighbors that need a personal relationship with Christ? List them below. Use first names only or
initials if you need to be discrete. Keep this list in your Bible or post it where you will be reminded to
pray for them.
Work
Family
Friends
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
As you pray for those you have listed, ask God to begin to lead
you to three of these people on whom He would have you fervently focus your service and your prayer
life.
1._________________________ 2. _________________________ 3. _________________________
WEEK FOUR: SERVE
BEFORE THE SESSION BEGINS
Gather Pens or Pencils.
Read through your lesson plan and work
through the service suggestions for yourself
so you can lead others through it.
Remember the MY316 purpose: “MY316
helps you use what you already know, your
story and John 3:16, to share Jesus with
your friends and family.
”
Make copies of handouts for each person.
Introduction
St. Francis allegedly said, "Preach the gospel at all
times; when necessary, use words." In reality, St.
Francis never actually said this! But it is often
quoted, why? Many are more interested in those
that are hurting and social justice. It is important for
people to see love in our actions as well as to hear it
in our speech.
Today, we are going to talk about MY316 and
serving.
Read Matthew 16:24-25
When we have the opportunity to share the Gospel
we need to keep this verse in mind.
Al Mohler says that he would encourage church
leaders and pastors to partner with Christian
agencies in their
the areGospel
a thatfir
“pst.
ut” It
is very easy to get sidetracked by worldly problems
or so“ cial justice” issues that never rise to the
importance or the significance of the Gospel. There
are many people that are in need out there, but
their most important need is reconciliation to a holy
God. It does no good to “show the love of Jesus
Christ”
if you don’t tell them of it as well.
Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power
of God for the salvation of all those that believe
(Rom. 1:16). Live it and proclaim it!
Read through the following passage together:
Matthew 20:20-28
Christ Himself gave us the model to go by! Jesus
Christ did not come just to serve but He gave His life
as a ransom for you and me! We are to serve with a
purpose. The purpose is not our class, our church
or even baptism. The purpose is the Cross of Christ!
Two of the buzzwords used by Millennial
Christians are missional and incarnational.
Missional means that Christians are sent in
the community, that they are on mission in
the community. The community is not just a
place where the church is located; it is a
place where Christians are sent to
demonstrate the love of Christ. For most
Christian Millennials, they do not go to
work, to the shopping center, or to the
schools merely to carry out transactions.
They see themselves as missionaries
wherever they are in the community.
The Milllennials are committed to being
incarnational in the community as well. The
word literally means “in the flesh” or
physically present. But for this younger
generation it has the deeper meaning of
being present as a representative for Christ.
As Karen told our research team, “When I
am in my community, I try to see the people
I encounter through the eyes of Christ. It
makes all the difference in the world.”
Millennial
Christians
will
reject
those churches that tend to view the
community as little more than a population
pool from which growth in attendance and
budget can come. But they will embrace
those churches that teach its members to
love the community.
You can tell the difference in these churches rather
easily. In many churches, efforts to reach the
community may be limited to distributing flyers
telling the residents what church events they can
or should attend.
“I don’t criticize those churches,” Karen told
us. “But I want to b
m
e
es,
helping repair ho
caring for merchants who lost loved ones,
and cleaning up trash for elderly residents. I
know it’s cliché, but I want to ask the
question, ‘What would Jesus do?’ I want to
be in the churches that view the community
that way.”
The Millennials are on mission for the
community. Is your church doing likewise?
Thom Rainer, President and CEO of Lifeway
Christian Resources
www.thomrainer.org
From David P
Rad
latt’
ical.
s book,
We live only because Christ died. In His
death and resurrection, we have been
reconciled to God and clothed in the
righteousness of Christ. This is the spring
from which radical living flows. Because of
the cross, we are dead to our sin and dead
to ourselves. Christ is our life, our joy, our
satisfaction, and our delight. The cross
delivers us from our attachments to and
affections for the things of this world, and
the cross frees us to give our lives in radical
abandonment to the will of Christ for the
glory of Christ in all nations.
The cross also reminds us that the
radical life is not a life of legalism,
but a life of love. Some will take the
idea of radical obedience to Christ
and twist it into a measure by which
we are approved by God. The more
radical we are, we will tend to think,
the more accepted we will be before
God. But the cross reminds us that
God’s pleasure in us is not based on
our performance for Him. There is
nothing we can do, no matter how
radical we might be, to earn favor
before God.
God’s pleasure in us is
based
solely
on
Christ’s
performance for us on the cross. So
the cross reminds us that the radical
life can never be the legalistic life.
Instead, the cross compels us to a
life of love. As sinners once dead in
our transgressions with nothing in
us to draw Christ to us, He saw us in
our need and gave His life for us.
And so now we see others in their
need
—
spiritually, billions who are
without Christ, including thousands
of people groups who haven’t even
heard of the cross
—
and physically,
masses who are starving and
suffering
—
and we give our lives so
that they might know the Christ of
the cross. The radical life is uniquely
and completely cross-driven.
Kevin DeYoung shares about a young
missionary serving in the Philippines who is
finishing up her work and will be returning
home soon.
He shares the following of her time
overseas from the last two paragraphs of
her last letter.
I didn’t chadn. gI
e dthe
idnwo’t rl
start a revival. I didn’t eradicate
poverty. I didn’t cure whole villages
of malaria. I didn’t open a school or
hospital. I didn’t single handedly
share the gospel with an entire
temple of Buddhist monks and have
them all become believers in Jesus
Christ. I didn’t translate the Bible
into an obscure language. I didn’t
get thrown into jail for my faith and
then have an entire nation repent
due to my witness. I didn’t bring a
physically poor community into self-
sufficient prosperity. I didn’t find
every single street child a home
with a loving family.
I did strive to build relationships. I
did walk alongside people as they
struggled to live each day. I did
value and love those that I worked
with and those that I worked for. I
did have part of my heart forever
planted here. I did constantly learn
and grasped that the more you
know about a people, the more you
understand that you haven’t even
begun to figure it out. I did share
about Jesus Christ to people who
had never heard. I did change from
wantin
g to help “the poor” to
acknowledging that we are all poor
in one way or another and that we
are all walking together. I did allow
God to strip away idols and
distractions from my life (which is a
scary process by the way) to reveal
my true heart. I did know more fully
that God’s grace is truly sufficient.
Wise words, Katie. God asks for
faithfulness, humility, and love. The
rest of the work is up to him.
Look at ways people can serve others one on one:
(Brainstorm about ways people can serve one
another)
Matt Jensen, College Pastor, Mars Hill Church,
shares about the college years being an amazing
time to be on mission, reaching your friends with
the life-changing good news of Jesus. How? Here
are some ideas, in no particular order:
1. Know non-Christians.
It seems like common sense, but too
many campus ministries are set up
to
babysit
nice,
moralistic,
hypocritical youth group kids and
create a bubble around them. As
Christians, we have to be outwardly
focused. As the Father sent Jesus,
Jesus sends us into the culture. It's
so much easier to share the gospel
if you belong before you ask people
to believe (John 20:21).
The college years are an amazing
time to be on mission!
2. Think about where you will live.
Make
your
living
situation
missional: meet new friends and
build relationships to see students
meet Jesus instead of secluding
yourself with people who all act and
think the same way you do. Grab a
Christian friend and move into the
wildest apartment complex in the
neighborhood. Don't conform, but
be a movement of change in an
area where it's desperately needed.
3. Join the Greek system.
There's
instant
community
established by living in the Greek
system, and people in sororities and
fraternities know everyone. Once
you're in, you become really well
connected and are able to be on
mission in an extreme environment.
Yeah, I know: they sin a lot (1 Cor.
9:19
–
23).
4. Get involved (not just at church).
Join a club related to your major,
hobby,
or
interest.
Build
relationships by playing intramural
sports on a team without all your
Christian friends.
5. Start a small group in public.
Instead of meeting in a house or
apartment, start gathering in a
coffee shop or study hall. This will
not only allow you to support the
local community, but it might also
allow somebody else to eavesdrop
on a worthwhile conversation.
6. Serve the community.
Get involved with a local non-profit
or service center. By serving the
community alongside non-believers,
you're doing the work that Jesus
calls us to do by being missional not
only to the populations you're
serving, but also to the people
you're serving alongside.
7. Practice radical hospitality.
College students aren't known for
being the most financially well-off
or generous people around. Buying
a classmate coffee or lunch is a
small sacrifice that can speak
volumes
and
make
a
huge
statement in demonstrating grace.
This could also mean driving the
drunks home from a party and
sharing the gospel with them the
next day as you take them to get
their car.
You have a few short years to reach
people who will scatter throughout
the world and live for something or
someone. The key to being a
missionary in your community is
believing Jesus is worthy of every
per
s
son’
worship, for his glory and
our friends' eternal joy!
Brainstorm with each other and specifically talk
about opportunities to serve those you are praying
for.
Discuss ways to serve those people you have been
praying for.
Decide on a specific plan for serving those you are
praying for.
Closing Activities
Go over your prayer target and ask if anyone had
the opportunity to share their story and MY316.
Take the prayer cards and go over those that
you have.
WEEK FOUR:
SERVE
–
Option 2
Charisma!
It’s that
aring q
end
uality
e
that draws
people, a winsome attitude, a magnetic personality,
that certain something that just makes people want
to be around you.
Jesus had it. He got 12 men to drop everything and
follow Him. In three years He developed a following
that created a stir that rattled in the halls of the
highest government offices. He attracted the rich
and poor, famous and infamous, the sick, the
powerful, the oppressed and the influential. Even
those that hated Him, like the scribes and Pharisees,
couldn’t stay away.
And what was the source of this wonderful
charisma? The answer is in the word itself.
“Charisma” comes from the same Greek word
“charis” that we translate as “grace.” Like moths to
a flame, people of all ages and from all walks of life
were drawn to the grace of God being lived out in
the life of this common, Nazarite carpenter. Never
had they seen anyone who lived with such genuine
grace!
Likewise, the hallmark of the early church was an
uncommon grace (Acts 2:42-47). The sacrificial way
that they ministered to one another, the warm
f
ellowship in ea
their
ch
s
o
tro
ther’s
ng unity
homes,
of spirit and the depth of their praise, these were all
evidences that something different was happening
in this new group call
“Christ
ed “Christians” or
followe
11
rs
:26)
”
.
(Ac
And th
ts
e people liked it! Acts
2:47 says their number grew
daily
because they, the
church, had found “favor with all the people.”
Isn’t it amazing? We often shrink back from sharing
the gospel of grace for fear we will offend someone,
when the Bible tells us that true grace has just the
opposite effect. What is offensive is not gracious
living, but inconsistent, half-hearted living. O.S.
Hawkins hit the nail on the head when he said,
"Real Christianity is lovely. There is a quality about a
Spirit-filled, radiant Christian that draws and
attracts others and causes them to enjoy favor with
all the people. The truth is that the gospel is not
nearly as offensive as some of its proponents!"
Grace was such a powerful evangelistic force in the
early church because it had become an action verb
rather than just a state of being. True, the early
church understood they were living IN grace, but
they were also living OUT grace as an action. They
were literally “gracing” people with their service.
Their grace-filled lives were blessing those around
them and thus, lifting up Jesus. They were the
embodiment of Matthew 5:13-16.
True grace-filled living will ignite the fires of
evangelism. First of all, it earns us the right to be
heard. As the old saying goes, “People don’t care
how much you know until they know how much you
care.” But it’s only a part. True gracious living is
more than just being kind and considerate. True
gracious living ignites the fires of evangelism when
it points people to Jesus. In our daily living do we
give God glory? Is it evident to those around us that
our happiness or contentment is because of Him? Is
our speech peppered with references to His will and
His
blessings in our life? As “salt of the earth” do
we make people thirsty for the grace of God or do
we just hope they like us and admire our kindness?
MY316 focuses on showing us how to honestly and
consistently serve people in such a way that it fuels
the fires of evangelism. Look around you for ways to
live graciously in youcer e” veryday life. Do you “gra
others by the way you live?
Use the handout provided to start discussion about
practical ways you can serve people in the world
around you.
SESSION FOUR: SERVE
Daily Acts of Grace
Shopping
Eating Out
My Workplace
My Neighborhood
School Activities
Meeting a Need
Who are the three people that God has placed on my heart to pray for fervently?
1_______________________ 2____________________ 3____________________
What are two acts of grace I could perform to meet a specific need for each of them?
_______________________ ____________________ ____________________
_______________________ ____________________
____________________
How gracious am I?
Who or what types of people do I see here?
Do I engage people here and if so, how?
What is my attitude
when I’m
? Am
h
I
ere
patient,
considerate, pre-occupied, frazzled, etc?
Do I regularly consider the kind of day others are
having? Do I ever ask? Do I listen for clues?
Do my words and actions grace those around me?
Do my words and actions make this experience
better or easier for those around me?
If given the option,
te
w
m
ould
e
these people “vo
off the island?”
WEEK FIVE: FOLLOW UP
BEFORE THE SESSION BEGINS
Obtain a few
copies of the New Believer’s
material for display at
www.bgco.org/my316. It would be helpful
for each individual or couple to have a copy
for their own reference during this session
and to use, if needed, for a one-on-one
follow-up.
Read through your lesson plan and
familiarize yourself with the New Believer’s
material.
INTRODUCTION: PASS IT ON
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you. And surely
I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
The Great Commission is our marching orders as
Christians! If you have been a Christian for very long
you’ve probably heard more than one sermon
preached from this text
, and if it wasn’t a sermon
on missions, then it was probably a sermon on
evangelism. But notice that the disciple making
process is actually in three parts.
1) We make disciples.
To convince someone to willingly follow
another person, code or philosophy is to
“make them a disciple” of such. When we
lead people to Christ, we are not informing
them about Christ, we are leading them to
commit to follow Him. Understanding what
we are saying in the plan of salvation is not
the same thing as them repenting and
committing to follow Him. But once they
do, once they have become a disciple of
Christ, they have initiated the process.
2) We are to baptize them.
Baptism is a symbol of what God has done
in the life of a new believer. It is also a
strong symbol of obedience on the part of
the believer. Baptizing them is actually
another way of saying “leading them into a
life of obedience.” There will be a lifetime
of learning and growing in this area, but
those first basic steps are crucial, confessing
Him before men as they follow His example
through believer’s baptism.
3) Finally, we are to teach them to observe
ALL things.
This means establishing in them a desire
and method for lifelong learning by
exposing them to the gifts of prayer and the
Word of God, and by showing them the joy
that comes from sharing their faith.
THE ROLE OF DISCIPLER
Paul understood what an honor it was to be a
discipler of men.
Read Colossians 1:24-29.
Is there any doubt after reading this passage that
Paul was committed to making the message clearly
and widely known among the believers in these
new churches? He was writing from prison and was
basically saying, “It’s all worth it if it helps you get
the Message and brings you to maturity in Christ.”
Just like parents and siblings, when established
believers bring a new member into the family of
God, we have a responsibility to nurture them and
to teach them the basics so they can continue to
grow to full maturity.
When you personally lead someone to the Lord, it
may not be possible for you to be the one who
fulfills the role of the long term one-on-one
discipler. Issues of geography, gender, age
difference, etc., may make this impossible or
unadvisable. It may even be that ongoing
discipleship will need to take place in a small group
setting. Whatever the circumstances, when you
lead someone to the Lord, it is your responsibility to
encourage them and do all you can to see that they
receive this nurturing from a strong Christian church
or individual.
However, if you receive and accept the call from
God to serve as a discipler of a new believer, here
are a few things to keep in mind.
1) Remember that it is the work of God
through His Holy Spirit that we are
facilitating.
It’s
our
not
about
persuasiveness or our ideas, so pray that
the Holy Spirit will create a hunger in the
new believer and that He will guide your
thoughts during the discipling process.
2) Because it is His work, lead the new believer
to focus on his/her relationship with Jesus
Christ more than simply changing outward
behaviors.
3) We cannot lead where we have not been.
So continue to personally study the Word,
remain steadfast in prayer and continue to
share your faith with others. Also, read and
understand whatever material you are
using to disciple the new believer.
4) Choose
good
material
that
will
progressively and understandably lead a
new believer through the basics and toward
a deeper relationship with Christ. Use
material that they can read and handle on
their own when the initial accountability
time ends.
MY316 NEW BELIEVER’S BOOK
A great resource for leading a one-on-one or small
group
discipling process is the “MY316 New
Believer’s Book.” It is a 7 lesson study that will help
a new believer establish a strong foundation for
their new life in Christ.
Distribute copies of the New Believer’s Book for the
class to follow as you lead them through this
overview. At the end of each lesson
’s
description,
ask for comments from the class. Prompt responses
with questions like:
Did anyone share this with you as a new
believer?
Why do you think this information is
important for the new believer?
What do you feel will happen to a new
believer if they miss or gain a good
understanding of this concept?
At what point in your Christian walk did you
grasp this concept? Would knowing it
earlier have helped you?
LESSON 1
Even if you were to begin a discipling relationship
next week, it will be easy for you to start using this
resource because it begins with what you have
already learned in the MY316 study by sharing your
story with others.
There is no more excited witness than the new
believer, but if we as seasoned believers have
difficulty in knowing what and how to share,
imagine how the new believer feels! Lesson 1 re-
emphasizes what has happened in their life using
John 3:16 and helps them understand how to
express that in words of their own.
It is highly likely that a new believer will have even
more lost friends than the seasoned church
member, so Lesson 1 also helps them begin to focus
on who they know that needs to hear their story
and begin to examine how they can serve and pray
for these people.
LESSON 2
Obedience is the theme of Lesson 2. It starts with
baptism which is vitally important in the life of a
new believer for a vari
least
ety of reasons…not the
of which is the fact that it is the first step of
obedience to confess Him before men. It is also
important to the discipleship process as it links the
new believer to a supportive church family. From
there, Lesson 2 moves to
obeying His Word
helps on studying His Word
life changes that obedience can bring
LESSON 3
By now the new believer is probably confronting a
lot of new issues and inner struggles. Among those
is the need to stay connected with God on a
personal level, not just vicariously through you or
the church. Lesson 3 deals with prayer; not just how
to pray, but also it’s power, it’s comfort and it’s
place in our lives.
LESSON 4
Lesson 4 teaches the transforming love of Christ
and starts the new believer on the path to loving
and serving others. It reminds us that love is a
three way street: He loves us, we love Him and, by
His power, we love others.
This lesson uses a lot of Bible references so it also
enhances the new believer’s knowledge of and
comfort with the written Word of God. As with all
of the lessons, it not only introduces new concepts,
but continues to reinforce practices previously
taught.
LESSON 5
Hopefully by week 5 you have helped the new
believer find a place of belonging in their new
church family…a Sunday School class, a small group
study, etc. But there is so much more scripturally
and pragmatically to the church than a weekly Bible
study or fellowship group.
Lesson 5 deals with the church as the bride of Christ
and the body of Christ. It also helps the new
believer
understand
the
importance
and
relationship of the ordinances of baptism and the
Lord’s supper.
LESSON 6
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation…”
(John 16:33). By now a new believer often begins to
wrestle with the realization that their faith has not
insulated them from suffering. They try to
rationalize a loving God and a suffering world. They
question persecution they may be suffering because
of their new faith and lifestyle.
Lesson 6 will give them encouragement for the
difficult times.
LESSON 7
Lessons 1-
6 were “boot camp.” The new believer
has received the manual and has been educated as
to the expectations of the general and wiles of the
enemy. Now it’s off to war!
Lesson 7 commissions and deploys the new believer
with the understanding that the church does not
enjoy a home field advantage. They are being sent
as missionaries to redeem a world that has turned
away from God.
CLOSING
As you close this study, ask the group to re-examine
the meaning of MY316.
MY: Have you taken it personally?
Have you
determined how to weave your story into His story?
Have you committed yourself to doing whatever
God calls you to do to see your lost friends and
family members come to know Him?
3: Have you asked God for a focused burden for 3
people close to you? Are you praying for them
daily?
1: Are you asking God expectantly for an
opportunity to share one-on-one with 1 or more of
these for whom you have been praying? Are you
willing to commit to being a disciple-maker?
6: Have you identified and determined to follow
through on 6 specific acts of service you can do to
demonstrate God’s love to those for whom you are
praying? Have you determined that your walk will
match your talk?
Ask for any closing comments from the group and
then have a time of prayer with and for the group.
WEEK FIVE: FOLLOW UP
–
Option 2
We’ve all heard the sad and tragic stories of
children who were victims of neglect. Some of the
worst chronicle infants, brought home from the
hospital and then practically ignored. If, by some
miracle they physically survive, they are often too
emotionally or socially backward to live a
meaningful life. No one has told them what to do,
what is expected of them, what their potential is. In
some of the worst cases of neglect, they die from
what doctors call a
“failure to thrive.” The laying of
a strong foundation for a healthy, happy and whole
person is not completed in the birth event. It is the
result of a process of nurturing, mentoring and
maturing.
The Bible speaks of salvation as being “born again.”
And as it is with a newborn baby, making a healthy,
happy and whole disciple is a process, not an event.
The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20, outlines
the process for us.
1) We make disciples.
To convince someone to willingly follow
another person, code or philosophy is to
“make them a disciple” of such. When we
lead people to Christ, we are not informing
them about Christ, we are leading them to
commit to follow Him. Understanding what
we are saying in the plan of salvation is not
the same thing as them repenting and
committing to follow Him. But once they
do, once they have become a disciple of
Christ, they have initiated the process.
2) We are to baptize them.
We know that only one person, will actually
perform the baptism. But just as baptism is
a symbol of what God has done in the life of
a new believer, it is also a strong symbol of
obedience on the part of the believer.
Baptizing them is actually another way of
saying “l
h
eadi
em into
n
a
g
life
t
of
obedience.” There will be a lifetime of
learning and growing in this area, but those
first basic steps are crucial…confessing Him
before men as they follow His example
through believer’s baptism.
3) Finally, we are to teach them to observe
ALL things.
This means establishing in them a desire
and method for lifelong learning by
exposing them to the gifts of prayer and the
Word of God, and by showing them the joy
that comes from sharing their faith.
Paul was a great evangelist and a master at
persuading others to receive the grace and love of
Christ. But Paul was also a discipler and understood
there was a need to go deeper with the Lord. And
Paul understood what an honor it was to be a
discipler of men.
Read Colossians 1:24-29.
Is there any doubt after reading this passage that
Paul was committed to making the message clearly
and widely known among the believers in these
new churches? He was writing from prison and was
basically saying, “
lp
I
s
t’s
you get
all worth it if it he
the Message and brings you to maturity in Christ.”
Ask your class.
“
Who were or are your disciplers?
”
Allow a few to share briefly.
Just like parents and siblings, when established
believers bring a new member into the family of
God, we have a responsibility to nurture them and
to teach them the basics so they can continue to
grow to full maturity.
MY316 calls for us to be disciplers. It provides
training and the materials in the form of a New
Believer’s book to nurtur
till
e new believers. But it s
requires godly Christians who will commit to
becoming a discipler of new believers.
Is God calling you?
