s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com€¦ · Web viewLeader’s Guide. God’s Promise of Hope to Abraham. Page 4. Participant’s Guide. Moses and the Ten Commandments. Page 2. Participant’s

Course by Community Christian Church (www.communitychristian.org), a member of the NewThing Network (www.newthing.org)

The Big Story of the BibleTABLE OF CONTENTS

Click on the study title you’d like to see:

Study 1: ADAM AND EVE AND THE FALL OF A PERFECTWORLD

Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

Study 2: GOD’S PROMISE OF HOPE TO ABRAHAMLeader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

Study 3: MOSES AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTSLeader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

Study 4: GOD'S ETERNAL COVENANT WITH DAVIDLeader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

Study 5: JESUS: FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROMISES Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

Study 6: TODAY: OUR PART IN GOD’S PLANLeader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

http://www.newthing.org/

http://www.communitychristian.org/

LEADER’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 1Adam and Eve and the Fall of a Perfect World

Human history began in idyllic community with God.

In the beginning God created a perfect community, starting with Adam and Eve, the supreme accomplishments of God’s creation. Then Adam and Eve sinned and distorted this perfect creation, putting into motion God’s mission to restore humanity’s fallen community back to perfection. This study will take us back to where the world began and how sin destroyed our peaceful union with God.

Lesson #1

Scripture:Genesis 1:26–31; 3:1–24

LEADER’S GUIDEAdam and Eve and the Fall of a Perfect World

Page 3

PART 1Identify the Current Issue

Note to leader: At the beginning of the class, provide each person with the Participant’s Guide included at the end of this study.

At the beginning of time, God created the world and everything in it, including Adam and Eve. Through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin entered the world, altering the perfect communion between God and mankind.

Adam and Eve demonstrate the beginning of God’s relationship with mankind. Their story also relates the beginning of sin and the distortion of that perfect community relationship between God and man.

In The Story We Find Ourselves In, Brian McClaren writes:

We find in our souls and in the story a resonant need for connection with God, with creation, and in particular, with the rest of humanity. We have this God-given sexual identity that is good and very good. We feel an inescapable responsibility to be stewards of the rest of creation. We aren’t an accident. We aren’t orphans. We aren’t on our own. We aren’t in charge. It’s not our world to do whatever we want. We may be at the top of the food chain in many places—but we aren’t at the top of the chain of Being. We have a place, and we have a mission as gardeners and as namers and as companions to God and one another. We are here to be God’s junior partners in creation.

Discussion Starter:

[Q] Tell of a time when you’ve worked on or made something that was perfect, but somehow something ruined your perfect creation.

Leader’s Note: To get the discussion going, offer these examples: Maybe you knitted a magnificent sweater for your friend only to have the dog chew it to pieces before you could give it to her. Or perhaps you wrote an article or presentation that was accidentally deleted.

PART 2 Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: In the beginning, God created the world.

Creation might seem like a very small part of the Bible. After all, it’s only a handful of chapters. But these chapters are foundational to the whole of the Bible, and what we learn in the story of Creation (the story of Adam and Eve) echoes throughout the rest of the Bible.

© 2006 • CHRIST IANIT Y TOD AY INTE RNA TI ONAL AND NE WTHING

Visit SmallGroups.com and ChristianBibleStudies.com


Page 4

The Bible begins with God speaking as “We,” signifying that God was never alone, that he is both “I” and “We,” a being in community within himself. This alludes to the Trinitarian nature of God, a being who is community. God has never been truly alone, even before there was a single-created entity other than him. The story of the creation of the world starts with a fundamentally, profoundly relational God reaching out into nothing to call into being something that will become an extension and reflection of his nature as a being in community.

The Garden of Eden and the world as it was when Adam and Eve first lived in it were not just a prologue or a pipedream. It was the real world, the real original, the true prototype. It’s not a fantasy, a fiction, a wish, or a longing. It is where we came from, a world where everything was harmonious— the sense of self, relationships between people, the Creation, and their relationship with God. As one author likes to put it, “Remember: our address once was Paradise.” The point is not that everything was good and wonderful without pain. The point is that all of existence was one community that was a reflection and extension of the perfect unity and relatedness within God himself. Paradise was a community of complete oneness.

Read Genesis 1:26–31.

[Q] The story of creation implies all sorts of things about the perfect community between God and man. What are some of the implications about God and mankind that you understand from this passage?

Leader’s Note: (God) God is a community himself (vs. 26). God cares about his world and is the creator of all life, which he created out of nothing.

(Mankind) Human beings were originally created good and the highest expression of God’s creative genius. We matter because God made us, the most complex and like him of all his creations. God wanted a relationship with us. We were meant to be unashamed of who we are and have value and worth simply because God made us. Human beings were (and are) created inextricably linked to each other. We are meant to live in community with each other like God lives in community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

[Q] What are some things this passage indicates about creation and mankind’s perfect relationship to creation?

Leader’s Note: The world was originally good. Work was originally good. Humans have always worked and have always been meant to work side-by-side with God. The world and human beings are inextricably linked. We were given stewardship over this world, and that stewardship continues and will one day be fully restored.

[Q] How does the story of Christianity begin here at creation?

Leader’s Note: This is the point where God begins to interact with human beings. Christ’s purpose in this world was to reconcile the relationship between God and man, the relationship that began here.




Page 5

[Q] God created a perfect, harmonious nature as part of the original creation. How can we take care of nature as God intended?

Teaching point two: Adam and Eve ruined God’s perfect creation by disobeying him.

So, what happened? What ruined this perfectly crafted community of oneness? Sin happened, and that altered the course of human history for all time.

Read about the Fall in Genesis 3:1–24.

[Q] When was the first time that you felt ashamed for doing something wrong?

[Q] Adam and Eve could eat from any tree in the garden except one. God wants us to enjoy and take pleasure in all of his creation. Why is it so hard for humans to enjoy the pleasures God has provided for us and say no to the limitations?

[Q] Adam immediately tried to lay the blame for his failure on somebody else, Eve. Why is owning the responsibility for our sins so difficult?

[Q] In a perfect community, life looked one way, but after sin entered the world, life looked another way. As a group, see if you can figure out the opposite way life looks in a fallen world compared to life lived in perfect, godly community.

Perfect Community After the Fall

Trust _________________ (Fear)

Obedience _________________ (Rebellion)

Openness _________________ (Shame)

Ownership _________________ (Blame)

Blessing _________________ (Curse)

Fellowship _________________ (Loneliness)

Work _________________ (Toil)

Life _________________ (Death)

[Q] After sin entered the world, the relationship between God and man changed, but it didn’t end. What does this tell you about God’s desire and love for us?

Leader’s Note: It tells us that God has a love that is indescribably strong. God’s love is incomprehensible.




Page 6

PART 3 Apply Your Findings

There may be days that seem full of ordinary circumstances, but theologically and truthfully, every day with Christ is an extraordinary day. Right now you’re part of God’s redeeming story that is constantly bringing you closer to the perfection you will one day experience with Christ and all other Christ followers.

Action Point: How will you let this truth help change your attitude about each day you live? Name practical ways.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 1Adam and Eve and theFall of a Perfect World

Human history began in idyllic community with God.

In the beginning God created a perfect community, starting with Adam and Eve, the supreme accomplishments of God’s creation. Then Adam and Eve sinned and distorted this perfect creation, putting into motion God’s mission to restore humanity’s fallen community back to perfection. This study will take us back to wherethe world began and how sin destroyed our peaceful union with God.

Lesson #1 Scripture: Genesis 1:26–31; 3:1–24

PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEAdam and Eve and the Fall of a Perfect World

Page 2


At the beginning of time, God created the world and everything in it, including Adam and Eve. Through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin entered the world, altering the perfect communion between God and mankind.

Adam and Eve demonstrate the beginning of God’s relationship with mankind. Their story also relates the beginning of sin and the distortion of that perfect community relationship between God and man.

In The Story We Find Ourselves In, Brian McClaren writes:

We find in our souls and in the story a resonant need for connection with God, with creation, and in particular, with the rest of humanity. We have this God-given sexual identity that is good and very good. We feel an inescapable responsibility to be stewards of the rest of creation. We aren’t an accident. We aren’t orphans. We aren’t on our own. We aren’t in charge. It’s not our world to do whatever we want. We may be at the top of the food chain in many places—but we aren’t at the top of the chain of Being. We have a place, and we have a mission as gardeners and as namers and as companions to God and one another. We are here to be God’s junior partners in creation.

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: In the beginning, God created the world.

Teaching point two: Adam and Eve ruined God’s perfect creation by disobeying him.

Perfect Community After the Fall

Trust _________________

Obedience _________________

Openness _________________



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEAdam and Eve and the Fall of a Perfect World

Page 3

Ownership _________________

Blessing _________________

Fellowship _________________

Work _________________

Life _________________

PART 3Apply Your Findings

There may be days that seem full of ordinary circumstances, but theologically and truthfully, every day with Christ is an extraordinary day. Right now you’re part of God’s redeeming story that is constantly bringing you closer to the perfection you will one day experience with Christ and all other Christ followers.



LEADER’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 2God’s Promise of Hope to Abraham

Through Abraham’s faith, God offered hope for a fallen world.

The God who called Adam and Eve to work by his side now called Abraham to begin undoing all the damage that had been done. God promised that through Abraham’s faith he would bless the entire world and establish an everlasting covenant with mankind. With Abraham, God started to rebuild the perfect community that once was in Eden. This study will examine the nature of faith and God’s abiding love for his people.

Lesson #2

Scripture: Genesis 12:1–4; 15:1–6; 16:1–2; 17:1–8

LEADER’S GUIDEGod’s Promise of Hope to Abraham

Page 2



In the beginning God created a perfect community, starting with Adam and Eve, the supreme accomplishments of his creation. Then Adam and Eve sinned and distorted God’s perfect creation, setting into motion God’s mission to restore this fallen community back into perfection. Much later, Abraham and Sarah entered the scene. Through faith, Abraham worshiped and served an unknown God. God revealed himself to Abraham and promised him that his descendants would be God’s people for all time, thus promising to restore the broken fellowship created from Adam and Eve.

Discussion Starter:

[Q] Share about when you had to wait a long time for something that seemed impossible to live without.

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: God’s covenant with his people is based on faith.

God is in the business of redeeming, but if we want to be part of the story it will take faith. With Abraham, God started to rebuild his broken community. He began relating personally again to human beings who had begun worshiping false gods. God promised that through Abraham he would bless the entire world. That promise began an eventual return to the community that once was in Eden—a promise that would be fulfilled in Christ. The God who called Adam and Eve to work by his side now called Abraham to begin undoing all the damage that had been done by believing in God and his promises. God didn’t give up on restoring us, because the Garden of Eden is the original reality and reflects who he really is.


[Q] How did Abraham demonstrate faith according to this account?

Leader’s Note: Abraham demonstrated faith by packing up everything he had and doing what God told him to do.

[Q] What if God said the same thing to you that he commanded Abraham (vs. 1)? What would your response be? Share about a time when you made a decision that required great faith.




Page 3

[Q] God is ultimately the chief builder and restorer of community, but God enlisted Abraham to help him. What does God need from people to use them for his community?

Leader’s Note: God needs our faith, willingness, submission, hearts, and actions to help expand his kingdom.

Teaching point two: Faith in God requires patience.Read Genesis 15:1–6 and 16:1–2. Abraham (Abram) was given a promise from God about his descendents, then had to live for years with no proof that he’d ever have any. As we see from this account, he didn’t have the patience he needed to see God accomplish his promises. We can learn from his example that God will come through for us if we wait patiently.

[Q] Abraham is distressed in Genesis 15:2 about not having an heir to his line. What is something that has caused you distress and kept you from having faith in God?

[Q] In Genesis 15 God promised Abraham a child and Abraham believed him. In chapter 16, though, we see that Abraham has either forgotten or ignored God’s promise. Why do you think Abraham tried to have a child through his servant instead of waiting on God?

Leader’s Note: Abraham faced a lot of pressure from his wife, Sarah (Sarai), and it had also been a while since God had promised Abraham the child. Through pressure, disbelief, forgetfulness, and maybe confusion, Abraham tried to have a child through a mode other than what God had promised.

[Q] Do you ever find yourself in a position like Abraham, in a place where you forget about God’s promises and therefore compromise what you know is right? What causes you to worry or get anxious or impatient?

Optional Activity

Purpose: To help us learn the patience of Abraham.

Activity: Advise the following people as to how they might have patience and trust God with what he is doing in their circumstances.

Gretchen has just found out that she has cancer.

Michael lost a great deal of money in a poor investment.

Clinton just lost his parents in an automobile accident.




Page 4

Teaching point three: God’s promise applies not only to the Hebrew people, but to the entire world.

God made a covenant with Abraham, and it looked like an exclusive thing: that Abraham’s and only Abraham’s descendants would know God and have God on their side. But that’s not what God said. God said: “I will bless you … and you will be a blessing … and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2–3). God is recreating his community for all mankind through his covenant relationship with the ones who have faith in him. This covenant relationship starts with God and is based on faith. (See Genesis 15 for the covenant being established by God.)


[Q] In chapter 15, God established a covenant with Abraham, and in chapter 17 he reaffirmed the covenant. What do you think a covenant is, and what does God promise to Abraham through his covenant?

Leader’s Note: (A) A typical covenant contains three elements: terms, parties, and a promise. A covenant is a type of oath or legal obligation, involving two or more parties, that has sanctions around it. (B) God promises Abraham a nation, land, a blessing.

[Q] What are some examples of covenants from contemporary times?

Leader’s Note: Marriages, contracts for loans, leases, cell phone contracts.

[Q] God’s covenant with Abraham is a little different than most covenants where both parties agree on the terms. It can be called a unilateral (one-way) or unequal covenant. Why is this so?

Leader’s Note: God’s covenant with Abraham is a unilateral covenant. God’s promise to Abraham is not contingent upon the response of Abraham. Even though God will punish those who do not comply with his terms, God will still keep his promise regardless of people’s actions. This demonstrates that God has a relentless passion to restore community and that nothing will stop him.

[Q] The nation was the Hebrew people and the land was Israel, but how has God blessed the whole world through Abraham and his descendants?

Leader’s Note: This blessing ultimately refers to Christ coming through the descendants of Abraham. Christ’s redemption is the blessing.

[Q] Abraham, by faith, followed God into unknown territory. In the same way that God used Abraham to be a blessing to the whole world, how does God use your faith and actions to bless the world around you?




Page 5


Faith is essential to restoring community, but often we experience our deepest need for faith in the midst of trials. When your faith is being tested and you’re wondering if God is going to keep his promises, read Philippians 4:6–7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Action Point: When do you find yourself doubting God’s promises? What can you do to remind yourself of God’s great faithfulness during those times?



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 2God’s Promise of Hope to AbrahamThrough Abraham’s faith, God offered hope for a fallen world.

The God who called Adam and Eve to work by his side now called Abraham to begin undoing all the damage that had been done. God promised that through Abraham’s faith he would bless the entire world and establish an everlasting covenant with mankind. With Abraham, God started to rebuild the perfect community that once was in Eden. This study will examine the nature of faith and God’s abiding love for his people.

Lesson #2 Scripture: Genesis 12:1–4; 15:1–6; 16:1–2; 17:1–8

PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEGod’s Promise of Hope to Abraham

Page 2


In the beginning God created a perfect community, starting with Adam and Eve, the supreme accomplishments of his creation. Then Adam and Eve sinned and distorted God’s perfect creation, setting into motion God’s mission to restore this fallen community back into perfection. Much later, Abraham and Sarah entered the scene. Through faith, Abraham worshiped and served an unknown God. God revealed himself to Abraham and promised him that his descendants would be God’s people for all time, thus promising to restore the broken fellowship created from Adam and Eve.

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: God’s covenant with his people is based on faith.

Teaching point two: Faith in God requires patience.

Teaching point three: God’s promise applies not only to the Hebrew people, but to the entire world.


Faith is essential to restoring community, but often we experience our deepest need for faith in the midst of trials. When your faith is being tested and you’re wondering if God is going to keep his promises, read Philippians 4:6–7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”



LEADER’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 3Moses and the Ten

CommandmentsThe laws God gave to the Hebrews point the way back toward God’s perfect peace and community.

God called Moses to lead his people out of slavery to the Egyptians. On the way to the Promised Land, God gave Moses the law to guide them and enable them to be God’s ambassadors to the world. These laws reveal the way to true freedom, and ultimately, to Christ. In this study, we’ll discuss how God’s law is part of his overall plan to restore humanity.

Lesson #3

Scripture:Exodus 19:3–8; 1 Peter 2:9–10; Galatians 3:19–25

LEADER’S GUIDEMoses and the Ten Commandments

Page 2



In the beginning God created a perfect community, beginning with Adam and Eve, the supreme accomplishments of his creation. Then Adam and Eve sinned and distorted God’s perfect creation, setting into motion God’s mission to restore this fallen community back into perfection. Much later God began to restore his ideal community by calling Abram (Abraham) and his wife, Sarai (Sarah), to follow him by faith to establish an everlasting covenant with mankind. About 1,400 years after God called Abraham, God gave his people the Law through his servant Moses.

The Hebrews at first embraced this law, but before long they began to resist and disobey it. But God’s relentless love for them continued to call them back to his holy way.

Discussion Starter:

[Q] What rule or law annoys you the most, and why?

Optional Activity

Purpose: To help us become familiar with the Ten Commandments.

Activity: Provide everyone with pen and paper. Ask them to write down as many of the Ten Commandments as they can think of. (See Exodus 20 for the complete list.)

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: God gave us his law to bring us freedom.

The Lord used Moses to help restore community by fulfilling a long-awaited promise (found in the covenant with Abraham) to have a land that the Hebrews could call their own. He also introduced the Law into the lives of the Hebrew people, which God had never used before. The Law is a guide that is intended to govern the moral, social, and religious issues of life.

Before Moses, the Hebrews went through a long period when they seemed to have forgotten God. But God didn’t give up on them. He came to Moses at the burning bush and called him to restart the movement of people finding their way back to God. God was being true to his promise to bring his people into a special place where they could represent who God is to the whole world.




Page 3

Moses was a great liberator, freeing God’s people from slavery in Egypt. He also was a new kind of leader, one who brought a covenant between God and his people based on law. Though we are used to thinking of the law as something that restricts and restrains us from doing what we want, a loving God gave his people the Law as a precious gift, so they could understand the God who had rescued them. This Law is precious. It guides, heals, protects, and liberates. Many of these laws uphold the dignity of God himself. Others protect the value and property of people created in God’s image. This Law is a precious gift that is meant to direct God’s people into lives that are closer and closer to Eden, the Promised Land, the Kingdom of God.

Read Exodus 19:3–8 and 1 Peter 2:9–10.

[Q] God told Moses all that the people needed to know to follow him. Why do you think God’s direct, clear instructions are so difficult for us to obey?

Leader’s Note: We often have a hard time following clear instructions because we have not changed our thinking. Sometimes we forget that we ultimately need to rely on God for his power and not our own. Sometimes we don’t follow Christ’s rules because we simply don’t make them a priority in our lives. Other times, though clear and direct, God’s rules require a life change that is very difficult to make.

[Q] In Exodus 19:5–6, God tells Moses that if Israel obeys him, they will be his treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation; what do you think these different designations mean?

Leader’s Note: Treasured Possession: People who are special to God. Kingdom of Priests: People who tell and relay the story of God and do God’s work. Holy Nation: People who are morally holy as individuals and as a community.

[Q] In 1 Peter 2:9–10, Peter tells his audience the same thing God told his people in Exodus 19:5–6. What does it take for Christians to stand out in the world while not retreating from the world? Give some examples.

Leader’s Note: As Christians we must be willing to dialogue with people of different denominations, people of different social classes, and people of different religions and belief systems. As Christians we must be strong in our own faith; if we want to meet people no matter where they are on their spiritual journey then we must be firmly grounded and growing ourselves.

[Q] Read Exodus 19:8 again. Bringing people back to God doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Together, the entire nation of Israel spoke their response to God. How does it benefit and unite the entire community when everyone sticks to the laws, or has the same goal in mind? What can happen when people in Christian community don’t follow the laws of Christ? Can you think of any biblical or personal examples?




Page 4

Leader’s Note: By sticking to the same laws or goals, Christians can do more work for Christ and can live in peace with each other. By sinning, love is lost, division occurs, and pride extinguishes humility.

Teaching point two: The ultimate purpose of the law is to lead us to Christ.

God’s disappointment is not just with the people who refuse to recognize him and reject him. God’s own people are stiff-necked and uncooperative. But God is relentless in his pursuit of a relationship with them. The same God who wipes out his enemies at times strikes out at his own people who oppose him. But the reason is always the same: God wants to restore a community where he is their provider, protector, and leader. God continues raising up leaders like Moses both to rescue his people and to call them to return to him. By giving Moses his law, God was pointing his people toward the way of their salvation, which would eventually come through Jesus Christ.

Read what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:19–25.

[Q] What does the promise in verse 19 refer to?

Leader’s Note: This promise is part of the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12:3: “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Jesus, the “Seed,” is the fulfillment of this promise.

[Q] Verse 21 says that the law could not impart life, so why do you think God set the law in place?

Leader’s Note: The law shows what God expects morally from his people. It exposes sinful actions and attitudes for their true evil nature. The law shows us our need for salvation, because we are incapable of righteousness.

[Q] Verse 24 says the law was put into place so it could lead us to Christ. When you think of your relationship with Christ, do you think more about rules (laws) or more about grace and faith? What role do each of these things play in salvation?

Leader’s Note: Faith saves and rules govern our lives. Surprisingly, there are actually more commands in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. Just because we are saved by grace through faith does not mean we are allowed to partake in any lifestyle we want. We need faith to be saved, but God wants us to be made holy by obeying him.

[Q] There is much freedom in being saved by grace and not by laws, but there is also great responsibility to be a positive influence on others. In what “freedom” areas of your life could you help or hurt your witness for Christ (dress, music, drinking, etc.)? Explain your answer.

Leader’s Note: If our actions cause non-Christians to think less of Jesus, or if our actions specifically cause another brother or sister in Christ to sin, then we have exercised our freedom too far.




Page 5

[Q] How should Christians think about and respond to Old Testament laws (the Ten Commandments, dietary and health-related laws, sacrificial laws) today?

Leader’s Note: The laws of the Old Testament are mostly contained in Exodus (Ten Commandments), Leviticus (sacrificial laws, purity laws), Numbers, and Deuteronomy (laws regarding worship, governing, human relationships). The Old Testament contains over 600 commandments that the Israelites were expected to keep. All of the Old Testament law is still the Word of God for us even though it is not still the command of God to us. We can be reminded that Jesus is the end of the law; he fulfills it. As individuals we need to seek to understand and apply the appropriate commands to our lives today.


Our strengths, struggles, and faith can unite us to form a stronger community of a caring, loving, Christian family. The law was given by God to the Israelites as a way to distinguish them as God’s chosen people. In the same way, Jesus says that the world will know us as his disciples by our love (John 13:35).

Action Point: Discuss how the faith and actions of your group can help to represent the love of Jesus Christ to the world around you. Choose a practical way to demonstrate that faith this week or month.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 3Moses and the Ten Commandments

The laws God gave to the Hebrews point the way back towardGod’s perfect peace and community.

God called Moses to lead his people out of slavery to the Egyptians.On the way to the Promised Land, God gave Moses the law to guidethem and enable them to be God’s ambassadors to the world. Theselaws reveal the way to true freedom, and ultimately, to Christ. In this study, we’ll discuss how God’s law is part of his overall plan to restore humanity.

Lesson #3 Scripture: Exodus 19:3–8; 1 Peter 2:9–10; Galatians 3:19–25

PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEMoses and the Ten Commandments

Page 2


In the beginning God created a perfect community, beginning with Adam and Eve, the supreme accomplishments of his creation. Then Adam and Eve sinned and distorted God’s perfect creation, setting into motion God’s mission to restore this fallen community back into perfection. Much later God began to restore his ideal community by calling Abram (Abraham) and his wife, Sarai (Sarah), to follow him by faith to establish an everlasting covenant with mankind. About 1,400 years after God called Abraham, God gave his people the Law through his servant Moses.

The Hebrews at first embraced this law, but before long they began to resist and disobey it. But God’s relentless love for them continued to call them back to his holy way.

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: God gave us his law to bring us freedom.

Teaching point two: The ultimate purpose of the law is to lead us to Christ.


Our strengths, struggles, and faith can unite us to form a stronger community of a caring, loving, Christian family. The law was given by God to the Israelites as a way to distinguish them as God’s chosen people. In the same way, Jesus says that the world will know us as his disciples by our love (John 13:35).



LEADER’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 4God’s Eternal Covenant with David

The promise of a royal lineage eventually led to Jesus Christ, the salvation of the world.

God used David to carry on his mission to restore perfect fellowship and community. God promised David that “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” Jesus Christ embodied the fulfillment of that promise. This study will look at David’s fearless and courageous faith, which led to David’s part in God’s big plan.

Lesson #4

Scripture:1 Samuel 17:20-24, 32-37; 2 Samuel 7:11b–16; 12:7–14

LEADER’S GUIDEGod’s Eternal Covenant with David

Page 2



David was the best king Israel ever had. David did it all: he led courageously, he fought bravely, he wrote beautifully, and he worshiped fervently. He did everything with passion and energy, including his ultimate downfall—lusting after women. Even with his downfalls, he is still known as “the man after God’s own heart,” and God still promised David that a king would come from his family line who would sit on the throne forever. This king is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

David, the man after God’s own heart, passionately worshiped and pursued God. He loved God, fought for him, and built a kingdom that centered around the Lord. Despite all of David’s victories, though, he still bore the mark of humanity. David committed lust, adultery, and murder. He also failed as a family man. The shortcomings of David did not stop God from promising to establish a permanent throne line through him. God promised David, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” Jesus Christ embodied the fulfillment of that promise. David is not only the greatest king of God’s people; he is the forefather of the ultimate savior of God’s people.

Discussion Starter:

[Q] What’s been the most anticipated promise that anyone has ever made to you?

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: David had a fearless faith.

Everyone was terrified of Goliath, a giant of a man who was threatening Israel’s army, except for one young shepherd boy. You gotta love him! Read 1 Samuel 17:20-24, 32-37.

[Q] Goliath had been taunting the Israelite army for 40 days, but this was the first time David had seen Goliath. Why do you believe David responded differently than the rest of the Israelite army?

Leader’s Note: He was prepared in life for the battles that he would face. He believed that God had a constant presence in his life.

[Q] What do you believe kept King Saul from fighting Goliath himself?

Leader’s Note: Fear, faithlessness, and worry.




Page 3

[Q] According to the passage, what helped prepare young David for this fight with Goliath?

Leader’s Note: David had fought lions and bears and had experienced God’s strength and protection, so he was ready for the challenge.

[Q] What experiences have you been through that have prepared you for whatever challenges God has planned for you?

[Q] David was ready to respond to God’s call in spite of the fears and doubts of the other Israelites. He disregarded what everyone told him because he believed God would help him. Do you look for God constantly in your daily life, and are you prepared to have God help fight the battles you face? If so, how have you come to that point? If not, why not?

[Q] What helps build up your faith that God is able to do mighty and amazing things through you?

Leader’s Note: It helps to see and hear how God is moving in the lives of other people. The Bible and our own experiences of God working in our lives also remind us of God’s faithfulness.

Optional Activity

Purpose: To demonstrate the power of fearlessness.

Activity: On a poster board or whiteboard, list as many books or movies that contain a David and Goliath type of theme (a small person defeats a big, powerful person). Discuss why the world loves such a story.

Teaching point two: God promised David an everlasting kingdom.God’s promise to David began something that culminated in Christ and is still available to us today.

Read 2 Samuel 7:11b–16.

[Q] Is God talking about David’s son Solomon, or is he talking about Jesus in these verses?

Leader’s Note: Both. God is talking about Solomon building the temple, but by establishing an everlasting kingdom, God means that this will be done through Christ.

[Q] As Christ followers, we know for certain that the promise for restored community through and with Christ is inevitable. What thoughts or emotions do you have in response to this fact, and why?

[Q] This promise to David is an unconditional promise (vs. 15–16), just like the one he made in his covenant with Abraham. What does this imply about God’s continuing desire to restore perfect fellowship with man?




Page 4

Leader’s Note: It implies that God’s desire is relentless and unstoppable.

Teaching point three: David sinned greatly, but he confessed and repented and was forgiven by God.

David shamefully took another man’s wife, then put that man at the front of a fierce battle line in hopes that he would be killed, which is exactly what happened. He seemed to get away with it until the prophet Nathan confronted him. Read 2 Samuel 12:7–14.

[Q] If we want the best possible Christian community, we will need the courage that Nathan the prophet had to confront David with his sin. What is a way for confronting someone that will help to restore them rather than alienate them?

Leader’s Note: By being firm, honest, challenging, forgiving, inspiring, loving, and helpful.

[Q] Because David confessed and acknowledged his own sinfulness, verse 13 says that the Lord forgave David’s sin. How do confession and forgiveness help establish a restored community?

Leader’s Note: Confession allows us to deal with the sources of problems so we can fix them. Forgiveness is the result of confession. Forgiveness allows restoration of our relationship with God and with others.

[Q] Part of rebuilding a true community comes from truth and confession. How hard or easy do you find it to be honest with others, yourself, and God? Why?

[Q] Even though God forgave David’s sin, he still had to endure the punishment for his sin. What helps you persevere after you’ve sinned? What do you do to get right with God?


Though God had been rebuilding and redeeming his community ever since Adam and Eve, the plan took a turn for the better with David. God promised Abraham that he would bless the entire world through his offspring. God gave Moses the law that Christ would eventually fulfill. And now God promised David the final plan of redemption, Christ. The life of David, marked by great accomplishment and shame, represents the ongoing calling, conversation, and conflict between God and his people. Kings, boundaries, and circumstances all changed after David, but God continued to draw people to himself with relentless activity and creativity, sometimes tough, sometimes tender. Our perfect community rests in the hope that God promised to King David thousands of years ago.

David celebrated the life that he had with God. He is known for dancing wildly, making music, and writing emotion-filled psalms. One of the great things about




Page 5

the restored kingdom that comes with Christ is an infinite amount of joy that can begin now. The beginning of joy with Christ is now, not when we die.

One way to understand a person’s heart is to read something they have written. King David provided a rich legacy of thoughts in his psalms. Meditate on some famous psalms of David: Psalm 23, 51, 59, 63.

Action Point: As a group, brainstorm some ideas that will help you, individually and corporately, celebrate the life and community you have in Jesus Christ.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 4God’s Eternal Covenant with David The promise of a royal lineage eventually led to Jesus Christ, the

salvation of the world.

God used David to carry on his mission to restore perfect fellowshipand community. God promised David that “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” Jesus Christ embodied the fulfillment of that promise. This study will look at David’s fearless and courageous faith, which led to David’s part in God’s big plan.

Lesson #4 Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:20-24, 32-37; 2 Samuel 7:11b–16; 12:7–14

PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEGod’s Eternal Covenant with David

Page 2


David was the best king Israel ever had. David did it all: he led courageously, he fought bravely, he wrote beautifully, and he worshiped fervently. He did everything with passion and energy, including his ultimate downfall—lusting after women. Even with his downfalls, he is still known as “the man after God’s own heart,” and God still promised David that a king would come from his family line who would sit on the throne forever. This king is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

David, the man after God’s own heart, passionately worshiped and pursued God. He loved God, fought for him, and built a kingdom that centered around the Lord. Despite all of David’s victories, though, he still bore the mark of humanity. David committed lust, adultery, and murder. He also failed as a family man. The shortcomings of David did not stop God from promising to establish a permanent throne line through him. God promised David, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” Jesus Christ embodied the fulfillment of that promise. David is not only the greatest king of God’s people; he is the forefather of the ultimate savior of God’s people.

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: David had a fearless faith.

Teaching point two: God promised David an everlasting kingdom.

Teaching point three: David sinned greatly, but he confessed and repented and was forgiven by God.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEGod’s Eternal Covenant with David

Page 3


Though God had been rebuilding and redeeming his community ever since Adam and Eve, the plan took a turn for the better with David. God promised Abraham that he would bless the entire world through his offspring. God gave Moses the law that Christ would eventually fulfill. And now God promised David the final plan of redemption, Christ. The life of David, marked by great accomplishment and shame, represents the ongoing calling, conversation, and conflict between God and his people. Kings, boundaries, and circumstances all changed after David, but God continued to draw people to himself with relentless activity and creativity, sometimes tough, sometimes tender. Our perfect community rests in the hope that God promised to King David thousands of years ago.

David celebrated the life that he had with God. He is known for dancing wildly, making music, and writing emotion-filled psalms. One of the great things about the restored kingdom that comes with Christ is an infinite amount of joy that can begin now. The beginning of joy with Christ is now, not when we die.

One way to understand a person’s heart is to read something they have written. King David provided a rich legacy of thoughts in his psalms. Meditate on some famous psalms of David: Psalm 23, 51, 59, 63.



LEADER’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 5Jesus: Fulfillment of God’s

Promises Jesus is the culmination of God’s efforts to restore our broken

world.

Jesus Christ fulfills God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, his chosen people, and to David. God himself, in the man Jesus Christ, came to make a perfect community possible, and he did so through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In this study, we’ll see how all of history led up to God’s enormous expression of love through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Lesson #5

Scripture:1 Corinthians 15:50–58; John 6:34–40

LEADER’S GUIDEJesus: Fulfillment of God’s Promises

Page 2



The Old Testament prophecies tell about Jesus’ coming. The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) tell about Jesus’ life and work. The other New Testament letters tell of what his followers did and how they followed Christ. The Bible is all about Jesus.

Christ offered himself as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the world and to restore the relationship between God and man. Jesus is God’s decisive act of bringing the world home to him. In Jesus, God succeeds in doing what all humans before failed to do: to live like Adam and Eve had been created to live. Jesus is fully alive and connected to God, creation, and people. As human, Jesus is who we were meant to be. As God, Jesus is who we have always failed to recognize and relate to as the ultimate center of our lives. Jesus is the ultimate reconciliation between wayward, disobedient humanity and our pursuing, persistent, perfect God. As the One who is both God and human, Jesus takes all the wrong, sin, suffering, and evil of the world on himself, strips it of its power, and brings the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God to anyone who will enter into a relationship of love and faith with him. Jesus is God opening the door for a “return to Eden” for anyone who wants to walk through it but knows that, just like Adam and Eve, they don’t belong there because of all they’ve done to reject a relationship with God.

Discussion Starter:

[Q] Jesus sacrificed his power and glory to come to earth. Who is the most powerful or most important person that you personally know? What makes them so powerful or important?

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: Jesus Christ offers victory over sin.

Jesus is the way back to Eden. Jesus is God’s decisive act of bringing the world home to him. And Jesus’ birth opens the final chapter of God’s ongoing pursuit of a world that keeps turning away from him. Jesus is the beginning of God’s final revolution against the sin and suffering of this world. It’s a revolution that leads him to the cross and the grave. Jesus defeated the power of sin and evil that has had a firm grasp on the world since the moment Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus is what God has been up to all along. Jesus is the demonstration and ultimate revelation of who God is to people who must choose to either embrace God or




Page 3

reject him. Jesus is the goal of human history, that in him, all things ultimately will be reconciled to God.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:50–58.

[Q] According to this text, what can we expect at the return of Christ?

Leader’s Note: We will be given an imperishable, immortal body because of Christ’s victory over death.

[Q] According to this passage, we will be restored with an imperishable body. What would you want your perfect body to be like?

[Q] Our Lord Jesus stands as the victorious conqueror of evil and restorer of perfection. What’s your reaction to this verse: “Death has been swallowed up in victory”?

[Q] We share in the victory of Christ, because we are part of his community. What practical implications does this have for the way you live your life?

Teaching point two: Jesus Christ offers complete fulfillment.Jesus promised to meet our most basic needs, ones that went beyond our physical needs to our even deeper spiritual needs. Read John 6:34–40.

[Q] What do people turn to to find fulfillment in this world? What were some things you turned to, before turning to Christ, which did not satisfy you?

Leader’s Note: People turn to sex, drugs, other people, material possessions.

[Q] Jesus calls himself “the bread of life.” He says that anyone who looks to him will have eternal life. What made you fall in love with Jesus? What amazes and satisfies you the most about Christ?

[Q] Jesus says that he will never drive anyone away who turns to him; that means his offer is for all people. Are you personally helping or hindering that mission? In other words, are you helping other people turn toward Jesus or are you pushing people away? Explain.

[Q] While we are on earth, we will continue to hunger for the perfection Christ promises will come in heaven. What do you believe heaven will be like?

Teaching point three: Jesus Christ offers transformation.Our final restoration in Christ will come at his return, but we don’t need to wait until then to start restoring our lives. The theological word for becoming like Christ is sanctification. It can be helpful to your spiritual transformation to take a spiritual inventory. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to see if your life is becoming more like the life of Christ:




Page 4

Leader’s Note: Have everyone take a piece of paper and write their answers individually.

Have I seen God working in my life lately?

How am I seeking Christ in my life?

Am I growing in grace or am I becoming more legalistic?

Can my friends and family see Christ in me?

Am I keeping a balanced spiritual diet?

When was the last time I shared my faith with anyone?

Am I making an unholy habit of complaining or grumbling?

How is my prayer life going; am I consistently interceding for those who don’t know Christ?

What consumes my thoughts and free time?


Oswald Chambers, known for his classical devotional book, My Utmost for his Highest, says there is a difference between knowing what Jesus did for you and actually encountering Jesus. The first person understands that Jesus lived, died for the sins of the world, rose, and will return one day. The second person, the one who sees Jesus now, knows what Christ has done but also sees Christ in their everyday life.

[Q] Do you see Christ living in your life, in the life of others, and working in the world around you? How?

Action Point: Write down one area of your life that you’d like to see Christ transform. Close praying for these things.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 5Jesus: Fulfillment of God’s Promises

Jesus is the culmination of God’s efforts to restore our brokenworld.

Jesus Christ fulfills God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, his chosen people, and to David. God himself, in the man Jesus Christ, came to make a perfect community possible, and he did so through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In this study, we’ll see how all of history led up to God’s enormous expression of love through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Lesson #5 Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:50–58; John 6:34–40

PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEJesus: Fulfillment of God’s Promises

Page 2


The Old Testament prophecies tell about Jesus’ coming. The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) tell about Jesus’ life and work. The other New Testament letters tell of what his followers did and how they followed Christ. The Bible is all about Jesus.

Christ offered himself as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the world and to restore the relationship between God and man. Jesus is God’s decisive act of bringing the world home to him. In Jesus, God succeeds in doing what all humans before failed to do: to live like Adam and Eve had been created to live. Jesus is fully alive and connected to God, creation, and people. As human, Jesus is who we were meant to be. As God, Jesus is who we have always failed to recognize and relate to as the ultimate center of our lives. Jesus is the ultimate reconciliation between wayward, disobedient humanity and our pursuing, persistent, perfect God. As the One who is both God and human, Jesus takes all the wrong, sin, suffering, and evil of the world on himself, strips it of its power, and brings the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God to anyone who will enter into a relationship of love and faith with him. Jesus is God opening the door for a “return to Eden” for anyone who wants to walk through it but knows that, just like Adam and Eve, they don’t belong there because of all they’ve done to reject a relationship with God.

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: Jesus Christ offers victory over sin.

Teaching point two: Jesus Christ offers complete fulfillment.

Teaching point three: Jesus Christ offers transformation.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEJesus: Fulfillment of God’s Promises

Page 3


Oswald Chambers, known for his classical devotional book, My Utmost for his Highest, says there is a difference between knowing what Jesus did for you and actually encountering Jesus. The first person understands that Jesus lived, died for the sins of the world, rose, and will return one day. The second person, the one who sees Jesus now, knows what Christ has done but also sees Christ in their everyday life.



LEADER’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 6Today: Our Part in God’s PlanGod’s plan of restoration continues today with Christ’s

charge to share his hope and love with the world.

The mission that God started after Adam and Eve, and perfected in Christ, continues with us today. Restored perfect community is possible for all people now, and it’s our privilege as Christ followers to see the vision of God’s kingdom, share that good news with the world, and become a part of that mission that culminates in heaven.

Lesson #6

Scripture:Matthew 9:35–38; 16:24–27; Luke 14:15–23

LEADER’S GUIDEToday: Our Part in God’s Plan

Page 2



We are the hands of God, the recipients of the received promise of eternal life, and the restored community waiting to be revealed at Christ’s return. We have seen God’s desire and plans since the beginning of time to restore perfect community. We’ve talked about what he covenanted with Abraham, what he gave to Moses, what he promised to David, what he fulfilled in Christ, and now we’ll see how this mission of God keeps going. God will continue to work to bring as many people as possible back into fellowship with him until the ultimate fellowship of heaven is revealed. Then the glory of God will shine on us all.

But what until then? Have you ever asked yourself the questions: “Could I be a part of that mission of Christ, helping people move along their journeys with him? What would my involvement look like? How could God use me?” You can be a part of God’s mission. There is a place for you in God’s plan. If you are willing, God can use you on his mission of restoring people to his perfect fellowship.

All followers of Jesus Christ participate in his ongoing mission. We all are moving closer every day to the restoration of the perfection that is waiting to be revealed to us. We are blessed to help Christ fulfill his mission by bringing people into a journey with him that begins and ends in blissful restoration.

Discussion Starter:

[Q] Tell the group of your most exciting achievement.

PART 2Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: Embrace the cross.

Read Matthew 16:24–27.

[Q] The first part of our journey, and the ongoing goal, is to give ourselves to Christ. Share the point in your life when you realized you needed Christ more than anything else.

[Q] What does Matthew mean when he says that Christ followers must take up their cross, deny themselves, and follow Jesus?

Leader’s Note: Taking up our cross and following Jesus means that Christ becomes the focal point of our life. If anything ever distracts us from our first




Page 3

and ultimate need, Christ, then we must be willing to deny ourselves and align our hearts with Christ first.

[Q] What are some ways you deny yourself? How do you keep your life focused and centered on Jesus Christ?

Leader’s Note: Spiritual disciplines can be a way to do this: journaling, studying, fasting, prayer, meditating, celebrating, serving, fellowship.

[Q] According to this passage, whoever wants to save their life will lose it; whoever loses their life will find life in Christ. Why is it important for your journey with Christ to start with “losing” yourself?

Leader’s Note: Losing yourself means giving yourself over to Christ. Humility before God is one of the most important characteristics any Christ follower can possess. To lose yourself to God means you begin to reorder your life based on what God desires for you and not what you always desire for yourself. With humble submission to the will of God a person’s life can be transformed.

Teaching point two: See a vision for God’s kingdom.God’s kingdom permeates the entire Bible, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Bible in Revelation. Jesus gives us a glimpse of what God’s kingdom is about. Read Luke 14:15–23.

[Q] In this parable, who do the characters represent: the head of the banquet, those who wouldn’t come, the crippled and lame, those in the country?

Leader’s Note: The head of the banquet is God. The guests who wouldn’t come are the Jews and leaders who had turned away from God. The lame and others in the country are the Gentiles who wanted to turn to God.

[Q] The invitation to the banquet (eternity with God, heaven) is for all of us, but why did some people deny the invitation? Why do people today deny the invitation to be part of God’s great banquet?

Leader’s Note: The people in the parable seemed to have more important things to do. They were caught up in affairs they thought were more important than the banquet. People today can get caught up in the business of life and get distracted from coming to God. Also, factors like emotional hurt, disbelief in God, poor Christian examples, and confusion in a world with so many spiritual options can attribute to people rejecting God’s invitation.

[Q] After some people denied the invitation, the master ordered his servant to tell everyone about the banquet. Do you believe, think, and act like God’s gift is for everybody? How?

[Q] What keeps you from offering this incredible invitation for fellowship with God to people in your life?




Page 4

Leader’s Note: Often when we find something like great community we become selfish with it, because we don’t want to lose it. We keep those out who don’t seem the right fit or seem to be a burden.

[Q] This parable implies that many people get invited to God’s banquet but not everyone accepts the invitation. To whom should you be reaching out and inviting into the kingdom?

Optional Activity

Purpose: To help us apply this parable.

Activity: On a poster board or whiteboard, list all the types of people you know who you could invite to the banquet feast. Use the Scripture passage as a guide.

Teaching point three: Become a part of the mission.Jesus told us to pray for harvesters for his ripe fields. Read Matthew 9:35–38.

[Q] What are the ways you can be a worker for God right where you are?

[Q] When you look at people in the world, do you see the needs of people the same way that Jesus does? Who is someone in your life that is difficult to love? How does your perspective and God’s perspective of this person differ? If you were to see this person as God does, how would that change your behavior?

[Q] Jesus tells the disciples to ask God to send out more workers into the harvest field. Are you spending too much of your time in the barn with other Christians? How are you spending your time and talents in the field?


Read what C. S. Lewis wrote in the concluding book of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle:

It was the unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed and then cried: “I have come home at last! This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this.” But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read, which goes on for ever, in which every chapter is better than the one before.




Page 5

The characters in this timeless classic finally realized why they loved their world so much, because within their own world they caught a faint glimpse of the perfection that came in a land where fellowship had been restored between God and mankind. When the perfect comes, the imperfect will disappear. Thanks be to God for bringing us into this journey of restoration!

Action Point: Which of the three teaching points do you most need to apply? Spend time praying for each person in this.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE FOR STUDY 6Today: Our Part in God’s Plan

God’s plan of restoration continues today with Christ’s charge toshare his hope and love with the world.

The mission that God started after Adam and Eve, and perfected in Christ, continues with us today. Restored perfect community is possible for all people now, and it’s our privilege as Christ followersto see the vision of God’s kingdom, share that good news with the world, and become a part of that mission that culminates in heaven.

Lesson #6 Scripture: Matthew 9:35–38; 16:24–27; Luke 14:15–23

PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEToday: Our Part in God’s Plan

Page 2


We are the hands of God, the recipients of the received promise of eternal life, and the restored community waiting to be revealed at Christ’s return. We have seen God’s desire and plans since the beginning of time to restore perfect community. We’ve talked about what he covenanted with Abraham, what he gave to Moses, what he promised to David, what he fulfilled in Christ, and now we’ll see how this mission of God keeps going. God will continue to work to bring as many people as possible back into fellowship with him until the ultimate fellowship of heaven is revealed. Then the glory of God will shine on us all.

But what until then? Have you ever asked yourself the questions: “Could I be a part of that mission of Christ, helping people move along their journeys with him? What would my involvement look like? How could God use me?” You can be a part of God’s mission. There is a place for you in God’s plan. If you are willing, God can use you on his mission of restoring people to his perfect fellowship.

All followers of Jesus Christ participate in his ongoing mission. We all are moving closer every day to the restoration of the perfection that is waiting to be revealed to us. We are blessed to help Christ fulfill his mission by bringing people into a journey with him that begins and ends in blissful restoration.

PART 2 Discover the Eternal Principles Teaching point one: Embrace the cross.

Teaching point two: See a vision for God’s kingdom.



PARTICIPANT’S GUIDEToday: Our Part in God’s Plan

Page 3

Teaching point three: Become a part of the mission.

PART 3 Apply Your Findings

Read what C. S. Lewis wrote in the concluding book of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle:

It was the unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed and then cried: “I have come home at last! This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this.” But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read, which goes on for ever, in which every chapter is better than the one before.

The characters in this timeless classic finally realized why they loved their world so much, because within their own world they caught a faint glimpse of the perfection that came in a land where fellowship had been restored between God and mankind. When the perfect comes, the imperfect will disappear. Thanks be to God for bringing us into this journey of restoration!



Documents

s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com€¦ · Web viewLeader’s Guide. God’s Promise of Hope to Abraham. Page 4. Participant’s Guide. Moses and the Ten Commandments. Page 2. Participant’s