believe study guide

B e l i e v e

S t u d y G u i d e

9780310826118_Believe_SG_int.indd 1 3/25/15 3:38 PM

B e l i e v eL i v i n g t h e S t o r y o f t h e B i B L e

t o B e c o m e L i k e J e S u S

S t u d y G u i d e | t h i r t y S e S S i o n S

r a n d y F r a z e e w i t h r a n d y L a r S o n


ZONDERVAN

Believe Study Guide Copyright © 2015 by Randy Frazee

This title is also available as a Zondervan ebook. Visit www.zondervan.com/ebooks.

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ISBN 978-0-310-82611-8

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmit-ted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: Extra Credit Projects Interior design: Denise Froehlich

First printing April 2015 / Printed in the United States of America


Contents

How to Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Group Facilitator Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Part 1 | think: What Do i Believe?

1 God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Personal God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 The Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 identity in Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507 Humanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588 Compassion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669 Stewardship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7410 eternity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Part 2 | act: What ShoulD i Do?

11 Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9012 Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9713 Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10414 Single-Mindedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11215 Total Surrender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11916 Biblical Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12617 Spiritual Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13418 Offering My Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14219 Giving My Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14920 Sharing My Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Part 3 | Be: Who am i Becoming?

21 love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16322 Joy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17023 Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17724 Self-Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18425 Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19226 Patience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20027 Kindness/Goodness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20728 Faithfulness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21429 Gentleness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22130 Humility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228


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How to Use This Guide

ScoPe anD Sequence

The goal of every follower of Jesus christ is to become more like him, but how do you know where to start? what does it really mean to be a disciple of Jesus? The objective of the Believe adult curriculum is to paint a clear picture of what it means to think, act, and be like Jesus. This study guide (and the related video) will help you assess your spiritual life, pinpoint areas that need special attention, and give you tools to help you grow. The first ten sessions focus on the core beliefs of the christian faith; the next ten sessions focus on foun-dational practices of the christian life; and the last ten sessions focus on christlike virtues. may god bless you as you seek him through this experience.

SeSSion outline

each of the thirty sessions is divided into three parts. The first is for your own personal study, to be done prior to your group meetings. in this section you will be asked to read one chapter from Believe and record your responses to the five questions embedded with-in the chapter. you will also be given four statements to help you evaluate the alignment of your life with the key idea from each session. Then, you will be challenged to take action by memorizing each session’s key idea and key verse.

in the group section of your study guide you will be given a note-taking outline to help you follow along with randy frazee’s video teaching. There will be an opportunity to discuss your responses to the four self-evaluation statements from your personal study along with other discussion questions. Then, you will be given real-life scenarios of people who strug-gle with their faith. using the key applications from your study guide, your group will be challenged to think of ways to encourage the people within these case studies.

The last part of each session is a journal. use this space to take notes from your pastor’s or teacher’s message or to record your own thoughts from this chapter.

Personal Study

This section helps you connect personally to the Scriptures in the Believe chapter and is designed to be completed on your own, before the group meeting.

•Read: to help you engage with the Believe book as you read, five reflection ques-tions are embedded in the text of each chapter. Space is provided in the study guide for you to record your answers to those questions.

•Evaluate: rate yourself on four belief statements taken from the christian Life Pro-file®. These belief statements together help explain the different aspects of the key idea.


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•TakeAction: work on memorizing the key verse and the key idea, and be pre-pared to recite them at your group meeting. to help incorporate them into your life, answer the journaling questions related to the key idea.

Group Study

This section will facilitate deeper growth that can only be found in a spiritually rich community.

•Watch: your group sessions will begin with a short video teaching from randy fra-zee that will stimulate great discussion in your group. in each session he will give greater insight into the key idea and key verse along with key application points.

•Discuss: each session of the Believe Study Guide includes discussion questions that are geared toward the long-time veteran as well as the person completely new to the christian faith. group facilitators are encouraged to pick and choose which questions would be best for the maturity of their group.

•Pray: The Scriptures found in Believe point us to the truth of what it means to think, act, and be like Jesus, but it’s prayer that actually empowers us to become all that Jesus created us to be. each group session concludes with a time of group prayer.

grouP Size

The 30-week Believe video curriculum is designed to be experienced in a group setting such as a Bible study, Sunday school class, or any small group gathering. to ensure every-one has enough time to participate in discussions, it is recommended that large groups watch the video together and then break up into smaller groups of four to six people for discussion. each session can be completed in about an hour.

materialS neeDeD

each participant should have his or her own study guide, which includes notes for video segments, memorization activities, and discussion questions, as well as a personal study to deepen learning between sessions. although the course can be fully experienced with just the video and study guide, participants are also encouraged to have a copy of the Believe book. reading the book along with the video sessions provides even deeper insights that make the journey richer and more meaningful.

Facilitation

each group should appoint a facilitator who is responsible for starting the video and for keeping track of time during discussions and activities. facilitators may also read questions aloud and monitor discussions, prompting participants to respond and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate. more thorough instructions are provided in the “group facilitator tips” section that follows.


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Group Facilitator Tips

to ensure a successful group experience, read the following information before beginning.

What makeS a grouP DiScuSSion SucceSSFul?

as your group’s facilitator, you might be asking yourself, “what am i supposed to accom-plish with this study?” here are few goals you might set for your group:

1. Discoveringtruth. The Bible reveals the truth about who God is and who we are created to be . A successful group wrestles with Scripture in order to find these truths .

2. Applyingtruth. it doesn’t do much good to know the truth if we don’t act on what we are learning . A successful group seeks to apply the truth to their lives .

3. Honestyandauthenticity. Many people feel pressure to act “spiritual” when they are in religious environments, masking their true thoughts and feelings . This behavior stunts spiritual growth . Successful groups cultivate a safe place for authenticity and honesty .

4. Participation. The person who does the most talking often does the most learning . Therefore, groups that seek to include everyone in the conversation experience the most progress . Successful groups engage all their members in their discussions .

at the end of each group meeting, ask yourself these questions:

• DidwelearnsomethingnewaboutGodandourselves?• Arepeopleactivelyseekingtoapplythesetruthstotheirlives?• Dopeoplefeelcomfortabletalkinghonestlyabouttheirfaith?• HaveIengagedallmembersofthegroupinthediscussion?

if you can answer yes to any of these questions, you are facilitating successfully.


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creating a SucceSSFul environment

Leading a group can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. consider these tips to help you create a successful group environment.

Pray: as you prepare for your group meeting, ask god to give you wisdom in choosing discussion questions, courage in creating an authentic environment, and insight into the truths he wants to reveal to your group.

Primethepump: your group will be as honest and authentic as you are willing to be. courageously set the tone for the group by being open about the strengths and weaknesses of your faith. The group will follow your lead. This principle also applies to life application. if you are trying to apply the truth of each lesson to your life, the rest of the group will follow you.

Punctual: Start and stop on time. no matter how long your group meets, it’s your job to keep things on track. make a budget of time for each section of the study and stick to it. it might be uncomfortable to cut people off and move on, but the group will respect you for doing so.

SPeciFicS For thiS StuDy

design your own discussion. don’t feel pressured to use all of the materials found in this study guide; select the modes of lesson engagement that fit your time frame and your group’s learning style. This study was written for a vast array of personalities, learning styles, and levels of spiritual maturity. Pick and choose the activities and questions that seem to fit your group the best.

your group might gravitate to one or two of the discussion segments but not another; that’s fine. choose one or two questions from the segments that your group will benefit from most. try to vary the discussion by choosing some questions that dig deep into the theology of the belief and others that are more open-ended personal reflection questions. encourage people to offer insights from their personal study time during your discussion.

The “declaration statements” segment (which revisits the evaluate section of the person-al study) may frequently evoke varying viewpoints. when group members don’t believe something exactly the same way, provide a safe place to discuss their differences, ques-tions, and areas of unbelief freely and with grace.

The case studies in each session are based on actual situations. use them as a creative vehicle to discuss the applications of the session’s theme to real life.


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SeSSion 1

God

Personal Study every session in Believe contains a personal study to help you make meaningful connections between your life and what you’re learning each week. take some time before your group meeting each week to read the assigned chapter from Believe and complete the weekly personal study. in total, the personal study should take about one hour to complete. Some people like to spread it out, de-voting about ten to fifteen minutes a day. others choose one larger block of time during the week to work through the entire personal study in one sitting. There’s no right or wrong way to do this! Just choose a plan that best fits your needs and schedule from week to week.

This week before your group meeting, read Believe, Chapter 1: God. Then spend some time allowing the Scripture to take root in your heart and reflecting on what you personally believe about who god is.

reaD

Read Believe, chapter 1: god and answer the following questions.

1. in what ways do you see the invisible qualities of god revealed in nature?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. what are some of the main points of god’s requirements for his people? why do you think he emphasized these things?

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________


12 | B e l i e v e Study Guide

3. why did god have to prove over and over that he is the one true god?_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

4. in what ways have you experienced god as father? as Jesus the Son? as the holy Spirit?

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

5. what is meant by the phrase Paul quoted: “for in him we live and move and have our being”? why do you think this needed to be said to this group of athenians?

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

evaluate

Based on your reading from Believe, chapter 1: god, use a scale of 1 – 6 to rate how strongly you believe the statements below (1 = no belief at all, 6 = complete confidence).

______ i believe the god of the Bible is the only true god.

______ i believe the god of the Bible is one in essence but distinct in person — father, Son, and holy Spirit.

______ i believe Jesus is god in the flesh — who died and rose bodily from the dead.

______ i believe the holy Spirit is god and dwells in christians to empower them to live the christian life.


God | 13

take action

Memorizing Scripture is a valuable discipline for all believers to exercise. Spend a few minutes each day committing this week’s Key Verse to memory.

key verSe: “May the grace of the lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all .” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Recite this week’s Key Idea out loud. As you do, ask yourself, “Does my life reflect this statement?”

key iDea: i believe the God of the Bible is the one true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit .

Answer the following questions to help you apply this week’s Key Idea to your own life.

1. what behaviors help you recognize someone who believes the god of the Bible is the one true god?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. what, if anything, hinders you from putting your faith solely in the god of the Bible?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. what is something you can do this week to demonstrate your belief in the one true god?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Group Meeting

Welcome!welcome to Session 1 of Believe. if this is your first time together as a group, take a moment to introduce yourselves to each other before watching the video. Then, feel free to get started!

viDeo teaching noteS

As you watch the video segment for Session 1, use the following outline to record some of the main points. (The answer key is found at the end of the session.)

• A.W.Tozerwrote,“WhatcomesintoourmindswhenwethinkaboutGod is the most important thing about us .” Why? Because this mind-set — or absence of it — will drive all we _____ and all we _____ .

• KeyQuestion:Whois______?

• “ForsincethecreationoftheworldGod’sinvisiblequalities—hiseternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being un-derstood from what has been made, so that people are ____________ ___________ .” (Romans 1:20)

• KeyIdea:IbelievetheGodoftheBibleistheone______________ — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit .

• Godisthreepersonswho_________abeing.

• “ThenGodsaid,_____________makemankindinourimage,inourlikeness . . . So God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them .” (Genesis 1:26 – 27)

• Oneofthebiggestfailuresforhumanity,beginningwiththefallofAdamand eve, is when we try to take over the role of ______ in our lives .

• (KeyApplication)BecauseGodisGod...Iam_____...Heisin__________ and in control . . . i want to know and follow his _______ for my life .

• (KeyApplication)BecauseIwascreatedintheimageofGodandforcommunity...Irecognizeothers’full________________andrespectboundaries . . . i look out for the rights, preferences, and ___________ of others . . . i _________ and enjoy others .


God | 15

getting StarteD

Begin your discussion by reciting the Key Verse and Key Idea together as a group. On your first attempt, use your notes if you need help. On your second attempt, try to state them completely from memory.

key verSe: “May the grace of the lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all .” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

key iDea: i believe the God of the Bible is the one true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit .

grouP DiScuSSion

As a group, discuss your thoughts and feelings about the following declarations. Which statements are easy to declare with certainty? Which are more challenging, and why?

• IbelievetheGodoftheBibleistheonetrueGod.

• IbelievetheGodoftheBibleisoneinessencebutdistinctin person — Father, Son and Holy Spirit .

• i believe Jesus is God in flesh — who died and rose bodily from the dead .

• IbelievetheHolySpiritisGodanddwellsinChristianstoempowerthem to live the Christian life .

Based on your group’s dynamics and spiritual maturity, choose the 2 – 3 questions that will lead to the best discussion about this week’s Key Idea.

1. if you only had two minutes to answer the question, “who is god?” how would you respond?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. how does your understanding of god impact your day-to-day decisions?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



3. what are the most common reasons people struggle to believe that the god of the Bible is the one true god? what helped you get past these obstacles? or, what obstacles are you still facing?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Luke 3 (see the section “God in Three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit” in Be-lieve) and choose 1 – 2 questions that will lead to the greatest discussion in your group.

1. in what ways is the trinity a challenging concept to comprehend?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. if god (the trinity) is a community within himself, and we are made in his image, what does that tell us about ourselves?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. how does today’s culture help or hinder us from experiencing the community we were created for?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. what specific actions can this group undertake to create healthy community?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


God | 17

caSe StuDy

Use the following case study as a model for a real-life situation where you might put this week’s Key Idea into practice.

Mike is one of your favorite coworkers . He is funny, hardworking, and passion-ate about life . As a new Christian, he comes to you seeking help, because he and his wife are struggling . They are constantly butting heads, arguing, and simply not getting along . Mike thinks it is just easier to walk away but really wants to know what you think .

Using the Key Applications from this session, what gentle advice would you give him? (If needed, refer to your video notes for a reminder of this session’s Key Applications.)

cloSing Prayer

close your time together with prayer. Share your prayer requests with one another. ask god to help you put this week’s key idea into practice.

Journal

if your church is doing the Believe church-wide campaign, bring this study guide with you to church and use the following space to take notes from the pastor’s or teacher’s message. if your church provides an outline, consider keeping it with this guide so you will have all of your notes and thoughts from your Believe journey in one place.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

viDeo noteS anSWer key

are, do / god / without excuse / true god / share / Let us / god / not, charge, will / personhood, comforts, value


believe study guide

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