Participant's Guide

In the six-session small group Bible study, The Life You've Always Wanted, John Ortberg guides you and your group through the spiritual disciplines and teaches you how they can transform your spiritual life. What does true spiritual life really look like? And what keeps you from living it? What can you do to pursue it? If you're tired of the status quo-if you suspect there's more to Christianity than what you've experienced-John Ortberg invites you to join him on a road to transformation and spiritual vigor that anyone can take. Cultivate new intimacy and confidence in prayer. Discover the freedom of secrecy. Taste the benefits of slowing life's frenetic pace. Learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit … and much more. As in a marathon, the secret lies not in trying hard, but in training consistently. Proven by followers of Jesus over the centuries, the spiritual disciplines are exercises that strengthen your endurance race on the road to growth. Sessions include:It's Morphing TimeSlowing Down and CelebratingPraying and ConfessingMeditating on Scripture and Seeking GuidancePracticing Servanthood, Finding FreedomGoing the Distance with a Well-Ordered HeartDesigned for use with The Life You've Always Wanted: A DVD Study 9780310810506 (sold separately).

Imagine how different your outlook on life would be if you had absolute confidence that God was with you. Imagine how differently you would respond to difficulties, temptations, and even good things if you knew with certainty that God was in all of it and was planning to leverage it for good. In other words, imagine what it would be like to have PERFECT faith. In this new DVD study, Andy Stanley builds a biblical case for five things God uses to grow BIG faith. In six video sessions, Andy covers the following topics: • Big Faith • Practical Teaching • Providential Relationships • Private Disciplines • Personal Ministry • Pivotal Circumstances This tremendous DVD resource will equip anyone that watches it to be a more mature follower of Jesus Christ. Each curriculum session includes 15-20 minutes of teaching from Andy Stanley. In addition to the small group sessions, this DVD is enhanced with six full-length messages from Andy Stanley.

In this six-session small group Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel shatters 'normal' and turns 'weird' upside down. Normal people are stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Many of their relationships are, at best, strained and, in most cases, just surviving. Even though we live in one of the most prosperous places on earth, normal is still living paycheck to paycheck and never getting ahead. Lust and frequent "casual" sex are far more common than purity and a healthy married sex life. And when it comes to God, the many believe, but few practice the teachings of Scripture in their everyday lives. Simply put, normal isn't working. In this study, Groeschel's WEIRD views will help you break free from the norm to lead a radically abnormal (and endlessly more fulfilling) life. Sessions include: The God Kind of Weird It's Time to Be Weird Weird That Money Can't Buy Pleasing God is Weird Weird Makes You Truly Sexy The Weirdest Blessing Possible Designed for use with the Weird Video Study (sold separately).

In this five-session small group bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), pastor and best-selling author Craig Groeschel sheds light on relationships, thoughts, and behaviors that quietly compromise our well-being. Using concise teaching and honest humor, Groeschel provides a source of inspiration and encouragements for a faith-filled lifestyle that will keep you free of spiritual toxins. More than an educated, insightful look at the negative aspects of our day-to-day culture, this grace-based experience will challenge you out of complacency into a life of clean, pure, and focused living based on the standard of God's holiness. This participant's guide provides individual and group activities, between-session personal studies, and additional background material that enhances the experience of the video sessions. The Soul Detox curriculum can be used in a variety of ways – as a whole church campaign (adult congregation), adult Sunday school, small group study, or individual Bible study. Sessions include:Lethal Language: Experiencing the Power of Life-Giving Words (11:30)Scare Pollution: Unlocking the Chokehold of Fear (11:30)Radioactive Relationships: Loving Unhealthy People without Getting Sick (12:00)Septic Thoughts: Overcoming Our False Beliefs (13:00)Germ Warfare: Cleansing Our Lives of Cultural Toxins (12:00)Designed for use with the Soul Detox Video Study (sold separately).

In this award winning, four-session small group Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), Carl Medearis, an international expert in the field of Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations, provides background info on Islam and tools for sharing Christ with their Muslim neighbors. Muslims, Christians and Jesus, is the recipient of the prestigious Outreach Magazine Resources of the Year for 2012. According to Medearis, how Americans respond to Islam and how Christians think of Muslims could be one of the most significant issues of our time. Throughout the study, Medearis helps you understand the basics of Islam, the difference between "moderate" Muslims and radical terrorists, the Muslim view of Jesus, and how we should interact with our Muslim neighbors, friends, and coworkers. From the Ground Zero mosque to whether we believe in the same God, Medearis also addresses key questions and responses to the current Muslim/Christian tensions facing our society. This Participant Guide features video notes, group discussion questions, informative sidebars and quotes, and ideas for personal application. Sessions include:What is Islam? Exploring Our FearsUnderstanding What Muslims BelieveJesus: The Bridge to MuslimsBuilding Bridges through Relationship Bonus session: 10 Myths about MuslimsDesigned for use with the Muslims, Christians, and Jesus Video Study (sold separately).

In this four-session small group Bible study, Andy Stanley shows you how to take authentic responsibility for the things in your life. RESPONSIBILITIES. We all have them. But we don't all take them as seriously as we ought to. Wouldn't it be great, though, if we all took responsibility for the things we are responsible for? Wouldn't it be great if you took responsibility for everything you're responsible for? It's time to stop the finger-pointing and excuse-making and to remove the "ir" in irresponsible. In this study, Stanley tells us it's time to ask ourselves, "Am I REALLY taking responsibility for my life?" This Participant Guide is filled with helpful discussion starters, video overviews, a helpful Leader's Guide and much more. Sessions include: • Let the Blames Begin • The Disproportionate Life • This Is No Time to Pray • Embracing Your Response Ability… Designed for use with the Taking Responsibility for Your Life Video Study (not included). When used together they provide a powerful catalyst for spiritual growth.

In this six-session study pastor and author John Ortberg teaches people how to trust God more fully. Using testimonial interviews to illustrate his talks, Ortberg teaches participants the skills essential for "water-walking" in faith with God. Designed for use with the video.

Based on Philip Yancey's Gold Medallion Book of the Year on the life of Christ, The Jesus I Never Knew is a six-session small group Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately) in which Yancey uses film portraits of Jesus and contrasts them with the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus I Never Knew gives you fresh, uncluttered perspectives on history's central figure-his radical claims, his challenging teachings, and his effect on others... including you. This remarkable experience will spark discussion, interaction, application, and growth. Together, you'll share life-changing discoveries about God, the Bible, and yourself. Best of all, you'll come face-to-face with the most compelling, creative, challenging, fearless, unpredictable, and ultimately satisfying person anyone can know: Jesus Christ. This guide is filled with insights, questions for discussion, and applications that will help you discover the Jesus you never knew. Sessions include:The Jesus We Thought We KnewThe Teachings of JesusThe Revolutionary Grace of Jesus The Miracles of JesusThe Death of JesusThe Resurrection, Ascension and Ongoing Presence of JesusDesigned for use with the Jesus I Never Knew Video Study (sold separately).

Judah Smith digs deep to answer the most common and the most difficult questions about Jesus, a man so few understand and so many desperately need. In Jesus Is, Judah Smith explores a number of topics that reveal Jesus' purpose for coming, what He accomplished while He was here, and what that means for us. Jesus is greatly revered, harshly criticized, and sorely misunderstood. Judah breaks down who Jesus is and explains to readers how understanding Jesus more fully will not only enrich their lives, but also give them meaning, as well as save them. The 8-week Jesus Is Participant's Guide, intended for use with the DVD-based study of the same title, will help participants discover how to have a deeper, lasting relationship with Jesus, and to commune with and grow in Him. Judah will show you that Jesus is more than a good teacher, more than an inspiring leader. He is the point of all life. Perfect for evangelism, the video sessions will help new Christians understand the person of Jesus, as well as help small group participants connect with one another.

If God has a perfect vision for your life, why does spiritual growth seem so difficult? Pastor and bestselling author John Ortberg has some intriguing answers to that question, and he has organized his thoughts and God's words into a straightforward and timely guide for living your best life in The Me I Want to Be. In this study you will learn how God's perfect vision for you starts with a powerful promise. All those who trust in God "will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Ortberg urges you to recognize your brokenness, understand that God is the project manager, and follow His directions. He also helps gauge your spiritual health and measure the gap between where you are now and where God intends you to be. The Me I Want To Be Participant's Guide is a guidebook to the great task and joy of your life … becoming God's best version of you. Designed for use with the video.

In a world of uncertainty, pain, and struggle, where do you find solid assurance and unshakeable truth? In The Shelter of God's Promises, a ten-session small-group Bible study, gifted Bible teacher and inspiring speaker Sheila Walsh searches Scripture for what God has promised us, what God's promises mean, and how those promises provide the foundation for daily confidence, joy, and hope. Through vulnerable storytelling and powerful in-depth teaching, Sheila offers a life-changing study on ten bedrock promises of God to help you gain a trust in Him that will sustain you for a lifetime. The Shelter of God's Promises Participant's Guide includes individual and group activities, between-session personal studies, and additional material that will enhance your experience of the video sessions. Sessions include:The Promise of JesusThe Promise of ProvisionThe Promise of PeaceThe Promise of ConfidenceThe Promise of LoveThe Promise of GraceThe Promise of HopeThe Promise of StrengthThe Promise of MoreThe Promise of HomeDesigned for use with The Shelter of God's Promises DVD 9780529110398 (sold separately).

Many Christians believe our future in heaven is all that really matters. But that's not what the Bible teaches. In this six-session small group Bible study, premier Bible scholar N. T. Wright brings you inside the Scriptures to grasp the full, breathtaking hope Jesus offers the world, and its impact on your life today. Gain an exciting new vision for your life on earth in light of your future in heaven. Wonderful as is the promise of heaven, a glorious hereafter is just part of what salvation is about. What about today? Jesus called his followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Your life here and now is of tremendous consequence, and what you believe about the future has a direct impact on how you live in the present. In six transforming, faith-inspiring sessions, premiere biblical scholar N. T. Wright opens your eyes to the amazing full scope of what God's Word has to say about the world to come and the world that is. Filled with discussion questions, thoughts for reflection, and ideas for personal application, this study guide will help you get the most out of each session as you explore such questions as What is heaven really like? Is our main duty as Christians simply to help non-Christians get there? What hope does the gospel hold for this present life? In what ways does God intend for us to experience that hope personally and spread its healing power to the world around us? Surprised by Hope provides a clearer vision both of the future and of God's kingdom at hand today. This study provides individual and group activities, additional background material, and between-session personal studies that will enhance your experience of the video sessions. Sessions include: • Hope for the World • The Hope of the Resurrection • The Hope of Heaven • The Hope of Jesus' Second Coming • The Hope of Salvation • The Hope of the Church… Designed for use with the Surprised by Hope Video Study (not included).

In this six-session small group Bible study, pastor and bestselling author Jim Cymbala explores the person and work of the Holy Spirit to bring a fresh sense of God's power to your church and your life. What happens when the Holy Spirit moves powerfully within a church? Through this six-session study you will learn how: • To make room for the Spirit's action in your life and in your church • God wants to work through your gifts and talents to enable you to do what only he can do • To listen for the voice of the Spirit in prayer and how to apply God's Word to your life • The Spirit can bring healing to your body, your emotions, and your relationships; how a life lived in the presence of the Spirit can transform the church and the world • Your church can become a place where people regularly experience God's presence and his power. Sessions include: • Agent in the Shadows • Power Source • The Best Bible Teacher • Water, Wind, and Fire • Who's in Control? • Help When We Need it Most • Designed for use with the When God's Spirit Moves video (not included). When used together they provide a powerful catalyst for spiritual growth.

Renowned teacher, writer of the acclaimed The Spirit of the Disciplines, and one of today's most brilliant Christian thinkers, Dallas Willard, now offers a new six-session small group Bible study. This guide offers a timely and challenging call back to the true meaning of Christian discipleship. Gracefully weaving biblical teaching, popular culture, science, scholarship, and spiritual practice into one cohesive group study, Willard shows Christians everywhere the necessity of making profound changes in how we view our lives and live out our faith. This study masterfully captures the core of Christ's teachings in a fresh, relevant light, revealing a revolutionary way to experience God … by knowing Him as an essential part of the here and now, rather than only as a part of the hereafter. Based on the Sermon on the Mount, Willard calls Christians into an authentic faith and then offers a practical plan by which we can answer the call. In light of sales of the groundbreaking print book, thousands of Christians will enroll in "Jesus' Master Class for Life" … The Divine Conspiracy. This Participant Guide is designed for use with the companion DVD (sold separately). It's filled with insights, questions for discussion, and applications that will help you connect a new way of thinking to actual deeds and a different approach to life. Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change your forever, deepening your character and your trust in God. Sessions include: 1. The Divine Conspiracy 2. The Path to a Blessed Life3. Becoming a Good Person 4. Treasuring What Matters Most 5. Becoming a Community of Prayerful Love 6. Living as a Disciple of Jesus… Designed for use with the Divine Conspiracy Video Study (not included).