adult Sharing What I Believe STEP 1. Focus: Bible Basis: Lesson 10 / November 4, 2012

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1 adult / November 4, 2012 Sharing What I Believe for use as STEP 1. By Douglas Schmidt Students will discuss their testimonies of what God has done in their lives and how they can share those with others. Focus: Share your testimony of faith with everyone. Bible Basis: Acts 26:19-32 OPENING ACTIVITY: The Story of Yesterday Ask your students to briefly tell what they did yesterday what happened from the time they got up until they went to bed last night. It doesn t matter if the day was exciting or not. The point is to get them telling a story they know, as a lead-in to consider our testimony of faith as a story also. OPENING STORY [read it aloud to your class, or make copies and pass it around]: I AM SECOND MOVEMENT AIMS TO PUT JESUS FIRST The I Am Second movement, based on a book by Doug Bender and David Sterrett, is committed to conveying Christian testimonies (through venues like YouTube) in such a compelling way as to grab and hold on to the attention of those who are considering the claims of Christ. The founder of the movement, Norm Miller, states, The majority of those involved with I Am Second are everyday folks found at businesses, schools, community groups, and churches. Those who are featured on the website graciously lend their names and stories so that others might be inspired to find the same freedom and sense of purpose they have found in Jesus. The I Am Second website describes the project as [sharing] the stories of real people who reached the end of their strength, the end of their control, and found the most surprising truths. Shocking in their honesty, inspiring in their courage, these testimonies are critical reminders that no one is too far from God to find Him. The people featured range from the well known (former Washington Redskins football coach Joe Gibbs and actor Stephen Baldwin) to ordinary folks such as a battery salesman from Texas and a single mom from the suburbs. What they have in common, however, is the humility to

2 / November 4, 2012 / Step 1 2 Memory Verse I am not insane, most excellent Festus, Paul replied. What I am saying is true and reasonable. Acts 26:25 admit that they needed to be reconciled with God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ and the desire to share their story with anyone who might be interested. The subjects they address are not normally easy ones to discuss: anger, abuse, work, cancer, war, substance abuse, disabilities, pride, grief, divorce, abortion, affluence, child abuse, the absence of contentment, death, eating disorders, fatherlessness, forgiveness, broken marriage, lack of meaning, molestation, prison, prostitution, no purpose in life, racism, self-esteem, and trauma and how Jesus overcame all of these life struggles by the power of His Holy Spirit. While there are as many conversion experiences as there are personalities, some of the testimonies follow a similar pattern they were pursuing something they thought would give them satisfaction and happiness, they found emptiness or tragedy instead, and they ultimately looked to God for answers. Then came repentance, belief, and by the power of the Holy Spirit the experience of saving faith. Every testimony ends with the admission I am second, because now Jesus has taken first place in their lives. [Now form small groups, and have your students discuss the following questions.] What is a compelling testimony you ve heard? Why was it compelling? How might simply conveying your story with Christ help circumvent people s defenses and religious biases? Why is it important to remember that You are second? Let s take a look at how the apostle Paul used his testimony to turn people s attention to Christ and their need to respond to Jesus in faith. [After you are finished with the questions, go on to Step 2 in your Adult Teacher s Guide.] News Sources:

3 adult / November 4, 2012 Sharing What I Believe for use as STEP 4. Focus: Share your testimony of faith with everyone. Bible Basis: Acts 26:19-32 SO, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE? It s interesting to note that King Agrippa invited Paul to give his testimony. He was essentially asking Paul to share the Gospel with him and those present. But does that ever happen in real life? Yes! The easiest way to set this up is to ask non-christians what they believe about God, the afterlife, the meaning of life, morality, etc. Ask probing questions and show genuine interest in what the other person believes. If you do that, the person may eventually ask something like, So... what do you believe? When this moment comes, could you give your testimony? The good thing is, you re not arguing you re simply relating your experience. Simply telling someone about how you were reconciled with God through Christ may be enough to give that person a starting point to begin his or her own journey with Jesus. [Activity] Have your students return to the groups they had in Step 1 and ask them to use these questions to help them outline their testimonies. Not all testimonies will follow the same pattern, but these questions may be helpful in getting people thinking about the things they could share. What were you placing your trust in before you came to Christ? (For example, you could tell a story that illustrates how you were placing your security in this particular thing. ) Why did following that path ultimately fail? What was the turning point for you? How did God come into the picture? What happened after you repented of your sins and believed in Christ?

4 / November 4, 2012 / Step 4 2 Memory Verse I am not insane, most excellent Festus, Paul replied. What I am saying is true and reasonable. Acts 26:25 How is your life different now? (Where might you have been if God had not saved you?) After you ve thought through the basic parts of your testimony, make the commitment to get together this week at a coffee shop or some other public place with one or two people from your class and practice giving your testimony to each other. Perhaps you will even find a non-christian nearby who wants to listen in on what you have to say. Close the class in prayer, asking God to create the opportunities to share the Gospel with those who need to find and turn to Him. (David C Cook is not affiliated with and does not endorse any website listed on these pages. At the time of writing, David C Cook editors carefully review the referenced material and non-referenced web page content. However, due to the nature of the Internet, non-cited content on the website [including pop-ups, links, and ads] changes frequently and is beyond our control. Please review carefully before showing links in the classroom.) THE BIBLE IN THE NEWS The man who recreated scenes from the Old Testament using Lego blocks has now finished creating Lego scenes from the New Testament:

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