His Kingdom

Bible Study Series

Upcoming Events

• Upper Midwest Spiritual Training– Milwaukee, WI– Saturday, March 3rd

– 10:00 AM – 5 PM• Bring your own lunch or go out for lunch

• Marriage Day-Retreat– Saturday, March 17th – 10:00 AM – 5 PM

• Optional Movie at Church’s Building at 7 PM

Matthew 28:18-20

18 Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of[a] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,[b] I am with you always,[c] to the end of the age.”

John 13:34-35

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Class Schedule

Class 1 – Conversion, Questions, Scriptures

- His Word

Class 2 – Quiz; His Plan; His Will

Class 3 – Quiz; His Call

Class 4 – Quiz; His Mercy; His Sacrifice

Class 5 – Quiz; His Life

Class 6 – Quiz; His Way

Class 7 – Quiz; His Hope; His Family

Class 8 – Quiz; Appendices Studies; Lifelong Discipleship

The Focus of Each Study

• The Point – What is the primary focus of each study

• Scripture of Focus – What Scriptures lay at the heart of each study

• Questions – What pointed questions do you want to ask during the study

• Action Points– What main point of conviction do you want your friend to take with them

Acts 8

• 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”

•  30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

•  31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Acts 8

•  34 The eunuch replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or another person?” 35 So Philip proceeded[j] to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture.

•  36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?” [37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]

Conversion

What is conversion?

Conversion

Before:

Ephesians 2:1-3

Ephesians 4:17-19

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Galatians 5:19-21

After:

Ephesians 2:4-5

Ephesians 4:22-24

2 Corinthians 4:5-6

Galatians 5:22-25

Conversion – How?

Unbeliever

Believer

Conversion – How?

Unbeliever

Believer

Holy Spirit

John 16:5-11

5 “But now I am going away to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. 8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

The Holy Spirit Will Convict:

Sin – Our need to believe in the life of Christ

The Holy Spirit Will Convict:

Sin – Our need to believe in the life of Christ

Righteousness – That Jesus has paved the way for us to be found standing in the family of God

The Holy Spirit Will Convict:

Sin – Our need to believe in the life of Christ

Righteousness – That Jesus has paved the way for us to be found standing in the family of God

Judgment – Satan has already been defeated; judgment is inevitable, and doing our own will is futile

The Process of Salvation

•Prevenient Grace

•Growth in Grace

•Repentance

•Justification •Regeneration • Adoption

•Assurance

•Growth in Grace

•Repentance of Believers

•Growth in GraceThe New Birth:

Appropriated by Faith

Conversion

Is not about completing a set of studies but about experiencing Holy Spirit Conviction

- My eyes were blind but now I see

2 Corinthians 7:10

10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Conversion – How?

UnbelieverSin

Righteousness

Judgment

BelieverBaptized into

Christ

- Forgiveness of Sin

- Indwelling of the Spirit

- Family of God

Holy Spirit REPENTANCE

Getting Going

Find out about their relationship with God—where they want to go

Suggest a Bible study that can help

Make sure they understand what they are doing

Make sure they know if others are coming

Prepare for each study individually

The Purpose of Studies

1. Expose misconceptions about the biblical topic

2. Inspire your friend to biblically understand and pursue that topic in their life

Pointed Questions

Most studies should be Question Focused- This develops a dependency on the Bible- It lets them experience the thrill of discovering things for

themselves- It allows them to draw the same conclusions and

convictions that you came to through the prompting of the Spirit

- Asking good questions is more difficult and takes more work than preaching

- It allows you to draw out their heart

Questioning on Mark 4:13

Preaching Patrick: Jesus here was saying that if they didn’t understand this parable then they wouldn’t be able to understand any others.

Manipulating Manny: Isn’t it clear that if you don’t get this parable you will be in the dark to everything else that I teach you?

Pointless Paula: So what do you get out of that?

Limiting Linus: Do you understand that Jesus was saying that this parable was important to understand?

Pointed Questions

Causes your friend to think critically—draw conclusions

Empowers them to read and study God’s word

Builds confidence in their ability to understand the Scriptures

You are teaching them to fish rather than giving them one

Proverbs 20:5: The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.

Pointed Questions get to Heart

We want to help them get to their heart with gentleness and respect

Progressive questions:

- Interpretation

- Application

- Contemplation

Keep focused on aim of the study as you ask questions

Don’t avoid appropriate confrontation (from the Scripture) in the name of being gentle

Pointed Questions

Interpretation What. . . ?

Application How. . . . . ?

Contemplation Why. . . ?

Matthew 6:33

Interpretation – What does it mean to seek something first?

- What does it mean to seek the kingdom?

Application – How are you going to make God’s kingdom the highest priority in your life?

Contemplation – Why do you want to take on such a calling?

- Why would you put God’s kingdom ahead of your own personal agenda?

His Word

The Focus of Each Study

• The Point – What is the primary focus of each study

• Scripture of Focus – What Scriptures lay at the heart of each study

• Questions – What pointed questions do you want to ask during the study

• Action Points– What main point of conviction do you want your friend to take with them

The Main Point

• The Point –

1. To help people understand misconceptions they have had about the need for the Word of God in their life; the importance of it; and our commitment to it

2. To help people understand the importance and purpose of obeying God’s word above all else

Scriptures of Focus

• Primary Scriptures– Mark 4:13– Mark 4:14-20– James 1:22-25

Questions

• The Questions – What pointed questions do you want to ask during the study– Why would you want to obey the word of God

in your life?

Action Points

• The Take Away Convictions – What main point of conviction do you want your friend to take with them– We want our friends to leave with a specific

conviction about their need to learn and study the word of God

– And a conviction about obeying it

James 1:22-25

• 22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face[i] in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.