“Equip God’s people to do his work.” Ephesians 4:12

ISBN 978-1-4707-0161-1

RELIGION/Biblical Studies/ Bible Study Guides

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Discover God’s plan for you in his church!

Also available:

lEADinG out: ConnECtinG PEoPLE to PURPoSE

LEADINGOUT

CONNECTING PEOPLE to PURPOSE

E 4 : 1 2 B I B L E S T U D Y S E R I E S

6 - w e e k B I B L E S T U D Y b a s e d o n t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f E p h e s i a n s 4 : 1 2

Whether you’re new to the church or have been a part of it your whole life, you’ll discover that we’re all in this together. The heart of God’s church is you! As you dig into the Bible passages for each session and reflect on the meaning for your life, you’ll discover how God connects people to him through his church and through each other.

These 6 small group Bible study sessions will help you:  • Understand your gifts and calling  •  Identify opportunities to serve that fit those gifts  •  Connect with God in new ways as you

understand God’s unique plan for you  •  Create action steps to help you live

out your purpose

You are the church. We are the church. When we connect with other Jesus-followers—we’re better together!

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bEttEr toGEthEr: ConnECtinG With GoD & otHERS

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ISBN 978-1-4707-0161-1

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3CONTENTS |

ContentsWelcome to the E4:12 Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

About the Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Session 1: We’re Part of Something Bigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Session 2: One Part Equals Many . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Session 3: Wonderfully Made . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Session 4: Playing My Part. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Session 5: Ready, Set, Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Session 6: Connected to Grow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Getting Connected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Prayer Requests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

SESSION 1 | 9SESSiOn 1 | 9

SESSion 1We’re Part of Something BiggerThe Point: The church is built on the faith of people.

Key Verse: Ephesians 2:20

“Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.”

Getting Started Have each person in the group make a name tag as they arrive. Make sure chairs are arranged in a circle so everyone can connect visually. Got munchies? You may want to provide snacks or start a schedule for everyone to take turns providing a dessert.

Place a table near the seating area for group members, and lay a pillowcase in the center of the table. Pile small stones/river rocks on the pillowcase so there’s enough for one per person.

You’ll Need: o name tag material and markers

o pens/pencils

o small stone or river rock for each person

o pillowcase

SAMPLE

10 | Better Together: Connecting With God and Others

Connecting With Others (about 10 minutes)

Do you remember the nursery rhyme about the church from when you were a kid? You would fold your hands with your fingers on the inside, lift up your two index fingers, and say, “Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors, and see all the people.” Let’s try it! When you say “see all the people,” open up your hands, but keep your fingers entwined. Now wiggle your fingers!

This simple illustration is not too far off from what God tells us about the church in the Bible. This Bible study will help us explore how God wants to connect with each of us and how he also desires for us to connect with each other. In this session, we’ll explore how each of us is part of God’s plan to build a strong church.

Get in groups of four and discuss:

If you could build your dream house, what would it look like?

What in your life is a foundation that keeps you steady during times of uncertainty?

Pass your books around the room, and have each person write his or her name, phone number, and email address in the space provided on page 65. You can do this either at the beginning or end of your time together this session.

SAMPLE

SESSION 1 | 1111SESSiOn 1 |

Connecting With God(about 35 minutes)

Have each person in the group select a small rock from the selection pile.

Have you ever wondered how the church came into existence? Is today’s church what God had in mind? What exactly is the church? Let’s see if we can answer these questions with an experiment.

Take a careful look at your rock. Feel it. Taste it if you want. What qualities do you find in your rock? Write these qualities in the box to the right. When everyone is finished writing, we’ll share our observations.

Which of these rock qualities are also desirable for a person? For a church?

Jesus recognized some of these qualities in Simon, one of his followers, when he asked his disciples a question. Read the section below from Matthew 16:13-18, and circle the word rock whenever it appears.

Matthew 16:13-18

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’

‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’

Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say i am?’

Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’

Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. now i say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock i will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.’”

Rock Qualities:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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12 | Better Together: Connecting With God and Others

Jesus recognized Simon’s strong faith and tells him that he has been blessed personally, because God revealed his true identity to him. Jesus then gives him the special name of Peter (“petros” in Greek, referring to rock) to represent his rock-solid faith. It is this faith that ignited the beginning of the church. Jesus points ahead to the time when his disciples, his family of faith, will be called “my church.” Jesus will build his church on the foundational faith of people who claim him as the “Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Why do you think Jesus wanted to know from his disciples what others believed about him?

Jesus flips the question from what others think about him to what the disciples think about him. What does this say to us regarding having knowledge about something versus having faith in something?

What did Jesus expect from Peter?

What do you think Jesus is expecting from his followers today?

SAMPLE

SESSION 1 | 13

Ephesians 2:20 gives us a better understanding of how God built his church.

Ephesians 2:20

“Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.”

A cornerstone is the block that sets the form and function of a building. It’s the stone builders lay first to make sure the alignment is correct. Jesus is the cornerstone of the church. He establishes a foundation through the faith of his followers who believe in him.

In what ways does the church today show evidence that Jesus is the cornerstone?

In what areas of your life is it evident that Jesus is the cornerstone?

SAMPLE

14 | Better Together: Connecting With God and Others

Connecting With Self(about 10 minutes)

Ephesians 2:20 reminds us that together we make up God’s church—his house. When Jesus-followers come together, they build a church that “the powers of hell” will not be able to destroy.

How can this Bible study group help you stay better connected to God and help you with your own personal faith development?

Think of an area in your life right now where you need Jesus to be the cornerstone for strength, guidance, and direction. Using a marker, write down one word or symbol on your rock that describes this area of your life. When you’re done, place your rock on top of the pillowcase that’s on our table.

SAMPLE

SESSION 1 | 15

Connecting With Prayer (about 5 minutes)

God’s church is people. The people who have faith in Jesus. We are God’s church. Our rock pile symbolizes each of us coming together, forming God’s church. As we build on the strength of each other, we build a stronger church. The pillowcase represents Jesus, the cornerstone. He is the foundation of the church.

Have each person grab a side of the pillowcase, and lift the pillowcase together to raise the pile of rocks.

Jesus lifts us up and brings us together to be his church. Let’s spend a moment in silent prayer for the areas in our lives where we need Jesus to be the foundation.

After silent prayer time, have someone in the group pray:

Dear God, thank you for being the firm foundation that centers our lives. Thank you for bringing people of faith together to be your church. Help us to be strengthened daily through you and a support to strengthen each other. Amen.

Next time…

Date:___________________ Time:___________________Place:___________________________________________

SAMPLE

16 | Better Together: Connecting With God and Others

Equipped 2 Serve Put your rock in your pocket and carry it around with you this week. Each time you feel it, let it be a reminder to pray for the area in your life where you need Jesus’ help. Use this space to journal any discoveries or insights from this experience.

SAMPLE

SESSION 1 | 17SESSiOn 1 | 17

“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it

says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become

the cornerstone.’” —Acts 4:11

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18 | Better Together: Connecting With God and Others

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