Beginning in Christ Together

By Brett Eastman, Dee Eastman, Todd Wendorff and 2 more

The heart of Christianity is not a ritual or a structure, but a Person—Jesus Christ. But even as his followers, our vision of Jesus can get muddied by man-made theories of who he was. Whether you’re a seasoned believer or a brand new Christian, come walk in the footsteps of his first disciples to see him afresh: as Teacher, Healer, Shepherd, Servant, Savior, and Risen Lord. These six sessions lay the foundation for radical discipleship as our hearts are once again captured by who he is.Experiencing Christ Together helps your group explore the five biblical purposes that make up a high-impact Christian life —fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and worship. Jesus perfectly lived out God’s purposes for his life, and he taught his followers how to do the same. As you walk in the footsteps of those first disciples by listening to and watching Jesus through these studies, you and your group will be transformed.One small group leader put it this way: “The Experiencing Christ Together series has motivated me more than any other Bible study that I have ever been to. This Bible study gets to the heart of the matter—my character in Christ—and that has created action on my part.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Feb 23, 2010
• ISBN: 9780310861096

Brett Eastman

Brett Eastman has championed small groups and leadership development at both Saddleback and Willow Creek Community Church over the past decade. He is president and founder of LifeTogether, and one of the authors of the Silver Medallion winner Doing LifeTogether, the adult curriculum published by Zondervan.

Book preview

WHAT SMALL GROUP LEADERS AND MEMBERS ARE SAYING ABOUT EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER

My group was formed four years ago of very new believers. EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER has helped form bonds, and we have fallen in love with Christ. We have had many trials, but we have learned to lean on the body of Christ to carry us through the difficult times. I know our lives are richer than ever.

—Leader

The EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER series has motivated me more than any other Bible study that I have ever been to. This Bible study gets to the heart of the matter—my character in Christ—and that has created action on my part.

—Leader

I love the fact that Jesus’ life shows us how to live.

—Member

This series is an awakening. Jesus has become a very personal friend.

—Leader

This series is definitely a must-do as the foundation for a healthy, maturing small group!

—Leader

EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER is a safe place to learn about the living Jesus and how he wants to lead us and love us.

—Member

EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER ties the heart and the mind together. The Bible knowledge grows the mind and the life application grows the heart and transforms the soul.

—Member

Other Studies in the EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER Series

Connecting in Christ Together (Fellowship)

Growing in Christ Together (Discipleship)

Serving Like Christ Together (Ministry)

Sharing Christ Together (Evangelism)

Surrendering to Christ Together (Worship)

Studies in the DOING LIFE TOGETHER Series

Beginning Life Together (God’s Purpose for Your Life)

Connecting with God’s Family (Fellowship)

Growing to Be Like Christ (Discipleship)

Developing Your SHAPE to Serve Others (Ministry)

Sharing Your Life Mission Every Day (Evangelism)

Surrendering Your Life to God’s Pleasure (Worship)

Title page with Zondervan logo

ZONDERVAN

BEGINNING IN CHRIST TOGETHER

Copyright © 2005 by Brett and Deanna Eastman, Todd and Denise Wendorff, and Karen Lee-Thorp

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

ePub Edition June 2009 ISBN: 0-310-86109-8

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

ISBN 0-310-24986-4

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted 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.

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EBOOK INSTRUCTIONS

In this ebook edition, please use your device’s note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response Here]. Use your device’s highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

CONTENTS

Ebook Instructions

Read Me First

SESSION 1 The Teacher

Personal Health Plan

SESSION 2 The Healer

SESSION 3 The Shepherd

SESSION 4 The Servant

SESSION 5 The Savior

SESSION 6 The Risen Lord

APPENDIX

Frequently Asked Questions

LIFE TOGETHER Agreement

Small Group Calendar

Team Roles

Personal Health Assessment

Personal Health Plan

Sample Personal Health Plan

Journaling 101

Bible Reading Plan: 30 Days through the Gospel of Mark

Leading for the First Time

Hosting an Open House

EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER in a Sunday School Setting

LEADER’S NOTES

About the Authors

Small Group Roster

About The Publisher

READ ME FIRST

EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER

EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER: LIVING WITH PURPOSE IN COMMUNITY will take you face to face with Jesus himself. In addition to being the Son of God and Savior of the world, Jesus holds the greatest wisdom and understands the purposes for which God formed you. He knows what it takes to build authentic relationships, to know God more intensely, to grow spiritually, and ultimately to make a difference in the world. EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER offers you a chance to do what Jesus’ first followers did: spend time with him, listen to what he said, watch what he did, and pattern your life after his.

Jesus lived every moment following God’s purpose for his life. In this study you will experience firsthand how he did this and how you can do it too. Yet if you’re anything like us, knowing what God wants for you is one thing, but doing it is something else. That’s why you’ll follow Jesus’ plan of doing life not alone but together. As you follow in his footsteps, you’ll find his pathway more exciting than anything you’ve imagined.

Beginning in Christ Together, the first book of this series, explores the person of Jesus Christ. Each of the subsequent five studies looks through Jesus’ eyes at one of God’s five biblical purposes for his people (fellowship, discipleship, service, evangelism, and worship). Beginning in Christ Together is about grace: what Christ has done for us. The other books are about how we live in response to grace.

Even if you’ve done another LIFE TOGETHER study, you’ll be amazed at how Jesus can take you to places of faith you’ve never been before. The joy of life in him is far beyond a life you could design on your own. If you do all six study guides in this series, you’ll spend one astonishing year with Jesus Christ.

Who Is Jesus?

Most people have opinions about Jesus. He was a great teacher, a revolutionary, a tragic figure caught in political intrigues, a gentle visionary, a prophet, a spiritual person with the key to enlightenment. . . . Or maybe he was God in some way that makes him not quite human and best kept on a respectful pedestal. Man’s theories about Jesus reflect more of what people would like him to be than what the historical records of his life say about him.

But the Person who emerges from the Bible’s pages is far more compelling than the theories. Beginning in Christ Together allows you to get to know Jesus as his first followers did. They met him as Teacher, a rabbi. They came to know him as Healer, Shepherd, Servant, Savior, and ultimately Risen Lord. From his first words, follow me, through his ministry, death, and resurrection, he kept drawing them deeper into his life.

Jesus called his disciples to commit their lives to some challenging purposes. Those purposes weren’t always easy or comfortable. What motivated Jesus’ followers to do what he taught was their deep experience of who he was and what he had done for them. Beginning in Christ Together will ground you in that same experience so you are able to sustain your passion for Jesus’ purposes over the long haul. So you can answer his call every day not because you should but because you want to, because his life burns within you. We hope your encounter with him turns your life inside out—in a good way. God has a purpose and a path for you; Jesus knows the