Session 14: The More Excellent Way
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PREPARATION
Read Scripture and background information. Reflect on the questions in the participant book. Review links suggested in the lesson outline below.
Train of Thought
The church exists to serve the world and to invite all people into a community of Jesus Christ that reaches out with God's love to the world. Leaders in the church name current reality, listen to God and to the people so that they can articulate a vision of desired reality, design appropriate systems for making disciples and spreading the gospel, and monitor the entire system to identify points for improvement. As the world changes, the community of faith is ready to respond, meeting people where they are to help them discover their place in the body of Christ.
Desired Outcomes
As a result of this session, participants should be able to:
- Recover the historic understanding of discipleship, stewardship, and fellowship.
- Recognize the importance of practicing the spiritual disciplines.
Lesson Supplies
- Posters
- Candle and matches, Bible
- Information on John Wesley
- Information on Spiritual Practices
EXPLORATION AT GROUP SESSION
Total time: 50 minutes
Light the worship candle with these words, "John Wesley believed that the world could be transformed into the kingdom of God." Pray together the prayer on page 119 in the study book. Wesley pushes us to live differently in our daily lives. Ask participants to bring a symbol of their daily life to add to the worship center next week.
Invite comments and questions on this session's daily readings. You can share the complete text of Wesley's sermon for participants who would like to read it. Be prepared to share information about John Wesley from your preparation.
Focus Study: Day 3
This reading emphasizes discipline and spiritual practices as a way of building our relationship with God. This sermon urges a discipline of an ordered day, prayer, and meditative reading. Wesley's "means of grace" are spiritual practices that open a space of receptivity to God's grace. Wesley's "means of grace" is the focus of FaithQuest session 15. Ask group members, "What spiritual practices have you found helpful in turning your attention toward God?" Distribute copies of the Summary Handout of spiritual practices. How do practices affect our daily lives?
Ask participants to experiment with one new practice for 2 weeks.
Transition to Our Time
Discuss the questions at the top right column of page 125, A Reflective Moment Along the Way. Read Psalm 18:6 (day 3 reading). What does this verse tell us about ourselves and God?
DISCOVERY — APPLYING IDEAS TO THE CONGREGATION
Total time: 45 minutes
Discussion Questions (30 minutes)
Discuss the questions on page 126 of the Bible study. Understanding how the primary task of the congregation relates to discipleship, stewardship, and fellowship is important if we are to create fully functional faith-forming communities. Figure 14C and the exercise add one more dimension to viewing our congregation as a complex system.
Feedback & Evaluation (5 minutes)
The final four sessions of FaithQuest push us to apply what we are learning to our lives as individuals and as a congregation. How is this session a challenge to our congregation?
Sending Forth (10 minutes)
"It is a radical, transforming love that moves people to deep levels of Christian service" (FaithQuest Bible Study, page 125). To close the FaithQuest group session, invite participants to a time of silence to remember a person for whom this statement is true. Ask how the people they are remembering have influenced them. Allow silence for memories to surface. Ask participants to pair up and tell each other about the person each remembers. The pairs should close their conversation by praying for each other.
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