Coaching Points For Group Leaders 7:  (Life’s Big Questions) Is My Story Part of a Bigger Story?

Key Concept: 
The True, Gospel Story

Bible Study:
2 Cor. 5:21

COACHING POINTS FOR GROUP LEADERS 7: (Week 7) LIFE’S BIG QUESTIONS: Is My Story Part of a Bigger, True Story?

Looking Back (20 Minutes)

1. Accountability:  Love Does
   • What did you do last week to walk in the power of the Resurrection? 
2. Connecting Relationally (Optional)
   • If you know that a group member is going through a major life event, then feel free to ask them about it.
   • Otherwise, on occasion, you may want to also ask the group, “What is one thing you are celebrating that happened last week or one place you saw God show up?”

Looking Up (20 Minutes)

1. Discussion Questions:  Prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in determining which of the discussion questions you will ask your group members.
2. Note:  You may want to think about asking a particular question to a particular person (or persons) in your group based on what you know of their story or what God is doing in their lives.  Also, remember to include and draw in members of the group who are less talkative than others.

Looking Forward (20 Minutes)

1. Goal-Setting:  Love Does
   • The big picture of the Gospel Story is to walk in ongoing repentance, faith, and joy in Christ, the hero of the Big Story.  What is one thing you can do this week to repent and in faith turn to Christ and walk in gospel joy?
2. Prayer
   • Spend time praying.

Coaching Points For Those Who Want to Take Someone Through Life’s Big Questions That Isn’t in Your Mentoring Group

1. Be prepared to draw out the Bridge diagram on a napkin or piece of paper or whatever you have.
2. The thought experiment has been very helpful with people and having them share a percentage, so be prepared to share it.
3. The tight rope illustration is super helpful to move people from general belief in God to being a follower of Jesus.  The point isn’t, “Do you call yourself a Christian?  Have you said a prayer?”  The point is whether or not your friend is actively following Jesus.  Believing and following are very different.
4. Frame the language as, “Over the last few weeks, I have heard you say.  I could be wrong, but here is what I have been hearing you say and here is where it seems like you are to me.  Is that accurate?”  Then encourage them to commit to actively following Jesus and mark that out with a prayer of commitment.

One Page Outline

1. Recap:
   1. Both believing and not believing in the Resurrection require faith.  The evidence for the resurrection make it more reasonable to believe in the Resurrection than not doing so.
2. Thought Experiment
3. Draw Bridge Diagram
   1. God
      1. Loving, Merciful, and Gracious (define)
   2. Adam, Eve, and Mankind
      1. Sin–what is at the center of your life?
   3. Christ
      1. Great Exchange
   4. Our Response
      1. Repentance
      2. Saving Faith
         1. More than belief
         2. More than feelings
         3. A choice to trust Christ
      3. Blondin Illustration
         1. Evaluation of where they are.
         2. Return to thought experiment.  Anything less than 100%…
            1. Religion to relationship
            2. recommitment
         3. “here is what I have heard you say…”