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    Growing in Christ
    Growing in Christ
    Growing in Christ
    Ebook183 pages1 hour

    Growing in Christ

    By Brett Eastman and Dee Eastman

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    About this ebook

    Our world these days is so hectic, so complex. Where do we turn for wisdom and guidance in navigating the ins and outs of life? There are many voices to listen to and many examples to follow, but we really need look no further than the Author of Life, Jesus. He taught and lived a way of life that was purposeful and pleasing to God. These six sessions will show you the value and the nature of a life of discipleship, as modeled by Jesus.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.”
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateAug 30, 2009
    ISBN9780310866237
    Growing in Christ
    Author

    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.

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    • 3/5
      As our small group bible study had several new members join (myself being one of them), the first study resource we went through was this book. It's a nice book to use with small group bible studies to cover the basics of developing a community of Christ with each other. I wouldn't say that the book is super fantastic. But I don't have any complaints about the book either--and it's easy to find faults with religion study guides. (I come from a LCMS Lutheran background, and this church I attend now is a non-denominational evangelical church).

    Book preview

    Growing in Christ - Brett Eastman

    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

    Beginning in Christ Together (Life of Jesus)

    Connecting in Christ Together (Fellowship)

    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)

    t1

    ZONDERVAN

    GROWING 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 August 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-86623-7

    Requests for information should be addressed to:

    Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

    ISBN: 978-0-310-31231-4

    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 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.

    The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of Zondervan, nor do we vouch for their content for the life of this book.

    All rights reserved. The original purchaser of this product shall have the right to make unlimited print-form copies here of, provided such copies are not resold or distributed to the general public.

    08 09 10 11 12 • 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8

    CONTENTS

    COVER PAGE

    TITLE PAGE

    COPYRIGHT PAGE

    Read Me First

    SESSION 1 The Treasure of Discipleship

    SESSION 2 The Power of the Desert Personal Health Plan

    SESSION 3 Pressing the Pause Button

    SESSION 4 Persistent Prayer

    SESSION 5 Building on a Solid Foundation

    SESSION 6 Where’s Your Treasure?

    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 John

    Leading for the First Time

    Hosting an Open House

    EXPERIENCING CHRIST TOGETHER in a Sunday School Setting

    A Simple Retreat Plan

    LEADER’S NOTES

    About the Authors

    Small Group Roster

    ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

    SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

    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.

    Book 1 of this series (Beginning in Christ Together) 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). For example, Growing in Christ Together deals with discipleship. Book 1 is about grace: what Christ has done for us. The other books (including this one) 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.

    Becoming Like Christ

    In ancient times, a young man who wanted to learn a trade would apprentice himself to a master. The apprentice would work alongside the master, watching what he did and following his instructions. As the apprentice’s skills improved, the master would give him more responsibilities.

    The same was true in spiritual matters. If a Jew wanted to learn how to live in a way that pleased God, he would apprentice himself to a master, called a rabbi or teacher. The apprentice was called a disciple.

    Jesus was the most remarkable rabbi of his day. He is also the most remarkable rabbi of our day, for he’s still alive. He has the most wisdom about how to live the abundant, fruitful life God intends for us. If we’re willing to be his apprentices, we can learn to do life the way Jesus would if he had our temperaments, our families, and our jobs.

    Part of our apprenticeship involves habits that Jesus himself cultivated, such as deliberately resisting the frenzied pace of life. How can we possibly do that in our complex world? Growing in Christ Together shows us how to do this and more. We’ll learn to see the Father through Jesus’ eyes when we pray, and how Jesus chose the priorities of his life. If we want to

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