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Part 1, Preparation and Vision Lesson 2: Circle of Influence

Scriptures to read to prepare for the story: Joshua 2 Joshua 6:17 Mark 5:1-20 Acts 16:11-15 Acts 16:25-34 Acts 11:14 (memory verse)

Accountability Participative Bible study: (Acts 16:25-34) Introduction to Story: Everyone who comes to Christ comes through someone else helping him know and re-connect to God. These stories of the Old and New Testament are about how Gods kingdom expanded through connections. This lesson is designed to share the vision of reaching family and friends with the gospel, and how to do this in a church planting method. Stories: 1. One day, Joshua, the leader of Israel, sent out two men to spy out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, which God had promised to give them. They stayed at a home that belonged to a prostitute by the name of Rahab. She knew and acknowledged the Lord God. Rahab asked them to spare and protect her and her family when they invade this land. The men told her to hang a red rope from the window, which would guarantee that her whole household would be saved. The first people Rahab thought to save were her family. 2. One day, when Jesus was traveling, he noticed a man who was demon possessed come running towards Him. The man was not looking well and very untidy, the demons inside him also made him cause harm to his body. So Jesus cast the demons out of the man, and he became perfectly normal. When Jesus was about to leave, the man begged to follow Jesus, but Jesus replied:No, go home to your friends and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been. So the Man started off to visit 10 towns in the region and began to tell everyone the great things Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed by what he told them. 3. While Paul and Silas were travelling, they met a woman in Philippi. Her name was Lydia. Paul and Silas witnessed to her about Jesus. Lydia believed everything they said and started to trust in Jesus. After that she went home and took Paul and Silas with her. She gathered her family and she witnessed to them about her new faith. Her whole household believed and was saved and baptized! 4. A few days after that, Paul and Silas were beaten and placed in prison. While they were there a miracle happened during their singing and praying; the gates of the prison broke open and Paul and Silas were able to go free but they chose to stay in the cell. Because of that the jailer was very amazed about Gods awesome power and at their faithfulness. He knew that if Paul and Silas did go free, he would be killed for not looking after them properly. Paul and Silas shared the Good News with him. The jailor believed and put his trust in Jesus. The same day he took Paul and Silas to his house where he shared with his family what had happened. His whole household got saved! [Dont forget to have 2-3 people re-tell the story.]

Part1,PreparationandVisionLesson2:CircleofInfluence

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Questions: 1. What is this story saying? (What is important, what can we learn from it?) 2. What did you not understand? 3. What should you obey? Memory Verse: He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved. Acts 11:14 1. What does this verse say? 2. How should you obey? Trainer Testimony: Share a testimony of how you recently shared with someone from your circle of influence. How to Obey: Where do we have relationships and influence? Explain: circle of influence/relationship A. What did each person in our Bible stories today do, after they showed interest in God or started to believe? They did not stop with themselves, but went home to let there family and friends know about what they heard. B. Consider in your culture society: who makes the decisions in a group of people / family? Who is most influential? (Group discussion if time) This key people need to be introduced to the Good News i.e.: Vietnam - Father makes decision, Grandmother has the influence. Keep that in mind when you meet with the gathered family! What do we do if we share our testimony (train in next lesson) and someone shows interest or even say that he wants to believe? we suggest not to lead them to be a Christian immediately, or not to invite them to come to a church! Encourage them to gather family and friends. Meet them within the next days (as soon as possible) and share your testimony with the whole family again. If they or some of them are interested to hear more, then you meet with them on a regular basis and lead them to faith in Christ Jesus. This group will then later on become the church. (people who gather in houses regular every week). You will train them to be trainers, to do the same what you learned. This is the way how your house-churches will multiply. 1. Write down the people you need to tell about Jesus Christ. 2. Pray with your accountability partner for each person on your lists. 3. After next lesson youll share testimony with first 10 people from Circle of Influence list. Pray: Pray right now and commit yourself to pray for each person on your list.

Part1,PreparationandVisionLesson2:CircleofInfluence