Faith Foundations

Connect 

• How has your week been?
• How can we pray for you?

Accountability 

From your personal time with the Lord…

• What is God saying to you?
  • Through scripture
  • Through your time in prayer
  • Through your time with your family/in community
• What are you going to do about it?
• How can we help?

From the preparation for this session…

• What are you most hoping that God does in you and through you during your time in this group?
• Out of all the sessions in this curriculum, which do you think will be the most helpful for you?

Intentional Learning 

Main Idea

• Since God made us in his image and sent Jesus to redeem us, we fulfill our purpose when we prioritize knowing him deeply and glorifying him widely. The purpose of this lesson is to know God made us with the purpose of enjoying Him and exalting Him to others.

Learning Materials

• “Why You’re Here” video

Discussion 

• To what extent have you stopped to think about why God created you? What conclusions did you reach? What was your determination based on?
• How would you define the American dream? In what ways could the American dream conflict with the purpose God might give his followers?
• What significance have you given to the idea of being the image of God? How does David’s explanation influence your understanding of being made in God’s image?
• How thoroughly does God want us to love him? To what extent have you experienced a loving relationship with God? Do you ever feel like something is missing between you and God?
• If you trust Jesus, what led you to him? If you don’t yet know him, what is preventing you from choosing to follow Jesus?
• How often do you reflect on the cross as a demonstration of God’s love for you? What thoughts about Jesus, and about yourself, come to mind when you do?
• What are you doing to be aware of what God is doing around the world? In what ways can you participate in God’s vision of a universal, diverse church?

Practice

• Think about friends, neighbors, relatives, colleagues, and others who do not yet believe in Christ, and write their names somewhere you can keep close by. Pray for them to accept Jesus’s sacrifice on their behalf and to surrender their lives to him.

Plan

• Spend time thinking through your purpose for being created and how completely you have lived in that purpose. Ask yourself what distracts you from enjoying and exalting God in your thoughts and actions. What is one change you can make to refocus on God’s desire for your life?
• Memorize John 17:3: “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.”

Guided Prayer 

• Pray for…
  • Yourself to truly believe that you are who God created you to be. That you are made in the image of God and that you were made for a purpose!
  • The people in your life who don’t yet know that they are made in the image of God and made for a purpose. Pray that they would come to know Jesus.

Conclude 

Connect 

• How has your week been?
• How can we pray for you?

Accountability 

From your personal time with the Lord…

• What is God saying to you?
  • Through scripture
  • Through your time in prayer
  • Through your time with your family/in community
• What are you going to do about it?
• How can we help?
• Is there anything you need to confess/repent of?

From last session’s action steps…

• How was your time with the Lord affected after being reminded as your status as someone who is made in the image of God and someone is made with a purpose?
• How has your time in prayer been as you have prayed for those in your life that don’t know that they are made in the image of God?

From the preparation for this session…

• How are you feeling about this session that we’re about to have? 
• What stood out to you the most about the video?
• What questions do you still have about having a Spirit-empowered life?

Intentional Learning 

Main Idea

• The Holy Spirit empowers us to live out the purposes for which God created us, changing our desires to better reflect his as we mature. The purpose of this lesson is for you to know that the Christian life is not a set of moral rules but a relationship with God.

Learning Materials

• “The Spirit-Empowered Life” video

Discussion

• How have you understood what the Christian life should look like? What were you taught God wanted from you after you professed your faith in Jesus?
• When have you treated your faith as merely a moral standard? What impact did seeing your faith as simply a set of values have on you?
• What difference does the Spirit of the Lord make in our lives? In what ways have you witnessed the transformative power of the Spirit?
• How would you describe the condition of your heart since you placed your faith in Jesus?
• What have you learned about God and yourself as you’ve walked through a hard situation or painful relationship? In what ways has your faith helped you through the struggles?
• In what ways are you sharing your faith verbally? What behaviors could others identify in your life that reflect your faith to others? Which of Christ’s values do you regularly demonstrate at work or in public?
• In which areas of your life do you notice a trajectory toward glorifying God? Where would you like to see more change?
• What can you do today to help yourself listen to the Spirit? What areas of your life do you want to see him transform?

Practice

• Using David’s concentric circles, draw out a similar diagram that includes specifics from your life—activities, desires, relationships, dreams, etc. Identify areas that are trending in the right direction, those that glorify God and encourage maturity in your faith. Also note those areas that lead you away from God, where you can allow the Spirit to reign and empower you to change.
• Memorize Galatians 5:16: “I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

Plan

• Either in the privacy of your own journal or prayers, or to a trusted friend, confess the areas in your life where you have wanted to keep control rather than allow God to lead. Ask for forgiveness and wisdom in turning around to depend on God instead.

Guided Prayer 

• Pray for…
  • Your desires to transform into God’s desires. For your desires to align with what God would want from you.
  • You to love people like Jesus because you are filled with the Spirit. Not love that is dependent on people’s actions towards you, but based on their intrinsic value that God has given them.
  • The condition of your heart to be empowered and enlivened by the Holy Spirit

Conclude 

Connect

• How has your week been?
• How can we pray for you?

Accountability 

From your personal time with the Lord…

• What is God saying to you?
  • Through scripture
  • Through your time in prayer
  • Through your time with your family/in community
• What are you going to do about it?
• How can we help?

From the last session’s action steps…

• How did it go confessing the areas in your life where you have wanted to take control instead of allowing God to lead? What kind of freedom have you found from that?
• Have you memorized Galatians 5:16?

From the preparation for this session…

• How are you feeling about this session that we’re about to have?
• What stood out to you the most about the video?
• What questions do you still have about Disciples of Jesus being disciple-makers?

Intentional Learning 

Main Idea

• As disciples of Jesus made to glorify God, we accomplish our purpose by making disciples. The purpose is to know that disciple-making continues past introducing people to Jesus into showing and teaching them how to follow Him.

Learning Materials

• “Disciples Make Disciples” video

Discussion

• When did you first become aware that God was calling you to share the gospel with others? How did you react then, and in what ways have you incorporated God’s call into your daily life?
• Who first told you about Jesus? After you trusted in Jesus, how were you taught and shown ways to deepen your faith?
• What has been your experience in sharing the gospel with people in your circles of influence? How comfortable do you feel talking about your faith in Jesus and explaining how someone can know him?
• What fears do you have about sharing your faith? What about evangelism excites you?
• How did you learn to apply your belief in Christ to your everyday life, work, and relationships? Who explained Scripture to you? What has the process of spiritual growth looked like for you?
• If discipling others has been an intimidating thought, how does David’s explanation inform your understanding of the process? Who in your life could you walk alongside in their young faith journey?
• Which part of disciple-making challenges you the most? Which part plays to your strengths? In what areas do you need to keep growing so you can continue to disciple someone in your life?
• To what extent do far-off people enter your thinking as you consider your own discipleship efforts? In what ways have you thought past your friends and neighbors to pursue a way to spread Jesus’s message to people far away?
• What can you do to embrace your identity as a disciple-maker both near and far?

Practice

• Write a list of friends that you can talk to as you practice putting the gospel message together so you feel confident sharing it.
• Memorize Matthew 28:19–20: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Plan

• Commit to sharing the good news of Jesus with someone. Consider volunteering at Fielder with the connection table or children’s ministry, or initiate a conversation with a neighbor or friend.
• Commit to mentoring a young believer or leading a small group of those who seek a strong relationship with God but need help with studying and understanding the Bible. As you lead, be open to admitting when you don’t know an answer and asking for help. Lean on God for guidance and wisdom and turn to wise Christians for advice.

Guided prayer 

• Pray for…
  • God to identify who He wants you to disciple.
  • God to open doors so that you can start to teach those younger in their faith what it means to follow Jesus.
  • you to continue to grow as a disciple for the rest of your life.

Conclude

Connect

• How has your week been?
• How can we pray for you?

Accountability

From your personal tome with the Lord…

• What is God saying to you?
  • Through scripture
  • Through your time in prayer
  • Through your time with your family/in community
• What are you going to do about it?
• How can we help?

From the last session’s action steps…

• How do you feel after sharing the Gospel with your non-believing friends?
• What follow-up conversations do you need to have with your friends that you shared the Gospel with?
• What difficulties did you run into when trying to share the Gospel that you were not anticipating?

From the preparation for this session…

• How are you feeling about this session that we’re about to have?
• What stood out to you the most about the video?
• What questions do you still have about being sent to the nations?

Intentional Learning 

Main Idea

• Because the Gospel is good news for everyone, we must go beyond our immediate circles to make disciples among people who have never heard of Christ. The goal is to know that the Gospel is for everyone all over the world and to feel compassion for people, and people groups, across the globe who have never heard of Christ.

Learning Material

• “To the Nations” Video

Discussion

• What does the continuity of God’s plan to make disciples worldwide reveal about his nature?
• How might the strategy of reaching ethnic groups spread the gospel more comprehensively than merely targeting countries? What kinds of challenges face a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual discipleship goal?
• What sorts of diversity do you see in the churches around you? Within your local church body? In what ways does your church serve the people groups found within your local community?
• What does a life look like that is committed to making disciples both near and far?

Practice

• Research the ethnic groups that have little to no exposure to the Christian faith. Learn about their history and traditions, what kind of religion they might practice, and how they understand the world and spiritual realm. Pray for them to receive the gospel as the church moves into their region.

Plan

• Learn what mission opportunities your church offers in the coming year and commit to participating in one of them, whether you go, send someone, or give supplies or finances to help. Commit to praying for the people going and those they will serve.

Guided Prayer 

• Pray for…
  • A heart for people from ethnic backgrounds than you
  • Opportunities to live missionally to those of different ethnic backgrounds than you, both here and abroad

Conclude

Connect 

• How has your week been?
• How can we pray for you?

Accountability 

From your personal time with the Lord…

• What is God saying to you?
  • Through scripture
  • Through your time in prayer
  • Through your time with your family/in community
• What are you going to do about it?
• How can we help?

From the last session’s action steps…

• What have you learned in your research of different ethnic groups who haven’t had much access to the Gospel? How was it praying for them to reach the Gospel?
• What mission opportunities did you learn about at Fielder? Which opportunities most interest you?

From the preparation for this session

• How are you feeling about this session that we’re about to have?
• What stood out to you the most about the video?
• What questions do you still have about the state of the world?

Intentional Learning 

Main Idea

To fulfill the Great Commission, we must help to take the Gospel across the world to those who have never heard Christ

Learning Materials

• “The State of the World” Video

Discussion

• What would it take for you to approach God in prayer with an openness to whatever he might lead you to do regarding missions?
• What is your perspective on financially supporting evangelistic efforts? If you’ve donated to or regularly supported a mission endeavor, why did you choose to give? What reasons led you to choose a particular person or organization to support?  
• What other examples of nontraditional mission work have you seen or used? Thinking of your own circumstances, gifts, and resources, where do you think you fit into God’s plan to spread his message of grace to all?

Practice

• Spend time praying for God’s clear direction on how you should be participating in the Great Commission. Who could you pray for, to whom can you give financially, and where might you go—all to take the gospel to those in need of it? Let God speak to you, then move forward in obedience.

Plan

• Investigate opportunities to join an evangelistic effort. Learn about organizations that minister in the red zones. Talk with your church staff about mission plans—is there a short-term trip you can join or a person you can support who wishes to go? Learn all you can about the people being served and how the mission trips will meet their spiritual and physical needs.

Guided Prayer 

• Pray for…
  • The opportunity to play our part in exalting God among all nations
  • Clarity on how God is calling you to give, pray and go for the sake of His Kingdom
  • A heart that cares for nations who have not had the same access to the Gospel as the United States

Conclude

Connect

• How has your week been?
• How can we pray for you?

Accountability 

From your personal time with the Lord…

• What is God saying to you?
  • Through scripture
  • Through your time in prayer
  • Through your time with your family/in community
• What are you going to do about it?
• How can we help?

From last session’s action steps…

• How do you feel like God is calling you to participate in the Great Commission? How are you going to be obedient to what God is prompting you towards?

From the preparation for this session…

• Be honest: how are you with maintaining a schedule?
• Have you noticed yourself forgetting plans, relying on your significant other to keep track of dates for you, or double-booking yourself?

Intentional Learning 

Main Idea

As un-spiritual as this may seem, you will not be able to disciple those that God is calling you to if you are flaky, forgetful, and unavailable. Take some time to get practical and make yourself open to those who you are discipling.

Learning Materials

• “Big Rocks- Franklin Covey”

• “Google Calendar Tutorial 2023” 

• “Replenishment Cycle” 

• Jon Tyson Sermon 
• 8 Ways to Get More Done

Discussion

• Re-teach me what you learned
• Do you find yourself thinking that you don’t have enough time to do the things that the Lord is calling you to?
• Do you remember a time in your life where you felt like you were glorifying God the most? How much time were you spending on Him weekly?
• Do you currently have a calendar that you update regularly?
• What kind of doors would pen up in your discipleship if you kept a calendar?

Practice

• Set your weekly schedule
  • An easy way to do this is by creating a 3×7 grid. The 7 columns are days of the week and the 3 rows are labeled as “morning,” “afternoon,” and “evening.” Write out the different activities that you do during the time that corresponds with each box. Share this with your group.

Plan

• Download Google Calendar and sync your work and family schedules
• Practice setting up/tweaking weekly schedule using Google Calendar
  • Be thorough with your Google Calendar. Put your work schedule, time with family/friends, your morning routine, time with the Lord, etc. Share your Google Cal with those in your group.
• Starting this week, integrate the replenishment cycle into your rhythms. Invite those in your group to enter into that rest with you over the next couple of weeks.

Guided Prayer 

• Pray for…
  • Commitment to a regular schedule so that you can bring order into your life
  • More opportunities to see pockets of time that you can use for reaching those that God has called you to
  • A more balanced schedule with predictable patterns of community, shepherding, and outreach

Conclude

Connect

• How has your week been?
• How can we pray for you?

Accountability 

From your personal time with the Lord…

• What is God saying to you?
  • Through scripture
  • Through your time in prayer
  • Through your time with your family/in community
• What are you going to do about it?
• How can we help?

From the last session’s action steps…

• How has managing a schedule been since we last met?
• Have you been noticing that you have more time than you initially thought that you did?
• Have you been filling those free spaces in your schedule up with things that are beneficial to the Kingdom?

From the preparation for this session…

• Besides this group, what other spiritual environments are you in?
• Have you ever been the leader of a group that focused on creating spiritual environments?
• Have you ever been a bible study leader/community group leader/Discipleship group leader, etc.

Intentional Learning 

Main Idea

Now that you have reached the people that God has called you to, it is time to start leading them in a more formal setting. Dive into this session to learn how to lead spiritual discussions, Bible studies, and Discipling Communities.

Learning Materials

• 6 Reasons to Read the Bible Everyday- Piper 

• Fielder FDG Webpage

Discussion

• Brainstorm necessary components for a Bible study
  • Write down the components and share them with your group
• Explain components and goals of a D-Group to your group
  • Take time to talk about the reasons why a Discipleship Group is important for the people that you’ve been living towards and how you plan on inviting them into a group with you as well.

Practice

• Start a Bible study and invite unconnected people to it
  • These should be people that you have at least had spiritual conversations with and are interested in learning more about Jesus. They could be believers or non-believers. They should not currently be in a Bible study or D-Group. Go over your plan with you group.
• Transition your Bible study to an FDG within the next 3 months
  • Take some time as a group to come up with a plan moving forward. What kind of conversations do you need to have with those that you are leading in a Bible study in order to enter into a formal discipleship relationship with them? Process and plan accordingly with your group.

Plan

• Have a meeting with somebody from Fielder’s discipleship team about starting a D-Group or Community Group
• Attend the next Shepherd Training that is available
• Learn what it looks like to lead a group at Fielder Church

Guided Prayer 

• Pray For…
  • Wisdom and courage as you start creating spiritual environments with those that you are shepherding
  • A humble and transparent heart that is quick to confess and repent of sin when it occurs
  • Receptive hearts from the people that you are inviting to join you in creating spiritual environments

Conclude