Lesson 2 - Ground Zero Part 2

Journey Church: Boot Camp 2015

Lesson 2 - Ground Zero!  Process or Event?

Primary Texts: Romans

Sept. 27, 2015

The Empire State Building still carries tradition and representation.  
Like the Towers, it will always represent something about New York City.

In the last lesson, we discussed the moment, time, realization or turning point in Paul’s life where he turned from one direction to another. (Acts 9  et al)  We also began to explore a similar experience in our own lives.

Review Homework or Questions from last week by getting out Journal, New Bible, or other resources.  Is anybody finding good resources they would like to share?  (JF)

Intro to Lesson

This week we will complete our cursory discussion on the turning of a life, from bad to good.  Our question asks, “It is a process or event?”  Is this question important?  Is the answer important?  What difference does it make?

Please read Psalm 110:3.  Was Paul willing in and of himself?  Was he made willing and how?

Background on Romans (Romans 1:1-14)

Who is author?

Who is audience?

Historical setting?

1. How long had Paul been a believer when he wrote this?  _______
1. How long have you been a believer? ________
2. What implications do those answers have on our lives? ____________________________

2. Describe what Paul did to make a change in his life direction. ________________________________________________________________________
1. Describe supporting characters and their roles. ____________________________
2. What characters were vital in your redirections?____________________________
3. Do they know that? _________________________________________________
4. Did he do this, or was it done to him?  & Why can you say that? ___________

________________________________________________________________________

3. Some terms people use to label this turn are “conversion, regeneration, salvation, justification.” There are many other descriptions and euphemisms as well. List a few. ________________________________________________________________________
1. Do these tend to describe an event or process?  &   Why? ________ ________________________________________________________________
2. Describe this change in your life.______________________________________
3. Are there differences between the words? What does each one mean?  How do they interrelate?

4. Romans gets right into some heavy stuff.  Deep into the first chapter, verse 17, he writes, “live by faith.”  Describe a time where you had to do something based on faith.  Also share the outcome. ___________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

5. Look up Hebrews 11:1, and Hebrews 10:22.  Define assurance based on these two verses.______________________________________________________________________
1. What challenges to faith do you face? _________________________________________

6. Sin is one of Jesse’s favorite topics. It appears 57 times in Romans and nearly 1200 in the entire book. Let’s come up with a working definition through research here.  A few guiding questions.  What part of speech is the word? Is it a Noun, verb, adjective, etc.
1. SIN _____________________________________________________________
2. sin ______________________________________________________________
3. Differences_______________________________________________________

7. Regarding this change or turn around, it seems like there is reason to consider it an event, list some of those attributes, characteristics or surrounding conditions. _______________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Old School:

Song, Blessed Assurance (Fances J Crosby)

• Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
• Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
• Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
• Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
• Refrain:
• This is my story, this is my song,
• Praising my Savior all the day long;
• This is my story, this is my song,
• Praising my Savior all the day long.
• Perfect submission, perfect delight,
• Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
• Angels, descending, bring from above
• Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
• Perfect submission, all is at rest,
• I in my Savior am happy and blest,
• Watching and waiting, looking above,
• Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Assignments

Read Romans 1-3 every day

Work more on your own story from last week and be prepared to share it with a shoulder partner.

Journal at least twice over the next week.

Lesson 1 - Journey Church - Basic Training - Lesson 1 Day

Journey Church: Boot Camp 2015

Introductions and Ground Zero, Part 1 of 2

Sept 20, 2015

Primary Texts: Acts 6-9 and Romans 1-3*

Laying a military metaphor or analogy over the walk of a Christian today, we will eventually focus on content from the book of Romans.  To begin, the author of Romans was named Paul.  Today we will invest some time looking at his life, the good and the bad. We examine him because of his extremes.  As the major contributor to the New Testament, understanding his background will give us a framework for his writings.

Introduction

We all remember where we were during 9/11.  The feelings that day pulled out of each of us varied as much as we did. Regardless, we all know what we were doing and it is as real and poignant as it took place last month! This is now memorialized in NYC at Ground Zero.

Direct Instruction

Notes, comments, questions and answers may go here during today’s teaching.

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Break out

In partners, address the assigned questions after reading your passage and appoint the speaker as the one with the earlier birthday.  (ie, April is before June. APril speaks.)

1.     Paul speaks of a Ground Zero type point in his life in Acts 9.  Read verses Acts 7: 54 – 60 and Acts 8:1 and Acts 9: 1-8, then infer from the clues about his behavior or belief toward himself, Christians and God.

a.     Himself   ______________________________________________

b.     Christians ______________________________________________

c.      God  ______________________________________________

2.     Are there any parallels from Paul’s life to your own life you would like to share with your partner?

a.     ______________________________________________

b.     Are any we all need to hear? ___________________________________

3.     It mentioned Paul was without sight, and neither ate nor drank for 3 days.  Describe what may he may have been thinking during this time?

a.     ______________________________________________

b.     What might you think if you could not see, eat or drink for three days?  ______________________________________________

4.     In Acts 9:10-19, a story begins to unfold about what happened next.* A man named Ananias was “sent” to “lay hands” on Paul.  Why did he object?

a.     _______________________________________________________________

b.     Who introduced you to Jesus? ______________________________________

c.      Describe your life at that time. ______________________________________________________________________

5.     After reading Acts 9:20-25, we see Paul jumping right into the fray.  He seemed to be working as hard for the Gospel as he was working against the Gospel prior to his conversion by doing what?  ______________________________________________

a.     Who was trying to get him killed? ____________________________________

b.     Why might that matter to Paul?   ____________________________________

c.      Why might it matter to us who our enemies are?_______________________

d.     What effect did this seem to have on Paul? ______________________________________

6.     From Acts 9: 26- 31, describe the problems facing Paul as a new believer.____________________

a.      What was the root or reason for the problem?  ____________________________

b.     What solutions were necessary?________________________________________

c.      How did those solutions come about?___________________________________

7.     Consider problems, obstacles or struggles from your past.  ________________________

a.     What are a few of the positive results? ___________________________________________________________________

b.     Have there been negative consequences you would like to share too?

_________________________________________________________________

8.     Today, we have been looking at changed lives.  We see the before, during and after in Paul.  The intensity of Paul’s turn-around was fairly deep.  Our 9/11 was also very deep.  When was that deep moment in your life? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9.     * Additional details of Paul’s conversation are found elsewhere, especially in Acts.  Homework for next week is to locate and read about the rest of the story from at least 2 other sources and be prepared to discuss Paul’s reaction to his experience before, during and after the Road to Damascus. List those two sources and additional details here.

a.     First source __________Details:____________________________________

b.     Second source­___________ Details:___________________________________

10.  Suggestion: Get an ESV Bible (English Standard Version), a Journal, a Concordance (Some Bibles already have one attached) and think about your introduction to Jesus.  For your first post in your new journal, consider what your life was like before that, during the encounter and since and jot a few notes in preparation  to discuss these questions: Has the road been easy?  Are things easier now?  Are they better now? Are they actually worse?  In what ways?

Syllabus to Journey Basic Training / Boot Camp

Boot Camp Syllabus Fall 2015

Tom McCracken 636-358-9268 Jayne McCracken 636-466-2604 John Fisher 636-290-1073

Jim Eddleman  636-290-6888 or 636-462-6563 Karen Eddleman 636-290-6802

Introduction

This course is intended to broaden our scope of the Bible and Journey Church through regular meeting together for examination, study, consideration, reflection and application of the Bible.

Setting:

A military theme will help connect to our spiritual life to our real life with a rigorous and practical look at God’s word.

Expectations

• Procure a Bible
• Journal/Notebook
• Record thoughts regularly
• Prepare your testimony
• Elevator Version – 120 second version
• Living Room Version – 15 minute version
• Hide The Word in your heart, memorize, read, listen to and study
• Commit to the fellowship, study, attendance
• Connect w those in and out of the group

Lessons:

Approximately two weeks per topic, contemplating relevant applications from Romans for our lives, Journey Church and the Church at large.

1. Ground Zero
2. Boot Camp/Basic Training
3. Advanced Infantry Training - AIT
4. Special Weapons and Tactics – SWAT
5. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital – MASH
6. Friendly Fire & Battleground -