#1 - Basics of Spiritual Multiplication
“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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 29: 19
In pursuit of making disciples who will make disciples and fulfill Jesus Great Commission for us we must keep a few things in mind:
1. Evangelization and Spiritual Multiplication is the work of the _________________ _________________ for which we seek to make ourselves ___________________________. (John 15: 26 & John 14: 12)
2. Everything you do must anchor others into _________________ ____________________. (1 Cor. 1: 12-13)
3. Everything you do must be ___________ _______________________. (1 Cor. 11:1)
4. ________________________ is the heart of all Spiritual Multiplication. (John 16: 24)
5. We must ______________ ________________ and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in the process of Spiritual
Multiplication. (2 Cor. 9:6)
#2 - Know Thyself
1.
2
Spend a few minutes identifying your greatest fears about a personal relationship with God.
How would you characterize those fears?
Taking a few minutes, imagine yourself on Calvary at the foot of Jesus’ cross. Mary and
St. John are standing by your side. You look up at Jesus and he can read your fears in your face. Hold your breath and hear him speak slowly to you.…. What did Jesus say to calm your fears?
Write it here:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Spend a few minutes identifying your greatest fear about sharing with another what a relationship with God is like. What are those fears?
1.
2.
Fear about sharing – now close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting across the table from Jesus, the son of God. He has your papers in his hand. He looks at them and then looks at you….What does Jesus say to you to calm your fears?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Philemon 1:6- I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ.

The Ultimate Relationship: A Tool for Sharing the Gospel
Article by Kevin Cotter
What is the Ultimate Relationship?
The Ultimate Relationship is a tool you can use to share the Gospel clearly and simply. The presenter walks a person, or “listener,” through a step-by-step presentation. The listener is able to understand what the Gospel message is and thus take the opportunity to commit or re-commit his or her life to Jesus Christ.
#3 - The booklet has four main messages:
1. God created us for a _______________________________ .
2. Our ________________________through sin.
3. _________________________________________________.
4. We have the ____________________to accept or reject this offer.
Why use the Ultimate Relationship?
Too often we assume that certain people have already given their life to Christ or that they have actually heard the Gospel before.
We must never make this assumption. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household, says this,
“I can see from my own experience that even if I speak of many beautiful concepts, nothing seems to happen. We must proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior, helping people to grasp what it means to have Jesus as their Savior — not in a theoretical way, but that every day they have a Savior, someone who will lift them from their fatigue of the day, of their sin, and their mistakes, and who renews them. He saves us. When you proclaim this living, crucified and risen Jesus, something always happens.”
Many of us desire to share the Gospel with others, but we return to a common excuse: I just don’t know how. The Ultimate
Relationship takes this excuse out of the equation. The booklet gives you an opening to share the Gospel. It helps you to know what to say. It is easy to present. It helps you to stay on topic. It enables you to be brief, prepared, and confident. And finally, it can be given away to the listener at the end. If we fail to share the Gospel with others, we can’t use the excuse that we don’t know how to share it.
#4 - Who can I use the Ultimate Relationship with? (Identify 1-3 people per bullet below)
• Strangers
• Acquaintances
• Friends and family members
• Bible study members
• Disciples
• Yourself
• The most objectively sinful person you know of in your life
When can I use the Ultimate Relationship?
• Outreach
• Invitation
• Follow-Up
• Leadership and proclamation situations
• Spiritual conversations
• Commissioning (alumni, missions, etc.)

How to use the Ultimate Relationship
One of the beauties of the Ultimate Relationship is that if all else fails, you can just read the booklet. All of the words, Scripture passages, and questions for the presentation are in the booklet. You don’t have to be a world class speaker or the best “people person.” As you become more familiar with the text, you can become more natural in sharing (more on this later). Also, once you understand the techniques and methods of the booklet, you can be better equipped to share its message effectively with others.
Additional Instructions and Tips
Follow-up
It is important to follow-up with the listener after you have walked through the booklet together.
If the listener did not make a commitment but had questions, you will want to research some of the questions and start up the conversation again within 48 hours.
If the listener has made a commitment, your follow-up will depend on the situation. If the listener is someone you will see again
(in Bible study, for example), after you walk through the booklet together let that person know that you will be in touch within 48 hours. Ask the listener to continue to review the prayer in the back of the booklet. It is possible to lose sight of the importance of the commitment over time. Your connection with the listener can be a reminder of the decision and also point to the next step. If the listener is Catholic but doesn’t attend Mass regularly, invite that person to come to Mass with you. There you can introduce the listener to a priest to connect with and who can hear his or her confession.
See how you can continue to connect listeners to the habits listed in the back of the Ultimate Relationship booklet. Show them how they can pray for 10 to 20 minutes a day. Connect them with a Bible study where they can continue to grow in their faith with other Catholics.
How to be more natural in sharing the Ultimate Relationship?
1. There are transitions at the end of each page to help you move from one page to the next. As you get better at using the booklet, you can develop your own transitions.
2. When reading from Scripture you might consider saying, “The Bible says…” rather than quoting the exact book, chapter, and verse.
3. Share your own testimony as it relates to the booklet. Think about your life before your conversion. What did you think about
Christianity before you made a commitment?
Other tips
1. Lots of questions about Christianity or Catholic doctrine can arise when you walk someone through the Ultimate Relationship.
These questions are important but try to stick to the book and find answers to the questions later. You want the listener to experience who Jesus Christ is before anything else.
2. Listen closely to the response of the listener. Try to design your presentation to those reactions, thoughts, and perspective.
3. Finally, take courage as you prepare to present the booklet and when you are presenting it. Remember the words of Fr. Raniero
Cantalamessa, “When you proclaim this living, crucified and risen Jesus, something always happens.” Have confidence that the
Holy Spirit is with you as you present the booklet. Have confidence that the Holy Spirit is working on the person’s heart as you are presenting the booklet. May God bless your efforts!
The Ultimate Relationship is produced by Catholic Christian Outreach Canada Inc.
(www.ccocanada.ca).

#5 - The Golden Question - Going Deeper
The Golden question is that question which Jesus poses to us at this point in our life which digs deep and connects us to His desire for us to respond to His call and grace. In order to begin revealing this question in your life let’s do a brief meditation.
Go to: ___________________________________________
____________________, _____________________________________________________ __________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
______
Hand your Golden question to your partner. Close your eyes and think about standing before Jesus. He has been waiting for you.
You are sinful, and fearful and unsure. You know that there is more to give of your life. Open your eyes and your partner will ask you your question on Jesus’ behalf.
Going Forth – Ultimate Relationship Power Session
You can use the below approach in living out 2 Timothy 2:2 while walking with another in inviting others into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. The Gospel and one’s commitment to Jesus is the stone upon which all else needs to be built (See Matthew 7: 24). As you head into your leading (here or on campus) of others, this is a simple guide for how to conduct a 45 minute session.
1. Open with a prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
2. Split your group into even groups for who many of you attended this session (2 attended = 2 groups) a. Each of you will lead the 45 minute session as if you were teaching those you walk with in Discipleship how to lead the
Ultimate Relationship with another.
3. Lead the Know Thyself (#2) exercise.
4. Depth Chart Brainstorm (#4)
5. Make an invitation to an initial or deeper commitment to Jesus using the Ultimate Relationship script.
a. Rejoice if they prayed to deepen or begin a relationship with Jesus!
6. Review the 4 main points of the gospel message. (#3)
7. Reinforce the basics of Spiritual Multiplication. (#1)
8. If time permits use the Golden Question Exercise (#5) to build a more personal invitation for sharing the Gospel.

1. Use Bible Study Quick Start Guide
Quick Start Guide
Use the Depth Chart to pray for people to be in your Bible study
Use the Depth Chart to invite people into your study
Describe FOCUS’ vision of a Bible study
Use stories to accomplish the 3 success factors of a Bible study
Select a Bible study for your group
Examine different ways to set-up for a Bible study
Demonstrate the ability to prepare a Bible study
Identify the roles involved in facilitating a Bible study
Create Bible study and lead it for others while receiving feedback
Recall how to teach all of this to others
2. Describe FOCUS’ vision of a Bible study
Premise: Imagine you are on a college campus and there is no FOCUS. You are seeking to reach the entire campus for Jesus Christ and his Church. Would you use small-group Bible studies to do this? Why or why not?
Why not lead a Bible study? Why lead a Bible study?
3. Use stories to accomplish the 3 success factors of a Bible study
Deep Transformation
Intimate Fellowship
Spiritual Multiplication

Think of a story that has caused deep transformation in your life.
Why stories are cool
“Man is in his actions and practice, as well as in his fictions, essentially a storytelling animal. I can only answer the question ‘What am I to do?’ if I can answer the prior question, ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?’ There is no way to give us an understanding of any society, including our own, except through the stock of stories which constitute its initial dramatic resources.”
– Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue
God’s Story – Hebrews 4:12
Making Senses out of God’s Story in Scripture
See Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 115-119
“According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 115)
1. “The _____________________________________________ is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: ‘All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.’”
[CCC 116]
Spiritual Senses [CCC 117]:
2. In the ________________________________________________, we can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ’s victory and also of Christian
Baptism.” [CCC 117]
3. “_____________________________________________________. The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written ‘for our instruction.’”
[CCC 117]:
4. “In the ______________________________________________, we can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem.”
Applying the Senses of Scripture to the Temple
In the following exercise, the literal sense is given. Reflect on passages in Scripture that are based on the literal sense but correspond to the other 3 senses of Scripture. Try and answer without looking at the hint.
Literal Sense: The Temple in Jerusalem was a literal, historical, and physical building patterned on the Tabernacle (Exodus 25; 1
Kings 6-7).
Allegorical Sense: (Hint: John 2:13-22)
Moral Sense: (Hint: 1 Cor 6:12-20, 1 Pt 2:5)
Anagogical Sense: (Hint: Rev 15:5, Rev 21:22-22:5)

Notes on the FOCUS Equip format:
4. Select a Bible study for your group
The Crux – The purpose of The Crux is to make an invitation for participants to make Jesus Christ the center of their lives. Over
5 or 6 weeks, it gives a basic presentation of the Gospel which is followed by the leader individually presenting the Gospel to each member of the study.
Living Gospel – This Bible study has two simple aims. First, the purpose of the study is to help believers, new and old, live out the faith through seven essential habits of the Church. Second, the study helps college students learn to practice the art of reading
Scripture, especially the Gospels.
1 Corinthians – What does it mean to live in the world but not of it? This study will address timely topics such as choosing a
Vocation, the influence of the media, the Church’s teaching on contraception, the pursuit of holiness, developing the zeal to evangelize, and discerning our spiritual gifts.
Acts of the Apostles – The purpose of this study is to give an introduction to evangelization through the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles. It helps the participant understand: foundational principles of evangelization, evangelization strategy, and practical ways to evangelize in your own life.
Ignite Series -- The Ignite Series contains four one-chapter studies that can be used in a variety of ways. Maybe you’re just starting a Bible study, and want to show your participants what Bible study is all about before you launch into a specific Bible study series or topic. Perhaps, you just ended a Bible study series with two weeks left in the semester and don’t want to begin a new full-length
Bible study yet. The Ignite Series can provide one-session Bible studies to fill in these gaps and help ignite your small-group Bible study.
Mix n’ match
For each scenario 1-4 use the Discipleship Road Map to identify which stage the people in your Bible study are in and select a Bible study
(A-E) that would help you meet their needs.
1. The people in your Bible study or potential Bible study aren’t beginning disciples yet.
A. Ignite Series
B. 1 Corinthians: In the world, but not of It
2. The people in your Bible study are Beginning or
Growing Disciples.
C. Living Gospel: 7 habits of highly effective
Catholics
3. The people in your Bible study are Commissioned
Disciples or below (two answers).
4. I’m not sure where the people in my Bible study are at (two answers).
D. Acts of the Apostles
E. The Crux: To preach Christ crucified

I. WARM UP a. Pick a passage and read it.
b. Visualize yourself praying well.
c. Remind yourself of God’s favor and ask for His grace.
d. Remember the basic outline of the story.
e. Composition of Place with senses and imagination.
II. PRAY a. Imagine i. Who is there?
ii. What are they saying ?
iii. What are they doing ?
b. Place yourself in the scene.
c. Talk with the persons and listen to their response.
d. Reflect on your experience.
III. COOL DOWN a. Thanksgiving.
b. Note the important moments in prayer.
SIMPLIFIED VERSION
1. Quiet yourself.
2. Imagine the scene.
3. Place yourself in the scene.
4. Talk and listen.
5. Make note of what stood out.

Course objective: To use the roadmap to call people into relationship with Jesus, and repeat the teaching process for their disciples.
Part I: The Discipleship Road Map as a tool for Jesus’ mission
Objective: To recall that God desires us to bear fruit in His kingdom
• Mark 4: 3-8
Lectio divina exercise
• Mark 4: 14-20
• What word or phrase catches my attention in this reading?
• Which type of soil represents me the most?
• What is Jesus saying to me in this passage
*Teach it!- God desires that we bear fruit in his kingdom. Walk through the Scripture and exercises above.

Part II: The 5 principles of the Discipleship Road Map
Objective: To identify the five principles that will help guide your use of the Discipleship Road Map.
1. God’s Grace a. The road map is ______________ ______ _______________ to help someone in his walk with Jesus. It does not define someone’s ________________ _________________ with God. God’s grace is the reason for growing.
2. Sharing the vision of spiritual multiplication a. The discipleship Road Map allows someone to ______________________ the importance of ____________
_________________. Jesus commanded us to “________ and make ____________________ _____ _________
_____________________.” b. Therefore, the best time to share the Road Map is when someone has made a commitment or recommitment to Jesus
Christ and His Church in some way.
3. Self- Selection a. Don’t make _____________________. Allow this to be a ________________ time. After all, it’s not about
__________. It’s about others knowing Jesus and living His mission. Let them read over it and determine _____________
_________ ________ and _____________ ___________ ___________ _____ _______.
4. Accountability a. Once someone identifies where they want to ________, you can shape your actions in this direction. Now discipleship is
________________ around getting them to the next level in their walk with Jesus and the Great Commission.
5. Incremental Growth a. The Discipleship Road Map is about taking ___________________ ____________ in our discipleship with Jesus. This way of discipleship is one way of many to fulfill the Great Commission.
*Teach it! Understanding the Road Map- What it is, and what it isn’t. Walk through these concepts above.

Part III: The 5 phases of the Road Map
Objective: To identify the 5 steps on the Road Map and recognize where I stand.
Beginning Disciple Growing Disciple Disciple Maker Spiritual Multiplier Commissioned Disciple
NOTE: Each section below describes a stage within discipleship with Jesus Christ. Each section builds on one another. The overall goal in the Christian life is sanctification; all growth in the Christian life is done through God’s grace.
BEGINNING DISCIPLE • Acts 2:37-38; CCC 1427; CCC 1
• Change of attitude towards Jesus Christ and the Church He established (favorable)
(Romans 10:8-10)
• Change of attitude towards sin (unfavorable) (1 John 1:5-9)
• Has made a verbal profession of commitment to Jesus Christ to others
(Mark 5:18-20)
• Desires to grow spiritually (Philippians 4:8)
• Has received the sacraments of initiation or has gone to Confession if already a
Catholic (Acts 2:37-38)
GROWING DISCIPLE • James 1:19-25; CCC 1694
• Has developed a heart for God that motivates his/her attitudes and actions
• Is willing to make any sacrifices to grow, even change his/her schedule
• Observable changes in attitudes and actions can be seen
• Is committed to chastity, sobriety, and excellence in their state of life.
• Consistent in continually growing in the basic habits of the Christian life, including but not limited to:
• Seeks interior growth through daily prayer with Scripture and spiritual reading (John 1:1-18; Ephesians 6:18)
• Grows in sanctification through the reception of the sacraments (Acts 2:42)
• Builds character through the virtues and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-16)
• Accepts suffering and uses it to unite him/her to Christ (Colossians 1:24)
• Practices the spiritual and corporal works of mercy (Matthew 25:31-46)
• Is open to the Holy Spirit (John 16:7; 12-13)
COMMISSIONED DISCIPLE • Matthew 28:18-20; CCC 905
• Has decided to answer the call to take part in the mission of the Church
• Is actively striving to win people over to Jesus and His mission, to build them up in small-group Bible studies and to send them out to spiritually multiply (John 15:8)
DISCIPLE MAKER • 1 Thessalonians 2:8; CCC 1816
• Led someone to commit his/her life to Jesus Christ and His mission and is helping them engage in the work of evangelization, disciplemaking and friendships through a mentoring relationship (2 Timothy 2:2)
• Has developed a heart for God’s people and is willing to make any sacrifice to help another grow, even change his/ her schedule (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
• Makes life decisions (vocation, location, relationships, etc.) based upon how he/she can most effectively fulfill the
Great Commission

SPIRITUAL MULTIPLIER • 2 Timothy 2:2; CCC 3
• Has been the major influence in helping others become disciple makers (has produced a strong third generation)
• Has been trained and equipped to go to another location and remain active in lifelong Catholic mission in which this process is repeated
• Regular participation in personal prayer and sacramental life of the Church; Fulfills Vocational commitments;
Leading a life of evangelization and discipleship through small groups; Lives an influential life of faith, parish, community, and workplace
BEGINNING
DISCIPLE
GROWING
DISCIPLE
COMMISSIONED
DISCIPLE
DISCIPLE
MAKER
SPIRITUAL
MULTIPLIER
Mark 4:1-8, CCC 546

Beginning Disciple Growing Disciple Disciple Maker Spiritual Multiplier Commissioned Disciple
Where do you place yourself right now on the Discipleship Road Map?
Why do you place yourself there?
Where do you feel God is calling you to be on the Road Map?
Why?
What is it going to take to get there?
What things do you need to do or change or sacrifice to make strides towards your goal?
Are you willing to do these things?
Together with an accountability partner, write down an action plan to get to the next step in the Discipleship Road
Map.
1. Has a heart for God
2. Makes any sacrifice to grow
1. Has a heart for people
2. Makes any sacrifice to help another grow
*Teach It! Applying the Road Map- walk through the 5 steps and the questions with those whom you are teaching.
The Discipleship Road Map is adapted from The Fuel and the Flame by Steve Shadrach (Atlanta: Authentic, 2003), p.110-113.

Exercise: For each step of the Road Map, identify 2 attributes that were not present for the previous step.
Acts 2: 37-38
James 1:19-25
Matthew 28:18-20
1 Thess. 2:8
2 Timothy 2:2
*Teach it! Identify the differences between each stage. Walk through the exercise above with your group.
*Teach it!
1. God desires that we bear fruit in his kingdom. Share Scripture.
2. Understanding the Road Map- What it is, and what it isn’t.
3. Applying the Road Map- walking through the 5 steps.
4. Self-Reflection- Where do I stand, and where does God desire me to be?
5. Walk through it individually with someone else- guiding and asking questions.
Practice teaching it!
Use this guide to prepare to teach servant leadership to others. Go through each section and review how you will tell others about this topic, show them how it works, and give them a chance to try it.
NOTES :

Quick Start Guide:
Use the Depth Chart to pray for people to be in your Bible study
Use the Depth Chart to invite people into your study
Describe FOCUS’ vision of a Bible study
Use stories to accomplish the 3 success factors of a Bible study
Select a Bible study for your group
Examine different ways to set-up for a Bible study
Demonstrate the ability to prepare a Bible study
Identify the roles involved in facilitating a Bible study
Create Bible study and lead it for others while receiving feedback
Recall how to teach all of this to others
1. Examine different ways to set-up for a Bible study.
What’s the best party you have ever been to? What made it so great?
What can you do for your Bible study to make for a great atmosphere?
Answer the questions below.
When will you meet? Where will you meet?
How will you connect people together? What food and drinks will you bring?
2. Demonstrate the ability to prepare a Bible study.
A. Recall the various parts of a FOCUS Equip Bible study (What Do I Need to Know about This Passage?, Discussion
Guide, and Answers).
B. Use the Four Types of Questions.

Question #1— Launching Questions
Definition
How do I begin? Launching questions are designed to get the discussion started.
Example
After reading through this chapter, what stood out to you?
Your Example
If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
Notes
Question #2—Observation Questions
Definition
What are the details? These questions help recall what was read.
Examples
What story did the author use to open up this chapter?
Who is Jesus speaking to in this parable?
What was St. Paul doing when God spoke to Him?
Your Example
Notes

Question #3–Understanding Questions
Definition
What does it mean? These types of questions will help the reader understand the ramifications of what they are reading.
Examples
How would you state the theme of this chapter?
What is the relationship between sin and pride?
Your Example
Notes
Types of Understanding Questions a. Questions of Value – What is the most important aspect of evangelization?
b. Questions of Feeling – What was your reaction to the story of the son’s disobedience?
c. Questions of Relationship – What is the relationship between forgiveness and bitterness in the text?
d. Questions of Identification – Who do you identify with in the Prodigal Son story?
e. Questions of Example – Can someone give me an example of loving your neighbor?
f. Questions of Similarities or Opposites –
What is the difference between grace and works?
g. Questions of Summary – Who can sum up this paragraph?
h. Questions of Definition – How would you define fruitfulness?
i. Questions of Explanation – Explain what you think is meant by the quote on p. 16.
Question #4—Application Questions
Definition
How should I respond in light of this information? These questions help the group apply the material to their lives.
Examples
How do you see yourself in the story we just read?
After going through this chapter, what’s one way you want to live out these principles this week?
Your Example

Notes
3. Identify the roles involved in facilitating a Bible study
Review the Roles:
Cheerleader – Part of the job of facilitating a Bible study well is offering encouragement and affirmation to those who participate with less frequency because of shyness or a lack of confidence in their insights. Help them and others to see the value of their contribution and example.
Action: Notice and praise members (both during and after the study) who are hesitant to participate in the discussion.
Trail Guide – Preparation for study gives you familiarity with the places you want to stop and linger in the discussion and those places where the study should move quickly. As the leader, you will know the best moments and the key insights of the Bible study; you want to guide the group through the discussion so that none of them are lost.
Action: Set expectations for the stops along the way. “Let’s briefly review the scene…” or “Let’s spend some time here to really understand what Jesus is saying…” Vary the pace and direction of the discussion. Point out details and significance that could otherwise be missed.
Traffic Cop – As the study leader you may need to direct conversation by slowing certain individuals down or asking them to wait while encouraging others to share their insights. Also, consider speaking to overly enthusiastic participants outside of study and invite them to help you engage others.
Action: Visually or verbally signal to certain individuals to wait before they share an insight. Ask other individuals directly to share their thoughts, giving them permission to share while everyone else knows to listen.

A Case Study
Brian is a junior at Puckerbrush State University and met God in a powerful way at FOCUS’ SEEK Conference last year. After a semester of discipleship he decided to start a Bible study with some of his friends from his home town: Sean, Joe, Dave, Alex and Steve. Brian has been leading his Bible study for a couple of weeks now, and although he has had good attendance, he is dissatisfied with the discussion. It seems like he and Steve are the only ones talking. When the other guys do speak up, their insights seem superficial often only giving short one-word answers. They are not going as deep as Brian wants, but he knows there is more in their heads than they are sharing. They open up a lot more when he hangs out with them one-on-one.
Steve on the other hand seems to be dominating the conversation. Steve went to a local Catholic school, and he is definitely not afraid share his thoughts. Much of what he shares is good, but there is no room for the other guys to add anything once Steve has spoken. Worse yet, they often struggle to finish what Brian has planned because Steve has so many “theological” questions and insights to share.
Last night’s Bible study was one of the worst. During his preparation time, Brian had the sense the topic that night (God’s Fatherly love) would be really impactful for Sean and Joe. Things started well, and Brian could tell Sean and Joe were getting into the study and starting to recognize their lives in the story they were reading. But then both Dave and Joe started to answer a question at the same time. There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Steve changed the whole direction with a question of his own. They ended up spending 45 minutes discussing some of the background but never got to the personal application Brian had intended to focus on that night. Brian had left Bible Study a little frustrated before, but this time he could see he was not alone.
1. What’s seems to be the problem(s) in Brian’s study?
2. What role(s) might Brian as the Bible study leader play to help improve the discussion?
3. What specific action(s) Brian should take? Why?

Activity: Why intercede? And how did St. Paul do it?
Take 3 minutes and share with the person next to you about why we should intercede for the people in our lives? Talk about how you would intercede differently for people in different spiritual stages based on what you learned from St. Paul?
Use the space below to capture what you have learned:
Activity: Building a Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart
Use the Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart on the Next Page and start to fill in the spiritual stages with the names of people that
God has placed in your life in the past two months (i.e. friends, family members, classmates, etc…) Use these questions to help you think of people:
• Who have you yet to share the Gospel with and invite into Christ Mission? (New or Meaningful Contact)
• Who needs to actively engage in Christ’s mission? (Beginning or Growing Disciple)
• Who is striving to make disciples of Christ? (Commissioned Disciple)
• Who is engaging in the work of evangelization and discipleship right now with a lifetime vision for discipleship? (Disciplemakers/Spiritual Multipliers)
How would you pray for people differently in different stages of spiritual development?

Prepping to teach others how to intercede for the people in their life
In the next 20 minutes, use the sections below to form your own personal outline to teach your peers how to intercede for the people in their life and pass it on to others:
I. Vision for Intercessory Prayer: (St. Paul’s letters, calling people by name, reaching the lost)
II. Creating a Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart: (name-storming activity)
III. Interceding over names intentionally with the Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart

Course objective: To use servant leadership in discipleship and to repeat the teaching so disciples can practice and teach servant leadership as well.
Part I: Vision for servant leadership
Objective: To recall that servant leadership means adapting the way we lead to meet the needs of our disciples.
• Matthew 20:25-28
• Luke 9:23-24
• 1 Corinthians 9:22
Lectio divina exercise
• Ephesians 4:29
• Journal and then discuss: Why does a servant leader build others up according to their needs ?
Share your story
• Think about a time when you were led successfully according to your needs or when you were led un successfully because your leader’s actions did not match your needs. Write down some thoughts about your experience. Share your story when teaching servant leadership to others.
Teach it!
1. Share your story.
2. Walk through the scripture verses to explain Christ’s model of servant leadership.
3. Do the lectio divina exercise (Ephesians 4:29) with your disciple(s).
4. Have them think of their own story to tell when teaching this to others.

Part II: Development phases of a disciple
Objective: To identify the four stages of a growing disciple and recognize corresponding behaviors displayed by disciples in each phase.
Name of
Growth
Stage
Examples of St. Peter in this phase
Characteristics and behaviors of person in this stage
Stage 1 Excitement Matthew 4:18-20
Stage 2
Discouragement
Matthew 17:15-19
Stage 3 Uncertainty Matthew 14:26-31
Stage 4
Accomplishment
Acts 2:37-38
Get creative
• Work with your partner to create a 20 second skit to demonstrate each growth stage.
• Stage 1
• Stage 2
• Stage 3
• Stage 4

Teach it!
1. Present each growth stage using St. Peter’s example to explain the characteristics of each stage.
2. Perform your 20 second skits for your disciple(s). Perform the skits out of order and make them guess after each one which growth stage you’re modeling. (If you’re teaching without a partner, like in discipleship on campus, then come up with another creative way to model this.)
3. Have your disciple(s) write their own scenarios for each stage that they can use to teach others.
Part III: Leadership styles for disciples in each stage
Objective: To employ the appropriate leadership behaviors for a disciple in each growth stage.
Stage 2 Stage 3
• Leader’s goal is always to take a disciple from
_____________ to ________________
• Low confidence
• Low confidence
• Lead them through development phases by using the matching ______________ behaviors
• Low experience/skill
Stage 1
• High confidence
• Low experience/skill
• High experience/skill
Stage 4
• High confidence
• High experience/skill
Needs Direction
• Lead an Excited disciple using o High _______________ o Low _________________
• Lead a Discouraged disciple using o High _______________ o High _________________
• Lead an Uncertain disciple using o Low _______________ o High _________________
• Lead an Accomplished disciple using o Low _______________ o Low _________________

Mix’n’match
For each scenario 1-4 identify which development phase the disciple is in and select at least two leadership behaviors from A-H that you could use to lead this disciple.
A. Pray intercessory prayer together.
1. Suzie has hit a wall. She asked four women to join her
Bible study, and they all brushed her off. Suzie is having trouble praying and doubts her call to share the Gospel with others.
2. Dave leads a Bible study of six committed RAs. One of
Dave’s disciples just left to study abroad, and Dave wants to raise up another disciple from his Bible study while he has the time. Dave’s plan is to share the Gospel and the
Discipleship Road Map with him.
3. Joe is pumped. He just committed his life to Christ and can’t wait to share the Gospel with his fraternity brothers.
He’s ready to start tonight but won’t take time to study The
Ultimate Relationship before getting to work!
4. Carrie just made her first disciple but she’s not sure she did it right. There were no tears or fireworks, but the girl did pray to receive Christ after being committed to Carrie’s Bible study for six weeks. Carrie’s unsure if using the Discipleship
Road Map is the best next step.
B. Affirm your disciple’s plan and let him/her run.
C. Lead your disciple through a
Commission.
D. Have your disciple give you a Gospel presentation and give him/her feedback.
E. Celebrate the good work God has done by getting a meal together.
F. Have your disciple practice going over the Discipleship Road
Map with you.
G. Take your disciple on campus with you for some barehanded evangelization.
lectio divina on the Great
H. Help your disciple brainstorm more names for his/her Depth
Chart.
Teach it!
1. Cover the leadership matrix, explaining which disciples need high or low direction and which need high or low support. Have your disciple(s) fill in the blanks on the sheet.
2. Brainstorm together some supportive and directive behaviors.
3. Have your disciple(s) go through the matching exercise.
Part IV: Teaching servant leadership to others
Objective: To explain the servant leadership model to another person and equip that person to teach others also.
Practice teaching it!
Use this guide to prepare to teach servant leadership to others. Go through each section and review how you will tell others about this topic, show them how it works, give them a chance to try it, and have them prepare stories and exercises they will use to teach it to others.

Quick Start Guide:
Use the Depth Chart to pray for people to be in your Bible study
Use the Depth Chart to invite people into your study
Describe FOCUS’ vision of a Bible study
Use stories to accomplish the 3 success factors of a Bible study
Select a Bible study for your group
Examine different ways to set-up for a Bible study
Demonstrate the ability to prepare a Bible study
Identify the roles involved in facilitating a Bible study
Create Bible study and lead it for others while receiving feedback
Recall how to teach all of this to others
What’s one thing that you liked from the Bible study power sessions?
What’s one thing that could be better in the Bible study power sessions?

Power Sessions: Questions for Feedback
Consider:
1. Did they use a helpful progression of Launching, Observation, Understanding, and Application questions? Which questions stuck out to you as most helpful?
2. What roles (Cheerleader, Trail Guide, Traffic Cop) did you see them play? Were any missing?
What’s one thing that you liked from the Bible study?
Person #1:
Person #2:
Person #3:
What’s one thing that could be better from the Bible study?
Person #1:
Person #2:
Person #3:

What’s This Passage All About?
People come to know Jesus Christ in a number of ways. The Catholic Church’s vision is that ultimately those who come to know Jesus Christ would meet Him in the most personal and profound way through the sacraments and receive the grace necessary to live out a life fully dedicated to Him.
The purpose of this chapter is two-fold. First, we want members of the study to develop a desire for the sacraments themselves. It is easy to view sacraments as dead rituals if we don’t know the meaning behind them. Second, we want members of the study to see the Scriptural foundations for the sacraments (in this case, the Eucharist). While these aims will not be totally achieved in this chapter, we hope to give you a taste of each.
The Big Picture
The sacraments are the most direct and powerful way for us to be vitally connected to
Jesus Christ and the Church.
The Crowd in Context
The crowd in this passage is crucial in seeing our struggle in believing in the sacraments. The surrounding passages on the crowd help us learn more about them.
Some of the crowd had presumably already seen Jesus heal the sick (John 6:2) and multiply the loaves and fish (John 6:10-14). As a result, they tried to make Him their king (John 6:15).
Despite this, the crowd refuses to believe in Jesus until they see another sign (v. 30). They do not want just any bread but the bread or manna from heaven that Moses had provided (v. 31).
Application to
Jesus
Through the sacraments,
Jesus reveals the love of the
Father who seeks to show us His love and gives us eternal life.
Bread of Life (John 6:35-51)
In the passage, Jesus progressively reveals His teaching about the Eucharist. Jesus’ uses the request for bread to claim that He is the bread of life. Belief in Him provides not just physical nourishment of the body but also food for the soul, leading to eternal life.
The Jews respond with a murmuring. Before, the Jews wanted more signs. Now, they discount Jesus because they cannot comprehend how Jesus could come from heaven if they know His parents (v. 42).
The crowd reveals two tendencies of humanity’s relationship with faith. First, we seem to always want more proof. And yet, faith does not work like this. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Second, humans have a hard time seeing how the material can be made into the supernatural— how can Jesus be from heaven if we know His natural parents? This can be a stumbling block for many. For others, it can be an inspiration. In the sacraments, God chooses natural materials such as bread, wine, or oil and makes them supernatural. Similarly, with these supernatural sacraments, our material bodies will be filled with God’s supernatural grace and become more like God Himself.

Eating Flesh? (John 6:52-59)
After the murmuring of the Jews, Jesus affirms His teaching and then makes Himself even clearer. The bread that He offers is better than the miraculous bread or manna in the wilderness. Those who ate that bread did not escape death; this bread leads to eternal life (v. 49). Finally, Jesus specifically notes that this bread is in fact His very flesh (v. 51).
In response to Jesus’ statement about eating His flesh, the Jews remark, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” It is clear that the Jews understand that Jesus was talking about literally eating His flesh. Jesus does not correct this literal understanding. Rather, He continues to preach the same message and notes that His flesh is food indeed and His blood is drink indeed.
Reading this passage in the Greek makes this point even more apparent. In verses 50-58 of chapter six, John uses the word “eat” eight times. However, John employs two different Greek words that are both translated as “eat” in English.
Phago is used in verses 50-53. It means “to eat” or “to consume.” This word in the Greek can mean to eat symbolically.
Trogo is used four times in verses 54-57 when Jesus answers the Pharisees’ objection and clarifies exactly what He means.
Trogo is more graphic—it means “to chew” or “to gnaw.” Trogo cannot be used symbolically in the Greek language.
Therefore, we have to take it to mean to literally eat the flesh of Jesus, and this graphic word is used to emphasize this very fact.
The Eucharist Lived Out
The Church’s belief in the Eucharist is easy to understand but, at times, hard to accept. Even Our
Lord’s followers in the Gospel confess that “this is a hard saying” (John 6:60). After listening to this teaching, many of His disciples decide to no longer follow Him (v. 60, 66).
And yet, what a beautiful teaching! Jesus wants to give His whole self—body, blood, soul, and divinity—to us in the Eucharist so that we can be in communion with Him and the whole
Church. Throughout this passage, Jesus conveys that He is sent by the Father to give eternal life to those who believe in Him (vv. 37-40; 44-47). The sacraments reveal the love of the Father and allow us to receive grace and eternal life. It is easy to get caught up in the ritual and motions of the sacraments and not to see it as a gift of God’s love in a real and tangible way.
Application to Our Lives
God’s grace is always available to us. By opening our hearts to His gifts, we can be filled with grace more abundantly.
Find a tangible way to learn how to receive the sacraments more profoundly as a group. For instance, find time to attend daily Mass, go to Adoration once a week, learn how to prepare yourself for the Eucharist before Mass, or go to Confession.

DISCUSSION GUIDE
Opener
Have you ever had the feeling that God was far off and distant from you? What did you do to help you in this situation?
Backdrop
This chapter will examine the sacraments. It is important for us to see that the sacraments come from Scripture itself. We will specifically look at the Eucharist today in John 6. Also, if we do not understand what the sacraments really are, they become dead rituals with no meaning for our lives today. The sacraments and their supernatural character can be difficult to believe in at times. The crowd in the passage today will help us appreciate this struggle.
Passage
Read John 6:35-59.
Exploration
1. Use the “The Crowd in Context” section in “What’s
This Passage All About?” to teach your group a little of the background for the passage.
2. What is strange about the members of the crowd’s request for a sign in light of what Jesus did for them previously?
3. Why do you think that humans often look for signs?
4. How are signs or miracles helpful for our faith? How can they be harmful?
5. Can someone sum up Jesus’ exchange with the Jews in vv. 35-42?
6. Why exactly do the Jews not believe Jesus’ message about His coming down from heaven?
7. What do you think the relationship is between the doubt of the Jews and the doubts that we can have about the sacraments?
8. Why do you think God uses natural means like bread, wine, and oil for the sacraments? How can these natural means of giving us the supernatural be helpful to us?
9. Can someone sum up what the Jews think Jesus is saying and how Jesus responds in John 6:52-58?
10. Read John 6:60-69. What is the reaction of Jesus’ disciples?
11. If Jesus’ disciples simply misunderstood Him, do you think Jesus would let them leave like this?
12. Examine the passage closely. Point out all of the connections between Jesus and the Father.
13. What is the relationship between Jesus’ connection to the
Father and His teaching on the Eucharist?
14. Read CCC 1324. What does it mean for the Eucharist to be the “source and summit of the Christian life”?
15. How can we make the Eucharist the source and summit of our lives?

1. No answer is needed.
2. Jesus just performed a sign where He multiplied loaves and fish for this very crowd.
3. Humans want proof for their faith.
4. Signs and miracles can be helpful because they remind us of the power of God. At the same time, they can also cause us always to seek proof for the faith. Faith is not blind, but there is always a sense of trust of belief beyond what we can see (Hebrews 11:1).
5. Use the first two paragraphs of the “Bread of Life” section in the “What’s This Passage All About?”
6. The Jews don’t believe Jesus is the bread of life that came down from heaven because they know His parents.
7. Use the last paragraph of the “Bread of Life” section from “What’s This Passage All About?”
ANSWERS
10. Jesus’ disciples note that the teaching is hard to accept and many of them cease to follow Him. Peter speaks for the disciples who stay by saying they have faith in Jesus because He has the words of everlasting life.
11. If His disciples simply misunderstood Him, you would expect Jesus to correct Himself and not let them go away.
12. See the second paragraph of “The Eucharist Lived
Out” section in “What’s This Passage All About?”
13. Jesus is revealing the Father through His life. The
Eucharist and the sacraments are an image of Jesus and with it an image of the Father. The Eucharist is a tangible sign of God’s love and the eternal life God provides for us.
14. Allow the group to discuss this.
15. Allow the group to discuss this. See the idea in
“What’s This Passage All About?” 8. Allow the group to discuss this.
9. The Jews think Jesus is speaking literally. Jesus responds by telling the crowd that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood. Use “What’s This Passage All
About?” to teach your group about the significance of the Greek in this passage.
FOCUSequip is based on Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
These materials seek to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission. We would love to hear your feedback at: focusequip@focus.org
Copyright © 2011 – FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). You are free to make copies for non-commercial use as along as you attribute the material to FOCUS. For commercial use please contact us.

What’s This Passage All About?
In West Texas, there is a famous oil field known as the Yates Pool. During the Depression, this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates was not able to make enough money on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage. He was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family, like many others, had to live on government subsidy.
Day after day, as he grazed his sheep, he wondered how he would be able to pay his bills. Then a seismograph crew from an oil company came into the area and told Mr. Yates that there might be oil on his land. They asked for permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract.
The Big Picture
Christians receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism but many fail to take advantage of this great gift.
At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many of the later wells were more than twice as large. Thirty years after the first well was drilled, all the wells still had the potential of pumping
125,000 barrels of oil a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all! The day he had purchased the property, he received the oil and mineral rights, yet he was living on government assistance. A multi-millionaire living in poverty! What was the problem?
He did not know the oil was there. He owned it, but he did not know it!
1
When Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us. And yet, many Christians fail to use this rich gift even though they have easy access to this wonderful Counselor. In a passage from John’s Gospel, Jesus gives some insightful teaching on why He gave us the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit can work in our lives today.
Who Is the Holy Spirit? (John 15:26)
Along with Jesus Christ and God the Father, the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons that make up the Trinity
(Matthew 28:19). Here, in John’s Gospel, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Counselor and the Spirit of Truth. Jesus will elaborate on these titles later in the passage.
Why Does the Holy Spirit Come?
(John 15:27-16:7)
The Spirit comes precisely because Jesus is leaving His disciples. While Jesus is gone, the Holy Spirit will bear witness to
Jesus (15:26). Plus, Jesus foretells of the persecution that the disciples will endure; the Holy Spirit is there to help them not fall away (16:1). Surprisingly, Jesus tells His disciples that it is actually a good thing that He is leaving. Most people would choose to have Jesus Himself with us rather than the Holy Spirit. And yet Jesus tells us the direct opposite (16:7)!
The Holy Spirit must be a powerful weapon.
1 Adapted from Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes , ed. Robert J. Morgan (Nashville: Thomas
Nelson) 2000.
What Does the Holy Spirit Do?
(John 16:8-15)

Jesus then details what the Holy Spirit will do when He comes. First, He will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (16:8). Jesus is departing because of the lack of faith of the people who will eventually crucify Him.
Afterwards, the Holy Spirit will convict these unbelievers of their lack of faith.
Also, Jesus knows that His disciples will be much more open to His message after His death and resurrection. After Jesus is gone, the Holy Spirit is to guide the disciples to all truth with the same authority as Jesus (16:12-13). He will tell them of things to come and glorify Jesus (16:14-15).
What Else Does the Holy Spirit Do?
Scripture mentions numerous things about the Holy Spirit that help us to understand His role more clearly. The Holy
Spirit:
• acts as a teacher (John 14:26)
• encourages us (Acts 9:31)
• intercedes for us (Romans 8:26)
• sanctifies us (Romans 15:16)
• leads us (Romans 8:14)
• gives us different gifts (1 Corinthians
12:4-11)
• lives inside of us (Romans 8:11)
• helps us avoid sin (Galatians 5:16)
• can be resisted (Acts 7:51)
• aids us in prayer (Romans 8:26-27)
• can be invited further into our lives (Acts 2:38)
Application to Jesus
Jesus announces that is better for the
Holy Spirit to be with us than Jesus
Himself!
The Holy Spirit in Our Lives
While the Holy Spirit comes to us most powerfully in the sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation, we still need to continually open our lives up to this powerful Person of the Trinity. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul says this about the Holy Spirit, “Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control.”
How can we “rekindle” or, as other translations say, “fan into flame” the Holy Spirit in our lives?
Application to Our Lives
Through prayer and the liturgy of the Church, we can rekindle the gift of the Holy Spirit in a profound way.
During the his last homily of World Youth Day 2010, Pope Benedict XVI told the participants how to increase the Holy Spirit in their lives:
“Yet this power, the grace of the Spirit, is not something we can merit or achieve, but only receive as pure gift. God’s love can only unleash its power when it is allowed to change us from within. We have to let it break through the hard crust of our indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the spirit of this age. Only then can we let it ignite our imagination and shape our deepest desires. That is why prayer is so important: daily prayer, private prayer in the quiet of our hearts and before the Blessed Sacrament, and liturgical prayer in the heart of the Church. Prayer is pure receptivity to God’s grace, love in action, communion with the Spirit who dwells within us, leading us, through Jesus, in the Church, to our heavenly Father.”
May we put these words into practice and increase the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

DISCUSSION GUIDE
Opener
Read the story and commentary about the Yates Pool oil field in West Texas.
Backdrop
The words found in our passage today come from the time just before Jesus is crucified. Having spent three years with
His disciples, Jesus knows that His absence will be quite a change for those who have followed Him for this long period of time. In response, Jesus tells them about the Holy Spirit who will come after He is gone.
Passage
Read John 15:26-16:15.
Exploration
1. After reading this passage, what stands out to you about the Holy Spirit?
2. Verse 26 mentions bearing witness to Jesus. What do you think this means?
3. What does Jesus say will happen to His disciples when they bear witness to Him after He is gone?
4. How do you deal with the persecution of your faith?
5. How can the Holy Spirit help you?
6. Think about the situation of the disciples. Why would it be hard for Jesus to leave them?
7. How does Jesus’ departure help His disciples?
8. Is it hard for you to trust that it is better for Jesus to go than to be here? Why is this the case?
9. What will the Holy Spirit do when He comes?
10. Read the account of the Pentecost when the Holy
Spirit comes to the disciples in Acts 2:1-12, 36-42.
How does the Holy Spirit come to Jesus’ disciples?
How does He come to those who convert?
11. Pick out three to five passages from the list of Scripture passages on the Holy Spirit provided in the “What’s This
Passage All About?” Have individuals read these passages to the group to learn more about the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, feel free to share the whole list with your group.
12. Think about the story of the Yates Pool oil field in West
Texas. When Yates was a poor man, what kept him from the wealth he already possessed?
13. How does this relate to the Holy Spirit?
14. Read 2 Timothy 1:6. In his letter to Timothy, Paul reminds us to “rekindle” or, in other translations, to “fan into flame” the Holy Spirit in our lives. In a homily at a recent World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI gives us some tips on how to rekindle the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Read the quote from “What’s This Passage All About?”
15. Take some time as a group to pray for the Holy
Spirit. You can do this in a number of ways. You can pray individually in silence. You can pray as a group. You can pray over one another and ask for specific intentions and ways that the Holy Spirit can increase in the lives of your group.

ANSWERS
1. Allow the group to discuss this. This should give you a feel for the thoughts of your group.
2. Allow the group to discuss this.
3. Persecution is the result. In this case, Jesus says death is a possibility.
9. Jesus is departing because of the lack of faith of the people who will eventually crucify Him. When
He comes, the Holy Spirit will first convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John
16:8). Afterwards, the Holy Spirit will convict these unbelievers of their lack of faith.
4. Allow the group to discuss this.
10. The Holy Spirit comes to the disciples with tongues of fire. He comes to those who convert through Baptism.
5. Allow the group to discuss this.
11. No answer is needed.
6. The disciples have been following Jesus for three years and have given up everything for Him. They have sought to conform their whole lives to Him.
12. Mr. Yates didn’t know the riches he already possessed.
7. After seeing the power of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples will be much more open to learning Jesus’ message and spreading it to others.
8. Allow the group to discuss this.
13. We possess the Holy Spirit, but if we don’t know about this gift, we can’t take advantage of it.
14. No answer is needed.
15. No answer is needed.
FOCUSequip is based on Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
These materials seek to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission. We would love to hear your feedback at: focusequip@focus.org
Copyright © 2011 – FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). You are free to make copies for non-commercial use as along as you attribute the material to FOCUS. For commercial use please contact us.

What’s This Passage All About?
Chances are several members of your group are trying to figure out how their lives should be different in light of their relationship with Jesus Christ. This chapter focuses specifically on how to form our characters around the person of Jesus Christ and how the community around us can help us do this.
Jesus’ message in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) seems to turn the thinking of the world upside down. The persecuted should rejoice. The meek will inherit the world. How can this be? The
Beatitudes are a reminder that our lives, if we are truly dedicated to Christ, should look distinctly different than those in the world. Let’s explore some details behind Jesus’ message.
The Big Picture
The Beatitudes offer a radical picture of what our lives should look like when we follow Jesus.
The Life and Times of a First-Century Jew (Matthew 5:1-2)
During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people were under Roman occupation. The Romans charged incredibly high taxes on the Jewish people, most of who were impoverished already. The Jews faced this national crisis with the hope that one day their kingdom would be restored. Some Jews had already tried to restore this kingdom through revolutionary violence. As Jesus’ ministry flourishes, people look to Jesus to see what kind of revolution He would lead. In response,
Jesus gives His famous Sermon on the Mount that includes the Beatitudes examined in this chapter. (If you want an idea of what a violent Jewish revolution looks like, see 1 Maccabbes 3:15-26. Read 1 Maccabees 1-3 for even more background).
Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
The word “beatitude” means “blessing.” These blessings not only give us an example to follow; they would have also been good news to the downtrodden Jews held captive under Roman occupation. Here is some commentary on just some of the Beatitudes.
Humility
The Beatitudes build off one another, beginning with poor in spirit, or humility. Many theologians throughout the history of the Church have pointed to humility as the starting point in our relationship with God. Humility leads us to see that we cannot do everything on our own—we need God, His salvation and grace, to truly live.
Meekness
The blessing of meekness stands out because meekness is often seen as weakness. True meekness is not weakness but control over anger, especially during trials. In fact, Jesus Himself says, “Lo, I am meek and humble of heart” (Matthew
11:29). By examining the Beatitudes, we realize that they are not just an ethical treatise on how we should behave but a reflection of Jesus’ own character. For instance, Jesus shows great meekness during His suffering and death. He could have stopped His torture at any moment and given His persecutors what they deserved. Yet, His meekness allows Him to provide salvation for the world (see 1 Peter 2:23).
Meekness can help us defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15-16), control our speech (James 1:19-20), and corral our anger
(Ephesians 4:26-32).

Mercy
Being merciful is essential in our outreach to others. An unfortunate part of our coming to Jesus Christ is that we can often become prideful and judgmental of others. Rather, we should be merciful as our Father is merciful (Luke 6:36).
Purity of Heart
Even while doing “religious things,” we can end up doing them doing them out of pride (see Matthew 6:2-6). “Man sees the appearance, the Lord sees the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Purifying our intentions helps us to pursue a relationship with
Jesus Christ for all the right reasons.
Community of Virtue (Matthew 5:13-16)
Jesus uses the example of salt and light to show how members of a community can influence others through their example. Salt is a natural product known to all in the crowd listening to Him. Salt was used to flavor food. It would eventually lose its flavor; if so, it would be used on the ground to prevent slipping. Jesus seems to use salt as an analogy for influencing or seasoning others with our character.
Application to Jesus
Jesus calls us to imitate Him in the
Beatitudes.
Jesus also uses the analogy of light. Originally, God made His covenant with Israel so that the people of Israel could follow God’s law and be a light to the nations around them
(Isaiah 42:6). Jesus is reminding the Jews of this concept and that their own faith and character is not just for themselves; it is an example that naturally invites others to want to know more about the God they follow (Isaiah 49:6).
Practicing the Beatitudes and imitating the character of Jesus Christ do not happen overnight. Slowly, through the power of virtue, we can develop a Christ-centered character.
Virtue occurs when our disposition is naturally inclined to do the good or what is right.
Application to Our Lives
Members of a community living the beatitudes push one another to be the best version of themselves.
Virtue can be greatly improved when we have others around us pushing us to become better people. What can you do to hold each other accountable to the people you would like to become? If your group is over four people, it can be a good idea to have group members break off into groups of two or three and hold each other accountable on a weekly basis.
Virtue helps our communities shine the light of Christ for all to see.

DISCUSSION GUIDE
Opener
Have you ever gone to a store and become irritated or angry with the behavior of the staff? How did this affect your view of the store and whether you went back there or not?
Backdrop
During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people were under Roman occupation. The Romans charged incredibly high taxes on the Jewish people, most of who were impoverished already. The Jews faced this national crisis with the hope that one day their kingdom would be restored. Some Jews had already tried to restore this kingdom through revolutionary violence. As Jesus’ ministry flourishes, people look to Jesus to see what kind of revolution He would lead. In response,
Jesus gives His famous Sermon of the Mount that includes the Beatitudes examined in this chapter.
Passage
Read Matthew 5:1-16.
Exploration
1. Taking the historical context into account, what do you see that would be shocking about Jesus’ message to the Jews?
2. What is striking about Jesus’ message to us today?
3. What is it about Jesus’ revolution that could make it more effective than others?
4. Give some brief notes from the first paragraph of the “Beatitudes” section from “What’s This Passage
All About?” The Beatitudes begin with the beatitude of humility, or poor in spirit. Why do you think humility is first?
5. What does meekness mean?
6. Read Matthew 11:29. How does Jesus demonstrate meekness during His life?
7. How can we practice meekness?
8. The Beatitudes also calls us to be merciful and pure of heart. Read Luke 18:9-14. What is the main difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector?
9. When we grow in our faith, we often act more like the
Pharisee than the tax collector. Why do you think this is the case?
10. What can we do not to fall into this trap?
11. Give some background information on salt in verse 13 from “What’s This Passage All About?” Why do you think
Jesus uses this example?
12. Read Isaiah 42:6. What was God’s original plan for His people?
13. How is Jesus restoring this plan?
14. Think of the example in the Opener about the employees working in a store. As members of a community, why should we be concerned about our character?
15. How do we improve our characters and imitation of
Jesus Christ?
16. How do we help each other improve?

1. The Jews were expecting Jesus to lead a violent revolution like other Jews in the past.
2. Jesus’ message seems counter-intuitive. It seems to be backwards to the world as we know it.
ANSWERS directly seeks God’s mercy.
9. Allow the group to discuss this.
10. As we improve our lives in imitation of Christ, we need to continually realize that we are able to do this because of God’s mercy and not our own power.
3. People know that Jesus seeks something beyond the things of this world and He seeks this in a selfless way.
People can trust this revolution more than others.
11. Jesus seems to use salt as an analogy for influencing or seasoning others with our character.
4. Many theologians throughout the history of the
Church have pointed to humility as the starting point in our relationship with God. Humility leads us to see that we cannot do everything on our own—we need
God, His salvation and grace, to truly live.
5. True meekness is not weakness but control over anger, especially during trials.
12. God’s original plan was that the example of His people would be a light to the nations.
13. Jesus is hoping that the people in His kingdom can fulfill this plan.
6. Jesus demonstrates meekness several times most especially during His trial and crucifixion.
7. Allow the group to discuss this. Some examples from
Scripture: when we defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15-
16), in our speech (James 1:19-20), and in our anger
(Ephesians 4:26-32).
14. People normally come to know Jesus Christ through a community of people. Our lives communicate to others who Jesus Christ is.
15. We improve our character and imitation of Christ by developing virtue. See “What’s This Passage All
About?” and the accompanying article for more.
16. See “What’s This Passage All About?” on accountability.
8. The difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector lies in their purity of heart and in their understanding of mercy. The Pharisee intends on showing others how “holy” he is and in doing so, shows how he looks down on others. He fails to grasp
God’s mercy. The tax collector prays from the heart and
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