Ministry Resource Study Guide Session Outline Session One: Are You Ready? Objective: Jesus is coming back! Are you ready? This session looks at the Scriptures that specify how to be born again so that you are ready and focuses on the difference between agreeing with something in your mind as opposed to believing it in your heart. Movie Clip: Scene where Chloe is talking to her pastor who’s lamenting how he knew what to say, but he didn’t really believe it. Bible Study: This session starts out by interviewing two individuals. One is a believer, the other is a demon. The object is to identify which is which by evaluating the way they answer the following questions: •
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Do you believe in God? Do you believe that Jesus is God’s Son? Do you believe that Jesus rose from the grave? This session will end with the story of Jim Burleson who was on church staff serving as a Music Minister when he got saved. Session Two: Your Guide to a Spiritual Six Pack Objective: Spiritual fitness distinguishes the difference between living and existing and in order to be spiritually fit, you have to train. That’s how you get your spiritual six pack – a solid witness, a stable foundation and an enthusiastic disposition – and this results of a consistent practice of spiritual disciplines. Movie Clip: Scene where Captain Steele is looking for an indicator that one of the flight attendants has been raptured and he finds what he’s looking for when he sees “Bible Study” marked on her calendar. Bible Study: Theodore Roosevelt was known for his enthusiastic approach to life which was captured in a speech he gave entitled “The Strenuous Life.” Roosevelt’s words are more than motivating, however, when you realize that they are reinforced Biblically. There is a Biblically based purpose and a passion to be enjoyed and deployed in everything we do. But we have to train – we have to be spiritually fit in order to shape our perspective in a way where we can see and experience our Heavenly Father in every aspect of our lives. www. LeftBehindMovie.com 1 Session Three: Location, Location, Location Objective: People want to see evidence of where you’re at as a result of having Christ in your life. As the advantages of knowing Him are made more obvious, the more success you’ll have in sharing the gospel. Movie Clip: Scene where Chloe and Irene are talking and Chloe makes the mistake of indirectly referring to her Mom as a “crazy lady” because of the way Irene has been confronting her family with Christianity in a way that’s not welcome. Bible Study: God places a priority on deeds more so than words when it comes to promoting a relationship with Christ. It’s the way Christ manifests Himself in your life – integrity, a good work ethic, healthy relationships and excelling at what you do -­‐ this is what draws attention to the One you serve and gives you credibility when it’s time to share. Session Four: Apples of Gold on a Silver Tray Objective: While we’re commanded to be vocal about our faith, we’re also told to be strategic in the way we present it so that people are drawn to what we have to say and not distracted by the way we might otherwise say it. Movie Clip: Scene where Chloe is talking to her Dad about how they miss the woman they knew before she found her faith. Bible Study: Final Judgment is real. Jesus referenced it more than once when He preached. But when He spoke to the woman at the well, He packaged His Message as “living water” – something that immediately resonated with His audience as something appealing. In Matthew 11:28, the crowd was primarily Jewish who were living beneath a burden of innumerable laws, traditions and regulations. His approach here was to present His Message as a relief from the laborious rules they were expected to abide by. www. LeftBehindMovie.com 2 Session Five: How to Handle Angry Customers Objective: Sometimes, no matter how we present the Gospel, you run into people who are antagonistic. They have a flawed perception of God and they need to be engaged in a way that wisely targets the source of their bitterness and confusion rather than the symptoms of it. Movie Clip: Scene where woman approaches Buck and asks him if he reads the Bible and if he’s willing to consider the potential prophetic symbolism represented by the disasters he’s been covering. Bible Study: The moment you enter into a conversation pertaining to Christ, you can expect the dynamic to change. The enemy is not one to sit idly by while you attempt to champion the gospel and while you might be conversing with someone whose heart God has opened to the Truth, you might also be dealing with “an angry customer.” Ephesians 6:18 makes it abundantly clear that the opposition we encounter when we’re trying to influence the perspective of an unbeliever is spiritual in nature. It’s for that reason that we can’t expect to succeed in reshaping the mindset of a critic simply by debating them. Session Six: Lose the Frogs Objective: When Moses gave Pharaoh the opportunity to choose when the plague of the frogs would be ended, Pharaoh chose the following day. In other words, he opted for one more night with frogs in his bed. Obedience isn’t something to be put off. Whatever God is asking you to do, whatever it is that He’s offering – He’s expecting you to respond obediently so you can start enjoying the benefits immediately. Move Clip: Scene where one passenger is speaking to another passenger on the plane and he’s describing when he met her as a little girl. She was playing at small plastic desk in her father’s office. He’s lamenting his self absorbed perspective. Bible Study: In Exodus 8, Pharaoh has summoned Moses and requested the he pray to God and ask that the frogs which God had plagued Egypt with would be taken away. In verse 9, Moses gives Pharaoh the honor of choosing when Moses was to pray and Pharaoh said “Tomorrow.” Despite the fact that Pharaoh could have conceivably asked for the frogs to be removed immediately, he opted for one more night with the frogs. It’s not uncommon for people to procrastinate being obedient to God. The author of the book of Hebrews rehearses some of Israel’s history as a way to demonstrate how typical it truly is. Even the very Israelites that were liberated from their bondage, who had seen the Power of God firsthand, tended to be lethargic in responding to the Commands and Instructions of their Heavenly Father. Like Pharaoh, they wanted to linger for a while longer in their current state, rather than enjoy the benefits that God offers. They wanted one more night with the frogs. www. LeftBehindMovie.com 3