Read Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes Online
Authors: June Hunt
T
hank you for making a commitment to lead your fellow believers in a study of
Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes.
It takes a special kind of courage and devotion to open your heart to others, and to create a safe and sacred place where the Christian life can be nourished so it will blossom, grow, and bear fruit. As a leader, you are a laborer in the most important work there is: helping the family of Christ become Christlike—one precious soul at a time.
All of God’s children have a vital need to understand their true identity—all of us need to know who we are “in Christ.” This reality was the driving force behind my decision to write
Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes.
As the apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). To help Christians see what it really means to be a “new creation”—chosen, loved, and accepted unconditionally by God—is an invaluable and life-changing ministry.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the task is always easy. It can feel intimidating to face a room full of people—some expectant and eager, others perhaps reserved and reluctant—all looking to you for wisdom and guidance. Along the way you may be tempted to ask yourself,
Why did I ever agree to lead a Bible study on this 31-day devotional?
That’s why I’ve included a group leader’s guide, which provides you with practical suggestions and discussion questions. Use them—and free yourself to remember why you volunteered to lead in the first place:
• Because you are hungry for a walk with God that works “where the rubber meets the road”—in the heat and friction of everyday life
• Because you desire the fellowship of other believers who will walk alongside you
• Because deep down you know a leader is really only a fellow traveler on this spiritual journey, a humble seeker like everyone else
Most of all, remember this: You are not alone—far from it. Simply trust the One who lives within you. Ask for
His
wisdom, and you will find the knowledge and spiritual growth you and others are seeking.
Pray.
Ask God to bring into your group the people of His choosing.
Determine the size of your group.
Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes
is appropriate for home Bible study groups, counseling and support groups, as well as for church and business groups. The optimal size of a group is 8 to 12 members. When a group has more than 12 members, it may be best to divide into two groups. People tend to share more freely and to develop greater intimacy in smaller groups.
Know the structure of the study.
Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes
is a four-week study featuring 31 daily lessons, with each lesson taking about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. You may want to schedule an introductory session in order to give an overview of the study. (Use pages 21-22 of the book as an example.) The recommended length of time for group discussion is approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Schedule the dates and times.
Contact group members far enough in advance so they can plan ahead to attend.
• Send out a reminder card or e-mail a few days prior to the first meeting
• Include dates and times the study group will meet, address and contact information, anticipated preparation time per week, and length of group discussion time allotted each week
State expectations.
Give the following details:
• When members will receive their books and the cost of the book, if not prepaid
• What, if anything, members should do prior to the first meeting
• Supplies they will need to bring each week (a Bible, the book, notebook paper, and pen)
• Regular attendance and sharing
Get name tags.
Attempt to learn everyone’s name beforehand so you can introduce them to each other at the first meeting.
Strategies for Successfully Leading a Small Group
Pray for the members of your group throughout the week.
Acknowledge your dependence on the Holy Spirit, and trust Him to penetrate every person’s heart with biblical truths.
Start and stop on time.
Be respectful of the group members’ time.
Welcome each person.
Learn to address everyone by name.
Use “icebreakers” to get better acquainted.
You may want to begin the first meeting with questions such as, “Why did you decide to join this group?” and “What do you hope to gain from this study?” Also, you may want to ask everyone to introduce themselves and tell something about their background or family.
Explain the question-and-answer format.
Reassure members they are not expected to share anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Make the main focus God’s Word. Since each daily reading concludes with three exercises, you may use some of these to stimulate discussion. Suggested questions are also provided in the following pages. Use them to help guide your discussion, but don’t feel confined by them—follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and adapt the study to best meet the needs of your group.
Be a facilitator, not a teacher.
A teacher presents his or her own information in a clear, understandable way to others. A facilitator leads the group members to discuss what they have learned during the week. By asking thought-provoking questions and creating a reassuring environment, a facilitator helps the group members discover ways to personally apply the truths revealed in God’s Word.
Pace the meeting to cover the lesson in the allotted time.
It may be helpful to write, in the margin of your workbook, the time you expect to reach the halfway point in the discussion. Pencil in other times, allowing about six to eight minutes for each question (some will be covered more quickly than others).
Encourage interaction.
Most of the questions provided in this guide are structured to allow for a variety of responses. Encourage members to share their own insights and experiences.
Take a literal approach to Scripture unless the passage is clearly figurative.
The Bible means what it says. While there is only one correct interpretation of a particular passage, there are many applications. Don’t argue over interpretations or obscure meanings. Give group members the freedom to express their views without fear of criticism or embarrassment.
Respect members’ answers.
Even if you disagree with someone’s comments or have a different perspective, resist the urge to prove your point or “win the argument.” Show your respect by saying, “I appreciate your thoughts about this,” Or, “I can tell you have been thinking about this subject.” If someone presents an opinion that is controversial, you might say, “I’ve never thought of it that way.” Or, “Does anyone else have another opinion?”
Remember you are not responsible for the spiritual growth of another person.
Spiritual growth takes place as the Spirit of God works in the life of each person. It does not occur at the same rate for everyone.
Discuss questionable comments in private.
If someone makes a judgmental, unwholesome, or off-the-wall comment, steer the person and the group back on track by saying, “That’s a concept I’d like to discuss with you at another time,” or “Let’s finish today’s study and then maybe you and I can discuss this afterward.” (If you say you will discuss it later, be sure to follow up.)
Try to include everybody in the discussion.
Some people are shy and reluctant to speak out in a group. Others may have problems they cannot openly reveal. Be sensitive to their unspoken needs and to those who are introverted.
Gently keep long-winded people from dominating.
While some people are reticent to speak out, others have the opposite problem—they talk too much. Offer a noncondemning statement such as: “You raise some good points. Does anyone else want to respond?” Or, “I wonder if someone else wants to share an opinion.”
Learn to be comfortable saying, “I don’t know.”
Just because you’re the leader doesn’t mean you have to know everything. It’s fine to say, “I don’t know the answer, but I will find out before our next meeting.” (Hope for the Heart has written
Biblical Counseling Keys
addressing such topics as identity, self-worth, and purpose in life, as well as over 100 other resources that can be obtained through the website at
www.hopefortheheart.org
.)
Understand that silence is okay.
When you ask a question, give the group members time to think. Wait quietly for several seconds so people can consider how they might respond.
Rephrase the question if there is no response.
You might say, “Let me put it another way…” Occasionally, you may want to drop the question entirely and move on to the next question.
Share your answers last.
Your answers to the discussion questions should be considered as equal in importance to the answers of any other member of the group. Usually it is best to give your opinion
after
the other group members have had a chance to express their thoughts.
Close the meeting with prayer.
If you’re nearing the agreed-upon ending time, ask if someone would like to close the study with prayer (or do so yourself). If time allows, you may choose to take prayer requests.
It’s possible that, during the course of your study, you will observe certain participants who would make effective group leaders themselves. Consider encouraging them to seek the Lord’s guidance about leading their own
Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes
study with another person or group—taking what they have learned and sharing it with others, in the spirit of Proverbs 27:17.
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken”
(P
SALM
62:5-6).
B
ack in the days when courageous explorers traveled the oceans in sailing ships, they paid a lot of money for maps accurately depicting the geography of the known world. It was of utmost importance to know precisely where they were at all times. This wasn’t just a matter of navigating successfully to their destination. They believed a mariner who lost sight of familiar landmarks risked wandering off the edges of the map, into unknown waters teeming with terrifying sea monsters. If they strayed too far, whole ships and entire crews could fall off the rim of the world, never to be seen again.
Of course, today we are amused by such backward thinking and unfounded fears. Cartographers (mapmakers) have mapped the whole globe and know better.
Yet many of us, as believers, are very much like those superstitious sailors. Without knowing our precise
position
within God’s kingdom, we mistakenly believe there might be unknown regions where His grace no longer applies to us or treacherous currents that might plunge us into peril. Under these conditions, fear keeps us from trusting the One who would lead us away from the shores of our old existence toward a new life of freedom and grace.
Knowing
who you are
“in Christ” begins by learning
where you stand.
Here’s the truth of the matter: As one who has cried out to God for salvation, you are always sheltered under His protective sovereignty. You are never beyond His tender love and saving grace. There are no edges to the territory of His kingdom. To be a believer is to forever occupy a position of forgiveness and favor with your Creator—the God of all there is—no matter where you are.