Chapter One
GROUP STUDY GROUP ONE
g1 Fully Devoted
You are beginning a journey of spiritual transformation. A transformation is not
merely changing something about yourself, like growing your hair long. It is changingnatures, our inner selves. Transformation is like a larva in a cocoon. In time that same
larva becomes a butterfly, and its entire nature is changed. That is what it is like when
we choose to follow Jesus. The goal of this study is to become more like Jesus-to be
transformed from the inside out. In the coming weeks, the goal is for all of us to become
more like Jesus. You will explore the key qualities that characterize a fully devoted follower
of Jesus, which are called the Five Gs-Grace, Growth, Groups, Gifts, and Good
Stewardship. The Five Gs are markers along the lifelong journey of transformation that
help you assess your progress. These sessions will teach you how to use the Five-G markers
to stay on the right path of full devotion. Following Jesus is always an exciting and
fulfilling adventure. So let's begin!
opening UP
1. Describe the most spiritual person you can imagine. What would that person be like?
2. Now describe the most fun person you can imagine. What would that person be like?
3. What do you think it would have been like to hang out with Jesus when he walked
the earth? Would he have been more like your ideal spiritual person or your ideal fun
person?
read TOGETHER
Read these verses aloud and discuss them
as a group:
>>1 john 2:6
Those who say they live in God
should live their lives as Christ did.
>>colossians 3:17
Whatever you do or say, let it be as a
representative of the Lord Jesus.
>>mark 12:29-31 [Jesus speaking] "The most important commandment
is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one
and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally
important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
No other commandment is
greater than these."
explore TOGETHER
1. According to John's first
letter, how should we
measure what it means to
be "godly" or "spiritual"?
2. According to the apostle
Paul's letter to the Colossians (a
local church in Colosse, a city in what
is now the country Turkey), in what part of
our lives should we strive to be "spiritual" like Jesus?
3. If we are to imitate how Jesus lived, then what do Jesus' words in Mark tell us about
what guiding values shaped his life?
discuss TOGETHER
1. From God's perspective, your spiritual life is simply your whole life-every minute and
detail of it. There is no part of your life that is not God's or where you don't have to
live by God's standard: to imitate Jesus in what you do and say. Reread Paul's words
in Colossians 3:17 on page 16. Have each person pick one activity below, and explain
how it would be different if they were to live like Jesus would:
>> waking up
>> greeting those you see first in the morning
>> eating
>> how you act at school
>> listening to music
>> playing sports
>> spending time with friends
>> doing household tasks
>> using your computer
>> doing homework
>> interacting with your family
>> going to sleep
Based on your discussion, where do you need to be challenged to think about how
you live each moment as someone who has Jesus as their leader?
2. Take a moment and have someone write on a white board or flip chart all the rules
you've been taught about spirituality (for example, to have a daily quiet time, read the
Bible, and so on).
Now have the same person write down another list marked "real spirituality." Under
that heading, have the person write "freedom." Since spirituality is really a love
relationship with God that is expressed by loving others rather than following a list
of rules, discuss the real motivations for doing some of the "rules" in the first list.
3. The best way to see if we are imitating Jesus is to ask ourselves this simple question: Am I becoming more loving toward God and others? Is this true for you? Have you
become more loving since you became a Christian? How would those who know you
best-family members, teachers, coaches, friends-answer that question?
experience IT TOGETHER
Everyone should read to themselves the Ten
Core Values (page 19) and the promise
below. After you finish reading the
statement silently, sign and date
the pledge as a commitment
to help each other on this
journey of spiritual transformation.
Now choose someone to
be your accountability
partner. This is the person
you will encourage and pray
for to stay committed, and they
will do the same for you. You will
ask each other how the Daily Devotions
and spiritual exercises are going. Exchange email
addresses and phone numbers and commit to contacting each other often.
MY PROMISE
I, _______________________________________
[your name], promise to explore what it
means to become a fully devoted Christ-follower
and enter into a journey of spiritual transformation.
I pledge to do my best to fully participate
in the Daily Devotions and in the eleven Group
Studies. I will do my best to open up my heart,soul, and mind to what God wants to teach
me on this journey.
____________________ ________
Signature Date
ten CORE VALUES
>>Spiritual Transformation .
1 is essential not optional for Christ-followers.
2 is a journey, not a destination.
3 is God's work, but needs my participation.
4 involves those practices, experiences, and relationships that help me be more like Jesus.
5 involves my whole life (not just the so-called "spiritual" parts).
6 can happen any time, any place (no restrictions!).
7 is not just something I do on my own but involves being part as a community.
8 is not dependent on my skills or abilities-it's available to everyone.
9 is not "one size fits all" but is customized to my personality, circumstances, and gifts.
10 is best measured by how well I love God and others.
community TIME
Talk about what your hopes are for this group during this journey. What do you
personally hope to learn and experience in the upcoming weeks? Do you have any
doubts or fears about this?
After everyone shares their hopes and personal goals, take out a candle and light it. The
light represents God's presence (see John 1:9, where Jesus is described as the "true light"
who "gives light to everyone") as you commit yourself to this eleven-week process. Pray
that God blesses this adventure and that everybody's goals would be fulfilled. Also ask
God to give each person the type of spiritual transformation described in the Ten Core
Values. Go around the group and read out loud the Ten Core Values. Then close in prayer,
asking God to give you this kind of transformation in your life.
DAILY DEVOTIONS
SESSION ONE
S1 Fully Devoted
If someone came up to you and asked, "What does it mean to have a spiritual life?" what
would you say? Finding out the right answer to that question and how to live it out is
what this book is all about. What we mean by having "spiritual life" determines what path
we will take in our journey with God. If we have the same perspective God does, then
we will follow the right path and become a fully devoted follower of Jesus. If we have a
different perspective than God's, then we will choose the wrong path and possibly waste
time pursuing activities that don't help us pursue spiritual transformation or that could
possibly even harm us. So what is your spiritual life? The following Daily Devotions will
define spiritual life and help you live it as Jesus would.
Devotion One d1 Giving Your All
The Bible passages from the Group Study helped us to start to answer the question
about the true meaning of spirituality: to live our lives "as Christ did" and "as a representative
of the Lord Jesus." Let's look more closely at these verses to see how exactly
we are to run the race in which God has placed us.
see FOR YOURSELF
Highlight or underline these verses in
your Bible:
>>1 john 2:6
Those who say they live in God
should live their lives as Christ did.
>>colossians 3: 17
Whatever you do or say, let it be as a
representative of the Lord Jesus.
>>mark 12:29-31
[Jesus speaking] "The most important commandment
is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our god is the one
and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, all you soul, all your mid,
and all your strength.' The second is equally
important" "Love your neighbor as yourself.'
No other commandment is
greater that these."
ask YOURSELF
1. Considering what John
(1 John right) says about
how a Christ-follower
should live, do you
claim to be one? Why
or why not?
2. Why do you think we are
to live our lives "as a representative
of the Lord Jesus"? How might your life be different if
you lived this way?
3. Describe the extent of the love we are to have for God according to Jesus in Mark
12. What is left of ourselves after we have loved with all our heart, soul, mind, and
strength?
think FOR YOURSELF
Someone who is fully devoted is one who is committed to knowing Jesus more intimately,
and to live as if he was in your place-thinking as he thinks, speaking as he speaks, walking
as he walks. To what extent does this reflect your own life and commitment? In the
space below, write a letter to God, sharing some of your doubts and those areas of your
life that you know you will struggle with as you journey towards a life that looks like Jesus'
life did. Let him know your desire is to be a fully devoted follower of his. Ask for God's
help to become more like Jesus in the coming weeks. Include your thoughts and feelings
in the letter.
experience IT YOURSELF
Tomorrow at school, after each class, ask yourself if you are becoming more loving
toward God and others. Wear a rubber band around your wrist (or over your watch)
to remind you to seek to become more like Jesus. See how this affects your actions for
the day.
Devotion Two d2 A Marathon, Not a Sprint
Becoming a fully devoted follower does not happen quickly. It takes time-in fact, it's
a lifelong journey. What's important is that we stay in the race, knowing that God will get
us to the finish line.
see FOR YOURSELF
Highlight or underline these verses in your Bible:
>>1 corinthians
9:24-26
Remember that in a race everyone
runs, but only one person gets the prize.You also must run in such a way that you will
win. All athletes practice strict self-control
They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but
we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight
to the goal with purpose in every step.
>> 2 timothy 4:7
I have fought a good fight, I have
finished the race, and I have
remained faithful.
>>hebrews 12:1-2
Since we are surrounded by such
a huge crowd of witnesses [spiritual
examples] to the life of faith, let us strip
off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders
our progress. And let us run with
endurance the race that God has set
before us. We do this by keeping
our eyes on Jesus, on whom our
faith depends from start
to finish.
ask YOURSELF
1. All three passages describe the Christian life as a race. How is being a Christ-follower
like being in a race? What do you think is the prize that Paul is referring to?
2. What are the three accomplishments Paul mentions in the 2 Timothy passage on
page 24? Underline them. What could these three action steps mean in your life?
3. According to the Hebrews passage on page 24, what are we to strip off in order to
run the race? What strategy is recommended for how to race with endurance?
think FOR YOURSELF
How are you doing in the race God has marked out for your life? What do you need to
strip off? Where do you need to persevere? In the space below, write what you need to
do to get ready for your race. Then write a prayer letting God know where you need
help. Ask him to use the coming studies and devotions to help you run the race he's set
before you.
experience IT YOURSELF
Take a short walk (if you can't do this, just close your eyes and imagine taking a walk with
God). During the walk, talk with God about your life. Let the walk remind you of the race
God has set before you. Remember two things: It is not a sprint and God is always there
walking next to you.
Devotion Three d3 Graduation
It's your graduation day and you are very excited. All your friends and family are there
to celebrate your big day. When your name is announced, you get up to get your
diploma-graduating from first grade. Seems like the last eighteen years just flew by. But
you did it, you are now a second grader.
What's wrong with this picture? You're not supposed to be eighteen years old when you
enter second grade. Something went wrong.
see FOR YOURSELF
Highlight or underline these
verses in your Bible:
>>proverbs 22:6
Teach your children to choose the
right path, and when they are older,
they will remain upon it.
Continues.
