Just Do It :: Tools
Use the lead app to check in students and make sure any students not listed fill out a connect card digitally.
Do not move on until check-in has happened and any students not listed have filled out a connect card.
Extended Small Group
This is the last week of this semester focused completely on what to do with our bibles. The bible is the infallible word of God given to us by God so that we can know him better. Infallible means that it is incapable of containing mistakes. It is completely trustworthy and the most powerful tool we have access to when it comes to growing our faith. Having the skill set and the tools to not only read but digest our bibles is our hope at the end of this series.
There is a printout in your small group bucket that goes along with tonights time. and it should be in order with the content.
Life Book Challenge Check in
Celebrate anyone who brought their life book with them.
Our first challenge was to read acts 1 and 3 of the life book once. Some of us missed our target, and we re-upped our challenge.
Our second challenge was to take this card with the basic questions we asked and re-read acts 1 and 2 before our next Extended Small Group, which is tonight. Then If/when you have eureka moments put a small note in your life book and bring it back in April :).
Our third challenge was to read your “Life Book” following along with your Bible as you go through the book of Mark. Go through OIA on one chapter from the book of Mark and to generate at least one application for your own life.
Use the target found in your small group bucket
Who hit the target?
What kept us from hitting our targets?
For anyone who had an application that came out of OIA share it.
Introduction – Tools
Start with a quick dumb game
You will have a few kitchen tools in your life group bucket, one side says what the actual tool is. Some are very dumb. Have the students try to guess what the tool is and does.
We’re talking about tools today. Tools help us accomplish a task; they help us do different functions. Just like there are tools for the kitchen, tools for building, tools for repairing, there are tools to help us study the Bible. Today is pretty simple; We are going to introduce you to some excellent tools for studying the Bible.
Biblegateway.com
If they have a phone or tablet they are welcome to check the site out while you talk.
There is a picture of this site in your packet.
Take a moment and explain that you can choose different translations, you can use built in study tools and even keep notes. There are also introductions for books etc.
Study Bibles
The next resource to talk about is Study Bibles. For example the NLT Life Application Study Bible. Lets look at the different features so that you know how to use study Bibles.
Encourage students to look through the study Bibles that they brought while you demo the Life Application Study Bibles.
Life Application Study Bible- We’re going to use the Life Application as our example, but the goal is to help you understand how most Study Bibles work.
Features to Demo and Explore
Notes on the Passage
Notes help us with O.I.A.
Notes explain what’s going on and include applications for us
Notes below the Biblical text
Chapter and verse numbers correspond
Introductions to the Books
Timeline: When do the events in the book take place
Stats
Purpose: Why was the book written
Author: Who wrote the book
Dates: When was the book written
Setting: Where do the events in the book take place
Key Verses: Important verses in the book
Key People: Important people in the book
Book outline & Book themes
Maps and Key places
Dictionary
Concordance
YouVersion – www.bible.com
The next thing to talk about is YouVersion. Youversion is a lot like Biblegateway in that it is an online Bible and also has a mobile app. Youversion is the best Bible app out there.
Features to Demo and Explore
Mobile Apps - If the have not already, have them download the mobile app
Translation Choices
Parallel translations
Audio Bible
Notes and Highlights
Great accountability and community when you set up a free account.
Reading plans
The reading plans are the best part about this resource. You can pick what you want to read and it helps get you into the Word.
Give students time to explore YouVersion. Have the students sign up for a free account and start a reading plan of their choice.
Topical Bible – www.openbible.info/topics
There are many topical bibles. This online one is like Google for the Bible. For instance, we often ask, “What does the Bible say about homosexuality?” All you need to do is visit openbible.info/topics and type in “homosexuality.” Then it gives all these results. The neat part about the results is that people have voted on which results they think are the most relevant and you can vote on it too if you want.
Blueletterbible.org - Deep Dive
This site is great for getting very deep into study using powerful tools
Interlinear: Allows you to research the original text
Bibles: Shows you multiple translations of a specific verse
Cross-Refs: Places where those same original words were used
Commentaries: Writings from other Christians about those verses
Dictionaries: All reference work for that verse. Quick ways to fin d the who, what, when, where , and why of what is going on.
Preceptaustin.org - everything you could need otherwise
This site has the most exhaustive source of Commentaries and resources related to all 66 books fo the bible.
It is not for the faint of heart and requires time and energy. But this is like bible college on a single website. If you want to go a little further in your study that blue letter this will take you over the edge.
One of the most useful tools you will find here are the book structure and timeline illustrations giving you a visual structure to help understand the book.
FINISHING UP THE SERIES
We have spent 4 weeks walking through the life book, and the book of Mark. We have explored how we can be better equipped to use scripture in our lives. And we do all this because:
Have a student read Mark 16:15
The great commission requires us to know the truth contained in these pages, so that we are equipped and ready to tell others about Jesus.
NEW CHALLENGE:
It’s time for our new challenge. This week I want you to take your “Life Book” and another brand new life book. Pray and commit to hand that extra life book to one other person in your life. Then do it. Ask them if they'd like to read through it with you and study it together.
Life Books are a super simple and low tension way to step into some gospel conversations.
And if they say no thanks - then no bigs! Just ask a mother person.
Each of us has someone in our lives who needs to grow closer to Jesus and our challenge is to be the kind of Kingdom workers who step into the gap instead of waiting for someone else to.
Once you have someone to go through the life book with, be intentional and study scripture ( specifically Mark) using all the things we have learned these past 4 weeks of this series so you can help.
And as we move past this series you will also find a “Just Do It” section in the momentum app that will contain all the different things we have learned in case you need quick access.
One last thing. One of the most valuable things in the life of a Jesus follower is the people they do life with. So let's help each other. Keep each other accountable and check in with each other.
Finish by praying as a group.
We will know we have hit our target if:
-Everyone leaves with a Life Book (either theirs or a new one)and a 2nd life book with the intention to give it away.
-The students have understood and accepted the challenge to read the Life Book with one other person they have given their extra to.
-The students are well aware of CIY MIX and MOVE.