Good Questions Have Small Groups Talking -- Basic Christianity

What we say is like the bit in the mouth of a horse; what we say steers our whole life. Application is not tagged onto the end. Application is woven all through the lessons.

Application is the point. Howard Hendricks used to say that the goal is not to make smarter sinners. These lessons are so easy to use, they make it easier—a lot easier--to find teachers. In fact, when I was a Minister of Ed, I never struggled to find teaches again after I started writing these lessons.

Click here to read that story. I want to make you sound brilliant. I want to provide you with the best insights from the best minds and warmest hearts in Christendom. Toward that end, I have a massive Logos library that I use to provide material for teachers. Each lesson in Good Questions Have Groups Talking consists of about 20 ready-to-use-questions with answers from world-class writers such as: Most curriculum has an inherent flaw.

They can often get past it, but it cripples nearly every series made. Here is how it works. A committee gets together and decides on a text and topic. Then, someone is assigned to find someone who can write something brilliant about it. Turns out, this is a very difficult assignment and does not always meet with success. They find someone who has already written something brilliant—books by people like Beth Moore, Billy Graham and John Piper—and turns it into a curriculum. I try to do a similar thing with my lessons. Each question is footnoted with answers taken from some of the best commentaries ever written.

I also include great illustrations and stories from illustration books, trade books and devotional books. Quotes from world-class sources make these lessons different. By the way using the strategy of fellowship and a decent lesson we have grown from 12 to 40 in 2 and a half years. By using Good Questions Have Groups Talking there is always something that penetrates my spirit and sets my mind to work. Josh Hunt's Good Questions, try it. Your teaching will be anointed! God has utilized the Lesson's from Good Questions to minister to us. The questions are really good for facilitating meaningful conversation.

Masterwork Bible Study

Our class grew from 10 people to more than 40 in one year!!! We don't have a room big enough for us now. The format saves us time in preparation in order that we might be able to work on the ministry needs of our class. I love using your lessons. I use them almost every Sunday. They really do get the conversation going. I usually learn more from my class input in 45 minutes than I do studying the background info, for hours, on each lesson.

These lessons nearly always provide insight I would never have seen. Thank you for taking the time to write these lesson questions. I believe my presentation would be a lot less interesting without your help. I have started an outreach Bible study in our gym during the Sunday School hour. A brief global History", Jerry H.

It is also possible that Zoroastrianism and later Jewish theology came from a common source. For more on this theory, see Jewish history , Judaism , and Zoroastrianism.

Christianity and other religions

In the Younger Avesta , three divinities of the Zoroastrian pantheon are repeatedly identified as ahuric, meaning that each, as Ahura , act together in both representing and protecting Asha , or the divine truth governing the universe. Both Zoroastrianism and Christianity consider themselves to be monotheistic, but like all other monotheisms they have highlighted certain aspects or energies of the divine to emphasize, and these are not meant to be interpreted as separate divinities.

In both religions there are guardian angels , or fravashi , which are considered to be created beings and are distinct from the Energies of God or divine emanations. The Zoroastrian term yazata , however, has variously been interpreted as meaning emanations or "sparks" of the divine, or as being roughly synonymous with the term "angels. There are many parallels between Mithraism , the religion of Sol Invictus , and Christianity. Aurelian is believed to have established the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti Day of the Birth of Sol Invictus as an annual festival [ citation needed ] held on the day when the sun's daily declination visibly starts rising again after the winter solstice , namely on December 25; the birth of the central figure was thus celebrated on the day which Christians later used to celebrate Jesus' birth having always celebrated this at Epiphany.

Sunday itself was imposed as the official day of rest by Constantine , who referred to it as the Day of the venerable Sun [ citation needed ]. Although Christians worshiped on Sunday from at least years before Constantine [8]. The earliest attestation of Mithraism is Plutarch 's record of it being practised in 68BC by Cilician pirates , the first mithraists.

Justin Martyr , an earlier 2nd century Church Father , agreed that the similarities existed, claiming that Mithraism had copied the Eucharist. They believe in the divine knowledge and essence of Jesus , among other messengers such as Muhammad , Zoroaster , Moses , Buddha , Krishna , and others.

Hubbard described Scientology as "the Western Anglicized continuance of many earlier forms of wisdom. In the book Vintage Jesus: The spread of Christianity has been international, in some cases entirely displacing the religions and altering the customs encountered among those people to whom it has come.

This centuries-long process has been met with violent opposition at times, and likewise the spread of Christianity has in some cases been carried out with martial force. The relationship of Christianity to other faiths is encumbered to some extent by this history, with modern Christians, particularly in the West, expressing embarrassment over the violence in Christianity's past. Converting adherents of other religions is widely accepted within Christianity. Many Christian organizations believe that they have a duty to make converts among every people. In recent years, ecumenism and dialogue between different religions has been endorsed by many official representatives of the Christian churches, as a way of effecting reconciliation between Christian people and people of other faiths, leading to many cases of reconciliation.

In some cases, this endorsement is accompanied by a complete disavowal of all proselytizing efforts under the banner of religious pluralism. This is specially marked by the inauguration, or installation, of Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu from Uganda, on November 29, Dr Sentamu is the first black African archbishop of the Church of England. He is also the first archbishop to beat bongo drums in the cathedral at his own inauguration. The newspaper Guardian, which dedicated its double middle page of the following day to a full picture of the grinning archbishop in full apparel at the porch of the cathedral, says that: A special case is the issue of Christian—Jewish reconciliation , in which significant reconciliation has been reached.

Christian converts have often carried some of their previous customs to their new faith. This on occasion has led to syncretisms , that are often not accepted by mainstream Christians:. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. Learn how and when to remove these template messages. This article or section possibly contains synthesis of material which does not verifiably mention or relate to the main topic.

Bible Study Lessons and Sunday School lessons that get groups talking

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Signature Series

Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page. Jesus in Christianity Virgin birth Crucifixion Resurrection. Eastern Orthodoxy and Judaism. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of God? This could be another activity where everyone participates on both an individual and group basis with either writing out the answer on a separate sheet of paper or on a white erase or chalkboard with answers being given in a spontaneous fashion.

A twist with this activity would be what was your first thought of God as a child? Who do you were some of the greatest Christians alive today or from the past. With this question, the answers can span from the time of the New Testament to the 21st Century. Examples could include great pastors, prophets, theologians, saints, etc. Try to come up with at least ten 10 individuals from the past and present that have had major influences in Christianity.

In looking at yourself in general, what are three things you really like about yourself? Another twist on this same topic could include what would you change about yourself that would help you become a better Christian? What event, occurrence, or circumstance in your life led you to become a Christian? Was there a major turning point that led to acceptance?

This could be either an individual or group activity that would help to put others at ease and to compare answers that might be similar in nature. Everyone in the group is asked to jot down three different things about themselves and their line of work or vocation that is unknown to the others in the group. At least two of the items are true and one is not.

Each group member presents their facts to the group and then everyone takes a vote as to which item about the person is not true. This activity can have surprising turnarounds as well as help others to get to know one another. It can be done with an erase board approach or with individual note cards or colored paper. What Christian book or movie that you read or viewed recently, or in the past, would you recommend to others in the group that best represents Christian life today and true biblical history?

Let the whole group brainstorm and come up with the top five books and movies that have had a major impact on Christians and others.