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Courage Crossing Study Work Sheet
Just Walk Across The Room
THE POWER OF STORY
BIG IDEA – THE POWER OF STORY
Regardless if they are formally ‘gifted’ in evangelism or not, all Christians can be prepared to engage people in spiritual conversations and do what they can to point people toward faith in God. When conversations take a spiritual turn, it is important to know how to convey two stories with humility, clarity, and brevity: your own faith story and God’s good news story.
OVERVIEW
Have you ever thought about what makes a bad story bad? This week, through humorous skits, you’ll learn firsthand what not to do when sharing your faith story. Elements Include:
Acting as if you’re superior to your listener
Being unclear
Speaking in ‘religionese’
Droning on and on
Then, in hopes of infusing you with the right way to do things, you will hear several well-told faith stories—evidence of God’s intervention in people’s lives—articulated with clarity, brevity, and humility
VIDEO OPENER (2 minutes)
ICEBREAKER (2 minutes)
Think of a brief story regarding something that has significantly impacted your walk with Christ. Perhaps you or someone you know overcame a devastating loss…or experienced unparalleled joy during a time of unusual blessing. What is the story, and what has been the impact on your spiritual journey?
VIDEO TEACHING (15 minutes)
Video Observations:
GROUP STRIDES, PART A (30 minutes)
1. In this week’s video segment, you witnessed the telling of several really bad stories:
The Long-Winded Story that went on… and on… and on…
The Fuzzy Story that never seemed to get to the point
The Religionese Story that was laden with Christian insiders’ jargon
The Superiority Story that was filled with pious, haughty language
Which One bothered you the most and why?
2. On the other end of the spectrum, what are a few common denominators you noted in the ‘good stories’ that were told at the end of the video segment?
When a person is open to hearing your faith story, all that he or she really wants to know is what you were like before you met Christ; how you came to know Christ; and what you’ve been like after submitting your life to him. In other words, your personal ‘before-and-after’. This is fundamental to what makes a faith story good.
3. There are many Biblical Examples of men and women who had before-and-after experiences. Connect the person below with their corresponding faith story.
Man who was born with Disability ‘I walked in shame, but now I walk in Grace.’
Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector ‘I’d devoted myself to killing followers of Christ, but now I’m a devoted one myself.’
The Apostle Paul ‘I was gripped by greed, but now I’m gripped by the needs of the poor.’
Woman who was caught in adultery ‘I was blind but now I see’
4. Have a member of your group read I Corinthians 2:14-16 out loud. Based on these verses, why is it important for Christians to tell their faith-stories in a manner that is simple, succinct, humble, and clear to people who are spiritually unconvinced.?
Your ‘Before’
Just like the biblical characters noted in question 3, you have a ‘before-and-after’ faith story. The following sections will help you craft your personal faith story. Work through questions 5-8 with a partner from within your group.
5. What type of person were you before you met Christ? On the lines below, write down five to ten adjectives that come to mind (If you came to faith at a young age, consider how you would describe what you were like prior to developing a thriving, more mature relationship with Christ.)
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6. From the adjectives you noted in question 5, what is the one word in particular that best summarizes your ‘before’ state? ______________________________________________________________________________________
Your Encounter With Christ
7. Now describe the circumstances that caused you to submit your life to Christ. What life-stage were you in? What input did you receive that finally triggered your desire to ask Christ into your life? What was the most significant thing about you making this decision?
Your ‘After’
8. Now, completing the sentence below, note the primary difference that Christ has made in your life?
Since inviting Christ into my life, I’ve become _________________________________________________________
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9. Ready to tell your tale? Have a member of your group keep time as you tell your before-and-after story now. (one thing to keep in mind: in addition to conveying the basic before-and-after framework, be sure to mention one or two areas of your life that Christ is still refining. Nobody has ‘arrived’—it’s important to acknowledge this reality.)
GOD’S REDEMPIVE STORY (7 minutes)
GROUP STRIDES, PART B (2 minutes)
Pastor Dave Will Explain several illustrations at this time that you can use to better tell God’s redemptive Story…. Select One to practice this week….
- The Bridge
- ‘Do’ vs. ‘Done’
- The Morality Ladder
VIDEO SUMMARY (1 minute)
PRAYER
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