Complete Lesson Plan Overview

Following Jesus in Life's Tensions: Complete Lesson Plan

This represents the intended, complete lesson plan for Following Jesus in Life's Tensions.

Introduction: An Invitation To Follow Jesus with Friends "The adventure begins!" Acknowledging the anxiety and excitement of getting started, and some practical wisdom we'll need for the journey.

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Stage 1 - Starting

1. Following Jesus Wholeheartedly - We can't earn salvation, but following Jesus transforms everything.

1. Following Jesus In Our New Identity - We're instantly made new in Christ, yet called to grow into this new identity.

1. Following Jesus Together - Our walk with God is both deeply personal and necessarily communal.

1. Following Jesus In Newness of Life - Finding real life requires letting go of our old selves.

1. Following Jesus with Reverence - God is our loving Heavenly Father, awesome Creator, and Holy Savior.

1. Following Jesus with An Active Faith - Faith leads to faithfulness.

1. Celebration Week - We prioritize formation over more information. Every six weeks, we pause to celebrate how God has worked in our lives and further integrate what we have learned into our lives.

1. Following Jesus as His Friends - Prayer is both heartfelt and disciplined.

1. Following Jesus as Lord - Both God's sovereignty and human responsibility are real.

1. Following Jesus Through the Scriptures - The Bible is God's Word, yet requires careful interpretation.

1. Following Jesus with Our Hearts - God welcomes honest emotions while calling for faithful obedience.

1. Following Jesus with The Holy Spirit - Growth requires both God's power and our active participation.

1. Following Jesus with Hope - We experience God's power today while awaiting its complete fulfillment.

1. Integration and Celebration Week

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Stage 2: Struggling

1. Following Jesus In the Silence - God's presence remains even when we can't feel it.

1. Following Jesus Through Suffering - We acknowledge both God's goodness and life's deepest pains, including the ultimate challenge of death.

1. Following Jesus In Surrender - We can deeply love Jesus but still feel that we are hardly like him.

1. Following Jesus In Uncertainty - With the fixed foundation of Scripture, how do we navigate new and rapidly changing questions?

1. Following Jesus Through Doubt - Honest questions can strengthen rather than weaken faith.

1. Following Jesus In A Scientific Age - How do we integrate our Biblical commitments and scientific knowledge?

1. Integration and Celebration Week

1. Following Jesus In Struggle - The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Our faith is shaped amidst a spiritual war.

1. Following Jesus When We're Exhausted - How do we avoid being crushed by the infinite demands of loving God and our neighbor?

1. Following Jesus Toward Unity - How do we find unity when we are so different? How do we reconcile with those who hurt us?

1. Following Jesus In Our Public Witness - We ought to share our faith, but at what cost?

1. Following Jesus In a Digital World - How do we grow our faith when we're constantly distracted?

1. Following Jesus with Our Finances - What does God say about our finances, and what do our finances say about God?

1. Integration and Celebration Week

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Stage 3: Maturing

1. Following Jesus In Weakness and Strength - Embracing our dependence on God as the path to spiritual wholeness.

1. Following Jesus with Unanswered Questions - Our faith isn't measured by how many questions we can answer but by how fully we receive and share God's love.

1. Following Jesus to Know the Trinity - How the Trinity changes everything about our lives.

1. Following Jesus Wholly - Embracing all of our emotions so we can be restored to wholeness.

1. Following Jesus As His People - How do churches help us follow Jesus?

1. Following Jesus In Love - Love as our identity, mission, and life's purpose.

1. Integration and Celebration Week

1. Following Jesus In Holiness - Honoring God with our whole selves in preparation for the resurrection.

1. Following Jesus as Lifelong Friends - The deeper gift of tested spiritual friends, especially in healthy churches.

1. Following Jesus In Singleness and Marriage - How do singleness or marriage affect our walk with God?

1. Following Jesus as Wise Fools - The lifelong tension between wisdom and taking risks.

1. Following Jesus as Servants - Redefining leadership as Jesus does.

1. Following Jesus with Unfinished Faithfulness - Trusting God with lives that are always incomplete.

1. Following Jesus In His Mission - Our capstone experience! Worship, sharing, and celebrating what God has done.