Ignited by the Spirit--Teacher Outlines

T E A CHER ’S GU I DE

IgnIt e : In hIs s te p s 2011

iGNiteD BY tHe

spirit sU g g e steD CUr r ICUlUm fOr s U nD AY sChOOl ClAsses O CtOber 10–n Ovem ber 7, 2010

I g nit e : in h is steps 2011

A letter from our pastor Dear Sunday School Teacher: Thank you for what you do week after week to form disciples of Jesus Christ through Frazer’s Sunday School ministry. You are a vital part of our mission to worship, win, disciple and serve to the glory of God. As we enter into the In His Steps season, I am excited to share with you this year’s theme of “Ignite.” This year’s IHS campaign will be all about how God can ignite his people with a holy fire through the power of His Spirit.

This September, Patrick and I will each be preaching in our own way about the Holy Spirit and looking at the power of God. That emphasis will continue when we begin preaching the “Ignite” series for In His Steps in October. All of this is laying the foundation for a year-long emphasis on Transformation going into 2011, something you will be hearing much more about in days to come.

Please join us in reinforcing these themes in your Sunday School classes starting in October and leading up to the Commitment Sunday, November 14.

In many ways you are better positioned than myself or Patrick to teach our congregation the Biblical truths of who the Holy Spirit is, and to guide your class members to personally apply what it means to walk in the spirit.

Toward that end our team has prepared a six-week curriculum that you can use and reproduce for your class. Please read over it, study it, and pray over it. Use it in your class as-is, or modify it to fit your style, but let’s work together to teach every member of our church how to live in the power of God’s Spirit and be ignited for Jesus Christ.

Ignited for Him– Dr. Tim Thompson Senior Pastor

IgnIte: In hIs steps 2011

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS • OCT. 4-8: members begin receiving Commitment Card packet in mail • OCT. 10 -NOV. 1 4: suggested Sunday School curriculum taught in classes; members study Daily Devotional Guide at home • OCT. 1 7-NOV. 14: Ignite sermon series in all worship services •

10/17 prayers: Igniting the fire of the holy spirit

•

10/24 presence: Igniting the fire of Worship

•

10/31 gifts: Igniting the fire of giving

•

11/7 service: Igniting the fire of ministry

•

11/14 Witness: Igniting the fire of love

• NOV. 3 -7 : ministry expo in Atrium • NOV. 5 -6 : prayer vigil • NOV. 7: Commitment rally for steering Committee & Captains (6 p.m.)

• NOV. 14 : COMM ITM E N T SU N D AY

I g nit e : in h is steps 2011

Overview Sug ge st e d cur r icul um for Sun day sch oo l C lasses Octob e r 10–No vem ber 7, 2010 “Ignite” is the theme of Frazer’s 2011 In His Steps campaign.

Ser ies at a Gl ance

1. The Spirit and New Birth “Ignite” is about discovering and releasing big idea: Everyone who believes in the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus Christ receives the promise of believers to motivate and equip them for God’s Holy Spirit living in us. a lifestyle of service and ministry. When we walk in the spirit, we produce the fruit 2. The Spirit and the Flesh of the spirit (Gal. 5). When we serve in big idea: The Christian life was not the spirit, we produce life and freedom (2 designed to be lived by human effort.

Cor. 3).

3. The Spirit and the Law This “Ignited by the Spirit” curriculum big idea: The Holy Spirit empowers us invites our Sunday School classes to to joyfully obey God’s law of love. explore the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of the believer. Our pastors will be preaching 4. The Spirit and the Word on this theme, but we believe that, as big idea: We practice the filling of a Sunday School teacher, you can the Holy Spirit through prayerful make a unique contribution by (1) response to the Bible. taking your class members deeper into the Biblical foundations for understanding 5. The Spirit and the Church the Holy Spirit and (2) leading them to big idea: The Holy Spirit makes make transforming personal applications everyone in the Church one. of what they learn.

6. The Spirit and the Mission The curriculum is written in the form big idea: The Holy Spirit empowers us of a discussion guide, but should be with boldness to witness. transferable as an outline for those of you who prefer to teach lecture-style.

Goa ls f or Ap p lication As you teach through this curriculum, we hope you will seek to guide your members towards one of these four lifeoutcomes, depending on where they are currently at in their spiritual journey: ❑❑ Committed believers rediscover the joy of serving God out of love through the power of the Holy Spirit. ❑❑ Uncommitted or marginally committed believers discover the transforming inner fire of the Holy Spirit who indwells them. ❑❑ Struggling believers frustrated by trying to overcome sin in their own power discover the freedom of the Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life. ❑❑ Unbelievers are confronted by the reality that Christianity is not a dead religion but a living faith.

a Note About Spiritual Gifts We encourage teachers to bear in mind that a lengthy discussion of the “charismatic” aspects of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, may be a distraction from the important task of leading your members to understand the basic role of the Holy Spirit in their lives and how they can walk in the Spirit on a daily basis. As Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 13, gifts are important, but the true test of spirituality is love.

We expect to do a follow-up study in 2011 on Spiritual Gifts and how they equip and empower us for service.

C urriculum features In each week’s lesson you will find: 1. The Big Idea for the week. The whole lesson will be designed to explain, illustrate, reinforce and apply this one idea.

2. A series of discussion questions that follow a pattern: first, ensure understanding of the Bible and second, prompt personal application.

3. Related Bible verses are preprinted in the NIV version in the side margins.

4. A summary of ideas at the end of each lesson.

NOTE: Teachers should read this summary first to get an overview for themselves of the key ideas the discussion questions are designed to illuminate.

5. Suggested personal applications.

6. Suggestions for further study.

Includes additional Bible Study and/or books.

7. A memory verse for each week.

IGNITE: WEEK 1 TEACHER’S OUTLINE

THE SPIRIT AND NEW BIRTH Big Idea: Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ receives the amazing promise of god’s Holy Spirit living in us.

I. The Christian life begins with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit 1. Read Matthew 3:11 and Acts 19:1-6 2. The baptism of John represents repentance, but Christian baptism goes beyond repentance to include the indwelling, “igniting” power of the Holy Spirit (fire vs. water) 3. Paul encountered people who had sincerely tried to repent and start doing right, but had not yet encountered the indwelling power of God’s Spirit.

The same is true today, perhaps especially in the Bible Belt.

II. The Christian life changes our inward nature, not just our outward behavior 1. Read John 3:1-8 2. Jesus says new birth is necessary to enter the kingdom 3. New birth is like changing our spiritual DNA III. The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit is promised to all who believe in Jesus 1. Read John 14:16-20: Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will live in his disciples 2. Read Acts 2:17-18: Peter announces the coming of the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Christ, not just to those who are “super Christians” IV. Ignite! Application 1. Some class members may recognize they have never experienced new birth in Christ 2. Others need to recommit themselves to allowing the Holy Spirit who already lives in them to have His way in their lives Memory Verse He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. –Titus 3:5

Ignite: Week 2 Teacher’s Outline

The Spirit and the flesh Big Idea: The Christian life was not designed to be lived by human effort.

I. The Flesh produces Works, but the Spirit produces Fruit.

1. Read Galatians 5:16-26: Fruit is the result of the inward nature of the tree, not willpower 2. Read Luke 6:43-45: To change, we need to change what kind of tree we are, not just try harder to do the right thing.

II. The Spirit makes us slaves to righteousness; that is, we do the right thing just as naturally as we used to do the wrong thing 1. Read Romans 6:15-23. Paul describes slavery to sin, and slavery to righteousness.

2. Read Romans 8:5-8. The Spirit changes not just our behavior, but our “mind set,” the pattern of our thoughts and desires.

3. A picture of the Christian life is an eagle in flight. If it folds its wings, it is still subject to the law of gravity, but if it stretches them out, it lives by the higher law of flight. Christians can still sin, but when we walk in the Spirit a higher power is at work making us desire to do right.

III. Ignite! Application 1. Class members should be able to think back on times God has changed their inward desires.

2. Class members who have been struggling to overcome sin by willpower will continue to be frustrated until they to learn to walk in the Spirit.

Memory Verse The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. –Romans 8:6

Ignite: Week 3 Teacher’s Outline

The Spirit and the law Big Idea: The Holy Spirit empowers us to joyfully obey God’s law of Love.

I. The commands of scripture can be summarized as love for God and others; this does not mean we dismiss the other commands, only that we interpret them with the ultimate goal of love 1. Read Matthew 22:36-40. Jesus says the whole law “hangs” on these two commands like a door hangs on hinges II. Our sinful nature actually gets worse when we hear God’s Law because we naturally rebel against it 1. Read Romans 7:5-13. Paul describes the Law like a catalyst that activates and brings out the sin that is within our hearts 2. Continue reading verses 14-25. Most people can identify with the inner struggle Paul describes of wanting to do right but falling back into habitual sin.

III. The Holy Spirit provides a solution that the Law by itself could not give 1. Continue reading Romans 8:1-4. Paul describes a life led by the Spirit where there is no more condemnation.

2. Re-read Galatians 5:18, 22-23. Paul points out that when we are producing the fruit of the Spirit, we don’t need the law, not because God has changed His mind about His Commands, but because we are already naturally doing what pleases God. IV. Ignite! Application 1. Some class members may recognize they have a self-righteous attitude of keeping the “rules” but don’t have genuine love for God and others 2. Some class members may be learning for the first time that God not only wants to forgive their past sin, but also give them the power to love others as He does Memory Verse I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” –Psalm 40:8

Ignite: Week 4 Teacher’s Outline

The Spirit and the word Big Idea: We practice the filling of the Holy Spirit through prayerful response to the Bible.

I. Scripture creates a close parallel between being filled with the Spirit and dwelling on God’s Word 1. Read Ephesians 5:18-20 and Colossians 3:15-17. “Filled with the Spirit” is used almost identically with “let the Word of Christ dwell in you.”

2. Read Ephesians 6:17, 2 Peter 1:21, and John 3:34, 4:24 & 6:63. These verses continue to show the pattern of relationship between God’s Word and His Spirit.

3. Read Hebrews 4:12. God’s Word is living and active because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

II. Jesus taught that a key part of the Holy Spirit’s role is to give us understanding of the Bible.

1. Read John 14:23-26 and 16:5-15. Jesus puts great importance on the Spirit’s continuing role relative to His teaching 2. Jesus specifically tells us the Spirit will Teach, Remind, Convict, and Guide in and through His Word III. Memorization allows the Holy Spirit to continue to work in our hearts when we aren’t sitting down reading the Bible 1. Read Psalm 119:11 & 97 2. Meditation moves us from just skimming the surface while we read to prayerfully responding to God as He speaks to us IV. Ignite! Application 1. Urge members who haven’t ever memorized scripture to find a verse that speaks to a situation they are facing and memorize it 2. Challenge class members to meditate on the verse they memorize by personalizing it in prayer in the morning, at bedtime, and when facing temptation Memory Verse I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. –Psalm 119:11

Ignite: Week 5 Teacher’s Outline

The Spirit and the church Big Idea: The Holy Spirit makes everyone in the church one.

I. Unity in the church is a powerful witness to the world.

1. Read John 17:20-23. Genuine love in the church can be its most powerful witness 2. Division in the church undermines its whole message II. Unity is not natural; it requires the power of the Holy Spirit 1. Read Ephesians 4:1-6 and Philippians 2:1-4. Unity involves patience, forbearance, humility and forgiveness, traits that do not come easily to us apart from God. 2. Scriptures does not state that we should “feel” unified but that we should recognize the fact that we actually are One in the spiritual Body of Christ.

What affects one of us affects us all, for good or bad.

III. Unity is not the absence of conflict but the willingness to demonstrate Christlike responses to those who hurt us 1. Read Ephesians 4:30-32 and Colossians 3:12-15. Forgiveness is essential to the Christian life.

2. Conflict and Forgiveness are painful but they allow us to show the world the reality that we believe Christ’s message of forgiveness on the Cross.

IV. Ignite! Application 1. Some class members may be convicted that an unforgiving spirit toward another Christian is hindering the church’s witness 2. Class members can take on the challenge to be more intentional about praying for the whole Body of Christ–especially those in parts of the world suffering persecution Memory Verse Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. –Ephesians 4:32

Ignite: Week 6 Teacher’s Outline

The Spirit and the mission Big Idea: The Holy Spirit empowers us with boldness to witness I. The Church can not accomplish its mission in the world without the power of the Holy Spirit and will fail if it tries 1. Read Luke 24:48-49 and Acts 1:8. Jesus promises the Spirit’s power for those who will become witnesses to His resurrection 2. Jesus warns them not to go out until they receive God’s power II. Paul made an intentional effort to rely on the Spirit’s power for evangelism, not his own eloquence or wisdom 1. Read Romans 15:18-19, I Corinthians 2:4, and I Thessalonians 1:5 2. Those who are eloquent and wise are warned not to rely on their human abilities 3. On the other hand, those who feel “weak” should be encouraged that they have God’s power with them III. The Holy Spirit gives power to mission both through miraculous deliveries FROM their trials, AND through sustaining God’s people THROUGH trials 1. Read Acts 4:31. The church did not pray that persecution would be removed, but rather that God would demonstrate His power and win people to Christ.

2. Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Paul was shown that God’s power can sometimes be evident in sustaining us rather than rescuing us.

IV. Ignite! Application 1. Class members can ask God to give them boldness to be a witness in their world this week 2. Class members can explore how they need to expand their prayer life in order to see more of God’s power and thus be more effective in God’s mission Memory Verse I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. –Philippians 3:10-11

IgnIt e: In hIs s te p s 2011