G-Force: Taking Your Relationship with God to a New Level
272
G-Force: Taking Your Relationship with God to a New Level
272eBook
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780310872443 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Zondervan |
| Publication date: | 06/01/2010 |
| Sold by: | HarperCollins Publishing |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 272 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Bo Boshers is President of LEAD222, a coaching and mentoring ministry to youth leaders. Bo is recognized as a national leader and influencer of youth ministry around the world. He served as Executive Director of Student Ministries at Willow Creek Community Church and the Willow Creek Association, which influences over 20,000 churches. He is a best-selling author, motivational speaker and trainer. His passion is coaching and mentoring youth leaders in professional skills and personal character.
Read an Excerpt
G-Force
Taking Your Relationship with God to a New LevelBy Bo Boshers
Zondervan
Copyright © 2003 Willow Creek AssociationAll right reserved.
Chapter One
GROUP STUDYGROUP ONE
g1 Fully Devoted
You are beginning a journey of spiritual transformation. A transformation is not merely changing something about yourself, like growing your hair long. It is changing natures, our inner selves. Transformation is like a larva in a cocoon. In time that same larva becomes a butterfly, and its entire nature is changed. That is what it is like when we choose to follow Jesus. The goal of this study is to become more like Jesus-to be transformed from the inside out. In the coming weeks, the goal is for all of us to become more like Jesus. You will explore the key qualities that characterize a fully devoted follower of Jesus, which are called the Five Gs-Grace, Growth, Groups, Gifts, and Good Stewardship. The Five Gs are markers along the lifelong journey of transformation that help you assess your progress. These sessions will teach you how to use the Five-G markers to stay on the right path of full devotion. Following Jesus is always an exciting and fulfilling adventure. So let's begin!
opening UP
1. Describe the most spiritual person you can imagine. What would that person be like?
2. Now describe the most fun person you can imagine. What would that person be like?
3. What do you think it would have been like to hang out with Jesus when he walked the earth? Would he have been more like your ideal spiritual person or your ideal fun person?
read TOGETHER
Read these verses aloud and discuss them as a group:
>> 1 john 2:6
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.
>> colossians 3:17
Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.
>> mark 12:29-31 [Jesus speaking] "The most important commandment is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."
explore TOGETHER
1. According to John's first letter, how should we measure what it means to be "godly" or "spiritual"?
2. According to the apostle Paul's letter to the Colossians (a local church in Colosse, a city in what is now the country Turkey), in what part of our lives should we strive to be "spiritual" like Jesus?
3. If we are to imitate how Jesus lived, then what do Jesus' words in Mark tell us about what guiding values shaped his life?
discuss TOGETHER
1. From God's perspective, your spiritual life is simply your whole life-every minute and detail of it. There is no part of your life that is not God's or where you don't have to live by God's standard: to imitate Jesus in what you do and say. Reread Paul's words in Colossians 3:17 on page 16. Have each person pick one activity below, and explain how it would be different if they were to live like Jesus would:
>> waking up
>> greeting those you see first in the morning
>> eating
>> how you act at school
>> listening to music
>> playing sports
>> spending time with friends
>> doing household tasks
>> using your computer
>> doing homework
>> interacting with your family
>> going to sleep
Based on your discussion, where do you need to be challenged to think about how you live each moment as someone who has Jesus as their leader?
2. Take a moment and have someone write on a white board or flip chart all the rules you've been taught about spirituality (for example, to have a daily quiet time, read the Bible, and so on).
Now have the same person write down another list marked "real spirituality." Under that heading, have the person write "freedom." Since spirituality is really a love relationship with God that is expressed by loving others rather than following a list of rules, discuss the real motivations for doing some of the "rules" in the first list.
3. The best way to see if we are imitating Jesus is to ask ourselves this simple question: Am I becoming more loving toward God and others? Is this true for you? Have you become more loving since you became a Christian? How would those who know you best-family members, teachers, coaches, friends-answer that question?
experience IT TOGETHER
Everyone should read to themselves the Ten Core Values (page 19) and the promise below. After you finish reading the statement silently, sign and date the pledge as a commitment to help each other on this journey of spiritual transformation.
Now choose someone to be your accountability partner. This is the person you will encourage and pray for to stay committed, and they will do the same for you. You will ask each other how the Daily Devotions and spiritual exercises are going. Exchange email addresses and phone numbers and commit to contacting each other often.
MY PROMISE
I, _______________________________________ [your name], promise to explore what it means to become a fully devoted Christ-follower and enter into a journey of spiritual transformation. I pledge to do my best to fully participate in the Daily Devotions and in the eleven Group Studies. I will do my best to open up my heart, soul, and mind to what God wants to teach me on this journey.
____________________ ________ Signature Date
ten CORE VALUES
>> Spiritual Transformation ...
1 is essential not optional for Christ-followers.
2 is a journey, not a destination.
3 is God's work, but needs my participation.
4 involves those practices, experiences, and relationships that help me be more like Jesus.
5 involves my whole life (not just the so-called "spiritual" parts).
6 can happen any time, any place (no restrictions!).
7 is not just something I do on my own but involves being part as a community.
8 is not dependent on my skills or abilities-it's available to everyone.
9 is not "one size fits all" but is customized to my personality, circumstances, and gifts.
10 is best measured by how well I love God and others.
community TIME
Talk about what your hopes are for this group during this journey. What do you personally hope to learn and experience in the upcoming weeks? Do you have any doubts or fears about this?
After everyone shares their hopes and personal goals, take out a candle and light it. The light represents God's presence (see John 1:9, where Jesus is described as the "true light" who "gives light to everyone") as you commit yourself to this eleven-week process. Pray that God blesses this adventure and that everybody's goals would be fulfilled. Also ask God to give each person the type of spiritual transformation described in the Ten Core Values. Go around the group and read out loud the Ten Core Values. Then close in prayer, asking God to give you this kind of transformation in your life.
DAILY DEVOTIONS
SESSION ONE
S1 Fully Devoted
If someone came up to you and asked, "What does it mean to have a spiritual life?" what would you say? Finding out the right answer to that question and how to live it out is what this book is all about. What we mean by having "spiritual life" determines what path we will take in our journey with God. If we have the same perspective God does, then we will follow the right path and become a fully devoted follower of Jesus. If we have a different perspective than God's, then we will choose the wrong path and possibly waste time pursuing activities that don't help us pursue spiritual transformation or that could possibly even harm us. So what is your spiritual life? The following Daily Devotions will define spiritual life and help you live it as Jesus would.
Devotion One d1 Giving Your All
The Bible passages from the Group Study helped us to start to answer the question about the true meaning of spirituality: to live our lives "as Christ did" and "as a representative of the Lord Jesus." Let's look more closely at these verses to see how exactly we are to run the race in which God has placed us.
see FOR YOURSELF
Highlight or underline these verses in your Bible:
>> 1 john 2:6
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.
>> colossians 3: 17
Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.
>> mark 12:29-31
[Jesus speaking] "The most important commandment is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our god is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all you soul, all your mid, and all your strength.' The second is equally important" "Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater that these."
ask YOURSELF
1. Considering what John (1 John right) says about how a Christ-follower should live, do you claim to be one? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think we are to live our lives "as a representative of the Lord Jesus"? How might your life be different if you lived this way?
3. Describe the extent of the love we are to have for God according to Jesus in Mark 12. What is left of ourselves after we have loved with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?
think FOR YOURSELF
Someone who is fully devoted is one who is committed to knowing Jesus more intimately, and to live as if he was in your place-thinking as he thinks, speaking as he speaks, walking as he walks. To what extent does this reflect your own life and commitment? In the space below, write a letter to God, sharing some of your doubts and those areas of your life that you know you will struggle with as you journey towards a life that looks like Jesus' life did. Let him know your desire is to be a fully devoted follower of his. Ask for God's help to become more like Jesus in the coming weeks. Include your thoughts and feelings in the letter.
experience IT YOURSELF
Tomorrow at school, after each class, ask yourself if you are becoming more loving toward God and others. Wear a rubber band around your wrist (or over your watch) to remind you to seek to become more like Jesus. See how this affects your actions for the day.
Devotion Two d2 A Marathon, Not a Sprint
Becoming a fully devoted follower does not happen quickly. It takes time-in fact, it's a lifelong journey. What's important is that we stay in the race, knowing that God will get us to the finish line.
see FOR YOURSELF
Highlight or underline these verses in your Bible:
>> 1 corinthians 9:24-26
Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.
2 timothy 4:7
I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
hebrews 12:1-2
Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses [spiritual examples] to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.
ask YOURSELF
1. All three passages describe the Christian life as a race. How is being a Christ-follower like being in a race? What do you think is the prize that Paul is referring to?
2. What are the three accomplishments Paul mentions in the 2 Timothy passage on page 24? Underline them. What could these three action steps mean in your life?
3. According to the Hebrews passage on page 24, what are we to strip off in order to run the race? What strategy is recommended for how to race with endurance?
think FOR YOURSELF
How are you doing in the race God has marked out for your life? What do you need to strip off? Where do you need to persevere? In the space below, write what you need to do to get ready for your race. Then write a prayer letting God know where you need help. Ask him to use the coming studies and devotions to help you run the race he's set before you.
experience IT YOURSELF
Take a short walk (if you can't do this, just close your eyes and imagine taking a walk with God). During the walk, talk with God about your life. Let the walk remind you of the race God has set before you. Remember two things: It is not a sprint and God is always there walking next to you.
Devotion Three d3 Graduation
It's your graduation day and you are very excited. All your friends and family are there to celebrate your big day. When your name is announced, you get up to get your diploma-graduating from first grade. Seems like the last eighteen years just flew by. But you did it, you are now a second grader.
What's wrong with this picture? You're not supposed to be eighteen years old when you enter second grade. Something went wrong.
see FOR YOURSELF
Highlight or underline these verses in your Bible:
>> proverbs 22:6
Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.
Continues...
Excerpted from G-Force by Bo Boshers Copyright © 2003 by Willow Creek Association. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Foreword..................................................................10Acknowledgments...........................................................11
Five-G Living.............................................................12
1 Fully Devoted
Group Study...............................................................15
Daily Devotions...........................................................21
1. Giving Your All........................................................22
2. A Marathon, Not a Sprint...............................................24
3. Graduation.............................................................26
4. A Walk with God........................................................30
5. Be Yourself............................................................32
2 GRACE, Part 1: A True Gift
Group Study...............................................................37
Daily Devotions...........................................................43
1. Accepting the Gift.....................................................44
2. A Gift of Freedom......................................................46
3. Noticing the Gift......................................................48
4. Living with the Gift Every Day.........................................50
5. An Everlasting Gift....................................................52
3 GRACE, Part 2: Sharing the Gift
Group Study...............................................................55
Daily Devotions...........................................................61
1. Being Real.............................................................62
2. You Have a Story.......................................................64
3. Telling Your Story.....................................................68
4. Growing in Compassion..................................................72
5. One Life at a Time.....................................................74
4 GROWTH, Part 1: Loving God
Group Study...............................................................77
Daily Devotions...........................................................83
1. Training Smarter vs. Harder............................................84
2. "Be Silent, and Know That I Am God!"...................................88
3. A Breath Prayer........................................................90
4. Bible Meditation.......................................................94
5. Dream Big..............................................................98
5 GROWTH, Part 2: Loving Others
Group Study...............................................................101
Daily Devotions...........................................................107
1. Servant Leader.........................................................108
2. The Power of Encouragement.............................................112
3. 2:14 Attitude..........................................................116
4. The Gossip Challenge...................................................118
5. Love of a Different Kind...............................................122
6 GROUPS, Part 1: Building Authentic Community
Group Study...............................................................125
Daily Devotions...........................................................131
1. The Giver vs. the Taker................................................132
2. A Giver's Gift: A Listening Ear........................................136
3. It Ain't Easy to Forgive...............................................138
4. Radical Love...........................................................142
5. Speaking the Truth in Love.............................................144
7 GROUPS, Part 2: Receiving Love
Group Study...............................................................147
Daily Devotions...........................................................153
1. No One Stands Alone....................................................154
2. Let Yourself Be Known..................................................156
3. Hide-and-Seek..........................................................158
4. Community Breakers.....................................................160
5. Having the Right Expectations..........................................162
8 GIFTS, Part 1: Discovering Your Gifts
Group Study...............................................................165
Daily Devotions...........................................................171
1. Use Me.................................................................172
2. Putting the Pieces Together............................................174
3. Finding the Right Gift.................................................178
4. Who Am I?..............................................................182
5. Celebrating Others' Gifts..............................................186
9 GIFTS, Part 2: Using Your Gifts
Group Study...............................................................189
Daily Devotions...........................................................195
1. The Right Purpose......................................................196
2. The Right Gift.........................................................198
3. The Right Attitude.....................................................200
4. The Right Vine.........................................................204
5. The Church-The Hope of the World.......................................208
10 GOOD STEWARDSHIP, Part 1: Show Me the Money
Group Study...............................................................211
Daily Devotions...........................................................217
1. Whose Money Is It?.....................................................218
2. Debt Free..............................................................220
3. Living Large...........................................................224
4. Being a Cheerful Giver.................................................226
5. The Blessing...........................................................230
11 GOOD STEWARDSHIP, Part 2: All I Have Is Yours, God
Group Study...............................................................233
Daily Devotions...........................................................239
1. Having More Than I Need................................................240
2. Time Out...............................................................244
3. The Perfect Body.......................................................248
4. Talented Humility......................................................250
5. Being a Good Trustee...................................................254
Afterword.................................................................259
Leader's Notes............................................................261