Bill Hybels - Just Walk Across the Room Participants Guide: Four Sessions on Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith

Shortly after Jesus resurrection, he appeared to his disciples on a mountain in Galilee. The wide-eyed group sat with rapt attention as he delivered a few standing orders to be carried out until he returned. Remember what they were?

Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you.

M ATTHEW 28:18 20a, MSG

Immediately after recognizing whats commonly referred to as the Great Commission, the next thought that crosses your mind (if youre like many Christians) is smothered with obligation or worse yet, with guilt. I know I should be accomplishing the Great Commission, but I cant seem to get past that first word Go.

We go all the time. We go to work, go home, go out to eat, go shopping, go to sporting events, go to bed. But something deep inside us knows that Jesus go carries with it a very different connotation.

His go means our feet have to get unstuck from where theyre currently planted. It means we have to agree to action. It means we have to accept a little risk and stick one foot in front of the other to engage with another human being having no idea where it all will lead.

A daunting task for some, to say the least.

Friends, if your desire to go and reach out to the people around you is strong, but you find yourself perpetually stuck in stay mode, this study is for you. Statistically, only 10 percent of any congregation would raise their hands if asked who has the formal gift of evangelism or who does any evangelizing on a regular basis. Which means theres a substantive number of believers sitting around you each weekend who are all locked up when it comes to pointing those outside the faith toward God.

Just Walk Across the Room: The Four-Week Experience is a campaign designed to raise the value of evangelism for everyone in your church. This means that at the end of four weeks time, they will have a fresh understanding of what evangelism really means, as well as a dose of inspiration regarding how to get it done. In addition to having some unexpected fun this month, I think youll come away from the experience anxious to go in ways youve never before dreamed.

One closing thought before you dive in: Jesus mountaintop speech to the disciples that day didnt end with his memorable series of commands. Probably detecting a little nervous energy in the audience, he concluded things with a single promise (and arent we all glad!):

Ill be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.

M ATTHEW 28:20b, MSG

As you work through the material over the coming weeks, remember that evangelism isnt something you have to gear up for. Fundamentally, evangelism is about submitting to Gods agenda in a social situation, in a conversation, in your moment-by-moment life. And, like Matthews gospel says, he will be with you every step of the way.

B ILL H YBELS

Founding and Senior Pastor

Willow Creek Community Church

In this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

SESSION 1
The Single Greatest Gift

[Look to Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross!

P HILIPPIANS 2:6 8

BEFORE YOU MEET

1. Read the introduction and chapters 1 and 2 in the Just Walk Across the Room hardcover book.

2. Complete the Simple Steps We All Can Take activity introduced during the weekend worship service (see page 10 for details). NOTE: If you are using this small group curriculum outside of the Just Walk Across the Room four-week campaign, simply disregard any item with a footprint symbol beside it.

3. Begin praying for one or two people for whom you want to take a walk across the room during this four-week experience. At the back of this participants guide, youll find space to log your prayer requests and the answers you receive.

Simple Steps We All Can Take

If you are a Christ-follower, consider how you wound up in the kingdom of God. Most likely, your story involves someone, somewhere who took a risk to walk across a room in order to point you toward faith. Maybe they extended a hand of friendship or engaged you in conversation. Regardless of the details, the end result was you submitting your life to God. If you still maintain contact with this person, then fill out and mail your God Used You to Help Point the Way note of gratitude to him or her today.

If youre not in touch with this person any longer, you may instead choose to mail your card to someone who epitomizes what it means to be a walk-across-the-room person, actively living out their faith in their day-to-day lives.

BIG IDEATHE SINGLE GREATEST GIFT

The single greatest gift Christ-followers can give to the people around them is an introduction to the God who created them, who loves them, and who has a purpose for their lives. Nothing beats it not monetary gain, not job opportunities, not recognition or accolades. This is what evangelism is constantly watching for ways to give that gift to someone living far from God.

SESSION ONE OVERVIEW

This week, as you view the story of Brian Anderson, a vice president with a development consulting firm in Chicago and former soccer coach for Bill Hybels son, watch for:

Why Christs walk from heaven to earth is a model for us all

How learning from the Master Jesus Christ can help you become a walk-across-the-room person starting today

What it means to pay attention to and be led by spiritual promptings

VIDEO OPENER (2 MINUTES)

Play the session one video opener on the Just Walk Across the Room Four-Week Experience video.

ICEBREAKER (6 MINUTES)

Think of your favorite interest, hobby, or recreational activity. Who would you like to spend a day with in order to soak up their knowledge and expertise in this area? Why?

[Your Response]