Bill Hybels - Life Lessons from Jesus: 36 Bible Studies for Individuals or Groups

ZONDERVAN

Life Lessons from Jesus

ePub ISBN: 978-0-310-82003-1 Copyright July 2014

The Lords Prayer: Praying with Power by John Ortberg

Copyright 2008 by Willow Creek Association

Luke: Lessons from Jesus by Bill Hybels

Copyright 2008 by Willow Creek Association

Parables: Imagine Life Gods Way by John Ortberg

Copyright 2002 by Willow Creek Association

The Passion Story: Uphill Faith by Bill Hybels

Copyright 2009 by Willow Creek Association

Sermon on the Mount 1: Connect with God by Bill Hybels

Copyright 2002 by Willow Creek Association

Sermon on the Mount 2: Connect with God by Bill Hybels

Copyright 2002 by Willow Creek Association

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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Cover design: Faceout Studio

Cover photography: Shutterstock

Interior photography: Shutterstock

Interior design: Beth Shagene

First printing May 2014

Contents

IMAGINE THAT YOU WERE ONE OF THE DISCIPLES SITTING AT JESUS FEET ON A Galilean hillside, walking beside him on the dusty Judean roads, reclining with him at the dinner table. What would it have been like to hear him teach, or to see him heal leprous skin, challenge the religious leaders, and calm stormy waters?

What lessons did these first-century followers learn from the One who often said, Whoever has ears, let them hear, and once asked, Do you have eyes but fail to see? And what lessons do we twenty-first century followers learn from the accounts that some of those same disciples committed to memory and then to the written word?

If were completely honest, weve become so overly familiar with some of Jesus teachings that were no longer amazed or affected by them. Others, weve never been very comfortable with they seem too radical, too demanding. And maybe there are still others that weve forgotten altogether.

Perhaps its time for a refresher course to sit again at the Master Teachers feet, to fall in love once more with the One who wooed your heart and soul, to become a disciple not just in name but in practice.

In these thirty-six sessions drawn from the bestselling New Community series, respected Bible teachers and authors Bill Hybels and John Ortberg will guide you through life-changing lessons from the Gospels as you explore:

The perspectives of Jesus

The prayer of Jesus

The principles of Jesus

The parables of Jesus

The practices of Jesus

The passion of Jesus

About This Workbook

To get the most from this study you need to understand a few basic facts:

It is designed to be flexible. You can use it in your individual quiet times or for group discussion (small groups, neighborhood Bible studies, etc.).

Each of the thirty-six studies typically focuses on only one or two passages. That allows you to see each passage in its context, avoiding the temptation of proof texting and the frustration of Bible hopscotch (jumping from verse to verse). If you would like to look up additional passages, a Bible concordance will give the most help.

Each study follows the same basic structure: a short introduction; Making the Connection (an entry question to the lesson topic); Knowing and Being Known (Bible readings and reflection/discussion questions); Celebrating and Being Celebrated (prayer suggestions); and Loving and Being Loved and Serving and Being Served (application ideas). Resource boxes are also interspersed among the reflection/discussion questions to enrich your time in Gods Word or add further insight on the topic.

The questions help you discover what the Bible says rather than simply telling you what it says. They encourage you to think and to explore options rather than to merely fill in the blanks with one-word answers.

Suggestions for Individual Study

1. Begin each study with prayer. Ask God to help you understand the passage and apply it to your life.

2. A good modern translation, such as the New International Version, the English Standard Version, or the New Living Translation, will give you the most help. However, the questions in this guide are based on the New International Version.

3. Read and reread the passage(s). You must know what the passage says before you can understand what it means and how it applies to you.

4. Write your answers in the space provided. This will help you to clearly express your understanding of the passage.

5. Keep a Bible dictionary handy. Use it to look up any unfamiliar words, names, or places.

Suggestions for Group Study

1. Come to the study prepared. Careful preparation will greatly enrich your time in group discussion.

2. Be willing to join in the discussion or to encourage discussion if you are leading the group. Plan to share what God has taught you in your individual study.

3. Stick to the passage being studied. Base your answers on the verses being discussed rather than on outside authorities such as commentaries or your favorite author or speaker.

4. Try to be sensitive to the other members of the group. Listen attentively when they speak, and be affirming whenever you can. This will encourage more hesitant members of the group to participate.

5. Be careful not to dominate the discussion. By all means, participate! But allow others to have equal time.

Ebook Instructions

In this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [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).

THE PERSPECTIVES
of JESUS

Bill Hybels

JESUS HAD A UNIQUE WAY OF CHALLENGING PEOPLES THINKING AND GIVING them new perspectives as they looked at the world. When you read through the life of Jesus, you will discover that he often helped to open eyes that were shut... both literally and metaphorically.

To those who looked at themselves and were proud of the fact that they had never murdered anyone, Jesus told them to look a little closer. He wanted them to see the anger in their hearts and to recognize that their words could be like an arrow aimed at an unsuspecting heart.

To those who were persecuted and hurting, he helped them see that there could be blessing in the midst of pain. He told them to look deeper and to see the other side of pain and realize that God could use it to bring heavenly blessings into their lives.