Coming December 2nd! The Fastest Christmas Ever is a 4 part holiday special for that will have your kids laughing this Christmas.
Tom is determined to become the fastest 8 year old ever and now he's got the bike to pull it off. He's just missing one thing... the race! Join Tom and his family as he pursues his quest for glory, and along the way he just might learn what it means to glorify God... no matter what speed bumps come along.
Over the course of 4 episodes, Tom will go on a pretty big adventure. Just as he is on the verge of glory, he suffers a pretty devastating loss. Will Tom learn what glory means in time for Christmas? Listen to The Fastest Christmas Ever beginning December 2nd!
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CHECKING IN
1. What do you hope to get out of this small group study?
2. What do you think most strongly influences people’s beliefs and opinions about the afterlife? Check three responses below.
- Movies and television
- Literature
- The Bible
KEY VERSE
Other world religions Wishful thinking Other
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of
God does not have life.
How to Use This Curriculum
Follow these simple steps for a successful small group meeting:
- Open your group meeting by using the CHECKING IN sections of your study.
- Have someone read the KEY VERSE aloud and spend a few quiet moments meditating on it.
- Listen to the audio lesson together while following the material and filling in the blanks in the AUDIO LESSON section
- Spend some time answering the DISCUSSION QUESTIONS. Be sure to review the LIVING ON PURPOSE section to help you implement the lessons into your daily life. Commit to fulfilling any assignments before your next lesson.
- Close your time together by following the PRAYER DIRECTION suggestions.
- A TIP FOR THE HOST
- The study guide material is meant to be your servant, not your master. The point
is not to race through the sessions, but to take time to let God work in your lives. It is not necessary to “go around the circle” before you move on to the next question. Give people the freedom to speak, but don’t insist on it or make it mandatory. Your group will enjoy deeper, more open sharing and discussion if people don’t feel pressured to speak up.
Understanding Your Study Guide
CHECKING IN
You will open each meeting with an opportunity for everyone to check in with each other about how you are doing with the weekly assignments. Accountability is a key to success in this study!
KEY VERSE
Each week you will find a key verse or Scripture passage for your group to read together. If someone in the group has a different translation, ask them to read it aloud so the group can get a bigger picture of the meaning of the passage.
AUDIO LESSON
There is a audio lesson for the group to listen together each week. Take notes in the lesson outlines as you listen to the audio, and be sure to refer back to these notes during your discussion time.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Each audio lesson is complemented by questions for group discussion. Please don’t feel pressured to discuss every single question. The material in this study is meant to be your servant, not your master, so there is no reason to rush through the answers. Give everyone ample opportunity to share their thoughts. If you don’t get through all of the discovery questions, that’s okay. Each discussion question section ends with a Did You Get It? and Share with Someone prompt that will help you focus back on the big picture of the lesson.
LIVING ON PURPOSE
Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDY GUIDE
In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren identifies God’s five purposes
for our lives. They are worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. We will focus on one or two of these five purposes in each lesson and discuss how it relates to the subject of the study. This section is very important, so please be sure to leave time for it.
PRAYER DIRECTION
At the end of each session, you will find suggestions for your group prayer time. Praying together is one of the greatest privileges of small group life. Please don’t take it for granted.
Get ready for God to do incredible things in your life as you begin the adventure of learning more deeply about the most exciting message in the world: the truth about God!
— Tom Holladay and Kay Warren