Who Is Jesus?

Core Focus: Introducing participants to the REAL Jesus—not just knowing about Him, but encountering Him personally in a life-changing relationship.

This week builds on last week's testimonies to lay a foundation of who we're following and why it matters. Many people know about Jesus but don't know Jesus in a personal, transformative way. Today creates space for salvation or recommitment—whether they've never been saved, were "saved" but nothing changed, or have been far from God and need to return.

Goal for Today

Key Outcome: Participants encounter Jesus as both LOVE and TRUTH, and have the opportunity to begin or renew their relationship with Him.

What They Should Understand

Jesus is both fully loving AND fully truthful—we cannot separate these aspects of His character
A genuine relationship with Jesus produces real life change
Salvation is available to everyone, and it's never too late to come to Him

What They Should Feel

Hope that they too can experience the freedom and transformation you've described
Safe to be honest about where they are in their relationship with God
Anticipation for what God wants to do in their lives over these 10 weeks

What They Should Leave With

Clarity about who Jesus is and what He offers
An opportunity to respond to God (salvation or recommitment)
A practice of daily gratitude for what God has done

Flow of the Day

Total Time: ~90 minutes

Overview of Activities

1. Welcome & Recap Reflection (20 min)

Break into small groups to discuss excitement and hopes for the next 9 weeks.

See detailed instructions below

2. Prayer (10 min)

Leaders pray over the group, the time together, and the entire 10-week journey.

3. Introduction & Teaching (~30 min)

After a brief partner discussion about who Jesus is, watch the intro video, then teach on Jesus as both Love and Truth using two biblical stories.

See detailed instructions below

4. Personal Reflection (5 min)

Quiet time with background music for journaling and processing.

See detailed instructions below

5. Response Time (20+ min)

THE MOST CRITICAL PART - Creating space for people to respond to God through salvation or recommitment.

See detailed instructions below

6. Go and Do (15 min)

Explain the daily gratitude practice for the coming week.

See detailed instructions below

Recap Reflection Details

Setup

Break into 2 groups (or stay as 1 if the group is small enough).

Time Limit

Do not exceed 20 minutes. This is just an introduction to the day.

Discussion Questions

What are you most excited about over the next 9 weeks?
What do you hope to gain and what do you think will challenge you?

💡 TIP: Keep the energy positive and forward-looking. This helps set the tone for what God wants to do.

Teaching Details

Video Introduction

Before showing the video:

Ask participants to quickly share with the person next to them: "Who would you say Jesus is? How would you describe Him?"
After a few minutes, show the intro/teaching video

Video Focus: The video will teach/remind the group that:

We were created for relationship with the Lord

We sinned, separating us from God

God's plan for redemption came through Jesus, His son

Jesus is both God and man, who came to change our way of living and our eternity

He is the only way to salvation

Your Teaching: Jesus as LOVE and TRUTH

⚠️ CRITICAL PREPARATION: This teaching should be practiced beforehand. You are representing the King of Kings and His saving power—honor that by coming prepared.

Teaching Outline

Introduction (2 min)

Tell the group: "The best way to learn about Jesus is to read about Him and His interactions with people. There are two keys to knowing and walking with Jesus that unlock everything else. We'll look at them through two stories from Scripture."

Story 1: The Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-30)

Read: John 4:1-30

Provide Context (before or after reading):

Three things made Jesus' interaction with this woman scandalous:

Samaritans were not accepted by Jews - They were the result of Jews intermarrying foreigners and didn't worship at the same temple
A rabbi wouldn't talk to a woman in public - Especially not to ask her for anything
She was a social outcast - Her past with marriage and divorce made her an outsider even among her own people

What We Learn from Jesus:

💡 EXPAND: Choose one or more of these points to elaborate on as you feel led.

Personal Testimony (5 min):

Share a SHORT story of how Jesus met you in love when you were broken and needing Him, and how that changed you.

Story 2: The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-31)

Read: Mark 10:17-31

Provide Context:

This man was likely a religious leader who:

Followed the laws very well and knew them inside out
Accumulated great status and wealth in life
Was "perfect" in the eyes of others
Was seen as blessed because of his wealth

What We Learn from Jesus:

💡 EXPAND: Choose specific points to elaborate on as you feel led.

Personal Testimony (3 min):

Share a very SHORT story of how Jesus has shown you love by speaking truth to you.

Wrap-Up: Two Extremes to Avoid

Jesus of Love Only:

Some people only worship a Jesus of love because it's easy
It allows us to feel loved while following the ways of the world
We don't have to face the truth of our choices
God's invitation: Come out of worldly ways onto a path of growing in truth. There are things He asks of us and tells us not to do.

Jesus of Rules Only:

Others only follow a Jesus of rules and requirements
We miss the point: His love is deep, and He desires love back from us
Doing things for the Lord without understanding why or how to love Him first means missing the heart of Jesus
God's invitation: Ask Jesus to speak love to you, to help you understand WHY He commands what He does, and to speak into relationship with you.

Transition to Reflection

Challenge the group to reflect on how God wants to change the way they see Him:

Is He bringing love against their "ways" of doing things?
Is He meeting them with truth to help them start actually walking the way He's called?

Reflection Details

Setup

Create the Environment:

Put on background music (instrumental worship works well)
Encourage participants to journal their thoughts, not just think about them

⚠️ CRITICAL: Writing helps process emotions and creates a record they can return to later.

Reflection Questions

Ask them to reflect on the following (based on where they are with Jesus, some may or may not be relevant):

Based on the Jesus we described and the ways we spoke about following Him, is this someone you know?
Do you know Jesus in a deep and relational way?
Has your life changed since meeting Him (if you did meet Him)?
What is He saving you from? What is He offering you freedom from?
Do you desire to have a different life in Him / to know Him?

Duration

Give 5-10 minutes for this reflection time.

Transition

After giving time for reflection, move directly into the Response section.

Response Details

🎯 THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE EVENING

You are creating space for people to respond to God and to be saved or recommit to following Him.

Preparation

Before This Week's Session:

Pray about and decide who will lead this response time and what they will say
Practice the flow so it feels natural, not awkward
Both leaders should be contending for this response time in the week leading up to the meeting
Clearly discuss your roles and how you'll facilitate this together

💡 REMEMBER: You don't need to force anyone or "sell" anyone on God. Have faith that the Holy Spirit wants their hearts and lives more than you do—He will do the work. You're just creating the atmosphere and space.

How to Lead the Response

Step 1: Set the Context (2-3 min)

Flow directly from reflection time and say something like:

"We want to create a space now for you and God. We believe that as we've shared our stories last week and shared about Jesus this week, He is speaking to you about your relationship with Him and your story—what He has done and what He wants to do."

Step 2: Use Your Testimony

Briefly remind them of what Jesus does and has done using your story from last week.

💡 POWER OF TESTIMONY: Your testimony is the most powerful reason for someone to follow Jesus. They cannot refute it or deny it. Your story opens the floor for you to ask: "Have you ever experienced this version of Jesus we're sharing with you?"

Step 3: Invite Response

Ask them to consider:

"Do you know this God we're talking about? Where have you met Him? Or is He wanting to meet you right here and now?"

Create privacy:

"Please put your heads down or close your eyes so you can respond without the pressure of others around you."

Step 4: Call for Response

Once heads are down, allow the Holy Spirit to move. Say something like:

"If you want to meet this God we've been talking about, or maybe you feel you've met Him but nothing has changed in you, or you have been far away from Him—we want to ask you to respond by raising your hand so you can declare to yourself and to God that you are wanting to allow Him in."

💡 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS: You can ask them to stand or simply repeat the prayer after you—choose what feels right for your group.

Step 5: Lead Them in Prayer

Invite them to pray this prayer with you—they can do it out loud or quietly:

⚠️ READ THIS PRAYER sentence by sentence so they can repeat after you:

The Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness.

I believe you died for my sins, and that you rose from the dead.

I turn from my sins and I ask you to come into my heart and life.

I want to trust you and I want to follow you as my Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Step 6: Pray Over Those Who Responded

Even though they just prayed, ask them to make it known if they responded (raise hand, stand, etc.) so you can go and pray with or over them.

Prayer Guidelines:

It doesn't have to be complex
It SHOULD be a prayer of:
- Sealing and protection
- Celebration and joy
- Welcome into God's family

Be silently praying
Contending for the space spiritually
Watching for those who respond
Creating an atmosphere of welcome, not pressure

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Sometimes this feels awkward. That's okay. Faithfully create enough space and time for the Holy Spirit to work, even if it feels long or uncomfortable.

Go and Do Details

This Week's Practice: Daily Gratitude

The homework this week is simple and focused on gratitude for what Jesus has done.

Instructions:

EVERY DAY until we meet again:

Reflect on 1 thing you can see God has done in your life/day/week
Write it down
Express gratitude to God for it

💡 IMPORTANT NOTE: This doesn't need to be a big thing. It can be very simple. What matters is finding a place of genuine gratitude where you can see God moving.

Why This Matters

Starting a practice of daily gratitude:

Trains our eyes to see God's work in our everyday lives
Shifts our focus from what's wrong to what God is doing
Builds a habit of acknowledging God's presence
Creates a record of God's faithfulness

Participant Checklist

Identify a specific time each day for this practice (morning, evening, etc.)
Keep a journal or note on your phone to record what you're grateful for
Be specific—not just "I'm grateful for my family" but "I'm grateful God gave me patience with my kids today"
Bring your gratitude list to next week's session

Watch the time—don't rush the response section
Create a welcoming, safe environment
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading
Take note of who responds for follow-up
Allow silence and space—don't fill every moment
Be ready to adapt if the Spirit is moving differently than planned

After the Session

Follow up with anyone who made a decision for Christ
Celebrate what God did with your co-leader
Pray for continued growth in those who responded
Prepare for next week
Make notes on what worked well and what to adjust

Scripture References

Key Passages Used

John 4:1-30 - Jesus and the Samaritan woman (Love and Truth)
Mark 10:17-31 - Jesus and the rich young ruler (Love and Truth)

Additional Supporting Verses

John 14:6 - "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

Notes for Leaders

Common Challenges This Week

Challenge 1: People may be hesitant to respond publicly

This is why we ask them to close their eyes and bow heads
Emphasize this is between them and God first
Don't pressure—create space

Challenge 2: Balancing Love and Truth in teaching

Make sure you emphasize BOTH equally
Don't lean too heavily toward grace without truth
Don't lean too heavily toward truth without grace
Jesus perfectly embodied both

Challenge 3: Knowing when someone needs personal follow-up

Trust your discernment
If someone seems deeply moved or troubled, make time after
Have resources ready for new believers (discipleship materials, Bible reading plans, etc.)

Follow-Up Actions

For Those Who Made Decisions:

Connect with them within 24-48 hours
Celebrate their decision
Provide next steps for growth
Consider pairing them with a mentor if possible
Ensure they have a Bible and know how to use it

For Those Who Didn't Respond:

Continue praying for them
Don't assume they're not interested—timing is everything
Look for opportunities in future weeks
Build relationship and trust

Personal Reflection Space

Use this space to record your own observations, insights, and notes from facilitating this session:

What went well:

What to adjust for next time:

People to follow up with:

God moments to celebrate: