Teaching Notes for Lessons One and Two
The document called “The Path to God” (available as a PDF on the previous web page or here) provides an overview of how to become a Christian, which is critically important to study before analyzing the individual parts of the Christian faith (lessons three through eight in the Becoming a Christian series). It would be a tragedy to miss the overarching message of the faith: people can know God through Jesus Christ!
The Path to God is structured differently and is longer than the other lessons in The Discipleship Series. Therefore, below we suggest how to study it with others in two meetings. Print a copy of the document for every person you anticipate will come to the first meeting, not only so they can follow along with your teaching, but also so they can reread the document in preparation for your second meeting with them.
During your first meeting, study pages 1 to 5 of the document—first reviewing and discussing the diagnostic questions on page 1, and then studying the information on pages 2 to 5. For pages 2 to 5, take turns reading aloud each paragraph. Briefly pause for questions and comments as you go, but do your best to get through those first five pages during your first meeting.
At the end of that first meeting, ask the group members to read the document thoroughly on their own and to come to the next meeting prepared to discuss the information on pages 6 to 8 (including any of the preceding pages you did not cover in the first meeting).
During your second meeting, briefly summarize pages 1 to 5, but study pages 6 to 8 in detail. Take turns reading aloud each paragraph, and pause frequently for questions and comments.
If it takes your group three meetings total (instead of two) to get through the document, it will be time well spent.
Each of the remaining lessons in The Discipleship Series can be studied in 40 to 60 minutes.