Our Witness

Scripture in this session

John 15:26-27

Hebrews 11:4

Acts 1:8

FROM RACHEL-RUTH’S HEART

Anyone familiar with Billy Graham — known to my family as Daddy Bill — knows he shared his faith boldly, without hesitation. Whether witnessing to individuals or preaching in a crowded arena, he did not speak with rehearsed precision. He spoke with passion and conviction because he believed every word he said with every fiber of his being! His deep love for Jesus was always evident in the fire in his piercing blue eyes and the passionate conviction in his familiar voice.

Thousands, even millions, came to faith in Jesus because Daddy Bill’s passionate heart for the gospel came through in everything he said and did. Nothing brought him more joy than seeing someone come to Christ! My grandmother, whom we called Tai Tai, told my mom that she and Daddy Bill were once the guests of some friends at a beautiful beach resort. At dinnertime, no one could find Daddy Bill. When Tai Tai went looking for him, she found him behind their building, sharing the gospel with one of the groundskeepers.

My paternal grandfather, whom we simply called Grampa, also shared the gospel with everyone with whom he came in contact, whether a pedestrian on a street corner in New York City, the person riding next to him on the subway, the waiter at the delicatessen he frequented, or one of the hitchhikers he often picked up for the sole purpose of sharing the gospel with them.

One Thanksgiving, he and Gramma were driving down from New York City to spend a week with us. Mom had fixed a beautiful meal to enjoy upon their arrival. We waited and waited. When they finally arrived about eight hours later than expected, we learned Grampa had picked up a hitchhiker, then driven the guy to his destination — six hours out of the way — because Grampa wanted him to know Jesus!

(RACHEL-RUTH LOTZ WRIGHT | JESUS FOLLOWERS | Making the Most of Every Opportunity | Pages 7–8)

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Welcome to session 2 of the Jesus Followers Bible study! We continue our study discussing Scripture about Our Witness.

NOTE: You just completed your first session of Personal Bible Study. If the 3-Question Study technique was new to your group, consider taking a few moments sharing thoughts on the experience before you dive into this week’s video teaching. If anyone has questions or concerns about the personal study time, it is likely someone else feels the same way. Spend the time now to find resolution and answers together, so the remainder of this study can be productive and fruitful for everyone.

WATCH VIDEO SESSION 2 — OUR WITNESS

(25 minutes)

Anne and Rachel-Ruth share stories about their family from the personal study of Dr. Billy Graham in Montreat, North Carolina.

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Open your group discussion sharing something in the video teaching that was either striking or was new to you altogether.

Who is someone you know who needs Jesus today?

According to Scripture, who is Jesus? Is He reflected in what you say and the way you live your life?

What in your life needs to change so it’s obvious to others that you are a Jesus Follower?

CLOSING PRAYER

Facilitator, read the following prayer over your group.

FROM ANNE’S HEART

Pray with me . . .

IMMANUEL (GOD WITH US1),

We worship You as our Immanuel. We have seen Your glory in the face of Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). We cannot keep silent! We worship You! We shout Your names! We praise You! We thank You! We glorify You! We love You!

We humbly, boldly ask that You give us the attention of our family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, even our enemies, so that they see our example and . . .

• they want to know You because they know us.
• they place their faith in You because we are trustworthy.
• they believe You because of what we say, and the way we say it.
• they know You love them because we love them.
• they know You can give them victory over sin because we demonstrate it.
• they have hope because we are so genuinely confident.
• they come to You for freedom from the power of sin because we speak the Truth... in love.
• they have peace because we are not afraid.
• they look to You as the solution for what’s wrong because we are looking to You.

Raise us up to live our lives filled with Your Spirit. By Your grace. In Your power. For Your glory. Until our faith becomes sight and we see You face-to-face! For the glory of Your name. Amen.

(From MAYDAY Prayer Initiative | Day 9 | May 2015)

1 Matthew 1:23

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Your Turn

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