The Recall

Overview

Key Elements

• Key Passage - Review
• Scripture Memory - For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Corinthians 2:2
• Catechism - Q: What work does God call his people to? A: Witness.

Conclusion

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

We who formerly delighted in fornication, but now embrace chastity alone; we who formerly used magical arts, dedicate ourselves to the good and unbegotten God; we who valued above all things the acquisition of wealth and possessions, now bring what we have into a common stock, and communicate to every one in need; we who hated and destroyed one another, and on account of their different manners would not live with men of a different tribe, now, since the coming of Christ, live familiarly with them, and pray for our enemies, and endeavour to persuade those who hate us unjustly to live comformably to the good precepts of Christ, to the end that they may become partakers with us of the same joyful hope of a reward from God the ruler of all.

The Christian faith is a spiritual adventure, an exciting and faith-filled journey of following Christ. Fundamental to the gospel message, disciples are born (really reborn) into a new life when they place their trust in Jesus. Upon a person’s genuine repentance, surrender, and submission to Christ, believers in Jesus receive unparalleled blessings: forgiveness of sin, exoneration from guilt, removal of shame, the gift of community, and the promise of eternal life. According to God’s design, the glorious blessings of the Christian life move and motivate disciples to broadcast the gospel message to the surrounding world. The joy of the Christian life is the determined hope and sheer delight that others will share in your joy by placing their faith in Christ. In sum, evangelistic work is the effervescent overflow of Christ-centered joy.

Joy and delight are not often emotions associate with evangelism. For many, the thought of sharing one’s faith with others (let alone just speaking to them) evokes fear, anxiety, and unease. Perhaps this comes from common misrepresentations of evangelism which uphold charismatic preachers as exemplars of the work. Reservations around evangelism may also be traced to misunderstandings. Even more, the blessings of salvation in Christ can create a comfortable and cozy life in which people want to minimize risks and bask in God’s provisions for their life. Whatever the reasons, Christian engagement in evangelism often does not correspond to the actual experience of divine favor on one’s life. This study seeks to rectify this imbalance and restore the joy of Christian witness.

The twelve carefully selected biblical passages in this study provide a comprehensive and engaging look at the biblical teaching of evangelism. In contrast to the reluctance and reservation of God’s prophet, Jonah 1:1-4:11 also highlights God’s sincere and compassionate heart to reach the world. The biblical record of John 1:1-51 focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist, a sterling example of Christian witness. The calling of the first disciples in Luke 5:1-32 displays the fusion of discipleship and mission. The commission of the twelve apostles in Matthew 9:35-11:1 gives a broad outline to the realities of Christian mission. Mark 4:1-34 provides insight into the nature of conversion and kingdom growth. Luke 10:25-37 raises the theme of good works and Luke 15:1-32 emphasizes the importance of seeking after the lost.

In Acts 3:1-4:31, the ministry of Peter and John show the bold witness of the early Christians, a model commended to us. Acts 6:1-8:4 teaches us how the gospel can spread in the face of fierce persecution. Paul’s work in Athens is recorded in Acts 17:16-34. This biblical narrative helps us learn about the work of preevangelism: removing worldview barriers to the gospel. Paul’s skillful speech in Acts 26:1-32 instructs us about the basic aims of apologetic witness: offering a clear and credible defense to the Christian faith. The final narrative is Exodus 3:1-4:17 in which we learn about Moses’ call to ministry, Moses’ reservations to accept this call, and God’s patient and firm response to these reservations.

While the Bible has much more that can be said about Christian witness, this study serves as an orientation to this very important teaching. As important as it is for Christians to grow in right belief, godly conduct, spiritual habits, ordered relationships, and faith devotion, it is also vital that Christians learn how to share their faith with others. In fact, our participation in this evangelistic task is not only part of God’s plan to reach the nations, it is also a crucial step in our own spiritual growth. As God has designed it, our compassionate appeal for the surrounding world to believe in Christ is a platform upon which our faith is tested, matured, and strengthened.

Book Overview: Surveying the Landscape

Disciples mature as they get grounded in the essentials of the faith. In this section, summarize the main idea of this study, retell one of the biblical narratives from your Storycraft, and review the core biblical passages explored in this study.

Key Idea

After such an intensive study, it is important to sum up our learning. Think through the broad theme(s) of this study. Summarize the main idea in your own words in a way that broadly addresses all the main teachings.

Story Retell

We deepen our knowledge of those things that we can articulate in our own words (and it’s even better if we can recite from memory). Pick one of the biblical narratives from this study. Review and update your Storycraft and prepare to share your revised version with your faith community. Consider sharing it from memory.

Narrative Review

God wants us to become fluent in speaking his word to others. Summarize the twelve biblical narratives that were studied over the past weeks. Identify the basic narrative content and overarching theme that each passage addressed. Use the space below to record your overview (i.e., chart, diagram, drawing, storyboard).

Faith Foundation: Exploring the Terrain

God gifts us with Christian community as a critical environment for ongoing faith formation. In this section, interact with the discussion questions and record significant insights you have gleaned over the course of this study.

Discussion Questions

God grows our faith in the context of loving and committed community relationships. Explore the following discussion questions with your faith community in order to review the impact of this study in various domains of life.

Significant Insights

It is important to keep track of insights and lessons God has taught us as we trek in our faith journey. Identify significant quotes, key verses, biblical principles, or community comments that you encountered throughout the course of this study. Record these in the space below and share a few in your group discussion.

Learning Plan: Charting the Course

The life of discipleship is a journey of lifelong learning. Use the list of selected passages and recommended reading as a starting place for ongoing development in this key area of the Christian faith.

Selected Passages

God’s word is the ultimate guide for life and godliness. Glance at the passages below. Identify one or two passages that you will study (or memorize) as a means of further development in this area.

Session	Topic	Passages
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6
Session 7
Session 8
Session 9
Session 10
Session 11
Session 12

Recommended Reading

God wants you to continue growing in this area of your Christian life. Survey the books below and prayerfully consider one book to read in order to continue your growth in this area.

Session	Topic	Recommended Reading
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6
Session 7
Session 8
Session 9
Session 10
Session 11
Session 12

Core Project: Synthesizing the Faith

A mature faith integrates God’s truth into the reality of life. Use this section to synthesize your learning over the course of the past weeks by producing a confessional summary statement and writing a journal reflection.

Witness Creed

Coming soon.

Journal Reflection

It is important to periodically reflect on how God is growing us in godliness. Write a reflection considering the ways in which your life has been changed as a result of this study.

Faith Practice: Following the Way

Following Jesus is a lifelong venture of continuous progress. In this final section, evaluate your growth in the outlined objectives, identify practical next steps, and commit fellow community members to God in a time of focused prayer.

Growth Evaluation

Mature disciples practice regular self-examination in which they keep track of their progress in the faith. Take time to reflect on your growth in the specific objectives of this study. Use the following guide to assess how well you developed in each area.

Objective	Exemplary	Mature	Developing	Emerging	Unsound
Conviction: establish a mature Christian ____	deep understanding of ____	accurate understanding of ____, grounded in core biblical teaching as a countercultural worldview	growing but partial familiarity with ____, learning biblical foundations and perceiving cultural errors	general awareness of ____, willing to engage Bible as source of truth and realizing faults in wider culture	deficient views of ____, hesitant to trust biblical teaching and broad conformity to cultural norms
Commitment: cultivate a deepening commitment to ____	exemplary devotion to ____	clear and compelling commitment to ____, embracing ____	eager pursuit of mature Christian ____, upholding the central importance of ____	initial interest and attraction to Christian ____, open to being trained and instructed in biblical teaching	open resistance and opposition to ____, being reluctant and averse to ____
Conduct: demonstrate ____	sound and rich command of ____	convincing maturity in ____, demonstrating biblical orientation and faith foundations in ____	noticeable progress in ____, making ____	early movement to ____, exerting effort and energy to ____	disordered and dysfunctional ____, being ignorant of and inattentive to truth
Community: undertake ____ in family, church, and society	lasting contribution in ____	active engagement in all ____, making personal investment ____	expanding participation in ____, developing a sense of ____	beginning involvement ____, seeking ____	misplaced focus on one’s role ____, displaying ____
Character: embody ____	obvious appropriation of ____	clear demonstration of core virtues that ____, showing the fruit of Christian character	promising signs of being reformed ____, practicing repentance ____	first indications that one is reorienting life after biblical ____, possessing a desire to pursue ____	obvious lack of Christian character, life gripped by destructive ____

Next Steps

God calls us to follow him in all spheres of life: individual, family, church, and world. Identify concrete decisions and measurable actions you can take to apply these principles in each life sphere. Record these goals below.

Community Prayer

We can only hope to grow in our faith by God’s divine help. In the context of your faith community, celebrate areas of growth and share upcoming goals. Then, spend time praying for each other as a community.