Follow Small Group Bible Study by Andy Stanley – Session One

Follow Small Group Bible Study by Andy Stanley – Session One


6-Session DVD and Study Guide available here:
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Follow Small Group Study by Andy Stanley

For many, the Christian life feels like a long game of “Jesus Says”: Jesus says pray; Jesus says give; Jesus says go to church. In Follow, an eight-session DVD Bible study, pastor and bestselling author Andy Stanley helps your small group discover that Jesus’ invitation is an invitation to relationship. It begins with a simple request — follow me.

26 comments

  1. Good video, but what a pity i cannot understand well, i don’t understand the english well. I’d like to ask a favor to you that posted this video and others like this. Could you put the subtitle? it is easier to me read too. Imagine a thing, there are bilions of people studying the english that want to understand your video well, or do you pretend to convince just the natives speakers. Please, put the subtitle in these videos imediately, please! I am talking to all of you native english speakers!

  2. How can you get all that God says to us by teaching from the NIV? Not only are it’s words in certain parts misleading, there are many verses purposely left out.

  3. Greetings and blessings to you in the holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord. I am sending you this message today because the Holy Spirit has compelled me to encourage Christians everywhere to include more Bible reading in their services.

    The public reading of Scripture is an ancient tradition which was passed onto the first Christians by the Apostles. Our brothers who lived during the first four centuries of the Church’s existence devoted far more time to reading the word of God aloud during their meetings than we do today.

    Few people study the Scriptures as much as they should. It is therefor the duty of every church leaders to read the books of the Bible, from the Book of Genesis through the Book of Revelation, in the hearing of church members, their children, and unsaved visitors, while also continuing to preach, and to teach,- and to encourage people to read and to study the Bible on their own.

    I recommend that at least thirty minutes of regular weekend church services be devoted to reading the Bible aloud; reading through the New Testament at least once a year, and reading through the Old Testament about once every six to eight years.

    The books of Enoch, Jasher, and Jubilees should also be studied. They give us a deeper understanding of the Book of Genesis and of the pre-diluvium world. The Christians of the First Century were familiar with them, and prophets, kings, apostles, and our Lord Jesus quoted them. The Ethiopian Church preserved these books, and they were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Caves of Qumran after 1948 (the year of Israel’s rebirth). I do not believe that these are coincidences.

    The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to read his letters aloud during church services.
    “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.” 1st Timothy 4:13 NASB

    The Apostle John assumed that the Books of Revelation would be read in the churches.
    “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear,..” Revelation 1:3 ESV

    God commanded the Prophet Jeremiah to read aloud His word in Solomon’s Temple.
    “..in the hearing of all the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the LORD” Jeremiah 36:6 ESV –

    The Apostle Paul wrote in 1st Thessalonians 5:27, “I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.” Does Paul’s apostolic command apply only to the First Century church leaders at Thessalonica? Of coarse not! The Holy Spirit compels all church leaders to do the same, until Christ’s second coming.

    The Holy Spirit works through the Scriptures to convict people of their sin, of their guilt, of their need to repent, and of the certainty of judgment. That is why ‘offensive’ passages, mostly having to do with sexual immorality, adultery, and divorce are avoided by today’s church leaders. “All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” John 3:20

    “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:47 ESV

    “..they cannot listen; behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.” Jeremiah 6:10 ESV

    “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the LORD.” Hosea 5:4

    The Scriptures are more than reference books for lengthy sermons and sparsely attended midweek and pre-service Bible studies. They are the very words of God passed onto us by His holy prophets and apostles, and through them our spiritual birth in Christ Jesus is facilitated. Churchgoers need and deserve to hear more of them.

    JESUS ASKS CHURCH LEADERS “do you love me more than these (your careers and your financial security)?”… well then, “Feed my lambs.” “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” Matthew 24:46-

    JESUS TOLD SATAN, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.” Matthew 4:4 NASB

    “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,..” Ephesians 5:25-27ESV

    “when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing.”
    Deuteronomy 31:11 NASB

    “To know God is to love Him, to love Him is to trust Him, to trust Him is to obey Him, to obey Him is to be blessed by Him.” -Anonymous

    “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21 NKJV

    “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God..” Romans 10:17 NKJV

    (Jesus) “stood up to read.” Luke 4:16 KJV

    We Christians are divided into many hostile factions and our lifestyles and divorce rates are not much better than those of unbelievers. These sad facts dishonor Jesus and discredit us in the sight of the unsaved. Our divisions prove that most of today’s church leaders, because of the fear of offending the sinful nature of their financial benefactors, are failing to expose their listeners to many essential details of the Gospel of Salvation.

    “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6

    “For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.” Isaiah 9:16 NKJV

    “But if they (religious leaders) had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.” Jeremiah 23:22 ESV

    “They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them.” Jeremiah 11:10 ESV

    “If we want the Word of God to have authority in our life, there is only one way – obey it. If we want the Holy Spirit to have authority in our life, there is only one way – Obey Him. If we always obey impulses of fear or doubt or resentment, what will have authority over our minds? Fear, and doubt and resentment .” -Tom Marshall

    It is time for the churches to devote themselves to the public reading of Scripture. The current unbiblical (ungodly) custom of motivational messages loosely linked to a few carefully selected verses would be vigorously denounced by the Apostles and by the early Church. At least half an hour of every church services should be devoted to reading the Bible aloud. Many of you think that this is excessive, but understand that our brothers and sisters from the First through the Fourth Centuries devoted even more time to the public reading of Scripture than what I have proposed.

    The invention of the printing press and the abundance of Bibles do not alter or nullify God’s command that the Holy Scriptures be read aloud in the churches. The Wonderful Holy Spirit is present in a powerful way to help, to heal, and to guide the children of God whenever they are gathered together to hear His words. Why restrain Him? –

    ~Examine what witnesses of church services from the First through the Fourth Centuries had to say about the public reading of the Holy Scriptures.

    ~ Tertullian, in the 2nd century said, “We meet together in order to read the sacred texts.” He continues, “With the holy words we feed our faith, we arouse our hope, we confirm our confidence.” “The church unites the Law and the Prophets in one volume with the writings of evangelists and apostles, from which she drinks in her faith.”

    ~ Justin the Martyr, in the 150’s said that at church services, “The memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits.”

    ~ Clement of Alexandria (c. 182-202) talks of Christians in their worship, “always giving thanks in all things to God through righteous hearing and divine reading.”

    ~ Theodore of Antioch in the late 4th century said, “All of us, having come to faith in Christ the Lord from the nations, received the Scriptures from them and now enjoy them, reading them aloud in the churches..”

    Consider using the Internet and local newspapers to start home based Bible reading and study fellowships. Many 1st Century churches met in homes.

    “Greet also the church in their house.” Romans 16:5

    “Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.” 1st Corinthians 16:19

    Whether you gather in a grand cathedral or in a humble dining room, God will bless you as you grow and mature together through faith, lending your ears and your hearts to His word; and as He has promised, our Lord Jesus will be there with you!

  4. THIS WAS AMAZING! God bless you my brother in Christ. Truly a blessing to have watched this. It never ends with us as the church alone but as the church (being us the people) reaching out to unbelievers. Never stop fighting the good fight. (:

  5. Wow, this helps me so much! I’m still learning about Christ (not the blonde/blue-eyed version that hung on the crucifix of my childhood church) and most of the scholars I listen to are pretty much (Read: Waaayyyyy) over my head (but I don’t give up!). This helps things make SO much more sense. Thank you over and over!

  6. During the quarrel with evil Shanti he asked me who is Matthew then I foretold the words tax collector’s booth and I described them as jumping devil who disturbed my answer as they said the word faster than I said it to steal my answer. Then I foretold this bible verse “As JESUS went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.”

  7. this may be a good starting point for me . I cannot understand life. I cannot understand the things that are happening in my life and in the world. But I can understand “follow me”. Thank you for this simple but powerful insight.

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