How confident are you in talking about the gospel with others? Do you know what elements are vital to talk about when sharing the gospel with someone? Paul gives us some great insight in his speech to the people with whom he was visiting in the town of Antioch of Pisidia recorded in Acts 13:26-39. Hopefully this will lead to some great discussions with your group as you study the Explore The Bible Study: The Gospel Message session this week from LifeWay.

The following visuals could be used to supplement your session. The downloadable teaching helps provide direction regarding how to incorporate these into your session as well as additional teaching ideas.

Video for LOOK UP (Getting focused on the text):


Video to supplement discussion of the importance of the resurrection of Christ:

There are so many today who talk about the love of God without ever considering God's expectations. It's as if we desire God to be like a grandfather or a Santa Clause who provides everything we desire without any expectations. It seems, when it comes to God's expectations, we avoid discussions out of a fear of sounding as if we are talking about earning salvation. This is why understanding the Old Testament covenant with Israel is so important. This weeks Explore the Bible Study: God's Expectations focuses on this very issue.

The Israelites were God's covenant people. Their actions did not determine their status as God’s people. That was settled through God’s covenant relationship. However, their obedience or disobedience to God had implications on their fellowship with God, the fulfillment of His purposes for them, and their flourishing within the world. This is equally true for believers today.

LifeWay's Explore the Bible Leader Commentary describes it best: "Believers should remember that God is not only a God of love, mercy, and grace; He is also a God who is holy, righteous, and demanding. In addition, God desires to bless His people. There is no question about the terms that bring God’s blessings—proper worship, personal holiness, and faithful obedience.When God’s people obey God, He blesses them with His presence and a peace that is spiritual and relational. When God’s people disobey Him, they forfeit the fullness of His blessings."

The supplemental teaching ideas provide a guide using an illustration related to the "If-Then" concept that was developed in the 1990's. The premise, based upon secular research, is that, when someone is given if-then instructions, their success rate for accomplishing a task goes up. One study reveals that the percentage of success could double compared to those who weren’t given any specific instructions. An article entitled Developing Good Habits emphasizes that if-then planning can have a huge impact on habit change.

God provides the Israelites, in Leviticus 26, a series of if-then scenarios that describe what will happen if they obey, if they disobey, and if they repent. Hopefully this will lead your group to come to appreciate more fully the relationship they have with God through Jesus Christ and, in return, will respond with willful obedience, recognizing the blessings that accompany such obedience.

What is the relationship between sin and guilt? Do you have to feel guilty before you are guilty of sin? Do professing Christians find it difficult to strike a biblical balance between the justice of God and the love of God? Do they sometimes feel guiltier than they should? If so, why? Do they sometimes ignore sin because of God’s love? If so, why? These are all questions that will be explored in LifeWay's Explore the Bible Study: Set Free.

The guilt of sin can feel like a weight we carry with us everywhere we go. As you study Leviticus 16:1-30, you will discover that God provided a way for Israel to be forgiven and free from the guilt of sin through the sin offerings and the Day of Atonement. This picture of atonement pointed toward the permanent and eternal atonement for sin which Christ paid on the cross. Those who respond to Christ's invitation of salvation can experience, not only forgiveness of sin, but the removal of guilt from sin!

Lead your group to celebrate the fact that the burden of sin and guilt can be lifted away because of God’s provision through Christ!

Tweaked Approach to Leviticus 16:1-6
Instead of focusing on drawing out elements of worship in this passage, the supplemental teaching ideas focus on the TARGET of the study - "God promised a way for His people to be free from the guilt of sin." It contrasts the actions of the high priests to prepare for the Day of Atonement and the preparation Christ took to prepare to atone for our sins once and for all.

The focus is on how God prepared a model with Aaron that culminated in Christ’s preparation to become our sacrifice, our High Priest, and how this should change the way we view the seriousness of our sin and the forgiveness of our sins.

Video or Song Lyrics for LOOK OUT (Application)
The following video could be used to help celebrate the fact that God lifted the burden of guilt from us at Calvary.  There are two versions of this song available in the additional teaching ideas document. The teaching ideas also provide the lyrics to read if video isn't an option.

For many years, payphones were an important means of communication. Every minute of use cost the caller some money. When they ran out of time, they would have to “offer” or put more coins in the coin slot. So what does this have to do with our Bible study session? This is an illustration that I suggest using to introduce the session as we transition the Explore the Bible Study from Exodus to Leviticus. Due to the focus of the book of Leviticus, I suggest a title change for today's lesson: God's Holy. We Aren't. Now What? 

Obviously, the Israelites did not use payphones to communicate between themselves and Holy God. They had a tabernacle and the accompanying functions. They didn’t put quarters in a phone, but they did  have to make continual sin atoning sacrifices in order to remain "connected" to Holy God.

The payhone illustration can be used, not only as an introduction, but to wrap up the session as you will see in the teaching ideas.

Resources to Consider.
I have revised the original plan and the direction of the session considerably. Here are some resources you can use to prepare and to use during the session.

• Background Helps - Gene Getz, A Fragrant Offering
• LifeWay's Explore the Bible Blog Post by Mike Livingston - Three Reasons to Love Leviticus
• PowerPoint Slides - Two slides: Payphone image and tabernacle image. Click to Download