Fake news has become a catch phrase for our society today. We are always challenged to verify if something is accurate when we hear or read it. This scrutiny should drive us to be more diligent in accurately sharing the gospel message. Adding additional things to the purity of the gospel turns the gospel into no gospel at all, thus creating fake news! This session, True Gospel, gives you a chance to teach the essential and only elements of the gospel while challenging your group to learn how to accurately articulate the gospel to those who have never heard, are confused, or have been led away by a counterfeit gospel. The gospel is not only good news it is REAL NEWS!

Explore the Bible curriculum focuses on the study of Galatians and James during the coming weeks. We will spend time viewing the gospel from two vantage points. In Galatians, Paul spoke to those trying to obtain salvation by means other than the pure unadulterated gospel, and James speaks to those who claimed to have salvation but their lives did not exhibit any visible evidence. The two books serve as companions to one another as the gospel is clearly defined and explained.

We begin by focusing on Galatians. Paul's heart was broken by the way believers were led astray as ours should also be. We face the same challenges today as the gospel becomes diluted by man's opinions in order to accommodate our sins or to manipulate others.

As you prepare to study and present this week's session consider using the following in your background study:

Trevin Wax blog, 6 Counterfeit Gospels. Use the material to help with leading your group to identify the inaccuracies in each statement that is provided as a part of the downloadable teaching ideas.

Galatians 1:1-5, The Man and His Message, Alistair Begg




The downloadable teaching plans provide a series of inaccurate statements about the gospel that could be used to help your group determine how to avoid embracing these beliefs and helping others understand the truth about the gospel.

By now, many children are returning to school and teachers are preparing to lay out the rules for the classroom and the discipline that would be given to those who choose to break the rules. Teachers work tirelessly, not only to teach, but to provide an environment where individuals learn the consequences of their actions in the classroom. This weeks Explore The Bible Study: Disciplined will focus on David's response when he realized he had "broken the rules" (sinned) God had outlined.

This will be the final session from 2 Samuel. It will focus on David’s realization that he had sinned, the resulting consequences, the discipline of the Lord upon David (and Israel), and the restoration that took place.

As you lead this session, consider using some of the ideas below that are outlined further in the downloadable teaching ideas. There is much more content in this session, so consider working to summarize further the downloadable plan based on the amount of time you have for leading your group.

IDEAS FOR LOOK UP (GETTING THE GROUP ATTENTION)
Display the image at the top of this blog post (Consequences for Breaking a Rule) or write the following on a poster or whiteboard: Consequences (1) Verbal Warning; (2) Loss of Privilege; (3) Seat Change; (4) Meet with Teacher; (5) Call Home; (6) Parent Conference; (7) Meet with Principal.

In order to contextualize the events that created the consequences and prompted God’s discipline, consider using the following:

• Exodus 30:11-16. A census was not something that was wrong, but for David to do it was wrong! Taking the census was a sin for him possibly for the following reasons: (1) David’s motives could have been wrong – possibly for self-aggrandizement. (2) David may have wanted to “know how many” Israelite males above the age of twenty there were in Israel in order to be able to boast more accurately.In addition, much like when David attempted to return of the ark to The City of David, it was not done in the correct manner. David did not require all enrolled males to pay the half-shekel ransom required by the Torah, an oversight guaranteed to bring a plague against Israel.
• 2 Samuel 24:1-4 and 1 Chronicles 21:1-7. We see in these passages that the Lord was angry with the people of Israel for some unspecified reason. This rebellion spilled over into David’s life; therefore, God allowed Satan to “stir up” David against them as further explained in these passages. Notice in both of these passages that Joab tried to warn David, but David ignored his warnings. We should listen to those around us when we are drifting toward sin.

Imagine sitting down with others and sharing everything you have learned and experienced about God. If you are like me, you might begin by describing His work of salvation in your heart; then you might move to sharing about times in your life when God became very real to you because of how He worked in your life. Your story reaches a crescendo and excitement swells within you as you share, and you feel as if you could do the impossible because of God's greatness. This is the story of King David in our passages this week from the Explore The Bible Study: Thankful. He could not contain his praise or his thanksgiving for all God did and all God is. He had to say "thank you," and he wanted everyone to know about it!

As you lead the group to focus on David's thankfulness during the session consider the following:

Compare 2 Samuel 22:26-28 with the following paraphrases in order to lead the group to learn how to communicate God's responses to our virtues and vices.

Copy, cut, and distribute these verses to individuals in the group to read.
The Message (2 Samuel 22:26-28) 26You stick by people who stick with you, you're straight with people who're straight with you, 27You're good to good people, you shrewdly work around the bad ones. 28You take the side of the down-and-out, but the stuck-up you takes down a peg.	The New Living Translation (2 Samuel 22:26-28) 26“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. 27To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. 28You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.

Guide the group to identify the descriptions of God David includes in 2 Samuel 22:29-36 as he praises God for who He is and what He has done. 

Below is the list that is included in the downloadable teaching ideas along with some discussion suggestions. The descriptions should cause all of us to say "thank you" and express our praise to God!

• He is a Lamp (v. 29) – “David told God that He was his lamp, the means by which he navigated trough the darkness of life.” (Daily Discipleship Guide, p.105). How is God your lamp in this dark world?
• He is a powerful God! (v. 30) – Did David really believe he could do what he describes, or he is saying, “because of You, I feel as if I could attack a barricade and leap over a wall”? (David's faith was so strong that he felt as if God could enable him to do anything! This is how we should all feel about God when we realize who He is! It means that with the courage God gives him, he is willing to assault a stronghold.)
• His way is perfect (v. 31)
• His word is pure (v. 31)
• He is a shield (v. 31) – When you read that God is a shield, what comes to mind? How has God shielded or protected you?
• He is the only God (v. 32)
• He is a rock (v. 32)
• He is my strong refuge (v. 33) – Describe a time when you have sought refuge in God.
• He makes my way perfect (v. 33)
• He makes my feet like the feet of a deer (v. 34) –Who could describe the way a deer runs through the woods? (Deer are sure-footed on uneven terrain, can leap seemingly without effort and take high ground, can escape danger with great speed, and move with beautiful grace. By analogy, David meant that, with God, he could face obstacles and dangers without being in a stumbling panic.)
• He sets me securely on the heights (v. 34) – Imagine standing securely on the top of a mountain plateau. How does this help you understand David’s description of God?
• He trains my hands for war (v. 35) – How does this apply to believers today? – see Ephesians 6:12. (David is so excited because of what he knows about God, he believes he could bend a bow of bronze!)
• He gives us the shield of salvation (v. 36) – This is probably the source for Paul’s metaphor of Christian armor in Ephesians 6:11-17, although Paul spoke of a “shield of faith” and a “helmet of salvation.” For Paul, armor is a vivid illustration of spiritual conflict; it is waged with prayer and is fought against Satan. David had more literal combat in mind.
• He exalts me (v. 36) – What does Matthew 23:12 say needs to take place in order for God to exalt us? (We must be humble). David knew this first-hand because he had been humbled many times. David was not bragging about being exalted. He was praising God for doing what only God could have done in his life.

"I'm sorry" is perhaps the most difficult phrase for many of us to utter, especially if we are apologizing on behalf of someone else for something we didn't take part in. But, this is exactly what King David did in 2 Samuel 21:1-14. He not only apologized but sought to right the wrongs of the past because he realized that God was judging the nation for the sins of the past. 
Not only can we learn some principles for righting wrongs from LifeWay's Explore The Bible Study: Righting Wrongs; we can also point to Christ, the ultimate example of One who righted the wrongs of sin on our behalf. (Note: Explore the Bible's original title for this session is, Resolved.)

While working with a ministry organization, I experienced one of the most difficult events. One of my team members moved forward prematurely with a decision that deeply offended someone from another part of the organization. While I was not the one directly responsible for her decision, I was her manager and I believed I needed to right the wrong. I knew that I needed to try to help the person who was offended and that our team would be judged based on one person's actions. I went to the offended leader and apologized personally without throwing my team member under the bus. I took full responsibility. Sadly, my apology was not accepted, but I did what I thought was right and, to this day, I feel released from any further responsibility.

This session could lead many in your group to discuss similar situations or to consider some of the social issues that are being dealt with today related to righting past wrongs. Consider using some of the following as you prepare to guide the session along with the downloadable supplemental teaching ideas.

LOOK UP: IDEAS TO BEGIN THE SESSION
Consider searching the internet for stories about righting wrongs, or use the following as your opening illustration: Righting Past Wrongs Illustration (Click to read and download)

LOOK OUT: IDEAS FOR APPLYING THE SESSION
The following video begins in the middle of an overview of this passage from Gene Getz. Listen to his commentary, his challenge related to taking responsibility, the relationship to Christ and His atonement for our sins, and his personal story of taking responsibility. Consider using the content or the video as a part of your conclusion.

Before you listen, read 2 Samuel 21:7-14.

Do you believe God can use you to avert a conflict? He can. We see this taking place in 2 Samuel 20:1-22 as God used an unnamed woman from the town of Abel to divert a conflict that would have destroyed her city and all the inhabitants because of one man's anger. This is the focus I plan on taking with LifeWay's Explore The Bible Study: Averted.

I plan on beginning the discussion with my group by asking them to complete the following statement,

Word Pronunciations
(Click on each word to listen)

• Sheba
• Bichri
• Amasa
• Abishai
• Abel
• Beth-maacah

Videos
Optional videos could also be used to introduce the session. Here are a couple links to humorous video clips that could be used in order to begin the conversation about conflict:
Some of the discussion questions included in the downloadable teaching ideas include:

2 Samuel 20:1-2

• Describe Sheba’s motivation for stirring this conflict.
• The Scriptures point out that Sheba was a Benjaminite. King Saul was also from the tribe of Benjamin. Do you suppose that Sheba harbored resentment because of what happened to Saul? Was Sheba’s response based on selfishness?
• Why would anyone want to destroy the new unity that was unfolding for God’s people?