G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr once noted;
When you feel as though you are 'at the end of your rope', then let go and stand firmly on God's promise to save, then strengthen your soul.
Week:
1
Foundations of Faith
An introduction to the gospel and identity in Christ. This week grounds participants in the core story of the Christian life, clarifying who God is, what Christ has done, and how that shapes our identity. The study of this week emphasizes the beginnings of trust—how belief becomes the soil for spiritual growth and practical discipleship. Participants will leave with simple, tangible ways to remember and live out these foundational truths.
Objectives
Begin simple spiritual habits (short prayer, Scripture reading).
Practice honest openness before God.
Grasp basic gospel truths and personal identity in Christ.
Reflections
What one small spiritual habit will I start this week?
Where do I hide from God or others, and why?
How does being “in Christ” change how I see myself?
NowTo the HowTo
Accountability/Tracking
Check off daily habit: read Scripture + 5 minute prayer; record one insight in a shared group doc.
Community Action
Pair up and exchange one short testimony; pray for one another’s next step.
Creative Project
Create a one page “Identity Card” (name, gospel truth, favorite verse) to keep in your wallet or phone.
Leader Prompt
Invite one volunteer to model a 60 second testimony and coach the group on simple, invitational language.
Personal Practice
Spend five minutes each morning this week writing one sentence that begins “Because I am in Christ, I…” and read it aloud once a day.
Devotionals
Jesus' Little Secret
For many years, I wondered why Jesus would tell some of those whom He'd healed NOT to say a word to anyone about it... to keep it a secret... to just be hush-hush about it and go on about their lives. Here are several incidents; Matthew 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ . Matthew 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony...
Forge Ahead Blindly Seeing
I ride a bicycle back-n-forth to work... have done it daily since 2001... missing some days, but typically covering some 4,500 miles a year. As I ride that bike lane each day, each way, I encounter many obstacles. No... nothing large at all... nothing all that 'lane blocking'... just... tire-flattening obstacles! As I snap along at a pretty brisk speed, it is tough to keep an eye on all the things in the roadway. Over the years, I have noticed that the more I concentrate on NOT running over...
Sheep and Goats Part Company
There are many sayings for dividing things that are commingled; the race of the tortoise and the hare, separation of church and state, mixes like oil and water, even the separating the sheep from the goats. Farmers in fact detest weeds because they can voraciously choke out the good crops around them. In our spiritual world, there are so many variations of spiritualism, religions, and faiths... it is so hard to distinguish some from others, and it seems like some are so very ridiculous and...