The Journey Facilitator's Guide

By Billy Graham

The Facilitator's Guide for The Journey Study Series offers suggestions for leading participants through the lessons with suggested questions to stimulate discussion. Each chapter includes thought-provoking commentary, Scriptures, and insights to help you on life's journey.

Covers all the titles in The Journey Study Series:

Searching for Hope 1-4185-1659-7

Living as a Christian 1-4185-1766-6

Leaving a Legacy 1-4185-1469-0

Dealing with Doubt 1-4185-1771-2

Confronting the Enemies Within 1-4185-1772-0

Telling the Good News 1-4185-1773-9

Building a Christ-Centered Home 1-4185-1768-2

Learning to Pray 1-4185-1767-4

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jul 12, 2007
• ISBN: 9781418584573

Billy Graham

Billy Graham (1918–2018), world-renowned preacher, evangelist, and author, delivered the Gospel message to more people face-to-face than anyone in history and ministered on every continent of the world in almost 200 countries and territories. His ministry extended far beyond stadiums and arenas, utilizing radio, television, film, print media, wireless communications, and thirty-three books, all that still carry the Good News of God's redemptive love for mankind. Engraved on a simple fieldstone in the Memorial Prayer Garden where he is buried at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, these words exemplify how the man and the minister wished to be remembered: "Preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Book preview

Title page with Thomas Nelson logo

© 2007 by Billy Graham Literary Trust

Additional material written by Terry Hadaway

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [e-mail].

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

The Journey Study Series Facilitator’s Guide: A Thomas Nelson Study Series Based on The Journey by

Billy Graham

ISBN-13: 978-1-4185-2636-8

ISBN-10: 1-4185-2636-3

07 08 09 10 11 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

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Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

The Journey Study Series

Searching for Hope

Living as a Christian

Leaving a Legacy

Dealing with Doubt

Confronting the Enemies Within

Embracing the Good News

Building a Christ-Centered Home

Learning to Pray

The Facilitator’s Guide

CONTENTS

SEARCHING FOR HOPE

1. The Universal Search

2. The Search for God

3. What Is God Like?

4. Who Am I?

5. Starting Over

6. A New Beginning

LIVING AS A CHRISTIAN

1. Starting Strong

2. Obstacles along the Way

3. It’s a Marathon

4. The Call to Discipleship

5. Our Unfailing Guide

6. Traveling Together

LEAVING A LEGACY

1. The Family

2. Making an Impact

3. As Life Moves On

4. Retirement: A New Beginning

5. Our Final Destination

6. Home at Last

DEALING WITH DOUBT

1. Can We Be Sure?

2. Our Firm Foundation

3. The Unending Battle

4. Our Constant Helper

5. Strength for Each Day

6. Suffering and Loss

CONFRONTING THE ENEMIES WITHIN

1. What Went Wrong?

2. Sin’s Devastation

3. Prone to Wander

4. The Way of Escape

5. Why Did It Happen?

6. The Enemies Within

EMBRACING THE GOOD NEWS

1. A New Beginning

2. Is Anything Different?

3. A New Relationship

4. A New Family

5. A New Purpose

6. A New Destiny

BUILDING A CHRIST-CENTERED HOME

1. One Day at a Time

2. Forks in the Road

3. For Better or for Worse

4. Being a Family

5. Broken Dreams

6. Preventive Medicine

LEARNING TO PRAY

1. The Privilege of Prayer

2. The Process of Prayer

3. Emotions That Defeat Us

4. Things That Destroy

5. When Life Turns Against Us

6. When Others Disappoint

SEARCHING FOR HOPE

CHAPTER ONE

THE UNIVERSAL SEARCH

PREPARE TO LEAD

T O GET THE MOST FROM THIS STUDY, READ THE PREFACE AND

pages 3–12 of The Journey.

• Read the sidebar on pages 6–7 of the Study Guide, and be prepared to discuss the information in reference to the lesson.

• Read and respond to the entire lesson in the Study Guide. Make note of significant things the Lord teaches you as you study.

• Pray, asking God to reveal to you the truths related to this lesson that are applicable to the class members who will attend the small-group session.

LEADING THE SMALL GROUP

Introduction: Introduce the lesson by highlighting Think About It on pages 3–4 in the Study Guide. Write on the board the quote at the beginning of the lesson and the Scripture verse on pages 3–4.

Rewind: Direct participants to identify the number-one goals of most people they know. Quickly summarize the opinions of the class, listing the top three responses on the board. Ask participants to respond to the second question in the activity, in which they are asked to identify what their behavior reveals about their goals in life. Draw a horizontal line stretching across the board. At the far left, place an X representing life’s beginning. At the far right, place an X representing life’s end. Ask: What do you plan to do with the space between these two bookends? Call for responses.

Direct participants to take a few moments to respond to the question regarding their eternal destinations. Ask anyone who has questions regarding this activity to see you after class or to speak with a church staff member. Call for volunteers to read aloud the following passages. Discuss the meaning of each passage. The correct answers to the activity are shown below:

a. Matthew 7:21—Not everyone who calls Jesus Lord will enter heaven.

b. James 2:19—Believing God exists isn’t enough.

c. Matthew 19:16–24—Keeping God’s commandments doesn’t guarantee entrance to heaven.

Ask a volunteer to read aloud selected verses from Psalm 139:1–24. Ask participants to write a brief description of their purpose in life. Be prepared to discuss possible responses.

Rethink: Call attention to the activity in which participants are asked to mark the words that describe their life journeys. Call for volunteers to share some of their responses. Point out that life is full of twists and turns that complicate life and make it unpredictable. Direct participants to mark the concerns with which they are currently dealing. Ask: Do you want your life to be better or worse in the future? Call for responses. Point out that life will change only as we change and allow God to take more control of our lives.

Reflect: Be prepared to list on the board the main points of this lesson. Rely on the information in the Study Guide and in the book to support your discussion.

1. God put you on this journey. Ask a volunteer to read aloud Jeremiah 29:11. Ask: What is the difference between God having a plan for people and people having a plan for God? Which one is your life philosophy?

2. God wants to join you on the journey. Ask volunteers to read aloud Deuteronomy 31:8 and Matthew 28:20. Ask: What does each of these passages say about God’s desire to be close to His people? Read aloud 1 Corinthians 1:9. Ask: What is the universal calling of all people?

3. God calls you to a new journey. Ask participants to reflect on their lives one, five, and twenty years from now. Ask them to also consider their futures in eternity. Direct participants to evaluate their certainty about world peace, job security, vocation, weather, and eternity.

React: What will be the lasting impact of this lesson? There are some truths that must be considered:

1. The old path will never deliver what it promises. What is the difference between your old path and your new path? Read aloud Luke 12:19–20 and point out the mistakes in judgment made by the man.

2. God’s path always delivers what He promises. What does God promise? How certain are you that God will deliver on His promises? Read aloud Philippians 4:7. Why don’t we experience peace the way God describes it?

3. God’s path will lead you home. There are only two paths in life—the path to heaven and the path to hell. Because God loves us, He gives us the opportunity to choose the path we want to travel. It is a choice we all must make personally; no one can make it for us. Read Hebrews 11:13–16. Ask participants to carefully consider how they have responded to God’s invitation to eternal life.

Call attention to the Three Truths activity at the end of the lesson. Be prepared to share your three truths as an example. Close in prayer.

CHAPTER 2

THE SEARCH FOR GOD

PREPARE TO LEAD

TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS STUDY, READ PAGES 13–18 OF The Journey.

• Read the sidebar on pages 23–24 of the Study Guide and be prepared to discuss the information in reference to the lesson.

• Read and respond to the entire lesson in the Study Guide. Make note of significant things the Lord teaches you as you study.

• Pray, asking God to reveal to you the truths related to this lesson that are applicable to the class members who will attend the small-group session.

LEADING THE SMALL GROUP

Introduction: Introduce the lesson by highlighting Think About It on pages 19–20 in the Study Guide. Write on the board the quote at the beginning of the lesson and the Scripture verse on pages 19–20.

Rewind: Direct participants to identify the images of God that have been a part of their perceptions. Ask volunteers to explain why they had certain images. Compare those images to the scriptural images, and ask volunteers to explain any differences.

Call attention to the matching activity. Call on volunteers to read each Scripture passage. The correct responses are as follows:

a. Acts 14:17—God has given us rain and crops.

b. Romans 1:20—Creation gives evidence of God’s existence.

c. Psalm 100:25—The stars and the sky are evidence of God’s existence.

Ask participants to identify some things they believe that cannot be proven true. List responses on the board. Ask them to identify the reasons they believe these things to be true. Be prepared to discuss the sidebar related to Psalm 115.

Rethink: Ask participants to identify evidences of God’s existence that they see in everyday life. List responses on the board. Direct participants to identify some things people do to try to maintain or establish a relationship with God. Be prepared to discuss the value of each activity in response to an authentic relationship with God. Point out that the activities cannot take the place of a real relationship with Him. Discuss the importance of communicating with God, and ask participants to identify the regularity and occasions in which they communicate with Him. Ask: If you communicated with your closest relative, spouse, or friend as often as you communicate with God, what kind of relationship would you have?

Reflect: Be prepared to list on the board the main points of this lesson. Rely on the information in the Study Guide and in the book to support your discussion.

1. God has spoken to us through a book: the Bible. Invite a volunteer to read aloud Hebrews 1:1. Ask: How has God spoken to us? Read aloud 2 Peter 1:20–21. Ask: What inspired the prophets to speak? God wants to communicate with us in ways that we understand. By having His written Word, we can eliminate confusion as to what He really said.

2. God has spoken to us through a Person: Jesus Christ. Jesus came as a physical revelation of God to man. Read Colossians 2:9 and John 1:14. Ask: What do these verses say about Jesus’ identity?

Anyone who wants to doubt God’s revelation will not be convinced through the Bible or discussions about Jesus. What doubters need to see is the reality of God’s being alive in the lives of real people. A doubting world can’t deny what they see happen in the lives of people they know.

React: Ask: What is the difference between knowing someone and knowing about someone? Do you believe our culture is a Christian culture? Why or why not? Direct participants to work through the activity at the end of the lesson in which they are asked to describe their faith relationship with God. Be prepared to share your own story by completing the following tasks:

1. Describe your life before you had a relationship with God.

2. What was it that made you realize your need for God?

3. Describe when and how you asked for forgiveness and invited Jesus Christ into your life.

4. How has your life been different since that time? What difference does God make in your daily life?

The activity above will lead participants to develop a contemporary version of their testimonies. It is important to be prepared to share our testimonies with anyone at any time. If time permits, allow time for participants to pair up and practice sharing their testimonies. Be prepared to help anyone who is having a difficult time with this activity.

Call attention to the Three Truths activity at the end of the lesson. Be prepared to share your three truths as an example. Close in prayer.

CHAPTER 3

WHAT IS GOD LIKE?

PREPARE TO LEAD

TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS STUDY GUIDE, READ PAGES 18–22 of The Journey.

• Read the sidebar on pages 42–44 of the Study Guide, and be prepared to discuss the information in reference to the lesson.