The Jesus I Never Knew Leader's Guide by Philip Yancey

From the Publisher

Welcome to a journey that will challenge you -- and change you. A journey that will expand -- and very likely redefine -- your understanding of the person, teachings, and life of Jesus Christ. Together, you and your group will press beyond familiar images of Christ to discover Jesus as you've never known him: radical, compelling, compassionate, bold, incisive, and ultimately satisfying. This Leader's Guide gives you everything you need to successfully conduct the 14-session Jesus I Never Knew curriculum. Whether your group is large or small, this book will help you lead the way to life-changing encounters with the Jesus of the Gospels . . . and discoveries as refreshing, unpredictable, and exciting as the person you're about to meet.

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Read an Excerpt
• Read a Sample Chapter

Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

Foreword

Philip Yancey's study of Jesus began with a class he taught at LaSalle Street Church in Chicago. The use of movies about the life of Jesus, the discussion from class members, and his personal study all combined to give him a new view of Jesus--hence the title of his book The Jesus I Never Knew.

Yet all along he had another goal in mind: He wanted his quest for Jesus to serve as a guide for other people. As Yancey himself wrote, "In the end, what does it matter if a reader learns about 'The Jesus Philip Yancey Never Knew?' What matters infinitely more is for you to get to know Jesus."

For this reason, we have produced a curriculum to help you delve into the topic with a class of your own using movies as a springboard for discussion. Finding the right video clips and obtaining permission to show them can be a long and tedious task--this curriculum takes that step away from you! Philip Yancey recommended the best clips for each topic and we obtained permission to include them in this curriculum. For each session we have provided several different film clips along with a brief teaching segment with Philip Yancey and a variety of exercises and discussion questions to help the participants of your class begin to think about the Jesus they never knew.

This course is bound to change the perceptions of those who seriously engage themselves in it. With a willingness to tackle difficult questions, Philip Yancey helps us to look at the radical words of Jesus and ask whether we are taking him seriously enough in our own day and age. For those who have been raised in the church and have known Jesus all of their lives, and for those who are meeting Jesus for the first time, Philip Yancey challenges us to think about this man as the Bible presents him--brilliant, creative, challenging, fearless, compassionate, unpredictable, and ultimately satisfying. You will find that the video clips combined with Bible study and your own discussion will help you to discover the Jesus you never knew!

This Kit Contains

• The Jesus I Never Knew--This is the award-winning book by Philip Yancey in which he offers his perspective on the life of Christ and his work--his teaching, his miracles, his death and resurrection--and ultimately, who he was and why he came. This book is based on Yancey's own discoveries as he led a group in Chicago through a similar approach to taking a look at Jesus.

• The Jesus I Never Knew Video--A fourteen-part video series of live sessions with Philip Yancey as well as different film clips portraying the life of Jesus. These ten-minute video vignettes will serve as the basis for your discussion in each session.

• The Jesus I Never Knew Leader's Guide--This comprehensive guide provides all the information you will need to lead your group through the different sessions of this course.

• The Jesus I Never Knew Participant's Guide--This workbook contains questions and exercises for each session, designed to help participants process the material.

Additional kits and copies of the Participant's Guide as well as the book are available from:

Zondervan Publishing House

5300 Patterson Avenue SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49530

Phone: 1-800-727-3480

How This Leader's Guide Is Organized

This Leader's Guide is divided into fourteen sessions. Each 45-minute session corresponds to a chapter in Philip Yancey's book The Jesus I Never Knew.

For each session the leader will need:

Leader's Guide

Bible

Philip Yancey's Book The Jesus I Never Knew

Video Player, Monitor, Stand, Extension Cord, etc.

Videotape

For each session each participant will need:

Participant's Guide

Bible

Pen or Pencil

Philip Yancey's Book The Jesus I Never Knew (optional)

Each session is divided into five parts: Before You Lead, Introduction, Warm-Up, Content, and Summary.

1. Before You Lead

Synopsis

This material is provided for the leader's information. It is a summary of the ideas contained in Philip Yancey's book and presents the main ideas for the session.

Session Outline

An overview of the content and activities to be covered throughout the session.

Materials

The materials listed above are critical for both the leader and each participant. In this section you will find a list of additional materials needed for this specific session. Additional materials are needed in sessions 1, 2, and 11.

Recommended Reading

The leader is encouraged to read the appropriate chapter of Philip Yancey's book The Jesus I Never Knew in preparation for each session.

2. Introduction

Includes calling the class together, an opening prayer, and a brief review.

3. Warm-Up

These exercises and/or questions are designed to help everyone begin thinking about the session topic. A corresponding page is found in the Participant's Guide.

4. Content

The bulk of the session is focused on content that you will walk through. The session material is found on the left-hand page of the Leader's Guide. You may want to read the material word for word, or you might just want to highlight key words and phrases. We encourage you to amplify various points with your own material illustrations. Make it personal!

On the right-hand page is a copy of the corresponding Participant's Guide page(s). There is also space on this right-hand page for the leader to write in any additional planning notes. Having the corresponding Participant's Guide page in front of you allows you to view the page the participants are seeing as you talk without having to hold two books at the same time. It also lets you know where the participants are in their book when someone asks you a question.

Read a Sample Chapter