Leader’s Guide
Outline:
Legend
► = Question to ask class.
↪︎ = Your answer or response after the class responds to a question you asked them.
Statement(s) to class. Text provided is a suggestion – you may use your own wording that expresses the same idea (except Bible verses which should be read from your Bible, or from this lesson plan.
aka = Also known as; in other words
Unless otherwise noted, Bible quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) translation.
If any questions or comments lead away from the theme/flow of this lesson, ask them to cheek with you after class so you can keep the lesson focused on the topic and can finish the session on time.
Lesson objectives
- Learn what the Gospel is (John 3:16-18).
- Discover Christ’s role in the Gospel story (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
- Realize our role in the Gospel story (Hebrews 11:6).
Preparation
(Complete before the session starts)
___ Make sure you have gone over this lesson plan several times and can deliver the lesson smoothly, using the lesson plan as an aid, not a script.
___ Make enough copies of the syllabus for each attendee, plus a few extras.
___ Set a copy of the syllabus on the table or seat for each attendee.
___ Set up a stand that will hold your teaching notes, tablet or laptop.
Lesson Notes
Openning
Welcome
Start the session by greeting them (e.g., “good morning”) and introduce yourself by telling them your first name (informally, to establish a casual atmosphere).
Provide a description of the course. Suggested content:
Welcome to the course, The Gospel.
The Gospel is a four-part, interactive, Bible study course that explains what the Gospel is, and prepares Christ followers to share the Gospel and their own personal salvation testimony with others.
This course is not intended to make you an international evangelist or a local street preacher, though this can help equip you for such a ministry.
This course is designed to provide you with the information and confidence needed to share your faith in Christ comfortably with others.
Be sure to keep the syllabus with you because it has the key information you need for each session of the course.
► Any questions?
Prayer
(To open the session, thanking God for His word, for the attendees present, and the opportunity we have to grow in our walk with Him.)
Alternate: Ask if anyone would like to open our session in prayer (without any specific instructions to them).
Introduction
These questions are more diagnostic than academic. Let a few attendees answer each question. Don’t judge or correct their answers – just see what they say to gauge the knowledge level of the attendees regarding the Gospel and to help them focus on the topic of the lesson.
► What does the word “Gospel” mean?
► What is the good news?
After a few responses to these two questions, continue …
According to authors Jonny Morrison and Meghan Good,
“The gospel is fundamentally a story—the word itself derives from the Old English “godspell” (which means, good story) and the Greek “euangelion” (which means, good news).
In the ancient world, this terminology was reserved for momentous announcements like military victories, royal births, or peace treaties, signaling that the gospel represents something of cosmic significance.
The gospel is the story of Jesus.”
(Jonny Morrison and Meghan Good, Prodigal Gospel:
Getting Lost and Found Again in the Good News
(Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2024).)When Jesus was praying to the Father, He said in John 17:3
“… this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
► So, if the Gospel is good news, what is the bad news?
↪︎ We think of death as the end of life, but the Bible refers to death as separation. Physical death is the separation of our spirit from our body. Spiritual death is the separation of our spirit from God.
► Where do we find the Gospel?
↪︎ There are two perspectives regarding the Gospel:
1. The Macro, or big perspective – the whole Bible.
- As BibleProject.com puts it, “The Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus.”
- The Gospel is also described as, “The record of God’s relentless pursuit to save people from the penalty of their sin.”
2. The Micro, or core perspective – select passages that explain the core message of the Gospel.
The Gospel Story
The Macro, or big perspective of the Gospel, is a bit much to cover, ether in this course, or when you are witnessing to someone
So we are going to explore some of these core perspective passages to help us:
- understand what the Gospel is, and
- prepare us to share the Gospel and our personal salvation testimony with others.
► What is probably the most famous verse in the Bible? (John 3:16)
Let’s look at that verse in its context.
Please turn in your Bibles to John 3:16–18
Pause to give them an opportunity to turn to the passage, then read the passage from your BIble, or from here:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Pause for a moment to give the attendees an opportunity to think about what you just read.
► What would you say are the key points of the Gospel in this passage?
Give a few attendees an opportunity to respond to this question, then continue.
↪︎ Let’s look at some key words in this passage.
v. 16 perish:
The Greek (GK) word translated “perish” does not mean annihilation – the end of existence.
When you read this, think “ruined”, like a corporate CEO who is caught embezzling funds from his company and clients, and was put in prison. He is ruined – he is separated from all he had: his family, his friends, his career, his wealth, his whole life.
Here the word refers to eternal separation from God. The same word and meaning is used in John 10:27–28.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish [never be separated from me]; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
17 condemn:
This word means sentenced to a punishment.
17 saved:
Rescued, from the punishment for our sin.
18 condemned already
► What do you think it means, to be “condemned already”?
Give a few attendees an opportunity to respond to this question, then continue.
In Genesis 2:17 God said to Adam,
“… of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Here, God established a spiritual law – anyone who sins is automatically condemned, sentenced to eternal punishment, aka, death.
According to Psalm 53:2–3, everyone has sinned:
“God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”
► What is the implication of this fact, that everyone has sinned?
Give a few attendees an opportunity to respond to this question, then continue.
God is not in the business of condemning people, He is in the business of saving people. He saves those who accept His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. We condemn ourselves to by sinning.
► According to John 3:18, what determines if a person is condemned or not condemned? ( Belief. Faith/trust in the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ. )
Christ’s Role in the Gospel Story
There are two key parts to the Gospel.
First, Christ’s Role in the Gospel Story
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15:3–4.
Pause to give them an opportunity to turn to the passage, then read the passage from your BIble, or from here:
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:
- that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
- that he was buried,
- that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures”
►What are the three important facts about Jesus in this passage? ( See numbered clauses in passage above.)
► What is the significance that these events were “in accordance with the Scriptures”? ( Jesus fulfilled God’s plan, as foretold in the OT Scriptures )
Our Role in the Gospel Story
The Second key part to the Gospel is Our Role in the Gospel Story
Please turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 11:6.
Pause to give them an opportunity to turn to the passage, then read the passage from your BIble, or from here:
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
This verse tells us how to please God; how to respond to God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.
1. First – we must “believe He exists”. This refers to the God of the Bible – not any so called god, or what or who we think God is, but the one, only, true, living God.
2. Second – “that He rewards those who seek Him”. If you want to draw near God (i.e., have a personal relationship with God), you must believe He rewards those who seek Him – that He fulfills all His promises.
Summation/Conclusions
► How would you explain what the Gospel is? (Allow for a few answers)
►What are the three key passages we looked at that explain the core message of the Gospel?
- John 3:16-18
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
- Hebrews 11:6
It would be good to memorize this list of Bible references. You might even want to memorize the verses themselves.
Closing
Let’s look at the syllabus.
► What is this week’s assignment for our next session? (Have class members read them to the class.)
- Read and ponder the Bible verses listed in the session objectives above and review your notes from class.
- Watch the video about the Gospel at:
https://bibleproject.com/videos/euangelion-gospel/ - Read Ephesians 2:8–9 and write a one- or two-paragraph summary describing what it tells you about God’s grace (His undeserved favor) and the salvation He offers through Jesus Christ.
► And when is this assignment to be completed? (Before our next session)
► Any last questions or comments about today’s lesson?
Prayer
► Ask, “Who would like to close us in prayer?”
Thessalonian Faith 