BIBLE LESSON (target audience: college students)

BIBLE FOCUS: Galatians 1:1-24

BIBLE POINT: The truth gives us passion to share it.
OBJECTIVES:
- The student will define God’s life changing Grace. (Both in Paul’s life and
their own)
- The learners will kindle a passion for sharing the Good News.
-Students will commit to passionately sharing the Good News with a loved
one.
Key verse: And they praised God because of me.

BIBLE BACKGROUND:

-Galatians is a written letter from Paul to the Church of Galatia.

- There is no legitimate controversy surrounding the authorship of Galatians.
- Paul’s pen was bleeding with passion as he wrote this letter. The Galatian church
had begun to slip away from the truth of the gospel that Paul first shared with them.
He is writing to rebuke and correct the false teachings and beliefs that had weaseled
there way into the hearts of the believers there.
-There was a group of teachers in Galatia that claimed to be disciples of the apostles
(the eleven). They claimed that they had more authority than did Paul because they
“learned the truth” from the apostles themselves. But they misunderstood the truth,
they were convinced that circumcision was still necessary and so they twisted the
truth that Paul shared and convinced the Church in Galatia to start abiding by the
Law as well as following Christ.
-Paul was upset about this because even the apostles would not agree with the
message that these “disciples of apostles” were preaching…
- Galatians 1:1-5 is a common greeting within this genre. This greeting establishes
Paul’s authority as an “apostle” and therefore gives the readers reason to heed the
instructions that follow.
- Galatians 1:6-10 sets up Paul’s argument concerning the truth of the Gospel for the
rest of the letter.
-Galatians 1:11-24 Paul flesh’s out the fact that the Gospel he is preaching is not one
made up by man but given to him by God. Further driving home his point that the
practices the Galatians are beginning to follow are out of line with the Truth Paul
first spoke to them.

(sources: (1) Commentary on Galatians by Martin Luther, (2) Galatians: Paul’s

Charter of Christian Freedom by Leon Morris, (3) Complete Biblical Library:
Galatians-Philemon

PREPERATION LIST:
- One blank sheet of paper for each person with four equally spaced horizontal lines
drawn across them.
- Some kind of writing utensil for each person
- Have a brief summary of the game telestrations at hand.
- Make sure you have enough Bible’s for everyone that doesn’t bring their own.
- Make two groups (or more if larger class) of chairs (5-6) in a circle, this circles will
be used for the activity and discussion time.

HOOK/INTRODUCTION (12-15 minutes)

Supplies: Paper, writing utensil for each person, telestrations game summary.

1) Mingle with the students as they come in for the lesson. Make sure to be
intentional about keeping up with their lives; ask them questions, show them
you care.
2) Tell everyone: Have you guys ever been misunderstood? You know, you
had said one thing and it came back around to you that people are
saying that you said something completely different? It is very
frustrating isn’t it? So I thought we should try a game that will test our
ability avoid misunderstanding.
3) Split the kids up into groups of 5-6 and set them in the chair circles that you
already set up in the classroom. Ask them to familiarize themselves with
everyone, especially if there are new students in the class!
4) Explain the game: Telestrations is a spinoff of the game telephone. We
should all be slightly familiar with that. Each of you have a piece of
paper. On that piece of paper I want you to write down one sentence in
the top fourth of the paper. A sentence that explains some kind of
situation for exe; “A family eating thanksgiving dinner”, or “Kissing my
girlfriend goodnight”. Try to keep it somewhat simple! All right,
everyone have their sentence? Good! This is how the game works. We
are going to pass that piece of paper counterclockwise around our
circles. You have one minute to take that sentence and create a picture
on the second fourth of the paper that communicates that idea. Once
you have drawn that picture flip the original sentence behind the
picture so the next person can’t see it and pass the picture on! The next
person is going to look at that picture and see if he can recreate the
original sentence just by looking at the picture! Write down the
sentence again then fold the picture behind and pass it to the next
person! Continue this until everyone has had a turn in each picture!
Then unfold the paper and see how close the last sentence got to the
original sentence!
a. Teaching tip: It is helpful to have a previously done example of what
everyone’s paper should look like when the game is finished. Bring it
with you and show it to your students to help solidify the games
sequences.
5) When the game is over ask some of the following questions:
 a. What was your funniest end result?
b. Did any of your papers come out close to the right sentence?
c. How did this game make you feel? Were you frustrated that
people couldn’t clearly communicate your idea?
d. Do you think that error in this game is unavoidable?
6) Say: It is kind of disappointing when people don’t communicate your
message well. The things we said in this game were not really
important at all, but if they were I am sure a lot more of you would be
upset about how you were misunderstood! I think this game shows us
how Paul most likely felt when he found out the Galatians had distorted
the truth of the Message the he first shared with them!
(transition: I think that Paul has entered into the same kind of situation that our
game created. Paul had shared an original lesson with the Galatians, but that
original sentence/gospel that Paul shared has now become far different than
originally intended.)
BOOK/BIBLE STUDY (20 minutes)
Supplies: Bibles, Pencils, PowerPoint/Blackboard

1) Have the students combine the two circles from the game into one large circle
for the Bible study portion of the lesson.
2) Start by setting up the background of the book of Galatians. Share with them
that this epistle has a different tone than all the other epistles, this epistle by
far has the most serious and rebuking tone of all the epistles. Paul had
already been to Galatia and shared the truth of the Gospel with them
(Galatians 1:8), there was also a group of false teachers in the region of
Galatia that were providing teachings that completely counteract the truth of
the Gospel (Galatians 1:7). False teachers we people who directly opposed
the truth of the Gospel and therefore tried to tweak the truths so that they
said they were preaching the Gospel when in reality it was not. Take some
time right here to talk about Paul; his previous life, his beliefs and actions
(Acts 8:1, Galatians 1:13-17), his conversion (Acts 9).
3) Make sure everyone has a Bible and begin reading the entirety of the text;
have them read one verse a piece and then rotate counterclockwise until the
entire chapter has been read. Say: Paul’s passion for these people is
clearly evident within the first chapter of Galatians! He is very upset
about something and he is trying to correct the Galatians with a very
serious tone. Paul’s actions here give us some great insight on how
important Paul’s knew his message was!

Ask the students to form groups of 3-4. Provide them a either with a piece of
paper that has the following questions, or make a PowerPoint that has the
questions on it.

-What is the main reason while Paul is so distressed?

 -Read Saul’s conversion story in Acts 9. What does this event have to do
with Paul’s passion for Galatia?
-Who did Paul say his message was from?
- With whose authority is Paul speaking? (His own? Government? God?
Other peoples?)

When you see all the groups have finished discussing these questions bring
them back together and ask them to share some of their insights with the
other groups. Ask them together the following questions…

-What is the Gospel that Paul is so passionate about?

-Why does this matter so much to Paul?

Say: Paul is so passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it

contains the truth about Grace and its consequences are eternal! Paul is
dealing with a group of people that are misunderstanding the message
of that gospel; this is a matter of life and death. Paul realizes that more
than any of them! He was living a life outside of grace, persecuting the
only lifestyle that brought about grace! Jesus Christ Himself in Acts 9
commissioned Paul to share that Gospel of Grace with the Galatians and
other Gentile groups. Paul is on a mission from God to share the life
saving news of the Gospel and he is no about to let a group of false
teachers distort the truth that he originally shared with them!

4) Ask the group to split back into groups of 2-3. Give each group a copy of the
following questions from the serendipity Bible.
a. In High School, how loyal were your friends? How loyal were you to
them?
b. What did Jesus Christ voluntarily do for Paul and the Galatians- and
us?
c. What does Paul say will happen to anyone who promotes and teaches
a “gospel” other than that which Paul preached- the good news of
grace (vv 8-9)
d. Have you ever strayed from your faith in Christ? What happened?
e. How do you feel when your beliefs are contrary to popular opinion?
On what issue do you need to stand alone? How much was at stake-
for Paul, and for you now?
(transition: Okay guys lets group back up together. Those questions really point out
how much was at stake for Paul. Paul knew how much was at stake and that fuelled
his passion to communicate the true message.)

LOOK/LIFE APPLICATION (15 minutes)

Supplies: Stationary and pens…
 1) Read out loud the key verse. Galatians 1:24 “And they praised God because of
Me” Say: “Paul, passion and devotion to the truth that God had revealed
to him had incredible impact on this world! Paul see’s that God has
worked through his passion by influencing the live of people who had
not yet been saved! Paul devoted his life to be a tool, used in the hands
of Christ to spread the Good News to those did not know. When we
realize the truth of what God has done in our life to save us our passion
should be the same as Paul’s, to relentlessly share the truth of the
Gospel with the people of this world until they know!
2) Have the students split up into groups of 2-3 and ask if they would share their
testimonies with each other. God has worked in their lives and as peers they
should know what God has done. (Allow 5-6 minutes)
- While they are still in their groups ask them to brainstorm about the
people in their lives that God has given them a passion for.
o What people has God given you a heart that breaks for?
o Do you have any plans of seeking out a path for that passion?
3) When they are finished brainstorming ask them to stay there and pass out
stationary. Ask them to write a passionate letter to one of their friends or
family members who is not a Christian. This will help them express their
passion for the Gospel and their love for the lost. Tell them that if they get the
opportunity to talk with that friend or loved one about God this letter would
be a great tool in helping to share the good new of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
(transition: We have all experienced God’s grace, just like Paul. We should use Paul’s
passion as an example for us, it should encourage us in our ministries throughout
our lives.)

TOOK/LIFE CHANGE (5 minutes)

Supplies: Computer/Internet/Projector/playing cards/sharpies

1) Get them all back together in one group again and pass out a blank playing
card: Ask them to draw on that playing card a picture that reminds them of
the work that God has done in their life. When they are finished say: We
have seen what God has done in our lives to save us by his grace. Carry
this card with you this week in your pocket it and let it be a constant
reminder for you to share with passion the grace that you have found
with those who have not yet found it.
2) Now play a clip from the movie “First Night”
http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/first-knight/god-uses-you.
And say: God uses you to further his Kingdom here on this earth. To
spread the Good News and to bring people into a life saving relationship
with him. God uses our lives to give us a passion for others so that we
might share the same love that we’ve found in God with others!
3) End the class period by praying for the students, that they would continue to
burn with passion for the lost, and continue to be on fire and thankful for
 what God has done in their lives, and above all that God will help them, as
part of the church, to relentlessly proclaim Good News to the lost.

Class Review:
Taught: November 5, 2011
At: OCC DORM
To: Dorm floor Small group.

Introduction:

For the most part I felt like this went well. They really enjoyed the

telestrations game. It took a little bit longer than I thought it was going to but

people really opened up and started laughing and talking with each other during the

game, which was great! The transition between the game and the text was fun, but I

think it could have been a little stronger drawing by drawing a clearer picture

between the background of the text with the games purpose of “Pointing out how

much the original message had changed” This was a really good icebreaker activity

and I think it did key in really well with the overall theme of the message!

(The funniest result was this Original Sentence: “The Kids Kept me up last

night” Ending sentence: “If you want to live through the zombie apocalypse… Don’t

sleep!”)

Book:

Here is where things got a little tricky. I am a lot more used to preaching than

teaching. I shared with them a little bit about the background of Galatians. Did a
good job of explaining that. Then we read the text out loud taking turns verse by

verse and this is where things kind of fell apart.

After the reading of the text I begin asking them the questions that I had

planned out. After the first two questions I realized that they were way to pointed

and did not provide well for discussion! I got really anxious and began trying to

further the discussion by talking but then it ended up to be just me talking and less

of a discussion time.

The small group time’s questions kind of had the same problem. They were

really quick and pointed questions. I got frustrated with the lack of discussion so I

brought them all back together. I need to make sure and plan out better questions in

order for this type of environment to flourish. I guess we all learn from our

mistakes, but man was this nerve wracking!

The serendipity Bible questions that I used were a bit better at forming

discussion. So it was a great relief when I got to use these. The students were able to

actually share a little bit about there lives and their beliefs about the Bible which

really helped there to be meaningful discussion. They also did a really good job of

getting to the point that there was a ton at stake here in Paul’s letter, and that the

Galatians were fading away from the Truth of the Gospel which alone holds the

power to save!

Overall I noticed that teaching requires you to be incredibly quick on your

feet. If your lesson is not going as planned you have to instantly adapt and find a

different avenue for your teaching. This probably will get easier with time and

experience. I also probably could have spent a little more time thinking through my
questions first before doing the class, I should have been able to tell that they

weren’t good discussion questions!

Hook:

This was by far my favorite part of the lesson. It did a really good point of

driving home the point that God uses his people’s passion for His Gospel to help

reach the lives of other people.

The testimony time was awesome. Everybody listened attentively to the

other people while they shared their stories. A lot of these guys had past that God’s

work was clearly evident in. It did good to putting a face to the life changing power

of the Gospel, Paul’s testimony is clear and powerful, but putting a face to that

testimony of the life changing power of Christ was so beneficial. This part of the

lesson was one of the most rewarding for everyone, including me.

I also felt like talking about our testimonies transitioned us very well into the

letter writing activity. I’m not sure what could have made this activity better. It did

not work completely as planned. Many of the people in the group weren’t too

excited about it. I was working hard to think of an activity that would help establish

in them a desire to share the Gospel and Good News with some person that they

loved and this is the only way I could think to do that. Hopefully though I was just
reading there feedback wrong and they really did take something away from this

activity.

Took:

I think the video clip did a really good job illustrating the fact that God uses

the students to spread the Word. I always love it when people give me something

tangible to help remember the point of the lesson and I think the playing card was a

good object lesson/reminder of the message. I wanted to encourage the students to

share their faith and to be passionate about it and I think this last part of the lesson

did a good job of driving that point home.

Overall thoughts:

Overall I though the lesson was useful. I asked a couple of the guys after we

were done and they all thought that it did a really good job of pulling out an

applicable theme of the text, and that that theme really was communicated well and

a worthwhile subject.

I need to improve my confidence when teaching. I tend to really second guess

the way I have planned things out and need to be a little more confident in the way I

present things to the class. This will help me express my passion for the subject
better (Ironic lesson for the teacher). Also I need to learn how to adjust midflight

in order to compensate for the environment that is developing during the lesson.

I think I did a really good job of getting the students to open up and share in

the later parts of the discussion section of the lesson. They really opened up and the

environment was great for discussion! I also thought the explanation of Paul’s

testimony really added a lot to the whole of the lesson.