Discover Bible School Gaining Decisions

1. Discover Bible SchoolGaining Decisions Principles of Gaining Decisions Discover Lessons Decision system

2. DISCOVER Lessons • The ultimate goal and the only purpose for running a Discover Bible School is to bring people to Jesus and into church fellowship. • The underlying purpose of a full-message Bible course is to lead a person step-by-step to a threefold decision: (1) for Jesus, (2) for keeping the Sabbath, and (3) for baptism and church membership.

3. DISCOVER Lessons • The DISCOVER lessons are Full-Messagelessons. • They cover: • The Plan of Salvation. • The basic Seventh-day Adventist doctrines. • The basic lifestyle teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

4. DISCOVER Lessons • The DISCOVER lessons ask for three major decisions: • For Jesus. • For keeping the Sabbath. • For baptism and church membership.

5. Basic Decision Process • Throughout a Bible course offered by mail or on the Internet, the instructor handwrites notes and sends appropriate literature to meet the special needs of the student. • When the instructor discerns that a student is ready for person-to-person contact, the name is given to the pastor or qualified lay member to follow up the interest. • The visitor has in mind the importance of the three decisions (accepting Jesus, Sabbath, baptism), and if the student appears ready, makes a personal appeal for whatever decision is timely.

6. Basic Decision Process – Small Groups • The person leading out in a small group or who is involved in the personal delivery of lessons must also cultivate a relationship with their students and lead them to a decision for Jesus, for keeping the Sabbath, and to be baptized and become a member of the church. • Known as “Friendship Evangelism.”

7. Basic Principles of Gaining Decisions

8. How Satan Works • 2 Cor. 4:4 - He blinds people’s minds. • 2 Tim. 3:1-8 - He blinds people’s minds with 20 categories of sins. • Eph. 4:17-19 - He causes people to lose religious sensitivity. • Rev. 14:8, 17:8 - He causes people to believe false ideas.

9. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • John 4: 7, 9 – He got her attention “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” . . . “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

10. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • John 4: 10-12– He aroused her interest. • “Jesus answered her, ’If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’ • “’Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?  • ‘Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?’” Notice that the woman goes from the known To the unknown

11. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • John 4: 10-12– He aroused her interest. She raised both an ethnicity and theological question Ethnicity - “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan Woman.” Theology – “Are you greater than ourfather Jacob.” In other words, she said; “Who do you think you are?”

12. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 She is looking for personal benefit • John 4: 13-15– He aroused her desire. • “Jesus answered, ’Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, • ‘“but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ • “The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this waterso that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’” The Gospel is always gain

13. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • John 4: 16-19– He implanted conviction. • “He told her, ’Go, call your husband and come back.’ • ‘“I have no husband,’ she replied. • “Jesus said to her, ’You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.’”

14. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • John 4: 16-19– He intensified desire and conviction. • ‘“Sir,’” the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet.  • “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.’” An attempt to shift the conversation to theology

15. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • John 4: 21-30–Decision and action. • Vv. 25,26 “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ’is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ • “Then Jesus declared, ’I, the one speaking to you—I am he.’”

16. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • Attention • Interest • Desire • Conviction • Intensified desire and conviction • Decision and action

17. How Jesus Did It – Six Steps - John 4 • These are “steps” that often happen simultaneously in the process of moving toward a decision.

18. Ellen G White’ Summary • “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. • “The Saviour mingled with men [people] as one who desired their good. • “He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, • “and won their confidence. • “Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.”’  Gospel Workers, p. 363

19. Basic Principles of Gaining Decisions used in DISCOVER Lessons

20. Resources - Decisions • Mark Findley, Persuasion. • J.L. Shuler, Study notes. • Kembleton S. Wiggins, Soul Winning Made Easy, (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1975). • Fordyce Detamore, Seeking His Lost Sheep, (Review and Herald Publishing Association), 1993.

21. The Decision Process Basic Principle • Obtain a series of small decisions rather than one large decision at the end of the series.

22. The Decision Process • DISCOVER lessons call for small decisions at the end of each lesson. • Small decisions attempt to get positive answers. • Lesson 1 – “Has this DISCOVER Guide helped you understand and believe in God?” • That is a “yes” or “no” answer. • Very few people will say “no.”

23. The Decision Process • DISCOVER lessons call for small decisions at the end of each lesson. • Lesson 3 (Creation) – “Who is now ruling your life-Christ, the prince of Peace, or Satan, the author of turmoil, suffering, and death?” • This small decision is very personal. • For the person it may be a very large decision!

24. The Decision Process • DISCOVER lessons call for small decisions at the end of each lesson. • Lesson 4 (Plan of Salvation)– “Will you accept God’s gracious invitation to guide your life just as He guided Christ’s life when He lived on Earth?” • The key word here is “Accept.”

25. The Decision Process • DISCOVER lessons call for small decisions at the end of each lesson. • Lesson 8 (Second Coming)– “Read again section 4 of your DISCOVER Guide (Are you ready for the 2nd coming?), then answer this HEART question: How do you feel about Christ’s soon return?” • The key word here is “feel.”

26. The Decision Process • DISCOVER lessons call for small decisions at the end of each lesson. • Lesson 12 (Sanctuary)– “As the Lamb of God, Jesus died for our sins: as our High Priest, Jesus draws us into an intimate relationship with God. Because of what Jesus has done and is doing for you, how do you feel about Jesus?” • This is a “fill-in-the-blanks question that calls for some thinking.

27. The Decision Process • DISCOVER lessons call for three large decisions. • Lesson 16 – The Sabbath. • Lesson 19 – Baptism. • Lesson 25 – Join the church. Lesson 26 – Request for a visit.

28. Decisions For Jesus

29. Personal Contact • The object of your visit/contact: To lead the student to accept Jesus if they are not a Christian. • Identify with the person. • Relax the person and gain his or her trust. • Evaluate the person’s degree of interest.

30. Personal Contact • Make a direct personal appeal. • Ask, “Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior?” • If the answer is “No,” ask, “Have you ever thought of doing so?” • If the answer is “Yes,” ask, “Why not do it now?” • Offer to be of any help at any time before you leave. • Before you leave offer a brief prayer.

31. Decisions For The Sabbath

32. Calling for a Decision to Keep the Sabbath • The object of your visit/contact: To lead the student to make the decision to keep the Sabbath if that decision has not been made. • Evaluate the person’s degree of interest. If it is timely, make a direct personal appeal. Ask: • “Have you heard before about the seventh day of the week being the Bible Sabbath?”

33. Calling for a Decision to Keep the Sabbath • “Have you ever thought about keeping the Sabbath?” • If the answer is “Yes,” ask, “Why not decide to keep the Sabbath now?” • Offer to be of any help at any time before you leave. • Before you leave offer a brief prayer. • If an evangelistic meeting is in progress and the evangelist has not yet called for a decision on the Sabbath, discuss calling for the decision with your pastor or evangelist. Many times a friendly visit and an invitation will encourage the person to attend the meetings and they will respond to the call for a decision.

34. Decisions For Baptism

35. Calling for a Decision For Baptism • The object of your visit/contact: To invite the person to be baptized and become a member of God's remnant church. • Make a direct personal appeal. • Ask, “Have you ever studied the topic of baptism by immersion before?” • “Have you been baptized by immersion?” • If the answer is “No,” ask, “Have you ever thought of being baptized?” • If the answer is “Yes,” tell the person when a baptism is planned. • Offer to be of any help at any time. • Before you leave offer a brief prayer.

36. Decisions About Doctrinal Issues

37. Doctrines The DISCOVER lessons cover the following doctrines: • Authority of the Bible • Creation and fall • The Trinity • The second coming/events /millennium/heaven • Sanctuary/judgment • Ten Commandments/Sabbath

38. Doctrines The DISCOVER lessons cover the following doctrines: • Authority of the Bible • Creation and fall • The Trinity • The second coming/events /millennium/heaven • Sanctuary/judgment • Ten Commandments/Sabbath • True church • Baptism • State of the dead

39. Decisions AboutLifestyle Issues

40. Christian Standards Lesson 17 – “The Secret of a Healthy Lifestyle” • “We share Christ by the way we live . . .” • The way we think • The way we look • The way we act • The way we give • Decision question: “Do you desire to share Christ by the way you think, act, and look, and by your support for spreading the gospel?”

41. Health Lesson 18 – “The Secret of a Healthy Lifestyle” • Goes through the eight health principles. • Decision question is a prayer request: “Jesus promises to deliver us from every destructive habit. If you need help with a drinking problem, or overcoming the tobacco habit, or have any problem in life that needs solving, let us hear from you and we will pray for Jesus to some near and help you.”