Try this lesson, from our brand-new series Growing Out: From Disciples to Disciplers, to get your small group talking about how their walks with Jesus have already changed them -- and will keep changing them.

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord -- who is the Spirit -- makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." -- 2 Corinthians 3:18

In this lesson, we'll journey...
From: examining where we're already at in our relationship with Jesus...
To: helping others see what that relationship means to us -- and can mean to them.

Before gathering, make sure you have…
• Paper, cut into quarter-page slips -- enough for everyone
• Pens or pencils for everyone

Come and See (10 minutes)

Get into groups of four or five -- try to get with others you'd like to know better rather than those you already know well. Introduce yourselves, and take a few moments to share what you're each hoping to get out of this study.

Allow two or three minutes for discussion, and then regain everyone's attention.

Staying in your groups, share with each other exactly how you traveled here today. Be specific -- include turns, landmarks, or whatever the rest of your group would need to know to make the same trip.

Allow another two or three minutes for discussion, and then bring the group back together.

• Who in your group had the toughest trip here? Why?
• What parts of everyone's directions in your group were similar or the same? Explain.
• What parallels could you draw between each of your travels here today and how each of your walks with Jesus has gone so far? What's totally different between the two?

Today we're going to look at how at how far we've already come with Jesus-where and how we first connected with Jesus, and where he's taken us since then-and how that relationship can shine so others can see it more clearly. So let's take the next step in our journey -- together!

Seek and Find (30 minutes)

Have one or more volunteers read Acts 26:1-29, and then discuss the following questions:

• How would you describe what Paul was like before he met Jesus?
• How was Paul changed by his encounter with Jesus?
• What reactions did others have to Paul's faith story? How did Paul respond? Why?

Not everyone's story is as dramatic as Paul's, but all the elements of a good faith story are here. So let's use Paul's model to better understand how our relationship with Jesus has shaped and changed our own lives. Get back into your groups from earlier, and discuss the following questions. (It's very easy to get excited about what Jesus has done for us, so keep your answers brief and to the point so everyone has a chance to share.) We'll come back together in 15 minutes.

• What was your life like before you knew Jesus? (Or, if you were raised Christian, before your faith became personal to you?) What were you like?
• How did God finally get your attention? How did you respond?
• How has your life been different because of knowing Jesus? What other spiritual landmarks in your life can you point to-where you can confidently say "I know Jesus was in that"?

Allow 15 minutes for groups to share, and then call everyone back together.

Isn't it incredible the difference that Jesus makes in our lives?

We're not going to have a lot of homework during this quarter normally, but we will this week. Over the next week, spend some time writing down your answers to those last three questions in more detail-what your life was like before you really had a relationship with Jesus, how you've encountered Jesus, and how your life has been different because of it.

Write your thoughts and keep them handy. Keep your story to about three minutes-which comes out to about two pages handwritten or one types. Do your best to put your faith story in a way that it reads like your story, and we'll work on that some more in class next week.

So, what else can we do to help others understand what Jesus has done for us-and what he can do for them? Let's look a little closer at how God's already spoken to us.

Go! (20 minutes)

Hand out slips of paper to everyone, and make sure everyone has a pen or pencil.

Jesus has revealed himself to each of us, and wants to use us to share his love with others. We can share it verbally… we can model Jesus' love in practical ways… we can be so overwhelmed by Jesus that we simply radiate his joy… but it's a critical part of our own faith to allow what Jesus has done in our lives to be visible to others.

On the slips of paper you've just received, write a favorite Bible verse or passage of yours that will fit on this slip of paper. Use the full slip of paper to write it, if you can. If you can't think of one particular favorite. Don't write down the actual chapter and verse, and don't let anyone else peek. When you're done, take a few moments to reflect on why this verse has meaning for you, and how God has used it to speak to you.

Allow a minute or two for everyone to write and reflect, then ask everyone to get into their groups one more time.

Take your slip of paper and tear it into enough pieces so everyone in your group gets a piece. Then, give each person a piece of your favorite Bible verse. Give everyone a chance in your group to guess what verses you have pieces of-and if you get that far, whose verses they are. Afterward, discuss these questions:

• What was the verse you shared, and how has God spoken to you through it?
• How is this like how we show pieces of our faith to other people, and not other pieces?
• What pieces of your faith do you allow to show, and what pieces do you keep hidden? What could you do to give others a more complete picture of what God has done in your life?

Allow 10 minutes for discussion, and then have everyone get into pairs and proceed to "Walk It Out!"

Walk It Out!
The options below are designed to help you take what you've learned put it into practice. Get into pairs, and take five minutes to select the option you'd like to take on this week and share your choice with your partner. Then make plans to connect sometime between now and the next session to check in and encourage one another.

Know It: Spend some more time in God's Word this week, understanding how anyone can be changed through an encounter with Jesus. Read Acts 22, and compare it to the account you've already read in Acts 26. Look at Stephen's account in Acts 7, or Peter's words in 2 Peter 1:12-18. Ask Jesus to make those kinds of changes in you, and in those your life touches.

Live It: If there's a physical "landmark" in your life where you've encountered Jesus in the past, make a trip there this week. Reflect again on how knowing Jesus has changed your own life, and spend a significant chunk of time thanking him for it. Then, think of a way you can make what Jesus has already done on the inside visible to others, and do it!

Share It: Get together with a friend this week, and let him or her know what God has done in your life. It can be as broad as sharing the faith story you're already working on this week, or as specific as sharing how God helped you through the same situation your friend's facing now. Do more than just talk, too-listen for opportunities to encourage and pray for your friend.

Go for It!: Make a list of your neighbors, whether they're geographical neighbors or people you see frequently. How are you impacting them for Jesus? Did you share your hope-either through words or actions? Think of ways you can reflect Christ's hope to one or two of them this week. Invite someone over for dinner. Fix a broken lawnmower. Smile at the cashier in your grocery store and ask how he or she is doing. You could even…well, what's something you could do?

Do It Together: As a group, find a way to show Jesus' love and hope through your actions. Plan a simple service project for your community. For example, hand out bottles of water in the park on a hot day, walk through your neighborhood and pick up trash, or go to your neighbors and offer a window-washing service. Remember to do your service in love-and if anyone asks why you're doing it, tell them!

Come back together as a group. Thank God for all he's done in your life, and ask God to give you a deeper appreciation of it and the ability to let your light (and God's) shine before others.