Session One

The Journey Begins

ou are about to embark on an incredible journey that will have an impact on you for the rest of your life. Welcome to D/C To begin, lets explore what D/C means. D/C stands for discipleship and confirmation. Discipleship is the practice of sincerely following Jesuslistening to his teaching, responding to his call, and seeking to live by his example. Confirmation comes from the word confirm, which means to make sure. The purpose of D/C is to help you become sure about what it means to be a Christian and how to live the Christian lifein other
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Confirmation comes from the word confirm, which means to make sure.

words, what it means to be a disciple of Christ. As you go through D/C, you will not only learn more about God, Jesus, and the Bible, youll also learn about yourself, each other, and the Church. Everyone is at a different place on this journey. Some have yet to begin their Christian lives while others have followed Jesus as long as they can rememberyet everyone can still journey together. No matter where you are along the path, D/C will help each of you understand what it means to be a Christian. D/C will help you get to know God through the Bible, help you determine what God wants of you and desires for you, and help you build a strong foundation for your life. If you were baptized as an infant your parents made vows to God on your behalf. For you, D/C can be an opportunity to accept responsibility for your Christian life and affirm the fulfillment of the vows made by your parents. If you were baptized as a believer D/C can help you better understand the faith into which you were baptized. If you have not been baptized D/C can help you understand what the Christian life is about and prepare you to receive the gift of baptism when you are ready. A Strong Foundation One rainy winter, a community in California experienced devastating mud slides. In one neighborhood only one house remained intact. When asked how their house survived when the others had not, owners Juanita and Peter Woo said, Two years ago all of the folks on our block hired a geological engineer to consult with us. We wanted to know if we should build stronger foundations beneath our homes. Though she advised us to strengthen our foundations, she said the odds were against a landslide in the area. Juanita and Peter Woo were the only homeowners in their neighborhood who strengthened the foundation of their home. Their neighbors heard the same advice and took their chances. Two
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years later mud slides destroyed their homes. They had gambled and lost. How we prepare for the mud slides of life makes all the difference in the world. We have to be careful when we choose the materials upon which we build our lives. Jesus gave the greatest example of this in the Sermon on the Mount when he said: Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it wont collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash (Matthew 7:2427, NLT). Both houses in this illustration are built of the same materials, but they are built on different foundations. So when the rain, winds, and floods come, only one will survivethe one built on a firm foundation. Everyone will encounter storms in life. Some will face the

Building Block #1Who is God?

D/C includes statements, called Building Blocks, that explain key elements of the Christian faith. Learning the Building Blocks will give you a tool to understand and explain your faith. God is personal, eternal Spirit, Creator of the universe, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father. Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. Psalm 90:1-2, NLT

storms of peer pressure, or perhaps the storms of family problems. Others might face the storms of worrying about their looks, making the team, or just trying to get by in life. You will face storms. The question is how will you survive them? When you are in a tough situation, where will you turn for guidance? When you are faced with a difficult choice, how will you decide what to do? D/C will help you build such a foundation for life. That foundation is God. As you learn more about God and apply Gods truth to your life, you will find yourself like Juanita and Peter Woo whose home withstood a mud slide. Though lifes devastating storms may pound against you, you will stand. About This JournalTime with God We hope that as you proceed through D/C, this will become your own special journal. Each day take your journal (Time with God section) and Bible and find a quiet place to meet with God. The following four steps will help guide you during this time. Step 1 - Begin with prayer, inviting God to speak to you through his word. Step 2 - Read the Scripture passage and consider what it says. Step 3 - Read the questions in the journal and write a response based on the Scripture. Step 4 - Pray again, asking God to help you remember and practice in your life what you learned from this Scripture reading. During this prayer it would also be appropriate to include your own petitions or requests. The journal provides a place called Prayer and Reflection, for you to write down the things you are praying about. This journal can become your travel diary as you go on your journey. Many prayers are being said on your behalf in the hope that you will experience a warm and caring relationship with
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God, your loved ones, leaders, and friends. When D/C is behind you, we hope you will look back on this time as one of the most meaningful experiences of your entire life.

Time with GodGetting Started

Step 1. Begin with prayer, inviting God to speak to you through his word. Step 2. Read the Scripture and consider what it says. Read Genesis 12:1-5. Step 3. Read the questions in the journal and write a response based on the Scripture. 1) What does God tell Abraham to do and what does God promise to do for Abraham?

2) How would you feel if you were in Abrahams shoes?

Step 4. Pray again, asking God to help you remember and practice in your life what you learned from this Scripture reading. Also, add your own petitions or requests. What is happening in your life that needs prayer? Record your thoughts under Prayer and Reflection on page 8.

All About You

As you begin this journey, start by getting to know each other. Write something about yourself in the blanks below. Share your answers with each other so you can become better acquainted with your fellow travelers. (You do not need to share everything youve written down.) Name: Age: Grade: Birthday:

The thing I like most about school is:

The thing I am most proud of is:

The hobbies or interests I enjoy are:

My favorite music is:

The animal I like best for a pet is:

I like this animal because:

The thing that scares me most is:

Two things I like most about my friends are:

The one thing I hope to learn in D/C is:

Fill in the following blanks to complete this sentence as your prayer: Dear God, as we begin this journey in D/C together, I am... feeling:

hoping:

afraid of:

wondering:

needing:

Prayer and Reflection

Going the Extra MileWho is God?

God Is Spirit God is spirit means God is unseen by the natural eye. In a sense God is like the wind. You cannot see the wind. You can see what the wind doeshow it tosses the branches of the trees, makes your kite soar in the sky, or bends the grass as it moves across the field. You know the wind is there because of what it does. In a similar way you can know that God is near by the things he doesfor God is always acting on our behalf. God Is Everywhere The Church uses the word omnipresent to refer to the fact that God, while unseen, is present everywhere. By this word the Church simply means that God is always near us and that there is no place we can be where God is not. God Is Almighty Omnipotent is the word the Church sometimes uses to express that God is all-powerful. By all-powerful we mean that God can do anything God wants to do. And since God is good and loving as well as almighty, we can be assured that God controls the world so that his purpose will be achieved in the end. Whenever Christians become disturbed about the power of evil in the world, they ought to look to God and shout, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. God Is All-Knowing Omniscient is a big word with a simple meaning, God is allknowing. God knows everything about us, everything good, everything bad and everything in between. And the wonderful thing

about it is that God still cares for us and wants to help us. God Is Holy There are two things the word holy means when we use it related to God. It reminds us first of Gods unspeakable greatness, majesty, and elevation above all created beings. Have you ever been in church and felt yourself very small and humble in Gods presence? Isaiah had such an experience when he came into the Temple and saw a vision of the Lord (Isaiah 6:1-8). It is Gods holiness which awakens this feeling of awe and reverence. The word holiness also leads us to think of the righteousness of Godof his opposition to all evil, hatred of all sin and love for his creation. Have you noticed how closely this is related to the first meaning of holiness? It was when Isaiah felt himself in the presence of the high and majestic Lord that he knew how sinful he was and how great, powerful and all-loving God was. God Is Love Christians have no doubt that God loves them (John 3:16). Why does God love you? It is not because you are attractive or because you are good, although God rejoices in your goodness. Gods love toward you doesnt depend on any of these things, but only on the fact that God cant help loving because thats who God is. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Adapted from According to Thy Word

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