EXTRA supports the group plans in the Bible Studies for Life leader guides. Date: April 28, 2024 Growing in Christ The Point: We should encourage and help one another grow in Christ. Get Into the Study After reading and discussing “The Bible Meets Life,” share the following. American Christians say they are interested in discipleship. But for many, interest does not translate into being discipled or helping others grow in their faith, according to research from the Barna Group. Nearly half of U.S. believers (45%) say their relationship with Jesus brings deep joy and satisfaction, a Barna survey found. Nearly as many (41%) say their relationship with Jesus impacts the way they live daily. Yet despite the professed enthusiasm for growing in Christ, 39 percent of believers are neither being discipled nor helping to disciple anyone else. Just 28 percent are both being discipled and discipling others. What’s holding Christians back from maturing in their faith? It isn’t lack of time. Just 7 percent who are not in a discipleship relationship says the problem is lack of time. Interestingly, those most likely to say they struggle with time for discipleship are those already doing it. Fifty-four percent of those discipling others and being discipled say they struggle to find time for community with other believers amid life’s busyness. Only 40 percent of those not engaged in discipleship say the same. The Barna Group concludes, “The decisive factor is not who has the hours in the day, but who is willing to creatively commit from the hours they do have to growing in their faith and becoming qualified or equipped to help others grow, too.” This reality should encourage us to help one another grow in Christ. Are Christians Too Busy for Discipleship Community? – Barna Group Study the Bible As you discuss question 5 (point 3 on p. 97 of the Daily Discipleship Guide), share the following. Sarah has adopted a simple method for discipling cultural Christians in Poland: read the Bible with them. When she arrived in Poland as a journeyman missionary with the International Mission Board, she found many people who claimed to be Christians. They went to church occasionally, esteemed Jesus, and even wore cross jewelry. But they were stumped when Sarah asked, “Why did Jesus die?” “I didn’t really know what to do,” Sarah said. She didn’t want to alienate them, but she wanted them to know Christ. Finally, she decided to try a tactic she had utilized back home in Kentucky when she was a college student. “To say you’re a Christian, that means you believe what’s in the Bible. So let’s see what’s in the Bible,” Sarah told her friends. Some of them agreed to try it. Currently, Sarah reads the Bible with several young adults in Poland, helping them understand the context and not skipping any verses or chapters. She also helps them understand how to apply the Bible t...