What does a Second do?

What does a Second do? In other words, what does a follower of Jesus do?  What are the basics of being a disciple?  Here’s the list we use to develop I am Second tools, training and technology. These are the traits people will develop as they progress through the I am Second discipleship process:

1. Has put faith in Jesus as Savior.
2. Is baptized.
3. Studies and obeys the Bible (everything else flows from this!).  Can do this by himself.  Is “self feeding.”
4. Prays like Jesus taught.
5. Leads others to believe in Jesus.
6. Makes disciples.
7. Can endure hard times.
8. Lives in genuine community with other believers.
9. Puts God and others first.
10. Understands and practices the Lord’s supper.
11. Is a generous giver.
12. Participates in local and global missions.

What do you think about this list?  What would you add?  Subtract?  Change?  

Do you have a process for developing these characteristics yourself?  A process for helping others develop into this kind of follower of Jesus?  Not just knowledge, but actually doing, living, thinking, acting like this?

More later on the discipleship process that is embedded in the I am Second small group curriculum.

Help Developing Healthy Spiritual Habits

New Year’s Resolutions.  Fail.

“I’ll pray for you.” Fail.

“Yes, Lord, I’m gonna . . . .”  Fail.

Want to get past making commitments you can’t seem to keep? Want to develop healthy habits of helping people?  Take I am Second’s [22]  Day Challenge. 

Sign up here.  You’ll get an email every day for 22 days.  It will have one of the I am Second films to watch.  As you watch it, think about who you know that needs the encouragement in that film.  Then forward it to them.  

There’s also a daily challenge to take a Jesus step that is prompted by the film.  

The [22]DC is patient with you, too. If you don’t have time to open the email . . . it waits.  We all have those days when we’re pressed for time, so it gives you a break.  If you haven’t gotten to it in 3 days, it sends you a reminder.  It waits until you restart it by viewing a film.

People say that it takes 3 weeks to develop a new habit.  Take the Challenge.  Develop a new habit of thinking about how to bless someone else each day.

Looking for something to get your church all on the same page? Lead a youth group?  Host a small group?  Have a Second group?  Challenge everyone to take the Challenge with you.  It’s more fun to do it with friends.


Here's what others are saying:

• "I loved the challenges. I reconciled with a dear old friend that we were not on speaking terms for the past 7 years. It lightened my heart and had a very positive outcome." 

• "It brought our middle school and high school youth groups together to FOCUS on Him by focusing ON OTHERS.... and making self be Second! My husband and I have done youth ministry for 20 years and found this top notch and top quality as well as inspiring!"

• "Challenges led me to be active in my faith." 

• "The films get you out of your comfort zone and remind me that beyond the smile there might be a hurting person."

Click here to sign up for the [22] Day Challenge.  

How to Get Your Prayers Past the Ceiling

Do your prayers seem to hit the ceiling and bounce back in your face? Like a bad basketball shot--nothing but air?

Are you tired of muttering ineffective “Lord, thank you for this day, please gimme“ prayers?

Jesus taught us how to pray. It’s simple, but for some reason many of us don’t do it His way. We get into prayer habits based on what others say, not what Jesus taught. We get terribly out of balance. Usually focusing a lot more on the ask part than the worship, surrender and repent parts. Out of balance like this poor creature.

From http://www.emconsulting.net/images/Donkey%20Carried%20by%20the%20Cart.png

So we came up with a simple reminder how to pray like Jesus told us. You use your hand as a prompt. The palm and each finger each remind you of the parts of the “Our Father” model prayer Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:9-14.

It's really easy. Palm reminds us of our relationship ("Our Father").  Thumbs up is worship ("who is in heaven, holy is Your name").  Etc.

Here’s a diagram to help visualize this.

Click here to watch short film about how easy this is, and how to teach it to others.

Want to learn more?  Click here to download free "Second Start" discussion guide.

3 Common Traits of Youth Who Don’t Leave the Church* Part 3

*This is the intriguing title of a recent blog High School Pastor Jon Neilson wrote about youth that have stayed engaged in ministry past high school.  

As I mentioned in the first two parts of this series, Jon’s article has challenged us on how I am Second can help youth keep living like Jesus after they leave home.  Here is Jon’s third point, with some thoughts about how to use I am Second to meet this need.

3.  Their parents lived the Gospel at home.  Here is Jon’s challenge for parents:

“This is not a formula! Kids from wonderful gospel-centered homes leave the church; people from messed-up family backgrounds find eternal life in Jesus and have beautiful marriages and families. But it’s also not a crap-shoot. In general, children who are led in their faith during their growing-up years by parents who love Jesus vibrantly, serve their church actively, and saturate their home with the gospel completely, grow up to love Jesus and the church.”

Jesus said “if you love me, you will obey my commands.” Unfortunately, too many times we focus on feeding people more knowledge, rather than obeying what they have learned.  Barna research discovered that only about 5% of US church goers said their church holds them accountable for integrating biblical beliefs and values into their life.  

As someone once said, “we have been educated beyond our obedience.”

I am Second group materials are obedience based, not just knowledge-focused.  At the end of each session, people are challenged to commit to what they are going to do to obey what they just learned.  And who they are going to tell.  Then report back to the group at the next meeting.

Families can go use I am Second materials together.  As they do, they all will be challenged to obey what Jesus taught. Parents will model to their kids the challenges, and the joys, of loving Jesus by obeying what He taught.

Want to talk more with our student ministry coaches?  Email us at contact@iamsecond.com.  

Click here to read Part 1 of this series.  Here to read Part 2.

Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

3 Common Traits of Youth Who Don’t Leave the Church* Part 2

*This is the intriguing title of a recent blog High School Pastor Jon Neilson wrote about youth that have stayed engaged in ministry past high school.

As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, Jon’s article has challenged us on how I am Second can help youth keep living like Jesus after they leave home. Here is Jon’s second point, with some thoughts about how to use I am Second to meet this need.

2. They have been equipped, not entertained. Jon’s words are convicting:

"Are we sending out from our ministries the kind of students who will show up to college in a different state, join a church, and begin doing the work of gospel ministry there without ever being asked? Are we equipping them to that end, or are we merely giving them a good time while they’re with us?"

Challenge:  how to equip students and give them opportunities to really lead?

How can I am Second help?

Here's a couple examples of what can happen in your youth group.  One of our coaches trained five students.  By the end of the semester their one Second group multiplied to 10 groups with over 100 attending each Friday morning at 7:15 am in the high school field house. A Christian club on another high school campus learned how to lead Second groups. In less than a month the 10 trained leaders had more than 120 fellow students in their groups at school. Because the groups grew so big so fast, they quickly learned the importance of constantly developing new leaders by allowing them to help lead the groups.

Here is a diagram of the discipleship process embedded into the I am Second core curriculum.

This discipleship process turns spectators into soldiers. The Second group materials give students an opportunity to step out and lead. Second group participants are encouraged to tell others what they are learning, then start their own groups to cover material they already have learned . . . and obeyed.

This process is embedded in the discussion guides available here. First pick one of the evangelistic Bible studies (the box that says “How to Become Second”). Then take the booklets in order from 1 to 11. Your group will go through all the parts of this discipleship process. Or you can skip around--each booklet is self-contained--if you have particular topics you want to hit first.

Click here to read Part 1 of this series.

Want to talk more with our student ministry coaches? Email us at contact@iamsecond.com.

Give us your feedback. Leave a comment below.

3 Common Traits of Youth Who Don’t Leave the Church* Part 1

*This is the intriguing title of a recent blog High School Pastor Jon Neilson wrote about youth that have stayed engaged in ministry past high school. 

It has challenged us on how I am Second can be used to help youth keep living like Jesus after they leave home. Here is Jon’s first point, with some thoughts about how to use I am Second to meet this need.  I'll comment on his other two points in later posts.

1. They really have trusted Jesus. Here is Jon’s challenge:

“We need to stop talking about 'good kids.' We need to stop being pleased with attendance at youth group and fun retreats. We need to start getting on our knees and praying that the Holy Spirit will do miraculous saving work in the hearts of our students as the Word of God speaks to them. In short, we need to get back to a focus on conversion. How many of us are preaching to ‘unconverted evangelicals’?"

Challenge: students in church actually have put their faith in Christ.

How can I am Second help? 

I am Second group materials focus first on helping people put their faith in Jesus. The “Identity & Truth” discussion guide is one example. It is a semester long study of topics like self image, money, rejection and approval that leads students to the truth that a relationship with Christ is the answer to these struggles. Students are attracted by the authenticity of the I am Second films, then discuss how Jesus interacted with Bible characters with similar issues.

Also, there are discussion guides to help students reach their friends with the story of Jesus. "How to Start a Second Group" helps them pray and plan how to start a group with their friends. "What’s First?" is another guide that helps them develop their own story of how Jesus has , then share it with others.

Check out these and other small group resources at iamsecond.com/groups.

If you'd like to talk with one of our student ministry coaches, click here to contact us.

Next post we'll look at Jon's second point.