THE LONGEST JOURNEY
FOR THOSE WANTING TO
EXPLORE THE DIFFERENCE
GOD CAN MAKE TO OUR LIVES
This course can be done
one-on-one with a mentor
or in a small group.
THE LONGEST JOURNEY
ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY OF YOUR LIFE
Welcome to the course!
I hope you find it to be the most exciting get-away you’ve taken so far in your
life!
Greg Pearce
Session 1: THE JOURNEY TO A FAR COUNTRY
Put on your seat belt.

To get to know each other, share with one another the most
interesting journey you’ve made.
The aim of this course
In 6 sessions we hope to see:
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How
How
How
How
people search spiritually
far God has journeyed to find us
we can get to know God personally
we can begin to follow where God leads us
It’s an exciting journey once we start to follow Jesus.
Please be sure to ask all your questions.
Ideas about God
Bruce Wilson was a chaplain at a university. He met a neighbour who was a
senior academic. When Bruce said he was a parson, his neighbour began to
tell him that he didn’t believe in God himself.
Bruce said, “I asked him which god he didn’t believe in, saying that if I didn’t
believe in him either we had a lot in common. He described a god who was
like Superman living up above the clouds. Feeling a little put out that he
believed I had come to his suburb to teach such infantile rubbish, I assured
him that, on the basis of such a description, we were both atheists.”

Well, where do we get our ideas about God from?
The Christian God
Read John 1:18.
 Where do Christians get their ideas about God from?
I don’t know what you think of this, but many people say Jesus is like God.
Doesn’t this reading say it something like the other way around: God is like
Jesus?
 What would you be able to say about God if that were true?
We’ll look at one chapter of Jesus’ teaching, Luke 15, and ask:
 What’s God like?
 How does he feel about us?
Read Luke 15:1-2.
 What’s going on here?
Read Luke 15:3-7.
 Can you get a picture about where God’s heart is?
 How does God feel about people?
Read Luke 15:8-10.
 How do you think God feels about you?
Read
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Luke 15:11-32.
Where would you put yourself in this story?
How does God feel about you?
How does it make you feel about God?
Maybe Jesus did more than come to tell us about God.
Maybe he came to introduce us to God.
Can you see the difference?
To finish
One way to finish this session: Say a quiet prayer to God thanking God for
what you have come to know about him.
THE LONGEST JOURNEY
Session 2: WHY JESUS CAME
Put on your seat belt.
 Can you remember when you were sent somewhere to do something?
OR
 Can you remember when you felt as though “I was sent”?
OUR JOURNEY SO FAR
Last session we shared:
 Our own journey
 Where we get our ideas of God
 Jesus as the Christian’s answer
 Jesus telling us that God seeks us!
THE ONE GOD SENT
Jesus spoke of being on a journey with a purpose. He loved to find people
who were lost from a relationship with God.
 In these sentences Jesus speaks about why he came. Can you get
some idea of why he was sent?
John 10: 7-11
and
Luke 4: 18-19
HOW JESUS INTRODUCES US TO GOD
Last time we said that Jesus did not come just to tell us about God, but to
bring us to actually know God.
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Have you thought about what it was like before the universe existed?
Can you put it into words?
Of course it would be difficult to have words for what was not there!
Read John 1:1-5.
Many people struggle to believe that life, the universe and everything
have any meaning or purpose at all. What would you say is the basic
claim made in these verses in John?
Think about the extraordinary phrase “The word was with God, and the
word was God…” What are the main things that a word does?
To take this idea further: YOUR WORDS REVEAL YOU. THEY
COMMUNICATE YOU TO OTHERS. GOD’S WORD COMMUNICATES
HIMSELF.
 List some of the things said about God’s word in John 1:1-5,9-14.
 If God makes himself known in Jesus, what can we say about God?
THE AIM OF JESUS’ JOURNEY
A Christian teacher said, “God has chosen not to be God without us.”
Jesus came not to give us a message (like Mohammed)
Nor a philosophy or a method (like the Buddah)
Nor a moral code (like some preachers)
 Instead he came so that God could give us himself in
relationship (so says John 1:12).
OUR RESPONSE
 Receive Him.
 Try Him out.
 When you feel ready, pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, come into my life.
I receive you and the light you brought into the world.
I will seek to know you
and to follow you
as you show God to me and as I learn more about you.
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I suggest you read one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John).
Jesus was sent so that you could take part in God’s life. When you
learn something about God and your life, thank him and put it into
practice. It’s how we learn.
THE LONGEST JOURNEY
Session 3: JESUS’ JOURNEY TO THE CROSS
Put on your seat belt.
 Can you think of a time when things seemed bad for you, but turned
out for the best?
Background
 God seeks us (session 1) and wants to come into our lives (session 2)
 We’ve been invited to receive Jesus and let him be fully central in our
lives.
BUT HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY LET GOD INTO OUR LIVES?
 Well, what’s your answer to this question: Do we see human beings
really wanting a relationship with God?
 You get a really profound picture of human life and our purpose from
the Bible. What can you make of God’s plans for human life from
these verses? Ask how humans feel about God, especially in the last
reading.
Genesis 1:27-28
Genesis 2:15-17
Genesis 3:1-7
You don’t have to see this as historical, about one man and woman at
one time, to get the point: it could be about you and God! Could it,
in any way?
 Now check Romans 3:23.
Does it connect with what we’ve been saying?
You’ll notice from the following verse (verse 24) why Paul bothered to
write it: he was not writing us off as hopeless where God is concerned!
WHY MAKE SO MUCH OF THE CROSS?
Cicero, the Roman politician of Biblical times, called the cross: “The most
cruel and hideous form of punishment…Far be the very name of a cross, not
only from the body, but even the thought, the eyes, the ears of Roman
citizens.”
 It was not a pretty piece of jewellery!
 It was the fate of a rejected criminal, hung up as a public example.
 It was scandalous to Jews too: see what you make of Galatians 3:13.
THE JOURNEY
How do you feel as you read about Jesus going to the cross?
 Read Mark 15:16-37 and share your feelings as you read it. Do this by
saying aloud what you feel as soon as you feel it.
 If Jesus came from God and came to share our life so that we could
share God’s life: Why do you think Jesus took this journey to the
cross?
THE SIGNIFICANCE
The meaning of Jesus’ cross is far beyond our understanding, but here is a
start! Jesus came to share more than our lives: he came to share our deaths.
Roy Thompson was an old man from Pt. Adelaide when I knew him. He gave
me a wooden cross he had made. It meant so much to him because he was
a soldier in France in World War 1. With so much suffering around them,
other soldiers said (and so did he), “Where’s God? He doesn’t understand our
suffering. He can’t let this happen.”
Roy wondered if he could believe anymore. Then he was told of a soldier
who was hit by a bullet and fell under a stone cross built into the stone
fences. The dying soldier looked up in his fear and pain, saw the cross,
recognised the suffering of the young man Jesus, who had come from God,
and said, “You, too, Lord Jesus.”
IN OUR PLACE
The cross was a terrible rejection. It happened to Jesus, but it has
completely changed things for us. From the moment we realise Jesus took
our place on the cross, and then trust him, we are at peace with God.
 Put the idea of 2 Corinthians 5:21 into your own words.
Think of everything that separates you from God. It is a heavy burden. It
is now placed upon Jesus. He has borne it all, and removed it from you. He
has suffered your death, your lostness from God. He made that his own.
Now you are free for God!
COMING TO GOD
When you fail or remember past failures, you may have trouble accepting
yourself.
 Declare: God loves me as his child right now. I do not have to fix
myself.
 God is not rejecting me. Jesus has been rejected instead of me.
 I can freely run to God without any fear and tell him of all my past
failures. If I feel guilty or ashamed, if I do something wrong, I can tell
him all.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I think, do and say wrong things. I’m sorry. Jesus, you
have taken away all my wrongs and so I let go of them now. Thank you for
taking my failure and giving me your life. I accept your forgiveness and
freedom now. Amen. (It is helpful if you can tell God about your specific
wrongs, fear, and failures.)
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Declare: Because Jesus has died to take away all the wrongs
of the world, that includes all of mine! Anything that is not
agreeing with God accepting, loving and including me, be
silent now in the name of Jesus.
THE LONGEST JOURNEY
Session 4: THE JOURNEY TO LIFE!
Put on your seat belt.
 Tell about some time when you said, “I’ve been given a new lease of
life.”
WHEN DEATH MET ITS MATCH
We’ve looked at how Jesus died: how awful it was, yet how wonderful, even
beautiful it is for Christians. George Herbert wrote:
“Love is that liquor, sweet and most divine,
Which my God tastes as blood and I as wine.”
Now we see God differently
 Jesus makes God known
 God was “in Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 5:19; see also verse 17) reconciling
the world to himself
 So God was suffering for us
 Not when we were at our best, but at our worst
 God was setting us free!
Or did something have to happen yet for all this to be really true?
MEETING JESUS, RISEN FROM THE DEAD
Read John 20:1-2.
 What moods would Mary be feeling?
 What would she and the disciples expect the journey of their lives to
be about now?
Read John 20: 3-10.
Ask the same questions of this section:
 The moods of the disciples
 Their expectations about the future
Read John 20:11-18.
 Ask the same questions of Mary here; then imagine what she would
begin to plan as the most important thing in her life.
Read John 20: 19-23.
 What do you imagine the disciples will be wanting to do and say into
the future? What’s so special about the forgiveness of sin?
Read John 20:24-29.
 Some people think: When you’re dead, you’re dead. Others think
you’re reincarnated. Others think your body dies and your soul lives
on somewhere (like heaven). What do you think Thomas thought
before he saw Jesus again?
 What did he think about Jesus now?
 Now what did he most likely think will happen when we die?
SO WHAT’S THAT GOT TO DO WITH ME?
Robin Mann wrote a song which includes the words:
“Our death is gone,
Our death is gone,
There’s only life still to come,
But I hope to meet you all in heaven,
I’m going there. “
He’s saying that Jesus’ death has been for us, so our death is in the past.
Jesus’ resurrection has been for us, so we can look forward to on-going life
with him. Whatever heaven is, it will get better and better. In fact you could
think of it as our life renewed by participating in Jesus’ resurrection.
Check out Galatians 2:19-20.
 Try to put in your own words what this says about the Christian.
Read Revelation 3:20.
 It’s said to a wayward church. Can you see Jesus saying anything like
this to you?
PRAYER
Finish by saying to Jesus exactly what you want to say.
Then quietly listen to what you think he is saying to you.
THE LONGEST JOURNEY
Session 5: THE JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
Put on your seat belt.
 If someone said,“ How do you become a Christian?”, what would you
say?
SO FAR
In the course this far we have seen that Jesus:
 Came from the Father
 To participate in our life
 To make himself responsible for us, to the point of his death
 So that we could participate with him in his relationship with the
Father.
They used to say:
“The Son of God became a man that men may become the sons of God.”
Now we’d say:
“…that we may become the sons and daughters of God.”
ONE ATTEMPT TO DEFINE A CHRISTIAN
Here’s one way I would put it:
“ A Christian is one who participates with Jesus in his relationship with the
Father, and in his relationship with the world.”
I see
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that it’s about restored relationship:
With God
With others
With ourselves
With the very environment in which we live
BUT HOW?
The New Testament is clear: we participate with Jesus through the Holy
Spirit – God at work in our lives. The Spirit is sent by Jesus to make Jesus
and all he has done real and present to us. He’s as real to us today as he
was with his first followers.
Read
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Romans 8:12-17.
What does the Holy Spirit do here?
Can you list what we are promised if we are led by the Spirit?
In your own words what would you say the Holy Spirit is like (drawing
your information from this passage)?
Read Romans 8:18-25.
 Would you say the Christian life is plain sailing once you invite the
Holy Spirit into your life?
 How much do you know about the sufferings Christians face today?
 Why do you think Paul wrote this section?
Read Romans 8:26-27.
 Do you think you know what experience Paul is talking about?
 Have you tried that hard to pray?
Read Romans 8:28-39.
You won’t understand everything at a first reading, but a lot of it brings
together things we have read in previous studies and shows how what the
Father did for us through Jesus is now made real for us by the Holy Spirit.
That’s God in God’s fullness – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a rich relationship,
in full-on commitment to us!
There’s a list of really distressing challenges and experiences here. If you
answer the following questions, you’ll see how the Christian gets through:
 What has God done for us?
 What is God doing for us?
 What is God promising us?
PUTTING IT INTO OUR LIVES
As you think about what you’ve learned, focus on the statement below that
comes closest to what you would want to say. Share why that is:
 I’ve got a new outlook on life as a Christian: it’s life in the Spirit.
Or
 Trusting God in difficult situations means that his Spirit helps me get
through the same sorts of things Jesus went through.
Or
 Calling God “Father” has never meant so much to me – it’s what Jesus
did, and I can do it through my relationship with Jesus.
Or
 I feel I know God more completely now that we’ve considered Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.
Or
 I think I’ve learned an important lesson about finding strength for life’s
journey.
PRAYER
Jesus promised that if we ask, God will give us His Spirit, Luke 11:13.
In previous prayers you have learned to pray to follow Jesus, to trust Jesus as
your saviour and to thank him.
Now quietly pray for his Spirit to fill you.
When you have spent as long as you need, thank him, and trust the Father to
keep his promise.
THE LONGEST JOURNEY
Session 6: TRAVELLING IN COMPANY
Put on your seat belt.
 Have you learned to ride a bike? What was the most important thing
to do?
RELATIONSHIP IS THE HEART OF IT ALL
It’s worth realising that when we talk about a relationship with God,
Christians have been blown away to discover that God already lives in a rich,
full relationship just by being God!
 What can you learn about the relationship of Father, Son and Holy
Spirit from even these few verses:
Matthew 11:27
Mark 1:9-11
John 16:12-16
(Notice that the same verses that tell us who God is as the Triune God
also tell us that God is utterly committed to us – eg., Jesus was even
baptised among common sinners as though he was making our sins his
own.)
A LIVING RELATIONSHIP
All we talk about in this session is about living in relationship with God. These
are not simply religious exercises, or rules. They are ways God nourishes his
children. Reading the Bible, for example, helps us keep in touch with God’s
very character by steeping ourselves in what he has done. Praying is simply
speaking and listening to God. The following exercise (on the next page) is a
way you can do this daily. To do this at home, you would find a quiet place
that suits you and a time when you are alert and can be fairly sure you won’t
be interrupted.
THE SOAP METHOD
For this example we will use a reading from Acts 2:37-47.
You will normally need a notebook to jot down your thoughts.
S = scripture
As you read the passage, ask God to show
you what he wants you to take note of. Jot
down the verse that stands out to you, that
seems to have a special message from God
for you. It may challenge, encourage,
enlighten, intrigue – but it will arrest you in
some way.
O = observation
Write a brief note on what you observe as you
look at this verse. What do you think the
writer was wanting to say to the readers
when it was written? Notice how it relates to
the whole context.
A = application
Now think about your own life. How does this
apply to you? What do you think God may be
saying to you and your daily concerns? Make
a brief note.
P = prayer
In this process above you have been seeking
to listen to God. Come before God in the light
of what you have heard God say to you and
write a sentence prayer. Seek to pray it and
to let it lead you into further prayer, listening
to God, speaking to God.
To help you find a balanced diet of readings, look for daily reading guides at a
Christian book shop. Scripture Union provide a great choice.
IN IT TOGETHER
You may have chosen verses picking up a number of themes from that
passage. It shows us an exciting picture of the early Christian movement.
We’ve touched already on the value of:
 PRAYER
 BIBLE READING The message about Jesus, the preaching of the
apostles -- what we have recorded for us in the Bible.
Three other aspects of the Christian life from this passage are also worth
exploring:
COMMUNITY
You may have noticed the great sense of community these early Christians
demonstrated.
 Would you describe what you see here as more like a club or a
movement?
 What would you look for in a church you would like to be part of?
(Later, check out Mark 10:29-30.)
CHANGED LIFE-STYLE
 What do you notice about the life-style of this community?
 As far as you can see, what does this have to do with their faith in
Jesus?
 From your knowledge of Jesus, how do you think he wants to affect
your life-style? (Later, check out Romans 12.)
ATTRACTING OTHERS
There was a real attractiveness about this community. Others joined in
droves.
 Why would that be?
 Do you have ideas about how you would attract others to what you
have found through your relationship with Jesus?
KEEP MOVING!
The most exciting journey is the one you are on when you follow Jesus. All
these areas are part of the deal. It ‘s all about living this wonderful life we
have been given in a renewed relationship with God through Jesus, in
restored relationship with others through Jesus, in a new relationship even
with ourselves through Jesus.
THE LONGEST JOURNEY
Session 7: SACRAMENTS: ON OUR WAY TO THE FINAL
INHERITANCE OF THE KINGDOM
There are two sacraments that celebrate and strengthen our faith:
baptism, that marks our joining in all that Christ has done for us;
Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, that Christ feeds us on our way.
Each of them puts the Gospel into an action, so that if you understand the
sacrament, you have understood the Gospel.
BAPTISM (washing/dipping/submerging)
 Read Mark 1:4-5.
Why was John baptising people?
 Read Mark 1:7-8.
What do you think this is about?
 Read Mark 1:9-11.
Why should Jesus have been baptised if he was not a sinner?
A Christian is called “in Christ” in a number of passages (it occurs often in
Ephesians 1 -- check it out later). This means, at least, that what Jesus did
for us can be applied to us, since we are joined to him. Our baptism is a
sign of this.
 See if you can explain how Galatians 2:20 would show that you are
“in Christ”.
 Now follow on by doing the same with Romans 6:3-4.
 Thirdly, read Acts 2:37-39. How does this add to the picture of
what it means to be “in Christ”?
So, what about baptism?
Martin Luther used to say, “Remember your baptism.” Most people couldn’t –
they were baptised as babies. But he meant remember all it means, all that
Christ has done for you.
If you have been baptised (say as a baby, or earlier in your life) and you now
wish to confirm or celebrate your faith, ask your minister for the opportunity
to do that. It could be that you are ready for confirmation, or that you wish
to re-affirm your baptism, give thanks to God, and have your friends and
church celebrate with you.
If you have never been baptised and you now believe in Jesus, ask your
minister about baptism. It’s one of the great days of your life.
HOLY COMMUNION
If you want to keep growing as a Christian, don’t neglect joining in the
communion service. Seek to join in as often as you can. You will normally be
asked to reflect and confess your sins, not because you can confess them all,
but because God wants to remind us that he has set us free. Martin Luther
said:
 “The best preparation is a soul troubled by sins, death, and temptation
and hungering for healing and strength.”
 How do you react to this?
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Read Matthew 26:26-29.
If our statement is true that the sacrament puts the Gospel into an
action, take this phrase by phrase, and say how this action expresses
the Gospel.
Now what do you see as the benefit that comes to us by doing what
Jesus told us to and joining in the communion?
So: the Gospel in an action?
If you have time to let your mind go free (you will need more time than you
get in this session), try the question below: it will really put you on your way
to being a theologian!
 Skip back over Sessions 1 – 6, and see how many of the themes we
looked at are summed up in the two sacraments.