35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Today’s session is particularly long. We suggest keeping Looking Back brief and eliminating one or two activities in Looking Up. You can use the link to Seven Personas and mention to look at this more in depth on their own.
If in a large group setting, choose a new facilitator in each small group who will guide the small group discussion.
If someone’s needs demand more attention during this time, set a time after the meeting to help meet those needs.
Cast vision for who they can become in Christ or what God can do through them.
For example: God has provided the resource we need to walk with Him and the power we need to live a fruitful life. As we seek to be people who are keeping in step with the Spirit, not only will our lives change, but we will be used by God to change the lives of people around us. Let’s keep encouraging each other to walk in the Spirit.
Use the CoJourner paradigm to show the four roles. Provide copies of this slide as a visual at in-person groups if possible.
A CoJourner is one who joins others on their spiritual journey. This paradigm is introduced at the Becoming a CoJourner workshop. There are four roles:
These are the four word-pictures showing the four roles that make up a CoJourner. There is a logical connection between each role, but not a chronological one. In other words, though you always begin as an Explorer, what role you move to next is determined by what you discover. But, seeing and understanding these roles will allow you to engage appropriately in anyone’s journey. In fact, we will play different roles with different people. In this session we will look at the first role of Explorer.
The two main skills of an Explorer are to listen and ask good questions
1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4 Now he had to go through Samaria.5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
There are two main skills that we need as an Explorer: listening and asking good questions. Of course Jesus was aware of people’s spiritual condition, but He still practiced the art of asking questions that would reveal where they were, what they valued, what they believed, what they hoped for, and what they found purpose in.
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Give group time to respond — I like these two,
The Explorer asks good questions, listens for felt needs, and reflects care by meeting the needs of people in his/her network.
Asking people for their prayer requests, while caring for their needs, makes Jesus a little more real to them and brings Him into the center of your relationship with them.
Everyone is on a spiritual journey. God is already at work as the Lord of the Harvest in each person’s life. He wants to use you mightily. As a CoJourner you can join them on their journey! You will be encouraged by another's faith in Christ. You may also have your faith formed more deeply by another's questions, doubts, or objections.
● See “ The Art of Transitioning from Explorer to Guide ” in the Appendix.
In this Appendix we’ll discover how to express curiosity even about another's faith. For example, you can ask about a holiday or piece of religious art they have displayed. "What's the significance of ______, if you don't mind me asking?” Let’s look at “The Art of Transitioning from Explorer to Guide.”
— Ask participants to look over the conversation starters, circle their favorite two questions, and share them with the group.
— Next, have participants partner up and ask a few of these questions with each other and practice good listening skills. For instance, practice follow-up questions that: Invite more discussion for exploring and discovering where they are spiritually ("Tell me more about that."); Ask Permission (“Can I ask you more about___?”); Give Feedback ("What I hear you saying is___.”)
(The rest of the examples of conversations in the appendix could be done on their own for further study.) Discuss simple skills in asking good questions. Highlight the need to listen well.
Don’t worry about encountering questions that you can’t answer. The best way to end an Explore conversation is, “I’ve really enjoyed hearing your perspective and experiences. Could we talk more about this sometime?” Or “That’s a great question you brought up, and I’m not completely sure how I’d answer. Could I get back with you about that?”
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