Church Covenant Bible Study Series

Baptist Church of All Nations – Church Covenant Course

Nine-Week Study Summer Series Plan: July 5 – August 30

Course Overview

Week 1: Introductory Session

Church Theme 2026: Faithful Stewardship   |   Thematic Verse: Mat. 25:21

Session Scriptures: Mat. 25:21 • Eph. 4:11-16 • Rom. 10:9-11

Related Bible Character: Jesus

Covenant Reference: See Covenant Document (Introductory Session: no assigned paragraphs)

Narrative: Jesus in Gethsemane

(based upon Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-44)

Context

It was the night before the cross. Jesus had just shared the Passover meal with His twelve disciples — the meal we now remember through communion — and told them plainly that one of them would betray Him, that Peter would deny Him, and that His hour had come. From the upper room, they walked together to a garden called Gethsemane, at the base of the Mount of Olives, a place Jesus often went to pray. He knew what the next hours would bring: arrest, false trial, and death. He did not walk into it unaware. He walked into it with open eyes.

What Happened

Jesus brought Peter, James, and John deeper into the garden, telling them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death; stay here and watch with Me.” Then He went a little farther, fell facedown, and prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

He returned to find the three disciples asleep. “Could you not watch with Me one hour?” He asked. “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time, and a third, praying the same words. Luke records that His anguish was so great that His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground, and that an angel appeared to strengthen Him.

Each time, He returned to the same sleeping friends. He did not walk away from them, and He did not walk away from what the Father had asked of Him. When He finished praying the third time, He woke the disciples one final time: “Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” The soldiers were already approaching, torches lighting the dark garden. What began in the quiet dread of prayer would end, that same night, in arrest — the first step of a path Jesus had already chosen, alone, on His knees, hours before anyone came to take Him.

Connection to Session Theme (let’s read together)

Faithful service begins on our knees, in the same surrendered prayer Jesus prayed first: not my will, but Yours.

Discussion Questions

1. Both the Old and New Testaments use the word “covenant” — Jeremiah 32:40 describes God’s promise as an “everlasting covenant,” while 1 Corinthians 11:25 has Jesus calling the cup at the Last Supper “the new covenant in My blood.” What’s the same about how these two passages use the word, and what feels different about “everlasting” versus “new”?

2. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed “not as I will, but as You will” before anyone came to arrest Him. What does it tell us that His surrender happened in private, alone, hours before the public test came?

3. Ephesians 4:11-16 describes the church as a body that grows and builds itself up “as each part does its work.” What’s one way you hope to contribute to this church family, even before you’ve become a member?

4. In Gethsemane, Jesus modeled the posture of a servant fully submitted to His Master’s will. Matthew 25:21 promises “well done, good and faithful servant” to those found faithful. What would it look like for you to be more motivated by hearing those words from the Master than by anything this world offers?

5. If Jesus, who was without sin, needed to pray earnestly before facing what was ahead of Him, what does that suggest about our own need for prayer before facing hard obedience?

6. Jesus went to the same familiar place — the Mount of Olives — to pray, so much so that Judas knew exactly where to find Him. What are the “familiar places” in your own life where you consistently meet with God?

7. What made you decide to take this class? What are you hoping to walk away with after nine weeks?

Week 2: Our Call and Confession

Session Scriptures: Luke 9:23-26 • II Cor. 5:17 • Rom. 10:9-11 • Eph. 3:20 • Matt. 28:19-20 • Rom. 6:4

Related Bible Character: Paul

Covenant Reference: See Covenant Document (Paragraphs 1–2)

Narrative: Paul on the Road to Damascus

(based upon Acts 9:1-22)

Context

Before he was Paul, he was Saul: a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel, zealous for the traditions of his fathers, and utterly convinced that the growing movement of Jesus followers was a threat to be crushed. Scripture says he was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” He had stood by, approving, at the stoning of Stephen. Now he had asked the high priest for letters authorizing him to travel to Damascus, find any who belonged to “the Way,” and drag them back to Jerusalem in chains.

What Happened

As Saul neared Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” “Who are You, Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” came the answer. “Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Saul rose, but he could not see. The men traveling with him led him by the hand into Damascus, where he sat blind for three days, neither eating nor drinking, only praying. God then sent a disciple named Ananias, who was understandably afraid of the man who had come to arrest people like him. But the Lord told him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine.” Ananias obeyed, laid his hands on Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus… has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He could see again. He rose at once and was baptized. Then, without delay, he entered the synagogues and began proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God: astonishing everyone who heard him, since they knew exactly who he had been just days before.

Connection to Session Theme

On the Damascus road, Christ’s call reached Saul first: his confession, in the water and in the synagogue, followed close behind.

Discussion Questions

Week 2: Our Call and Confession

1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says anyone in Christ is “a new creation; old things have passed away.” Saul’s name, mission, and direction all changed after Damascus. What is one “old thing” in your life you sense God is asking you to let go of as you enter this covenant?

2. Paul was blind for three days before Ananias came to restore his sight and baptize him. Why do you think God included that waiting period rather than restoring Paul’s sight immediately?

3. Ananias was afraid to go to Saul, yet he obeyed anyway. Has God ever asked you to extend trust or welcome to someone who felt risky or unsafe to approach?

4. Romans 6:4 connects baptism with being raised to “walk in newness of life.” How does this session’s covenant paragraph (¶1-2) echo that same idea of publicly renewing a commitment already made in the heart?

5. Ephesians 3:20 speaks of God who is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Where in your own story has God done something bigger than what you originally asked for or expected?

6. Matthew 28:19-20 is the Great Commission: go, baptize, teach. Paul began fulfilling this almost immediately after his own baptism, preaching in the very synagogues he’d once threatened to raid. What holds most people back from speaking about their faith as quickly as Paul did?

7. This session’s theme is “Our Call and Confession.” Which word feels more challenging in your own walk right now: living out God’s call on your life, or confessing your faith openly to others? Why?

Week 3: Our Common Life Together: Fellowship, Worship, and Accountability

Session Scriptures: Acts 2:41-42, 47 • Eph. 4:11-16 • Psalm 119:133 • 2 Tim. 3:16-17 • I Cor. 11:23-28 • Heb. 10:24-25

Related Bible Character: Barnabas

Covenant Reference: See Covenant Document, Paragraphs 3–4

Narrative: Barnabas, Son of Encouragement

(based upon Acts 4:36-37; 9:26-28)

Context

In the earliest days of the church, believers held everything in common. Those who owned land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds to the apostles, so that no one among them had need. Scripture introduces one man by name out of this larger movement: a Levite from Cyprus named Joseph, whom the apostles nicknamed Barnabas, meaning “son of encouragement.” That name would come to define him.

What Happened

Barnabas owned a field. He sold it, and instead of keeping any portion for himself, he brought the entire sum and laid it at the apostles’ feet, to be used for the good of the whole fellowship. It was not a public performance: it was simply how Barnabas understood faithful stewardship. The field, the money it brought, none of it had ever truly been his to keep. It belonged to the Lord, and because he knew that truth, it was free for God to use through the hands of the church.

Years later, Barnabas’s faithfulness took a different shape. Saul of Tarsus, the former persecutor of the church, arrived in Jerusalem attempting to join the disciples. Every one of them was afraid of him, certain his conversion was a trick. Barnabas alone stepped forward. He took Saul, brought him to the apostles, and described how Saul had seen the Lord on the Damascus road and had since preached boldly in Jesus’ name. On the strength of that vouching, the door that fear had shut was opened. Saul was received, and moved freely among the believers in Jerusalem from that day on.

Neither act cost Barnabas nothing. Selling the field meant real financial loss, land he could never reclaim. Vouching for Saul meant risking his own standing among people who had every reason to distrust the man he was defending; if Saul had proven false, that judgment would have fallen on Barnabas too. Faithful stewardship, for Barnabas, was rarely safe. It asked him to release what he could not get back and to stake his name on someone he could not fully guarantee, trusting that the same Lord who owned the field also held Saul’s heart.

Connection to Session Theme  

Barnabas reminds us that faithful stewardship is often risky stewardship: releasing what we cannot reclaim and staking our name on what we cannot guarantee, trusting it to the Lord who owns it all.

Discussion Questions

1. Acts 2:42 says the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. Which of these four feels most natural to you, and which feels more like a spiritual discipline you have to practice?

2. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us not to neglect meeting together, but to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” How is that different from just showing up to church out of habit?

3. This session’s covenant paragraphs (3–4) speak of a “common life characterized by Christ’s love” and holding “one another accountable in pursuit of spiritual maturity.” What does healthy accountability look like to you?

4. Psalm 119:133 asks God to “order my steps in Your word.” How does regularly engaging with Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17) actually shape the everyday decisions we make, not just our beliefs?

5. 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 calls us to examine ourselves before taking communion. Why do you think God asks for self-examination before we come to the table with others?

6. Ephesians 4:15-16 describes the church growing “as each part does its work.” What is one gift, skill, or resource God has given you that you sense He wants you to steward for this church family?

7. Barnabas’s faithfulness cost him something both times: financially and reputationally. This week, where might faithful stewardship require you to risk something you’d rather protect?

Week 4: Stewardship and Generosity

Church Theme 2026: Faithful Stewardship   |   Thematic Verse: Mat. 25:21

Session Scriptures: Mat. 25:21 • I Cor. 15:10 • Rom. 8:28

• I Cor. 9:22 • Phil. 3:12  • I Cor. 16:1-2

Related Bible Character: Lydia

Covenant Reference: See Covenant Document, Paragraphs 5–6

Narrative: Lydia, a Seller of Purple

(based upon Acts 16:11-15, 40)

Context

On the Sabbath, Paul and his companions went outside the city of Philippi to a riverside, where they supposed there would be a place of prayer. There they sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered, among them Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. She was already “a worshiper of God,” a Gentile drawn to the God of Israel, though she had not yet heard the gospel of Christ.

What Happened

As Paul spoke, “the Lord opened her heart to pay attention” to what he said. Lydia believed, and she and her household were baptized there at the river. Her response to grace was immediate and practical: “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” She did not wait to be asked. She pressed the invitation until Paul and his companions accepted, and her home became the base from which the gospel took root in Philippi.

That home stayed open. Later, after Paul and Silas were flogged and imprisoned, then released, they went straight to Lydia’s house, where they found believers gathered and encouraged them before leaving the city. What began as one woman’s hospitality on the day of her baptism became a foundational meeting place of a church. Lydia gave what she had – her home, her means, her standing as a woman of business – and kept giving of herself as a faithful steward.

Connection to Session Theme

Lydia’s faith did not stop at belief: it opened her home, her resources, and her life to the work God was doing through others.

Discussion Questions

Week 4: Stewardship and Generosity

1. Matthew 25:21 promises “well done, good and faithful servant” to the one who is faithful with what’s entrusted to them. What’s one area of your life where you sense God asking you to be more faithful with what He’s already given you?

2. In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” How does seeing your own life, gifts, and success as grace change the way you think about what you “owe” versus what you get to give?

3. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul says he became “all things to all people” so that he might save some. What would it look like for you to adjust your comfort or convenience for the sake of someone else hearing the gospel?

4. Philippians 3:12 describes Paul pressing on toward a goal he hasn’t yet fully reached. Faithful stewardship is often ongoing, not a one-time act. What’s one area of stewardship you’re still “pressing on” toward, rather than having already mastered?

5. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul instructs believers to set aside a portion of their income “on the first day of every week.” Why do you think Paul emphasized regularity and planning in giving, rather than leaving it to spontaneous impulse?

6. Lydia’s heart was opened by the Lord before she gave anything (Acts 16:14). Why does it matter that her generosity followed her faith, rather than the other way around?

7. Lydia didn’t just give money: she gave her home, opening it as a base for Paul’s team and, later, a gathering place for believers (Acts 16:15, 40). What’s something you have (a space, a skill, a relationship) that you could open up for the sake of this church family?

Week 5: Family and Discipleship at Home

Session Scriptures: 2 Tim. 3:15 • James 1:16-18 • I Peter 1:22-25

• Eph. 6:18 • Deu. 30:6 • Eph. 6:4

Related Bible Character: Timothy

Covenant Reference: See Covenant Document, Paragraphs 7–8

Narrative: Timothy, Taught from Infancy

(based upon 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14-15; Acts 16:1)

Context

Timothy came from a home of mixed faith: his father was a Greek, but his mother, Eunice, was a Jewish believer, and it was through her, and through her mother Lois before her, that the household’s true inheritance was passed down. Years later, writing to Timothy as a grown man in ministry, Paul would recall that same lineage: “genuine faith… dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure, now dwells in you also.”

What Happened

That faith had not arrived all at once through a single sermon or dramatic encounter. Paul reminds Timothy, “from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Before Timothy ever preached a word or planted a church, he had already spent years at home, hearing Scripture and watching it lived out in the women who raised him. Discipleship, for Timothy, began long before he had a title or a calling: it began in the rhythm of an ordinary household, hearing Scripture read aloud around a shared meal.

By the time Paul met Timothy and invited him into the work of the gospel, the foundation was already laid. Lois and Eunice never could have known where their faithfulness at home would lead. They were not knowingly stewarding a future missionary; they were simply being faithful, day after day, with a child in front of them and a Scripture in their hands. That faithfulness became the very thing Paul later pointed to as proof of what was genuine in Timothy.

Connection to Session Theme

Lois and Eunice remind us that faithful stewardship often looks like handing the faith we’ve been given to the next generation, one ordinary day at a time.

Discussion Questions

1. 2 Timothy 3:15 says Timothy had known the sacred writings “from childhood.” What role did Scripture play in your own upbringing, and how has that shaped (or not shaped) your faith today?

2. 1 Peter 1:23-25 says we’ve been “born again… through the living and abiding word of God,” and compares that word to a seed that endures while human life withers like grass. What does it look like practically to keep planting that “enduring” word in your household rather than things that fade?

3. Ephesians 6:18 calls us to pray “at all times in the Spirit,” making “supplication for all the saints.” What would it look like for prayer to become a visible, regular rhythm in your home or family, and not just a private practice?

4. Deuteronomy 30:6 speaks a heart-level transformation rooted in a love of God. How do you distinguish between teaching your family the rules of faith versus cultivating a genuine love for God in your home?

5. This session’s covenant paragraph 7 calls us to engage in “family and private worship through prayer, Bible study, and discipleship.” Which of those three (prayer, Bible study, discipleship) is most established in your home right now, and which needs the most attention?

6. Timothy’s faith was described by Paul as first dwelling in his grandmother Lois, then his mother Eunice, then Timothy himself (2 Tim. 1:5). Who is or was a “Lois” or “Eunice” in your own life, someone whose faithfulness shaped you before you recognized it?

7. Timothy grew up in a home of mixed faith, a Greek father and a Jewish believing mother (Acts 16:1). Discipleship at home doesn’t always happen with total uniformity or ideal conditions. Where do you feel that tension in your own household, and how are you stewarding faith within it anyway?

Week 6: Christlike Living in the World

Session Scriptures: Rom. 13:1-7 • Titus 3:1 • I Peter 2:13 • Rom. 6:16 • Gal. 5:22-23 • Rom. 3:31

Related Bible Character: Daniel

Covenant Reference: See Covenant Document, Paragraphs 9–11

Narrative: Daniel, Faithful in a Foreign Court

(based upon Daniel 1:8-16; 6:4-23)

Context

Daniel was among the young men of Judah’s nobility taken captive to Babylon, chosen for his intelligence and trained to serve in the king’s court. From his earliest days there, he faced a choice every exile faced: assimilate quietly, or hold to conviction while living under a pagan king’s authority. Daniel chose the harder path, one of respectful, unshaken faithfulness, and it marked his entire career, from a young captive to an old man serving under a new empire decades later.

What Happened

When the king assigned Daniel rich food and wine from his own table, Daniel resolved not to defile himself. Rather than refuse outright, he asked the official in charge for a ten-day test: he and his companions would eat vegetables and drink water, and their health could be compared afterward. The official agreed. At the end of the test, Daniel and his friends looked healthier than those who had eaten the king’s food. Daniel had held his conviction without becoming combative, and God gave him and his companions knowledge and skill that set them above the rest of the king’s wise men.

Decades later, Daniel served as one of Persia’s highest officials, so distinguished that jealous rivals conspired against him. Unable to find any fault in his conduct, they persuaded the king to sign a decree forbidding prayer to anyone but the king himself for thirty days, knowing Daniel prayed to the God of Israel three times a day. Daniel heard of the decree, and continued praying exactly as he always had, kneeling by his open window toward Jerusalem. He was found, and thrown into a den of lions. The king, though he had signed the decree, spent a sleepless night hoping Daniel’s God would deliver him, and at dawn found Daniel alive and unharmed, his faith undiminished by the danger he had faced.

Connection to Session Theme

Daniel’s faithful stewardship of his gifts and abilities resulted in a powerful witness for the Lord, even in the courts of kings who did not yet know God.

Discussion Questions

Week 6: Christlike Living in the World

1. Romans 13:1-2 tells us to be subject to governing authorities, since they’ve been instituted by God. Daniel served pagan kings faithfully for decades. What makes it hard to submit to authority you don’t fully agree with, while still living out your convictions?

2. Romans 6:16-17 says we become “slaves” to whatever we choose to obey, whether sin or righteousness. Daniel’s choice about the king’s food was really a choice about who he would obey first. What’s an area where you’re tempted to obey convenience or culture over God-honoring conviction?

3. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control and gentleness. Daniel resisted the king’s food without becoming defiant or confrontational. Where do you struggle most to show Christ-centered conviction and also be gentle at the same time?

4. This session’s covenant paragraph 10 commits us to be “honorable and faithful in our commitments” and people of “integrity, fairness, cooperation, and mutual respect” in our work. Where is that commitment tested most in your own workplace or daily life?

5. Covenant paragraph 9 commits us to pursue “living Christ-like lives” in the world beyond the church. Daniel’s witness happened in a government job, not a temple. What would it look like for your ordinary work to become a place of Christlike witness?

6. Daniel 6:22-23 tells us that God shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel was found unharmed because he trusted in his God. Even the king recognized the power of that witness. Has there been a time in your life when your faith under pressure became a witness to someone watching? What happened?

7. Covenant paragraph 11 calls us to be advocates of “reconciliation in human relations.” Is there a relationship in your life right now where God may be calling you to pursue reconciliation?

Week 7: Relational Care and Conflict Resolution

Session Scriptures: Matt. 18:15-20 • Gal. 6:2 • James 4:7-10 • Heb. 13:5

• Rom. 16:17-20 • I Thess. 5:22

Related Bible Character: Joseph

Covenant Reference: See Covenant Document, Paragraphs 12–14

Narrative: Joseph Reveals Himself

(based upon Genesis 45:1-15)

Context

Years before, Joseph’s own brothers had sold him into slavery, driven by jealousy and rage, and told their father Jacob that a wild animal had killed him. Joseph endured slavery in Egypt, then years of false imprisonment, before God elevated him to become second-in-command over all of Egypt. Now, a severe famine had driven Joseph’s brothers to Egypt in search of grain, and they stood before the very brother they had betrayed, not recognizing him at all.

What Happened

Joseph could not hold back any longer. He sent his Egyptian attendants out of the room and wept so loudly that the Egyptians outside could hear him. Then he said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers were terrified and could not answer him, certain that after what they had done, retribution had finally come.

Joseph did not delay their fear or make them wait for his intentions. He told them to come near, and said again, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.” He acknowledged plainly what they had done, without softening it, but immediately turned toward what mattered more: “do not be distressed or angry with yourselves… God sent me before you to preserve life.” He kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and only then were they able to speak with him. Joseph moved straight from revelation to reconciliation, refusing to let the wrong done to him become a wound that festered between them any longer.

Connection to Session Theme

Joseph shows us that faithful stewardship of relationships means pursuing reconciliation quickly, refusing to let hurt harden into distance.

Discussion Questions

1. Matthew 18:15-20 lays out a process for addressing conflict directly, one-on-one first, before involving others. Why do you think going straight to the person to address the issue is often harder than talking to others about it first?

2. Galatians 6:2 says to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” What’s the difference between carrying someone’s burden with them and simply feeling sorry for them from a distance?

3. Hebrews 13:5 says God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” How does trusting in God’s constant presence make it easier to risk vulnerability in reconciling with someone who’s hurt you?

4. Romans 16:17-20 warns believers to watch out for those who cause division and to avoid them. How do you tell the difference between a conflict worth pursuing reconciliation for, and a pattern of division you’re called to simply avoid?

5. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 tells us to “abstain from every form of evil.” In the context of relationships, what does it look like to abstain from the “evil” of gossip, grudge-holding, or quiet resentment rather than open conflict?

6. Joseph told his brothers not to be “distressed or angry with yourselves,” reframing their betrayal within God’s larger purpose (Gen. 45:5). Is it possible to acknowledge real wrong done to you while also trusting God’s purpose in it? What might that tension look like in your own life?

7. Covenant paragraph 14 commits us to pursue reconciliation “as quickly as possible, following the model of our Lord Jesus Christ.” What usually causes you to delay reconciliation, even when you know it’s the right thing to do?  

Week 8 Continuity of the Covenant

Session Scriptures: Jer. 32:40 • Heb. 10:24-25 • John 8:31 • Ps. 121:3 • Matt. 28:20

Related Bible Character: Ruth

Covenant Reference: Paragraph 15

Narrative: Ruth, Where You Go, I Will Go

(based upon Ruth 1:14-18; 4:13-17)

Context

Naomi had lost her husband and both her sons, one of whom had been married to Ruth, a Moabite woman. With nothing left to offer her daughters-in-law, Naomi urged them to return to their own families and their own gods, and to rebuild their lives. One daughter-in-law, Orpah, wept and did as Naomi suggested. Ruth did not.

What Happened

Ruth clung to Naomi and refused to leave her, answering with words that have outlasted every empire of that era: “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.” It was not a decision made for convenience or comfort. Ruth was choosing a covenant people and a covenant God she had not been born into, at real cost to her own security, and she meant it to last for the rest of her life.

That covenant loyalty did not end with a single decision at a crossroads in Moab. Ruth’s steadfastness carried her into a new land, into gleaning another family’s fields to survive, and eventually into marriage with Boaz. What began as one woman’s refusal to walk away became, generations later, the very lineage of King David, and, further still, the line through which Christ Himself would come. Ruth could not have known where her covenant faithfulness would lead. She simply stayed committed to the people and the God she had chosen, one ordinary day after another, and let God carry that faithfulness forward.

Connection to Session Theme

Ruth reminds us that faithful stewardship of a covenant is not a single decision but a continuing one, carried forward one faithful day at a time, often further than we can see.

Discussion Questions

1. Hebrews 10:24-25 calls us to encourage one another and not neglect meeting together. How does the ongoing nature of covenant community (showing up again and again) shape faith differently than a single decision made once?

2. Psalm 121:3 says “He who keeps you will not slumber.” How does trusting in God’s continual watchfulness help you make costly long-term commitments, the way Ruth did?

3. Matthew 28:20 ends with Jesus’ promise, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” How does that promise of Christ’s ongoing presence change the way you think about keeping faithful to a commitment over the long haul, not just at the start?

4. Ruth told Naomi, “your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16), choosing a covenant people and God she wasn’t born into. What would it look like for you to choose the BCAN family as fully as Ruth chose Naomi’s family?

5. Ruth’s faithfulness resulted in her being part of the lineage of Christ. Ruth could not have seen that far ahead. What does her story suggest about the long-term impact of faithfulness we may never see the fruit of ourselves?

6. Covenant paragraph 15 doesn’t release us from the covenant when we leave; it calls us to carry its spirit into a new congregation. What would be challenging about holding a new Church, and yourself, to the same standard of commitment and accountability you’ve committed to here?

Week 9 Reflection and Application

Session Scriptures: Mat. 25:21 • Eph. 4:11-16 • Luke 10:1-3 • Matt. 26:39

Related Bible Character: Jesus

Narrative: Jesus Sends His Disciples

(based upon Luke 10:1-3)

Context

By this point in His ministry, Jesus had already spent months teaching, healing, and modeling the kingdom of God in front of His closest disciples. Now, before He Himself arrived in a town, He chose to send others ahead of Him: dozens of His followers, sent out two by two into every place He was about to go. They were not the original twelve apostles alone. They were a wider circle, people who had walked with Him, learned from Him, and were now being trusted to carry His work forward, ahead of Him, on their own.

What Happened

Before sending them out, Jesus told them plainly why: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” The need was not new, and it was not small. What was needed were people willing to go. Then Jesus said simply, “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” He did not promise them safety or ease. He sent them anyway, entrusting them with the same work He Himself had been doing, because the work could not wait, and it could not be done by Him alone.

Everything these disciples had watched Jesus do, and everything they had learned at His side, was now theirs to carry into towns Jesus had not yet reached. Their preparation was not the end of the story. It was another chapter in theirs.

Connection to Session Theme

What you have learned in this series on the Church Covenant was never meant to stay in this room: like the disciples,

you are now sent to carry it forward.

Discussion Questions

1. Matthew 25:21 has anchored this entire series: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” As you reflect on nine weeks of study, what does “faithful” now mean to you?

2. Ephesians 4:11-16 describes the church as a body that builds itself up “as each part does its work.” Having studied all fifteen covenant paragraphs, what’s one specific way you now see yourself contributing to that body?

3. Luke 10:1-3 tells us “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” As you finish this class, where do you sense God might be calling you to be a “laborer,” inside or beyond this Church?

4. Jesus sent the disciples out “two by two,” not alone (Luke 10:1). Why do you think God so often calls us into partnership rather than solitary faithfulness, and who might walk alongside you as you live out this covenant?

5. Looking back across all fifteen covenant paragraphs studied in this series, which one paragraph has challenged or convicted you the most, and why?

6. This class paired a Bible character with each session: Paul, Barnabas, Lydia, Timothy, Daniel, Joseph, and Ruth. Which of these characters’ stories do you find yourself thinking about most, and what about their example do you want to carry with you?

7. This series began in Gethsemane, with Jesus praying “not as I will, but as You will,” (Matthew 26:39) and ends with Jesus sending His followers out to do His work. What does it mean to you that faithful service both begins in surrender and ends in being sent?