Step 7 - Follow

We humbly ask God’s Spirit to change our hearts and minds in order to follow Christ fully.

Foundation 7

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25)

Key Theme

Respond to God’s grace by relying on him for change.

Remember

God chooses you. He will heal, strengthen, and restore you if you rely on him and entirely follow him.

Things to Remember

• The focus in Steps 7-12 shifts from ourselves to loving God and loving others.
• We have a new identity as a child loved, resourced, and cared for by the living God! We are no longer slaves to sin or enemies of God.
• The Spirit changes us from the inside out. He empowers us to fulfill God’s purpose.
• Striving to please God doesn’t bring freedom but delighting in God and relying upon him to do his will does (see Galatians 3:3).

Key Questions

As you review the lesson, ask God which questions to focus on for the lesson. Some possibilities are:

• Day 2, Q4: What evidence in your life demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is actively working in you?
• Day 3, Q4: If God sees you like the person on the list above (p. 19), in what ways do you see yourself differently than he sees you?
  
• Day 4, Q3: How is God’s purpose for you different from your answer in Q1 (on p. 20)?

Encouragement for Participants

• Celebrate the changes God is making in participants by his Spirit, both observable changes and those ongoing changes that he is working in their hearts.
• Encourage participants to accept God’s Word about who they are in Christ (See Day 3 list).
• Check if participants have reviewed their repentance plans with their mentors. This is an important step for working out a doable plan and getting prayer, encouragement, and accountability to turn from sin to Christ.
• Have participants write down questions about the Trinity so you can follow-up with them. (see p. 15)
• Encourage serving as a group periodically. Serving helps shift the focus from self to loving God as the curriculum also shifts.

Encouragement for the Leaders

• No true recovery exists apart from Christ. We need the Holy Spirit to follow Christ.
  
• God will give us all we need to follow him and be satisfied in him if we rely upon him.
• If you haven’t yet updated the mentors that the group is progressing to steps 7-9, send the mentors an email that the group has finished step 6 – Repentance and is beginning steps 7-9, Follow, Forgive, and Amends. In this email, ask the mentors to let you know and follow up with their participant if they have not yet discussed the repentance plan developed in Step 6. Ask the mentors if they have any questions.
• This is a good time for the group to start serving regularly (parking, greeting, etc.) if they have not already done so. It is important to shift focus from self to God and others.
• YOU are a new creation also! God is making you an Oak of Righteousness. He is using you to repair ruined cities and desolations of generations. (Isaiah 61:3)
• Are you experiencing everlasting joy and peace? What are you managing on your own?