Living Like Jesus
Yes, you can.

Small Group Materials, Resources, and Ideas

The Apprentice Series
This is a 3-book series by James Bryan Smith. The goal is to take Dallas Willard's cirriculum for Christlikeness and make it practical.
For a total of 30 weeks, each book covers a different aspect of spiritual growth. In all the books, each chapter will contain an exercise that is aimed at helping imbed the proper narrative into our souls.
The first book is titled Good and Beautiful God focuses on the character of God and how we move into a life of intimacy with God.
The second book is titled The Good and Beautiful Life which focuses on our inward character, dealing specifically with the vices that cause ruin: anger, lust, lying, worry, judging others, and so on. Following the Sermon on the Mount, this second book will look at the narratives behind these character flaws (for example, What are the narratives that lead to anger?) and will replace those narratives with Jesus' narratives about life in the kingdom of God.
The third book is titled The Good and Beautiful Community which focuses on how to live as apprentices of Jesus in our ordinary, everyday lives. How do I live out Jesus' kingdom vision in my family? What impact will my life with God have on my life at work? What will loving my enemies and blessing those who curse me look like in my daily life?
James Bryan Smith co-taught with Dallas Willard. He considered himself a glorified teaching assistant; Dallas taught 90% of the class. This meant that James was able to sit and listen to Dallas teach for about 7 hours per day over the course of 10 days - about 70 hours. And did this for 10 years, which meant he had heard Dallas teach on God, the kingdom of God, the Bible, the spiritual disciplines, and life in general for over 700 hours, so he picked up a thing or two. You will find these books engaging and very practical.
The Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation has made these Leader Guides available as PDF downloads. They are serious in their design and application. You can choose what you would like to use from it. https://apprenticeinstitute.org/
Study Details
  • Study Length: 30 weeks (9 weeks, 12 weeks, & 9 weeks)
  • Costs: Books range from $15 to $22 for a total of $55.00
  • Materials: After each chapter as Soul Training Exercises and the Leader Guide for each above
 
2014 Knowing Christ Conference for Small Groups

This is the edited version of the conference by John Ortberg, made for small groups. Included are the PDF worksheets for each session. Sessions have been edited or more accurately split into shorter sessions and excludes Session 6, "Conversations, Not the Journal." For the complete unedited videos, navigate to the Resources page.

  1. Making Up There Come Down Here - Life in the Kingdom
  2. The Ultimate Small Group - Life in the Trinity
  3. But Wait... There is More Abundant Living Here and Now
  4. Saturday Living Between Crucifixion and Resurrection
  5. Basic Anatomy for Spiritual Formation
  6. Abound and Abide
Study Details
  • Video Series
  • Study Length: 11 weeks
  • Costs: None
  • Materials: Available as PDF downloads

The title is Knowing Christ and is a unique John Ortberg presentation of Dallas Willard's work. John is not shy about quoting Dallas. This series will make you think and even though its primary target is pastors and spiritual leaders, there is no doubt of its impact and usefulness for everyone.

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
"Authentic transformation is really possible if we're willing to do one thing and that is to rearrange our lives around the things that Jesus practiced."
Dallas Willard
Children of Light is a ministry of Bill Dowd in Vancouver, WA.