For Small Group Leaders
Lead Your Group
Guide them through an 8-Week Journey
- Lead your group to greater intimacy with God!
- Support your group members in their own 40 Day Worship Experience.
- Engage in discussions that deepen your faith.
Create Depth in Your Small Group
Deepen your group member’s faith as you engage with God’s Word, encouraging each other with truth and vulnerability.
Your Small Group Goals
Learn Together
Learn how to engage with other believers in their daily walk with God, sharing your experiences, and building each other up with biblical truth.
Encourage
Lead your group members to support one another, showing them how to surrender their will to God’s will, and receive His unfailing love every morning.
Grow Together
Transform your faith as you spend intimate time with God and share your experiences together, supporting and strengthening each other along the way.
Your Small Group Outline
Follow this meeting guideline to ensure there is space for everyone to grow together, encourage, and learn from each other.
Prior to Week 1
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Ensure Group Members are Prepared
- Share the website with your small group: www.bewithjesus365.org and direct them to the Personal Journey page.
- They can order the book on the website here and have them read the 40-Day Worship Experience introduction.
- Confirm before the first meeting that everyone has purchased and received their book.
- Have them read the “Let’s Get Started” section and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.
Your Small Group Meeting ( 60 – 75 mins )
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Fellowship ( 5 - 10mins )
Start with some fellowship and prayer to get to know one another and check in on how each other’s weeks are going.
This is a time to be intentional and encourage one another.
Model First 15 Prayer ( 10 - 15 mins )
Here you want to model a First 15 with them.
- Play a worship song you have selected
- Encourage them to rest and be still in God’s Presence
- They can surrender their heart and will to God and receive His love
- Quietly, time spend praying and sensing what God is speaking in those moments
- Be open to the flow of the Holy Spirit.
This is a time of equipping people to meet with God.
*Encourage them to have their Bibles, a devotional, a journal and pen to read or write what God may be speaking to them.
Discussion ( 30 - 40 mins )
- The Small Group Leader gives a short summary of the topic or the chapter reading for that week. (topic summary notes included)
- Read the prayer for that chapter together.
- [Optional] Show the video from Experiencing God’s Love class that corresponds with your focus that day.
- Cover the discussion questions at the end of each chapter
This is a time to learn and grow together.
Prayer for Personal Needs (5 - 10 mins)
Refreshments
This is optional but does create space at the end of your small group for more fellowship, and follow-up with other group members.
Join the Facebook Group where others are meeting with God in the morning.
Transformation Stories
“The 40-Day Worship Experience restored my rhythm of meeting with God daily and brought me out of a season of depression and self-centeredness. It was so effective for me that I am now am leading a group of 50 guys from all over the world in doing the challenge together. Their lives are now being changed because their walks with Jesus are being restored and coming alive again.”
Caleb Keel
Caleb Stutzman
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want a little more direction as you begin this journey, here are a few common questions people ask. We hope these are a beneficial resource to you. If you still have a question, reach out! We respond quickest to direct messages on Facebook and Instagram.
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What is the 40 Day Worship Experience made up of?
The 40 Day Worship Experience devotional primers are short videos to encourage you in your time alone with the Lord. Watch one each day. They will support you on the 40DWE. God is doing something new in your life each morning. You are opening up your heart to His. Your time alone with God is the most important part of your day! Let the videos encourage your heart to press on and keep meeting with the Lord. You will see changes happening in your heart as you sit with Him!
Do I need to do the experience alone?
No, you do not have to walk through this alone. In fact, we love seeing people connect with others through this process. We call this "linking shields."
The concept of linking shields goes back to the time when the Roman soldiers would link their shields to protect themselves as they advanced towards the enemy. When we join forces with those around us, we become stronger than we would on our own.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT).
Join the Facebook group and be encouraged by others who are meeting with God every morning. Also, ask a friend or two to go on the 40 Day Worship Experience with you. Have them text you, “Good morning,” when they are meeting with God. Text them back, “Good morning,” when you are meeting with God. It’s that simple!
Is there some sort of introduction to the 40 Day Worship Experience?
Yes, we have created an intro page to explain our approach to this experience. You don't have to read through it to get started on Day 1, but it is available on our resources page if you're interested.
This will give an overview of the 40 Day Worship Experience (40 DWE). Read this before you start to catch the vision for meeting each morning with God for the next 40 days. Give God the first 15 minutes of your day, surrender your will to His, and open up your heart to his love. The page will give you practical suggestions for starting the 40 DWE. This will be the beginning of experiencing God’s love in a new way.
What do I do for the 40 days?
Each day, you will receive an email with thoughtful content and Scripture to prompt your time with God. We also include a link to the Surrender Prayer to start your quiet time off and a link to the Facebook Group in case you want to connect further with community.
You can preview what those prompt emails include here: Prompt Preview
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Praying is intimidating to me. Where do I start?
Surrendering our will over to God’s will is such a critical and essential part of our relationship with God. It allows God’s love to flow into our hearts. But, that doesn't mean it isn't daunting to many of us. That is why we wrote a guiding Surrender Prayer.
This Surrender Prayer (linked below) has been used by many to guide their daily surrender to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It focuses on giving God the full control of our lives and defeats the insurgence of the flesh—our old nature—into our thoughts and feelings. There is a longer and a shorter version. Both will help guide your first thoughts toward God, allowing you to receive his love afresh. This is the best way to begin the day.
Do I need the book to complete the experience?
The Be with Jesus 365 book is meant to supplement your walk with God and flows nicely with the 40 Day Worship Experience, but you can definitely work through it in your own journal if desired.
Discover a relationship with your Creator that is dynamic, genuine and fresh. The book is about approaching God with simplicity and candor. It is about going beyond religion, ritual, and packaged prayers. You will learn to draw near to God through prayer in an atmosphere of worship—and as you do, you will enjoy your spiritual journey like never before.
This book will be used with the class, “Experiencing God’s Love.” A 40 Day Journal and Study Guide Questions for each chapter are included.
Find out more about the book and how to order it here: Be with Jesus 365 Book >>
What about the class? How does that fit in?
The class will help you grow closer to God and know Him in a more intimate way. It covers 7 simple steps to intimacy with God. You will see how spending time alone with God every day will transform your life.
The class complements the book quite well, so it is easiest to go through those together. However, you can work through them simultaneously or in any sequence you decide.
There are 9 classes. Listen to one class each week and implement the content on a daily basis. Enjoy the journey of drawing near to God. Our goal is to meet with God for the first 15 minutes of the day, for 40 straight days. Don’t get discouraged if you miss a day! Just start up again the next day. Remember, God waits all night for you to get up, and He wants be with you!
I think I'm ready for the 40 Day Worship Experience. Now what?
Our 40 Day Worship Experience page outlines it in clear steps.
- Read the Introduction Page
- Commit to Spending Time Each Day
- Receive Daily Prompts
- Grow Deeper as you Spend Time with God
When you're ready to sign up, provide your name and email address here to opt in for the daily emails.
Dive Deeper
40 Day Worship Experience
Start each day in God’s presence surrendering your will to His.
Read the Books
To know God intimately and walk with Him completely by starting your day in worship and surrender.
Experience God's Love
This course will teach you how to enjoy your time alone with God as you respond to His love.