Life Explored Handbook

Cooper, Barry

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Life Explored is an exciting new way to share the gospel in today's highly visual culture. Developed by Christianity Explored Ministries, the seven interactive sessions are based on stunning videos shot all over the globe.

Life Explored will help people uncover what they’re really living for, and shows that the greatest pleasure in life is not enjoying the gifts God has given, but enjoying God himself. This exciting, new outreach course can be run before or after Christianity Explored or Alpha and is perfect for anyone looking for answers to life's big questions.

This Handbook contains everything a participant needs for the course, guiding them through the sessions with plenty of space for notes.

Bookstore Interview with Nathan Morgan Locke

Could you give us a quick idea of what Life Explored is?
Nathan: I like to say that Life Explored is an exegetically responsible and aesthetically sensitive evangelistic approach. Which is basically a pretentious way of saying it’s good news about Jesus, presented to people who wouldn’t call themselves Christians, in a way which won’t embarrass them and handles the Bible properly. If people are familiar with the Christianity Explored (CE) series, it shares a lot in common with that. It’s really just a tool for Churches, Christian groups and individuals to use to share the gospel with their communities, neighborhoods, friends and families. It’s slightly different in approach from CE because it uses a short narrative films to help people uncover what they’re really living for, and then we go on to show that the greatest pleasure in life is enjoying God himself.

What was your role in creating Life Explored?
Nathan: I served the project as a co-creator with Barry Cooper. We worked together on the Biblical teaching elements and both helped to write and produce the short narrative films. It was a big project and a long time in development, so a huge number of people were involved in different ways. It wasn’t exactly two men and an iPhone. We had a lot of help.

How did your background in evangelism and youth ministry affect your work on Life Explored?
Nathan: I’ve spent the last 12 years or so trying to capture the imaginations of young people with the gospel, and that set me up really well to help create Life Explored. There’s something immediate about preaching evangelistically to children and teenagers. It requires that you not just say interesting things, but say them in interesting ways. I think that writing a VBS for your church every year for a decade forces you think about creative ways to declare the gospel.

How did you come up with the ideas for each story?
Nathan: There certainly wasn’t a straightforward creative process! I don’t think creativity works like that. Well, certainly not ours. God’s creative process was basically saying “let there be.. and there was.” We don’t have that power. We’re much less in control of things. That’s not to say that we didn’t have guidelines, we wanted the key cornel of what we were teaching from scripture to control what we produced (and we worked hard to try to do that), but once you’re writing stories all sorts of other things outside your control come into play. And then when you try to film them you realize how much easier it would have been just to write them! I suppose the most straightforward of the stories in terms of initial idea to final edit were the Geisha film and the Lawn film (but even they have their own ‘making of’ stories).

What led you to focus the sessions around the question, “What’s the best gift God could give you?”
Nathan: We just felt that as a question it summed up what we’re driving at through the material. It’s a gentle question, I think, but it forces people to wrestle with what’s most important in their lives. The fact that we can say that the absolute best thing God has to give is himself, is great because it’s what he has done for us in Christ.

What’s your prayer for Life Explored?
Nathan: I suppose essentially that it awakens people to know the glory of God in the gospel of his Son. I’d personally love it to open up some more creative ways to reach people with the truth of scripture too.

Specifications
  • Cover Type
    Paperback
  • ISBN
    9781784980825
  • Page Count
    64
  • Publisher
    Good Book Company
  • Publication Date
    September 2016

Endorsements (10)

“Life Explored starts with the longings and fears of modern people to accentuate the contemporary relevance of the gospel. Each sessions begins with a beautifully-filmed story with amazing production values. These stories create the opportunity to demonstrate how the gospel powerfully fulfils our hopes and heals our wounds. It shows how the Bible story is our story. It adds up to a compelling presentation of the glorious, liberating news of Gods love to us in Christ. Theres no fudging the issues of sin, shame and judgment. But theyre connected to our experiences of frustration and disappointment. As a result the good news of Gods love shines bright and clear. By engaging our imaginations, Life Explored appeals not only to intellect, but also to our longings, hopes, frustrations and fears. The seven sessions walk people through the key moments in the Bible story creation, fall, Abraham, exodus, Jesus, cross and resurrection, and the new creation. But each session works as a stand alone study so it doesnt matter if people miss a session plus Life Explored can be re-purposed for one-off events. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal once said that we need to make people wish the gospel was true before theyll consider whether it is true. This is precisely what Life Explored does. Itll make many people wish Christianity is true, creating the space for them to consider whether it is true.”

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Tim Chester

a pastor of Grace Church Boroughbridge and a faculty member of the Acts 29 Oak Hill Academy.

“Life Explored is a wonderful way to explore the biggest issues we face in life, and the greatest gift that lies at the very heart of the Christian faith. Jesus Christ offers life to the full, and this series will help you see how.”

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Sam Allberry

Pastor and author

“An essential approach to evangelism in a biblically illiterate culture is to offer a simple and compelling overview of Gods big picture. Life Explored does it with clarity and elegance. Attention is drawn to our nature as worshiping beings, without compromising the seriousness of sin by using a series terrific short films which speak accutely into contemporary culture. Any viewer will leave the experience of Life Explored without any doubt that the best gift God could give us is himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Life Explored is class!”

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Graham Daniels

General Director of Christians in Sport

“These amazing, high quality films provide us with a wonderful new resource to help make Jesus known. They provoke an exploration into the one thing that makes sense of life as we know it.”

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Steve Clifford

General director, Evangelical Alliance UK

“These materials are wonderful. Let's be honest. Our hearts yearn for something that nothing on earth can satisfy. Try as we might, we can't replace it with the things we spend the bulk of our lives struggling to attain. There is a God-shaped vacuum aching deep within our souls--and only God can fill it. He offers the "one thing needful" Jesus spoke of long ago. God created you, and loves you, and wants to draw you into an intimate relationship with him, one that enhances your experience of everything else in life. Life Explored will show you how to set your mind on things above, finding there the real happiness you've been seeking for so long.”

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Doug Sweeney

Chair of the Church History & History of Christian Thought at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Christianity Explored and Discipleship Explored have been a tremendous blessing to Christians around the world, and even Christians here in my own local church. I'm thankful to see the trilogy come to a fitting close with Life Explored. I commend this resource to you and to your church just as I have its two predecessors.”

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Tim Challies

Author and Blogger

“The reason Im a big fan of Life Explored is that it essentially lets the Bible do its own evangelism. By exposing the overall sweep of the biblical narrative it shows how the good news of Jesus engages everyone at a profound level. It connects with the head and the heart. Its well produced, well written, well presented and well worth using.”

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Steve Timmis

International Director, Acts 29

“It may be more challenging to provoke the right questions than it is to offer good answers. Life Explored meets that challenge with success. Integrating superb film clips with basic questions and a Leaders Handbook to guide discussion, Life Explored makes evangelism more engaging in small groups. It definitely takes away the eek factor for both leaders and participants. I look forward to using Life Explored in my own evangelism and recommending it to others.”

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Michael Horton

Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary, California and host of The White Horse Inn

“Creative format. Beautiful cinematography. Faithful and fresh gospel presentation. I wish I could share the gospel as well as they do!”

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Mark Dever

Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church. President, 9Marks.

“At a time in the Western world when basic knowledge of the Bible is increasingly rare, it is a pleasure to recommend Life Explored. Here is an introduction to the good news found in Jesus Christ, sweeping through some of the "big pictures" in the Bible. As far as a short series can, Life Explored outlines what the Bible is about, exposes our idolatry, and makes clear where forgiveness and hope lie. This is one of the best of the rising number of evangelistic tools addressing men and women in the twenty-first century.”

See All
Don Carson

Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

About the Author

Barry Cooper was born in Epsom, Surrey, and studied English Language and Literature at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. After graduating, he trained at the Webber Douglas Academy in London and began a six year acting career that included work at Shakespeare's Globe and the National Theater. More recently, he completed his Masters degree in theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, and an internship with Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. He was one of the core team who planted Trinity West Church in Shepherd’s Bush, UK, where he’s now a member.

Nate Morgan Locke is Associate Evangelist at Christianity Explored Ministries and serves on the staff team at St Bart's Church, Bath, UK.

Life Explored Handbook Cooper, Barry cover image (1023736053807)
Good Book Company

Life Explored Handbook

From $2.50 $4.99

Life Explored is an exciting new way to share the gospel in today's highly visual culture. Developed by Christianity Explored Ministries, the seven interactive sessions are based on stunning videos shot all over the globe.

Life Explored will help people uncover what they’re really living for, and shows that the greatest pleasure in life is not enjoying the gifts God has given, but enjoying God himself. This exciting, new outreach course can be run before or after Christianity Explored or Alpha and is perfect for anyone looking for answers to life's big questions.

This Handbook contains everything a participant needs for the course, guiding them through the sessions with plenty of space for notes.

Bookstore Interview with Nathan Morgan Locke

Could you give us a quick idea of what Life Explored is?
Nathan: I like to say that Life Explored is an exegetically responsible and aesthetically sensitive evangelistic approach. Which is basically a pretentious way of saying it’s good news about Jesus, presented to people who wouldn’t call themselves Christians, in a way which won’t embarrass them and handles the Bible properly. If people are familiar with the Christianity Explored (CE) series, it shares a lot in common with that. It’s really just a tool for Churches, Christian groups and individuals to use to share the gospel with their communities, neighborhoods, friends and families. It’s slightly different in approach from CE because it uses a short narrative films to help people uncover what they’re really living for, and then we go on to show that the greatest pleasure in life is enjoying God himself.

What was your role in creating Life Explored?
Nathan: I served the project as a co-creator with Barry Cooper. We worked together on the Biblical teaching elements and both helped to write and produce the short narrative films. It was a big project and a long time in development, so a huge number of people were involved in different ways. It wasn’t exactly two men and an iPhone. We had a lot of help.

How did your background in evangelism and youth ministry affect your work on Life Explored?
Nathan: I’ve spent the last 12 years or so trying to capture the imaginations of young people with the gospel, and that set me up really well to help create Life Explored. There’s something immediate about preaching evangelistically to children and teenagers. It requires that you not just say interesting things, but say them in interesting ways. I think that writing a VBS for your church every year for a decade forces you think about creative ways to declare the gospel.

How did you come up with the ideas for each story?
Nathan: There certainly wasn’t a straightforward creative process! I don’t think creativity works like that. Well, certainly not ours. God’s creative process was basically saying “let there be.. and there was.” We don’t have that power. We’re much less in control of things. That’s not to say that we didn’t have guidelines, we wanted the key cornel of what we were teaching from scripture to control what we produced (and we worked hard to try to do that), but once you’re writing stories all sorts of other things outside your control come into play. And then when you try to film them you realize how much easier it would have been just to write them! I suppose the most straightforward of the stories in terms of initial idea to final edit were the Geisha film and the Lawn film (but even they have their own ‘making of’ stories).

What led you to focus the sessions around the question, “What’s the best gift God could give you?”
Nathan: We just felt that as a question it summed up what we’re driving at through the material. It’s a gentle question, I think, but it forces people to wrestle with what’s most important in their lives. The fact that we can say that the absolute best thing God has to give is himself, is great because it’s what he has done for us in Christ.

What’s your prayer for Life Explored?
Nathan: I suppose essentially that it awakens people to know the glory of God in the gospel of his Son. I’d personally love it to open up some more creative ways to reach people with the truth of scripture too.

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