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Contend for our common faith

Jude 1: 1-10

  • Session: 1
  • Week: 1
  • Day: 1
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Introduction

Outcomes for Jude.

Jude was written by a half-brother of Jesus, challenging believers to defend and contend for our common faith. Jude himself had transformed after meeting the resurrected Lord, from falsely teaching and denying the divinity of Jesus, with whom they lived together in the same home for many years. We will focus on understanding the principles of stopping the poison of false teaching and false teachers before it reaches the minority believers who are near and dear to us. We learned that the enemy of our faith, the Devil, attacks the hearts of believers in at least two ways: 1. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, thereby making the heart hard, and 2. He poisons the believer’s heart, thereby corrupting the issues of life, such as peace, joy, and love. In this lesson, we will analyse the doctrine of false teaching and false teachers by answering the following questions.

  1. Who are false teachers?
  2. What are their characteristics?
  3. What is their poison like?
  4. What is their punishment?
  5. How can believers protect themselves from the poison of false teachers
  6. What is false teaching

Introduction

In this session, Jude 1-10, we will focus on understanding why Jude wrote this brief message and the reasons why the righteous Judge condemned false teachers, disobedient believers, and disobedient angels.

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Understood the doctrine of false teachers and false teaching by examining who false teachers are, what their characteristics are, what their punishment is, and how believers could protect themselves from the Poison of false teachers
  • Appreciated that it’s possible to shield 🛡️ ourselves, and those near and dear to us, from the Poison of false teachers in the fellowship by guarding against the idol of false teaching.
  • Challenged to contend for our common faith by listing the principles given in the scripture

Outline

  • Contend for the common faith in the fellowship.
  • Dealing with the poison of false teaching.

Group Study Time

Jude 1: 1-10

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

  • Who wrote this letter? What is known about him? Jude 1.
  • Who are the recipients of this letter? What is said about them? Jude 1
  • What is the meaning of defending faith or contending for faith? Why should every believer in the fellowship contend for their faith in Jesus?
  • Read Jude 3-4. List at least two main reasons why this letter was written. What happens when false teachers secretly slip into the Holy fellowship of believers? What title is given for false teachers? (See also Matt 16: 8-12, Mark 8: 15-21).
  • Read Jude 5-10. List at least five reasons why the righteous JUDGE condemned false teachers, disobedient believers, and disobedient angels.

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Contend for our common faith

Jude 1: 1-10

Jude 1-10

Context

  • The Book of Jude, a one-chapter letter, addresses false teachers and prophets who infiltrate the church, twisting doctrine for personal gain like greed or immorality.
  • Jude, brother of James and half-brother of Jesus, writes to urge believers to contend for the common faith entrusted to them against ungodly infiltrators.

Contending for the Faith (Jude 1-10)

  • Greeting and Purpose: Jude, servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, writes to those called, loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ; mercy, peace, and love multiplied.
  • Urgency to Contend: Though eager to write about common salvation, must urge contending for the faith once for all entrusted to God’s holy people, as certain ungodly individuals secretly slipped in, condemned long ago, perverting God’s grace into license for immorality and denying Jesus Christ as sovereign Lord.
  • Examples of Judgment: Reminds of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt then destruction of unbelievers; angels who abandoned positions held in darkness for judgment; Sodom and Gomorrah punished with eternal fire for sexual immorality and perversion as an example.
  • Characteristics of False Teachers: These individuals pollute own bodies through dreams and visions, reject authority, boldly slander celestial beings (even Michael the archangel did not slander the devil but said “The Lord rebuke you”); like unreasoning animals, understand only by instinct, to their own destruction.
  • Purpose: Identify and fight against false teachers who twist grace, deny Christ, and lead to immorality; contend by holding to the true faith.

Application

  • Contend earnestly for the faith by recognizing and rejecting false teachers who despise authority, promote immorality, and slander supernatural beings; remain faithful to avoid sharing in their judgment.
Close

How to use these studies

These lessons are designed as short, 25-minute studies based on Bible truths, and meant for self-learning or small group study. The study sets systematically cover different books of the Bible. 

Each lesson follows a simple structure:

  • Introduction (Including the outline and objectives)
  • Step 1: Connecting
  • Step 2: Comprehending
  • Step 3: Committing
  • Step 4: Communicating

These sections include questions to help you reflect on the bible passage and how it applies to your life. 

Use these lessons to disciple others by journeying together over time and allowing God’s word to penetrate your heart and bring transforming change to your life. As a leader, pray for wisdom in leading and for modelling the truths in your own life.

Sharing offline

  • Mobile Friendly PDF
  • Print Friendly PDF
  • Full Study PDF

Each lesson has three buttons allowing you to download a easily saveable and shareable PDF version of the study. You can choose either a Mobile-friendly PDF version, and Print-friendly PDF version, or a print version of the Full Study PDF (for example all the lessons in the current book of the Bible).

These are free and can be easily copied and shared from one person to another!

Gathering a Small Group

Start small to build a safe space for sharing and growth.

  • Pray first: Ask God to show you 3-6 people who need encouragement in faith, like family, neighbors, or fellow believers facing hardship.
  • Invite personally: Meet one-on-one, explain how the lessons are designed to help people grow in their faith and knowledge of God and his Word.
  • Keep it simple: Meet in a home or quiet spot; no need for fancy setup – just willing hearts.
  • Aim for consistency: Suggest weekly meetings, but be flexible for busy lives or safety concerns in persecuted areas.

Trust helps everyone open up, reflect, and apply truths without fear.

  • Start with sharing: In the first meeting, share simple stories of your own faith struggles to show vulnerability.
  • Set ground rules: Agree to listen without judging, keep stories private, and focus on encouraging each other.
  • Build bonds: Begin each session with a short prayer or song inviting God to be present with you.
  • Be patient: Trust grows over time – encourage quiet members gently, and celebrate small steps of honesty.

Good preparation makes the lesson flow and helps discipleship.

  • Read ahead: Study the lesson before; pray over the Bible passage and think how it fits your group’s challenges.
  • Adapt for the group: Use simple words; if literacy is low, read aloud slowly and explain questions or stories.
  • Gather basics: Have a Bible (in your language) and paper for notes.
  • Reflect personally: Ask yourself the study questions first – lead from your own growth and experience.
  • Pray: Pray for your group members.

Guide the group through the lesson structure to encourage discovery and commitment.

  • Step 1 – Connecting: Start the group meeting by praying together. Thank God for his Word and ask for open hearts to receive it. Read the Bible passage together (Read it aloud twice; ask someone to repeat in their words.)
  • Step 2: Comprehending: Use the provided questions to help you grapple with the truth of the Bible passage.
  • Step 3 – Committing: Consider how the passage might apply to your lives and what simple steps of obedience you can commit to. The goal of these studies if life-change! Not just knowledge!
  • Step 4 – Communicating:  Think of who you can share the truths you have learned with.
  • Close with Prayer: Let group members pray short prayers of thanks or commitment. Pray for one another.

For many of the lessons, there is a short summary teaching voice-note at the end of the lesson (together with a text summary). This is designed to be a recap and reminder of the key lessons you should have learned through the lesson. 

As a leader, you might like to use these summary teaching resources to help you in preparation for leading your group, though ideally not before you have spent time prayerfully reflecting on the passage.

This is an ongoing discipleship journey aiming to transform lives and help people to live victorious Christian lives. Focus on growth, not just finishing lessons.

  • Meet regularly: Join together at least once a week. Review past actions at each start to build accountability.
  • Encourage reflection: Between meetings, urge personal time with the lesson – read, pray, and try complete commitments made.
  • Support one another: If your group members are facing challenges, use lessons to pray together and share burdens; become “agents of change” by helping others in your community.
  • Multiply groups: As trust grows, encourage members to start their own small groups with family or friends.
  • Keep it short: Stick to 15 – 25 minutes per lesson to fit busy, challenging lives.
  • Handle challenges: If fear or hardship arise, encourage members by always pointing back to God’s love. 
  • Stay safe: In persecuted areas, meet discreetly; focus on heart change over big displays.
  • Celebrate progress: Note how people have grown in faith; allow time for sharing testimonies of what God has done. Take note of what you pray for, and give thanks when God answers prayer.

Final encouragement

Leading these lessons is serving like Jesus – humble, loving, and truthful. As you journey together, God will build growing faith into each person’s life. Pray often, and watch lives transform!

If you would like to share stories of faith from your own communities, please get in touch with us!