METAMORPHOSIS – A New Believer's Guide

metamorphosis
Contributing Authors from:
The 2011 - 2012 Great Lakes Christian Internship
Edited by:
Dr. Rex Beck and Michael Samulak, MEd
Greater Purpose Publishers
Cleveland, Ohio

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1. FORWARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2. BORN AGAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3. BAPTISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4. PRAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5. THE BIBLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6. A LIFE OF GATHERING . . . . . . . . . . . 35
7. CHURCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
8. SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
9. OFFERING MONEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
10. INNER LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
11. THE GOSPEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
12. SIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
13. CHRIST AND HIS
TRANSFORMING POWER . . . . . . . . . 94
table of
contents
Copyright © 2015 Greater Purpose Publishers
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form by any means electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written
permission from the publisher.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
Published by
Greater Purpose Publishers
2281 Delaware Dr.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44016
International Standard Book Number: 9781519276124
Printed in the United States

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Μεταμορφόω
metamorphoó (met-am-or-fo’-o):
change the form, transform, transfigure.
forward
This Greek word is where we get the title for
our booklet, Metamorphosis, which in biology signifies “a
profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life
history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and
from the pupa to the adult butterfly.” Spiritually, the Bible uses
this word to describe the life history of a Christian. Becoming
a Christian is the single largest transforming event in any
person’s life. Nothing else in the universe will ever change
a person, through and through, even to their deepest parts,
more than Jesus Christ.
This has now become the story of your life! When you believed
in Jesus, you entered into a process of transformation; when
you first let Jesus into your heart, your transformation began.
And throughout the rest of your life, this transformation will
continue until eventually, you will be perfectly transformed
into the same image as the Lord Jesus Christ. This booklet is
designed to help you as you go from one stage to the next in
your life history as a Christian.
Every chapter in this book covers a key topic pertinent to the
spiritual life of every believer. As you go through each chapter,
read the Bible verses, and consider the questions at the end
of each section, taking time to reflect and to “let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16). Allow the Lord to speak
to you, to carry you through this transformation process and
to shape your life into His own image.
WAYS TO USE THIS BOOKLET
This booklet is written to help new Christians who have
recently received Jesus Christ in faith. The format (a verse or
two followed by one or two short explanatory paragraphs) is
intended to be read aloud in a one-on-one setting with a new
believer and a mentor. It can also be used in a small group
setting. In this setting the content may open a door for a lot
of discussion about these crucial topics new believers need
for their growth. It is intended to help the mentor, as he or she
disciples a person in their Christian walk. We hope this small
booklet will be a blessing to God’s people as they grow in their
life with Christ.

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born again
Everyone has probably heard this term
‘born-again.’ It might sound like a cult term if
you’re not actually a Christian. But now you
are a Christian. In fact, Jesus Christ, who you
initially believed in, was the first to bring out this
idea of being born again. He said, “You must be
born again.” Jesus said that when you believe
in Him, you have been ‘born,’ kind of like your
human natural birth, but instead there’s actually
a supernatural or spiritual rebirth.
So ...
WHATDOESITMEANTOBEBORNAGAIN?
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of
God.
— 1 John 5:1
Since you’re reading this book, which is designed for new
believers, presumably this means you already believe in Jesus
Christ (Which is super awesome by the way). This is a pretty
simple verse that describes what happened to you. First, you
believe Jesus is the Christ. Believing Jesus is the Christ means
that you believe that Jesus existed, but more importantly, that
you believe Jesus is the Christ. “Christ” implies a lot of things:
that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus came to earth as a
man, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He was raised
to life again, and that He ascended into heaven. If you believe
all of that then you have been born of God! Being born of God
means you have been born from a different source, that you
have actually been born into something... ...God.
........
Mind. Blown.

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That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born
again.’
— John 3:6-7
In all of creation, every organism follows a very simple principle:
when any living being procreates, it creates another being of its
same kind. When you look around, you see squirrels giving birth
to squirrels, sparrows giving birth to sparrows, rhinoceroses
giving birth to rhinoceroses, and hammerhead sharks giving
birth to hammerhead sharks. We all have had a natural, human
birth, meaning that a human being (your mother) gave birth to
another human being (you). And Jesus looks at it and says that
everything about you is man-made, earthly, and fleshly. “That
which is born of the flesh is flesh...”
But inside a Christian there is something godly or spiritual,
meaning that it must come from God. Being born again isn’t
a weird thing where you go into God’s womb and come out
a Christian: He gave you a spiritual rebirth. He gave birth to
something godly or spiritual inside of you. This godly thing inside
of you is called your ‘spirit.’ Later on in this book we’ll talk more
about what the spirit is, but for now, know this: before believing
in Jesus, your spirit wasn’t alive, but then God came along and
gave birth to your spirit. That’s what it means when the verse
says, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” So every person
who believes in Jesus has a spirit inside of them that has been
birthed by God.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be
called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world
does not know us is that it did not know Him.
— I John 3:1
When your spirit is born, you have been ‘born again’ and now
you’re a child of God. But your non-Christian friends or family or
co-workers might not understand this and think it’s really weird
because they don’t know God. That’s why the term ‘born-again’
can have such a cultish connotation and negativity attached to
it; because people of the world haven’t experienced this internal
process, and they can’t understand it. But now we can call the
Creator of the universe our Father!
SAVED BY FAITH AND CONFESSION
... because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will
be saved.
— Romans 10:9
Remember that first verse about believing that Jesus is
the Christ and the different things that went along with it?
Well this is pretty similar, except with an added prerequisite:
confessing. The Bible makes it pretty clear: you need to
vocally confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and also believe
inwardly that He died and was raised to life again. If you have
done this already then you’re in! Here, the verse says you are
‘saved.’ Being ‘saved’ goes right along with being born again.
If you are saved, then you have also been born again. This
seemingly simple process of believing and confessing brings
about rebirth and salvation! It’s that easy.
THE JOY OF CONFESSING HIS NAME
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the
Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say
“Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit..
— I Corinthians 12:13
Stop. Right now, say out loud: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Look
deep inside your heart and see if you mean it. Making Jesus
your Lord is a pretty big deal. It means that He’s in charge of
your life now. So if you can say it out loud and really believe
it, then you actually have the Holy Spirit inside you. From this
point on, you can be 100% sure that you are born again!

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Being born againall starts with believing in
Jesus. Think back to the moment you were saved.
One minute before you believed, you were just a
regular person, and you didn’t have God. Then
something happened and you started thinking:
“Wait, I kind of actually believe this stuff.” The
next thing you know, you’re calling Jesus your
Lord and something inside of you agrees with it.
From that point on, you are a child of God. God
sees you and says, “This is my child!”
THINK ABOUT IT
• Are you convinced, after reading this
chapter, that you’ve been born again?
• What was your salvation experience?
• Have your friends or family noticed a
difference in you?
• What do you think are the benefits of being
a child of God besides not perishing?

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baptism

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So you walk into a church meeting and you
see two grown men dunking a helpless girl in
water. And you’re like, either they’re trying to
drown this poor girl or she’s being baptized!
Assume it’s baptism and not murder. So what’s
this baptism all about???
WHY IS BAPTISM NECESSARY?
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
— Matthew 28:19
This is a command from Jesus Himself, that people be
baptized in the name of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. It’s important to note that this command is
directed at disciples or students of Christ Jesus. Therefore, in
order to be baptized, you must have an acceptance of Christ
and want to be a disciple of Jesus.
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the
water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming up to rest on
Him
— Matthew 3:16
Jesus commanded baptism, but He also did it Himself, leaving
us an example to follow. Furthermore, upon His baptism, the
Spirit of God descended, and God was delighted. Thus, all
who believe have this model of Jesus being baptized that they
may follow, resulting in God’s delight.
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
In short, baptism is a physical representation of a spiritual
regeneration. It’s a public proclamation to the world of your
newfound belief. It is also a crucial element in your salvation
and your walk with the Lord.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned.
— Mark 16:16
So you believe in Jesus. This verse says that all who do not
believe shall be condemned. If you believe then you are not
condemned. You are saved from hell. However, this verse says
that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. Belief
is important in rescuing us from condemnation. Baptism is an
added saving element because we need to be saved from so
many things in addition to being saved from condemnation.
More on that momentarily ….
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried
therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too
might walk in newness of life.
— Romans 6:3-4
What does baptism save you from? These verses tell you that
baptism is a union with Jesus in His death and resurrection.
When you are baptized, it says that you die together with
Christ. But what dies? You don’t actually physically die, but
your old sinful life is put to death. So baptism saves you from
the sinful way you used to live. The other part of baptism is a
newness of life that you can now walk in. How do you know
you’ve died with the Lord, and risen again with Him? Baptism!
And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea
Baptism is comparable to the experience of the Israelites in
the Old Testament. In that story, some 1500 years before
Christ, the people of God were slaves in Egypt. But God,
through Moses, delivered them from slavery and led them out
of Egypt. God went ahead of them in the form of a cloud,

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showing them where to go. The Egyptians chased them
into the desert, realizing that they really wanted their slaves
back. So then God led the Israelites to the Red Sea where He
miraculously parted it so the Israelites passed through the sea
on dry ground. The Egyptians were right on their heels, but
God let back the Red Sea on top of the Egyptians and they all
died. This allowed the Israelites to be free from their old life of
slavery and to live in the wilderness serving God.
As a Christian, you enter into this same baptism. Egypt
represents the world and the old way of life. Through baptism
you also pass through water and are identified with Jesus
Christ. You are brought out of the old life and into the new
with Christ!
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
— Acts 2:38
Receiving the Holy Spirit is related to baptism, but baptism
doesn’t necessarily cause the receiving of the Holy Spirit (see
Acts 10:44-48 as an example of receiving the Holy Spirit before
being baptized). However, this verse clearly shows the strong
relationship between the two: being baptized and receiving
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on
Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus.
— Galatians 3:27-28
The Greek word for ‘put on’ here is the same as dressing
yourself; when you’re baptized, you’re literally clothed in
Christ. Baptism here unifies all believers across racial, cultural,
social, and even physical borders. It’s an END to yourself — an
end to your Jew-ness, Greek-ness, slave-ness, free-ness, your
Hipster-ness, your Goth-ness, your nerdiness or your cool-
ness, even your male-ness or female-ness — and a positive
BEGINNING to your new life in Jesus Christ. To be baptized
into Christ is to negate all worldly distinctions; you’re one with
all these other people who are in Christ!
HOW ARE YOU BAPTIZED?
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture,
he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going
along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said,
“See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And
he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he
commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the
water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
— Acts 8:35-38
Here we see that the only requirement for baptism is belief
in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. This story shows us a few
things about baptism. First, any water will do. Second, the
baptizer was a believer. Third, the eunuch was immersed in
the water. These are just a few guidelines the Bible gives us
for baptism.
Jesus commandseveryone to be baptized.
Even He Himself was baptized. Baptism is an
identificationwithChrist’sdeathandresurrection.
Once you’ve been baptized, you can walk in a
newness of life. It’s a declaration of your faith,
the next logical step after you’ve heard the
gospel and believed in Jesus Christ. You should
talk to an older Christian in your church and get
baptized ASAP!
THINK ABOUT IT
• Have you been baptized? If yes, talk about
your baptism experience.
• Why do you think baptism is something God
wants?
• Do contemporary uses of baptism agree
with the Bible?

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prayer
Think about this for a second: you, as a
Christian, can directly talk to God the Father,
the Creator of the universe, and Jesus your
Savior. You can speak with God in any situation,
anywhere, at any time. You have a 24/7 hotline
directly to God! This is prayer: talking to God.
Prayer is a very special aspect of the Christian
life. In any relationship, communication is
necessary to keep things healthy. Since prayer is
communication with God, then for sure prayer is
needed to keep a healthy relationship with God.
Just in case you aren’t convinced...
WHY SHOULD YOU PRAY?
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.
— Philippians 4:6-7
Prayer allows you both to tell God what’s on your heart and
mind as well as to make requests of Him. When you make
your requests known to God, your heart and mind can be
at peace knowing He is in control. This way, God can be a
greater part of your life, giving you what you need, showering
you with His peace, and being the Father He truly is. Who
wouldn’t want that?
HOW SHOULD YOU PRAY?
Pray, then, in this way: “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed
be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as
it is in heaven.”
— Matthew 6:9-10

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Jesus shows that when you begin to pray you should pray to
God the Father and direct all your praise to Him, recognizing
Him as high and heavenly, and His name as blessed and
holy. Then, we should match our focus to His focus, that the
Father’s will be done here on Earth. By having this mindset,
our prayers can be God centered rather than self centered.
WHAT SHOULD WE PRAY FOR?
PART 1: DAILY BREAD
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
— Matthew 6:11
As human beings we have needs that are beyond spiritual.
We need food, shelter, clothes, and water to survive. Turning
to God with our needs is not a weekly or monthly thing, but
we can come to God every single day for them. God never
takes a break in giving, and He wants us to lay these needs
before Him so He can provide for us.
PART 2: ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
— Matthew 6:12
We are not perfect, therefore we sin. God hates sin but loves
you and is willing to forgive you. It is important that you
humbly come to God when you sin and ask for His forgiveness.
It’s also important, though, that you be Christ-like and forgive
others, just as you’ve been forgiven. This humble act empties
you of sin and darkness so that you can be refreshed and
filled by Jesus.
PART 3: PREVENT TEMPTATION
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil’
— Matthew 6:13
After you are forgiven of sin and filled with Jesus, you should
still pray to stay pure and untainted by the world. Our natural
self has a tendency to do evil and fall away from God. You
need to pray to the Lord to resist temptation, to turn away
from what is evil, and to keep your heart and mind focused
on Him.
WHERE SHOULD WE PRAY?
“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you
have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and
your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
— Matthew 6:6
This verse doesn’t mean that you have to always go into a cold
dark closet to pray. That’s weird. It’d be hard to concentrate on
God with coats in your face. It’s more about giving God your
undivided attention and time like being on a date. God loves it
when we talk to Him, but He loves it even more when we do
it in a private and personal way. In spending time alone with
Him, you show how much you care about your relationship
with Him, and how much He matters to you. In doing this, we
enter another level of intimacy in our relationship with Him.
WHEN SHOULD WE PRAY?
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with
this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for
all the saints.
— Ephesians 6:18
Pray all the time. So that means you should pray … when you
wake up, when you shower, when you eat Honey Bunches of
Oats, when you’re stuck in traffic, and when you go to bed. You
can pray when you’re happy, when you’re sad, in the the good
times and the bad. You can get to the point where God is just
a part of you all the time, and it’s not forced. And your prayers
should not just be self focused, but you should continually
pray for all the saints (other Christians). This will help improve
your relationship with both Jesus and fellow believers.

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PRAYING IN JESUS’ NAME...?
“And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father
may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I
will do it.”
— John 14:13-14
Jesus’ name is really super crazy powerful. Through His name,
demons were cast out, people were healed and raised from
the dead, and mankind was saved. If you ask anything in His
name, it’ll be done. I bet even the President’s name can’t do
that. So what does it mean to actually “pray in His name?” It
doesn’t mean that you meaninglessly put His name at the end
of your prayer to get everything you want. Instead it means
knowing what Jesus wants, praying in a way that matches
Him, having strong faith in Him, and having confidence in
what He can do.
PRAYING WITH FAITH AND EXPECTATION.
“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask,
believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted
you.”
— Mark 11:24
Don’t pray with just empty words, but rather with strong faith.
We are bringing the Lord into our lives and basically putting
everything into His hands. You have to put both the Mark 11
verse and the previous John 14 verses together. Jesus said “If
you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” God’s not your
personal genie in a bottle. If God was your genie, who would
be in control? You or God? You’d be your own god. So you
can’t just ask for a Ferrari, a stealth fighter jet or a 56in flat
screen 3D TV. But when your will is aligned with God’s will, you
can pray with certainty for anything and you will receive it.

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Here’s what you should do: Pray. A lot. Talk
to God at every opportunity. Prayer should not
be taken for granted because it is so crucial for
your Christian life. It is powerful. It is essential for
a healthy relationship with God. Prayer brings
about healing, receiving, peace, joy, and a rest
found only in Jesus Christ.
THINK ABOUT IT
• Do you need to show respect to God when
you pray by kneeling and meeting other
formalities?
• What are the benefits of praying with
others?
• How will your life be different if you have a
consistent prayer life?
• What prayers of yours has God answered in
the past?
• What should the ultimate goal of prayer be?
the bible

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What is truth? Now that you are a Christian
you have been brought into the one and only
absolute truth. And that truth is revealed in the
Bible. The Bible is a collection of the very words
of God written down on paper, passed down
from generation to generation. Through reading
the Bible you’ll have amazing insight into the
mind and heart of the God of the universe:
what He’s like, what He’s thinking, and what
He cares about. It also tells you the awesome
story of Jesus and how to live your life in a way
that pleases God. While the Bible can meet you
wherever you are, the truth of the Bible stays
the same, completely unaffected by our own
feelings, emotions, and circumstances. The Bible
allows God to speak directly to you and gives
you a better understanding of God in a personal
way. It’s holy, it’s truth, it’s completely reliable
and it’s without error. It’s not just a mystical book
of weird stories and restricting rules, but there’s
something alive and exciting about the Bible.
It frees you so that you can live completely for
God, and that is truly living!
THE BASICS
• There are two parts to the Bible – the Old Testament
and the New Testament. The Old Testament is
comprised of 39 books and the New Testament is
comprised of 27 books.
• The Bible was written by multiple authors. There are
eight different authors of the New Testament, most
of whom were eyewitnesses of the events they
wrote about. As for the Old Testament, there were
approximately 30 authors, though an exact number
is hard to tell because a few books were written
anonymously.
• The Bible was originally written in two languages,
Hebrew and Greek. The Old Testament was written
in Hebrew and a little Aramaic while the New
Testament was written in Greek. Modern Bibles are
translations of the Hebrew and Greek texts. There
are many different translations of the Bible, and
it’s recommended that you look at a few different
ones. Some translations are a literal, word-for-word
rendition of the Hebrew and Greek texts, while
others follow a thought-by-thought method of
interpreting the Hebrew and Greek into English.

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HOW DID WE GET THE BIBLE?
All Scripture is God-breathed …
II Timothy 3:16
What does ‘God-breathed’ mean? Well, it doesn’t mean that
some guy found a few golden tablets at the bottom of a
rainbow. But it does mean that all the words of the Bible came
directly from God to the authors of the Bible. These authors
were all men who had been directly inspired by the Holy Spirit.
So, though it was written by men, the source came from God.
As such, it is true, and a healthy Christian should take the
Bible for what it says.
And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and
you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a
dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in
your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy
of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For
prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke
from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
II Peter 1:19-21
The Bible was never a part of man’s will, meaning it was
never man’s idea to write the Bible. It was neither a creation
of mankind. Instead, the whole thing was inspired by the
Holy Spirit working through men. It was God’s idea and God’s
creation. Only through the Holy Spirit could mankind hear
God’s speaking.
HOW DO WE KNOW THE BIBLE IS
RELIABLE?
The Bible is one of the most historically reliable texts in
existence. It was written by eyewitnesses of the events it
describes and there are over 5000 manuscripts of the Bible in
existence, copied over time by thousands of people, making it
virtually impossible to change. The Bible is also accurate both
geographically and politically, and in its descriptions of both
locations and politics of the time.
WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the
field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the
Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to
you.
I Peter 1:24-25
The Bible is the word of the Lord and it is everlasting. The
words of God will outlast even the heavens and the earth,
which shall one day fade away. Even after global warming or
a nuclear holocaust destroys the earth, God’s word will still be
around! Basically, you can count on the Bible being extremely
solid and dependable – more so than anything else on this
earth. The Bible provides us a moral constant that does not
change with time. Societal and cultural norms and views,
such as those on marriage and sex, fluctuate often, but the
Bible gives a moral constant that we as Christians hold to.
Our culture should not define the Bible, but the Bible should
define our culture.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
The Word is more powerful and piercing than any sword. A
physical sword can cut our flesh, but the spiritual sword of the
Word exposes our heart, our true desires and our intentions.
The Bible reveals our true self, dividing everything that is godly
from everything that is sinful. You can’t come to the Word of
God and escape its slicing and dicing!

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HOW THE BIBLE HELPS US:
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts
them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the
rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew
and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of
mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man
who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams
rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell
with a great crash.
— matthew 7:24-27
Want to be wise? Read the Bible! Want to build a good spiritual
house? Read the Bible. Want to survive the monsoons of
life? Read the Bible. The Bible is your own personal spiritual
survival guide. It is not intended to be skimmed over but relied
upon as essential to your Christian walk.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
— psalms 119:105
The Bible is a light in the darkness. In this dark world, filled
with worldly distractions and sins, God provides a lighted path
for you to follow – a path that you can walk with God. As a
Christian, your thoughts and direction should be derived from
the Bible – from God Himself.
But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God.
— matthew 4:4
Think about the longest time you’ve gone without eating. A
day? Two days? Several days? Now, think about the longest
time you’ve gone without reading your Bible. While bread
provides nourishment for our physical bodies, we need to
learn that we cannot live on it alone. If you don’t read your
Bible, your spirit will be starving! We’re always so conscious
about our physical needs, but we have real spiritual needs that
need to be taken care of. God’s word provides the ultimate
nourishment that we can live by and find life in.
INTERACTING WITH THE BIBLE:
… They received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
— acts 17:10-11
This is a good example for us – we should all make time
to read the Bible daily – not as a chore, but with a willing
enthusiasm as a means to seek the truth and grow closer to
God. You shouldn’t only rely on others to tell you about God,
but take the initiative to study and know the Bible for yourself.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and
admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
— colossians 3:16
As you read the Word, allow it to constantly live inside you, to
grow in you and be expressed through your living. By doing
this, your own life will be positively impacted, but beyond that
you’ll be able to touch other people’s lives. You will have a joy
in your heart that you can share with other Christians around
you.
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the
message is heard through the word of Christ.
— romans 10:17
Faith is a result of hearing the truth of the Bible. If you have
friends that you would like to share your faith with, a good
way would be to preach the gospel to them with the Bible, or
read the Bible with them!
For further information, see 1 John 2:5 and Hebrews 4:2.

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You can fall in love with God and find
joy in Him by reading the Bible. This book can
change your life. Through reading the Bible, your
faith will be able to grow and mature on a solid
foundation. As you get to know God through
the Bible, it will become natural to do what He
commands and to live your life according to the
Word of God. The Bible is always fresh as long
as you have a seeking heart. You can read it a
hundred times and gain something new each
time.
THINK ABOUT IT
• What are different ways to read the Bible?
• Have you ever had an experience where the
Bible spoke to you? or ‘cut’ you?
• Think about and discuss an example of a
universal moral issue. Consider what the
Bible says and compare that with cultural
understandings. Also consider how those
cultural understandings change over time.
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
• For one week, do not read the Bible and
see how you feel. The next week, try to
read the Bible every day and compare the
two weeks and your feelings in each week.
a life of
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So now that you’re saved, baptized, reading
the Bible and praying, what’s next? Do you just sit
in your room and do your spiritual thing on your
own? Humans are social creatures by nature
and need to hang out with other people. It’s just
how God created us. Think about it: how much
of your time is spent finding ways to socialize,
whether it’s by Facebook or Twitter or texting,
etc.? Humans like being around other humans,
and this isn’t any different for your Christian life.
Being a solitary monk at the top of a mountain
isn’t the option God intended for believers. By
being with other Christians, your faith can be
strengthened, and your walk with God can be
encouraged.
WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS HANG OUT
TOGETHER?
WELL, IT’S WHO WE ARE…
But Jesus replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother,
and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward
his disciples, He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For
whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and
sister and mother.”
— Matthew 12:48–50
Once you believe in Jesus Christ, you become a part of God’s
family whether you like it or not. This family is huge, with all
sorts of brothers and sisters and weird cousins and creepy
uncles and loving mothers. This crazy group of people can
cause you a few headaches, but they will always be there
for you as your biggest supporters, uplifting you in the hard
times, celebrating with you in the good times, and giving you
that hard-to-swallow, but well-needed advice. And most of all
they’ll bring a lot of love to your life.
PROMISE OF THE LORD’S PRESENCE
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I
[Jesus] among them.
— Matthew 18:20
This verse promises that Jesus will be present whenever
His people gather together in His name. So when you meet
with other people to pray or worship or read the Bible, it’s
reassuring to know for a fact that Jesus is right there among
all of you.
MUTUAL ENCOURAGEMENT & CONGREGATIONAL
WORSHIP
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and
admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to
God.
— Colossians 3:16
This life of gathering is the natural direction that God takes
you in your walk with Him. You experience God in your own
personal life, and then bring that experience to share with
other people. They reciprocate in the same manner. It’s like
a potluck: everyone brings their own bits of Christ together,
which brings everyone into joy, singing, worship, and praise
to God. It’s a PARTAAAYY!

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PRESERVATION & ACCOUNTABILITY
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil,
unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”,
that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
For we have come to share in Christ…
— Hebrews 3:12-14
Even though we’re Christians, we can still fall into sin
to the extent that we can have an evil and unbelieving heart.
It’s really important that we are together encouraging one
another so that sin doesn’t trick us into falling away from God.
There’s a responsibility that the Bible tells us we have for the
believer next to us: even if you’re strong, make sure you care
for your fellow Christians and encourage them to stay close to
the living God.
A BIBLICAL EXHORTATION…
“…let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good
works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the
Day drawing near.”
— Hebrews 10:24-25
Not only can Christians encourage one another to stay
away from sin, but they can help push each other towards
love and good works. That’s why we’re directly told to meet
together!
EXAMPLES OF GATHERING TOGETHER:
The Bible gives many different pictures of Christian gatherings.
They differ in size, location, and practice but all share the
purpose of gathering in the name of Jesus Christ. Here are a
few examples of Christian gatherings:
TESTIMONY
And when they arrived and gathered in the church together,
they declared all that God had done with them, and how He had
opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
— Acts 14:27
Here’s a spiritual potluck in action! In Acts, Christians got
together and talked about their personal experiences with
God, and how He’d reached all kinds of people. In doing so,
they deepened and expanded each other’s knowledge of God.
TEACHING
... and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
— Acts 2:42
It’s cool that early Christians gathered to do the same things
that we do today. They had fellowship, prayed, and partook
of the Lord’s table during their gatherings. They even studied
the same things that we study: the apostles’ teachings, which
make up much of the New Testament.
COMMUNITY LIFE
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ…Greet also
the church in their house.
— Romans 16:3, 5
Church is more than just a meeting, but it is practically
experienced when believers come together in Christ! That can
happen in a nice cathedral or even just in a simple house.

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SPIRIT’S PRESENCE & POWER
while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit
said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which
I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their
hands on them and sent them off.
— Acts 13:2-3
Sometimes the Lord’s revelation comes to a group of people.
God could’ve come upon Paul and Barnabas individually, but
that’s not how He chose to do things. Instead, He revealed
Himself in the midst of all this group prayer and fasting. It was
in this group environment that the Holy Spirit could speak and
operate.
Getting together with other Christians isn’t
just a command, but it’s also a natural response.
Now that you’ve got Christ’s life in you, why
wouldn’t you want to share your experiences of
Him with other Christians? Gathering together
gives you a chance to encourage your fellow
believers, worship and sing together, and express
Christ’s love more fully.
THINK ABOUT IT
• What does ‘gathering together’ look like?
Should it be in a specific place? With a
specific purpose? Etc.
• How does gathering with other Christians
enhance your personal walk with Christ?
• Have you experienced any benefit from
meeting with other Christians? Have you
had any challenges in meeting with other
Christians?
• Talk about the difference between a
Christian gathering and a social club.

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church
Picturechurchinyourmind.Intoday’sworld,
many people might think of church as a giant
boring quiet cathedral, with a cold atmosphere,
maybe with some stuffy hypocrites. That’s
not what church is supposed to be. The Bible
describes the church as a bride on her wedding
day. It’s supposed to be something beautiful,
something special, something that God really
wants—full of life, full of love, and full of joy.
Let’s reexamine the idea of church and what it
means Biblically.
WHY DOES CHRIST WANT A CHURCH?
IT’S HIS TESTIMONY
God desires a testimony and that is the church; He wants
something that displays who He is. God’s plan is to use the
church to display Himself, His wisdom and His glory.
... so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made
known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the
heavenly places.
— Ephesians 3:10
... to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations forever and ever. Amen.
— Ephesians 3:21
Here we see that God’s wisdom and His glory are revealed
through the church; God chose to display His wisdom to the
authorities in the heavenly places through the church, and He
chose to display His glory through the church throughout all
generations.

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IT’S HIS BODY
The church makes up the body of Christ, each believer makes
up a part of the body of Christ and every member has a place
in the body of Christ.
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all
the members of the body, though they are many, are one body,
so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
body.
— I Corinthians 12:12-13
We are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even
Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together
by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working
of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the
building up of itself in love.
— Ephesians 4:15-16
We are baptized into one body, the church. The church is
made of many different types of people and personalities.
Yet in Christ as the head, they are one body, knit together
so tightly as to share pain, joys, and the things of Christ that
cause growth. The individual members supply each other and
hold each other together according to their proper working,
causing the whole body to be built up in love.
IT’S HIS BRIDE
The church is also discribed as Christ’s bride. God wants
a counterpart, a wife, and that wife is the church. All the
believers make up Christ’s bride.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church
and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having
cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He
might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no
spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and
blameless.

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Christ sees something extremely precious in the church, loving
it as a husband loves his wife. Right now, the church is in the
process of being prepared for this great wedding. She is being
sanctified, cleansed by the washing with the word, and on
that great day she will be holy and blameless, without any
spot or wrinkle or blemish of any kind.
BEING PART OF THE CHURCH
So once you’re saved, you right away become a member
of the church. There are two ways to think about church—
the universal and the local. The universal church is a way of
describing the body of believers all over the globe through
all of time. So even if you took a believer from China in 1650
A.D. and another believer from Guatemala in 2005 A.D., the
fact that they both believe in Jesus Christ makes them both a
part of the universal church. Likewise, the Apostle Peter, Paul,
Mother Theresa, and you, are all part of the universal church.
The local church, on the other hand, is bound by time and
space. Think of the people in your city that you meet with—
that’s your local church! It’s where you spend your time, serve
the Lord, grow, and get to know God.
UNIVERSAL
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona,
because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father
who is in heaven. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon
this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not
overpower it.
— Matthew 16:16-18
Jesus refers to the church as ‘Mine,’ showing possession
and ownership. The whole church firstly belongs to Jesus.
Secondly, the church is built off the thought that Jesus of
Nazareth, this person who walked on the earth, is the Son of
the Living God. So much power comes with this church that
even the gates of Hades will not overpower it!
LOCAL
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault,
between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained
your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others
along with you, that every charge may be established by the
evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to
them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the
church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
— Matthew 18:15-17
The local church is the group of Christians around you. In
this story, believers confront a man with a problem. When
the man doesn’t listen, these believers are told to ‘tell it to
the church.’ Because you can’t really talk to a building unless
you’re insane, the ‘church’ here is clearly a group of people.
Furthermore, they’re people who live around you. You can’t
call all the Christians in the entire world to listen to your
problems—you talk to the local people about these issues.
The local church is where decisions are made and person-to-
person interactions take place.
THE PRACTICAL LOCAL (CITY) CHURCH
“There were in the church at Antioch …”
— Acts 13:1
“To the church of God which is at Corinth …”
—I Corinthians 1:2
“ … To the church of the Thessalonians … “
— I Thessalonians 1:1
A pattern of local churches in the New Testament shows that
local churches are described and designated by the cities in
which their members reside. This means that the local church
is made up of all the believers in your specific city. Basically, it
looks like this: If you believe in Jesus and you live in … say, San
Francisco, then you are part of the “church in San Francisco.”
Cool, huh? This is just a really practical way to think about
church.

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So clearly, God doesn’t see the church as
just some boring, dead, stuffy old building. To
Him, the church is His bride and His expression
on earth. So the next time you sit down in your
seat on Sunday morning, take a good look at
the people around you. God chose these people
to spend eternity with! One day, when God
finishes His work, you and all those people and
even us (the authors of this rockin’ booklet) will
be married with Christ eternally.
THINK ABOUT IT
• What would we be missing if our
relationship with God didn’t include the
church?
• What church should I go to and how do I
know what to look for in a church?
• How does considering the church change
your concept of God?
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And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and
some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the
equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up
of the body of Christ
There are so many different ways to serve, and all of them
work together to help believers grow. Serving God doesn’t
always mean you have to stand up behind a pulpit and deliver
some sermon. The Bible talks about some people traveling
and helping to build up churches (apostles); some sharing
what they’ve seen of God (prophets), and some simply talking
about Jesus to unbelievers (evangelists). Service could just be
talking to your friends about God. Anything that builds up the
body of Christ is service.
From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by
what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each
individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up
of itself in love.
— Ephesians 4:16
God really wants the Body, the church, to be whole and fully
grown. He got the process started by saving us by His grace.
We continue this by building ourselves up in love. We each
have to play our part: every joint gives a little something,
and each separate person works their own part. When this
happens, the church—the other Christians around us—grows
in love.
When you come to the church
meeting on Sunday, what do you see? Usually,
there is somewhere to sit, a speaker, and
maybe some instruments and singers. All of
those things involve service to God. That chair
you were sitting in was set up by someone who
served God. That person that taught you about
the Bible was serving, the worship band was
serving, and even that person who gave you a
ride was serving God. Whoever thought serving
God could be something like setting up chairs or
giving a friend a ride to a church meeting? Service
can come in many different forms. As a follower
of Christ it shouldn’t be about me, me, me,
anymore but about Christ. Although sometimes
our service may go unnoticed or overlooked,
we should know that God remembers and He is
happy to have faithful workers serving Him.
WHO SERVES?
For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called
his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one
he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each
according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
— Matthew 25:14-15
Every Christian can serve. In this story, Christ is the man and
we are His slaves. As He prepares to leave, He distributes His
possessions among His slaves. They get different amounts
according to their ability but every slave gets something, and
they’re expected to do something with what they were given.
They each have a job to do while their master is gone.

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I’M NOT A SUPER CHRISTIAN ...
WHAT CAN I DO TO SERVE?
But now the members are many, but the body one. And the eye
cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the
head to the feet, I have no need of you. On the contrary, the parts
of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…
Your own body has many parts and functions, but it’s still only
one body. The parts make up the body. In the same way, each
member of the church (the Body) is a part and has a special
function. The church needs every single member to do what
they are supposed to in order for the church to work properly.
Whether your function is as big as a leg or as small as a toe,
both are essential for the body to work, and it’s wrong to look
down on the services that seem insignificant. So the next time
you meet up with the church and are greeted at the door,
or the next time you think that telling a friend about God is
just trivial, remember that each person and their respective
service is vital for the Body!
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,
helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
When you first look at this verse you might think “Whoa.
Haaang on there. I’m not an apostle or a prophet, and the
biggest miracle I’ve done is dragging my own sorry carcass
to a church meeting on a lazy Sunday morning!” But if you
read it again, there are some really practical services we can
do that do not require being an apostle. The Bible talks about
teachers, people who just help others learn about Christ,
and then people who are gifted with helping, healing, and
administrating. These are simple but useful things in the
church. You can help pass out flyers for a church event, or
give another Christan a ride somewhere, or even organize a
youth event with others. And when you tell someone going
through a rough time that Jesus loves them and that you’ll
pray for them, that in itself could actually be a form healing.
Who knew service could be so practical? Anyone can do it!
WHAT’S THE ATTITUDE OF A SERVER?
Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and
traded with them, and gained five more talents…His master said
to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with
a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the
joy of your master.’
— Matthew 25:17-18, 16, 21
Once the charge from his master had been given, this servant
immediately set to work. Christ is the master and we’re the
servant. He wants us to work with what we’ve got. Notice that
the master doesn’t praise the servant for being successful.
Instead, He is looking for someone who will stay committed
and faithful to a small task.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with
singing.
— Psalms 100:2

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Serve God with the right attitude. When we serve we should
not serve out of duty or law but out of joy and happiness. And
best of all, when we serve, we enter into the Lord’s presence.
Isn’t that awesome?!?! That should be reason enough to
serve right there!
BENEFITS OF SERVING
... here they made Him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus
was one of them that sat at the table with Him.
— John 12:2
Just days before Jesus was going to be crucified, His closest
friends made a dinner for Him. It’s great that people could
come and enjoy being with Jesus, but how could this have
happened if Martha didn’t clean the house and serve the
food? When you serve in simple ways, you can be like Martha:
your service can allow others to share dinner, conversation
and life with the Lord Jesus Christ whom you love!
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love
that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you
still do.
— Hebrews 6:10
Let’s be real here: when you serve, it’s normal to expect some
thanks in return, or maybe even some praise. However, if we
don’t get even a “thank you,” we still shouldn’t be disappointed.
God doesn’t overlook your work or your love and service for
other Christians. God will never overlook anything you do for
Him. A secret ‘thank you’ from God is so much better than a
verbal ‘thank you’ from a person.
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You
were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many
things; enter into the joy of your master.’
— Matthew 25:21
When you serve well and faithfully, God is happy, and He
rewards you with many spiritual blessings. While you may not
get earthly recognition, it is pretty amazing that your service
can please the Lord and make Him happy. Those are some
pretty good job perks.
WHERE SHOULD I SERVE?
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s
building.
Paul’s talking about the congregation of Christian believers in
Corinth in this section as God’s field and building. If you’re not
sure where to serve, a pretty good place to start is with the
other Christians around you.
Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the
harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the
fields, that they are white for harvest.
— John 4:35
This verse has an interesting take on where to serve... If you
ask, “Where should I serve?” the answer from this verse
would be, “In a field!” And even more than that, it’s telling
you to find a field that is ripe and ready to be harvested.
(That’s what a ‘white field’ means). Ok, so taking a step aside
from the analogy, just look around and find some area that
needs some work, or, in other words, ‘a field.’ A field could be
vacuuming floors, washing windows, singing in the band, or
helping out the children’s service. It could be going out and
feeding homeless people or giving people rides to the Sunday
meeting every week. And thankfully there are lots of fields
just waiting to be harvested!
This verse also tells you when to start serving. You don’t have
to wait until you stumble upon a field by accident, or you don’t
have to wait until you’re ‘ready.’ But what does Jesus say?
“Come on…what are you waiting for??? The fields are ready.
They just need someone to go out there!”

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Service is a huge part of the Christian life.
We can make God happy, build up the church,
help other believers know Jesus, and even receive
spiritual blessings through our service. As we
serve according to what we’ve been given by
God, we can help further God’s eternal plan! So
what are you waiting for?
THINK ABOUT IT
• How does serving in the church help you
grow spiritually?
• How does practical service bring you closer
with other believers?
• What are a few ways you can serve in your
church?
• What is your “field” of service?
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The rapper Wyclef Jeanonce said: “cash
means everything around me, dollah dollah billz
y’all.” But believe it or not, the Bible actually has
a really different perspective on how to handle
money. We often think of money as “our”
money or “my” money, but the Bible thinks of
it as God’s money that He gives to us. Being a
Christian doesn’t mandate that you have a vow
of poverty—it just means you’re called to lead a
life of giving.
WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT MONEY?
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
— Luke 12:34
Before even talking about money, God really wants to talk
about your heart. The real root of the problem isn’t money
itself: it’s the way you treat it and view it.
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and
into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin
and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of
evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
— I Timothy 6:9-10
The interesting thing about the Bible is that it doesn’t warn
against money—it warns against the love of money and the
want of it. When you spend your life chasing after wealth,
that’s where harmful things can come in and where you can
fall into traps and even fall away from your belief in God. So
it’s not money itself that’s bad—it’s the want of money that
can trip you up. Some really great Christians have good jobs
and lead pretty good lives. The important thing is, though, that
your heart is in the right place and that you aren’t pursuing
money as the first love in your life.
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and
love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
— Matthew 6:24
It doesn’t say here not to have money: it says you can’t serve
both God and money. Service is what you devote your life to,
where you put your time and your effort, and what you really
care about. You should really want to serve God who loves
you and wants what’s best for you.
Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all
kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of
his possessions. And He told them this parable: “The ground of
a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself,
‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then He
said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build
bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And
I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many
years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to
him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from
you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This
is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but
is not rich toward God.”
— Luke 12:15-21
This is just how most of us think. If we’re prosperous, we just
think: ‘alright, more for me!’ We think more riches mean a
bigger house and a bigscreen TV and a nicer car, but God
says that you don’t know when your life on this earth will be
over. “What have you prepared for yourself in the heavens?”
Instead of being rich on earth, are you rich toward God?

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Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles
seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows
that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
— matthew 6:31–34
We’re human beings. That means we need to eat, drink, wear
clothes, and live somewhere. Christians are told not to spend
their lives worrying about this stuff, because God knows what
we need and He’ll provide when we seek after Him. So stop
worrying, you worrywarts! God’s got your back.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY?
So we’ve talked about eternal treasure and making God our
first love. But what does that look like? You can’t live without
money, so then how should you deal with money? What
should our interaction with money be? How can we use it in a
way that honors God and puts Him first?
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses
for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that
will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth
destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also.
— Luke 12:33-34
One way to put God first with our money is by giving to others.
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we
rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the
whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the
whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my
house. “Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will
not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent
pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will
not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty.
— Malachi 3:8-11
Giving tithes and offering money is a really godly habit. In
not giving the proper tithes and offerings to the Lord, the
people were robbing Him. It’s not that God needs offerings
and money—it’s that He wants you to show your dedication
to Him in your actions. Once you do this, He tells you that He
will bless you in ways seen and unseen.
And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves
first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
— II Corinthians 8:5
First, our giving is a gift to God. This goes beyond a monetary
giving. God wants our hearts to be aligned with His will so
that when we do give, it is out of a heart for the Lord.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver.
Second, we are to give what we decide in our hearts to give. In
the Old Testament there was a designated amount of what to
give to God as a standard for the Israelites. This amount was
10% of their income. In contrast, though, the New Testament
never mentions an exact amount. Instead, God cares about
our heart and our attitude. We should give cheerfully and
whatever our conscience leads us to give….which doesn’t
always have to be limited to just 10%.
On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside
a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that
when I come no collections will have to be made.
Lastly, we’re always told to set aside money for retirement. But
even more than that, how important is it to set aside money
for God’s will? Giving up part of our income to God should be
our habit in life. That’s like the ultimate Social Security—plus
it’ll never fail or run out!

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WHO DO WE GIVE TO?
So we’re supposed to give away money…but does it matter
who we give it to, just as long as we give it cheerfully?
Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the
Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each
one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his
income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have
to be made.
It’s pretty clear here: the collection is for the people of God,
or the church. It’s not that you shouldn’t give to charities. If
there’s an earthquake in Haiti, it’s really good to help support
the victims there. But that should be in addition to the money
you give to the church.
for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my
needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which
increases to your account. But I have received everything in full
and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received
from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an
acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
— Philippians 4:16-18
The Lord’s workers: The church was never forced to give, but
the apostle Paul received money from the church in Philippi,
which he accepted for the growth of the Christians there. When
we give to the Lord’s workers, it is a sacrifice and offering that
is pleasing to the Lord and adds credit to an eternal account.
“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves
money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in
heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.”
— Luke 12:33
We are called to give to those in need. Usually receiving
something is thought of as treasure, but in this picture, what
we give is a treasure…to us. That’s so opposite of how our mind
works! We give, and that’s treasure in heaven! Awesome!
God who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will
supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the
harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every
way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce
thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only
supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many
thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will
glorify God because of your submission that comes from your
confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your
contribution for them and for all others.
— II Corinthians 9:6-13
Giving wisely involves knowing God’s will and where His heart
is, and putting your heart there. Giving to God may look like
helping out your neighbor who just got laid off, assisting a
family at church who’s really struggling, or offering to help out
a fellow Christian worker. This glorifies God, enabling you to
be a spiritual blessing to others.
Jesus gave everything to us. We look at
our money, and we hold onto it so tightly. Then,
when we do give our 10%, we feel really good
about ourselves like we’re entering into the will
of God. Yet there is something slightly wrong
with that attitude. We should take Christ as our
example, who had all the heavenly riches but
didn’t cling to them. He gladly, joyfully let go
of them, went to the earth, lived a life without
earthly riches, and died on the cross – all for us,
to pay our debts. Follow Christ’s example: don’t
cling onto your worldly riches, but give freely
to God and His people because we owe Jesus
everything!

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THINK ABOUT IT
• How much do you give?
• If you give, will you get more money back
from God?
• What happens when giving interferes with
your responsibilities?
• Should you give money to every poor person
you meet?
• What if the money you give is misused?
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When you became a Christian, you
may have noticed your life beginning to change.
Maybe your friends noticed something different
about you. You might spend your time reading
the Bible when before you would have watched
Gossip Girl or Family Guy. You also probably go
to church on Sundays instead of sleeping in until
2 in the afternoon. That’s because when you
believed in Jesus and accepted Him into your
heart as Lord and Savior, you became something
entirely different — you became a new creation!
A NEW LIFE
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has
gone, the new has come!
So if you are in Christ, then you are a new creation! But what
exactly is new about you? At salvation, Jesus Christ brought
to life something deep inside of you, an inner life which you
didn’t have before you were saved. In order to understand
this new inner life inside of you, you have to realize how
God designed humans. The Bible teaches that every person
actually has three main parts …
May God Himself, the God of peace sanctify you through and
through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ...
— I Thessalonians 4:13
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with
power through His Spirit in your inner being...
— Ephesians 4:16
All humans are created with three different parts: a physical
body, which is self-explanatory; a soul, which is all of your
personality; and thirdly, a spirit. We call this ‘inner being’ your
spirit, which is where this mysterious inner life begins to take
place. This spirit is what was brought to life, so that God could
begin to dwell with you.
...Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day.
But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your
spirit is alive because of righteousness.
— Romans 8:10
Ok, here’s the bad news: you’re dying. Your physical body is
wasting away. But there’s good news! Because Christ is in
you, every day your spirit is being renewed, or made stronger
and enlivened.
GOD LIVES IN YOU
The Bible tells us that more than just making us alive in our
spirit, God actually lives inside of us.
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory.
— Colossians 1:27
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless,
of course, you fail the test?
Colossians describes this phenomenon as a ‘mystery,’ that
Christ is in us. And II Corinthians says that Christ Jesus living
in you is a characteristic of a believer, a sign of being ‘in the
faith.’ Now this is perhaps a strange thought, but it is exciting.
The creatior of the universe is so close to you, living inside
of you. Obviously, there is no physical body inside, like some
weird radioactive parasite, but it’s God’s Spirit which is inside
of you.

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Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you whom you have received from God?
Now that you’re saved your body is actually a dwelling place
for the Holy Spirit, like a house of God. A temple is a place
where people go to worship God and that place is now inside
of us. Think about this: before you believed in God you were
far away from Him. Now, just by believing, you have become
a place where He can dwell.
LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
Remember, the Spirit is living inside of you, though not
in a physical sense, but rather in a spiritual sense. And
even though it’s not physical, there is still something very
tangible about the Spirit living in you. The Spirit is very real;
He has thoughts, feelings, plans, actions... And God, in His
unfathomable wisdom, chose to work through His people —
and that includes you! Therefore we have to learn how to live
in this new way by the Spirit. We can know how to follow
God’s leadings, words, thoughts, and feelings because His
Spirit is right there, intermingled with our own spirit. The Bible
talks about and describes this spiritual life.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
— Galatians 5:25
So what does a life in the Spirit look like? And how do we
nourish growth and maturity in this new life?

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That’s because before you believed in Christ, you were used
to living only according to your own will and feelings. But now
there’s Christ inside of you—and sometimes His Spirit will lead
yours to do things differently than how you used to. It might
seem strange to follow these kinds of leadings, but it’s even
Biblical. Many strong Christian figures in the Bible had these
kind of experiences, Jesus included.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was
led by the Spirit in the desert...
— Luke 4:1
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of
Phrygia and Galatia... ...they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit
of Jesus would not allow them to.
— Acts 16:6–7
Jesus was led by the Spirit to go into the desert, where He was
to be tempted by the devil. Again, Paul and his companions
were kept from going into Bithynia because the Spirit of Jesus
would not allow them. It’s good to try and work with this sort
of thing, to begin to experience which feelings or sensations
come from the Lord and which do not. It is not bad to have a
thought for what kind of shirt Jesus would want you to wear,
or who to sit next to in school, etc.. While this might seem
a little silly at first, this can instill a good sense of when and
where the Spirit is leading you. This is somewhat of a trial
and error process, which is why following the Spirit in small
things is a good place to start. If God wanted you to wear a
red tie instead of a blue tie … it’s really not that big of a deal!
Over time, you’ll be able tell what is God’s voice and what
isn’t, and He’ll lead you to follow Him in bigger decisions and
opportunities throughout your Christian walk. In the Bible, this
‘voice’ is called “the anointing” from the Holy Spirit which will
always be with us and will always guide us.
As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you,
and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing
teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not
counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in Him.
— I John 2:27
While these crazy and almost surreal leadings are pretty
exciting when they do happen, they might not be everyday
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are
the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His
worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
— John 4:23–24
A spiritual person worships the Father, but does so in Spirit and
in truth. You, as a Christian, have the privilege and opportunity
of coming directly to God Himself. But even if you pray, go to
church, or read your Bible without doing it in Spirit, you’ll still
feel distant from God. Furthermore, these things must also be
done in truth. That means that everything you do must agree
with God’s Word, which is truth. The Holy Spirit will never lead
you to sin or do anything against the Bible.
Your inner spirit’s like a muscle: as your faith grows, that
muscle grows into a six pack. The more you use your spirit,
the more you can interact with God. As your first spiritual sit-
up, try reading this passage from Romans 8 and experience
God’s Spirit and your spirit interacting together:
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to
fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry,
“Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we
are God’s children.
— Romans 8:15–16
There’s an affirmation in our spirit from God that we are His
children. To touch this, simply say out loud “I am a child of
God.” Try saying it again, stronger: “I am a child of God!”
No—seriously, stronger: “I AM A CHILD OF GOD! Woot!”
How does this make you feel? Can you sense that warm,
comforting affirmation deep within that resonates with that
statement?
Sometimes the Spirit may lead you through some pretty
mystical and crazy experiences. Sometimes you may have a
sense of a leading, or just a feeling that God is telling you
to do something. It could be a physical call, like feeling the
need to turn left on a street instead of right, or something
spiritual, like feeling the need to pray for a friend even though
you don’t really know why. Sometimes it’s even a personal
conviction—like not going to that website, or apologizing for
a rude comment. This can be kind of a strange experience.

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THINK ABOUT IT
• When you became a Christian, what were
some things that changed in your life?
• What are some things that you think the
Spirit would lead you to do? What are things
the Spirit would not want you to do?
• Have you ever had an experience of the
Lord leading you? If so, did you follow that
leading? What happened?
experiences. What is important is that the way you live begins
to be transformed. God may not give us a lightning strike
every time you’re looking for direction, but each day you can
experience a little bit of God, either in your prayer time, or
maybe your morning Bible study, or perhaps just talking to a
friend about the Lord. As you continually interact with God,
the Holy Spirit’s effect on your life will become undeniable.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such
things there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22–23
The effects of the Spirit are described in this verse as “fruit”:
an automatic work that produces spiritual things in your
life, just like a tree would automatically produce “fruit.” You
will begin to notice the Spirit in you bringing about positive
changes in your life.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was
not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not
I, but the grace of God that was with me.
Paul’s life was a great example of one lived in the Spirit,
engulfed by Christ’s life. His experience was one full of hard
work and service to God, but he realized that his service was
simply God working and living through him. In the same way,
God works and lives in all Christians. If you cultivate your
relationship with the Spirit, your life can become one that is
pleasing to Him: filled with the presence of God and spiritually
discerning. You will become an instrument of the Lord, able
to be used by Him for His work on the earth. With this kind
of healthy inner life, God can form something awesome and
eternal in you.
`Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring welling
up to eternal life.
— John 4:14

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Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He left
His disciples with a command. These were some
of Jesus’ last words on earth:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have
commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:19–20
This command is really important: He tells us
to make disciples of everyone, which means
that you have to make men followers of Jesus.
He outlines different parts of this process:
‘go,’ ‘disciple,’ ‘baptize,’ and ‘teach.’ The whole
process, however, starts with something we call
preaching the gospel.
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
Hey, remember that time when someone told you about God
and you listened and heard what they were saying and then
believed into Jesus Christ as your own personal savior? That
was the gospel!
The word for ‘gospel’ in Greek literally means good news. The
good news is, of course, that Jesus Christ came down to earth
as a man, died for all your sins, and rose to life again. And
if you believe into Him, you will have everlasting life! Yeah,
and you thought that 50% sale at American Eagle was good
news, huh??? Try topping everlasting life, American Eagle....
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes …
— Romans 1:16
The apostle Paul called the gospel of Christ the power of God.
On the surface, the whole message of salvation may seem
totally insane. It’s totally crazy that anyone would put all their
faith in this story that happened 2000 years ago about some
guy who was apparently God but also a man and then died
and was miraculously raised to life again. And about that
old book that Christians read — it’s apparently the word of
God and the source of life and you’re supposed to believe
everything it says. The whole Christian life, from the outside,
could seem completely nuts and illogical. But the gospel is the
power of God. For some reason you know it’s true and that it’s
worth devoting your whole life. And when anyone hears this
same gospel, the power of God begins working in their life just
as it began working in yours.
For in [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
— Romans 1:17
God’s righteousness is revealed in the gospel, and the gospel
is for faith. When we think about what the gospel is, we should
think about a message that shows God’s holy person and
how receiving that message leads to faith. The gospel isn’t to
show what sort of rules you should follow, like how to become
a better person, how you should go to church 50 times a year,
or how you should stay away from online shopping, but it’s
for faith. It’s really simple: God is righteous, and you should
believe in Him.
HOW DOES GOD SHARE THE GOSPEL
WITH THE WORLD?
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His
appeal through us.”
As you know already, God, for some reason, chooses to work
through His people. So to answer the question, “How does
God share the gospel with the world?” God says, “Through
YOU!!” In essence you are a representative for God. That
means that it’s very important how you live your life. You are
to show God’s existence and presence in your life, and you
can share the gospel through your every day actions.

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“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never
heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
— Romans 10:13-15
Sometimes, Christians think that they don’t need to talk to
unbelievers about God: they can just sit back, live their nice,
good, Christian life, and through their exemplary living, the
gospel will be shared. You might have even heard the popular
saying: “Preach the gospel always; if necessary use words.”
While it’s good to live a Christian life, the Bible plainly asks
for more. Paul challenges us to think—how can unbelievers
believe into someone who they’ve never heard of? And how
can they hear about Jesus Christ without you preaching?
You’ve been sent by Jesus to GO, to talk to people, and to
make everyone a follower of Him. When you’re faithful to this
calling, your direction in life is beautiful to the Lord.
SHARING THE GOSPEL
Sharing the gospel may seem intimidating: religion is personal,
controversial, and basically a taboo topic in today’s society.
However, as a Christian, you’re called as an ambassador of
Christ to talk about God to others.
… “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord
has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”
— Mark 5:19
One of the best ways to do this is to tell your own story of what
the Lord has done for you. In the verse above Jesus had just
healed a demon-possessed man and then immediately told
him to go and tell everyone what the Lord had done for him.
Your experience of Christ and how He’s saved and changed
you can give others a really honest and personal testimony of
who God is. And it’s something you don’t need any training to
do. As soon as the Lord works in your life, you have something
to share with other people.
Other times, you’ll want to share some of the fundamental
truths of the gospel. The verses on the next two pages are
some really good gospel verses for telling people about the
Lord. Here’s the first one:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal
life.”
— John 3:16
When using this verse, you can ask some of the following
questions:
What’s God’s attitude toward the world? A lot of people believe
that God is here to punish us for our sins and to send us to
hell, but this verse tells us something different. He loves us —
He loves the whole world. In fact, He loves us so much that
He sacrificed His son so that we could be saved. You don’t
just sacrifice a son for something trivial that you don’t care
about—you sacrifice a son only for something that’s exremely
important to you that’s on your heart.
What do you have to do to have eternal life? This verse is
simple: ANYONE, regardless of race or age or background,
only has to believe to not perish and to have eternal life.
The next three verses are pretty self-explanatory and simple,
but there’s a flow of thought throughout that brings people to
realize their own sinful nature and how much they need Jesus.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
— Romans 3:23
Who’s sinned here? According to this verse, everyone. No
one’s righteous, and everyone’s fallen short.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23
So we’ve just established that everyone has sinned before and
that everyone’s a sinner. What are the wages of sin? Death.
But God, being merciful, offers us this amazing alternative,
described as a gift. What is God’s gift? Eternal life — if we
believe in Jesus.

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“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in
your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved.”
— Romans 10:9
What does it actually mean to believe in Jesus, though? How
do you get to this eternal life? This verse says that if you
confess that Jesus is your Lord and if you believe that God
raised Him from death … well then, you’re in! This is salvation.
This brings someone out of perishing and into eternal life.
These are just some of the many verses that can be used to
talk about God. As you read the Bible, it’s a good idea to mark
down certain parts that you think you could use to talk to
someone about God. You never know when those highlighted
sections could come in handy.
Finally, there’s one more really important verse about the
gospel. The apostle Peter says you should always be prepared
to share about God. There will be many times and many
situations when you will have a chance to say something about
Jesus, but perhaps you may not take that opportunity. Why is
it so hard to say something? If our personal relationship with
the Lord is really fresh, it won’t be hard to share the gospel.
“But sanctify the Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give
a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is
in you.”
— 1 Peter 3:15
Where does your work of the gospel start? Jesus Christ must
be put in a special place in your heart, as someone holy,
separated, and high. If you don’t personally consider Him as
special and praiseworthy, you probably won’t have much to
talk about. You will find yourself talking about Jesus the same
way you talk about anything else, and there will be no impact.
So be encouraged, take time to praise the Lord in your heart,
tell Him that you love Him, and always be ready to stand up
for Christ.
THINK ABOUT IT
• Some people have found that it usually
takes about seven times of hearing the
gospel before someone gets saved. Can
you think about a time that someone talked
to you about God successfully and/or
unsuccessfully?
• 1 Corinthians 3:6 says, “I [Paul] planted,
Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
What do you think this verse could mean in
terms of the gospel?
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
• Take some time to think about and write out
your own God story this week. That way,
you’ll have it ready in case the opportunity
arises to share your testimony.
• This week, try to talk to five people about
God. It could be a stranger or that friend in
Spanish class that you’ve kind of wanted to
shared God with for a while.

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Alright. Here we go. The “S” word …
The “S” word Christians are always talking
about. “Stop Sinning, He forgives your Sins,
he’s stuck in Sin … “ It’s pretty much the bane
of every Christian’s existence here on earth.
Many believers spend much of their life trying
desperately to stop sinning and instead do good
stuff. Aaaannnd... … well, it usually doesn’t work
out too great. So how does a believer deal with
sin? Is there a way to stop sinning? Or maybe
you’re not sure what sin even is. This subject
has quite a lot of real estate in the Bible.
WHAT IS SIN?
Contrary to one popular thought, sin does NOT equal hurting
other people, though sin pretty much always harms someone
in some way, even if it is not clearly evident right away. If
you look at the Greek word for sin, hamartia, it means to
“miss the mark.” Missing the mark … What does that mean?
It means that sin is a falling short of a standard, a pattern or
paradigm. It is shooting at a target, and missing horribly. And
in the Bible, this standard or target is the standard of God’s
own righteousness. Anything that does not measure up to the
same standard as God’s is unfortunately sin. So what exactly
is God’s standard?
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.
— Matthew 5:48
Ok, wow. “Be perfect...” Pretty much it says that perfection is
God’s standard. So anything less than perfection … is … sin???
Uhhh … Yup.
This next verse defines it more specifically:
And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that
is what defiles the man. “For from within, out of the heart of
men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders,
adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit,
sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil
things proceed from within and defile the man.”
— Mark 7:20-23
If you hadn’t noticed, that’s a lot of stuff. Nobody in history
(except for Jesus, of course) has been able to refrain from all
these sins. And what’s worse is that the verse says all these
things come from within or out of the heart of men. So it’s not
like you’re being coerced or tricked into these kinds of things.
These impulses and thoughts are self-generated and habitual.
It’s kind of a scary thought.
WHY IS SIN SO BAD?
Big question. With a big answer. There are not only several
aspects to this question, but this question also strikes at what
the core of Jesus’ mission was and what God’s purpose has
been since the beginning of time.
Starting at the most basic level, sin is equal to death.
For the wages of sin is death …
— Romans 6:23
If you have sinned, then … you … should be dead. But you’re
not, which is awesome, and it’s all because of Christ and His
sacrifice on the cross.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16
There’s a reason why John 3:16 is the most quoted verse …
like ever. It basically sums up everything about God and man.
God loved you sooooo much that He didn’t want you to die
(which you were going to because of your sins). He instead
wanted you to live (that’s the eternal life part at the end). So

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He sent His Son and now you’re not going to perish anymore.
Yay. End of story, right?
WRONG.
Because you know, this actually doesn’t say WHY you should
stop sinning. It just tells you that even though you do sin,
you don’t have to pay its wages anymore (namely, death).
But there’s so much more to the Christian life than just “not
dying.”
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might
die to sins and live for righteousness....
— I Peter 2:24
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was more than for you to “not
perish,” but also for you to “live for righteousness.” God didn’t
want us just to ‘live,’ necessarily. Instead He wanted you to
have a bountiful life, a great and awesome life, a life lived for
righteousness, a kind of life that matches Him.
But here we come to the second problem of sin—its power.
Even though we will not perish in the end because of our sins,
the power of our lingering sin today might cause us to not live
for God today. It’s like this:
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want,
but I do the very thing I hate. … For I know that nothing good
dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what
is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I
want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
— Romans 7:15, 18-19
Not only does sin have power in us to keep us from living
righteously, but sin also causes something worse; it causes
us to lose fellowship with our God who is our Savior. You see,
while God wants us to live a righteous life, He wants something
even greater than that for you. Since the creation of the world
and the forming of man out of the dust of the earth, God
yearned to be with man. Countless times from Genesis all the
way to the New Testament, the Lord promises to be with His
people and even when Matthew quotes an Isaiah prophesy
about Jesus’ coming, he confirms:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall
call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
— Matthew 1:23
So even the name given to the coming Messiah means, “God
with us.” More than anything else, God wants to be with
you, to grow with you, to walk with you, to have a personal
relationship with you, and to be in you (see Colossians 1:27).
Imagine, the creator of the universe, the giver of life and death,
the supreme ruler in all creation … He wants to be with you.
Now, He’s with you in the New Testament salvation, but the
power of that salvation to work in our lives so often depends
on our current fellowship with the Savior in us. This means
we have a good relationship with Him. And that is where sin
attacks. It doesn’t take God away, but it puts a big blot on
our relationship with Him. It’s kind of like this Old Testament
description of the effect of sin.
… but your iniquities have made a separation between you and
your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that
He does not hear.
— Isaiah 59:2
This is the biggest problem with sin:
It separates you in your relationship with God. And being far
from God really stinks.
So to recap everything so far …
What is sinning? Sinning is not being perfect (perfect like
God-perfect) and whenever you sin you deserve to die. But
hey, Christ died for you so it’s ok; you’re not going to die. But
sin also keeps you from living a righteous and wonderful life.
Most importantly, though, is that it keeps you from enjoying a
close relationship to God. So it’s really, really important not to
sin … But you do sin, so …

METAMORPHOSIS – A New Believer's Guide

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