NEW CONVERTS

NURTURING COURSE
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 LESSON 1

BEGINNING YOUR NEW LIFE

This series consists of eight lessons designed to biblically guide the new believer to
living the life that would be pleasing to the Lord. These lessons will show that God has
given the new Christian specific instructions as to how to live the very best life
possible.

Let’s start from the very beginning……Your Salvation Experience

Welcome to the Christian life! You are now a member of God's family because by faith
you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. This has brought you into
a wonderful and fulfilling relationship with God who created you. Receiving Christ as
your Saviour begins an eternal relationship with God. It is much more than just going
to heaven when you die. Salvation is a gateway that begins your new life. Jesus said,
"I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly."
(John 10:10)

You must understand that you have been saved FROM sin.

Everyone in the family of God is a sinner saved by God's grace. "For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest
any man should boast."(Ephesians 2:8-9)

I know that you want to live for the Lord and become the best Christian that you
possibly can. This is why you are reading this lesson and attending the New Converts
Class – and may this always be your hearts’ desire.

There are many truths in the Bible that will greatly help you to live the life the Lord
wants you to, which is the best you could possibly have.

BEING "BORN AGAIN"

A person who receives Christ as their Saviour and receives eternal life begins as a
new-born baby in the Lord. Jesus told Nicodemus that to see the kingdom of God one
must be "born again". (See John 3:1-19) This is called the "new birth", and means a
person has become a new member of the family of God. You have much to learn
about the Lord and now because you have received the new birth and been indwelled
by the Holy Spirit of God you can learn about spiritual things of the Lord.

BEING INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT - What does it mean that you are
"indwelled" by the Holy Spirit of God?

In the process of redemption (being bought back by Christ), after the Holy Spirit
convicts the world of sin, He draws the soul to Christ and salvation, imparting faith as
a gift of the Spirit. This faith allows the soul to see their guilt of sin and turn from sin
(repentance), asking God to forgive their sins, through the blood of Christ. Through
the death of Christ, the sins of the repentant sinner are paid for on the cross, they are
declared justified before God, on account of Christ. The Holy Spirit then enters the
new believer and is deposited as a guarantee. The soul is a new creation before God,
Born Again, justified in Christ. With the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, our bodies become

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literally, the Temple of God. We are now separated, from this world, because God has
taken residence with us, we are restored to God. We are the purchased (redeemed)
possession of Christ, whose blood paid for our sins. Jesus also said, "Howbeit when
he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak
of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you
things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it
unto you." (John 16:13-14) The Holy Spirit is God, living within us. He, the Holy Spirit
is God and is identified as the third member of the God Head, made up of the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.

THE CHURCH IS BEGUN

In Acts 2: when the Holy Spirit came, the Lord Jesus began the church. The church is
the "Body of Christ". The Body of Christ is made up of all persons who have been
saved through Jesus Christ. Christ' body is the church. The church is not a building
nor is it any particular denomination. The church is made of people all over the world
who have discovered the love of God as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

The local church is made up of a group of Christians, who are in fact a part of the
whole body of Christ. Some refer to this as the "Universal Church", because all
Christians are in it. The local church however, which the Bible speaks the most about,
is made up of a group of believers joined together in a small geographic location to
serve the Lord. That is what our church is, here at the New Testament Church of God
(FAMILY WORSHIP CENTRE).

NOW YOU ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE AND SPIRITUAL THINGS OF
GOD

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit begins when a person believes in the Lord Jesus and
is saved.
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we
speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:12-14)
Paul further says, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:19)

THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE

Because the Holy Spirit lives within us, He gives us the "new nature", which is the
nature of God. We are now able to understand spiritual things because the Holy Spirit
working in us helps us to do so.

THE OLD NATURE

Before a person is saved they do not have the nature of God. They only have what the
Bible refers to as the "old" or "carnal" nature. That is why we sin. Our carnal nature is
the nature of rebellion and rejection of God which is sin. It came when Adam and Eve
yielded to Satan's temptation and sinned.
Because a person who has not received Christ only has the old carnal nature he
cannot please God. "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not

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subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh
cannot please God." (Romans 8:7-8)

Note what else Paul said, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans
5:12)
Sin is the reason things in the world are not as they should be. God intended that
mankind would live a peaceful, satisfying and abundant life. However, because of the
present of sin, man has not done what God intended and sin has caused all the grief
and sorrow we see today.

Sin is basically rebelling against God by not living as we should. Our loving Creator
God wants the best for us. God's commandments are given to us so we would know
what is best for us. It is the same thing that a loving parent does for their child. The
parent instructs the child not to do certain things that are harmful and would hurt
them. If the child rebels and does them they will be hurt. Sin, then is the destructive
things which causes us harm.

One of the problems with sin is that it can give pleasure for a time. It is like the child
who loves to play in the street. It is fun and because it is fun a child may - each time
it is allowed outdoors may go straight there. But although it is fun to be there it is a
deadly place to be. Many of the vices we are so familiar with such as smoking,
drinking, dancing and gambling (to name only a few) do give pleasure. However, the
pleasure distracts us from the fact of their deadly effects.

As a child of God the Bible says to put away the destructive things out of your life.
Paul told the Colossians to "mortify", meaning "put to death", sin within our lives.
(See Colossians 3:5-17) To the Romans he said, "Let not sin therefore reign in your
mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your
members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God,
as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not
under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:12-14)

THE HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK IN OUR LIVES

Because the believer has the Spirit of God in him or her, we have the nature or desire
to do as God wants which is best of us. We now have the ability to live as we should
and as God intended. We can overcome sin and the temptation that comes from our
old carnal nature. Because God lives within us we can conquer sin in our lives.

God's promise to the believer is that: "There hath no temptation taken you but such
as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above
that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may
be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

It should give us great encouragement to know we can overcome sin in our lives. It is
a life-long process because opportunity to sin is always present. But be sure that as
time goes by, you will by God’s help overcome sins in your life.

Each sin overcome, each temptation refused is but another step toward overcoming it.
In time as you mature by living for the Lord, these sins that may give you so much
trouble now will brother you very little.

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We should then look at each temptation that comes our way as but an opportunity to
advance one more step toward a happier more fulfilling life. As we overcome each
temptation, as it comes we grow stronger and are better able to conquer it the next
time it comes to mind.

HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF SALVATION

Having the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us understand the truths of the Bible even
helps us to better understand how we were saved. Few Christians begin their lives in
Christ knowing all the Bible teaches about Salvation. A person at first knows in their
heart they are sinners and in faith they reach out to the Lord, trusting in His promise
to save them.
As time goes on you will learn more about God, the Lord Jesus and salvation. The
Bible says, "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand
doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For
precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line;
here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:9-10)

These verses tell us that the principles (truths) of God are learned in time through
study. We learn one principle and that helps us to learn another one. All the truths of
Scripture are tied together and the more we read and learn the better we will be able
to understand each truth.
Having the Holy Spirit living within us gives the Christian a great deal of comfort. God
is always with us and no matter what comes our way we know God; working through
the Holy Spirit will guide us through it. (Read Romans 8:28)

A REVIEW OF THE THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT SALVATION

1. A person must realise he is a sinner.

Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Before a
person is saved, he must first realize he is a sinner and needs to be saved. We are
born into sin and must be "born again".

2. A person must realise that without salvation he will go to hell.

Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord." This death is not only physical death, but spiritual as
well. The Bible says, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation
20:14.)

Had you died before trusting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, you would have
experienced the second death, which is eternal separation from God in the Lake of
Fire. But praise the Lord, you do not need to spend time worrying about Hell, because
God has saved you and given you the promise of eternal life. God promises, "That
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:15)"

3. A person must believe that Jesus died for them and rose again.
Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us." Do not forget that we as sinners were condemned, but
Jesus was not! He is the Son of God who never sinned or could sin because He is God.
He, God, came to this earth took our sins on Himself because we as sinners could not
save ourselves. He died in our place and took our punishment. (See Isaiah 53, 1 Peter
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2:24). He arose on the third day after letting death take Him, because He was God.
(See 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 5:18)

4. A person must confess Christ as Lord & Saviour and receive Him into their hearts.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved."
This decision to be saved was not to join the church, be baptised or even change your
way of living. It was asking Jesus Christ, by faith, to come into your heart and be your
Lord and Saviour that saved you. Baptism and church membership follow receiving
Christ as your Saviour, and had no part in God forgiving you and giving you eternal
life.

YOUR ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

Now that you are saved, God wants you to have the assurance that your sins have all
been forgiven. You do not have to go through life without the assurance of salvation.
In 1 John 5:13 the apostle says, "These things have I written unto you...that ye may
know that ye have eternal life." How then can we have this assurance? This is the
most important question we will ever face in life because our eternal destiny is at
stake! The Bible teaches that those who remain unsaved will spend eternity in a place
of perpetual torment (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 14:9-11). The reason for this is because their
sin has not been paid for, and God's perfect justice requires that payment be made for
sin (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, it is vital that we know the answer to this question. This is
why the Apostle Peter wrote, "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure"
(2 Peter 1:10).

It is true that we must believe in Christ in order to become saved (Acts 16:31), but
how can we be sure we have genuinely believed in Him? Certainly, we cannot rely
upon our feelings since feelings can be misleading. Some might suggest we can be
sure by acknowledging the facts of the gospel or saying the sinner's prayer. However,
the Bible indicates it is not possible to believe without being regenerated because by
nature we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1; 1 Corinthians. 2:14). This is why Christ
said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
Therefore, we cannot know we have truly believed until we know we are born again.

A VERY IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE: Do not base your salvation on how you feel.
Feelings can change from day to day, but God`s word never changes (Matthew
24:35). A good feeling may be good, but it is not necessary to be saved. Did you
know the Bible never says you must have a feeling when you get saved! You are
saved because you have done what the Bible says and God has declared you as one of
His children.

There are some things which might cause you to doubt and not have the assurance
God wants you to have.

1. Always thinking about your past life can cause doubt.

God has forgiven all your sins and has forgotten them. He also wants you to forget
them. Forget the past! It is all under the atoning blood of Christ (Isa. 1:18: Psalm
103:12).

2. Wondering if God really received you causes doubts. When you come to the Lord
with a desire to be saved and asked Him to save you, you can be sure He did,

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because God, who cannot lie, has promised to. Just take Him at His word. John 6|37
says, "....him that cometh, to me I will in no wise cast out."

3. Basing your salvation upon feelings or emotion causes doubts.

Don't' forget - feelings change - but the Bible which is God’s eternal word never does.

Ephesians 2:8; For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God
Romans 5:1; Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ –

Remember – FAITH is our assurance, not FEELINGS.

CLASS SUMMARY

INSTRUCTIONS: This sheet is a review of the Biblical truths found in this lesson. After
each lesson, try as best as you can to answer the questions. Look back in the lesson
for the answers. If you do not understand a question or its answer, put down the best
answer you can and ask about it during class. This is only here to help you.

MY TESTIMONY
I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour on:

Date: ______________________________________

Location: ___________________________________

The person(s) who helped lead me to Christ were:

______________________________________

Write out Ephesians 2:8-9

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Now memorise it for the next class.

QUESTIONS:

1. Romans 3:23 tells me that all people have

____________________________________________________________________

2. Romans 10:9 tells me I must confess

____________________________________________________________________

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3. I know I am saved because

____________________________________________________________________

4. John 10:28 tells me God has given to me

____________________________________________________________________

5. Name one thing that might cause you to doubt your salvation

____________________________________________________________________

6. Can you overcome all sin in your life?_______ What verse teaches this?

_________________.

7. When did the church begin?____________________.(verse, day or place)

8. Write down a good verse that teaches assurance of salvation?________________

WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE NEXT CLASS!

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 Lesson 2

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A CHILD OF GOD

Now that you are saved and have this assurance from the Word of God, God wants
you to continue on in your Christian life. Remember that Ephesians 2:8, 9 tells you
that you were saved "by grace through faith" and not by good works you have done
or ever will do. After a person is saved, he becomes a new creature in Christ (2 Cor.
5:17) and all things become new. You now have a desire to do what is right and the
spiritual ability do live a godly life because you have God's Spirit or new nature. When
we obey and allow the Holy Spirit to direct us we are being obedient to God's Word.
Ephesians 5:18 tells the Christian "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but
be filled with the Spirit." Being filled with the Spirit means to allow Him to direct and
be the guiding influence in our lives. As a new Christian you will want to do things that
please the Lord. Let's look at several of the first things we need to do as a new
Christian. We have responsibilities to the Lord.

PUBLIC PROFESSION OF YOUR FAITH

Let other people know that you have been saved. Let your friends know what has
happened to you. We should not be ashamed of Christ (Romans l). One of the best
ways to do what the Bible says found in Romans l, is to go forward in a church service
at the public invitation. Tell the pastor you are coming, making a public profession of
faith, because you have trusted Christ. He then tells the people in the church of your
decision to receive Jesus Christ. This is being obedient to what the Bible instructs us
to do. It will also strengthen you in the Lord, because as you obey and do what the
Bible instructs you grow and mature as a Christian. It is like a child who begins to
attend school in the first grade. The teacher instructs the child in learning the
alphabet. If the child obeys and learns them, then soon he is beginning to read.
Maturing in Christ is similar. God word is our text book to teach us how we should
live. It tells us how to live the best life we possibly can. As we obey the
commandments of the Lord, we learn them and then go on to learn other lessons. As
a new Christian you should seek to obey the Bible, which is God's instruction book on
life. The more obedient you are the faster you will mature in Christ.

BAPTISM AND CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Jesus gave the disciples some instructions just before He ascended back to heaven as
recorded in Matthew 28:16-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." The word "teach" in verse 19 means to
disciple or win the lost to Christ. After a person is saved, the second thing he is
instructed to do is be baptized (verse 19). Since the beginning of the first church,
believers have given evidence of their faith in Christ by being baptized in water. We
mean a person is to be immersed under the water as a picture or symbol of the death,
burial and resurrection of Christ.

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In the Bible, baptism always comes after a person has been saved. Baptism does not
save you or keep you saved. It is an act of obedience to Christ and pictures what has
already taken place in your heart. It describes our union with Christ as seen in
Romans 6:3-5. Every Christian should be baptized soon after receiving Christ as
Saviour. Have you been obedient to Christ and been baptized?

Baptism is done only by the local church. In Acts 2:41, we find that when a person
was saved, he was baptized and joined the local church. This baptism identifies you
with the local church. The church is God's place for Christians to be taught the Bible,
to have fellowship with other Christians, and a place to pray and worship the Lord.
Nothing can replace the church, not even Sunday morning T.V. or radio preaching.
You need to be in church! You should immediately be baptized and join the local
church after being saved. This is one of your first opportunities to obey the Lord and
please Him. Don't miss it!!! Ask the pastor to explain to you exactly what you need to
do in order to be baptized and join the church. Have you talked to the pastor about
joining the church? Do it today!

Hebrews 10:25 tells us to be faithful in our church attendance. This means you should
[try] to attend church every service [where you can]. It is understandable that if a
person is working or sick they cannot attend. However, unless you are providentially
hindered you should attend church. Today, many church members ignore the Sunday
night service and Bible Study. They feel content to attend only on Sunday Morning.
Some ignore the Sunday School hour. Each service and meeting the church has is
designed to help and aid the Christian in living abundant lives in Christ. Most pastors
during the Sunday night service preach messages dealing with deeper spiritual truths
than on Sunday morning. In the Sunday morning service there will be more visitors,
and generally lost people in church. The messages are more evangelistic and the
subject is generally on salvation. The evening service is attended by the faithful
members of the church and the messages preached at helping them to grow in the
Lord. Church members who only attend the Morning services miss a great opportunity
to receive the deeper spiritual truths of the Bible. You see, faithful attendance will be
a key to your Christian life and growth. You ought to be in church for Sunday School,
the 11:00 am service [and prayer meetings]. Support the special services also with
your attendance, such as church fellowships. The last part of the Lord's instructions to
the disciples in Matt. 28 tells us to teach new converts the Word of God. This [is] done
through the ministry of the local church in each of its meetings. Your pastor is faithful
in being on duty, prepared to teach and preach God's Word to help you grow in Christ.
Your privilege is to attend and avail yourself of the opportunity. There is an article title
"What's So Important About Attending Church?" at http://bible-
truth.org/whyatten.htm that you will find helpful in understanding the need to attend
your local church.

One note on preaching and teaching. Most pastors really pray and seek God's
guidance in what to preach. They study really hard and spend a great deal of time in
preparing their lessons and messages. It is estimated that most good pastors spend
from four to six hours on each message, being led of the Lord they come and deliver
God's message to the church. However, if church members are not there they do not
hear what God has to say to them as a local church.
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Most denominations today are losing members. Many believe that one important
reason for this is that most of these churches have done away with Sunday night
services and also Bible study and prayer meeting. The churches that are growing and
winning people to Christ are the ones whose members are being faithful in attending
all the services.

When you choose not to attend Sunday School, bible study and prayer meeting you in
fact are voting to discontinue them. You also are telling your neighbours and others in
the church you do not think that these services are important. You miss the
opportunity to show your love and dedication to the Lord, by faithfully supporting the
total ministry of the church. To be sure, it takes time, effort and expense to attend all
the services of the church. However, the benefit received will out-weigh any sacrifice
on our part. One verse of Scripture that instructs how dedicated to the Lord we should
be is found in Romans 12:1-2.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
(Romans 12:1-2).

THE LORD'S SUPPER

The Lord's Supper and baptism are the two ordinances (religious observances) of the
church. The Lord's supper is also only for the saved person. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
tells us what it represents. The bread represents Christ's body and the grape juice
represents His blood which was shed for us. This is a reminder of what Christ has
done for us until He comes back. This is a serious time and should never be taken
lightly.

GIVING TO THE LORD

l. Giving Yourself

Paul says in Romans 12:1, we should ". . . present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." The Lord wants YOU more
than anything else you might give to Him. Surrender yourself totally to Him and
determine to follow Him and be obedient to Him. Let Him have control of your life.

2. Giving Your Praise and Thanksgiving.

Hebrews 13:15 tells us to offer to God our praise for all that He has done for us. We
praise Him with our lips through prayer and telling others about what Christ has done
for us.

3. Giving of our Money & Possessions.

2 Corinthians 9:7, tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. God told His people in the
Old Testament to bring their tithes into God's storehouse. A tithe is 10% of what you
earn or receive. God promised to bless those who tithed in the Old Testament

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(Malachi 3). Stop right here and read 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. Believe what God says
about His blessing for you and then obey Him…..this also is another way of expressing
to the Lord your love and thanks.

God wants you to grow spiritually and become a mature Christian. Many Christians
have a real struggle with making the commitment to tithe and give offerings to the
Lord. Christians who have been obedient understand the value of regular giving of the
tithe and offerings to the Lord. Note that as you read 2 Cor. 9:7, it says, "Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." You should make it a matter of prayer as
to how much you are to give the Lord. [The tithe in the Old Testament was ten per
cent….but you may want to give more. Remember what verse 6, says "But this I say,
He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also bountifully." (2 Corinthians 9:6) This is a matter between you and the
Lord.

A husband and wife should discuss the matter and prayer about it together. If a wife
has a husband that is lost, and has no regular income, she should give from what she
receives. The same applies to children who are saved. It is a good idea for the parent
to instruct the child in Scriptural giving from their allowance or money they earn from
chores. Remember, this is a matter between you and the Lord. It is a matter of
exercising faith in the Lord to supply your needs. God has promised to meet your
needs and to bless you materially when you faithfully give. Read Philippians 4:10-19.

David understood this principle and wrote, "I have been young, and now am old; yet
have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Psalms 37:25)

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)

The money you give to the church pays the utility bills, buys literature, maintains the
building, supports our missionaries and pays for the ministry of the church including
the pastors financial support. When some of the members of the church do not tithe
and regularly give, these material expenses of the church are neglected. A church will
not have to pinch pennies, neglect missions, scrimp on purchasing literature or not
properly support their pastor if all the members will tithe [or give]. God will supply the
need but only through those who faithfully give and let themselves be used as a
channel to carry out God's work in the local church

Write out Romans 12:1-2 and mark it in your Bible.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Memorize this verse for next week.

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QUESTIONS

l. What does Romans 10:11 tell us to do? __________________________________

____________________________________________________.

2. Does baptism and church membership save you?__________________________

3. Does God want you to be baptized after you have been saved? __________.

Have you been baptized? _______________________

4. What Bible verse in Hebrews tells us to attend church and not forsake the
assembling of ourselves? _____________________________________

5. In the Lord's supper, what does the bread represent? ___________________

____________________. The juice? ___________________

6. What are 3 things a Christian should give to the Lord? _________________

_________________________________, _______________________________.

7. Read Luke 6:38, again. What do you think that the phrase, "For with the same
measure that you mete withal, it will be measured to you again", means?

Note the underlined word.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

8. In the Scripture you read in Phil. 4:10-19, why do you think Paul told them that,
"God would supply all their needs"?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE NEXT CLASS!!!!

Lesson 3
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 YOU AND YOUR BIBLE

The Bible is God's Word to man. It reveals the plan of God for all of mankind. It
reveals the nature of God, the sinfulness of man, the plan of salvation in Christ, the
prospects of heaven for the saved, the doom of the unsaved in hell, guidelines for the
Christian to follow in order to live and act as he should. It is God's word to US. It is
the most important object we have on this earth. We are to love it, learn it, and then
live by it.

HOW WE GOT THE BIBLE

God has communicated with man in many different ways. Men like Joseph of the Old
Testament was spoken to through dreams. Daniel also had dreams from God. Men like
Isaiah and Ezekiel had visions from the Lord. Normally in the Old Testament God
spoke to people through His prophets, the preachers of that day.

But today, in New Testament times, God speaks only through His Word, the Bible.
Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that God spoke in many different ways in the Old Testament,
but has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, who is called in the Bible, THE
WORD OF GOD. (SEE John 1:1 and Revelations 19:13) God no longer chooses to
speak through dreams or visions, but through the Bible.

God used some 40 men over several hundred years to record His word. God
supervised His writing through these men of God. Even though men are not perfect,
God did not allow these men to make errors when recording His word for the
generations to follow. The Holy Spirit directed these men. It was not just their ideas
and thoughts. 2 Peter says in 1: 21, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the
will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2
Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" Every word
and every thought in the Bible is put there and approved by God Himself.

God has preserved His Word down through the years so we could have it to live by.
The critics have tried to destroy it, but have failed. Matthew 24:35 says it will always
stand, never to be done away with. God is the author of the Bible and He has given it
to us.

IMPORTANCE OF THE BIBLE TO YOU

God puts great emphasis on His Word. In fact, the longest chapter in the whole Bible
(Psalm 119), speaks entirely about the Bible and its place in our life. God wants to
talk with us and teach us. He cannot do this unless we read His Word. 2 Timothy 3:16
tells us that all scripture is "inspired" of God and is profitable to us. This is called the
doctrine of the "inspiration of Scripture". It means every word that the writer wrote
down was exactly what God wanted written. This is also called the doctrine of "verbal
plenary inspiration", or in other words every word was inspired of God and was
without error.

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"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)

1. THE BIBLE IS OUR FOOD

The Bible is spiritual food to the Christian and is absolutely necessary if you are to
grow and develop into a strong and mature Christian. We must have physical food to
live, but also must have spiritual food to stay healthy spiritually. A new believer is
Christ is called in the Bible a spiritual babe. Peter tells us that new babes in Christ are
to desire the sincere milk of the word that they might grow thereby (I Peter 2:2). The
only way a baby can develop and grow to adulthood is to eat properly.

A Christian needs to feed from the Bible every day. A baby is not fed once or twice a
week, but has to be fed constantly.

2. THE BIBLE IS OUR LIGHT

The Bible is called a light, because it guides our daily walk with God. It tells us what to
do and know how to live. David said in Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet, and a light unto my path." The Bible will be our guide trough this life.

3. THE BIBLE IS OUR SPIRITUAL WEAPON

Ephesians 6:11,17 says we are to put on the whole armour of God that we might
stand against the tricks of devil. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He met every
temptation with God's Word (Matthew 4:3-11). We can do the same. The Bible is our
sword in the battle against Satan's temptations. Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word have I
hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE

Since the Bible is God's Word to us, and He is the author, then we must read and
study it to know what He wants to tell us. The Bible is very important to us and is
very profitable to us. We must therefore study it and live by it. There are different
ways to feed on God's word in order to grow spiritually.

1. STUDY BIBLE BY HEARING IT

Romans 10:17 says, "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We
need this faith in order to live properly for the Lord. One of the best ways to study the
Bible this way is to hear it preached and taught at church. That is why it is so
important to be in church every Sunday, not just Sunday, but also Monday night.

2. STUDY BIBLE BY READING AND MEDITATING ON IT

Paul told Timothy in 4:13 to ". . . give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to

doctrine." Every Christian should read the Bible every day of his life. When we read
the Bible, God is speaking to us. We must set aside a time every day to read and

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study the Bible. Normally the best time is first thing in the morning. Get up a little
early so you can spend some time with the Lord in reading His word and praying.

The best way to read the Bible is to have a plan and a goal. Some plan to start
reading at Genesis and read through the entire Bible in one year. This is very good.
But for a new Christian, it is usually better to first start in the New Testament. Here is
a suggest order to begin in the New Testament:

Gospel of John, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Philippians, etc.

But we must do more than read, we must study the Bible. Think about what you are
reading. AS a new Christian, don't expect to understand all you read. It may not all
seem to make sense at first, but if you are patient and sincerely study, you will find
the Bible fits together. But a casual or brief glance once or twice a week, will not
teach you the Bible.

As you read, underline verses in the Bible that are special to you. Keep a small
notebook beside you when you read and write down thoughts the Lord gives to you.
Have a Bible reading schedule and mark it as you read.

Read the "Church of God Declaration of Faith"; it will teach you in simple form, the
major doctrines of the Bible.

Write out and memorize Psalm 119:11

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

READ YOUR BIBLE EVERY DAY !!!!!!!!!! KEEP UP WITH YOUR SCHEDULE.

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QUESTIONS:

1. God speaks to men today in visions and dreams. TRUE/FALSE?

2. What verse in the Bible says God speaks through His Son? ______________.

3. Give a Bible verse that refers to Jesus Christ as "The Word of God".

________________________

4. How many men did God use to write the Bible?_______________

5. What is a verse that teaches "verbal plenary inspiration"_____________.

6. Does verbal plenary inspiration mean:

A. God inspired the writers of the Bible.

B. Every word they wrote was without error.

C. Both of the above.

7. The longest chapter in the Bible is _______________. What is the entire chapter
about?_______________.

8. Do you think that God wants you to read the Bible every day? _______

Why should you?____________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE NEXT CLASS!

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 Lesson 4

PRAYER

After a child is born, he begins to grow. He must have proper food. What a joy for
those parents when he begins to walk. They look forward to that day when they hear
their baby talk. The words "da da" and "ma ma" are sweet to the ears of a parent. So
it is with the Christian. The Christian needs spiritual food, the Bible. He begins to walk
with God. And it also delights the heart of God when His children talk to Him and call
His name. This is what we call prayer. Talking to God as a child would talk to his
father, for He is our Heavenly Father.

PRAYER IS A PRIVILEGE

As children of God, we can come to God as our Father and expect Him to hear our
requests because the new Christian is a Child of God. As a member of God's family
presenting our praise, thanksgiving and petitions to our heavenly Father.

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us of this wonderful privilege. As born-again Christians, we can

claim this promise.

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus
the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

The song writer said

"What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and grief's to bear! What a privilege to
carry Everything to God in prayer..."

PRAYER IS POWERFUL

James 5:26b says, "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

This simply means that when we prayer as God wants us to, then our prayers affect
the way things happen and the way God does things. God who knows all things, and
what will happen before it happens, still desires us to pray that He can hear and
answer our requests. All of us have things we should pray about. Prayer can do
anything that God can do, and that is powerful. Probably the greatest power we have
is prayer, so let's use it!!

Solomon prayed for wisdom and became the wisest man to live, or at least one of the
wisest. Elijah prayed and fire fell from heaven at Mt. Carmel. Elijah prayed that it
would not rain for 3 years and it didn't. Daniel prayed and God delivered him from a
den of lions. The church prayed in Acts 12 that Peter would be delivered from jail and
while the group was praying, Peter was delivered and came to the door of the house
where they were assembled. Cornelius prayed that he might hear the Word and be
saved, and God sent Peter to preach and tell him how to be saved. On and on you

18
could go. The power of prayer!! George Muller, who operated a children's home
prayed-in several hundred thousand dollars over the years to supply the home.

Have you ever prayed for something and received it? If you are saved, you prayed
that Christ might come into your heart and save you, AND HE DID! But don't forget
the small things God gives to you in answer to prayer.

HOW DO I GO ABOUT PRAYING AS I SHOULD?

Many people want to know HOW am I supposed to pray? Don't feel bad if you are
asking this same question. The disciples also had to come to Jesus and say, "Lord,
teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). Don't forget that praying is talking to God with a
sincere heart. Most of us know how to talk!! Talk with God as you would a good
friend, expect results. He is more than just a good friend, He is your Heavenly Father
who has saved you from your sin. Approach God boldly, but also in a respectful way,
realizing He is Holy and Righteous. But don't be afraid, for He loves you and wants to
talk with you and you to talk with Him.

Take time every day to get alone with God and pray. This is a good time for your daily
devotion in the Bible too. After studying, then you can pray to the Lord. Just be
honest and tell God what is on your heart and how you feel and what you desire.

Some people have begun as a new Christian to follow a simple rule of praying. You
don't have to follow this exact pattern, but it might help you to develop a good
pattern for praying. Make sure it doesn't become mechanical, for God is REAL and
your praying should be real.

ACTS: A = Adore and worship the Lord first in praying.

C = Confess any sin and disobedience in your life and ask forgiveness.

T = Thank the Lord for all He has done for you, not only in salvation, but
for daily things.

S = Supplication, which means praying for others and their needs and
also for yourself and the needs you have.

PROBLEMS IN YOUR PRAYER LIFE

Don't get discouraged at times when you pray and there is no immediate answer.
Many people get discouraged and stop praying. If you are in fellowship with God, you
can be sure that God has heard your prayer. God answers prayer in one of three
ways: Yes; No; and Later!

But many people have a problem with sin in their lives. A Christian's prayers will be
hindered if he has unconfessed sin in his life. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in
my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Note that in James 5:26, God says that "The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16) We should
not expect God to answer our prayers if we are not living as we should. Being
"righteous", means being "right". God will not bless our disobedience.

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He does, however answer our prayer of confession of sin and seeks to restore us to
fellowship. The problem with unconfessed sin in one’s life is that it places a barrier
between us and God. The barrier is not placed there by God, but by us when we sin.

God says confess your sins and ask for forgiveness and He will forgive. He has
promised to forgive and cleanse you from your sin if you confess them (1 John 1:9).

You cannot overcome any sin that you refuse to confess. That is why confession is
important. When we say that sin is sin we put it in its proper place. We openly admit
it and that get is out where we by God's help can deal with it.

Let's consider a few more important things about prayer that will help eliminate
problems in your prayer life.

l. You must ask God for things. James 4:2b says, "ye have not because you ask not."

2. You must pray in Jesus’ name. John 14:13 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in
my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

This does not mean that saying the name of Jesus has any magical power in just
saying the words. When we pray in Jesus's name it means we are praying according
to His will. We could not use the name of Jesus or involve Jesus in things that were
not right. By praying in the name of Jesus we are recognizing that we are seeking
God's will and are submitting to it.

3. You must pray according to God's will. 1 John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence
that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us."
Always want what God wants. Never ask for anything that is sinful or against what the
Bible teaches.

4. Stay close to God. John 15:7 says, "If ye abide (fellowship) in me, and my words
abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

5. Don't ask for selfish reasons. James 4:3 says, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye
ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

DON'T FORGET TO PRAY EVERYDAY!

Write out and memorize John 15:7

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

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QUESTIONS

1. What is prayer?________________________________________.

2. What can we obtain and find at the throne of God? (Heb. 4:16)

Obtain ____________ and find ______________________________.

3. What does each letter stand for in the pattern of praying called ACTS?

A____________________

c____________________

T____________________

S____________________

4. What does I John 1:9 tell us about our sin? _______________________________

___________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

5. Name some hindrances to prayer:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

6. Will you seek to pray every single day? ____________

WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE NEXT CLASS!

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 Lesson 5

WHAT SIN DOES TO A CHRISTIAN

When we were saved by trusting in Christ, we became a member of the Body of

Christ, the Church. Before our salvation, we served our own desires and Satan's
wishes. But now, as a child of God, we have a new relationship with God. We must not
take this lightly, because God doesn't take it lightly. The Bible says in I Corinthians
6:19-20:

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Since we are no longer our own, we cannot do as we please. This sounds like we are
losing something, doesn't it? It sounds like becoming a Christian means giving up
pleasure and joy. Now we have to be as a slave, losing our freedom of choice and
being under a bondage to satisfy another. The fact is this, apart from God, we will
continue to sin. We will be in the bondage to sin and its destructive influence in our
lives. Never forget that SIN is the greatest destructive force that will ever come into
your life. Look at what sin will cost you:

Jesus said, ". . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the
servant of sin." (John 8:34)

The Bible explains that the believer has a new force directing him:

"Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Romans
6:18) In other words, the Lord sets the believer free from the destructive results of
sin, and then guides the believer's life toward righteousness. Righteousness means
simply doing that which is right and is the opposite of doing that which is wrong.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF SIN IN A BELIEVERS LIFE?

l. SIN SEPARATES US FROM THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOD

Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

The first thing sin does in a Christian's life is to separate us from the fellowship of
God. God is holy and will not look upon sin. Our sin causes God to turn His face away.
When fellowship is broken we can pray, BUT there is no answer. We can read the
Bible, BUT it has no meaning and freshness. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in
my heart, the Lord will not hear me"

2. SIN WILL DESTROY THE JOY OF OUR SALVATION

David was a man after God's own heart; he enjoyed the presence of the Lord and God
blessed him until sin destroyed that joy. David wept with grief, desiring that joy again.

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David wrote this in Psalm 51:12, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and
uphold me with thy free spirit."

The second phase of sin in a Christian's life is the loss of joy in their salvation. The joy
of going to church, the loss of joy in testifying to others for God, the joy of seeing
souls saved. When this happens, we normally start finding fault with everything and
everyone.

3. SIN WILL BRING THE CHASTENING HAND OF GOD

Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth."

Just as a good parent corrects and chastens his disobedient child, so is God forced to
chasten us because of our disobedience and unwillingness to confess our sin. This
chastening may come in different ways. It may be in sickness; disappointments;
financial lose; it may be trouble upon trouble, but God our Father, must chasten us for
sin. Don't ever forget that He does it because He loves us!!

4. SIN CAN BRING PREMATURE DEATH

The most serious state of sin is when God's patience is exhausted and He turns you
over to the devil for the destruction of the flesh (not the soul). This can occur when a
believer refuses to turn from his sin and God after much chastening and conviction
takes their life to stop them from sinning.

1 Corinthians 5:5 "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh,
that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

1 John 5:16 "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall
ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto
death: I do not say that he shall pray for it."

5. SIN CAUSES GOD TO TAKE AWAY SOME PRECIOUS THINGS

Because of David's sin God took away the most precious thing he had, the child that
was born.

2 Samuel 12:14 "Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the
enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely
die."

A saved person who turns away from the Lord into sin and refuses to confess and
make things right is headed for great sorrow. If necessary, God will take that which is
most precious from us in order to bring us back to Him.

6. SIN TAKES AWAY ONES TESTIMONY AND OPPORTUNITY TO GLORIFY THE LORD.

I can truthfully say, I have never seen a believer who was struggling with sin win
another soul to the Lord. I have never seen a husband or wife who led their spouse
toward receiving Christ who did not live a consistent Christian live themselves. I have

23
never seen a neighbour, relative, friend come to Christ under the influence of a
professing Christian who was not actively fighting sin in their own lives and living for
the Lord.

Jesus said, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every
branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. . . .Herein
is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." (John
15:2, 8)

The reason churches have such trouble in finding Sunday School and Bible Study
teachers is because a believer would not live for the Lord. They remained in sin and
the next effect of sin occurred the believer did not mature in Christ.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.

7. SIN STOPS A CHRISTIAN FROM MATURING

It is the obedient believer who matures in the Lord. The believer who is obeying the
Bible and trying to live by God's Word has trouble just like everyone else. However,
the difference is that the maturing believer is able to go through difficult times and
never lose their internal joy and peace.

They believer who follows the Word of God is being prepared in advance for the trials
that come our way.

The surest way I know to live a miserable life full of doubts and confusion is to live
your live doing everything wrong. If a believer is not doing what God instructs in the
Bible....he is doing everything wrong!!

For example: One’s personal self-esteem will be devastated by not following the Lord.
Why? Because no matter what we do, it will not be rewarding or satisfying and we will
have little confidence in our own abilities. If there is something you know is wrong in
your life and you know you should overcome it and yet you do not, you have a low
opinion of yourself! The best thing to do would be to pray, ask God to give the
strength to overcome the problem....and then stop doing it! After you conquer the
difficulty you are free of the thing and you will feel better about yourself. Further, you
will be made stronger and will be better able to cope with more difficult problems.

One real hindrance to our overcoming difficulty is to ignore the problem. Many times
we know it is destructive, yet we try to justify it in any number of ways. The most
common excuse we use is to plead, "I'm too weak." The fact is you really are,
however that excuse doesn't hold water when we read, "I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13) Our pretext to make us feel better
is dissolved in the face of Paul's exclamation, "And ye are complete in him, which is
the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:10) A believer has the God's
power and in Christ we can overcome ANYTHING!

Another pretext we use is to say, "I am not really so bad, I don't do really terrible
things", or as one person told me some years ago, " I have other things to deal with
now and can't be bothered with this problem". Another time I was told, "I have come

24
a long way from what I was, in time maybe I will overcome this thing also". The real
problem these folks had was that they do not except that - ALL- sin, (in our eyes -
little or big) is sin and is destructive. God does not give us the latitude to commit any
sin. Why? All sin is destructive. In failing to deal with one sin you are in fact destined
to fail at many others. The effects of sin is accumulative. A sin that is allowed to
remain affects our conscience. The longer it is allowed to remain the more deadened
is our conscience and will to resist.

Think for a moment about why God commands us to turn immediately from all sin.
What would you think of a parent who let their child drink alcohol, but would not let
them have hard drugs? A foolish parent indeed is one whose thinking is so warped.
God wants NO sin in our lives! His standard is perfect. He wants us never to have to
experience the harmful effects of any sin. What kind of God would he be if he
overlooked our pet sins?

Two verses of Scripture puts everything into proper perspective. Carefully read the
following verses.

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians
10:13)

QUESTIONS:

There is only one question for this lesson:

In your own words, what do you think that the above two verses personally mean to
you and any sin that may be in your life?

WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE NEXT CLASS!

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 Lesson 6

YOU SHOULD BE A SOUL-WINNER

Proverbs 11:30: ". . .he that winneth souls is wise".

2 Timothy 2:2: "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,
the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

We have a responsibility to pass on to others what we have received. We have

received Christ and His salvation. We should tell others of Christ and the way of
salvation. Mark 16:15 tells us to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature." Every Christian can and should witness for Jesus Christ. Jesus also
promised us the power when the Holy Spirit came, He would give us power to be
witnesses for Christ. (Acts 1:8) A witness is simply one who tells what he has heard,
seen and experienced.

IS IT IMPORTANT?

The work of winning souls is the greatest job on this earth. The eternal souls of men,
women, and children depend upon our telling them. If we don't tell them of Christ and
His desire to save them, they will perish in hell forever. So, let's consider the A B C 's
of soul-winning.

1. APPEARANCE (A)

Many would not think this to be important, but it is. The unsaved person has many
ideas about Christians, so we should be the best representatives of Christ we can.
Don't forget, the neighbours are watching the appearance of you, your family, your
yard, and even how you keep your house. Be a good example.

2. BEHAVIOUR (B)

When you go to homes to visit, remember these few things. Always be nice to people,
regardless of the circumstances you might find. Try to win the persons confidence and
friendship even before witnessing to him. Talk about things that interest him.

3. COMPASSION (C)

This may be the most important of the three. Always be mindful that when you
witness to a person, he or she will live forever either in heaven or in hell. Before you
go, be sure to pray and ask God to help you. The Holy Spirit will guide and help you in
witnessing. We never go alone, for He is with us always.

ONCE IN THE HOME

When in the home, and after a casual conversation, you might begin to witness by
asking a question like this. "May I ask you a question? If you were to die today would
you know you would go to heaven?" Unless they are saved, they will usually reply, "I
hope so," "I don't know," "No," etc. Then you might say this, "Do you mind if I show
26
you from the Bible how you can be saved and know it?" Most people will allow you to
do it. Now is when you open your New Testament (use a small Bible). Try to sit beside
the person you are talking with, so they can see what you are reading. Ask if they
have a Bible and let them look up the references with you.

You would then start with Romans 3:23, and read aloud to them, "For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God." Be sure to include yourself when explaining how
all have sinned. They must be convinced that we are all sinners, which would include
them. Regardless of how good or bad we are, we are all still sinners.

Since we are all sinners, God must judge us. Read to him Romans 6:23, "For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Explain that because we are sinners, we must die. The Bible says there is a hell when
all unsaved people will go. Revelation 20:15 tells us that this hell or lake of fire, is the
second death. So the wages of sin is more than physical death, but eternal existence
in the lake of fire, the second death.

Then read him/her Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Even though we are sinners and
deserve to go to hell, Jesus died for us so we could be saved. He died in our place as
our substitute. He shed His blood for us to wash away our sins. Christ is the only
answer and hope to a person’s needs.

Then tell them what God expects them to do, read him Romans 10:9, 13, "That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dad, thou shalt be saved......For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." We must believe that Jesus died for us,
was buried and arose from the dead after three days. Call upon the Lord in prayer to
save him. God will do what He has promised, for God cannot lie.

Now quickly review what you have told him/her. Make sure he/she realized that they
are sinners, that they deserve hell, but Jesus died for them, and they must call upon
God to save them and confess Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Rejoice with them
after they pray. Give them the assurance that God did save them, because God
cannot lie. You should read them a few verses from Bible to show them how they can
know they have been saved.

Encourage them to go to church with you the very next service. Also encourage them
to go forward at the invitation to make their salvation public. See Lesson 2. Explain
how this is done and why?

Every Christian should and can be a soul-winner. Go with your Pastor or Sunday
School teacher on visitation. Learn from others. Witness in your neighbourhood and to
your family.

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Write and memorise Acts 1:8

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

1. Which is probably the most important of the ABC's of soul winning to you and
why?________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. What is the first thing a person should realize about himself before he can be
saved? (Romans 3:23) _______________________________________________

3. What are we to confess in order to be saved? (Romans

10:9)?_____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

4. Have you witnessed to someone since you have been saved? _______________

WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE NEXT CLASS!

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 LESSON 7

CHURCH

The Purpose of the Church in the Life of a Believer.

Following is a link to an article I wrote concerning the importance of attending church

in the life of the believer. For this assignment please click on the link below and read
the article.

What is so important about attending church?

https://www.bible-truth.org/whyatten.htm

In your own words please write a short paragraph as to why God wants you in a solid
Bible believing church.

WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE NEXT CLASS!

Copyright BIBLE-TRUTH.ORG. Used with permission; [email protected],

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 LESSON 8

LET'S LEARN DOCTRINE

Paul had much to say about doctrine and its importance. Doctrine is simply the
teachings of the Bible, God's Word. As Christians, we should know what the Bible
teaches. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13, "Till I come, give attendance to reading,
to exhortation, to doctrine." 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works."

DOCTRINAL COMMITMENTS

The following Doctrinal Commitments represent the core beliefs of the Church of God,
as outlined in Scripture.

Repentance. Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19.

Justification. Romans 5:1; Titus 3:7.

Regeneration. Titus 3:5.

New birth. John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9.

Sanctification subsequent to justification. Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1

Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:12.

Holiness. Luke 1:75; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Hebrews 12:14.

Water baptism. Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9, 10; John 3:22, 23; Acts 8:36, 38.

Baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to cleansing; the enduement of

power for service. Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49, 53; Acts 1:4-8.

The speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance as the initial evidence
of the baptism in the Holy Ghost. John 15:26; Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-7.

The Church. Exodus 19:5, 6; Psalm 22:22; Matthew 16:13-19; 28:19,20; Acts 1:8;
2:42-47; 7:38; 20:28; Romans 8:14-17: 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; 12:12-31; 2
Corinthians 6:6-18; Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:9, 21; Philippians 3:10; Hebrews 2:12; 1
Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:6, 7; Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17.

Spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7, 10, 28, 31; 1 Corinthians 14:1.

Signs following believers. Mark 16:17-20; Romans 15:18, 19; Hebrews 2:4.

Fruit of the Spirit. Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians
1:11.

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Divine healing provided for all in the Atonement. Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 53:4, 5;
Matthew 8:17; James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:24.

The Lord's Supper. Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

Washing the saints' feet. John 13:4-17; 1 Timothy 5:9, 10.

Tithing and giving. Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; Malachi 3:10; Luke 11:42 ; 1
Corinthians 16:2 ; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 ; Hebrews 7:1-21.

Restitution where possible. Matthew 3:8; Luke 19:8, 9.

Premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the dead saints and to
catch away the living saints to Him in the air. 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians
4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.
Zechariah 14:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Jude 14, 15;
Revelation 5:10; 19:11-21; 20:4-6.

Resurrection. John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:5, 6.

Eternal life for the righteous. Matthew 25:46; Luke 18:30; John 10:28; Romans
6:22; 1 John 5:11-13.

Eternal punishment for the wicked. No liberation nor annihilation. Matthew 25:41-
46; Mark 3:29; 2 Thessalonians 1: 8, 9; Revelation 20:10-15; 21:8.

Write out and memorize 2 Timothy 3:16:

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Has this new converts class helped you?_

What is something you have liked about this class?_________________________

___________________________________________ 1

1
Cooper Abrams, Online New Converts Class, accessed Mar. 5. 2019, https://www.bible-truth.org/NewConvert1.html

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