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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS

SESSION 1
HOW TO DISCOVER THE REAL
MEANING AND PURPOSE OF LIFE

OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• Know what life is, all about.
• List the four facts of life.
• Understand the root cause of all of life’s problem.
• Know the only answer to man’s greatest problem.
• Experience the real meaning and purpose of life.

Note: Please find and read every Bible verse in this


session and in all other subsequent sessions. You need
your own Bible for this.

INTRODUCTION:
1. Let’s begin with the obvious – you are _____!
2. Anybody here _____?
3. Your body is _____________ - breathing, eating,
sleeping, working, etc.
4. There are 7 billion other people who can say the
______ thing. They are alive!
5. But, millions of people in this world, in this country,
even some of us, may be asking: WHY do I exist,
what is _____ all about? What is the real MEANING
and PURPOSE of my life?
6. To discover the real meaning and purpose of life,
let’s consider four simple facts of life.

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS

FACT 1 – GOD CREATED YOU IN HIS


IMAGE TO LIVE IN FULFILLMENT AND
LOVE
• We can see God’s loving _____ for us in
Jeremiah 29:11 (please open your Bible to this
text).
• We can see God’s loving plan for our
___________ in John 10:10.
• But the problem is, not everyone is
experiencing God’s love and direction in their
lives. Why not? Because of …

FACT 2 – MANKIND IS SEPARATED FROM


GOD BY SIN

The Bible says sin is...


• Failure to __ what God _____ us to be (Romans
3:23). God wants us to be ____ and ______
___.
• Failure to __ what God _____ us to do (John
14:15). God wants us to _____ Him and _____
___.
• God has allowed each person the RIGHT and
_______ to ______. Right choices bring good
results. Wrong decisions bring ___
consequences.
• Sin has its consequences: ________,
________, ____, INJUSTICE, _________ and
___________.

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS

• These things are bad enough, but sin also


__________ us from ____.

And Mankind has _____ to bridge this gap of


separation but always without ________.

FACT 3 – JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S ONLY


ANSWER FOR MAN’S SIN AND
SEPARATION

• According to Romans 6:23, our sin has a


_______ – but Jesus paid ____ eternal death
penalty. Why?
• Because He loves ____ and ___. He bridged
the gap that separated mankind from God. He
made possible a _________ for you!!!

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS

• Read: 1 Peter 3:18.


• Jesus conquered ______ - 1 Corinthians 15:3-
6
• Jesus ____ us the way to God – John 14:6
• Now – knowing these three facts of life is ____
enough. God has provided the only way. ___
have ____ responsibility!

FACT 4 – EACH PERSON MUST


INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVE JESUSCHRIST
AS HIS SAVIOR AND LORD

• We are ____ responsible __________ to God


– John 1:12; Romans 10:9
• Jesus promised us something – John 5:24
• This is God’s desire for you. When you
________ Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you
are no longer under the condemnation of ___.
PLUS, you receive ______________.

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS

APPLICATION:

A. Where are YOU?


___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

B. Are you where you want to be?


___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

MEMORIZE: John 3:16

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS
SESSION 2

OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• Define what faith is.
• Know where to put your faith in.
• List what a believer in Christ receives.
• Understand what a believer in Christ should know.
• State what a believer in Christ will experience.

QUOTE: John 3:16 (If you are unable to do this,


work on memorizing it before continuing with this
session.)

The _____ teaches us that a person is _____ (or


forgiven) by faith in the finished work of ______
alone – Romans 3:21-25. Faith is simply ______
____ at His ____. Abraham was called a man of faith
because “He _______ God to keep His ________”
(Hebrews 11:11).
Someone has described faith like this: “___ said it, I
________ it and that settles it for ____.”

I. LET’S THINK ABOUT WHAT A BELIEVER IN


CHRIST RECEIVES

A. ____________
Ephesians 1:7 – Because of His ______, I have
redemption and forgiveness.

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS
B. ____________
1 John 5:11,13 – In the ____ is eternal life.

C. ____________
Galatians 3:26 – I am a _____ of God because
of my ______ in Christ.

II. LET’S THINK ABOUT WHAT A BELIEVER IN


CHRIST SHOULD KNOW

A. Walk in the light of His Word


Psalm 119:105 – God’s Word ________ my
feet/life.

B. Walk by Faith
Proverbs 3:5,6 – As I trust in the ____ , I
don’t depend on _______, God guides my
way.

C. There is an inner Witness


1 John 4:13 – Because God has given us His
_______, I know that I am in Him, and He
is in _____.

D. You are a new person.


2 Corinthians 5:17 – When I am in Christ, I
am made _____, the _____ me has been
________ (or transformed).

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS
III. LET’S THINK ABOUT WHAT A BELIEVER
IN CHRIST SHOULD KNOW

A. A growing hunger for Bible study


1 Peter 2:2 – Just like a newborn baby
_______ milk, so we ______ God’s Word,
too.

B. A growing desire for Holy Living


1 John 2:3 – If we know Him, we will
_____ His commandments.

C. God’s love will be in your life.


1 John 3:14 – Loving God’s people helps us
know we have God’s ____. Not loving
others helps us know we are still under the
power of ____.

D. A willingness to tell others about Jesus.


• Acts 4:20 – Telling others the good news
I have ________ in Jesus.
• John 1:41,45 – The Good News about
Jesus _______ as one person tells
_______ who tells _______.

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IV. LET’S THINK ABOUT YOU


If, after completing this study, you realized that you
are uncertain about your personal relationship to
Christ, you should go over these verses:

• Romans 3:23 – Who has sinned? _____


• Romans 6:23 – What is the penalty of sin?
_____
• Romans 5:8 – Who paid the penalty?
__________
• Romans 3:24-26 – How does God put us right
with Himself? __________
• Romans 10:9-11,13 – How does a person start
a relationship with God? By ____________ and
______________ Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION:

A. At this point, you may wish to pray asking Christ


to forgive your sins and come into your life, or if
you know He already has, then pray thanking
Him for His love and forgiveness!

B. MEMORIZE: 2 Corinthians 5:17

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS
SESSION 3

HOW TO GROW IN CHRIST

OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• See the place of your personal response to your
own Christian growth.
• List the first two levels of Christian
communication.
• Name the key factor in spiritual growth.
• Evaluate your present commitment to spiritual
growth.
• Set the direction for your future.

QUOTE: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (If you are unable to


do this, work on memorizing it before continuing with
this session.)

I. THE FOUR SOILS – Luke 8:5-15 “The


Parable of the Soils”

A. Related the STORY: Luke 8:5-8 (see also:


Mark 4:3-9)
B. The INTERPRETATION: Luke 8:11-15 (see
also: Mark 4:13-20)
C. The MEANING:
1. What are the four types of soil?
• _______________
• _______________
• _______________
• _______________

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2. What do the soils represent?
• THE SOILS REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT
CONDITIONS OF PEOPLE’S ________

3. What does the seed represent? (v.11)


• THE ______ OF GOD.

4. Whom does the road/path represent?


(v.12)
• PEOPLE WITH ________ HEARTS
WHICH THE WORD OF GOD
CANNOTPENETRATE

5. List the first reaction of people


represented by the rocky soil (v. 13a)
• THEY RECEIVED THE WORD WITH ___.

6. Then what happened? (v.13b)


• WHEN HARDSHIPS CAME, THEY
IMMEDIATELY ________.

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7. What group is represented by the thorny
soil? (v.14)
• THOSE WHO HAVE MANY ________
CONCERNS.

8. What do the people represented by the


good soil produce? (see Galatians 5:22-
23)
• THEY PRODUCE ______.

9. Luke 8:15 says, “But the seed on good soil


stands for those with (an honest) and
good heart, who hear the word, retain it,
and by persevering produce a crop.”

10. What does individual (soil) response to


the Seed have in Christian growth? Check
one:
___ No Relationship

___ Direct Relationship

11. As you look at these four types of soil


(people), which of them do you want to
be?
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________

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II. HOW TO GET TO KNOW GOD
A. John 17:3 – How does Jesus describe eternal
(or spiritual) life?
1. To know _____________
2. To know _____________
B. What relationship does Christian growth have
to their personal response to the Word of
God?
• ____________________. This means
that your response to God’s Word
determines whether you grow and bear
fruit or not.
C. _________ in the Christian life is directly
_____________ to how well we are getting
to _____ the Father and the Son (Psalm 1:2)
D. How do you get to know God?
___________________ (John 14:9)
E. What did Jesus mean by this?
F. The way you get to know God is through
________, Jesus Christ. Jesus is all of God
we can understand. He is God! (Colossians
2:9-10)
G. How do you get to know anyone better?
______________ is a _________ street.
The same is true with our relationship with
God. We need to let Him communicate
_________ and we need to communicate
________________. Here are two ways
we can come to know Jesus better.

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III. FIRST TWO LEVELS OF CHRISTIAN
COMMUNICATION
A. God communicates with us: The ________
1. The Bible is called the “____________”
(1 Timothy 4:5)
2. 1 Peter 2:2 – What is God’s Word called
here? ________
3. The Bible is our _______ (Heb. 5:13-14)

B. I communicate with
God: ________
Prayer is simply
sharing
our ___________,
our ________ and
our _________
with God.

C. Diagram Summary

GOD

THE ______ ____________

ME

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IV. THE KEY FACTOR IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH

A. ___________ is a sign that we ________


(John 14:21)

B. Why should we obey Christ?


Jeremiah 29:11: BECAUSE HIS PLAN FOR
US IS ALWAYS ________.

APPLICATION:

C. A personal worship time

1. What is a personal worship time?


a. IT IS A TIME ALONE WITH ______
b. READING THE _________
c. TALKING TO GOD IN __________

2. Do I have time?
There are 168 hours in a week.
___ Sleeping ___ In transit
___ Eating ___ Bathing
___ Class/Work ___ Chores
___ Studying ___ Spiritual Activities

GRAND TOTAL PER WEEK: _____ HOURS


How much time is left for personal worship
time? _____ hours

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3. Where should I do it? _____________

4. When should I do it?


a) EARLY IN THE ___________
b) BEFORE YOU _________ AT NIGHT
c) Read Mark 1:35 – example of JESUS
d) Psalm 3:5; 143:8 – example of
DAVID

5. What should I read/study?


GOSPEL OF _________

6. What format should I use?


S-____ to forsake
P-__________ to claim
E-___________ to follow
C-___________ to obey
S-______________ (Errors) to avoid

D. The Relationship between the Word and


Prayer
“Little of the Word, with little prayer, is
death to the spiritual life. Much of the
Word, with little prayer, gives a sickly life.
Much prayer but with little of the Word give
more life, but without steadfastness. A full
measure of the Word and prayer each day
gives a healthy and powerful life.”
~Andrew Murray, THE BELIEVER’S PRAYER
LIFE

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E. A Personal Covenant
Having looked into the Scriptures,
want to commit myself today before
the Lord and the one(s) with me to
becoming “good soil,” allowing the
“good seed” to grow in me.
Signed: ________________
Date: __________________

My personal appointment time with


the Lord: ____ A.M./P.M.

F. Memorize: Colossians 1:10

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS
SESSION 4

HOW TO FOLLOW CHRIST

OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• List the four levels of Christian communication.
• List three important factors in the growth of the
First Century Church.
• Explain the symbolism and meaning of water
baptism.
• Give the Biblical method of Water Baptism
• Take a specific step toward fulfilling one of Christ’s
commands.

QUOTE: Colossians 1:10 (If you are unable to do


this, work on memorizing it before continuing this
session.)

I. THE FOUR LEVELS OF CHRISTIAN


COMMUNICATION
A. Recall from the previous session (do from
memory).

1. _____ communicates with __: The _____

2. ___ communicate with _____: ________

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3. Complete the Diagram:

_______ ___________

B. Communicating with CHRISTIANS:


_______________
3. A fire burns brightly
when all the wood
are ___________.

4. Hebrews 10:23-25.
What are we told
NOT to do? NOT TO
BE _______ FROM
__________
1. What are we to do for each other? TO
___________ EACH OTHER

2. Acts 2:42-47: What three things are


shown here?
a. Early Christians ________ together.
b. Early Christians ________ together.
c. Early Christians ________ together.
The result: ________________

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C. Communicating with OUTSIDERS:
EVANGELISM

1. This comes as a ____________ of


_________ in the other areas of the
Christian Life.
2. This area of communication involves
“____________” or _____________
what we have learned about Christ.
3. What is the greatest thing that has
happened to you? (Correct answer:
________________)
4. What is the greatest thing that you can do
for someone else? TO LEAD THEM TO
______________.

D. Diagram Summary

_______________ ________________

II. WATER BAPTISM: THE IDENTIFICATION


MARK OF THEDISCIPLES OF JESUS
“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, and teach them
to obey everything I have commanded you”
(Matthew 28:19,20)

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A. The symbolism and meaning of Water Baptism


1. According to this Scripture, what is the first
thing Christ requires from a Disciple?
________________

2. What level of emphasis does Jesus put on


this act of discipleship?
It is a ___________. It is not a suggestion,
opinion, request, or invitation.

3. Water baptism is a picture of the ________


united with _________ in His _________,
_________ and _____________.
(Romans 6:4-5)

4. In water baptism our old man (former way of


living) is ________________, that we
should no longer be ____________; if we
have ____ with Christ, we believe we should
also ____ with Him. Therefore, consider
yourselves ____ to ___ but _____ to ___
in _______________ (Romans 6:6,8,11).

5. We are saved by ______ through _______


(Ephesians 2:8). Therefore, water baptism is
an ________ symbol of an _________
work of God.

6. Water Baptism indicates the complete


__________ of one’s LIFE to Jesus Christ.
The ________ sign which proves the
_________ commitment.

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B. The Method of Water Baptism

1. This command of
Jesus Christ
requires _______
(Acts 8:36)

2. This baptism
requires
_____________
(John 3:23)

3. Baptism requires
the officiating
person and the
candidate to
______ the water
(Acts 8:38)

4. Water baptism requires a __________ in


water (Colossians 2:12). The Greek word
translated “baptized” and “baptism”
means “immerse” and “immersion,”
respectively. The final state being like that
of a white cloth totally immersed in red
dye.

5. Baptism also requires a ______________


of the water. (Acts 8:39)

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C. The Words Accompanying Water Baptism

1. According to Matthew 28:19, a believer is


baptized into the _____ of the ________,
______ and __________.

2. What are the very words of Jesus? “GO AND


MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS
___________ THEM IN THE NAME OF THE
FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT.”

D. What qualifies a person to be baptized in water?

1. The person desires to follow the Lord’s


example of water baptism (Mark 1:9), must
first _______ of their ________ (Acts 2:38).

2. After repentance (confession of sins), what


must happen next? (Romans 10:9)
THE BELIEVER MUST CONFESS
_________________

III. SUMMARY: Water Baptism is Important


Because:
A. Jesus Christ _____________ it.
(Matthew 28:19,20)
B. It _________ proclaims a ____________
with the old life, henceforth to _______
anew for Christ.
C. It is a ________ service with __________
______________!!!

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APPLICATION:

Encircle one answer each time:

1. Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your


sins and come into your life?

Yes No

2. Do you fellowship regularly with other


believers?

Yes No

3. Have you ever told anyone about what Christ


has done for you?

Yes No

4. Have you ever followed Jesus’ example and


committed to be baptized in water?

Yes No

5. If not, would you like to?

Yes No

MEMORIZE: Matthew 28:19-20

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS
SESSION 5

How to Share Your


New Life in Christ
OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• More of your responsibility as a New Creation.
• How to effectively apply the fourth level of
Christian communication.
• How to share the story of your new life in Christ
with others.
• What to share in telling others what Christ has
done for you.

QUOTE: Matthew 28:19,20 (If you are unable to


do this, work on memorizing it before continuing with
this session.)

INTRODUCTION:
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are told:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!”

This verse in the Bible, the Word of God, is giving us


assurance that we are NEW in Christ!

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I. ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A
NEWCREATION IS TO SHARE.
A. Scripture story: Mark 5:1-20
This is an account of Jesus and a man with
an unclean spirit. When the man was
delivered from his demon- possession, the
Lord ______ the man to go home to his
________ and tell/share with them what
great things Jesus had done for ______, and
how the Lord had ______ on him. (v.19)
B. How to share:
1. Be _________
2. Be _____________ from start to finish.
3. Do not be concerned about your
testimony being exciting, just that it be
__________.
4. Avoid mentioning denominations,
especially in a __________ way.
5. Avoid _________ to people. Just share.
6. Give enough details so people can
___________ your story.
7. Use _______ scripture verse that
correlates with your life.
8. Be __________ in your speaking and
_____________.

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C. What to share: “The great things that the
Lord has done.”
1. Scripture story: Acts 22:2-21 (Paul’s
testimony)

2. Your story:
Divide your story into three sections:
a) Your background
b) How did you experience this new life?
c) How did it affect/change you?
(“Behold all things are become
new” - attitudes, goals)

Many times, the first reaction a person has when he


receives Christ in his heart is the desire to _______
someone else the Good News. When Philip met Christ,
he immediately found and ____ Nathanael. When the
Samaritan woman realized she had met Christ at the
well, she excitedly ran to town to _________ others.

According to the Bible, the desire to witness (share


the Good News about Jesus) is quite natural. But as
believers in Christ, we are sometimes shy to witness
to others even though we want to. In this session, we
will deal with the topic of witnessing and how you can
witness ________________.

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II. WE MUST KNOW WHY WE WITNESS
A. The __________ of Jesus – Mark 16:15
The first and ________ reason we ought to
witness is that Christ has ____________
us to do so.
B. The ________ in one’s life – 2 Corinthians
5:17.
Since the Gospel has power to change lives,
we ought to _______ it with those in ____.
C. The ______________ of a Christian –
Ezekiel 33:8
God warns us that we as Christians are
______________ to warn the sinner of his
sinful ways. Since we know where sinners are
headed to (eternal punishment in hell), our
conscience commands that we witness and
try to _________ them to Christ.
D. The _____________ of sin – Romans 6:23
The Bible shows what we ___ and _______
from a life of sin, that is, eternal death and
separation from _______.
E. The _________ of a soul – Matthew 16:26
The value of a soul is worth ______ than the
whole world. If a person dies without Christ,
it is the greatest ______ he can experience.
F. The ___________ of death – Hebrews 9:27
Should Jesus delay His coming, we will ____
die. And after all die, all are ________.
Because of this, all people need to hear and
be given opportunity to _________ to the
Gospel.

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G. The __________ of Christ – Matthew 25:13
Matthew 25:32. What will take place when
Christ comes?
SEPARATION OF ________ FROM _______
Because Jesus could come any time, we ought
to witness and share with others the Gospel
so that they will be __________ to meet
Christ when He appears.
H. The ___________ in Heaven – Luke 15:10
The only thing that makes heaven rejoice is
when men and women repent of their sins and
begin to live for God.

III. WE MUST KNOW TO WHOM WE WITNESS

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is:


A. For your _________________ - John 1:41
B. For your ________________ - Mark 5:19
C. For ___________________ - Luke 24:47

IV. WE MUST KNOW HOW TO WITNESS


Our witnessing is done by two methods:
1. By our __________
2. By our __________
These two must AGREE with each other for the
most effective witness.
A. By our WORDS
There are many ways to verbally direct
people to Jesus by:
• Using a Gospel _____________
• Using the Romans Road: (Romans 3:23;
6:23;3:21-26; 10:9-11,13)
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• Inviting and bringing people to places
where they will hear the Gospel. (Bible
studies, church meetings, Gospel films,
Gospel concerts, etc.)
B. By our LIFE – Matthew 5:16
Sometimes our _____ speaks so loudly that
people cannot _____ what we say. It is very
sad when a person must confess, “Do not do
what I do, but do what I say.”

APPLICATION:
A. A self-checklist for you to complete. Yes / No
___ Have I confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior?
___ Am I having a consistent devotional life?
___ Am I surrendered to the Lord?
___ Am I confessing my sins (Proverbs 28:13)
___ Am I constantly adding my knowledge of
God’s Word?
___ Am I memorizing helpful passages of
Scripture?
___ Am I concerned with the salvation of
others? (Romans 9:1-3)
___ Am I praying for the salvation of my family
and friends?
___ Am I regularly fellowshipping with other
believers?

Answering “Yes” to all these questions says you are


in a good place to effectively share your faith in Christ.
If you have any “No” answer, work prayerfully and
earnestly to change this (these) area(s) in your life.
Pray now for the Holy Spirit to help you be an effective
witness for Him.
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B. Remember to:
1. Pray for opportunities to witness.
2. Be alert to opportunities to share.
3. Relax – it is the Holy Spirit’s work to convict
of sin, your job is to present the Gospel
clearly – John 16:7-9.
4. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading –
Acts 7:26-40.
5. Learn a definite plan of salvation.

ASSIGNMENT (Do at home)


A. Scripture story: Luke 12:8-9

B. Your story: Apply what you have learned in this


session and write your personal testimony on the
following pages).

C. After you have had the first draft of your personal


testimony reviewed by your disciple, rewrite it
making any suggested changes that will make it
more effective. Then practice it so you can share
it with others.

D. MEMORIZE: Mark 5:19

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FIRST DRAFT

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SECOND DRAFT

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STAGE 1 NEW BEGINNINGS
SESSION 6

HOW TO UNDERSTAND YOUR


FOREVER FAMILY IN CHRIST
OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• The “Forever Family.”
• What the Church is.
• The function of the church.
• How to be a happy member of the “Forever
Family.”

QUOTE: Mark 5:19 (If you are unable to do this,


work on memorizing it before you continue with this
session.)

I. LET’S REVIEW
A. You became a part of the ______ of God when
you received Jesus as your personal ______
and were born again.
B. God became your Heavenly ________ and ….
C. You became a ________ of God!
D. The Family you became a part of will be your
family
E. _______ or your _________ family!

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II. WHAT IS THE “FOREVER FAMILY”?


A. In the Bible, the “Forever Family” is called
the ________ (Ephesians 5:23).

B. So… when you were born again into the


“Forever Family,” you also became a
___________ of the Church. (John 1:12)

C. The Church is:


• The ___________
• A living ___________
• A spiritual _________

D. The Church is NOT:


• A ______________
• An _____________
• A social _________

E. Every “born again” believer is a part of the


Church…including some from all _______,
_______, _______ and ________
(Revelation 7:9)

F. The church is a
___________.
G. The church is a
_____, __________
congregation.

H. ____________ is the Head of the Church


(Ephesians 5:23)

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III. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH?


How do I “fit” into the family?
A. Guideline No. 1 – Make a public
identification with Christ.
1. Use the family name -- ___________
(Acts 11:26).
2. Confess Christ as Savior through
__________ acceptance or testimony.
3. Water Baptism (after a knowledgeable
conversion) is an _________ part of
your public statement of faith in Christ
as your Savior and Lord. (Session 5)

B. Guideline No. 2 – Gather together with the


Family.
1. In _________ worship and service
activities in a Bible-believing, Christ-
centered church fellowship.
2. Around the Lord’s Table -this is called
“_______________”
a) We remember Christ’s great _____
because of His great __________
(1 Corinthians 11:24,25).
• The bread is a picture of Christ’s
broken __________.
• The cup is a picture of Christ’s
shed ___________.

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b) We should ________ and _______


our lives. (1 Corinthians 11:28)

(If you can give an honest “Yes” in answer to this


self- checklist, it will probably result in a more
meaningful fellowship both with God and His people.)

Self-Examination Questions
Yes / No

___ ___ 1. Have I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord


and Savior? (John 1:12)
___ ___ 2. Did I truly and honestly repent of my
sins? (1 Corinthians 11:27)
___ ___ 3. Do I earnestly desire to walk in fellowship
and in love with God’s family? (1 John
1:7)
___ ___ 4. Do I intend to walk in obedience to God’s
commands? (1 John 2:3-5)
___ ___ 5. Have I been baptized after receiving
Jesus Christ by faith? (Acts 8:37)
___ ___ 6. Do I seriously intend to worship God
regularly with His church? (Hebrews
10:25)
___ ___ 7. Do I seriously intend to work, pray and
give regularly for the spread of the
Gospel? (Matthew 9:38, 28:19; 2
Corinthians 8:7).
___ ___ 8. Do I believe that the church I attend is a
true church and is a part of the Body of
Christ? (2 Corinthians 10:17)

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___ ___ 9. Am I an active member in good standing


of a local church which accepts Jesus as
Lord and Savior? (Romans 10:9-13)
___ ___ 10. Do I take the bread and the cup in
remembrance of Him who purchased my
salvation on the Cross of Calvary?
(Hebrews 10:29)

C. Guideline No. 3 – Contribute to the Family’s


support of God’s work.
There are three ways in which I can be a
contributing family member:

1. Through ________ - Ephesians 5:15-16


Plan to give God a regular part of your
week through attending and working with
the Church, prayer, Bible reading and
study and witnessing.

2. Through __________ - Matthew 23:23


The best means of family support is
“proportionate giving.” This means
“equal sacrifices,” not “equal gifts.”
God has established a proportionate
giving principle for His people…it is called
the ________ or the ___________.
Proportionate or percentage giving of
10% of your gross income means that
“rich” and “poor” Family members all
give the same. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

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3. Through _______ - Matthew 25:14-30
Everyone has some special or unique
ability. Find the areas of service needs in
the Church Family and offer your talents
and abilities to the leader of that activity.
If your fellowship has a class to train
people who want to serve, join it!

V. SUMMARY
A. The _____ Family members are those who
are active and involved in the Family life.
B. Remember: God is looking for F. A. S. T.
Family members!!!

F - _______ - Family members who can be


counted on to show up for family
meetings and responsibilities.
A - _________ - Family members who are
ready to volunteer when needed.
S- ___________ - Hebrews 13:17,
Teachable
T - ___________ - Family members who
can be trusted to finish the job.
Members who are not like Judas.

APPLICATION
1. I am a F.A.S.T. Family member?
___YES ___ NO

2. MEMORIZE: Hebrews 10:24-25

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SESSION 7
HOW TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES
TO YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• What temptation is.
• Who the author of temptation is.
• Two other sources of temptation.
• How to resist temptation.

QUOTE: Hebrews 10:24-25 (If you cannot do


this, work on memorizing it before continuing with
this session.)

INTRODUCTION:
To become a _____________ Christian, a believer
must understand how to deal with temptation.

Temptation is the _______ urging a person feels to


______ sin (against God’s Word). Temptation is
_____ sin. However, if not dealt with correctly, it
can _________ sin _____________.

I. SOURCES OF TEMPTATION

A. _______ (the Devil) – clearly shown in


Scripture as the ________ of temptation
to sin. We read to see his tricks and realize
we will be tempted in this way.

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1. He causes us to _______ God’s Word
(Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1) but remember
Jesus said the Scripture is true forever.
2. He causes us to _______. 1 Peter
pictures him as a roaring lion. However,
we need to remember that he has been
defeated by Jesus Christ the Lion of
Judah (Revelation 5:5) and that God
gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
3. He causes us to be _______ by his
_______ (John 8:44). But God’s Word
says we have the Holy Spirit to teach us
all truth (John 16:33).

B. The ____________ - Our old nature


_________ a life- long battle with the new
nature of a Christian. We must learn to
expect temptations from this source and
deal with them.
1. As Christians, we can be __________
by the flesh or by the Holy Spirit. It is
one or the other (Romans 8:5-9,12-13).
2. God does not _________. He says we
are free to serve Him, not to serve sin
(Romans 6:17,18; 8:2)

C. The ____________ - “What the sinful


self-desires, what people see and want,
and everything in this world of which
people are proud.”

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1. Watch out for the _________ of
money as it is the source of all kinds of
evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
2. As your love for God grows, your love
for the world lessens (1 John 2:15-17).

II. STEPS TO RESIST TEMPTATION


A. Be ___________ alert: to sources of
temptation and guard against them.

B. Be ___________ to resist and fight: our


body is weak.
1. Some temptations can be eliminated by
____________ them from your life,
i.e. home, room, office, changing
“barkadas,” going a different route
home, etc.
2. Some temptations we must fight. That’s
the purpose why we have the Full Armor
of God (Ephesians 6:10-13)
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________

C. Relay on ______: - We cannot defeat


temptation in our strength, only through
the power of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:13)
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
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D. Know your ________: - The better you
know God’s Word the more you will be able
to resist temptation. Psalm 119:11.
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

III. SEEING JESUS RESPOND TO TEMPTATION


READ: Matthew 4:1-11

APPLICATION:
If you want to master temptation, you must first let
Christ master you.

A. There are no easy roads to victory. There is a


daily price to be paid by spending time with
Christ in prayer and Bible meditation. It means
you take time to be with HIM. Do not be
discouraged and do not give up (Hebrews
12:2-4).

B. MEMORIZE:
1 Corinthians 10:13 and James 4:7b - 8a

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SESSION 8

HOW TO BE A
TRUE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

OBJECTIVE:
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
• Know Jesus’ strategy in His earthly ministry.
• Know the differences between being saved and
being a disciple.
• Evaluate yourself to see if you are a disciple of
Jesus or not.
• Give a definition of what a disciple is.
• Know three kinds of New Testament disciples.
• Understand the requirements of discipleship.

QUOTE: 1 Corinthians 10:13 (If you are unable


to do this, work on memorizing it before continuing
with this session.)

INTRODUCTION:
Jesus’ strategy in fulfilling His purpose on earth was:

1. Teaching and training ___________ that


they might be His disciples.

2. This was not a ________ concept/trend.


There were some others who had a _______
of people as their disciples:
a. The disciples of the ______________
b. The disciples of _________________
c. The disciples of John the Baptist

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3. Christ’s earthly life was invested in a few
people that they might be His ________ and
that they might do the _______ of a disciple.
4. Jesus Christ is _________ people today to be
His disciples.
5. Are you a disciple of Jesus? Let’s learn more.

I. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALVATION


AND DISCIPLESHIP

There is a big DIFFERENCE between salvation


and discipleship. In salvation, we are dealing
with the issue of ______________ of sins.
In discipleship, we are dealing with a person’s
______________ to Jesus Christ as his
_______, his _______, and his ________.

There are more than 280 references made to


disciples in the Gospels. One cannot _____
through the gospel record of the earthly
ministry of Jesus without recognizing the
relationship that existed between Christ and
the one whom He called His disciples. This was
a unique and ________ relationship.

It was a personal and intimate relationship – a


relationship based on the __________ of the
person of ___________, a ________ for
the person of Christ, __________ to the
person of Christ and __________ to the
commands of Christ.

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II. THE WORD “DISCIPLE” DEFINED

The word “DISCIPLE” is used in several


different ways. We need to understand the
meaning of the word disciple.
A. The word disciple means:
1. A learner, a __________, a student,
one who has come to be _________.
2. _________ and __________ are
preeminent in the word disciple.

B. Christ’s relationship to his disciples was


that of a ________ to a __________.

C. The disciples were ____________


(UNEDUCATED). Recognizing themselves
to be ignorant and considering Christ to
be the _______ of _______ and their
MASTER, they turned to Him for
_______________.

III. 3 KINDS OF DISCIPLES IN THE NEW


TESTAMENT
A. There were the CURIOUS ones.

1. They are curious as to what Christ


would _______.
2. They came to _________ Christ
would teach.
3. They were curious about His ______,
___________, and His _________.

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B. There were the ______________ ones.

1. They ____________ to His Words.


2. They realized that this was not just the
expression of ___________ wisdom.
3. They were __________ that He was
from God and spoke the Truth of God.

C. There were the _____________ ones.

1. Discipleship ________ commitment.


2. It involves ______________ with
Christ and His shameful death.
3. It involves ______________ for the
sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Luke 14:33 (Read)
5. In other words, Christ said:
“If a man is not ________ to
__________ all that he has, he
___________ be My disciple.”

In the Gospels, discipleship is neither


the ___________ of the satisfaction
of curiosity nor is it the result of a
conviction that Jesus Christ is
_______ (and His Word is true).

One becomes a disciple in the


_______ sense only when one
________ and ______________
his life to the person of Jesus Christ
and His Words.

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Discipleship, therefore, is the
__________ of putting your Life in
Order under Christ.

Apart from that commitment to _____


and His _______, one has no right to
call himself/herself a _______ of Jesus
Christ.

IV. REQUIREMENTS OF DISCIPLESHIP

A. Luke 9:23 (Read)

1. _______ himself – (say no to himself)


2. Take up his _________ - (willing to
pay the price to follow Jesus)
3. Follow Jesus – (__________ Jesus).

B. Luke 14:26 (Read)

1. The cost of discipleship is “________”


of father, mother, wife, children,
brothers, sisters and even your own life.

2. Not until one “hates” those to whom he


has the ___________ family ties can
he/she be Jesus’ disciple.

3. This seems to be a ______________


of the ________, God’s oldest
institution. The family relationship is
based on ________ for each other!

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a) God commanded the children to
_______ and ________ their
parents in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1;
Exodus 20:12)
b) Ephesians 5:25 is a command that a
man needs to love his wife as Christ
___________ the church and gave
Himself for her.
c) Ephesians 5:22 is a command for the
wife to submit to her husband.

4. How can discipleship have this kind of


“price”? Can these ideas be
_____________ (brought together)?

5. Let’s look at the two important ideas


present in this verse:

a) The Line of Comparative Love


• Jesus wants love for him to be so
pure, so intense, so dedicated
that normal family love will look
small and weak when
______________ to love for
Him and His kingdom.

• On a continuum it would be
pictured like this:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love for Family Love for Jesus

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• Jesus wants love for _______ to
be in a “class by itself.”

b) The Question of Final Authority in


Your Life
• In Luke 14:26, Christ is also
talking about the _______ of the
__________.

• He is dealing with the area of


_______________ (the first
priority) in a person’s life.

• The real question is: To _______


should I to be love bound or
submitted?

• Until one ____________ that


he/she must be love
bound/joined/ yoked to Jesus
Christ, they don’t understand
what being a ___________ of
Jesus is about.

• Luke 14:26 (a paraphrase)


Jesus says, “If any person hears
my _______ and comes to Me
but is not _________ to set
aside ___________ other
authority which would seek to
exercise over him/her and submit
absolutely to Me, he/she
___________ be My disciple.”

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V. Conclusion

A. Discipleship to Jesus means that He has


absolute _______ to ________ one’s life.

B. It means that Christ possesses every


material thing that I have.

C. To be a disciple of Jesus, I must recognize


that ___________ that I have
_________ to Christ.

D. Jesus Christ must be the __________ of


my choice and affection.

E. Jesus must be Lord of all!

APPLICATION

1. What is Jesus to you?


___ Friend ___ Teacher
___ Example ___ Savior
___ Lord

2. Pray a prayer committing yourself once again


to be the disciple of Jesus that He desires.

3. Memorize: Luke 9:23; 14:26

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CONGRATULATIONS!
YOUR NEXT STEP:
ATTEND STAGE 2: FIRE UP
(ASK YOUR HOUSE CHURCH / SMALL
GROUP LEADER WHEN THE NEXT
SCHEDULE WILL BE)

GOD BLESS!

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55 | P a g e

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