STARTING UP your | E+ : BOF | I-EeCONSOLIDATION TOPICS CONTENTS 1. Salvation 5 2. Repentance 7 3. Lordship 70 4, Forgiveness 12 .5. Lifestyle - The 4 Greatest Meetings 15 6. Devotional Life 17 7. Your Active Life of Prayer 19 8. Witnessing - Sharing Your New Life with Others 22 9. Life Of Obedience (Surrender To God’s will) 24 10. Life In The Church (Belongingness in The Church) 26 STARTING UP your LIFEe INTRODUCTION Starting Up Your NEW LIFE WITH JESUS CONGRATULATIONS! You have just started a fresh relationship with Jesus. A friend saw your need and connected you to the Solution - God. You accepted the gift of eternal life by faith in Christ. This series of lessons will help you understand more of who Jesus is, and the spiritual riches and wonderful life He has in store for you. “But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him! 1For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” Romans 5:8-10 ”...my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-29) Jesus’ blood gives us NEW LIFE. This newness of life and fresh beginnings isn't anything we can muster up on our own. Christ is our only hope of new life! And He sacrificed His very life for us to have that... STARTING UP your LIFE> CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 1 SALVATION The gospel is the Good News, the message of salvation! It is the greatest manifestation of God's love to humanity. It is the saving act of grace by God that brought freedom to man through the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus on the cross Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We all receive wages on how we live our lives, because we get what we deserve. Everyone falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23); no one is righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). For this reason, we all deserve death ~ not just physical death but separation from God. But because God loves us, He gave us a gift. This gift is ‘something we do not deserve but is given out of His unconditional love for us. We did not and cannot eam it. This gift is eternal fife, which means experiencing life with God forever. It can start now, when you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. All human beings need a Saviour, because fife does not work without God. We need to go back to the Saviour who truly loves us. Sin destroys man; Jesus is the Solution ohn 14:6). Jesus is our salvation. He paid in full the penalty for our sins on the cross. His work on the cross brought redemption, renewal, and restoration to our lives (Acts 4:12) Salvation was made possible through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. He saved us from the etemal death brought by our sins. He destroyed the curses and works of darkness in our lives. We also received a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and the restoration of our lives to its original glory and design (Genesis 1:28). By the power of the blood of Jesus, we are restored. Spiritually, our relationship with God is restored. Personally, our broken relationships with people are restored, as well as our finances. STARTING UP your NEW LIFE °Discovering Truths about Your New Relationship with Christ The truths in the Bible will help you build @ strong foundation for your relationship with Christ. These truths are: Christ forgave your sin (Colossians 1:13-14). He made you a child of God John 1:12). When you received Christ, you became a child of God. Christ came into your life and will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5b). No matter what situation you may find yourself in or what trial you may be going through, the Lord is always by your side to help you. Christ began a new life in you. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17), Your old nature is gone as He forms you into the person He intended you to become. Lastly, He gave you eternal life. “And this is 6 the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. | write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13) PERSONAL APPLICATION If you were to answer the question, “Why should you enter heaven?” what would you say? PRAYER Lord, | accept your gift of salvation. | acknowledge that | am a sinner and | need a Saviour. | believe that Jesus is the only way and His blood cleanses me and gave me freedom from sins, curses, and works of darkness. | confess my sins and tum away from my wicked ways. | ask for Your forgiveness. Take full control of my life today until forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen. CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 2: REPENTANCE Repentance implies a change in direction, “turning away from sin” toward “changing one’s mind” to live for God. It begins with a decision to turn from sin and surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ. And it's vitally necessary for anyone desiring to draw near to the Lord and walk with Him every day. Repentance is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoing. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about us, and about the world. it includes tuming away from sin and tuming to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments Our sin, however, is not the end of the story. In fact, God works through everything that happens in our lives, including our sin, to draw us to Jesus Wohn 6:44, 45; 14:6; Romans 8:28, 29) No matter what you have done, God has made @ way home — through His Son, Jesus Christ. His death on the cross and triumphant resurrection secures for you all the blessings of God, including forgiveness. All you have to do is repent and tum your life over to Jesus (Acts 3:19) This is what the Bible calls being “born again" of the Spirit of God Yohn 3:3,5). We enter into the born-again experience by repenting of our sin, yielding our lives to Jesus as Savior and Lord, and trusting in faith that He will forgive and cleanse us from all sin (Romans 3:23; 10:13; 1 John 1:8,9; John 1:12). Find Faith to Repent! If you have been struggling with a sin that entangles, repentance may seem like a difficult thing. But cohsider that the Bible says “the kindness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Another verse lets us know that God is patiently waiting for us to repent (2 Peter 3:9). Your heavenly Father is not looking for ways to punish you. Yes, God is just, but He is also a loving Father searching for the lost coin or the one lost STARTING UP your NFEWIIFF 7sheep -- willing to leave 99 in the safe pasture to find the one that has gone astray. One of the most powerful portraits of God's love can be seen in the parable of the prodigal son. After the son changed his mind and headed home, the Bible says, ‘while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). This is God's heart toward you when you come to Him in repentance. As You Pray, God is patiently waiting with open arms for His sons and daughters to come home. All it takes is humility on our part and faith to believe that a loving Father will hear our honest pleas and cleanse us of our sin é Take a moment right now to repent -- to change your mind and turn from whatever is separating you from God and those around you. "Father, | believe You love me. Your Word says that it is your patience and kindness that lead me to repentance. So | come to You humbly and confess my sins. | thank you for forgiving and cleansing my body, soul and spirit. By the blood of Jesus, teach me how to walk honestly and with righteousness before You every day. in Jesus’ name. Amen We must trust Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and determine to obey Him for the rest of our lives. That way we can know God and find peace again. The Bible says, "So you will be saved, if you honestly say, Jesus is Lord, and if you believe with all your heart that God raised Him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this.” (Romans 10:9-10) PERSONAL APPLICATION Identify your hidden sins that control your life and distance you from God. Repent and ask the Lord for His forgiveness so that you can have a new beginning. It doesn’t matter if we failed in the past; we can start all over again at any time. What commitments is God calling you to make with Him today? Think of anything; thoughts, situations, or actions that can become hindrances in your relationship with God Through prayer, confess that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and commit to live for Him for the rest of your life. Renounce sin and break every curse in the name of Jesus Christ. PRAYER Lord, we believe that You are right and we are wrong. | repent from the things that | have done. By Your grace and love, | repent and change my ways and life. | will ive out the truth that comes from Your word, the Bible. In Jesus’ name, STARTING UP your NEWIIFF °%CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 3: LORDSHIP “Lord...You have the words of etemal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69) What does the Lordship of Christ really mean? Lordship means bringing back “order” in our relationship with God. It means acknowledging that He is the “Lord” over our lives, because apart from Him we can do nothing. We believe He is the sovereign, supreme, and supernatural God (Isaiah 40:28) who created us and is the King over our lives. It is one thing to know Christ as Savior, and another thing to know Hin as Sovereign. Acts 2:36 says Jesus is “both Lord and Messiah (Savior)!" It tells us that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ. This verse teaches us that He came not only to save us from the depravity of sin, which He absolutely did. Jesus is the Messiah sent to save us from our flesh, our sinful nature, and our inner desire toward sin, But He came for something even more personal... He came to be Lord, too. “Lord” means owner and master. Our Creator did not only send His Son to redeem His creation, but to take ownership over it. He came'to-be our Master and Lord over every single area of our lives. What are the benefits of being under the lordship of Christ? First, we prosper because He is our Provider. We receive protection, and no harm will fall on us. We receive hope for He is the God of hope (Romans 15:13), and finally, we receive a good future (Jeremiah 29:11). Making Jesus the Lord of our Lives Lordship helps us renew our mindset to see that Christ is at work in us, in others, and in the world. Jesus Christ is greater than everything! His Name, His role, His plan, and His purpose is above all else. Lordship and holy living is not forced upon us. We are not adhering to a religion, but a relationship with our Lord! Holy living comes from a life that 10 is transfor ed and renewed by what Christ has done for us. We can mature in the faith by punishing ourselves, or seeking mystic or special revelations; rather it is about knowing, trusting, and obeying Christ as LORD, realizing who He is and what He has done for us and then responding in kind by our gratitude, trust, and obedience. By honoring His Lordship we can better take hold of the power to live for Him victoriously and with excellence. We participate as sons, children of God, as we are conformed to the likeness of Christ. We have God living in Us, guiding, leading, motivating, and filing us. Imagine what He can do in you and in your church. If we truly trust in Christ, not just as Savior but also as LORD, we are given the power and ability to live a life of fullness, distinction of character, and spiritual maturity so He is glorified in our fives! Our response to Lordship is, Yes, Lord! This is our affirmation of sdevotion, trust, and obedience. He endured and suffered for us. He went to the cross for us all. And because of this, we follow in His steps. He has healed and saved us, so we need to trust and allow Him to be our Shepherd, Guardian, and Lord over all. The Lordship of Christ is real; it matters, and we must respond wholeheartedly! PERSONAL APPLICATION: Are you a Christian who is in a relationship that is completely under the Lordship of Jesus? Who is Jesus Christ to you? Who are you in Him? Through prayer, confess that Jesus Christ is the only Lord of your life in all areas. Commit to live for Him for the rest of your life. PRAYER: Father, thank You for always wanting the best for me and calling me not just to be in a relationship with You but also to make you Lord over my life. 1 commit to follow You and work to set order in all areas of my life. Give me the passion and perseverance to be your disciple and not give up no matter what. In Jesus’ name, Amen. STARTING UP your NEWHIEE ”+ CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 4: < “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father £ will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15) : “1 will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; | will remove S from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 2 36:26 The first person you probably have not forgiven is yourself. More people have a lack of forgiveness toward themselves than toward anybody else. They are unwilling to forgive themselves and to recognize that God says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). if you are a believer, He has already cleansed you so that you might serve the living God. God did not leave us with the guilt of past sin. That should be dead, buried, and forgotten. e People must forgive all who need forgiveness. If the first person that needs forgiveness is yourself, you-need to say, "God, before You, | forgive myself. Whatever | have done, | accept Your forgiveness, and | forgive myself.” That's a very simple but profound statement, because as long as we feel that we are under condemnation, we will never have faith to see miracles and great change. “If our heart does not condemn us," the Bible says, 'we have confidence toward God" (1 John 3:21). Obviously, we cannot have continuing sin in our lives and expect forgiveness. We have to be free from ongoing conscious sin and rebellion against God. There are people who blame God because a child died, @ husband ran away, they have been sick, they have not had enough money and more of 12 the like. Consciously or unconsciously they think all of these things are God's fault. There is deep-seated resentment; yet you cannot be resentful toward God and experience miracles. You have to rid yourself of any bitterness toward God, You must ask yourself, Am | blaming God for my situation? The second person you may have to forgive is a member of your family. You have to get rid of resentment, especially toward those closest to you. The husbands, the wives, the children, parents and other relatives - all must be forgiven when resentments have built up in family situations. Many people say, "Well, | didn’t think that counted. ! thought that was just a family matter." All lack of forgiveness has to be eliminated, especially toward every family member. Finally, there has to be forgiveness for anybody else who has sever done anything against you. The person may have done a very evil, terrible thing to you. You may have every legal and intellectual right to hold a grudge and to hate that person. But if you want to see miracles in your life, itis absolutely imperative that you forgive. Forgive them to the point where you actually feel yourself cleansed of resentment and bitterness and are actually praying for them, A new beginning to forgivel A lot of people have been trapped with an unforgiving heart. They may have carried it for so long that they may not even be aware that this greatly affects their decision making in life. It may not be easy to forgive especially when the people who hurt you are the ones closest to you. But God doesn’t want His people to grow bitter and be stone-hearted. He offers a new beginning to everyone and that includes being forgiven and being able to forgive. Jesus illustrated the best example of forgiveness when He was crucified and mocked by the people. He still showed His great compassion that He even prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) STARTING UP your NEWTFE ®What is a life with a new be: 1. itis restoration of your relationship. 2. It does not hold any grudges and bitterness 3, It does not accuse and condemn inning in Christ? A new beginning is a call to the liberty of living with a changed and purified heart. We always have an opportunity to have a start-up in life not because we deserve it, but because of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7) and love towards us PRACTICAL APPLICATION identify those people who hurt you and pray that God will cleanse and open your heart to forgive and accept those people in your life o PRAYER Thank You for forgiving my sins and for setting the perfect example of forgiveness and love when you were crucified at the cross. | ask for the strength and the mercy to forgive people who hurt me. | let go of the bitterness, hatred, resentment, and strife and | allow Your love and compassion to fill my heart. In Jesus’ name. 14 CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 5: oe LIFESTYLE: THE 4 GREATEST MEETINGS ...not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) Success is dependent on the way we live our lives. We give time to what we value. Consequently, as you continue in your newly established relationship with God, you will need strength, support, friends and encouragement. One thing you need to recognize early on is that we cannot do things on cour own. God has supplied what we will need in order to continue growing in our relationship with Him. This will involve our “ new lifestyle”, which every Christian needs in their walk with God in order to keep on growing. These are basic things we need to incorporate and commit to in our lives: 4, DEVOTION. Your devotion is your everyday contact with the Word of God. His Word is our source of faith and hope. Claiming God's promises for your life everyday will strengthen you in your walk with Him. "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have | not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:8-9) 2. CELL GROUP. We need people who will be accountable to us and who are committed to bring out the best in us. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) STARTING UP your NEWERThis Gospel community is conducive and a suitable place for growth, development and success in our relationship with God and other people. 3. SUNDAY CELL CELEBRATION. There are two types of meetings: aside from the cell group, there are also large meetings where we can worship as one spiritual family and receive God’s Word. Cell celebration is the large gathering where all cell groups meet. Read Acts 2:42.47, 4. PEPSOL / LIFE CLASS EQUIPPING AND TRAINING. You will also need to be equipped to do things that God has entrusted to you. PEPSOL (Pre-Encounter, Encounter, Post Encounter and School of Leaders) training can be your source of development and growth, where you will learn to unleash the potential God has placed in you to create positive impact in the lives of others. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2) in your trainings, be excited to be entrusted with truths that God would want you to hear, claim, and apply in your life. PERSONAL APPLICATION Have a “lifetyle check”, and be determined to align your lifestyle to the purpose and plan of God. Identify which of these you would need to include or commit more in your lifestyle to continue growing in your walk with God. PRAYER Thank You Jesus for calling me to walk in relationship with You and Your people. Give me wisdom to nurture and guard my relationship with You and with my spiritual family. Help me to engage and commit to a daily personal time of devotion, gospel community (cell group), Sunday Cell Celebration and training in becoming the person You want me to be. In Jesus’ name. 16 CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 6: DEVOTIONAL LIFE “But this thing | did command them: Listen to and obey My voice, and | will be your Ged and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that | command you, that it may be well with you.” Jeremiah 7:23). God desires to be a part of our everyday lives. He longs to show His love for us in special ways. As 9 Christian and a follower of Jesus, it is necessary for us to have our quality time daily with the Lord. Devotion (or quiet time) doesn’t end with having written in 2 devotional notebook. God wants us to be having an undying devotion ~ a kind of devotion not limited to a single hour or day in our lives but is a daily lifestyle, one that transcends time, place or situations in life "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8 The Purpose of Devotions. We do our devotions in order to have intimate relationship with God, The Father desires our daily worship, and He is delighted when we spend time meditating on His Word. God wants us to know Him better. As we come to know Him in these life lessons, it will better equip and enable us to become more like Him How to Prepare for Your Devotions 1. Set a time and be consistent with it. Do it in the moming before your day starts and in the evening, before it ends. (Joshua 1:8) 2. In reading the Scriptures, turn away from the sources of distraction. (i.e. computer, cellphone, TV, etc.) 3. Listen to God as He speaks through His Word in the Bible. (Psalm 46:10; Job 2:13) STARTING UP your NEW LIFE '”2 4. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit ancl be willing to obey what He : has confirmed in His Word. (John 5. Come before Him with a humble heart and a listening ear. (Psalm 51:17) In order for you to accomplish your devotions the right way, you must first have a Bible, Choose a translation with which you are fully acquainted. You must have a notebook and a pen for recording. After reading the Bible, you may write down the following a. RHEMA - this is the specific Word that God has for you for that moment. é b. REFLECTION - you can dig deeper on God's Rhema Word for you, relating it to your situations or circumstances. c MOTIVATION — the Word of God is full of motivations and promises that you can claim. d. APPLICATION - devotion is not 2 devotion without application. Make sure you will be doing something after you have received a Word from God. You can also make a list of prayer requests. PERSONAL APPLICATION Be a lover of the Word of God and make it the final authority of your life, Pray about your day and your life goals in order for you to know what God wants you to do. Make it a goal to do your devotions consistently this week. Come up with a list of your prayer requests and incline to the Word of God for direction. PRAYER Lord, thank You for giving me your Word to guide me every day and to nurture my being. | delight in Your ways; help me to live out Your word as the final authority of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 18 CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 7: Prayer is communication and communion with God. It is the closest, most intimate moment with the Creator you can have. in prayer, the depths of your spirit are in communion with the depths of the Spirit of God. Out of this can come instruction, guidance, or a burden to pray for certain things, God's instructions are clear as to how to pray, who to pray for, when to pray, where to pray, and what you should pray for. The Bible gives specific direction for all those things and more. God created man to be in fellowship with Him and daily prayer is important to that relationship. Pray to the Father (Luke 11:2) in the name of Jesus Christ John 14: 13-14) through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18) HOW TO PRAY: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find, Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.’ (Matthew 7:7,8). “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:7). WHEN TO PRAY: Pray continually (Romans 12:12; 1Thessalonians 5:17). “We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Colossians 1:3). WHO TO PRAY FOR: “Iurge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” (1 Timothy 2:1), “1 say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5:44 WHERE TO PRAY: “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6) STARTING UP your NEW LIFE ”& "Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” (Mark 1:35) WHAT TO PRAY FOR: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26). God wants to hear from us. He expects us to show up and delights in every minute we give solely to Him. Prayer is the daily experience with God. It is the key to maturing our love relationship, revealing the meaning of Scripture and directing our life in obedience to God. Prayer is the offering of all our desires to God with a humble confidence that we shall obtain mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. “Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” (Hebrews 4:16) You are God’s child. Don’t be afraid to approach Him confidently with your heart's desires. HOW TO PRAY: We can leam much from the Lord's Prayer, the model prayer. Read Matthew 6:9-13. The first thing is that if we are to structure prayer, we should begin with an acknowledgement of the One to whom we are talking - GOD, OUR FATHER. We should also include adoration, “Hallowed be Your name.” We are to glorify and worship His name, His very Being. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! .in faith (Mark 11:24; Hebrews 10:22) with a forgiving spirit (Mark 11:25) with perseverance (Luke 11:8; 18:1-7) win righteousness (Psalm 34:15; John 15:7) Set a regular time and choose the best place. A cluttered mind results in personal chaos. A cluttered spirit needs prayer to clear it up and give it direction. Make prayer the first order of the day. Locate that specific place in your house where you will enjoy the 20 presence of God. Prayer is not a task or a burden but rather, a gateway into a loving, personal, and intimate relationship with God. 2. Begin with thanksgiving and praise. Giving thanks and praise is your soul's offering to God. “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who madle us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psaim 100:2-5 3, Let your heart commune with God’s heart. The operative words are: | SURRENDER ALL. You are a child before your Father. Allow God to speak to your heart and minister to your soul as you pour out your heart, 4, Declare a statement of faith. Claim God's promise af help. “So | say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9,10). What God says, I say and He will do it. PERSONAL APPLICATION In your daily life, how much time will you devote in prayer, enough to strengthen your relationship with God? How are you going to handle distractions during your prayer time with the Lord? PRAYER Dear Lord, thank You for Your presence that gives me strength and enables me to do everything for Your glory. Help me to develop a life of prayer and to grow in faith through the process of confidently seeking Your face daily, In Jesus’ name, Amen, STARTING UP your NEWTiIFE 7CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 8: WITNESSING - SHARING YOUR > NEW LIFE WITH OTHERS “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14) = You heard about Jesus because someone told you. Now, you have that privilege of sharing the good news to others. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been sent to let others know about Jesus and the life Q oes F ots “For | am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16) Tell the world about Jesus! We have an amazing task called "The Great Commission” which Jesus gave to all His followers right before He left earth to go to heaven. Because of this, we have the vision to win souls and make disciples. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything | have commanded you. And surely | am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) We were given the opportunity to be a blessing to other people, but most especially to our family members. They need to hear about Jesus and to be able to do that, the first thing that we must do is to pray for them. You can also be intentional in helping, blessing, serving, and showing kindness to them so that you can have more opportunity to share your story to them. Share your story. You remember what life was like without Christ, and experiencing salvation from your old life can fuel your desire to share to 22 other people. After building a connection with a person, pray for an opportunity to share what Jesus has done in your life. The best way to share to people is to tell your own story of how Jesus moved and changed your life. Prepare @ short v story that started from a bad and sad story to a life that Jesus saved, leading to the Gospel story. Share how God has re-written the story of your life that is now according to His plan. 1 of your own faith Ask for a decision and lead in prayer. As you share, God will be working in the heart of the person. Feel free to ask questions if the person understands and if they would like to accept God's gift of salvation. If they are ready for a decision, lead them in a prayer of acceptance for what Jesus has done for them. A sample prayer is: “Dear Jesus, thank You for the love that You have shown when You died on the cross to pay the price of my sins. Please forgive me, come into my heart, be the Lord of my life and help me to live for You from now on. In Jesus’ name | pray, amen.” After this, help the person to be established in his or her new faith just as what you have experienced. Soon, this person will also be sharing to other people the joy of their salvation PERSONAL APPLICATION Think of people that you would like to share your story with and start praying for them. Help, serve, bless, and show kindness to these people and be ready for the opportunity that God will give you to share to them what He has done in your life. PRAYER Dear God, thank You for the gift of salvation and the privilege of helping other people know You as well. Show me opportunities of helping, blessing and serving them, As early as now, open their hearts to receive You as their Lord and Savior. By the power of Your Spirit, | claim Your victory over the lives of these people. Amen. STARTING UP your NEW LiFFCONSOLIDATIONTOPIC9: LIFE OF OBEDIENCE (SURRENDER TO GOD'S WILL) “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) Conflict between the Spirit and the Flesh There is a silent battle between the flesh and the spirit. The flesh tends to fall in the enemy's trap of immorality, impurity, debauchery and things that lead your eyes and heart to deception (Galatians 5:19-21). But receiving God and allowing Him to take control of your life guard you from those things and give you the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Choosing wisely as you learn to obey Christ Our life revolves around obedience and disobedience. Any form of disobedience should be overcome by the great strength of our obedience to the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we obey God, we are able to live a life worthy of His calling and receive His promises for us. Obedience is needed in order to survive pressures and problems. When we obey and follow God a solid foundation is being built so that when testing comes, we become unshakeable. (Luke 6:46-48) “Ifyou love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15 “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” 2 John 16 24 i i i i Three Essential Areas of Obedience 1. We Must Be Obedient to the Truth of God's Word “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.“( 2 Thessalonians 3:14) "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he whe loves Me will be loved by My Father, and | will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21) 2. We Must Be Obedient to the Voice of the Holy Spirit Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:7) B. There Must Be “Willingness” to Obey * If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword"; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:19-20) PERSONAL APPLICATION Obey and submit to God's Word through your leaders’ corrections, instructions, and guidelines because they are God's appointed authorities over you. Respect and listen to your parents and teachers/boss as they tell you things you need to improve. PRAYER | surrender my life to You, Lord, and | acknowledge Your Word as the final authority in my life. Give me the heart to submit to your plans and obey my leaders at church, my parents, teachers/boss and all in authority. In Jesus’ name. STARTING UP your NEW LiFF 7°SELL SR ETT TES OE a an LDA OEE EUSA SE : CONSOLIDATION TOPIC 10: : LIFE IN THE CHURCH : (BELONGINGNESS IN THE CHURCH) "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and ail the more as you see the Day approaching. * (Hebrews 10:24-25) A church is a place designed to have spiritual encouragement, piration, and fulfillment. It is not a building but a place to belong. It is : a spiritual family (the people of Gad) where the presence of God dwells. It is also a place of focused worship where we can offer and honor God through singing, giving, and listening to His Word. The Benefits of Community in the Body of Christ Paul encourages us in Hebrews 10:24-25 not to give up in meeting together but to encourage one another. Just as coals maintain their flame when they're together, you need people who will help us keep our fire buming. The church helps us to grow and to experience a changed life. It will help us to become Christ-like and have an unconditional love for the unioved. it will also teach us the value of servanthood. “Not so with you. instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26) Finding Community in a Local Church. The community of Christ is the people the has experienced changed life and tramsformation. Our belonging to one another is rooted in our belongingness to Jesus Christ; this is what makes us so utterly distinct! Our spiritual life cannot last alone. Like fish taken out of water, or the tree rooted up from the soil, our spiritual life will die if it is not planted on the presence of God. Everyone must understand what the church is all about and the reasons why we need to go back to church. First of all, we are ‘a worshipping community’. Paul begins this chapter with saying: ‘Therefore, | urge you.., to offer your bodies as a living 26 sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...’ (Romans 12:1-2). We allow God to shape, form, and mold us as we declare Him as Lord over us ali Second, we should function as ‘a serving community’, This is where the ‘diversity’ of the community is made very practical. We are called to serve one another with the spiritual gifts that the Lord has given us Read Romans 12:6-8. Paul mentions seven spiritual gifts and did you notice that they're all different? They are ~ and that’s exactly the point. Each one of us has something unique and specific to contribute to our church with the spiritual gifts that the Lord has given us. Third, we are a ‘loving community’. We are called to be ‘a loving community’, Paul concludes this chapter in verse 9-21 with a list of practical implications for our daily lives as followers of Jesus. They all come down to ‘love’. Romans 12:9-13: ‘Love must be sincere...Be devoted to one another in love... Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord... Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.’ Living as Part of the Family. God never intended His children to be spiritual orphans. in the same way that a basketball player belongs to a team and a soldier belongs to a platoon, it is God's plan that every one of His children belong to a family. Alll of us need to be part of something that, is bigger than us and experience to have a spiritual family, community and fellowship where God is our Lord and Father. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Commit yourself in the church and treat them as your spiritual family who is dedicated to bring out the best in you. Think on how and what you can contribute to other people. Engage in our church activities and services so you can grow with them together. PRAYER | am deeply grateful to You, Lord, for placing me in a wonderful spiritual family called church. Help me to commit to this family and be engaged as we bring out the best in each other toward becoming Christ- like and fruitful, STARTING UP your NEW | iFF 27[Eas es eee ea eel TIEE TTI Es I eer LI I vs | T nn | [Sc en ss || { e | I { zt = | a oo conf 4 i | | |_| 1 i a ~ | i @ LI tI : L 1 —|— | | 9 Cl | 1 s | L t—— | * t i : T z L f—j— ff} I + Se Cs ee ee ae | ee re peepijosueg Bulag suosiag jo owen ‘Bxarunied edvop a | sf dnaig we Bo Aepung ea