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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE PROGRAM v 2.0

MODULE 1: THE BASIC TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY

OVERVIEW OF THE SESSION

ANCHOR VERSE:

his disciples, Who do people say that I am They said in reply, John the Baptist, others Elijah, still
others one of the prophets And he asked them, But who do you say that I am Peter said to him
in reply, You are the Messiah Mark 8:27-30
(NABRE)

GOAL:
To provide a better understanding of Jesus Christ and draw participants into a friendship with Him

CORE MESSAGE:
It is the same
question that Jesus asks us today. Who is He in our lives? Is He our savior, forgiver of our sins, or

reconciled with God and know His love. Jesus is our model of holiness so we might grow in faith,
hope and love as His Christian followers.

TENOR: Enlightening

DYNAMICS:
1. 2 Truths and 1 Lie Activity The guide is attached at the end of this document.
2. O
3. Talk proper
4. Sharer
5. Reflection (with song)
6. Group discussion

A CFC leader (brother or sister) who can share on his/her personal journey of an ongoing personal,
life-giving and loving relationship with Jesus; S/he considers her/himself as a friend of Jesus who
can relate facts and stories about Him

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A CFC leader or member (brother or sister) who can share about how her/his life changed for the
better when s/he committed her/his life to Jesus as her/his savior and friend

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THE EXPANDED TALK OUTLINE

FOR THE USE OF THE SPEAKER

INTRODUCTION

Who is this Jesus, whom millions claim to be following, for whom countless men and
women have given their lives and been martyred for their faith in Him, who won for us our
salvation, who restored us to a relationship with God where we can experience a full and new life?

I. JESUS OF HISTORY AND THE CHRIST OF FAITH

Jesus of History

a. History is full of men and women who claimed that they came from God.1 Jesus is the only
person in history ever pre-announced. The prophecies made in the Old Testament
centuries before Jesus was born converge towards the person of Jesus. (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah
9:5, Numbers 24:17) Jesus, an absolutely unique figure in human history. He struck history
with such impact that he split it in two: BC and AD.

b. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of a virgin named Mary. (Lk. 2:1-20) He grew up as a young
carpenter in Nazareth. For three years, he became an itinerant preacher. He was never
more than 150 kilometers from his home. He had never been to cities with populations
larger than 50,000. He did not have a school like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. His foster
father, Joseph, was a mere carpenter. His short ministry attracted only a modest number
of disciples, mainly uneducated fishermen and their relatives. He showed tenderness,
compassion and personal concern; expressed anger and grief as well. Yet He was an
impressive person who has an influential personality. He was a magnetic leader and a man
of extraordinary authority.

Christ of Faith
c. What did Jesus say and do about himself that, despite his humble and short human life,
created such an impact on history?

1
Fulton Sheen, The Life of Christ, p. 218 Kindle Edition

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i. Jesus forgave sins. (Mk. 2:5-7) He claimed that he could forgive sin, something only
God can do. (See Annex 2)

ii. Jesus claimed to possess all power in heaven and on earth. (Mt. 28:18-19) He
proclaimed with great conviction that he had power not just on earth but also in heaven.

iii. Jesus claimed straightforwardly to be God. (Jn. 8:56-58, Jn. 10:30, 37-38) His
contemporaries came to the realization that he was God: Simon Peter (Mt. 16:13-16),
Martha (Jn. 11:27), Nathanael (Jn. 1:49), Thomas (Jn. 20:27-28), the centurion (Mt.
27:54), even the evil spirits (Mt. 8:29, Mk. 1:24, Mk. 3:11, Lk. 4:41).

II. LIAR, LUNATIC or LORD

a. only have two

alternatives. Either he knew it was false, in which case he would be a liar, or he did not
know it was false, in which case he would be a lunatic.

b. Could Jesus have lied? If he lied, then he would have been deliberately deceiving his
followers. But we need only look at his person, his words and his work to deduce that he
could not have been a liar. Look at his moral purity, dignity, sound intellect and air of
truth. Consider his character that is so original, consistent, perfect and high above
human greatness. He carried out a plan of unparalleled beneficence, moral magnitude
and greatness, and sacrificed his own life for it. Would he die for a lie? The results of his
life and teachings were lives changed for the better, thieves made honest and spiteful
individuals becoming channels of love.

c. Could Jesus have been a lunatic? In Jesus we do not see any abnormalities or imbalances
that usually go along with being deranged. In fact, his composure and thought process
were amazing to have spoken some of the most profound sayings ever recorded. Such a
man cannot be a lunatic.

If not a liar or a lunatic, the only alternative left to us is that Jesus did speak the truth. He was, and
is, the Son of God as he claimed He is Lord!

III. KNOWING JESUS AND BECOMING CHRISTIAN

a. Him our
Savior and Redeemer. It is through the cross that He reveals his true identity, more than

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the miracles, healings and teachings when he was in ministry. The cross is the means by
which we can truly know Jesus. It is the central point of our knowing and understanding
Jesus Christ. Only when we start to fully realize the magnitude of this sacrifice that we can
begin to truly know Jesus. And the cross is meaningless without the resurrection, the most
conclusive proof that Jesus is Lord and God. Even the doubting Thomas finally believed
when he saw the glorified body of the risen Christ. (Jn. 20:26-29)

b. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, invites us to love, repent, forgive and celebrate,
confident that he is involved in our daily struggles. When we truly know Jesus, when we
take him as our Lord and God, when we develop a personal relationship with him, then
we become truly Christian.

nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it
is he who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for
compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who
reads in your heart your most genuine choices, t
St. John Paul II

c. What does it mean to be a Christian?

i. For some people, Christianity is a mere religious system, a mere moral, social or
humanitarian system, or an escape from the realities of life. But the truth is that
Christianity is a relationship initiated by God out of his mercy and love for us.

ii. To be a Christian means having a loving personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Since we
are followers of Christ we become a new creation by taking on a new nature. We
participate in the very life of Christ and consequently become his disciple.

iii.
God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of
. (CCC 1813)

o A Christian is a person of faith. (Heb. 11:1) Faith means acceptance and

commitment. A true Christian is one who freely and boldly expresses his faith
to other people so that they may also be brought further into faith.

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o A Christian is a person of hopes. (Rom. 8:24-25) Hope is an attitude of confident

expectation. A true Christian is one who lives full of hope, confident that the will
of God will happen and his plan will come to completion.

o A Christian is a person of love. (Jn. 13:35) Love for one another is what
distinguishes the disciples of Jesus. A true Christian is one who loves as Christ
loves.

CONCLUSION

Jesus now raises the same question to you: you

He is inviting you to be his friend, and to build a close and loving relationship with Him. Will you
accept Him as your Lord and Savior? Will you take him as your dear friend and brother?

He is waiting for you to embrace Him with

all your heart, and for you to be called His, an authentic Christian.

GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. Will you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

2. Will you take Him as your dear friend and brother?

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REFER TO THE MS POWERPOINT OF SESSION 2

1. Choices: Born in Nazareth, Son of a Carpenter, Born in a manger

LIE:

Jesus was born in Nazareth

born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod. His birth was foretold, even the wise
men from the East came to Bethlehem to give him homage. (Matthew 2:1-2)

TRUTH:

Son of a Carpenter.
hebrew word for an artisan, a stone mason or a builder, in modern day we refer to as a
carpenter. In Jewish Culture, the father trains his child into his profession. Jesus learned this
trade during their private life in Egypt. (Matthew 2:14)

Born in a manger. She gave birth to her first born son, She wrapped him in swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

They were in Bethlehem to register in a census. Why Bethlehem? Because Joseph was of the
house and family of David, and Bethlehem is the City of David. While they were there, it was
time for Mary to give birth. (Luke 2:3-6)

2. CHOICES: He forgive sins, He never gets angry, He performs miracles

LIE:

He never gets angry. Did you ever wondered if Jesus also got angry? Yes He did, but His was a
righteous anger. In Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus entered the temple area and saw people turned
the temple into a market place. He overturned the table of the money changers and seats of

reason.

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TRUTH:

He forgive sins. One classic example is the Healing of a paralytic at Capernaum. One of the
miracles of Jesus in the Gospels in Matthew 9:1 8, Mark 2:1 12, and Luke 5:17 26. ...
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins

He performs miracles. The first public miracle of Jesus was during the wedding feast in Cana.
They ran out of wine and with the intercession of Mary, Jesus turned water into wine. (John
2:1-11). He performed many signs and miracles, he restored the sight of the blind man(Mark
10:46-52), cleansed the leper(Mark 1:40), Healed the paralytic (Mark 2:1), cure of a demoniac
, He calmed the storm at sea(Mark
4:35), these are just some of the miracles that Jesus performed during His public ministry.

3. CHOICES: He died on the cross, He resurrected after 3 days, He will never come again

LIE:

He will never come again. He (Jesus) will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

But no one knows the exact time when Jesus is coming again, not even the angels in heaven
except the Father. (Mark 13:23)

TRUTH:

He died on the cross.

to his death on the cross. commend my
(Matthew 27:50, Mark 16:37, Luke 24:46, John 19:30,

He resurrected after 3 days.. In the Nicene Creed (the summary of our Catholic Faith) we
e third day in accordance
-10,
Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10)

4. CHOICES: Jesus is the of God, Jesus is Man, Jesus decides on His own

LIE:

Jesus is Half God and Half Man .

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Jesus is 100% God, Fully Divine. In the Nicene Creed, we recite, I believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus is
100% Man, Fully Human. He walked where we walked, He felt what we felt, he was tempted in
every way like us, yet He was without sin (Hebrew 4:15)

Jesus is the Son of God

When Jesus was baptised by John in the Jordan River, God the Father confirms Jesus as His
Son. As Jesus came out of the water, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested upon

Jesus is fully man, fully God

Jesus is 100% God, Fully Divine. In the Nicene Creed, we recite, I believe in Jesus Christ ..True

called as the Son of God, in Matthew 3:17, a voice came from heaven and said, this is my

Jesus is 100% Man, Fully Human. He walked where we walked, He felt what we felt, he was
tempted in every way like us, yet He was without sin (Hebrew 4:15)

5. CHOICES: Jesus is our Savior, Jesus is Risen, Jesus is just an ordinary prophet

LIE:

Jesus is just an ordinary prophet. Jesus is no ordinary prophet. Even at a young age of 12,
even the scholars of the laws and the High Priests listened to him and were amazed of his

Luke 2:40

TRUTH:

Jesus is our Savior. The infancy narrative of Jesus in Matthew 1:21 narrates that an angel
appeared to Joseph in a dream and said the Mary will bear a son trough the Holy Spirit, and he
shall name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Jesus is Risen. We all heard of the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John)

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6. CHOICES: He is a lunatic, He raise people from the dead, He performs miracles

LIE:

He is a lunatic. Jesus is not a lunatic, instead he healed a lunatic in Matthew 17: 14-16

He raise people from the dead. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43-44), Jesus
raised the daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:25), Jesus raised back to life the only son of a widow
in Nain (Luke 7:14-16)

He performs miracles. Another great miracle Jesus did is the feeding of the five thousand men,
not including women and children. It is also known as the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
(John 6:1-14)

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1.

verses:

st himself. You step on my toe and I

forgive you. You steal my money and I forgive you. But what do you make of a man, himself

sinine fatuity is the kindest description we can

On

2.
nature of Christ as to refuse to believe that his glory is equal to that of the Father.

3. Father Raymond Brown states it very elegantly in his book An Introduction to New Testament
Christology that the issue of the full identity of Jesus is ultimately a question of the love of God

human terms. Even if Jesus were the most perfect creature far above all others, he could tell us
only at second hand about God who really remains almost as distant as the Unmoved Mover of
Aristotle. Only if Jesus is truly God do we know what God is like, for in Jesus we see God
translated into terms that we can understand. A God who sent a marvelous creature as our
Savior could be described a loving, but that love would have cost God nothing in a personal
love was so real that it reached the point
of personal self-giving.

Unless we understand that Jesus was also truly human with no exception but sin, we cannot
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the biblical evidence, then one understands that God loved us to the point of self-subjection to
our most agonizing infirmities. A Jesus who walked through the world with unlimited
knowledge, knowing exactly what the morrow would bring, knowing with certainty that three
days after his death his Father would raise him up, would be a Jesus who could arouse our
admiration, but a Jesus still far from us. He would be a Jesus far from a humankind that can only
hope in the future that must face the supreme uncertainty of death with faith but without
knowledge of what is beyond. On the other hand, a Jesus for whom the detailed future had
elements of mystery, dread, and hope as it has for us and yet, at the same time, a Jesus who
this would be a Jesus who could effectively teach us how

persuasive, for we would know that he laid down his life with all the agony with which we lay
ours down. We would know that for him the loss of life was, as it is for us, the loss of a great
possession, a possession that is outranked only by love.

Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Being God, we can pray to him and ask him to heal us, to
bless us, to protect us, to forgive us, and to provide for all our needs. But being also human, we
can have a very personal relationship with him. Having walked on earth and suffered, Jesus is
acutely conscious of the difficulties, frustrations, uncertainties, and fears that we all experience.
Being human, he feels our feelings, he suffers our pains and he understands our loneliness.
Being human, he can be passionately involved in our lives.

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