Intro to christianity 101:
Christianity is meant to be interactive and fueled by healthy relationships. The following lessons were designed for brand new or non-Christians who may be curious about Christianity and are meant to be done with a Christian friend or a small group.
Work through each of the following lessons with a Christian friend who has been following Jesus longer than you have. You may want to go through one lesson per week. While you are certainly able to go through this guid alone, you will benefit much more if you use this guide so spark conversations with your Christian friend or small group. Together you can contemplate the questions provided, discuss what the Bible says, and understand the simple beauty of following Jesus Christ.
May you enjoy growing in your walk with Jesus!
LESSON 1: Who is Jesus?
Most people, whether or not they are Christians, agree that Jesus is the most influential figure in all of human history. No one has had a bigger impact on the world than Jesus of Nazareth. But who was He, really?
Jesus once asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus praised Peter for this answer because it was a revelation from God. (Matthew 16:13-20) But what did Peter actually say?
The Christ
The word Christ is not Jesus’s last name but is a title taken from a Greek word, “Christos” which means “Messiah.” In English, this literally means, “Anointed One.” It was a term that referenced being chosen by God for a specific purpose.
The Messiah was a figure prophesied about throughout the Old Testament. The Messiah was expected to be a king who would come through the family line of King David and would rule Israel and bring peace to the world.
There are many prophecies about the Messiah that point straight to Jesus.
700 years before Jesus was ever born, a Jewish prophet named Isaiah wrote,
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
This is exactly what Jesus experienced on the cross, but this was written almost a millennium before Jesus was ever born.
The prophets in the Old Testament discussed the Messiah in great detail, predicting where He would be born, that He would be born of a virgin, that He would grow up in Galilee, that He would flee to Egypt for a time, that people would gamble for His clothes during his death, that His hands and feet would be pierced, and much, much more. In fact, there are at least 300 prophecies given in the Old Testament about the Messiah that the life of Jesus of Nazareth fulfills.
When Peter said, “You are the Christ,” he was indicating that Jesus is the one all of Israel had been waiting for. He was the one who would fulfill all the prophecies.
Jesus is God in the Flesh
Many people regard Jesus as merely a good moral teacher because of His teachings to love your enemies, do unto others what you would have them do unto you, or to treat the lowly of society with dignity and respect. Now, certainly these are great moral standards that Jesus did in fact teach, but Jesus also claimed to be God.
Jesus, in an argument with the Jewish leaders, said “Before Abraham was, I AM.” The phrase, “I AM” was a term that God used of Himself in the Old Testament. In fact, the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’s day picked up stones and tried to kill him for that very statement.
When Jesus was on trial before His crucifixion, the high priest asked Him point blank, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus answered, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven.” If you don’t know the Old Testament well, this sounds like a merely grandiose statement; but it was actually a direct reference to a biblical prophecy written by Daniel:
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
In the Scriptures, we see Jesus receiving worship when one of His disciples called Him “my Lord and my God.” (John 20:28) We see Jesus constantly identifying Himself as the Son of God and the Jewish leaders of His day trying to kill Him for claiming equality with God. (John 5:18) The Bible itself teaches that Jesus is God in John 1:1, which says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is a pretty lofty claim for a carpenter from Nazareth.
Here’s the question: Would a mere moral teacher make claims like these? He would either be deluded, a charlatan, or telling the truth. There’s no option where Jesus is merely a good, moral teacher (and nothing more) because good, moral teachers don’t claim to be God unless they are telling the truth.
So what evidence do we have that the claims Jesus made about Himself are true?
Jesus Rose From the Dead
If someone were to tell me they were the Son of God, I would instantly write them off as a crazy person. But what if they started performing miracles like healing blind eyes, deaf ears, leprosy, making cripples walk, and even raising the dead? I’d pay attention. What if this man predicted His own death and resurrection? Well, that’s exactly what Jesus did.
Jesus was crucified by the Romans and the Jewish religious establishment on the weekend of the Jewish festival Passover. This was no accident, as the Passover celebrates the day when the Israelites, who were once in captivity in Egypt, were set free from slavery. At the time of the very first passover, God told each family to slaughter a lamb and put the blood of the lamb over the doorposts of their homes. Wherever the spirit of death saw blood on the doorposts, it would "pass over" that house. But wherever the blood was not present, the firstborn sons in all of Egypt would die. So Jesus—who was prophetically called "the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world"—died at a time when all Israel was keenly aware of the power found in the sacrificial blood God provides.
Jews still celebrate the Passover to this day. Jesus became the fulfillment of this prophecy and was killed as our Passover Lamb so that everyone who had the blood of Jesus figuratively sprinkled on their hearts would be saved from the power of death.
Three days later, Jesus’s disciples came to His tomb to mourn and discovered the tomb was empty. Later, over 500 of His disciples had encounters with the risen Jesus and eventually witnessed Him taken up into heaven. We have historical evidence, both inside and outside of the Bible, that all but two of Jesus’s disciples died horrific deaths and endured torture for their claims that Jesus was the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead.
We also have the Apostle Paul, who once persecuted Christians but had such a dramatic encounter with the resurrected Jesus that he became the most prominent Christian in history and endured prison and death for the very faith he once persecuted. You don’t endure torture and death for a lie you made up.
We also have the Apostle James, who was Jesus’s brother. According to the New Testament, James made fun of Jesus during the time of Jesus’s ministry and thought that He was insane. However, James eventually became a leader in the church and was eventually stoned and beaten to death because he would not renounce his claims about Jesus, his brother whom he once thought was insane. What kind of evidence would you need to face death for the belief that your own brother is the Son of God?
These eyewitnesses are the very same people who gave us the New Testament.
Discuss the following questions together. When you see a Scripture reference, look it up and read the verse or verses together.
Read the following verses:
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John 1:1-5
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John 10:7-18
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John 10:22-30
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Who did Jesus claim to be?
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What did Jesus say His mission was?
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What kind of relationship did Jesus have with His Father?
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What is the significance of Jesus’ crucifixion at Passover?
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What evidence do we have that Jesus actually rose from the dead?
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If Jesus truly rose from the dead, what does that mean for the claims He made about Himself?
Additional Material
If you're interested and want to learn more, these videos are a great place to start:
LESSON 2: Why Do Christians Trust the Bible?
Christians believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. But what does that really mean?
The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:19-21
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Peter is making the claim that the prophets who wrote the scriptures did not just make things up but were actually guided by God’s Spirit to write what God wanted to be written. But what evidence do we have that the claim Peter is making here is true? We actually have a lot of evidence to back up this claim.
Fulfilled Prophecy
700 years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah predicted that Jesus would be born of a virgin, what family He would come from, that He would be from the region of Galilee, would heal the sick, would suffer and die for the sins of God’s people, and much more. King David who lived about 1,000 years before Jesus wrote in Psalm 22, very specific details about Jesus’ death including that people would gamble for Jesus’ clothing, (Psalm 22:18) that Jesus’ hands and feet would be pierced, (Psalm 22:16) and much more. In fact, the Old Testament contains at least 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled through His life and ministry. The sheer accuracy of these prophetic predictions indicate that the Bible is a revelation from God and not merely a human invention.
Jesus Accepted the Old Testament as a Message From God
Jesus referred to the Old Testament as “the scriptures” and claimed that it “cannot be broken.” (John 10:22-38) When Jesus was tempted by satan during His 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, He met the temptations of satan by quoting the Old Testament. Jesus often appealed to the Old Testament when teaching and arguing with the religious leaders of His day. Jesus believed that the Old Testament was the word of God. Because we, as Christians, trust that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead, we ought to accept the testimony of the only One who is truly qualified to make such a judgement.
Jesus Authorized the Writing of the New Testament
Regarding the New Testament, Jesus authorized the writers of scripture to speak on His behalf. He gave them the Holy Spirit who would “guide them into all truth” and who would take revelation directly from Jesus and make it known to them. (John 16:12-15) Jesus told them, “Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” (Matthew 10:40) The word “receives” in this context means to accept the message being proclaimed. This means that the message the apostles proclaimed (the New Testament) was inspired by the Holy Spirit, has its origin in Jesus, and when we receive it we receive both Jesus and the One who sent Him.
There is much more to be said about the confidence Christians can have regarding the Bible. We haven’t even gotten to the historical attestation to the writings of the New Testament, or the fulfilled prophecies of the New Testament, but if you would like to dive deeper, check out the videos associated with this lesson.
Discuss the following questions together. When you see a Scripture reference, look it up and read the verse or verses together.
Read Matthew 4:4
Is study of the Bible important? Why?
Discuss the following questions together. When you see a Scripture reference, look it up and read the verse or verses together.
Read the claims the Bible makes about itself:
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2 Timothy 3:14–17
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2 Peter 1:16–21
Based on what you know so far, are these claims reasonable? Why?
Read these Scriptures:
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Romans 15:4–6
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1 Thessalonians 2:13
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Psalm 119:105
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Hebrews 4:12
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How do you think your life would be impacted if you read the Bible regularly? Or, if you do read the Bible regularly, how has it impacted your life?
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What are the most important or memorable things you learned in this lesson?
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What is something from this lesson that you wish more people knew?
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Is there someone in your life who you feel would benefit from you sharing what you learned?
Additional Material
If you're interested and want to learn more, these videos are a great place to start:
LESSON 3: How to Read the Bible
If you don't yet have a Bible, you can get started for free:
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On a smart phone: YouVersion Bible App
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Online: Bible Gateway
There are many different translations of the Bible, and each has its advantages. We generally recommend the New International Version (NIV). But for anyone who has a hard time with long sentences, we recommend the New Living Translation (NLT).
When you open a printed Bible, you'll find a Table of Contents at the beginning. There, you'll see that the Bible is separated into two parts called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the Jewish Scriptures written before Jesus came to earth, and the New Testament is a compilation of Christian documents written after Jesus came.
As you thumb through the pages, you'll find big numbers and small numbers. The big numbers are the chapters, and the small numbers are the verses. When you see a Scripture referenced in this study, the first number you see represents the chapter. Then, after the colon, is the verse number.
So, for example, "John 3:16" means John, chapter 3, verse 16. To look it up, find John in the Table of Contents, turn to that book, follow the big numbers until you find the big "3," and then skim down the text until you reach the little number "16." What follows is the verse being referenced.
The process is simpler on a smart phone or web browser. Simply type the reference into the search feature, and it will take you straight there.
There's much more to learn and discover, but this is enough of the basics to get you started in this study. Let's start reading!
Reading the Bible
In our last lesson, we covered the reasons why we trust the Bible. Let’s now explore how to actually read it.
The Bible is not one book. It’s actually a collection of books written by different authors throughout different time periods. It wasn’t written for a modern audience. Each book of the Bible was written for the people who lived in that time and place, but it shows us what God has done, as well as the way God thinks and feels and how we should act as His people.
This is important to note because many people can get confused if they read certain scriptures and assume that God is speaking directly to them in their time. For instance, if you were to read, "The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you” (Leviticus 11:5), it’s completely irrelevant to you. First, you would have to Google “hyrax” and then figure out why its hoof being undivided even matters! But what if I were to tell you that Leviticus 11:5 wasn’t actually written to you? It was written to a completely different people at a completely different time.
Nevertheless, there are truths to be discovered about who God is and what He is like, even in passages like these, when you read them within their context. At the very end of this Leviticus 11, God said, “I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” Here we see the more important point, which definitely applies to us today: Being "holy" or "different from the world."
While the laws about what you can and cannot eat in the Old Testament no longer apply to us as Christians under the New Covenant, the idea that we should separate ourselves from things that are spiritually unclean is still an important truth, even if we have no idea what a hyrax is.
Important Questions
In order to read the Bible well, it’s important to ask a few questions:
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Who is writing this book?
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To whom are they writing?
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What kind of literature is this?
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Why are they writing?
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Read Ephesians 1:1
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Who is writing this book?
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To whom was it written?
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Are they Christians or non-Christians?
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How similar is your situation to theirs?
When you understand the context surrounding the writing of a particular book in the Bible, you can better understand how it applies to you.
We begin the Bible study process by first understanding what is being said. We can best understand that only after we can answer the questions that identify the book's context. After that, we can finally ask the question, “How does this apply to my life?”
Types of Literature in the Bible
In the New Testament, we have a few different kinds of literature that serve different purposes: Gospels, History, Epistles, and Apocalyptic Literature.
The Gospels, (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are four independent, historical accounts from eyewitnesses of Jesus’s life and teachings. After that, we have the book of Acts, which tells the story of the early church after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Next we have a bunch of letters (epistles) that teach the church about the truth of Christianity and how to live as a community together. These are the most practical books in the Bible. And lastly, we have an interesting book called Revelation, which paints a picture of things past, present, and future in a cryptic and poetic way.
If you read Revelation like a literal historical book, you will miss its meaning. Likewise, if you read a historical account as though it were a figurative picture, you will misunderstand the author’s intent. It’s important to understand the genre of literature you are reading when you study the Bible in order to properly interpret it.
Let’s practice
Read Luke 1:1–4.
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What kind of literature is this?
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Why was it written?
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To whom was the author writing?
Now let’s read Luke 7:11–16
All of the context surrounding the writing of this book is the same as we just discussed.
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What is this passage trying to communicate?
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What can we learn from that?
Now read Luke 11:1–13
Remember, this is the same book. The genre is the same, the audience is the same, and the purpose for writing is the same.
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What can we learn and apply to our lives from this passage?
Let’s change it up. We'll go to the Old Testament and read from the book of Psalms. The Psalms were a prayer and song book for ancient Israel. These passages were meant to be meditations and prayers that God’s people could sing both together and privately. Many Psalms were also prophecies about Jesus.
Let’s read Psalm 23
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Who is writing this?
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Why was it written?
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What is it trying to say?
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What stood out to you most while reading it?
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What benefit does this Psalm bring to you?
You are well on your way to a lifetime of exploring deep truths hidden within the text of the Scriptures that have fed the souls of God’s people for thousands of years. What a treasure! It’s time to get to know God better and let His Spirit speak to your heart through the Bible.
It is vital for every Christian to develop a habit of Bible study. Develop a routine around your Bible reading. Some like to read at night before bed. Others love to wake up early and have a time alone reading the Bible with their morning coffee. Develop a rhythm that is sustainable for you, and then take the Bible one book at a time. The book of Mark is a great place to start. It will help you better understand the life and teachings of the One upon whom our faith is built, Jesus of Nazareth.
Additional Material
If you're interested and want to learn more, these videos are a great place to start:
LESSON 4: How to pray
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 12:25
The most vital resource we have as Christians is access to God’s throne in prayer. Prayer is not merely asking God for things, (though it certainly includes that) nor is it a time of reciting mantras in order to change your thinking from negative to positive (though prayer will certainly change your perspective.) Prayer is the act of being present with God.
In prayer we cultivate an awareness of God’s presence in our lives and we begin to invite Him into even the mundane areas of life. Prayer isn’t just for church or for holy moments in life. Prayer is a lifestyle.
Think about the closest relationship you have. Your times together with this person doesn’t only involve conversation, there is also shared activity. Sometimes the best and most intimate moments that you have with this person don’t involve speaking at all but just being present with them. A hug when someone’s grieving, a smile when someone walks into the room, even mere eye-contact can be the most intimate moments in a relationship. This is what it’s like with God.
If you’re a Christian, God has placed His Holy Spirit within you. Jesus said, “‘…Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.’” (John 14:23) God Himself dwells within the heart of every Christian by His Spirit! He never leaves you and He will never forsake you! Prayer begins by merely cultivating an awareness of this truth through thanking Him for the great gift of His presence.
Jesus Taught Us How to Pray
Read Matthew 6:5-14
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What are some of the truths that stood out to you in this passage?
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What are some of the things we are told to ask our Father for in prayer?
Notice the way Jesus taught us to address God, “Our Father.” When you pray, you’re not coming to the principle’s office expecting a reprimand for your bad grades. You’re not trying to prove to some divine loan officer that you’re worth the line of credit you’re about to ask for either. You’re coming to your Father who loves you.
Read Matthew 6:25-34.
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What stands out to you most in this passage?
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What is God’s attitude toward answering your prayers?
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What if My Prayer Doesn’t Get Answered?
An unfortunate reality in lives of many Christians is that they give up praying when they encounter disappointment. They prayed for something and didn’t get it and assume that God’s either no longer in the prayer answering business or He simply is uninterested in listening to them. How sad! We just read how the Father wants to answer our prayers, but there are some conditions to our prayers being answered.
Read Luke 18:1-8.
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What does this say about the way we should pray?
Read James 1:5-8.
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What is the most essential ingredient for prayer according to this passage?
Faith is an active trust in God’s promises. Having faith means you trust God enough to act as though what He says is true and will affect the world around you. When we have faith in God for healing we pray and expect a change afterward. When we have faith in God for provision, we bring our requests to God and live generously knowing He will provide our needs. Simply put, faith is living as though what God says really is true. That is why those without faith are called “double minded.”
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What are some ways you can exercise faith in your life?
Read 1 John 5:14-15.
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What is the condition given here for our prayers being answered?
A Model for Prayer
There is no true right or wrong way to pray, but if you feel stuck in your pray time and feel like you don’t know what to do or say, here is a helpful model to follow. Think of this as training wheels to get you going rather than a strict rule to follow.
Thank God.
It is often helpful to begin praying by thanking God for giving you His Son. Thank Him for forgiving your sins and providing you with true peace. Remind yourself that God loves you and has invited you into His presence. Begin to celebrate the joy of being united with Christ. The old you is dead and you have been raised to a brand new life in Jesus!
Praise God.
Praise is the act of glorifying God with our words. When we praise God we remind ourselves and others who God is and what He has done. One excellent way to do this is through singing. Ask your Christian friends what songs they like to incorporate into their prayer time.
Ask For God’s Will to Be Done.
Prayer isn’t just about getting our needs met, it’s about bringing Heaven to earth. Remember when Jesus said to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”? That’s exactly what we get to be part of in prayer. If there are things in your life or the lives of others that don’t line up with the will of God, it’s time to partner with Jesus in prayer.
Ask For Your Needs and Those of Others to be Met.
Jesus told us to pray, “give us today our daily bread.” This means that we ought to bring our requests for provision both for ourselves and others before God.
Spend Time in Worship.
Worship is the act of surrendering to God and serving Him with our lives. We often worship through singing. Again, music is a great tool for this. There are many songs that help us to posture our hearts in a place of surrender to God. Here is one excellent example.
If this is not your favorite style of music, as you Christian friend for some recommendations of worship music that might be more up your alley. Music is not strictly necessary for you to enjoy worship. It’s merely a helpful tool. True worship is an expression of an inner desire to honor God and serve Him. This can be done by simply telling Him how much you love Him, enjoying His nearness to you, and asking Him how you can serve Him.
As has already been stated, prayer is not a formula. But it is vital that you make it a regular part of your life to get alone with God and pray. Then take that awareness of God’s presence that you’ve cultivated in private and try to be aware of Him always. It will change your life forever.
LESSON 5: Hearing god's voice
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 24:30
One of the greatest benefits of a true relationship with God is the ability to hear God speak. However many say they can’t hear God’s voice. Honestly this is a tragically common claim even among those who have been Christians for a long time. They know they can hear God through the Bible but when it comes to a day-to-day interaction with the living God it’s as though they pick up the phone to pray and are met with silence on the other end. This is almost entirely due to a misunderstanding of what it truly is to hear the voice of God and part of this is due to the language we use.
God's Thoughts
Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
In this passage, Paul states that the place of spiritual communication is in the realm of the mind. He draws a parallel between the spirit of a man which knows his own thoughts and the Spirit of God which knows God’s thoughts. Then he says that we have received that same Spirit which knows God’s thoughts. He goes on to say that “we have the mind of Christ.”
Imagine someone else having your spirit. The very essence of what makes you you was living inside of another person. That person would have access to all of your thoughts, feelings, and motivations. You wouldn’t need words to communicate because your thoughts are inside of them. Can you imagine anything more intimate than that? Yet that is the very relationship we have with God!
Part of the problem we have with hearing God’s voice is that we’re expecting to receive something from the outside. Maybe it’s a voice we hear with our ears or something profound like that. That can happen from time-to-time but the primary way that God speaks is in the realm of thought.
This happens when we are in prayer or reading the Bible. A thought occurs to us and we sometimes just dismiss it as a random thought or something that is insignificant, but often that’s God speaking to us. Pay attention to your thoughts when you are in prayer!
How to Tell What is God and What Isn’t
The Holy Spirit is consistent. He doesn’t contradict Himself. You can tell what is God by looking at the character of Jesus as revealed in the Bible. Can you picture Jesus saying what you believe the Holy Spirit is speaking to you now? If not, you can toss that thought into the garbage can. Does it contradict anything the Bible teaches? If so, you can through that into the garbage can as well.
What if the thought is directive? What if you get a thought telling you to go into a grocery store and pray for someone? How do you know whether or not that is God? Well, would you normally have that kind of thought? If the answer is no, then it’s probably God. Pay attention to those thoughts and act on them! You’ll find that more often than not, those are God thoughts.
There’s really no shortcut for trial and error. As you actively try to hear God’s voice, test it out and see if it holds water. As you continue to do this you’re going to get better and better at distinguishing God’s thoughts from your own.
Finally, it’s essential to bring other mature Christians who also hear the voice of God in on the process. The Bible says that when prophecy is happening in the church (that is the act of speaking what you believe God is saying) two or three at the most should speak and the rest should weigh carefully what is being said. (1 Corinthians 14:29) Here Paul is giving us a safeguard for prophetic ministry. Bringing other mature believers into the process of hearing the voice of God along with you will help you to better hone your ability to discern God’s voice.
How to practice hearing God's voice
Spend some time in prayer with a Christian partner and let’s practice hearing God’s voice. Read the prompts below and ask God what He says regarding those prompts. Don’t be afraid to be wrong. If you allow fear of being wrong to stop you from trying you’re going to have a hard time growing. Write down the thoughts that come to your mind and ask your partner if that seems like God’s voice.
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Ask God what He thinks about you.
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Ask God what He thinks about your partner.
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Ask God if there is something going on in your partner’s life that you should be praying for. Ask especially if there is something going on with them that you don’t know about in the natural. For instance, do they need healing for anything? If so from what? Is there something going on in their family that needs prayer? If so what? Share whatever comes to you and don’t be afraid to be wrong. We’re just practicing here. If you’re right, thank God and pray for that thing. If it’s physical healing they need, pray and expect God to heal it on the spot. Have them test it out.
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Ask God if there is something you need to change in your life. Write it down and commit to obeying what God is saying to you.
LESSON 6: sin, forgiveness, and God's promise
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 19:48
The story of the Bible begins in a garden. God created a beautiful place where His presence dwelt with creation in peace. Then He made a man and a woman in His image to represent Him and extend the peace of this place called "Eden" to the rest of creation. God gave humanity dominion over the earth and commanded them to take care of His creation.
God placed a tree in the garden called “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” God forbade Adam and Eve from eating from this tree and told them that if Adam and Eve rebelled against Him and ate from this tree, they would surely die.
The purpose of this tree was to give humanity a choice. As long as there is an option, humanity can choose to love God and live in relationship with Himself. Love means nothing when there is no choice.
What is sin?
So why would the punishment for this rebellion be death? It’s just a tree, right? What’s the big deal?
Well let’s back up and first try to understand God. God is the Author and Sustainer of life. Nothing exists without Him. Just as there are physical laws that govern the universe the Bible tells us that there are similarly moral laws that govern the universe. Rebellion against God is rebellion against life. We call this rebellion “sin.” Sin is a transgression against the moral order of the universe. Another definition for sin is to fall short of our design and purpose. Sin is more than merely making a mistake, sin is a violation of our design and a rebellion against life. If you rebel against the Author of Life, what is there to turn to but death?
Read the following verses
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Romans 6:23
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Romans 3:23
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Galatians 5:13-26
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What is sin according to these verses?
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What is the consequence for sin?
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According to these verses, who is guilty of sin?
After some time, a serpent came to Adam and Eve and tempted them into disobedience against God. What was his tactic? The serpent (who was actually satan) told Eve, “God knows if you eat of this tree you will become like Him knowing the difference between good and evil.”
Did you catch that? Remember that Adam and Eve were both created in the image of God but the serpent convinced them that God was actually holding out on them. They needed to rebel against God in order to become like Him. What a tricky lie! And humanity fell for it.
The consequences of sin
Because of humanity's rebellion against God, we were banished from the place of His presence and peace. This is still the consequence for sin—banishment from God’s presence. The Bible says that those who live in rebellion against God will receive eternal banishment from the place of God’s presence and peace. We call that state of banishment, “hell.”
As if this weren’t bad enough, remember that God gave dominion over the earth to Adam and Eve? Well, the Bible later calls satan, “the ‘god’ of this age” and “the prince of the power of the air.” Humanity was supposed to rule, but now the serpent is in charge! How did that happen?
In our rebellion against God we turned to obey sin. The Bible says whoever sins is a slave to sin. In humanity’s rebellion against God, satan began his rule of chaos. Gone was the true peace and harmony with creation that we all know we should be experiencing. Now we live in a world that is fallen.
So the Bible says that the consequences of sin is eternal banishment from God’s presence and peace and that everyone is guilty of this rebellion. So how can there be any hope for anyone? How can anyone be forgiven and have a right relationship with God? Here’s the good part!
God Made a Promise
When God came to Adam and Eve to punish them for their rebellion and banish them from His presence, He made a promise to Eve and the serpent,
“And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
This was the first prophecy about Jesus, “the seed of the woman,” coming to crush satan. Remember that the wages of sin is death? Well, God made a plan to redeem humanity from their rebellion and sin before He ever made the world. God sent Jesus, His only Son, to bear the consequences of our sin upon Himself.
Read the following verses:
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John 3:16-17
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Isaiah 53:4-6
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2 Corinthians 5:17-21
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Romans 6:23
Instead of punishment, God is offering forgiveness! Instead of death, God is offering life! So how is this possible?
Read the following verses:
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Romans 10:9-11
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1 John 1:9
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Ephesians 2:1-10
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Colossians 1:19-23
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According to these passages, what do we need to do in order to receive forgiveness from our sins and right relationship with God?
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Is it possible to earn our forgiveness and right standing before God?
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What would be different about your life if you were to truly believe this?
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Is there anyone in your life that needs to hear this?
LESSON 7: baptism
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 16:19
In the Bible, the very first thing new Christians were commanded to do was to be baptized. But what is baptism and why is it so important?
While some churches practice baptism by sprinkling either adults or infants this really misses the powerful symbolism inherent to baptism. The word “baptism” comes from a Greek word that means “immersion.” To be baptized is to be immersed in and brought out of water. But why does the Bible care about you being dunked in water?
Die to your old life
Read Romans 6:1-10
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How does Paul describe your old life?
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What happens to our old life in Christ?
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What does Paul say we are baptized into?
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What does it mean when we are raised out of the water?
There is an important word we use a lot in Roots Church. That word is “identity.” Everything you do comes from who you believe yourself to be. Your thoughts, actions, and even your life goals are determined by your sense of identity. This is why your sense of identity is so vital. Many people in the world are having an identity crisis. They don’t know who they are apart from their roles at work, their family, their friend group, or the thing they really do well. They’ve allowed their environment or the things they do to define who they are.
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If you can, try to describe who you are in three or four words.
Nothing lasts forever. If your identity is in being a mother or a competent professional, what happens when your kids grow up, or you change careers? If you were to take away your job, your family, or your friends, who would you really be deep down? It can be a scary thought. If who you are is rooted in something temporary, your identity will always be dependent on your circumstances.
You’ve no doubt seen it or experienced it yourself. That one relationship falls through and suddenly you have no idea who you are. Maybe you lost that job and now you’re drifting.
In Christ, you have a new identity
Read Ephesians 4:17-24
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How does the Bible define our old lives?
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What does the Bible say about your true self?
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How does the Bible describe the process of changing from the old self to the new self?
The Bible uses an interesting word to describe our old lives; that word is “flesh”. The reason the Bible uses this word in order to draw a contrast between what is worldly and what is spiritual. Your old life is a life concerned with earthly affairs, your new life is a spiritual life given to you from Heaven. In Christ, we are born again from above. Our old self—our “flesh”—has been corrupted by sin. Sin is rebellion against God. The Bible says that when you work for sin, your paycheck is death. (Romans 6:23) God is the Author of Life. If you rebel against the Author of Life, what else is there but death?
Read Galatians 5:19-26
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What are the defining features of the old life?
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What are the defining features of the new life?
When we sin we are identifying with our old life apart from God. When we are made alive in Christ, we live by the Spirit and the evidence that we are living by the Spirit begins to manifest—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we live according to our new nature in Christ we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.
In baptism, you are putting to death your old life of sin and being raised to a brand new life with a brand new nature in Christ! This doesn’t mean you will never sin again, it simply means sin will no longer be your nature. You have a brand new identity.
Read Galatians 2:20
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What would it look like if Jesus lived your life?
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Imagine Jesus parenting your children. What would be different?
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Imagine Jesus working your job, would anything change? How?
Being united with Christ through baptism means you no longer identify with your old life. You consider it dead. Now Christ lives in you. His righteousness is given to you as a gift. You don’t have to earn your position of right standing before God, your life is now in Christ! Jesus becomes your new identity! That means the same love that God, the Father has for Jesus is the same love He has for you! When you begin to see yourself as a member of Jesus’ body (which you are as a Christian) you begin to treat yourself as someone who is holy. You treat yourself as someone loved by God. You begin to treat others the way Jesus would treat them, your life goals align with the Kingdom of God rather than putting your own desires first.
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What does it mean to be in Christ?
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What would be different in your life if you truly saw yourself as being “in Christ?”
When you choose to be baptized, understand that you are leaving your old life and being united with Jesus in His life! You are becoming a brand new creation. The old is gone! Everything is brand new! You’re a Christian! It’s time to change the way you think about yourself and receive your new identity in Christ.
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Is anything keeping you from being baptized right away?
LESSON 8: be filled with the spirit
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 18:24
After Jesus rose from the dead, He told His disciples to go and preach the Good News to every nation on earth. This was a big task for a handful of uneducated fishermen and tax collectors, but Jesus had a plan to give them some help.
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” —Luke 24:49
the Purpose for the power
Jesus told His disciples to go to every nation and preach the Gospel but first they needed to wait in Jerusalem until they had received what the Father promised. Now somehow that promise was connected to them being “clothed with power from on high.” What’s the promise?
Jesus talked a lot about the Holy Spirit. He said that the Father would give the Holy Spirit to anyone who would ask Him because God is a good Father who gives good gifts. (Luke 11:13) He said that anyone who is thirsty could come to Him and drink and that rivers of living water would flow from their innermost being if we would believe in Him. John tells us in his gospel account that Jesus was actually talking about the Holy Spirit when He said this. (John 7:37-39) Now after Jesus rose from the dead, there was a strange moment when He breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22) This seems a bit strange but makes a lot of sense when you understand that the Greek word for “spirit” also means “breath”. The Holy Spirit is a person. He is part of the Holy Trinity. He is the very Spirit of God! But He is also called the “Breath of God.” When Jesus breathed on His disciples, He was saying that He is God and can bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The signs of His power
But wait a minute! It was after the moment where Jesus breathed on His disciples that He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the power from Heaven! If Jesus told them to receive the Spirit then, why would He tell them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit? Also, how would they know when they actually received the Holy Spirit? And what does this have to do with the mission Jesus gave to the disciples? And what does any of this have to do with us? I’m glad you ask such good questions! Let’s dig into the scriptures to find out!
Read Acts 1:1-8
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What do you receive when the Holy Spirit comes upon you?
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What is that power for?
Read Acts 2:1-21
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How did the disciples know they received the Holy Spirit?
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What did Joel prophesy would happen when the Holy Spirit was given?
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To whom did Joel say the Holy Spirit would be given?
Wow! What a scene! The believers are praying and suddenly a sound like wind blows into the room, fire appears on everyone’s head, they all begin to praise God in languages they never learned, and many people think they’re drunk! Remember when Peter was too scared to even acknowledge that he knew Jesus to a servant girl while Jesus was on trial? He was kind of a big chicken. Well, that was just 50 days previous to this event. Suddenly when the believers received the Holy Spirit, they received boldness as well as the gift of tongues.
Let’s read a few more accounts of people receiving the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
Read Acts 10:44-48
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What happened when the people received the Holy Spirit?
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How did Peter know they had received the Holy Spirit?
Read Acts 19:1-7
Why did Paul ask if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed? This is an interesting question but the answer is important. Paul knew that the men in Ephesians were believers in Jesus but they had not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit. They didn’t even know what a Holy Spirit was! However, when Paul placed his hands on them, they received the Spirit and then that whole speaking in tongues thing happened again!
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What are the signs that occur when people are filled with the Holy Spirit?
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We don't have a record of anyone hearing these Ephesians speaking in their own languages like we do in Acts. Why are people speaking in tongues in Acts 10 and in Acts 19?
The gift of tongues
Jesus wants you to receive power from Heaven! He wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you! One of the things that happens to a person when they are filled with the Holy Spirit is they are able to speak in tongues. This is one of the first signs that someone has actually been filled with the Holy Spirit.
Some people think that being filled with the Holy Spirit is an out-of-control, ecstatic experience. That’s not always the case. What many describe when they are filled with the Holy Spirit is a sense of peace, joy, heat, electricity, or some combination of the four. They may want to laugh, they may want to cry, or they may simply feel that God is near. They other thing that often happens is a strange bubbling sensation in their inner most being and an urge to speak gibberish or praise God. If you feel that, understand that is the Holy Spirit. If you will begin to vocalize what you sense on the inside, you will discover that you are actually praising God in tongues! It’s a wonderful thing to experience!
Don’t expect God to move your mouth for you. Just like most things God does, He like to partner with you. Essentially, you will feel an urge or simply faith to start speaking syllables that you don’t really understand. As soon as you start, however, you’ll discover that more is coming out of your mouth and you aren’t really trying to think about what’s next to say.
There have been studies done on people who speak in tongues and they discovered through fMRIs that the language part of the brain that would be involved in trying to think of syllables to say is not active at all when people are genuinely speaking in tongues. If you ask for the Holy Spirit in faith, He will come. When He comes, you will probably begin to feel an urge to speak in tongues. If you will begin to vocalize what is in your heart, you will discover a “flow” where you aren’t thinking about what to say but the Holy Spirit is partnering with your Spirit to praise God in tongues. The gift of tongues is very strange but it’s biblical! (By the way a lot of biblical things are rather odd.) When you pray or sing in tongues you are praising God with your spirit. The Holy Spirit is enabling you to worship God and declare His praises in a purely spiritual way. It’s a beautiful thing!
Seeking His Power
If you want power from Heaven to be bold, to prophesy, to be a witness for Christ, and to worship God in the Spirit, ask God to pour His Spirit out upon you. He will clothe you with power from Heaven! He’s a good Father and He loves to give good gifts! Seek Him and He will give you His Spirit!
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If you are going through this lesson with a Christian friend, have them pray for you to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
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If you received the gift of tongues, GREAT! If not, continue to seek the Lord for His precious Gift and try exercising the gift of tongues when alone in prayer.
LESSON 9: healing
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 17:56
During Jesus ministry here on earth, He spent a lot of time healing the sick. When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach about the Kingdom of God, He commanded them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. (Matthew 10:7-8) But why do you think Jesus spent so much time healing the sick? And what is the connection of healing to preaching about the Kingdom of God?
Read Hebrews 1:3
Read John 14:8-14
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When we observe Jesus’ nature in the gospel’s, whose nature is being revealed?
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What “works” did Jesus do to show that He and the Father were one?
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What works did Jesus say you would do if you believe in Him?
The Kingdom of Heaven
Let’s look at Matthew 10:7-8 again.
“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” —Matthew 10:7-8
It’s important to note that when Jesus says, “the kingdom of heaven” he isn’t exactly talking about where you go when you die. The idea of “kingdom” in the Bible doesn’t refer to any particular place.
"Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.'” —Luke 17:20-21
So if the kingdom of God is not a place, what is it? Jesus gave us another clue in Luke 11:20; “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” So the Kingdom of God is again connected to the power of God being manifest for the sake of setting people free from the work of satan.
The Greek word for Kingdom has little to do with geography, but the area where a king’s authority is being exercised. That’s the key right there: the “kingdom of God” is anywhere God’s authority is being exercised. When we look at the life and ministry of Jesus we see just how God likes to exercise His authority. When God flexes His muscles, the sick are healed, the dead are raised, the lepers are cleansed, and demons are driven out. The Bible also says about the Kingdom of God that it is, “not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20) and that it consists of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
Jesus taught us to pray for the Kingdom and will of God to happen here just as it is in Heaven. Jesus also commissioned His disciples to follow in His footsteps to practically bring the kingdom and will of God into the lives of those around them and that involves healing the sick.
Ministering Healing
When we read the gospels, we see Jesus healing the sick all over the place. He healed everyone who came to Him as well as everyone who had someone else come on their behalf. We never see Jesus turning anyone down for healing. When we remember that Jesus is the perfect representation of God’s heart, we can understand that sickness, disease, and death are all contrary to God’s will. But how do we heal the sick?
Jesus healed the sick many different ways. Some reached out and touched Him, some He touched and they were made whole. Often Jesus simply spoke and the were healed. Sometimes Jesus told the sick person to do something and in their obedience they were healed. We even see Jesus using spit and mud to heal on occasion. For us, the methodology isn’t as important as the essential element in prayer; faith.
We’re going to read two different gospel accounts of the same story. Matthew and Mark each record different details about the same story and the details that each of them record is helpful for us.
Read Matthew 17:14-20
Read Mark 9:14-29
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What are the reasons the disciples couldn’t cast out the demon?
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What did Jesus say is true of those who believe?
So prayer, fasting, and faith are key ingredients to bringing the kingdom of God. Prayer and fasting are fairly straightforward. (Notice though, that Jesus didn’t pray in that moment. Rather He had been praying and lived a lifestyle of prayer.) But what is faith?
Read Hebrews 11:1-12
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What does Hebrews say faith is?
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How did the people mentioned in Hebrews express their faith?
Read James 2:26
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What is the difference between dead faith and living faith?
How to grow your faith
Faith is trust in God that leads to obedience. Our faith grows as we are intimate with God through prayer and fasting and express our faith through practical actions. So what are some practical ways we can grow in faith?
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Grow your faith through a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.
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Feed your faith through reading the scriptures and listening to testimonies of healing.
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Visualize someone getting healed when you minister to them. Unbelief is corrosive to our faith. Picturing the person getting healed as you pray for them simply helps fend off unbelief.
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Just do it. Remember that faith without works is dead. Even if you struggle with unbelief or doubt, God can still use you! We have seen God heal people through those who simply tried for the very first time.
God can use anyone! You don’t need to be a super-Christian to be used of God to heal the sick. God heals people because He loves them! God simply wants someone who will believe Him enough to take a risk. Will you be that person?
LESSON 10: FELLOWSHIP
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 19:24
The Christian life cannot be done solo. That’s by design! We were created by God to need each other. Families, communities, and even nations exist because humans need other humans to survive and thrive in life. This is also true when it comes to the Christian life.
You are a part of the Body of Christ
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Read Ephesians 4:4-16
Read Romans 12:4-6
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What is the analogy Paul uses for the Church?
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Why is unity important?
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What is it that unifies us as Christians?
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Why is diversity of gifting important?
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What really stood out to you personally about these passages?
The Body of Christ is similar to an actual body in that every person plays an important role. When you become part of the Body of Christ, you are filling an important role and without you, the body suffers! You matter! But you also need the rest of the body.
You Can't do this alone
There are so many Christians who believe that their faith is merely a personal relationship with Jesus and they don’t need church in order to have a healthy faith. This is a lie! Yes, a personal relationship with Jesus is necessary, but according to the scriptures, one of the primary ways we interact with Jesus is through His Body, the Church!
The scriptures are full of commands that can only be lived out inside of a healthy Christian community. We are commanded to love one another, bear one another’s burdens, rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn, confess our sins to one another, forgive one another, pray for one another, minister healing to one another, encourage one another, and exercise spiritual gifts for the purpose of building one another up. None of these can be done in isolation!
This is why Roots Church is a network of house churches and not merely a large gathering of Christians that only meet on Sundays. The benefits of the body are not felt when you simply stare at the back of someone’s head on Sunday morning! Singing and a sermon is not Christianity! Christianity is done in community and we need to actually interact with one another in order to benefit from the diversity of gifts, contribute your own gift, and fulfill the commands of scripture.
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Whether or not you go to church, what do you believe a healthy Christian community would look like?
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Is there someone in your life with whom you can begin true Christian fellowship?
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Are there ways you have avoided fellowship in your life? If so, why do you think that is?
True fellowship requires vulnerability. It's very difficult to be vulnerable, especially when you have been hurt or disappointed by people before. Whether it came through the church, through family, through school, or through friend groups, past wounds can become very isolating if we allow it to be.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
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What are some of the ways you can practically show love to those around you?
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Is it possible to be patient, forgiving, or slow to anger if everyone around you is perfect?
The biblical definition of love has a built-in expectation of being wronged. That means we cannot show love to its fullest extent until people around us fail. The church is not a perfect place yet. You will be disappointed by other Christians in your life from time-to-time and other Christians will be disappointed by you too. The key to true Christian fellowship is how we treat our Christian family when they fail to represent Jesus accurately.
Now some have faced horrific treatment in church and certainly, there is no need to continue going to a church that is engaging in active abuse, but without bonds of love, peace, forgiveness, and patience, true Christian fellowship is impossible.
If you are not yet part of a house church or healthy small group, it’s time to join one. You can’t live this life alone. Ask your Christian friend if you can join their church or click here to find a house church.
LESSON 11: Generous Living
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 17:15
Love is the defining feature of the Christian life. The two great commandments that sum up the entire law of God is to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. But love isn’t merely an emotion. Love must be expressed or it isn’t truly love. One of the most famous verses in the entire bible is John 3:16,
True love must be expressed
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God expressed His deep love for the entire world through radical self-sacrifice. Remember that when we were in the world we were God’s enemies because of our evil thoughts and deeds. (Colossians 1:21) But Jesus told us to love our enemies and that love would make us like our Father in Heaven.
Read Matthew 5:43-48
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How does God express love to His enemies in the passage?
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What makes us look like our Father according to Jesus?
Generosity seems like a radically inadequate word to describe the gift that God has given us in His only Son. So what should our response to God’s gift be?
Read Romans 12:1
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What does true spiritual worship look like?
Read 1 John 3:16-18
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How did Jesus express His love for us?
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What does love look like in practical terms?
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
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How does God want us to give?
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Under what circumstances are we not supposed to give?
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What happens when we sow sparingly?
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What happens if we sow generously?
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In what ways did Paul say we would be enriched?
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For what purpose are we enriched?
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What occasions call for generosity?
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What stands out to you most about these passages?
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Has your thinking about giving changed after studying these passages?
Some churches stress tithing as an important principle in the Christians life. The word “tithe” means “tenth.” It simply means to give ten percent of all of your income to God. At Roots Church, we understand tithing to be an Old Testament command. Instead, we believe that God owns everything that we have. It’s ALL His! We believe that tithing teaches compulsive giving, rather than cheerful giving. We don't want you to give because you MUST but to give from the heart.
Giving is not meant to be a condition we need to meet or a hoop we need to jump through for the purpose of getting blessings from God. Rather, giving is meant to be an expression of our love for God and His people! We give because we love and we trust that our God will also meet our needs as we express our love to Him and one another through radical self-sacrifice and generosity.
LESSON 12: Making Disciples for Jesus
Watch these videos, either with your Christian friend or before you meet:
Time – 12:23
When Jesus rose from the dead, He gave His disciples a mission.
Read Matthew 28:18-20
Following Jesus
Up until now, we have been referring to the 12 people that Jesus spent the most time with as His disciples. But what exactly is a disciple? Let’s read about how Peter began following Jesus.
Read Luke 5:1-11
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What did Peter do before becoming a disciple of Jesus?
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Into what did Jesus promise to make Peter?
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How did Peter do in response to Jesus calling him?
Peter left everything to follow Jesus! This is a disciple. When we became disciples of Jesus we left our old lives in order to follow Jesus and He radically changed the direction of our lives!
In Jesus’ day, rabbis would gather to themselves disciples from the smartest young men. Those young men would leave their family and their trade in order to live 24/7 with their teacher. They would absorb the teachings of their rabbis and emulate the way they lived.
Think about that! Discipleship was a radical restructuring of a person's life in order to model oneself after the pattern of their teacher. It’s one thing to emulate the life of a merely human teacher, it’s another thing entirely to emulate the life of Jesus! That’s the guy who healed the sick and raised the dead! He is the Son of God! How could we emulate the life of someone like Jesus?
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What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus in the 21st century?
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Is it possible to be a Christian but not be a disciple?
We need God's Help to follow Jesus
The Bible says that Jesus performed the miracles He did by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 10:38) Then Jesus gave the same Spirit that rested on Him to His disciples! It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that is present in the lives of Jesus’ disciples that enables us to live like Him! We cannot live the Christian life by trying really hard. We can only be a disciple of Jesus by depending on His Spirit.
Jesus gave the command to make disciples to the people who followed Him. They heard and obeyed His teachings and followed His way of life but they were still falling short. Peter had just denied even knowing Jesus to a servant girl because he was scared. He had left his life as a disciple of Jesus entirely in order to go back to his old life of being a fisherman. He had completely given up! All the disciples abandoned Jesus when He was arrested. The disciples were very far from perfect. Jesus knew they needed the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill the grand plan of bringing the Gospel to the whole world. That’s why He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they had been filled with power from Heaven.
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Is perfection required to be a disciple of Jesus?
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What is required to be Jesus' disciple?
The disciples of Jesus were far from perfect. They constantly argued about who was the greatest among them, they often said foolish things, and they even abandoned Jesus at the time of His greatest need. Still, Jesus trusted them to carry on His work and establish His Church because He would leave them the Holy Spirit who would continue to make them more mature even after He left them.
Jesus doesn't need you to be perfect in order to follow Him, He just needs you to be willing.
Helping others follow Jesus
Those who followed Jesus did make disciples and those disciples were also expected to make disciples.
Read 2 Timothy 2:2
This verse is from a Letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his disciple. Paul told Timothy to pass along the teachings and pattern of life he learned to other faithful people. This is part of being a Christian! We learn from Jesus in the scriptures and obey His teachings! We emulate His life and teach others to do the same.
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What does it mean to follow Jesus?
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How can we teach people to follow Jesus?
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What do you need to emulate Jesus’ life?
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Are you living a life that looks like Jesus?
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Are there people in your life that you think God is leading you to teach about Jesus?
Next Steps:
If you've read the Rooted booklet and walked through the twelve introductory lessons above, and if you're still hungry for more of God, here are our recommended "next steps" for you as you're following Jesus:
1
If you're not yet in one of our house churches, join one! The best place to grow in your faith is in a small, interactive environment with other Christians. Share what you're learning from the Bible, open up to people, and pray for your friends in your house church. Discover how to build healthy relationships, and heal from your past. Christianity is a lifelong journey of discovery and transformation.
2
Dig into your Bible. If you haven't already, read the book of Mark. After that, read the book of Acts. Then you can either read Luke (if you want to read more detail about Jesus' life) or you might want to continue with Romans (if you want to start reading more Christian teachings). Alternatively, you can start following along with our Roots Church Bible Reading Plan. Read as much or as little as you feel motivated to read. Don't make it a chore. Enjoy the adventure!
3
Join the Roots School of Ministry. We'll dive deep into studying the life and ministry of Jesus while also investigating various topics of Christian living.