Witnessing - Why Should We Share the Gospel? Part 1

Why Should We Share the Gospel?
based on the book entitled, 'Engage, A Practical Guide to Evangelism'

Sharing the Good News in some countries is dangerous. Countries such as Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Sudan are hostile to Christians. They face oppression, cultural isolation, severed family ties and outright physical death.

There is another place that is overtly hostile to the gospel: Our Own Hearts.

Our hearts are the seat of our emotions and motivations and lock us into our daily and overall life directions.

“The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” –Jeremiah 17:9

Our hearts give birth to many vices such as lust, hatred and anger. That is why Solomon gave good spiritual counsel
“Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” -Proverbs 4:23

Are all Christians called to share the gospel?
Yes! The Great Commission commands us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,..." -Matthew 28:19.

Why do you think many Christians don’t personally share the gospel?
Fear is the main reason why Christian don't share their faith. The reason for that fear takes shape in the following forms.

Fear
1. Fear of giving wrong or confusing information
2. Fear of not being able to respond to questions
3. Fear of outright personal rejection

Here is good news. We have a natural desire to communicate who or what we love. Just look at Facebook, Twitter and the like. Even without social media, we offer a running commentary on song lyrics, T.V shows and movies. To speak of what we love seems to be in our DNA.

Overcoming Fear
1. Recognize that fear is natural
2. Recognize fear is not from God but tool of Satan
3. Love will disperse fear
4. Fear should drive us to a greater dependence on God
5. Fear should increase our desire to become more skilled in sharing Christ
6. Fear can used to drive us to develop sensitivities and skills in sharing the greatest story ever told

We have Purpose

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked is disciples who they thought he was. Peter answered “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

Jesus responded and said, “upon this rock, I will build my church.”

What do think Jesus meant when He said “upon this rock…?” (v18)
It was Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah that is the “rock.”

more to come...

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Witnessing - 'What Is The Gospel?' Part 2

We know that the gospel is a free gift. We have to receive the gift just like any other. As Paul shows us in Acts 16:31 we must believe. As the study tells us, "Believe means more that just acknowledging facts. Believe means 'to rest you whole weight upon.'" We must believe that Jesus finished the work of salvation on the cross and all our hopes of heaven rest only in Him. That is what it means to 'believe on the Lord Jesus.'

Repentance is the act of changing your mind. The change in your mind is about who is in charge of your life. It is not a change in our mind that we will do better, or we will do less of the things we use to do. This change is a surrendering of control in every area of your life. Before your accepted Jesus as your savior, who believed your were in control of your life. Now through repentance, we surrender that control to God.

As a Christian, we recognize that we could never earn the title. We are accepted by God only because of what Jesus did not for anything we have done or could do. We are humbled when we understand how little we deserve God's grace and his mercy.

The study explains that the gospel isn't just a diving board--but it's the pool. Once we invite Jesus into our heart, He wants us to abide in Him. The study further explains that abiding in Christ means knowing that there is nothing that we can do to make God love us more and nothing we've done that makes Him love us less.

When we accept the gospel and invite Jesus into our hearts, we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit marks us as God's own. We need the Holy Spirit to help accomplish the task of sharing the gospel with the world. As the study tells us, 'Sharing the gospel is the natural expression of our relationship with God.'

More Session 1 Reflections

1. In what areas of your life do you want to experience more of the Holy Spirit's power?

2. How is the Holy Spirit changing how you think, what you value and the way you live?

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Witnessing - 'What Is The Gospel?' Part 1

Session One - "What is the Gospel?" Part 1

The word 'gospel' translated from the Greek (euanglion) means 'good news.' The word was used to announce good news. A military commander would send out a 'gospel' announcing a victory. In the biblical context, the gospel is the announcement that Jesus has won the victory over sin and death. We need only to believe and receive it.

The reason we need the good news is because of the bad news. Our sin had left us under a curse of death. We alone could not make good on the debt of sin that we owed. Even though we might think that our sin is not that bad, compared to the holiness of God, the Bible says our sin is like filthy rags.

The Gospel is a gift. One of the difficulties we have with excepting the gospel is because we live in a works mentality world. It is always about what you do. The Gospel, however, is about what Jesus did.

Do you feel like you deserve salvation based on what you do and how you behave?

We can do nothing to earn it or deserve it. Our sin's reward should be death but God's grace allowed Jesus to pay the sin debt that we owed.

What do you think God sees when He looks at you?

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, than God sees Jesus when He looks at you. Not your imperfection but the perfect Christ in you.

Do you feel like if you would do better, God would love you more?

God could not love you anymore that He does right now. Why?, because He could not love Jesus anymore that He already does.

More to come...Part 2

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Session 1 - Memory Verses

Mark 8:34-35
John3:16
Galatians 4:4-5
Ephesians 2:8-10

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Session 1 - Reflections

1. Spend time reflecting on What the Gospel is.

2. Make list of what you repented from. Then shred the list knowing that God is willing and able to forgive you.

3. Work on abiding in Christ. Read the devotion "All The Way In."

4. Spend time growing closer to God. He wants to close to you.

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The Mind of Christ Study - Online Conversation

Unit One Conversation

It is Day 1 of Unit Two. How is the study going?

Are you finding the time within your schedule for the lessons?

Any thoughts or questions on the first week lessons?

Post a comment or a question and let us know.

Join the online conversation with a question or comment. Click here

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Book Study Notes - Session Five - Transforming My Experience

We will be discussing both Session 4 and 5, Deepening My Relationships and Transforming My Experience. These are the notes for Session Five.

The Me I Want To Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You by John Ortberg Session Five - Transforming My Experience (Chapters 19 - 22)

Questions to Consider

In the book, the author states that we sometimes want or desire a problem-free life. Do you wish you did not have problems? Do you look at challenges as positive or negative?

What are some of the challenges you faced over the last month? What was your typical response to them?

Think of a time you faced a challenge that made you focus on the needs of others instead of your own. Describe that experience. Do you think you flourish more when you are focusing on the needs of other rather than your own? Why?

How do you tend to view becoming the person God wants you to be?
* As a single pursuit woven throughout your daily life.
* One of many pursuits in your life
* Other
Please explain your answer.

Scriptures To Consider

Mark 8:34
God calls each of us to live for something other than ourselves. When Jesus invites His followers to "take up their cross," do you think they understood that it was a call to sacrificial love and serving? How to you feel about this passage? Do you see it as a burden or opportunity or both? Why?

Numbers 13:26-33
How did most of the men respond to challenges that faced them? How did Caleb respond? Why do you think Caleb had a different perspective? How do you think you wouild have responded? Like Caleb or the others?

1 Corinthians 2:2-5
When we think of the person going through the challenge, we think God wants them to completely confident their ability. Paul in this statement is relying on something other than himself.


Romans 12:6-8
The Holy Spirit give us gives for a reason. If you have a gift, it is meant to be used. What would happen is we used our gifts when we faced our challenges? What would happen if we don't use our gifts when we face our challenges?

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Book Study Notes - Session Four - Deepening My Relationships

We will be discussing both Session 4 and 5, Deepening My Relationships and Transforming My Experience. These are the notes for Session Four. I will post the notes for Session 5 shortly.

The Me I Want To Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You by John Ortberg Session Four - Deepening My Relationships (Chapters 15 - 18)

Life giving relationships are important. We flourish the most when we are connected to God and His people. There are benefits to being connected. The author talks about the gifts of "connectedness."

1. Delight (By serving others, you are blessed)
2. Commitment (to community)
3. Love (opportunities to follow the Spirit's lead)
4. Joy (true, deep-in-the-soul richness)
5. Belonging (through God's grace)

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Book Study Notes for Session Two - Renewing My Mind

The Me I Want To Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You by John Ortberg
Session Two - Renewing My Mind (Chapters 7 - 10)

In order to become the best version of you, you must start with one thing, Think Great Thoughts.

1. We must begin to monitor our thoughts. The bible teaches in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we should "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." How does the way you think affect your outlook? Are you a glass half empty or a glass half full thinker?

2. As we monitor our thoughts, we next set our mind. We must decide what we will think about. The author says that our thoughts must incline us toward things such as confidence, love and joy--things that move us toward God. How would you assess your regular thinking on a scale between--rarely think great thoughts to thing great thought all the time? How can you increrase the time you think great thoughts?

3. To help us think great thoughts, we need to provide our mind with "great fuel." Studying the Bible is a great way to do that. Without feeling guilty about your answer, how often do you read the Bible? What factors contribute to your answer? What can you do to increase the amount of time you read the Bible?

Keep reading. Our next monthly fellowship is Thursday, December 20. See you there!

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Book Study Notes - Session One - Discovering the Spirit

The Me I Want To Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You by John Ortberg
Session One - Discovering the Spirit (Chapters 1 - 6)

You were created by God to fulfill the plan He has for you. He made you with the personality, strength and talents necessary to fufill your purpose. This book study is designed to take you on a journey to get from the "me" your are to the "me" God intended--the me you want to be.

In the first chapter the author talks about flourishing and how it never happens if we focus only on ourselves. Being a blessing to others will always result when we are flourishing.

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