Traveling the narrow road
The Life Legacy Team
Choosing the Right Road by The Life Legacy Team
CONTENTS
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Faith ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 About God ............................................................................................................................................... 5 About Jesus ............................................................................................................................................. 6 About the Holy Spirit ............................................................................................................................... 7 About the Bible ....................................................................................................................................... 9 About the Church .................................................................................................................................. 10 About Salvation by Grace ...................................................................................................................... 11 About Human Beings ............................................................................................................................ 12 About Eternity ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Hope ................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Love .................................................................................................................................................................... 20 ALL IN Commitment ........................................................................................................................................... 22 A Declaration of an ALL IN Commitment ........................................................................................................... 28 Taking Next Steps and Key References .............................................................................................................. 29
Introduction This booklet contains the first four of twenty key stepping stones to heaven’s gate in the Life Legacy Ministry and supports the biblical message of traveling the narrow road that is described in Matthew 7:13-14. These stones can also be described as the fundamentals of Christianity which includes Faith, Hope, Love, and a Commitment to Christ. Additional information regarding the remaining stones is contained in Stone 4. This booklet is intended for people who take their eternity, and that of others, seriously by providing a biblically sound and truthful answer to the following two statements: 1—If I were to die tonight, I am confident of spending eternity in Heaven because ____________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ . 2—I am preparing to face Christ at my final life judgment, and hearing Him say “well done, good and faithful servant because ____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ . It is well documented that a large majority of professing Christians are not prepared to answer these questions because of core spiritual needs described below. They: • • •
Know of Christ rather than truly knowing Him, Have not established a personal relationship with Christ, and Have not made an ALL IN commitment to become a follower of Christ.
Becoming a committed follower of Christ requires one to understand, accept, and act on the core spiritual beliefs of Christianity. According to Randy Frazee in The Story, “churches (or ministries in general) face no challenge greater than biblical illiteracy, and the prospects are formidable because the stark fact is that many Christians don’t know what they believe or why having and living by beliefs are important.” Based on his studies, Randy estimates that only 13% of Christians really understand why beliefs are important and actually know what they believe. This further represents the evidence that Christians are facing a faith crisis of epic proportions that is either not understood or not being disclosed and addressed. Unless this ‘spiritual beliefs’ issue is acknowledged and acted on by our ministry leaders, we will continue to have sanctuaries and small group meeting rooms filled with people who ‘believe’ they are ‘Followers’; however, they are really ‘Fans’ because they really don’t know Christ and are unable to define their relationship with Him. To put the issue of ‘Fans’ and ‘Followers’ in perspective regarding beliefs and relationships, a comparison of these groups is described in the following table: •
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Fans of Christ They know about Christ; however, they do not understand and accept the biblical fundamentals regarding Him. They don’t take eternity seriously and often take God for granted. They don’t understand the meaning and importance of experiencing a personal relationship with Christ and do not know how to establish one.
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Followers of Christ They truly know Jesus, His purpose on earth, why He died on the cross on our behalf, and the expectation for living a changed life. They experience a personal relationship with Christ, are guided by the power of the Holy Spirit, and commit to becoming a Follower.
This booklet provides sound biblical and life relevant insights, and “how to” instructions that guides one to: • • •
Truly know Christ Know “how to” establish a personal relationship with Christ. Make an informed commitment to become a follower of Christ. 2
Introducing Core Spiritual Beliefs: ‘What are core spiritual beliefs?’ and ‘why are they so important regarding our eternal destiny?’ These are two questions that few ministries address as being relevant to our current life circumstances and choices that we each make daily. Some practical insights to these questions are: • •
They can be described as the essentials, or most important, messages in scripture regarding Jesus’ life and teachings that provide profound guidance for living according to God’s will. This is why they are described as our core spiritual beliefs. People who truly know, understand, accept, and continually act on these core spiritual beliefs are equipped to make a biblically sound case for spending eternity in Heaven with Christ as result of their personal relationship with Him being the most important relationship in their life.
It is critical to restate that all core beliefs are non-negotiable biblical truths that are understood by those who desire to spend eternity in heaven with Christ, their family members, and others who accepted and acted on them. Understanding and accepting the core beliefs of Christians are necessary for one to truly know Jesus rather than to know of Him by intellectually believing in Him.
Practical Insights Regarding Core Spiritual Beliefs
The beliefs about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, the Church, Salvation, Human Beings, and Eternity represent those which are commonly accepted by all Christian denominations; however, there are other beliefs, doctrines, and practices for which there is disagreement. Christians embrace the concept of the Trinity (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) as bedrock to their faith; a concept that all denominations have in common. The Trinity is a word that is not in the Bible that theologians use to capture God’s essence— three persons who share a being or fundamental nature. There is no way a person can completely understand, let alone explain, the Trinity; however, since God is infinitely greater than we are, we should not expect to be able to do this. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages; however, the following verse in scripture is one of the most familiar and powerful regarding this concept: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19. The concept of the Trinity, or the triune God, can be described as the essence of Christianity; however, it is one of the most difficult biblical concepts that Christians face, and many don’t try to grasp it, because it is too deep for them to understand or take the time try to get their arms around. Some people have used illustrations of the Trinity in geometrical designs. Two examples are described in an attempt to begin to grasp this concept. The first is that of a triangle which has three independent sides connected to form one shape:
The second is that of the symbol of a triquetra, which features three congruent, interwoven arcs, forming a triangle of sorts in the center. One of the most important things to remember about the Trinity is that each member has different tasks and each of the three core beliefs that describe it plays a unique and powerful role in the lives of people. These roles are included in the descriptions of core beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit on the following pages. 3
Stone 1—Faith Belief in God requires one to have faith; which is the single-most important element of the Christian life. Faith is belief with strong conviction in something that there may not be evidence that people with pragmatic minds, as well as atheists and agnostics, seek. Faith is also described as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is best described in Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Understanding the Faith Crisis: In addition to the beliefs dilemma facing Christianity, there are three compelling challenges that must be recognized and addressed in order for fans of Christ to pursue a true faith in Christ. The challenges listed impact a vast majority of Christians. Dealing with these challenges will require people to think differently as a result of having to deal with our personal emotions and our pre-conceived notions.
1—The Inerrancy of the Bible: The Bible is the most researched and highly confusing document ever written; however, most skeptics are not willing to do their homework by reviewing well documented research, putting scripture in proper context, and seeking to gain fundamental understandings regarding Jesus’ life, teachings, and ministry. The word inerrancy means “freedom from error or untruths” and the International Council of Biblical Inerrancy affirmed inerrancy as “scripture without error or fault in all teachings.” In spite of successfully withstanding innumerable attacks regarding its authenticity, less than 30% of Christians believe it has decisive authority regarding what they think about, say, or do.
2—Enduring Evil, Pain, and Suffering: If evil in the world is merely business as usual, the existence of human pain, suffering, unfairness, and cruelty in the world; especially that of the innocent, often leads many people to come to the perception that a loving, merciful, and all-powerful God would not allow this to take place. They believe it is more plausible that God is not who scripture portrays Him to be. Dealing with this way of thinking will require people to address biblical myths, understand scriptural insights, and understand why God chooses to intervene or not intervene in all situations. This requires one to understand and accept the meaning of having to carry our cross as described in Luke 9:23.
3—Image of Christians: Culture is shaped by people, and people are influenced by other people, either for good or for bad. Participation in Christianity is not widely viewed in many areas of the world as having a relevant impact on lives. Outsiders do not see the lifestyles of Christians being any different than that of non-Christians. They also view Christians as being hypocritical, judgmental, and narrow minded because they are not learning and demonstrating what scriptures says about how to live; and, there is a lack of accountability existing in the churches. The image of Christians is further damaged as a result of not addressing the natural sin tendency of many to be selfish and seek possessions and pleasures. This is evidenced by the fact that results of spiritual health surveys indicate less than 15% of Christians model Jesus’ attitude and actions in their daily interactions. This image problem represents a major challenge for addressing our faith crisis. In closing, Faith requires everyone to truly know Jesus by understanding and accepting the core spiritual beliefs of Christianity. The following descriptions are intended to provide basic insights regarding the meaning of each belief, why each belief is important, and how each belief should impact one’s life choices.
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1—About God Biblical insights regarding God: • • •
He created the world and all things visible and invisible. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and present in the hearts and souls of every person. He exists in three personalities: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. These three are equal and come together to Him who is a loving God that offers grace for those who believes in Jesus and seeks forgiveness of sins; however, He is a holy God that will demand payment for sins, both of commission and omission.
Scriptural references about God include: Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; and Isaiah 59:1-2
Why is it Important: The statement that God created the heavens, the earth, everything on the earth, and all the inhabitants on the earth is one of the most challenging concepts confronting the modern mind. There is no explanation other than a supreme creator can possibly explain how something as magnificent as the earth and how the bodies and minds of people grow and function. He is all powerful as result of the fact He can do anything He chooses. Such as perform miracles, to heal people from diseases, and to avoid life tragedies. Many people get mad at Him and never get over it as result of ‘supposedly’ good people having to face adversity and suffering. They need help in gaining a sound biblical perspective of what can be described as a highly troubling spiritual misunderstanding. He knows everything about everything now plus what decisions we will make in the future; however, we have been given the ability to make free choices, to make whatever decisions we choose to make, but we must be prepared to live with the consequences. God has a plan and a purpose for everyone’s life. His plans can be completed as result of: 1) Sending Jesus to earth as an example of how we are supposed to live and to give everyone the choice of spending eternity in heaven as result of His death on the cross, 2) Providing the Holy Spirit to give people courage, confidence, wisdom, and the daily guidance needed for making right moral decisions, and 3) Creating faith communities to support and encourage people’s faith development. He created everyone for mission and ministry and provides everyone with time and other resources as well as one or more special gifts to fulfill their unique life’s purpose; however, many Christians do not discover their special gifts and thus fail to be able to use them, or chose not to use them, as well as God’s provided resources as He intended. As result of Who He is and What He has given us, he expects us to indentify and address the sins of commission and omission in our lives that separate us from Him by living a transformed life that will increasing mirror the way Christ lived as long as we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, many people do not take God or their eternal destiny seriously as result of not understanding Him, not fearing Him or not depending on Him for daily guidance. We frequently take God for granted by viewing him more as a spare tire for when we need help or want special blessings.
Acting on this Belief: This requires one to embrace God at all times, not just when we need Him. It requires that we constantly worship Him by embracing key biblical practices and being willing to live a transformed life by living beyond our comfort zone. Do you embrace God on an ongoing basis? 5
2—About Jesus Biblical insights regarding Jesus: He is the son of God and is co-equal with God the father and the Holy Spirit and He was sent by God into the world to save sinners. He was human and lived a sinless life. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead on the third day to demonstrate his power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for all believers, and will return again to rule as the ultimate king. He is our Lord and we are called to pattern our lives after Him. Scriptural references about Jesus include: Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:1415; 1Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11, 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6 & 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; and Romans 5:1
Why is this Important: He is the only person on earth that ever has or ever will live a sinless life. Since no person will ever live a sinless life; if we accept Christ as our Savior, we are expected to continually sin less and less along our lifelong journey. His death on the cross provided the opportunity for everyone to have their sins forgiven; however, he expects His people to live a transformed life in return for what he did on our behalf as an act of gratitude. Understanding the reason for Jesus’ death on the cross is challenging for many Christians. Our inherited sin nature is to be selfish and to have fears and insecurities which are major barriers to living a transformed life. People are expected to model Jesus’ attitude and actions in daily interactions with others; however, few Christians have clear guidance for being a role model for Christ. This is important because we are the only Bible many people see. Experiencing a personal relationship with Jesus represents the only pathway to Heaven’s gate; therefore, this should be the most important relationship in one’s life. This is why everyone will have to define their relationship with him at the end or their earthly life. Many people make a lifelong decision to truly accept Christ as their moral compass in making decisions when dealing with a life circumstance which calls for strength, wisdom, discernment, and guidance from a higher power; the Holy Spirit. This often represents the moment in life that many people get truly saved rather than the time they made their initial profession of faith at ages in which they possessed minimal biblical knowledge, nor what was expected of them.
Acting on this Belief: This requires one to experience a personal relationship with Christ. To become a reality this must be the most important relationship in one’s life. Many people need help from others in knowing why this is important and how to establish and maintain the relationship. Can you define your relationship with Christ in a manner that is acceptable to His Father?
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3—About the Holy Spirit Biblical Insights: The Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and Jesus Christ and is present in the hearts and souls of humankind to make all aware of their need for Jesus. The Holy Spirit provides Christians with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God. The Holy Spirit guides every believer in using their spiritual gifts to reach out to the unsaved with the good news about the saving grace of Jesus. The Holy Spirit provides daily guidance when we open our hearts to Him. Scriptural references regarding the Holy Spirit include: Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Galatians 5:25; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; and Ephesians 1:13, 5:18
Why is this Important:
When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, He also prayed and heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form as a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit was first received by the Disciples just before Jesus was taken up to heaven following His death and resurrection. This represented God’s way for people to maintain their relationship with His Son as well as to provide the courage, confidence, wisdom, and the daily guidance needed to continue His ministry. As one becomes more like Christ, with the Holy Spirit’s help, one can continue to put aside, or tear down, traits of the old person and to substitute traits of the new person. The Holy Spirit can also be described as the presence of Jesus within one’s heart and soul and functions as one’s spiritual operating system or a spiritual GPS that’s embedded within the heart and becomes “activated” when one accepts Christ and commits to living a changed life that brings honor and joy to Christ. Receiving or accepting the Holy Spirit represents the point in life in which the presence of Jesus within the heart plays an ever-increasing role in guiding one’s thinking, attitude, behaviors, and actions. This is essential for confronting a natural desire for people to be selfish by constantly having to pursue pleasures, prosperity, praise, power, and popularity in today’s worldly culture. The Holy Spirit is a person who possesses us instead of an influence or an attitude we possess.
Acting on this Belief: This requires one to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to guide’s one daily life and the life choices we make. It becomes activated in one’s life immediately upon one truly accepting Jesus and entering into a personal relationship with Him. Since most people struggle with describing the Holy Spirit and how it functions in one’s life, a diagram with supporting information has been developed to help people view how the Holy Spirit interacts within one’s soul and with the mind and heart in guiding one’s thinking, attitude, and life choices Do you truly depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide your life as result of being activated?
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How the Holy Spirit Impacts Our Choices: The following diagram represents a practical attempt to explain how the power of the Holy Spirit impacts one’s thinking, attitude, and life choices. This is approached by describing how the mind, heart, and Holy Spirit functions in one’s daily life as follows: The mind, heart, and soul are shown below as part of one’s soul which represents one’s earthly and eternal being. Although they are shown separately in order to more easily describe the interactions between each, they function more like the Trinity as described in the symbol shown on page 3.
Heart
Mind
Holy Spirit
This version of how the Mind, Heart, and Soul functions to impact one’s thinking, attitude, and life choices is described below: • • •
The Mind houses one’s knowledge, current thinking and attitude regarding all situations faced, and is the final decision maker regarding life choices. The Heart can be described as a processing chamber which houses one’s emotions and feelings, spiritual beliefs, personal values, likes and dislikes, natural sin natures. Also, Satan tries to have major influences on lives in this chamber. The Holy Spirit provides guidance only if it has been activated as result of knowing, accepting, and acting on the core spiritual beliefs of Christianity.
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A change in one’s thinking or attitude or making a life choice requires responses from either the heart or the Holy Spirit as follows:
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For those who have yet to activate Holy Spirit, it has no impact on one’s life choices. For those who have activated the Holy Spirit, the response to the mind has two options as follows: o It can pass through the Heart, through the WWJD filter shown in red, to the mind with varying levels of power in one’s decision making process by following the black arrows. o
Or it can pass to the mind instantly when one understands and allows the power of the Holy Spirit to instantly impact one such as the case when one sense God’s calling by following the path shown by the green arrow.
By enhancing worship disciplines such as applied bible study, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians, the impact on the Holy Spirit as shown by the green arrow in the sketch will be much greater depending on the level of one’s spiritual maturity. 8
4—About the Bible Biblical Insights: It is God’s word to us and was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Because it’s God-inspired, it is truth without any mixture of error. It is the primary authority for our faith and practice. It is the ultimate source of guidance for experiencing an abundant life of joy and happiness. Scriptural references regarding the Bible include: 2 Timothy 3:16, 1:13; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:105, 160, 12:6; and Proverbs 30:5
Why is it Important: It is the revelation of God to humankind. He wants us to know Him and the world he created. It is the most reliable source to turn to for finding the key for living a life of peace, joy, and contentment on a daily basis. Results of the REVEAL Spiritual Health research project indicates that less than 30% of Christians believe it has decisive authority regarding what they think about, say, or do. This appears to be driven by the fact that many challenge the authenticity, accuracy, and authority of the Bible. Our findings regarding the relevancy of Bible include: •
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According to I’m Glad You Asked by Ken Boa and Larry Moody, there is more evidence for the Bible’s authenticity than for any document ever developed. Millions of hours have been spent in crosschecking the manuscripts used in developing the Bible. Archaeological findings have verified the accuracy of many of the historical and cultural references recorded in the Bible. It was written by people who witnessed many of the events recorded. Many of these witnesses were martyred and never changed their story. Also, there were many corroborating witnesses for these events. There were over 300 prophesies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as told in the New Testaments. Potential reasons many people do not believe it represents the absolute moral authority for determining right versus wrong is: (1) the fact that many people in today’s worldly culture resist living according to laws and absolutes, (2) not putting scripture in proper context, and (3) drawing false conclusions regarding the meaning of the scripture in question. This helps one to rationalize their pursuit of worldly ways and to sometimes fabricate their own faith and decisions based on what they want it to be. The Bible contains beliefs and values to live by that should impact our world views towards situations and help to discover God’s will for our lives. The Bible contains principles for helping people to discover God’s views, His will, and govern Spiritual leaders must develop a simple and compelling explanation regarding the authority of the bible and be able to communicate a more convincing and inspiring explanation than has been done to date.
Acting on this Belief: This requires one to depend on and trust the Bible as having decisive authority over what one thinks about, says, or does… If not the Bible, what resources are you using to guide your life choices?
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5—About the Church Biblical insights: The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's life and ministry in the world today. The purpose of the church is to help all people transform into Disciples of Jesus Christ, or to state it another way, to help people become committed followers of Christ. The church is called to help people worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith. The primary scriptural reference regarding the beginning of the church is contained in Acts 2:40-47. This passage describes the time when about 3,000 people became new believers as Peter preached the good news about Christ. They were devoted to the apostles’ teachings and to fellowship with others. They continued to meet together in the temple and in homes to share meals, enjoy each other’s company, and to praise God.
Why is it Important: The church as described in Acts was more like small communities of believers who came together to fulfill the Great Commission as described in Matthew 28. Too much emphasis is being directed towards the church as defined by organized religion in today’s modern era of Christianity. When Jesus created the original church, as described in Acts, do you believe that He ever intended that there would be so many denominations that have mandated so many man inspired absolutes regarding the denominations faith practices and principles? This has led some denominations to believe they are the only ones that have got it right and members of other denominations are condemned to hell. This is difficult to believe; however, it’s the reality of today’s religious culture that has allowed pride and arrogance to become engrained in some doctrines. In view of the fact that everyone was created for mission and ministry by being provided with one or more special gifts, it can be concluded that the church (or any faith community group) must accept the responsibility for helping people discover those gifts and live a life that clearly fulfills God’s purpose. In True Spirituality by Chip Ingram, the following two insights appear to be contributing factors regarding outsider’s views that participation in ministries, or Christianity in general, does not result in having a relevant spiritual impact on lives lived: • •
Few pastors can describe a Disciple of Jesus Christ; otherwise described as a follower in a manner that is clearly understood and relevant to current life circumstances. Few churches have a clear, systematic plan for clearly guiding their member’s personal faith development and assisting them to build a personal relationship with Christ.
Acting on this Belief: This becomes a reality in one’s own life through participation in a faith community that helps equip them to become a true follower of Christ by teaching the core beliefs of Christianity in a manner that they can comprehend, accept and act on. Acting on these beliefs is the choice that everyone must personally make. Do you participate in a faith community that provides you the guidance and support needed to help you become prepared for eternity at the end of your earthly life?
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6—About Human Beings Biblical Insights: People are made in the image of God, to be like Him in character. People were created as physical and spiritual beings. The spiritual being originated in God’s Spirit, and He transforms them into becoming more like Christ. People can choose to accept or reject a relationship with Jesus Christ. All people need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully human. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin" which we are born with. Sin separates us from God and causes many problems in our life. For those people who accept Christ and the gift of salvation, there is no cause to worry about the final judgment before Christ. Without having faith, it is impossible to please God because those who come to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Scriptural references regarding Human Beings include: Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2; Hebrews 10:31; and Hebrews 11:6.
Why is it Important: As result of being created in the image of God, one’s self worth can become recognized with a sense of joy when they find true meaning and purpose in life as result of being connected with Christ and having sincere relationships with fellow believers. To be like God in character suggests we model Jesus’ attitude, behaviors, and actions in daily interactions. This is important because Christians are the only ‘Bible’ many people see, and unless there is something about them that cause them to want to learn more about Christianity, they will continue in their current tracks. We cannot become the person we were created to become unless we establish our true identity in Christ. This is how we are provided with the means to establish the true identity: • • • • • • • •
Hope for the future God desires for everyone. A need for establishing a personal relationship with Christ A need for the power of the Holy Spirit to guide our lives Unique ministry opportunities to utilize our gifts, talents, and passions The freedom to forgive ourselves and others A sense of peace, joy, and contentment daily, regardless of circumstances faced An inner desire to make a difference in lives of others A desire to be closely connected with others
Acting on this Belief: This belief is acted on when people truly accept Christ as their Savior as result one’s relationship with Him being the most important relationship in their life and resulting in depending on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide their life. Are you actively seeking to become the person you were created to become?
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7—About Salvation by Grace Biblical insights: Salvation is God's free gift to us but we must accept it by confessing our sins, truly seeking repentance, and committing to living a transformed life, or a new life in Christ. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn away from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are truly saved. Only by salvation through acceptance of Jesus Christ as Teacher, Lord, and Savior can a person be forgiven of their sins and prepared to spend an eternity in heaven with God and fellow believers. Scriptural references about salvation by grace include: Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6, 1:2; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1, 10:9-10
Why is it Important: This is one of the more difficult core spiritual beliefs to grasp. There is concern that many ministries are not clearly explaining the complete meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross since many people do not understand it and as such think they must do “good acts” to be saved. As result of God’s willingness to sacrifice his son, He expects people to live a transformed life as an act of gratitude for being willing to give everyone the opportunity to enter heaven’s gate at the end of their earthly life. In today’s religious culture, spiritual leaders are quick to share the blessings of salvation; however, reluctant to communicate what God’s expects of his people as result of who Jesus is, what he did for us, and the responsibilities that come with the gift of grace. We can do nothing to “earn” grace. But if we truly understand His sacrifice for us, we will work hard to change our sinful ways, to emulate the things that Christ did and told us to do while He was here on earth. And in that manner, we will become more Christ-like. But we must recognize that this transformation is very difficult because it goes against the human nature that we were born with. The message communicated by many of today’s ministries regarding “the free gift of grace” appears to represent a false understanding among many professing Christians. It’s not “free” as result of there being a “cost” for becoming a follower of Jesus by living a transformed life. This “cost” is driven by an expectation of living a transformed life of self sacrifice that sets people apart from the rest of society. Another way of describing the free gift of Grace is that Christ is willing to do His part if people are willing to do their part without pre-existing conditions. Contrary to popular opinion, no one can ever be good enough, based on their human actions, to be assured of spending eternity in heaven. As result of not being told the complete story of the message of salvation by grace, or not understanding it, people can become misinformed regarding their spiritual reality. This has serious un-intended consequences regarding one’s eternal destiny.
Acting on this Belief: This belief is acted on when one truly understands the real reason Christ died on the cross, and as an act of gratitude being willing to be repentant to past sins, and commit to live a transformed life following Christ’s examples. Have you accepted the gift of salvation as result of understanding the expectations for living a transformed life according to God’s will and purpose for your life? 12
8—About Eternity Biblical Insights: People were created to exist forever, in one form or another. We will either exist eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation or eternally separated from God by sin. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. Scriptural references regarding eternity include: John 3:16, 14:17; Romans 6:23, 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; and 1 Corinthians 2:7-9 This is put in powerful biblical perspective by the two following powerful scriptural references: “Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew 7:14 The two scriptural references shown above are compelling due to: (1) describing the only biblically sound way to be allowed to enter heaven’s gate and (2) clearly communicates the reality of the decisions we make on this earth.
Why is it Important: In today’s society, many people don’t believe hell really exists and many Christians spend little time thinking about their eternal lives and do not know what’s really required to spend eternity in heaven. Also, a majority of people who claim no religious affiliation believe they will go to heaven either because they are a good person or because they rationalize their definition of faith. Even though people don’t want to think about Hell, they desperately need to know what it will be like in order to guide them in choosing their eternal destination as follows: • •
The Bible describes hell as a place weep, wailing, gnashing of teeth, flames, torment everlasting punishment, and being a place of darkness forever. No nightmare can produce a terror to match that of Hell. People who go there abandon all hope forever. Heaven is described as the most fantastic place with beyond imagination. People will get a resurrected body and will never have to experience any pain, suffering, sorrow, or disappointment. They will also spend time forever in community with Christ, family members, and others that choose to travel the narrow pathway.
After reviewing our two choices, what should we not be willing to do to spend eternity in Heaven?
Acting on the Belief: This requires one to take their eternal destiny, and that of others, seriously by clearly understanding what’s really required to become a follower of Christ; and, by understanding and acting on living the clear biblical expectations that support the two scriptural references shown above. Are you taking eternal destinies seriously?
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A Faith Assessment Tool The purpose of this tool is to provide an opportunity for you to conduct a self assessment regarding how you know, accept, and act on the core beliefs of Christianity. Please evaluate your current level of faith as determined by your response to the eight statements listed below by scoring on the following scale: 5—True to a Great Extent
4—Generally True
3—Somewhat True
2—Recognized as a belief that needs to be addressed
I believe that God created the world and all things visible and invisible and believe He created everyone with a plan and specific purpose in mind. I take God seriously and am committed to discovering and fulfilling His purpose for my life. I believe Jesus is God’s Son and lived a sinless life on earth in order that we can pattern our live after Him. I also believe He died on the cross in order that I have an opportunity for my sins to be forgiven as a condition of spending eternity in Heaven with Him. I am able to clearly define my relationship with Him as a condition for being allowed to enter the gates of Heaven at the end of my earthly life. I believe that the Holy Spirit represents Jesus’ presence within people and comforts people when they are in need and convicts people when they stray from God. I depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide my thinking, attitude, speech and actions. I believe the Bible is God’s word written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and represents the primary authority for our faith and practice. The Bible has decisive authority regarding what I think about, say, or do. I believe that the church was created to be an extension of Christ’s life in today’s ministries. The purpose of the church is to help build committed followers of Christ by preparing them for mission and ministry. I participate in a faith community in which I serve in ministry by utilizing the resources provided by God. I believe that human beings were created in the image of God, to be like Him in character by being in constant relationship with Him. I strive to pattern my life after Him by seeking to model Christ’ attitude and actions in my daily interactions with others. I believe salvation by grace is God’s gift to us as result of His willingness to sacrifice His Son on the cross that our sins be forgiven for those who earnestly seek repentance. I accept this forgiveness and as an act of gratitude I am committed to living a transformed life modeled after Christ’s teachings and actions. I believe everyone was created to exist forever in Heaven or Hell; otherwise described as eternity. I am confident of spending eternity in Heaven with Christ as result of being able to define my relationships with Him when I knock on the door to Heaven’s gate at the end of my earthly life.
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1—Not True
After reflecting on the results of this self assessment, please identify any of the core beliefs for which you might need to gain additional insights or seek guidance from a spiritual mentor. #
Descriptions of Core Beliefs that Needs Attention
1 2 3
Concluding Observation Regarding Faith: After reviewing the written narratives, it can be concluded that a faith that brings honor and joy to Christ is COMMITTED as result of a person’s obedience and perseverance to complete their life journey, CONTAGIOUS as result of others seeing Christ being modeled in one’s life, and CONVICTING as result of seeing one being willing to fight the good fight while having to deal with life’s storms and serving in ministry by utilizing one’s gifts, talents, and passions.
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Stone 2—Hope God’s eternal hope for us is for everyone to spend eternity in heaven with His Son, Jesus Christ because He is eagerly waiting on us. His earthly Hope is for us to live an abundant and fruitful life as result of pursuing things that bring joy to Christ and self as result of our constantly seeking guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the booklet ‘Fan or Follower?’, we defined God’s earthly hope as that which satisfies the deepest longing of souls.
Experiencing a sense of peace, joy, and contentment daily; regardless of circumstances faced by: • • • • •
Having close believing friends for engaging in authentic faith conversations; particularly those who really know, understand, and accept us. Discovering and experiencing a life of clear meaning and purpose Having a relevant impact on the lives by serving in one’s personal ministry Being valued, respected, and having a clear conscious Being confident of spending eternity in heaven
Why Hope is Important: Three key reasons include: 1 2 3
May the God of hope fill with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit………. Romans 15:13 The most important practical insight regarding hope is paraphrased from Proverbs 29:18 as follows: “without vision (or hope), the people perish.” Hope also liberates, motivates, initiates, and activates one as follows: o Liberates by releasing us from our past o Motivates by providing encouragement to move forward o Initiates by allowing one to dream about what’s possible o Activates by providing the power, strength, and courage needed to move forward
Key Barriers to Achieving the Hope God Desires for Us 1 2
A desire for seeking worldly temptations as described in Romans 12: Not being able to move beyond our past.
Everyone carries some kind of baggage or sin from their past; however, very few people are willing to objectively determine the degree to which their past is impacting their ability to move forward in becoming spiritually mature. A number of warning signs which represent common symptoms of those who are still carrying some unhealthy degree of past baggage is shown below: Fear
Blame
Shame
Arrogance
Being Judgmental
Rejection
Worry
Stress
Jealousy
Low Self Esteem
Selfish
Pessimist
Bitterness
Lacking Courage
Lacking Confidence
Anger
Distrustful
Approval Seeker
Having Guilt
Narrow Minded
Forgiving
Demanding
Depressed
Lonely
Rationalizing
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The ability to move beyond one’s past represents one of the greatest challenges most people face during their life in order to have hope for the future God desires when people were born; however, most people do not recognize this or are willing to deal with it in a proactive manner. This requires one to become emotionally healthy by being able to recognize and manage their emotions in a manner whereby one is in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. According to Emotionally Spiritually Unhealthy by Peter Scazzero, many Christian’s in today’s society experience difficulties in moving beyond their past. 3
Not knowing or being committed to achieve His hope as a result of being willing to live according to His way by having and following a clear, systematic plan for making His hope a reality.
Three Powerful Questions: By reflecting on the warning symptoms listed on page 3, three questions are posed below as a first step in gaining understandings of potential root causes of what might be keeping you from moving forward in life. 1
Do I have difficulties in forgiving myself as result of experiencing an unhealthy sense of remorse or regret over something I have done in my past?
2
Do I have difficulties in forgiving others due to things that have happened to me in the past?
3
Do I have the freedom needed to move forward as result of having allowed others to have undue control over my thinking and actions by constantly seeking their approval?
Hope Impact on Spiritual Lives: As a result of forgiving self, forgiving others, and having freedom; one can become liberated, motivated, initiated, and activated. This prepares one to experience the following desired life attributes needed for having a hope that matters as result of: •
Thinking clearly and reasoning objectively
•
Understanding God’s purpose for our life and serving in ministry when and where called
•
Dealing with ongoing life circumstances
•
Experiencing authentic relationships
•
Living a properly balanced life
Does the earthly hope described in this stone satisfy the deepest longings of your soul? A hope that matters assessment tool follows for those who wish to learn potential next steps in experiencing the hope God had in store for them when they were born.
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A Hope Assessment Tool The purpose of this tool is to allow one to think about and reflect on their level of achievement and to identify potential barriers that need to be addressed in order to achieve an earthly hope that matters most. Please evaluate your current level of progress relative to achievement and identify potential barriers by scoring the statements listed below according to the following scale: 5—True to a Great Extent
4—Generally True
3—Somewhat True
2—Recognized as a Need and Currently Addressing
1—Not True
Part I—Level of Achievement I have close believing friends for engaging in authentic faith conversation; particularly those with those that really know and understand me. I am currently experiencing a life of clear meaning and purpose. I currently experience a sense of peace, joy, and contentment daily; regardless of circumstances faced. I am having a relevant impact on lives of others as a result of utilizing my special gifts where being called. I believe I am valued and respected by others; and I have a clear conscious. I am confident of going to heaven as result of knowing and embracing the essentials of Christianity.
Part II—Identification of Potential Barriers Factor 1: Keeping a Fresh and Open Mind
Assessment of My Situation
I am able to constantly recharge my life battery by being able to organize my daily schedule to allocate time for work, rest, play, and reflection as appropriate. This requires one to pay attention to those things which drain one’s daily life the most. Key potent killers include: (1) being around demanding people, (2) hectic schedules, (3) excessive worry and guilt, (4) unhealthy thoughts, (5) not setting priorities, and (6) not being willing to listen to differing views. Factor 2: Setting Higher Expectations
Assessment of My Situation
I believe good things are in store for me as result of having a positive attitude towards life and focusing on things that matter most. Key attitudes and actions that helps one raise their level of expectations include: (1) believing that God has better days ahead, (2) replacing fear with faith, and (3) replacing “what if” with “why not.”
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Factor 3: Staying Focused on a Better Future
Assessment of My Situation
I am able to focus on achieving a better future even when circumstances beyond my control occur. I am not afraid to set my sights and focus my energies on new opportunities as result of understanding and embracing the following life realities: (1) passions can replace apathy and discouragement, (2) everyone can experience great comebacks, (3) grace frees one from the chains of the past to move forward, and (4) people are created to have the freedom to dream. Factor 4: Utilizing My Special Gifts
Assessment of My Situation
I know and embrace the fact that God has provided me with one or more special gifts to minister to others in a manner that brings joy to Christ. This requires one to intentionally seek to discover one’s God given gifts in order to: (1) maximize one’s potential to make a positive impact, (2) live a life with clear meaning and purpose, (3) to seek to experience joy rather than happiness, and (4) to build a life legacy that matters. Factor 5: Refusing to Travel Alone
Assessment of My Situation
I am willing to ask for help and constantly seek help from others when I need it. People need to develop authentic relationships with believing friends that: (1) help to enlarge their vision, (2) help to sharpen souls, (3) model Christ and mentor personal growth, (4) share burdens and blessings, and (5) are willing to share “tough love” when needed by holding one accountable. Factor 6: Constantly Moving Forward
Assessment of My Situation
I know how to protect myself against the things that can drag me down emotionally and spiritually. I am able to move beyond my past and refuse to allow past circumstances and those with undue influences to hold me back from becoming the person I was created to become. This requires that I acknowledge and address the key warning sights and powerful questions that represent barriers to having hope that matters. Using a Hope That Matters Assessment Tool There are no pass/fail scores associated with this exercise. Those choosing to pilot test this should consider the statements with the highest scores as strongest predictors of hope whereas the statements with the lowest scores as those which you may need to strengthen. If you wish to know more regarding where you are and potential next steps regarding your level of hope, it is recommended that you purchase and read The HOPE QUOTIENT by Ray Johnson (by W Publishing in 2014) and take the automated HQ Assessment Test that is included in each new book on page 39. Only one free assessment is available with each book purchased.
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Stone 3—Love The purpose of this stone is to put Love in a proper perspective as result of people having a biblically sound understanding of what it means, why it so important, and how it should impact our lives. This word is one of the most misunderstood words in the secular world due to unhealthy desires for pursuing idols such as pleasures, possessions, and power. It is mentioned in scripture approximately 550 times and it has been defined as a fundamental element of Christianity. Unfortunately this has different meanings to different people based on the nature of one’s relationship with Christ. A Biblical Perspective: The passage shown below represents the overarching message of the New Testament. This is why Love is a fundamental element of Christianity as result of being described as a spiritual outcome of those who possess a biblically faith and the hope God had in store for them when they were created. “Love the lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-40. Demonstrating this type of love requires one to have a sense of deep gratitude to Jesus because His death on the cross provided the opportunity to be rescued from the power of Satan and to live a life of clear meaning and purpose; however, this requires one to repent of past sins and to sin and sin along their lifelong spiritual journey. This requires one to comprehend and accept the core belief regarding salvation by grace only. Practical Insights To help put the concept of love in action in a practical perspective, please reflect on the two questions posed below: 1 2
“What would you not do for someone who performed a heroic act that either saved your life or that of a member of your family? “If we truly believed that Jesus died on the cross in order to give us the chance of spending eternity in heaven with Him, what should we not be willing to do as an act of gratitude?”
Key Indicators There are a number of key vital indicators of love in action that brings joy to Christ: • • • • • • • •
Having the freedom needed to forgive those who have hurt us and / or a family member. Worshipping God becomes a lifestyle. Building sincere spiritual relationships with fellow Christians. Participating in a small group which is clearly focused on helping people grow spiritually. Utilizing God’s gifts, talents, and passions while serving in mission and ministry. Making life changes needed for living more like Christ. Models Jesus’ attitude and actions in daily interactions. Impacting the eternal destinies of others.
Love Changes Life Priorities Those who live by the message contained in Matthew 22:37-40 experience a lifestyle that satisfies the deepest longings of the soul as result of experiencing a sense of peace, joy, and contentment daily; regardless of circumstances. This requires one to embrace the following JOY life priorities: • • •
Jesus is #1, Others are #2, You are #3. 20
A Love Assessment Tool
The purpose of this tool is to provide an opportunity for us to conduct a self assessment regarding how Christ views each of us regarding biblical commands contained in Matthew 22:37-40. Please evaluate your “love quotient” in regard to the ten statements listed below by scoring on the following scale: 5—True to a Great Extent
4—Generally True
3—Somewhat True
2—Recognized as an Issue that needs to be Addressed
1—Not True
My relationship with Christ is the most important relationship in my life. I am able to keep natural temptations for seeking and having earthly pleasures from becoming more important than serving the needs of others. Worship is a viewed as a personal lifestyle choice rather than being a religious ritual. I seek to please Christ in all I think about, all I say, and all I do. I demonstrate compassion and concerns for the plight of those in need. I have forgiven myself and others as result of being hurt from past life circumstances. I treat others just like I want to be treated. I treat others with respect; particularly those who are different from me. I don’t feel superior to others as result of constantly seeking to have my way or knowing what’s best. I don’t seek special treatment or undue influences in situations I’m involved in.
After reflecting on the results of the self assessment, please identify your top three ways for demonstrating a greater love for Christ and others below: #
Descriptions of Opportunities for Demonstrating Greater Love
1 2 3
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Stone 4—Making an ALL IN Commitment Let’s begin by putting this stone in perspective for those who choose the right road in their life-long spiritual journey. The first three stones provided biblical insights regarding the Christian fundamentals of Faith, Hope, and Love. Those who understand and embrace these should clearly know Jesus rather than merely knowing of Him. There are two additional core spiritual needs of a vast majority of Christians that were identified in the Introduction that need to be brought back to your attention as follows: •
The phrase establishing a personal relationship with Christ is one of the most important spiritual phrases communicated by today’s ministry leaders; however, a vast majority of Christians struggle with knowing the meaning, the importance, and “how to” establish a personal relationship with Christ. According to Kyle Idleman, author of “Not a Fan”, only those who can clearly define their relationship with Christ will be allowed to enter Heaven’s gate at the end of their earthly life.
•
The term committing to follow Christ is another highly important phrase that a vast majority of Christians struggle with knowing the meaning, the importance, and “how to” live this out in one’s daily life. The concept of becoming a follower of Christ is best described in Luke 9:23 when Christ told the disciples that they must deny themselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. This is what making an All IN Commitment to become a follower of Christ really means; however, people need a life road map with clear expectations for traveling the narrow road to Heaven’s gate.
This stone is the most life impacting stone in the Life Legacy Ministry because it is clearly focused on helping people become prepared for eternity by “nailing down” the remaining two core spiritual needs of a vital majority of Christians that are described above. In addition to being allowed to enter Heaven’s gate as result of experiencing a relationship with Christ, participants in this ministry will be taught how living a new life in Christ helps them become prepared to hear “well done, good and faithful servant” at their final life examination before Christ. Establishing a Personal Relationship with Christ This highly important spiritual topic is extremely difficult to grasp and somewhat threatening to many professing Christians because of a natural tendency to want to provide pat answers to difficult topics and biblical passages such as this. We also live in a world in which people want to feel good, be comfortable, and not be told any bad news in their ministry environment; however, this is not possible in order to come to grips with the topic of establishing a public relationship with Christ. Our communications strategy in helping people to gain and embrace an understanding of this is four-fold as follows: • • • •
Present words and messages that can be understood at the 6th-8th grade level. Present the subject matter in a manner in which it resonates with people. Viewed as being relevant to one’s current life circumstances. Inspires people to want to take some type of action.
There are varying levels of understandings regarding this spiritual topic among professing Christians; therefore, this is extremely difficult to undertake this in a large group setting or in environments for which pat answers are the norm. For this reason, it is highly recommended that this be addressed in a small group environment in which people feel safe to share their insights and ask questions without being looked down on. We have developed a four step process to help one establish a personal relationship with Christ as follows: Step 1— Know the Meaning of Experiencing a Personal Relationship 22
Let’s start with describe a basic understanding of this as follows: “We experience this when we truly know and love Christ as result of who He is and what He did for as result of His death on the Cross. We establish this relationship with Christ the moment in life that we begin the process of relying more and more on the power of the Holy Spirit along our lifelong journey, rather than ourselves, to guide our daily life choices because our relationship with Him is the most important relationship in our life; therefore, we seek to please him in all we think about, say, and do.” This is somewhat similar to that of a marriage; whereas one needs to truly know and trust their potential mate before making a vow to live together for life; however, the relationship with Christ matters most. In Stone 1, we stated that those who understand and accept the core beliefs of Christianity have a biblically sound basis for truly knowing Christ; however, this does not ensure that one understands the importance of experiencing a relationship with Him. This is addressed in the next step. Step 2—Know the Importance of Establishing a Personal Relationship: Establishing a personal relationship with Christ is the most important relationship one can ever achieve during one’s earthly life because we will have to define our relationship with Him at the end of our earthly life in order to be allowed to enter Heaven’s gate. Those who cannot properly define this relationship will hear “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.” (Matthew 25-11-13) There are a number of earthly reasons why this is important. Key reasons include: • • • • • •
We were created by our Heavenly Father in His image and have an inner desire to be connected with Him. He serves as our mediator, provides much needed strength to deal with adversity; and provides wisdom, discernment, and guidance. He alone can forgive us for our sins if we confess them and seek repentance. He provides the freedom to live without fears of shame, guilt, and frustration. We need a role model to pattern our attitude, behaviors, and actions after. We need to have the deepest longings of our souls satisfied by: o Having spiritual friends for engaging in authentic faith conversations; particularly those who really know, understand, and accept us. o Discovering and experiencing a life of clear meaning and purpose. o Having a relevant impact on lives of others. o Being valued, respected, and having a clear conscious. o Being confident of spending eternity in Heaven.
Step 3—Know the Costs This step represents the bad news that many professing Christians do not want to hear or address. This is largely because living a Christian lifestyle as largely viewed as believing in Jesus, being saved at one’s baptism, feeling good and comfortable as result of participating in varying levels of religious rituals and activities, and being a good person that does good deeds. The costs are contained in Luke 9:23 as follows: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take us his cross, and follow me.” Two major costs for holding most professing Christians back would be: • Denying themselves by resisting natural sin desires and worldly temptations • Accepting the many burdens in the form of suffering, hardships, fears, worries, life tragedies, frustrations, life disappointments, and bitterness in order to grow closer to Christ. 23
Additional information regarding how we must deny ourselves and take us our cross is contained in the booklet Living Like Christ. Step 4–Know “How to” Establish a Personal Relationship This represents a struggle with the many fans of Christ that have not established a personal relationship with Christ. Many Christians have been exposed to what is commonly described as the A-B-C process when they believe they have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior in conjunction with their baptism, or making some type of profession of faith. This requires one to: • • •
Acknowledge a need for forgiveness Believe in Christ, and Commit to Christ
This is a sound biblical process and most ministries utilizing this process provide powerful scriptural references to support each action in the process; however, we are concerned that a vast majority of people do not know and accept the fundamentals of Christianity as described in the first three stones. As a result they do not truly know Jesus; therefore, they are unable to establish a personal relationship with Him because they do not understand the meaning and importance of this. This is a major reason a vital majority of Christians are fans of Christ rather than committed followers of Christ. Many people have what is described as a “come to Jesus moment” later in life mostly as result of having to deal with a life storm or situation in which they recognize the need for the power of a higher source for providing daily guidance and support. Most of these people didn’t know what type of lifestyle that was in accordance with God’s will at the time of their baptism in terms of having a personal relationship with Christ and living a transformed life as described in Romans 12. These people need more exposure to life circumstances before recognizing a need to have the power of the Holy Spirit to guide their life. For those wishing to “nail down” their relationship with Christ in order to be confident of spending eternity in Heaven with Him, we suggest the following actions that address the core spiritual needs of vast majority of Christians be validated as follows: •
The first action is to re-affirm that you truly know Jesus as result of understanding and embracing the core beliefs of Christianity that were described in Stone 1.
•
The second action is to recognize that you need guidance and support from the power of a higher source to deal with your current life circumstances and be willing to transfer control of your life choices from yourself to that of the Holy Spirit. This represent a moment in life that you recognize that your relationship with Christ must become the most important relationship in your life. There are a number of life circumstances that might lead you to have a desire to experience a life moment that causes you to choose the narrow road to heaven’s gate; however, you must confess and seek repentance of past sins. Examples of situations that drive this life choice include: o o o o o
•
Dealing with one or more life storms that is having a significant impact on relationships Not being willing to forgive oneself as result of carrying guilt and shame over past sins Not being willing to forgive others that have hurt you Not being willing to move beyond one’s past Needing to connect with their heavenly Father via their relationship with Christ.
The final action is to submit your life to Christ as result of allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to become activated within your soul. This is the time you have confessed past sins and recognize that a life with 24
Christ represents the only way you can live with a sense of peace, joy, and contentment daily; regardless of life circumstances. This can also be described as giving Christ a set of keys to your life car. Prior to making this commitment, one should recognize the following key barriers most people must come to grips with: o o
A natural desire to be self-dependent Confronting natural desires for power, pleasures, possessions, popularity, and praise
This is a difficult concept for many people to accept because many Christians believe that nothing can be more important than relationships within their immediate family; however, it is unlikely that these people recognize the joys and blessings as described above are available only to those who allow the presence of Jesus to guide one’s thinking, attitude, and choices. Most people need guidance and support from others that have experienced similar life storms and are willing to share their faith story and help others recognize that they are not alone. This is because stories are powerful learning tools, particularly faith stories. A typical faith story consists of the three elements: o o o
Sharing the storm or life situation that was being experienced. Sharing what caused one to call out to God for help. Sharing what’s happened since this moment in one’s life
Having and Following a Road Map with Clear Expectations for Daily Living Once one makes a commitment to experience a personal relationship with Christ, they need to have biblically clear expectations for living a new life in Christ. There is a powerful saying: “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail!” Few ministries have a simple plan to guide people during key phases of their lifelong spiritual journey, a process to determine next steps, and an element of personal accountability. A clear, systematic plan has been developed in the form of a house that identifies four spiritual phases of one’s lifelong journey with 20 key stepping stones that supports the biblical message of traveling the narrow road to Heaven’s gate as described in Matthew 7:13-14 is shown on the following page.
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A Life Plan with Biblically Clear Expectations “Getting Prepared for Eternity”
20-Impacting Eternal Destinies 18-Living a Healthy Lifestyle
19-Having a Personal Ministry
16-Utilizing God’s Time Wisely
17-Utilizing God’s Money Wisely
Phase IV—Living For Christ 14-Modeling Jesus Daily 11-Buiding Sincere Relationships
15-Making Life Changes
12-Making Right Decisions
13-Resisting Worldly Temptations
Phase III—Living Like Christ 8-Having a Dependent and Trusting Prayer Life 5-Having Life Changing Worship Experiences
9-Serving in Ministry with Others 6-Participtating in Small Growth Groups
10-Discovering One’s Life Purpose 7-Applying Scripture Daily
Phase II—Experiencing Right Worship 1-Faith
2-Hope
3-Love
4-ALL IN Commitment
Phase I—Comprehending and Acting on the Fundamentals Comments Regarding the Road Map with Clear Expectations 1-The life road map or (clear, systematic plan) is shown in the form of a house 2-Few Christians have been properly trained to worship God in the key biblical disciplines identified in Phase II. 3-Outsiders do not view participation in Christianity as having a relevant impact on lives. The ten stones identified in Phases III and IV represents key ways for Christians to: (1) model Christ’ attitude and actions in daily interactions, and (2) to have a relevant impact on the lives by living like and for Christ.
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Making an ALL IN Commitment This represents an enhanced level of clarity, commitment and accountability than exists in a vast majority of ministries. This is driven by a need for everyone to identify and take clearly defined next steps after they are confident that they know, accept, and act on the core beliefs of Christianity. These people experience a personal relationship with Christ. The moment one truly establishes a personal relationship with Christ represents the launch point for living a new life in Christ; otherwise described as a transformed life. According to Chip Ingram in True Spirituality, few ministries provide a clear, systematic plan for guiding their lifelong spiritual journey. This represents a need for ministry leaders to clearly describe what a Christian lifestyle looks like after they leave the church campus. The ALL-IN Commitment depicts such a plan containing biblically clear expectations that were shown on the previous page Mutual Spiritual Growth Agreement This represents a strategy for enhancing the level of clarity, commitment and accountability for those who desire to become the person they were created to become by fulfilling God’s purpose for their life This agreement is shown as A Declaration of an All-IN Commitment on the following page. It requires those making this clearly defined commitment to have one or more spiritual partners for mutually supporting and encouraging each other’s lifelong spiritual journey by having a signed agreement. A process for helping people to identify life changes needed for one to be a better role model of Christ will be contained in a follow up booklet Living Like Christ.
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A Declaration of an ALL IN Commitment The purpose of this mutual spiritual growth agreement is to strengthen my commitment to becoming the person I was created to become as result of establishing a personal relationship with Christ and committing to be guided by the power of the Holy Spirit and following a clear, systematic plan with biblically sound expectations for daily living. Recognizing the vows are hard to keep, I desire a higher level of commitment and accountability by putting this commitment in written form and signed by one or more spiritual friends that are needed to provide support, encouragement, and accountability. Whereas: • • • • • •
I proclaim my faith in Christ as result of understanding and embracing the core beliefs of Christianity, and have a faith story that I’m willing to share. I claim God’s earthly and eternal hope for me. I acknowledge my unwavering love of God and His people. I truly know Christ and have established a personal relationship with Him. I am making an ALL IN Commitment to become a follower of Christ by living a changed life, or a new life in Christ by sinning less and less along my life-long journey. I will become a faithful servant by: o Worshipping God properly o Modeling Jesus’ attitude, behaviors, and actions in my daily interactions o Serving faithfully by properly utilizing my God given resources of time, money, spiritual gifts, talents, and passions in ministry to others. o Helping others to become prepared for eternity.
Now therefore, I wish to declare: “To mark and celebrate this declaration, I am placing my signature on this document and request one or more of my spiritual friends to help nurture my lifelong journey by providing support, encouragement, and accountability. Name ______________________________________ Date _________________ Spiritual Friend ______________________________ Date _________________ Additional Spiritual Friends: Spiritual Friend ______________________________ Date _________________ Spiritual Friend ______________________________ Date _________________ Spiritual Friend ______________________________ Date _________________
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Taking a Next Step After signing the ALL IN Commitment Agreement, the next step is to read the next booklet in the series Called to Worship and participate in a short course that allows people to worship God the right way for the right reason in the following key worship disciplines: • • • • • •
Weekend worship Participation in small growth groups Trusting and dependent prayer Applied Bible study Serving with Joy Discovering one’s life purpose
Key References 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
MOVE: What 1,000 Churches Reveal about Spiritual Growth, 2011 by Greg Hawkins and Cally Parkinson, Zondervan eBooks The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?, 2013 by Rick Warren, Zondervan True Spirituality: Becoming a Romans 12 Christian, 2013 by Chip Ingram, Howard Books, a division of Simon & Shuster The Hope Quotient by Frank Johnson Radical by David Platt Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero The Story by Randy Frazee Results of the 2013 Barna Group Survey Materials used in the Starting Point Ministry at Guilford College United Methodist Church I’m Glad You Asked by Ken Boa and Larry Moody Bible
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