Going Deeper
Steppingstone Discipleship Series
Booklet 2
Church of the Nazarene
Introduction to Booklet Two
We offer our sincere congratulations to you for having completed the ten lessons of “First Steps in the Christian Life.” You have learned a lot, and we hope you have enjoyed it.
You are now ready to take on a new challenge: ten more lessons under the general title of “Going Deeper.” Babies begin with a diet of milk, but as they progress in growth they need a change to more solid food. (See 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:13-14.) When we reach a certain point of spiritual growth, we are told to “leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity” (Heb. 6:1).
In these lessons, we will move ahead into some of the deeper aspects of the Christian life. We will be dealing with:
1. Sharing Your Faith
2. Christian Stewardship
3. What God Really Wants
4. Making Christ Lord
5. Living a Holy Life
6. Discovering God’s Will
7. Serving God
8. Loving Others
9. Learning to Trust God
10. Developing Vision for God’s Work
Don’t just read the lessons; apply them to your daily life. Keep moving ahead! Let the Holy Spirit work in your life to make some changes where needed. Make it your goal to develop as fast as possible toward Christian maturity. It is a thrill to allow God to work in your life to make you what He wants you to be. Do not accept anything less than God’s best for you!
Our prayer for you is the same as Paul prayed for the Ephesians: “I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph
Whenever a Scripture is quoted, it has been taken from the New International Version (NIV). In some instances, bolding or italicizing has been added for emphasis.
Steppingstone Discipleship Series Booklet 2
Sharing Your Faith
The Purpose of This Lesson
Now that you have discovered the joy of sins forgiven and new life in Christ, you will no doubt want your friends and family who are not Christians to experience what you have discovered.
In this lesson, we want to give you some guidelines and suggestions that will help you give your testimony and share with others the steps that lead to heaven. What are given here are general ideas. You will eventually want to develop your own style. It is better to remember the general principles and put them in your own words than to memorize them.
A Responsibility: It is sobering to think that other people will make it to heaven as a result of your influence. You will certainly want to do the best you can to help them make it.
A Great Joy: One of the greatest joys of the Christian life is to lead another person to Christ. It is a cause for real rejoicing to have had a part in the eternal salvation of another person.
EIGHT STEPS FOR LEADING A PERSON TO CHRIST
Step #1: Pray daily for the person to whom you wish to witness. Ask God to prepare the heart of that person, to give you wisdom and guidance as you speak, and to open the door for an opportunity to do it.
Step #2: Start by giving your personal testimony. You might begin by saying something like: “Something wonderful has happened to me recently that I want to share with you. I put my faith in Jesus Christ to forgive my sins. He has transformed my life completely. I now have the confidence that when I die I will go to heaven. It is a great joy to know that.”
Step #3: Talk about the need of a Saviour. A person must recognize that he/she is a sinner before feeling the need to be saved. You will need to explain that everybody is accountable to God for the sins he/she has committed, and that sin separates us from God. Point out that God loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven, but our sins must be forgiven before we can go there. Only Jesus can forgive sins.
Step #4: Explain the conditions to be met in order to be forgiven.
(1) Repentance. Repentance means to be sincerely sorry for the sins a person have committed — sorry enough to strongly resolve to quit sinning. It includes the specific sins that a person remembers, but also means a change of attitude towards all sins (acts of disobedience to God).
(2) Faith. Salvation is a free gift. You cannot earn it or deserve it. You can only have it by putting your faith or trust in Christ. He has already paid the penalty for your sins. He offers forgiveness to all who turn from sin and believe in Him.
Step #5: Talk about the blessings of being a child of God. You may mention the joys of freedom from guilt, of communion with God, the assurance of heaven, the privilege of prayer, purpose in life, etc.
Step #6. Lead the person in the “Sinner’s Prayer.” First, inquire if the person would like to experience what you have talked about. If the response is positive, offer to pray with him/her immediately. If the response is negative, suggest that he/she think about it, and that you can talk about it more on a future occasion.
A Sinner’s Prayer: What follows is a model for a sinner’s prayer of repentance.
“Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I am very sorry for all the bad things I have done. I ask you to please forgive me. I promise to do my best to obey the laws of God for the rest of my life. Right now I put my trust (faith) completely in you to forgive my sins, to guide my life, and to take me to heaven when I die. I really mean it, Lord. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen.”
You may ask the person to repeat the prayer after you, or simply to guide him/her in the general contents of the prayer. Such as, “Tell God you are sorry for your sins, and ask Him to forgive you. Promise Him that with His help, you will not do wrong things again. Now, put your complete trust (faith) in Christ to do what He promised.” Feel free to use your own words, but try to include each part of the model prayer above.
Step #7: Confirm the decision. Ask if the person believes that the prayer has been heard and answered. Inquire if the person has peace in his/her heart. If there are doubts, you may need to determine the reason and then continue to pray some more.
Step #8: Give thanks to God. When the person assures you that his/her sins have been forgiven, you may suggest that together you offer a brief prayer of thanks to God for His grace and mercy. Also, ask God to help the person in the days ahead to be strong and faithful.
FOLLOWING THE CONVERSION
Accepting Christ as Saviour is only the beginning. The new Christian will need instruction and guidance in the days ahead. Start immediately to provide this help. Here are some things you can do:
1. Offer to start the series of discipleship lessons. You have studied these same lessons recently and should be able to go over them with the new convert. If you feel unsure of yourself at first, ask another competent teacher to help you.
2. Encourage the person to attend church with you. An important function of the church is to care for new Christians and to help them grow.
3. Alert other Christians who may have something in common with the new convert to befriend them.
SOME GENERAL ADVICE
During the entire process, avoid arguments and controversy. Keep focused on the simple essentials, and emphasize the testimony of your own experience.
Depend on the Holy Spirit. He alone can work in the heart of a person. Nothing will happen apart from His help.
Be patient. In some cases there may be an immediate response. In others, it may take a period of time. Always be positive and leave the door open for another occasion.
If you do not feel comfortable doing this by yourself, you might invite a mature Christian to accompany you at first.
The suggestions in this lesson are only intended to help get you started. As you get more experience, feel free to develop your own style.
Try to keep the conversation relaxed and natural.
Try to communicate your love for the person with whom you are dealing. Help him/her feel that you really care about him/her.
THE USE OF SCRIPTURE
It will be helpful for you to become familiar with certain basic Scripture verses that you can use to back up the point you want to make when you feel it would be appropriate. Here are a few (there are many others):
We have all sinned – “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Rom.
Sin has terrible consequences – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom.
The promise of forgiveness – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 Jn. 1:9
Christ died for us – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8
By receiving Christ we become sons of God – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Jn. 1:12
God loves us and wants to give us eternal life – “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.” Jn. 3:16
Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Lk. 19:10
Salvation is a gift from God – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Eph. 2:8
Everyone is invited to salvation – “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Rev. 22:17
Steppingstone Discipleship Series Booklet 2
Christian Stewardship
The Basic Concept: The foundation of Christian stewardship is the concept that God is the owner of everything. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists. That includes you and me. The Scriptures declare, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it …” (Psalm 24:1).
We Are Stewards: If God owns everything, then all we have belongs to Him too. We only have things because He has given them to us. We do not really “own” anything. If we are not the owner of things in our possession, it means that we are only stewards of them. (A steward is a person who administers or manages finance, property, or interests that belong to another person.)
King David had it right when he said, “But who am I, and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)
Stewardship Implies Accountability: Whenever one person puts another in charge of his/her property it means that someday an account must be given of how it was handled or managed. Someday God will expect us to give account of what we have done with what He has given us. Jesus gave two parables (stories used to illustrate truth) to teach this principle in Mt. 25:14-30 and Lk.
Accountability Requires Faithfulness: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2). It means that we must take our responsibility seriously, and work continually and faithfully to administer God’s property.
Stewardship Includes Many Things: The first thing many people think of when they hear the word “stewardship” is money. However, stewardship is much broader in its scope. It includes the following aspects of our lives:
Time: Time represents life. A reasonable amount of our time (life) should be dedicated to serving God. What we do with our time is an indicator of our true priorities.
Gifts: God has given everybody certain talents or abilities. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Pet.
The Gospel: The Gospel itself (God’s plan of salvation) is one of the most important things God has given us. As good stewards we will want to share this treasure with others.
Material Things: For example, our homes should be available to God to use for His purposes. If you own a means of transportation, you can use it for God. Even tools, machines, or office equipment can be used to advance God’s kingdom. A good steward makes everything he/she has available to God for His use.
Energy: Even our physical strength comes from God. He provides the food, sunshine, and oxygen that make energy possible. We use that energy for work and recreation. Shouldn’t a portion of it also be used for God?
Supporting God’s Work:
Like most any other activity, it takes money to support the operation of the church. This support obviously must come from God’s people. God designed a wonderful plan to meet this need many centuries ago. It is called the tithe. “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD” (Lev. 27:30). Basically it means that we keep 90% of our “increase” for our personal needs, but give 10% of it back to God for His use.
The Tithe Belongs to God – In a sense we do not “give” the tithe to God. He has reserved it as His. We only give back what already belongs to Him. An Old Testament prophet said that withholding what belongs to God constitutes robbing Him of what is His (Mal. 3:8-10).
The Tithe Is a Source of Blessing – The Scriptural promise is: “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’” (Mal. 3:10). Numberless Christians across the centuries have proven this promise to be true.
Calculating the Tithe – We all must have some source of income in order to sustain life, for some it comes in the form of wages for work done. For others it may be in the form of crops harvested of products manufactured. Our “increase” is found by taking our entire income and deducting any cost of producing the product. Of the increase we set aside one part out of every ten for the tithe. If it deals with apples, it means that of every ten, I keep nine and give one to God. The same principle applies to money, chickens, potatoes, baskets, eggs, or anything else.
What about offerings? Voluntary offerings may be given above the tithe whenever a person feels the impulse to do so. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).
Proper Priorities: It pleases God when we learn to trust Him, and demonstrate our trust by putting Him first in all we do. He has promised that when we do it, He will take charge of providing for our needs. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt.
CHECK ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED TODAY
Using the above paragraphs for reference, fill in the blanks below.
What is the basic concept of Christian stewardship?
Give your definition of a steward:
What must a steward do some day?
What is required of a steward (one word)?
Name at least three things that are included in stewardship:
How could your home be used for the glory of God?
What do we call God’s system for supporting His church?
What has God promised to those who test Him by tithing?
Calculate the tithe on an income of $50.00 (or whatever currency):
What would be the tithe of 20 eggs?
What would be the tithe of 35 sacks of potatoes?
How much time each week do you think you could give to serving God?
Can you think of some abilities you have that God might be able to use?
What “things” do you possess that God might be able to use for His purposes?
This would be a good time to make a firm decision to be a good steward, and to make some promises to God.
God helping me, I will sincerely try to be a good steward by
Signed:
Steppingstone Discipleship Series Booklet 2
What God Really Wants
Many people are confused about the true nature of their relationship to God. The confusion results from a mistaken concept of the nature of God. Sometimes He is seen as the “enemy” who wants to dominate us. Others see God as a tyrant who wants to take away our freedom and enslave us. Still others see God as a cosmic policeman who is ever watching to catch us in a violation of “the law” to ensure that we will be punished for it. Or, He may be thought of as a kindly grandfather with a long beard that needs to be manipulated into giving us the things we want. All of these concepts are terribly wrong! But, the question remains, what does God really want? It is very important to understand the answer to that if we are going to please Him. We will try to answer that question in this lesson.
What Does God Really Want?
To get the answer to the above question we must begin by going back to the beginning. All creative acts must first exist in the mind of the designer before they can exist in reality. Any artist, architect, or designer must have a clear idea of what he/she intend to create before initiating the project. What was God’s plan or ideal for man before creating him? The Bible clearly answers that question: “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Eph. 1:4).
Next, we must look at what God did when He carried out his plan. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female created he them” (Gen. 1:27). There is a lot of meaning in those words, but basically it means that God created man like Himself. Unfortunately, it was the likeness to God that man lost when he sinned.
In his separation from God, man’s situation was hopeless until God in His mercy opened up a wonderful plan whereby through Christ man could recover what he had lost. It is not surprising that God’s desire has never changed. He still wants man to be like Him. His desire is simply and clearly expressed in His most basic command, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Pet.
It becomes even more clear when we look at the miracle that God performs (when man meets the conditions) to achieve the fulfilment of His desire: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:22- 24). Astounding! The new self that we become through God’s grace has been created to be like God.
What does God want? It is clear that His most fundamental desire for man is that we be like He is.
Why Does God Want Us to Be Like Him?
God wants us to be like Him because:
1. He wants to enjoy us! The kind of intimate fellowship He desires would be impossible if there were a basic conflict in our natures. It can only be achieved when we are in harmony with Him.
2. He wants us to enjoy Him! This is the greatest gift He can give us. Sin makes us uncomfortable in His presence.
3. He loves us and desires the best for us. Holiness is good for us. It is the best and happiest way to live. His love compels Him to desire holiness for us.
4. He understands the consequences of sin and it hurts Him to see us head down the road towards pain and destruction. Like an earthly father who sees his children going towards drug addiction or prostitution or any wrong path, it pains God to see His children reject the ideals and values of their Father.
God’s Actions Are Motivated By His Purpose
Everything God has done in relation to the human race has been motivated by His desire for us to be holy (in harmony with Him).
l He began to reveal Himself centuries ago in the Old Testament because He wanted us to know Him.
l The revelation of Himself came to its climax when He sent His Son Jesus in human flesh to dwell among us. By looking at Jesus it is easy for us to understand what God is like.
l He sometimes must discipline us, but it is always only for the purpose of helping us share in His holiness (Heb.
l He sent Christ to die for us in order that He might forgive our sins (remove what separates us) and bring us back to Himself.
l He sent the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts to cleanse and sanctify us (make us holy) so that we may share the same nature and be in harmony with Him.
l Someday He will glorify our bodies and take us to heaven where we will enjoy God and He will enjoy us in perfect fellowship forever! This has always been His final goal.
In What Ways Can a Person Be Like God?
There are some ways in which a human person could never be like God. In such things as omnipotence (no limit to His power), omniscience (no limit to His knowledge), omnipresence (God is everywhere), can be found only in an infinite being. Since human beings are finite (limited), they can never be like God in these ways.
However, when it comes to His moral attributes it is different. Consider the following cases. For example:
Love: Whenever you love somebody with “God’s kind of love” (see 1 Cor. 13), you are being like God.
Forgiveness: Whenever you forgive somebody who has offended you, you are being like God who freely forgives.
Truth: When you speak the truth, you are being like God, who is the truth and cannot lie or deceive.
Compassion: Whenever you try to help a needy person, or to relieve suffering, you are being like God, who has a compassionate heart.
The Fruit of the Spirit: Whenever the fruit of the Spirit is exhibited in your life, you are being like God. (See Gal. 5:22.)
Holiness: When the very roots of sinfulness have been cleansed from your heart, you have become a holy person. Your actions will then be controlled by sincere and unselfish motives. Your very nature is in perfect harmony with God’s nature. You hate sin and evil and do everything possible to avoid it. You seek righteousness, justice, and truth. In all of these ways (these are only examples, many others could be given), you are being like God.
How Can a Person Become Like God?
To become like God, a person must:
1. The Negative: First, destroy everything in his/her heart and life that is unlike God. This includes a change of attitude towards all forms of sin, which results in stopping the practice of deliberate (wilful) disobedience of God’s laws, and seeking the cleansing of the sinful nature with which we were born. The sinful nature can only be cleansed by an act of God after a person’s sinful acts have been forgiven. This can only be accomplished with the help of the Holy Spirit. He alone is able to cleanse us from these things, but He is always willing to respond when we sincerely ask.
The acts of the sinful nature are described in Gal. 5:19-21: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the
The Bible uses very strong language to advise us what to do with these things: Put them to death (Rom.
2. The Positive: Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Once the heart has been cleansed of all sin, it becomes a fit habitation for the Holy Spirit. This was experienced by the disciples on the Day of Pentecost (Ac. 2:4). Paul expresses it with the words, ”filled... with all the fullness of God” (Eph.
However, the Holy Spirit only takes up residence when he has been given the keys to all the rooms of the heart, and when He has been given complete control (Rom. 8:9). When God is in control, you are being like God.
A Glorious Possibility: You Can Be Like God
Do you really want to be like God? You can be, but first you must want it more than anything else! God does not give a gift of this magnitude to half-hearted seekers. You must “hunger and thirst” for it (Mt. 5:6).
If you do not want to be like God, what is the reason? Is it because you do not like God? Is it because you think there is something better? Is it because you think you know better than God what is best for you? Be assured that the highest ideal to which a human being can attain is to become like God. There is nothing better! It leads to the highest happiness, satisfaction, and fulfilment.
To Summarize What God Wants
He wants you to be like Him so you can enjoy each other. To be like Him you must be made holy.
Copyright 2000, First Edition, August, 2000
Permission is hereby granted to copy these materials under the following conditions: 1. It may not be done for profit. 2. The material must be reproduced completely and without modification in its original form. 3. In the case of translation, the original meanings must be conserved as nearly as possible. 4. Any exceptions to the above conditions must be approved by the author at the following address: Ted Hughes,
