Week by week, essential by essential, our faith has been strengthening! While accepting Jesus as Lord was the first step to a strong faith, we’ve been able to dig deeper into what God’s followers believe and why. Just like our memory verse, Colossians 2:6-7a says, we’re going to continue building our lives on the Lord with a foundation of firmly rooted faith essentials.
Colossians 2:6-7a | And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught…
So far, we’ve learned a lot about the Bible, the Trinity, and the specific roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Essential #1 - The Bible is Inspired (authored by God), Inerrant (free from errors), Infallible (will not fail/is trustworthy), and Authoritative (our ultimate guide).
Essential #2 - God is the perfect, loving Creator who is three-in-one: Father, Son, and Spirit. He is all powerful, all knowing, and all present.
Essential #3- Jesus is fully God and was fully man. Although tempted in every way, He chose not to sin and willingly laid down His own life to be the sacrifice for our sin. His example should be our benchmark for godly living.
Essential #4 - The Holy Spirit is God living in the follower of Christ. He helps the believer know and do right, convicts when we sin, and compels us to share the gospel with others. He comforts us, makes us more like Himself, and works through us when we use our Holy Spirit given gifts.
One area that can make sharing our faith difficult is the concept of eternity.
We are time-based beings. Our lives revolve around the clock; we literally start and stop our day by it.
Understanding that God is an eternal being without a beginning or an end is hard enough. Wrapping your mind around your own spiritual eternity can be even more difficult.
While Christ’s sacrifice for the sake of our salvation provides a day-to-day restoration of our relationship with God, it also has an eternal impact that is an essential part of our faith as believers. This understanding begins with with the foundational concepts we will explore in this week’s essential:
Essential #5 - Heaven and Hell are literal places where the spirit of man spends eternity (forever). Heaven is God’s perfect and unimaginably beautiful home, but man’s sin prevents his entry. Instead, sinful man earns eternity in Hell - a place filled with fire and torment where man is separated from God forever. God desires that everyone would join Him in Heaven one day, but the choice to join Him there is ultimately yours alone and determined by whether or not you put your faith in Jesus Christ.
Brent Deep's Testimony: Brent Deep's Testimony: https://youtu.be/mhZ2hdRBUFQ
Parenting - Biblical Essentials - Heaven & Hell
February 7, 2021 • Brian & Kristy Motte
Kids - Biblical Essentials - Church
March 14, 2021 • Kristy Motte & Ashley Law
Colossians 2:6-7a | And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught… Over the last few months, we’ve explored how to grow deep roots as followers of Christ. Last week, we examined salvation, made possible when we put our faith in Jesus, who’s blood covers us, making us right in God’s sight. God’s followers must build their lives on Him as they grow in truth, but they aren’t meant to do that alone. The early church in Acts demonstrates God’s design for his followers- the Body of Christ— also known as His Church. This week we’ll see that the church isn’t a building or a set of pastors. We’ll grow in our final essential- Essential #10 - The Church is the body of Christ and consists of all of God’s followers. God’s church has been entrusted with meeting together to grow, love one another, encourage and support each other, serve together, and to proclaim Christ to others. Each individual follower of God plays a critical role in the body of Christ. Remaining unified and active in and through a local church body allows the believer to fulfill their role as the church.
Teen Talk - Biblical Essentials - Church
March 17, 2021 • Michael Fitzgerald
Colossians 2:6-7a | And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught… Over the last few months, we’ve explored how to grow deep roots as followers of Christ. Last week, we examined salvation, made possible when we put our faith in Jesus, who’s blood covers us, making us right in God’s sight. God’s followers must build their lives on Him as they grow in truth, but they aren’t meant to do that alone. The early church in Acts demonstrates God’s design for his followers- the Body of Christ— also known as His Church. This week we’ll see that the church isn’t a building or a set of pastors. We’ll grow in our final essential- Essential #10 - The Church is the body of Christ and consists of all of God’s followers. God’s church has been entrusted with meeting together to grow, love one another, encourage and support each other, serve together, and to proclaim Christ to others. Each individual follower of God plays a critical role in the body of Christ. Remaining unified and active in and through a local church body allows the believer to fulfill their role as the church. Discussion 1.It is important that God’s followers meet with each other as part of a church body. Why is getting together with other believers important? 2. The Bible tells us to love another with genuine affection (Romans 12:10). Do you find it hard to love other followers of God? Are you currently bitter, angry, gossiping, or speaking badly of any other believers? If so what do you need to do according to Ephesians 4:31-32? 3. As a group read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Which part of the body of Christ is more important? Is there any person in the body of Christ more or less important than another person? Why or why not? 4. What gifts, talents and abilities has God given you? 5. We should use our gifts to serve God and others. How are you serving God/others by serving the body of Christ (the church)? How are you serving God/others as the body of Christ (outside of the church)?
Parenting - Biblical Essentials - Church
March 14, 2021 • Brian & Kristy Motte
Colossians 2:6-7a | And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught… Over the last few months, we’ve explored how to grow deep roots as followers of Christ. Last week, we examined salvation, made possible when we put our faith in Jesus, who’s blood covers us, making us right in God’s sight. God’s followers must build their lives on Him as they grow in truth, but they aren’t meant to do that alone. The early church in Acts demonstrates God’s design for his followers- the Body of Christ— also known as His Church. This week we’ll see that the church isn’t a building or a set of pastors. We’ll grow in our final essential- Essential #10 - The Church is the body of Christ and consists of all of God’s followers. God’s church has been entrusted with meeting together to grow, love one another, encourage and support each other, serve together, and to proclaim Christ to others. Each individual follower of God plays a critical role in the body of Christ. Remaining unified and active in and through a local church body allows the believer to fulfill their role as the church.