Community Church

1.  How to Be Convinced the Gospel is True

Know what “gospel” means.  The word means “good news.”  The good news is that Jesus, who is God, offered us eternal life by becoming a man and lived a perfect life, dying on the cross for our sins, rising from the dead on the third day, ascending to heaven, and promising to return soon to judge everyone and to create a new world—all in fulfillment of God’s plan revealed in the Scriptures (see I Corinthians15:1-11).  We receive eternal life by trusting in Jesus as our Lord (the one whom we obey) and our Savior (the one who rescued us from sin’s penalty and brought us into God’s kingdom).  (See Mark 1:15; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13; 2 Peter 1:10-11.)

Ask God for faith and strong conviction (I Thessalonians 1:4-5).  God alone gives faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and his Spirit convinces us about God’s truth (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10-12).

Consider the evidence:
Jesus fulfilled more than 800 Old Testament prophecies that were recorded hundreds of years before they happened.  The New Testament documents display accuracy and reliability unparalleled by any other document from the first century.  In fact, all of the New Testament was written by men who were either eyewitnesses to the events they record or friends of those eyewitnesses.  Jesus was buried, and his tomb is now empty; the only reasonable explanation is that he rose from the dead.  More than 500 people saw Jesus after he died, and his followers believed the gospel so firmly that they could not deny it even when threatened with suffering and death.  (Concerning the evidence, see Luke 1:1-4; Acts 4:19-20; 5:18-29; 7:57-8:4; Galatians 1:11-12; 1 John 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1:16-18.)

Obey Jesus’ instructions.  The best way to be convinced of the truth of the gospel is to obey God’s Word.  Jesus declared that everyone who holds to his teaching will know the truth of his words (John 8:31-32).  By practicing the truth, we will experience how good it is (Romans 12:2).

2.  How to Study the Bible

Ask God for wisdom and a holy hunger for his Word (Psalm119:33-40, 103; James 1:5; 1 Peter 2:2).

Pick the best time of day—a time when you are alert and undistracted.

Read in an organized way.  Start by reading the entire New Testament.  Then, read the Old Testament. 

Read consistently.  Start with fifteen minutes each day, five days each week.

Communicate with God as you read.

Ask questions as you read, such as,  What did this mean when it was written?  How does it apply to my life now?

Keep a spiritual journal to record insights, questions, prayers, and other matters pertaining to your spiritual life.  Review your journal once each week to evaluate how well you are practicing what you learned.

3.  How to Fellowship

Know what “fellowship” means.  In the Bible, fellowship refers to more than superficial conversation over coffee and donuts.  The biblical word for “fellowship” carries the idea of tangible, significant participation in others lives.  In Philippians 1:5, for instance, the word (koinovia) is translated “partnership” in the New International Version.

Discover your spiritual gift or gifts.  These include gifts such as showing mercy, administration, teaching, and leading (for lists of spiritual gifts, see 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4;11-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11).  Ask a member of the pastoral staff for more information on spiritual gifts.

Look for ways to use your gifts of grace in accomplishing God’s big purpose of seeking and saving the lost.

Encourage fellow believers to show the love of Christ to others through good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).

Spend time with believers regularly—pray, worship, learn God’s Word, witness, and serve together (Acts 2:41-47; Hebrews 10:25).

4.  How to Witness

Be a friend to someone who doesn’t know Jesus.

Live an authentic, godly, caring life so that people may see your good deeds and want to hear more about God (Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12).

Share what God has done in your life.  You don’t have to be a biblical scholar.  Simply tell people your story, and ask them to follow Jesus, too (see John 9:25-27).

Ask God for boldness, clarity in speaking, and opportunities to share Christ (Ephesians 6:19-20; Col ossians 4:3-4).  Be ready when God answers your prayer (1 Peter 3:15-16)!

Learn and teach the ABC’s. 
Admit you are a sinner and deserve eternal punishment (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
Believe that Jesus is your Savior.  He died on the cross and physically rose from the dead to pay for your sins and give you eternal life (Romans 5:8;10:9).
Confess that Jesus is Lord—that is, agree that you will obey him entirely (Romans 10:9).

5.  How to Pray

Realize the importance of prayer.  You can exert an eternal influence!  Take seriously God’s promises in John 15:7 and James 5:15-18.

Be alert and self-controlled.  In other words, look for ways that God is answering you, and live your life in obedience to his commands.  (Colossians 4:2-3; 1 Peter 4:7)

Confess your sin.  Unconfessed sin can hinder your prayers (Psalm 66:18)!

Follow Jesus’ pattern captured in the acronym A.C.T.S. (compare the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13).

A —Adoration
C —Confession
T —Thanksgiving
S —Supplication

Pray consistently and intensely (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  A first-century Christian named Epaphras wrestled continually in prayer for the Colossian believers (Colossians 4:12).

6.  How to Recover from Sin

Call 119 (1 John 1:9)—If you confess your sin, God will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  This is God’s promise to you.  Confession simply means agreeing with God that you’ve sinned.  Remember, God throws away your sin as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) so that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).  Christ’s blood washes us clean and allows us to approach God boldly (Hebrews 10:19-22).  Don’t, therefore, let false guilt dominate your thoughts!

Call 432  (Ephesians 4:32)—When others sin against you, quickly forgive them.  Just as God forgave you, so you should forgive others.

Walk in God’s promises.  He has already broken sin’s chains and set you free in Christ, and he promised to provide a way of escape when you are tempted (Romans 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 10:13).  Use the heavenly resources he has given you to live a godly life (2 Peter1:3-4). 

Struggle against sin and be willing to suffer in order to resist future temptations (1 Peter 2:11; 4:1; 2 Peter 1:5-11).

7.  How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

A clarification:  You have the Spirit living in you if you have trusted in Jesus Christ for eternal life (Ephesians 1:13).  This is called the “indwelling” of the Spirit.  Some people confuse this with the “being filled” with the Spirit.  But the two are distinct realities.  The indwelling of the Spirit only happens once, while the filling of the Spirit happens repeatedly in a person’s life. 

Obey God.  “Be [continually] filled with the Holy Spirit”  (Ephesians 5:18) is a command!  Obey God by seeking him in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), meditating on his Word (Joshua 1:8), and choosing to live in a way that pleases him (Colossians 1:10).  As the Christians in the book of Acts obeyed God, they were filled with the Spirit and empowered for ministry (see Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 13:9; 13:52).

Look for evidence of the Spirit in your life.  When the Holy Spirit fills you, he will produce fruit of obedience such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23; Ezekiel 36:27).  When you are filled with the Spirit, you will also  boldly tell others about Christ (Acts 4:31) and experience renewal in worship, in thanksgiving to God, and in relationships with others (Ephesians 5:19-6:9). 

8.  How to Fulfill Your Role

Understand God’s plan for the family.  Husbands, love your wife with the kind of sacrificial love with which Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25-33).  Wives, respectfully submit to your husband and maintain a well-ordered home (Ephesians 5:22-24, 33; Titus 2:4-5; 1 Peter 3:1-6).  Children, obey your parents in everything (Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20).  Parents, train your children to treasure God’s Word and discipline them with love, not severely (Deuteronomy 6:7; Proverbs 23:13; Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21).
Understand God’s plan for the church.  Elders, lead the church boldly, yet with gentleness, not lording it over those God has entrusted to your spiritual care; set the example for godly living (1 Peter 5:1-4; Titus 2:15; Hebrews 13:7).  Church members, obey your spiritual leaders and imitate their lives as they follow Christ (Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Corinthians 11:1).  Share the gospel with others and use your spiritual gifts to build up the Body of Christ, which is the church (see “Fellowship” and “Witness” sections of this brochure). 

Understand God’s plan in your work and in society.  Employers, treat your workers with dignity and fairness (Colossians 4:1).  Employees, work hard as working for the Lord not merely for sinful, mortal humans (Colossians 3:22-25).  Citizens, obey the authorities in government, since God has put them in power (Titus 3:1; Romans 13:1-7).