NEW LIFE NEW JOURNEY

New believers looking to understand the basics of the Christian faith or long-time believers who want to go deeper in the foundations of Christianity

Bill Mounce has had a distinguished career as an author, translator, and teacher. As the founder of BiblicalTraining.org and also serving on The Committee for Bible Translation to create the NIV translation of scripture, Bill is well-known for his best-selling biblical Greek textbook ‘Basics of Biblical Greek’ amongst other acclaimed works.

Lessons

01 - Conversion

02 - Change

03 - When You Stumble

04 - Listening to God

05 - Speaking with God

06 - Learning More About God

07 - Who Jesus Is

08 - What Jesus Did

09 - Holy Spirit

10 - Walking with God

11 - Walking Together

12 - Inviting Others Walk with You

Lesson 01 - Conversion

Looking back over your conversion experience. It’s always a good idea to look back over your conversion experience. What do you think happened when you became a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you unclear about anything? Could you possibly have misunderstood anything? Did anything happen of which you might not be aware?

Summary

I. “For God so loved the world”

A. Starting point

B. What happened?

C. Separation from God

II. “That he gave his only Son”

A. What actually happened on the cross

B. How is this possible?

1. Merciful heart of God

2. Who Jesus is

III. “That whoever believes in him"

A. Whoever

B. Him

C. Believe into (Psalm 23)

D. Salvation is not something we earn

E. ___ Jesus is and ___ Jesus did

IV. “Might not perish but have everlasting life”

V. Count the cost

VI. God’s goal

Lesson 02 - Change

The change that is happening in your life. “Conversion” means you converted from one thing to another. In your case, you changed from not being a disciple of Jesus to being one. It also means that God is now at work in your life, starting to make you be more like Jesus. Does this surprise you? What actually happened when you became a Christian? What does this new life as a follower of Jesus look like? Does my life change automatically?

Summary

I. Changed people (not a surprise)

A. Separation from God

B. Repentance

C. Dead in sin, alive in Christ

II. What happened?

A. Before conversion

B. At Conversion

C. Baptism

1. What is it?

2. Symbolize?

III. What does this new life look like?

A. Discipleship

B. "Fruits of the Spirit"

IV. How do I change?

A. Change is not automatic

B. God enables you

V. Conclusion

Lesson 03 - When You Stumble

When you stumble in your new walk with God. Even though God’s power is at work within you, helping you to become more like Jesus, you will stumble. This is not to remove the joy of your new faith; it is to prepare you for the joy of spiritual growth that lies ahead. God knows this and is not surprised, and it does not affect his commitment toward you. What is “sin”? Is temptation sin? How will you tell God that you sinned and are sorry? Does he forgive? Can you be cleansed?

Summary

I. Living a changed life

II. Defining three terms

A. Relativism

B. Sin

C. Temptation

1. Temptation is not sin

2. You don't have to give in to temptation

3. God is on your side

III. Practical Suggestions

A. Confess

1. Get it over with

2. Confess your sin to one another

B. Receive his forgiveness

C. Be Cleansed

IV. Conclusion (Psalm 32)

Lesson 04 - Listening to God

A crucial element of any relationship is communication, both listening and speaking. God has spoken to us two basic ways, through creation and through his Word, the Bible. What do the terms “inspiration,” “authority,” and “canonicity” mean? Can we trust the Bible? How do I listen to God as I read his word? Am I supposed to do anything beyond reading it?

Summary

A. Revelation

1. General Revelation

2. Specific Revelation

B. The Bible

C. Four important topics

1. Inspiration

2. Authority

3. Canonicity

4. Trustworthy Message

D. What do you do with the Bible?

1. Read it!

2. Meditate on it!

3. Memorize it!

4. Obey it!

E. Conclusion: Obey; Trust; Be transformed

Lesson 05 - Speaking with God

Healthy communication requires not only listening but also talking. Prayer is simply talking with God, about anything and everything. He is our new Father, and he wants to hear from you. How do you pray? What do you pray about? What if I have trouble listening to him speaking?

Summary

A. How do I pray?

B. “Our Father in heaven”

C. Focus first and foremost on God

1. “Hallowed be your name”

2. “May your kingdom come”

3. “May your will be done”

D. Express total dependence on God

1. “Give us this day our daily bread”

2. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”

3. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”

E. Two practical suggestions

1. Speaking with God is a dialogue

2. Memorize the Lord’s Prayer

3. Pray its structure

Lesson 06 - Learning More About God

When you became a Christian, you understood certain things about God. But did you know that he knows everything? That he is present everywhere? That he is all-powerful? How then should we respond to a fuller knowledge of God? What is worship? How should we respond to what we know of God? (The reference in Section 1 to Isaiah 59:9 should be Is. 55:9.)

Summary

I. " Incomprehensibility"

II. " What we can know about God"

A. “Omniscience”

B. “Omnipresence”

C. “Omnipotence”

III. My response: Worship

A. Definitions of worship

B. Cycle of revelation and response

C. Isaiah 6

1. God is holy

2. God is merciful

3. God has a will

IV. Never let God become small

Lesson 07 - Who Jesus Is?

Jesus is the best known person in history. He has had more affect on world history than any other leader or philosophy or political movement. Many people know the name, but who is he? What did he say about himself? What did his followers say about him? And what is the significance and relevance of these questions and our answers?

Summary

I. Acts 2

A. Real human being

B. Jesus is Lord

II. Jesus is God

A. Jesus is the Son of God

B. Jesus is God

C. Allowing for the Trinity

III. Incarnation

A. Fully Human

B. Fully God

C. Importance of the Incarnation

1. Important to our salvation

a. Christianity is exclusive

b. Evangelism must be radically Christ-centered

2. You must believe in the incarnation to be a Christian

IV. Central question of life

Lesson 08 - What Jesus Did?

Jesus did many things while on earth, but the most significant of all was dying on the cross. But what exactly happened? What was accomplished? What does the Bible mean when it talks about Jesus being the “lamb of God”? Is there anything that can help me understand the significance of his death. Do I need to be reminded about it on a regular basis?

Summary

III. What Jesus did

A. Atonement

B. Jesus is the Lamb of God (Leviticus 1:10-13)

1. Sin against God is serious (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)

2. God will accept the death of a sinless substitute (1 John 2:2)

C. Jesus takes away the sin of the world

1. Only one way for sin to be removed

2. The Lamb of God takes away all of the sin of all of the world (Sufficiency of the cross)

D. Sufficiency illustrated

1. It is finished

2. Curtain of the temple torn in two

E. We Must Respond to the Atonement

F. Communion

1. Jesus celebrated the passover meal

2. Jesus reinterpreted the Passover meal

Lesson 09 - Holy Spirit

Christians are monotheists; we believe in one God. But we are also Trinitarians; we believe in three “persons” of the Trinity — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Who is this third member of the Trinity? What actually does he do? What is his on-going role in my life? What does it mean to be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit? Do I have to do anything, or does he do all the work? Where would we be if it were not for the work of the Holy Spirit?

Summary

IV. Holy Spirit

A. Introduction

1. In the past we have talked about the fact that Christians are Monotheists.

2. We are also Trinitarians.

3. Admit that this is a mystery

4. Focus our attention on the activity of this third member of the Trinity

B. First: Regeneration

1. Process begins with conviction of sin — John 16:7-8

2. In the midst of conviction, the Holy Spirit begins to draw people to God. — John 6:44

3. Holy Spirit is the actual agent of regeneration

4. Also seals our regeneration

C. Second activity: Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

1. John 14:16-17

2. Not some divine, impersonal force

3. Many ways in which he helps

a. Daily the Holy Spirit guides

b. Daily he empowers

D. Empowerment

1. Give us special gifts

a. Everyone given at least one supernatural gift at conversion.

b. Lists of some of the gifts (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4; Romans 12)

c. Common good (1 Corinthians 12:7)

2. Purpose of the Holy Spirit’s Guidance and Empowerment?

a. Goal is that our changed lives exhibit what is called the “Fruits of the Spirit”

b. Galatians 5:16, 19-25

3. Holy Spirit will not empower us without our co-operation

a. We can fight the Holy Spirit if we wish to.

b. Holy Spirit will start to remove the blessing of God from our lives

c. How much better to hear, and listen; to be prompted, and obey.

4. At a practical level, what does it look like to be empowered by the Holy Spirit?

a. Difficult to explain the difference — mystical — when it happens, you know it

b. Not an excuse for laziness — Romans 12:1-2

E. Where would we be without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

Lesson 10 - Walking with God

When you became a Christian, you started to walk with God. It is a day-by-day process in which sin has less hold on your life and you more and more look like Jesus. But some days are more difficult than others, especially when difficult things happen. Why do these “bad things” happen? Can I keep back parts of myself from God if doing so helps me avoid pain? Are there any consequences to allowing sin in some parts of my life? What does it mean that Jesus is both “Savior” and “Lord”?

Summary

I. Walking with God

A. Sanctification

1. What does spiritual growth look like?

2. God’s will for your life

B. God allows difficult circumstances

1. What did I do wrong?

2. We grow in the difficult times

3. Test our genuine faith

4. Produce Christian character

C. Response is to compartmentalize lives

1. Compartmentalize time

2. Compartmentalize money

3. Compartmentalize affections

4. Give all to God

D. What if we compartmentalize?

E. Sufficiency of the Cross

F. What if we don’t give Him all?

1. Lose our assurance as Christians

2. Warning passages

G. God will enable us

Lesson 11 - Walking Together

While we become God’s children one disciple at a time, as children we are members of a new family with a new father, new brothers and sisters, and a new home. How do I relate to these people? Do I need to spend time with them? Is this an easy or difficult task? How does the early church help us understand these issues? How does my love for God show itself to others?

Summary

II. Walking together

A. Our new family

B. Challenges of authentic biblical community

1. Circles of relationships

2. Changing culture

C. Model of the early church—all about God

1. Center of our lives

2. Growth in spiritual maturity

3. Devoted to fellowship

a. “Christian Crockpot”

b. Primary social circle

c. Grace

4. Ministry

a. Within the body

b. Outside the body

D. Hard work

1. Begins with a common purpose

2. Simplify your life

3. Become "Haven of Grace"

Lesson 12 - Inviting Others to Walk with You

Disciples are to make more disciples. This is one of the most joyous experiences of your life as you share how God made you alive, and he will do the same for your friends, neighbors, and others. This isn’t a frightening process; it is in fact natural for people who have been changed and are living changed lives. How will people respond to you? What is a “personal testimony”? How do I tell people they too can be a disciple of Jesus? What if they don’t like me?