Foundations Answers and Discussion
Answers and Discussion to each lesson are posted on Friday each week for your review and comment!
Foundations 1 – Introduction: Answers and Discussion
Don’t forget to practice your memory verse at least ONCE PER DAY!!!
“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit…” ESV Matthew 13:23
CONGRATULATIONS on completing the first lesson in answering the call of the Great Commission of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20)! We trust you enjoyed lesson 1 and already saw some growth this week in our Foundations class.
1. Describe the four types of people from Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:1-23.
I don’t know about you, but at different times in my life I’ve been each of the first three people. Let’s take a quick look at each.
a. v. 19. The seed that fell on the path.
This would describe me growing up to my college years. I grew up in the Catholic church, with my faithful parents taking us to church EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY!!!! But all that scripture I heard on Sundays, and NO church reads more scripture on Sundays than the Catholic Church (if you don’t believe me, check it out yourself!), just bounced off the hard path of my heart and was snatched away by the birds (or according to Jesus, by the evil one.) The only thing I learned was that I was a dirty miserable rotten sinner destined for hell (which by the way is a pretty good thing to learn!!!)
b. v. 20-21 The seed that fell in rocky ground.
This would adequately describe me in my college years. I could remember actually leading the songs as a cantor in college at the local Catholic church (can you believe me, leading songs? That’s an LOL if I’ve ever heard one!). I even remember in college the Catholic church did a program called Renew, where we met each week in small groups, just like Protestants tend to do, and I really loved it. When the session ended, I asked the priest what we do now, and he just said something like, “just keep going to church.” Well, that didn’t help me much (see answer to item a.). I had received the word with joy but had NO roots at all, and didn’t know how to grow, so I immediately fell away, just like the person in Jesus’ parable.
c. v. 22 What fell among thorns.
This would describe me when I was a little baby fighter pilot in the US Air Force. I had no idea what I was doing spiritually and the cares of the world kept me busy. Deceitfulness of riches wasn’t much of a concern, because military folks aren’t exactly paid riches (heehee!). I can remember a guy in one of my fighter squadrons who was a devout Christian. Our squadron tried to name him Rabbi, but he refused on religious grounds. I never asked him, but I’m sure he was referring to Jesus’ own words in Matthew 23:8. Here I had a perfect opportunity to find out what I was missing and I never even tried. The Word in my life proved unfruitful.
d. v. 23 What was sown in good soil.
But thanks to God, He didn’t leave me there. He began to work in my life and brought me to faith (I’ll post my testimony shortly if you want to read about the details). And, by the way, He did it IN the Catholic Church, through Catholic people, praise God! He opened my mind to understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45) and began to make my heart good ground, good soil that can bear fruit. Person #4 is who I hope to be from now on.
If you’ve decided to be like person #4, we’re glad you are with us!
2. Matthew 28:18-20 is commonly called The Great Commission of Christ. What do you learn from these words of Christ about what we are called to do as Christians?
I recently listened to a youtube video where this very question is discussed. They were debating as to whether the Great Commission is for every believer. I don’t know how that can even be a question, but I believe Jesus gave this Commission to every single believer, and it is every single believer’s commission by Christ Himself to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” I don’t think that means every single person is commissioned to go to the deepest, darkest parts of the world and make disciples. But I do believe that every single person has a mission field that God is calling them to and that they are to equip themselves for and go make disciples. It could be to your own family, to your neighborhood, to your coworkers. I don’t know what that mission field is for each person, but I think every single person has a commission from Christ to determine what their particular mission field is, get the training they need for it from the church, and go and make disciples there.
Jesus calls each and every believer to be active in going and making disciples of all nations. That includes me and you too.
This is THE PURPOSE AND GOAL OF THIS COURSE, to give you everything you need to identify your mission field and get the training you need to GO serve in it and make disciples there! If that describes you, stay with us and in no time, you’ll be a missionary in your own right!
How are you doing with your time management? One hour per week or 15 minutes a day? As we progress, we will need REGULAR time in God’s Word. At first, for new believers, 1 hour a week is regular. As we grow and mature, we will want (and need!) to spend daily time in God’s Word. If that is too much right now for you, don’t worry, it takes time to develop that kind of regular discipline, and it will come in time.
Let us know how you’re doing with the memory verse. We hope our technique works for you!
Now that we have gotten our feet wet a little bit, it’s time to lay the foundations of a strong disciple of Christ. Regardless of how long you have been a Christian, we need to reinforce the basic elements of the faith so we can be that Good Ground that produces an increase. That’s what we will be doing this first semester, going over the Foundations of the faith. So get ready to be blown away by God’s Word!
See you next week!!!!!!
Foundations 2
Grace – The Free Gift of God
Answers and Discussion
MEMORY VERSE: “…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
How are you doing on your memory verse? Can you recite Romans 6:23 from memory?
This week we’ll explore why God’s Grace is so amazing.
- Did you know that you are supposed to know for absolute certain if you are going to heaven when you die? How about you? If you were to die tonight, are you absolutely certain that you would be with God in heaven? Why or why not?
If I had been asked this question when I was 25 years old or so, I had a definite answer – I knew absolutely that I was NOT going to heaven, but straight to hell! I was nothing but a miserable, rotten sinner (ok, I still am), and I knew I had no hope of going to heaven! I knew I didn’t stack up to the 10 Commandments, what the church said I had to do, what my own conscience told me I had to do (or not do). I had no hope of going to heaven before I heard that beautiful, life saving, thirst quenching, hunger filling, direction finding, good news of the Lord Jesus Christ!
2. How certain does the Apostle John make the knowledge of our eternal destiny? (1 John 5:13)
Absolute! For certain! That you may KNOW! Not think, not hope, but know we have eternal life. This comes as a complete surprise to most people – part of what makes the gospel such good news is the certainty of it. Once the Lord gives you the gift of eternal life by grace through faith, you have it! You possess it! And as we’ll see, nothing, and I mean nothing or nobody can take it from you!
3. If you were asked, is heaven something we have to earn, or is it given to us as a free gift, what would you say?
Well, in my youth, before I heard the gospel, I thought I had to earn my way to heaven by doing the do’s, not doing the don’ts, and not only in deed, but in thought and word too. I knew I couldn’t do it. I had no hope of salvation!
4. What does Romans 6:23 have to say about that question?
Romans 6:23, ah that blessed word from such a hard man as Paul, “ the FREE GIFT OF GOD is eternal life.” Free! Gift! Really? How can this be? Every part of life has to be earned! There is no free lunch! We have to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps! He have to pay our dues! Nothing in life is free! Keep reading dear friend, heaven is just around the bend!
5. What did the Apostle Paul tell the people of Ephesus about earning our way to heaven? (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Paul told the believers in ancient Ephesus that being saved, by grace, through faith, is the gift of God! It’s not of works! We can’t earn it. Well, I guess we actually could, all we would have to do IS BE PERFECT!!!! That’s what Jesus said (Matthew 5:48). I’m not perfect, are you perfect? Anyone? Anyone? I didn’t think so. As you get familiar with God’s Word, you will see this is a pervasive theme in God’s creation – He chooses the weak things of the world to show His power so that there is no room for human boasting. Paul reinforces this here to the Ephesians. You can’t earn it, so you can’t boast about it. It’s an entirely free gift from God. So, how do we get this gift? Read on soldier!
6. What insight does Romans 5:8 give you to the meaning of grace?
Well, according to Paul to the people of Rome, this all began WHILE WE WERE SINNERS! God didn’t wait for us to get all cleaned up, nor did He look down and see what wonderful little people we were. No, He looked down on you, and He looked down on me, and saw what dirty, miserable, rotten sinners we were (ok, maybe it was just me), and showed the whole creation what true love is, what true grace is, and went the cross and paid the penalty for my sin even though I didn’t deserve it. Freely. Without merit. Without cost (to me that is). He died for me before I could even ask to be saved! Talk about amazing! Who would do that? Exactly! Nobody would, except a loving God who loved you enough to die for you, even while you were out there making a mess of everything. Grace – that amazing, beautiful gift we are given by God even though we don’t deserve it in the very least! And if you stay with us throughout this study, we’ll see that all this was planned before He even created one single thing. From before foundations of the earth were laid, God had saving you and me in mind by His grace, through faith. Amazing indeed!
Take a few minutes to think about the grace of God and what it means for your life.
I don’t know about you, but I’m in dire need of this grace! I am literally dead without it! I have no hope without it! And to make it even more stunning, I need it just as bad as I ever have. Thankfully, God has this all figured out too. We’ll see that as we go along. Glad you’re with us. I hope you are too!
Foundations 3
The State of Man
Answers and Discussion
MEMORY VERSE: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
In this lesson we will review the state of man and why we are in need of God’s grace. I’ll try not to comment too much in this lesson. Not only am I grossly unqualified to comment, but the scriptures (and a casual look around at the world) make it painfully obvious of the truth of these verses.
1. What was the state of man when he and she were created? (Gen 1:26-31)
The scriptures tell us we (both men AND women) were made in God’s image (v. 26); with dominion over His creation; we were blessed by God (v. 28), given a mandate to fill the earth and subdue it, and all VERY GOOD! (v. 31)
2. What happened to that original state of man? (Gen 2:15-17, Ch 3)
The Lord gave Adam and Eve only one law – not to eat of one certain tree, upon the penalty of death (v. 2:16-17). Of course that’s exactly what they did (v. 3:6) (don’t worry, you’d have done it too!), and not only was the death sentence pronounced by God upon them (and us as well) (v. 3:19), but the whole creation suffered (and continues to suffer) the curse of sin (v.v 3:17-19).
3. What was the state of man after they ate of the fruit God commanded them not to eat? (Gen 6:5)
Gen 6:5 says, that not only was the wickedness of man great in the earth, but that “every INTENT of the thoughts of his heart ONLY evil, CONTINUALLY.” Hard to explain away that one.
4. It’s been quite a while since that original fall from God’s grace. How has the state of man improved over the years since?
a.Psalm 14:1-4.
David himself says we are ALL gone aside (v. 3), we have ALL become corrupt, there is NONE who does good, not even one! He even says there isn’t any who understand, who seek after God (v. 2)! And this is the man who the scriptures say was a man after God’s own heart! (Acts 13:22)
Here’s what the Lord told Jeremiah about the human heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
Paul says it pretty succinctly – “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v. 23).” No wonder why we need to be “justified by His grace as a gift” (v. 24)!
5. What did Jesus say about man’s condition? (Matthew 15:15-20)
Just in case any of us missed it, Jesus Himself makes sure we understand our situation before God: “…out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person (Matt 15:19-20).” And this is Jesus talking!
6. Review your own condition before God and consider if you might be in need of His free gift of Grace.
Suffice it to say, I don’t think much has changed since that first fall from God’s grace. I don’t know about you, but I am just as guilty as anyone else and am painfully aware of how far short I fall on a daily basis. I’m still in as much need of God’s free gift of grace as I ever have. But as we’ll see, God has not left us in this state of sin and separation from God. He has provided a remedy, all we have to do is respond to God in the way He has prescribed.
7. Now that you know a little bit more about the state of man, what is the proper response to this situation?
We’ll see a lot more in the coming lessons about how to respond to what God has done (and is doing) to remedy our lost, sinful state, but Jeremiah helps us to see where our response starts. Once God has made us aware of our sinful condition, He gives an amazing promise – seek Him! And if we do, with our whole heart, we WILL find Him. We will find the remedy for our state. That’s all He’s asking us to do, is seek Him and find Him, He will take it from there.
Jesus gives us the ultimate answer to all of our (and life’s) problems – seek Him first! Put Him first in our lives. Realize our utter need for His saving grace, and seek out the remedy He has provided. He will promise us over and over, that when we do, we WILL find Him and His remedy for our sinful state. We’ll learn a lot more about God’s remedy for sin, and our response to it, in the coming lessons. I hope you stay with us.
Foundations 4
The Nature of God
Answers and Discussion
MEMORY VERSE: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalms 103:8
1. What is God like?
Describing what God is like, what did the poet say, “Let me count the ways?” This is such a grand topic it could take a lifetime to just scratch the surface in describing our awesome God. I like how the Westminster Confession of Faith approaches it (which we’ll see next semester if you stay with us), just straight up, “God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundance in goodness and truth.” (Longer Catechism Q.7). Here’s a few verses to ponder as we go
One thing I love so much about God is He Himself tells us what He’s like, just like He did here with Moses. We don’t have to guess or be in the dark AT ALL about God or where we stand. Here He tells us He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger (I especially love that quality), abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving iniquity and sin yet not clearing the guilty.
Psalm 139 is so amazing! Worth memorizing, the whole thing! Here we get to sit at David’s feet and learn about what God is like through his own experience of Him. God searches us, He knows us, He knows our very rising and sitting, He even discerns our very thoughts! He searches our paths and is acquainted with ALL our ways, to the smallest detail! We can’t even speak ONE SINGLE WORD without Him knowing it, BEFOREHAND, altogether! He hems us in, not just in front of us, but behind us too, and lays His very hand on us. I don’t know about you but I have to agree with David, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it!” We could probably use some of this kind of reverence for God in our world today, instead of the extreme ir-reverence that seems to predominate.
Another way we learn about God in the scriptures is to hear Him described directly by learned, devoted men and women of faith. Here is a nice, succinct description by the Apostle Paul to his protégé Timothy, extolling the virtues of God; He is the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, and to Him belongs honor and glory forever and ever.
2. What does the bible say about the original creation?
I know we’ve hit on this briefly before when we considered the state of man before, but in order to really appreciate who and what God is, we need to see the creation from His particular perspective as the scriptures present it, so here goes.
a. Genesis 1:31
As we mentioned before in our last lesson, God create the universe GOOD! There was no evil in it. There was the potential for evil and choosing, or else love wouldn’t be love. Love only exists where the possibility of something else exists. God created the world to be a wonderful, fruitful garden where we could enjoy His presence forever! We’re the ones who messed it up, not Him. Remember that next time someone tells you, “How could a loving God do… such and such and such or other.”
b. Psalm 135:6
It helps to see another important truth about God, a truth the psalmist tells us here – The Lord does whatever He pleases! This creation we enjoy (and also are confounded with), was created EXACTLY THE WAY GOD WANTED TO CREATE IT! ALL OF IT!! And not only when it was created, but all throughout human history, human present, and human future, HE DOES WHATEVER HE PLEASES, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the deeps! As we’ll see in our study, He truly is Lord of all creation, He runs it according to His pleasure, His diving counsel and will, everywhere and all the time. In order to truly understand Him, ourselves, and what He desires from us, we need to understand this truth, and from this truth, begin to learn and understand all the other truths God has laid down in His word for us to know and abide in. We will learn that we, and all that we possess, are not our own. We belong to Him, are under His divine will and authority, and have a divine commission from Him. The quicker we recognize, embrace and commit ourselves to this truth, the better life and our relationship with God and others will be.
In reviewing what the bible says about the original creation we jump to the LAST BOOK OF THE BIBLE. This creation, this world we live in, is not an accident. It was created by a sovereign, purposeful act of God’s own independent will, with a divine purpose and end in mind. As we’ll see, God has a plan and will bring His plan to fruition, with or without us. He will do it! That’s why the 24 elders before God’s throne say, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.” Because they are in heaven witnessing the unfolding and completion of God’s plan for this creation He designed and they are in shear awe of it, declaring through the vision of the Apostle John this truth.
3. What does the bible say about the fall of man?
This concept is one of the great paradoxes of scripture that we will struggle with if we cannot come to grips with it. If this great God created all things exactly how He wanted to, then how could He be sorry to have made man if He created man the way He wanted to. Ah my dear friend, that is the crux of the issue and one of the keys to understanding the truly amazing God of ours. Keep reading!
This is such an important truth in scripture! As we learned in Exodus 34, God is a just God who does not overlook the guilty or fail to bring judgment upon them. But that doesn’t mean that He takes pleasure in the death of the wicked! His desire is for all men and women to turn from His wicked way and live! This is a big reason why we, as instruments of Christ in the world, should take our roles seriously in His kingdom building, so that we can be an effective part of Him reaching the lost that He is searching for.
4. What did God do about this situation?
This verse is widely known as the first promise of a savior in the scriptures. Many scholars teach that the offspring of the serpent refers to the devil himself and the offspring of the woman refers to Jesus, and this verse refers to Jesus’ work on the cross in defeating death and the devil. Note this promise was given immediately upon the event of Adam and Eve’s sin, which means man has never been without the promise of being saved from the death of sin. God will continue to build on this promise to our present day, where the promise of a savior as the remedy for our sinful condition is still as valid as it was to Adam and Eve those many years ago. And as we’ll learn next semester, this plan, this remedy for our lost state was already determined before God even laid the foundations of the earth.
These are such amazing verses. They demonstrate the biblical teaching that salvation is purely a work of God, and as we learned in lesson 2, not in any way on the works of man. Not only has “His right hand and His holy arm worked salvation for Him”, but He has “made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.” God hasn’t left us in our sin. He immediately promised a savior, He worked salvation Himself, AND He has made this known. The psalmist even says, “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” We’re really without excuse. If we want to know Him and His salvation, we will if we seek Him.
In addition to these amazing truths and promises, God Himself makes it known through Isaiah the prophet the He has sent out His word, and that it SHALL accomplish the purpose for which He sends it. The Lord has, is, and will accomplish all His pleasure and will that He has determined before the foundations of the earth and it will be done according to His divine will as revealed in His word. That’s why it’s so critical that we get intimately familiar with the whole bible, because it contains the whole will of God. If we want to know not only His will for the world but for us individually as well, we need a thorough, functional knowledge of God’s word and what He calls us to be and do. That’s one of the primary goals of this course.
As you ponder the nature of God, think about what He has done for you and for all the creation, and think about what this means in your life.
Foundations 5
The Atonement of Jesus on the Cross
Answers and Discussion
MEMORY VERSE: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28
This week we explore the actual remedy that God has provided for the fall of man and our individual sin.
1. Who was (and is) Jesus?
a. John 1:1, 14
John describes Jesus as the Word (v. 1), God (v. 1), flesh (v. 14), the only Son of the Father (v. 14). From this we understand that Jesus was and is God, but also was born in the flesh. He is the only eternally existent Son of God, Son, fully man yet still fully God. Hard to totally understand and comprehend, but possible to apprehend.
b. Psalm 2:4-7
Psalm 2 gives us prophetic titles for the Messiah. He will be King and He will be declared to be God’s Son. It’s the prophetic declarations of the Old Testament like this one that tell us exactly who Jesus was and is.
c. Romans 1:3-4
Paul adds to the Romans that Jesus was descended from David, which is very important, because as we’ll see, the Messiah was promised to be a descendant of David. Another example of how Old Testament prophecy informs us of who Jesus is, and enables us to recognize Him as the true Messiah, which is the Hebrew word for Anointed One, which in Greek is the word Christ.
2. What did Jesus do about sin for us on the cross?
Jesus suffered a lot of things for us on the cross, but verse 6 sums it up pretty well. We have all gone astray and turned from God to follow our own way, and the LORD laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Now we are starting to see exactly what the cross means and how Jesus is able to offer heaven to us as a free gift. He paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, this brought us peace with God (v. 5) and with His wounds we are healed (v. 5).
Paul helps us to understand this further – Jesus is our mediator between us and God. He gave Himself as a ransom for us, paying the debt of sin on the cross for us so we can be freed from the bondage of sin.
Isn’t this a beautiful word picture from Paul? By submitting Himself to being nailed to a cross, He was really nailing our debt of sin to the cross, and it is this act that is the basis for our forgiveness of sin. It’s important to understand that our sin isn’t just arbitrarily forgiven by God because He loves us, no. Our sin is a debt to God that required a just penalty. Jesus paid that for us. He purchased our freedom by His sacrifice on the cross. That’s how our debt is canceled, set aside (v. 14). This is the atonement.
3. What is He going to do about sin in the future?
a. Psalm 2:8-9
Psalm 2 gives us a great picture of what the Messiah will be and do. We’ve already seen that the Messiah will be declared King of creation and Son of God. Here we see that all will be given to Him by God. He will judge sins and even nations at His coming.
Jesus tells us Himself what He will do when He comes back. He will come in glory and He will sit on His glorious throne (v. 31). From there He will separate the sheep (His flock, those who have put their trust in Him) from the goats (those who have not). He will welcome His sheep and judge the goats.
Paul explains what will happen when Jesus comes back. He will come with the voice of an archangel, raise the dead in Christ (v. 16) and those who are alive at the time will be “caught up together… to meet the LORD in the air, and so we will always be with the LORD.” Pretty sweet, and comforting, promise.
Now Paul explains the judgement awaiting those who “do not know God and… do not obey the gospel or our Lord Jesus… punishment…eternal destruction… away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might.” Not a place anyone wants to be and motivation enough to want to share the good news of the gospel to anyone who will listen.
4. What does Jesus promise to anyone who puts their trust in Him? (John 10:22-30)
One of the most comforting and encouraging passages from Jesus. We’ll learn more about how to become a sheep from a goat in our doctrine section series coming next, but Jesus promises that His “sheep hear (His) voice, and (He) knows them and they follow (Him) v. 27).” He gives them eternal life, they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of His hand (v. 28). Isn’t that comforting? This is another iron clad promise from Jesus Himself – are you hearing? Are you following? Then you are a sheep and you are safe and secure in Christ. No one can snatch you from Him. You will be with Him in heaven forever, not because of you or what you are capable of, but because of Him, who He is, what He has done, and what He will do.
Given the seriousness of our situation, perhaps you have given thought to where you stand before God. What thoughts do you have about where you stand with God?
Hopefully by now you have already responded to the good news of salvation in Jesus, but just in case you haven’t, now would be a good time to think it through. We’ve seen that heaven is a free gift offered to us by God, that we can’t earn it because of our sin. We’ve seen that God is a loving but just God, and has provided a solution to the sin problem in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. In our next lesson, we will learn the proper response to this message and how to receive this gift for ourselves, once and for all.
Foundations 6
Faith – How We Accept the Gift of Eternal Life
Answers and Discussion
MEMORY VERSE: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9
Now that Jesus has completed His work for us on the cross, the only thing that remains is for us to accept the gift He freely offers. This week we learn how to do just that.
1. The first sermon ever preached after Jesus’ death and resurrection was by Peter, with all the Jewish world gathered in Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost. How did the people respond to this sermon? (Acts 2:37-40)
They responded by asking Peter and the apostles, “What shall we do?” A lot of times in life if you want to find the right answer, you have to ask the right question. This is the right question when confronted with the truth of who Jesus was and is – “What shall we do”, “how is a person saved”, “how do we receive the free gift of eternal life.” This is the question we seek to answer in this lesson. Here Peter gives pretty much the same answer Jesus gave to this question at the very outset of His ministry (Matt 4:17), “Repent and be baptized!”
2. What did Paul say to the Philippian jailer after the big earthquake in Acts 16:25-34?
The Philippian jailer asks pretty much the same question years later, “what must I do to be saved.” Paul further clarifies how we are to respond to the good news, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.” In these two events we see the full, proper understanding of how to be saved from the peril of sin, to believe in Christ, repent of our sins, and be baptized in Jesus’ name. This is what faith is and how it works.
3. We learned a little about faith in Foundations Lessons 1 and 2. How does the bible say we are to live our lives? Habakkuk 2:4
“The righteous shall live by his faith.” Here we are able to see that the concept of being saved by faith is not just a new testament concept, it’s always been that way since the Fall of man in the garden. We’ll learn more about that in the next semester, but here Habakkuk makes it clear, believers do not live by keeping the full law of God, but by faith. This is very important, as this word from Habakkuk was given during the Old Testament law period. The New Testament writers will pick this theme up over and over to make the point clear.
4. How are we justified (made right) with God? (Galatians 3:11)
Paul quotes Habakkuk here to make his point – we are not justified, made right, with God by trying to keep the law, but by faith. That’s why we need to really understand what faith is and how it works.
5. We saw Ephesians 2:8-10 in Lesson 2. Review this verse and write what you learn about faith from this verse?
Paul gives us further understanding of exactly how the process of salvation works – it is by God’s grace, it is through faith, and is the gift of God, not by works (our own doing) (vv. 8-9). Salvation, even faith itself, is a gift from God. In fact, as we’ll learn next semester, salvation is a work of God from beginning to end – there’s nothing we actually do, or can do, to get it. All we can do is respond to what God has done for us in first securing salvation, and then offering it to us as a free gift. He further explains where works do come in – it’s something we are created in Christ to do (v. 10). Works are the outflowing of faith, of salvation, not what secures it. We don’t do works to be saved, we do works because we are saved, and more importantly, because God has prepared them for us to walk in before our salvation even happened.
6. Review Hebrews 11:1. Knowing what you know now about God, yourself, heaven and faith, define faith in your own words.
Based on the writer’s words to the Hebrews, faith is assurance and conviction of the things that haven’t happened yet or that we can’t see. Why does this matter? Because God has made promises to us that haven’t happened yet, or we can’t see. We have to trust Him for those things, have faith. We can do that because of what HAS happened, what we CAN see. The people of the Old and New Testaments learned how to trust God because they SAW God do things in their lives. Same for us. We can trust God not only because of the things He did in the lives of the people of faith from the bible, but also the things God has done in our own lives. We have assurance of the things we hope for in Christ, namely our salvation and secure place in heaven, and conviction regarding all the things He promises us in His word. Ultimately our assurance and conviction come from Christ’s finished work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. These finished actions by Christ make ALL His promises iron-clad! All we need to do is believe and trust in Him.
7. Now that we understand more of what the bible says about faith and how we are to live,
a. what do you think we all have to do to accept the free gift of eternal life?
The amazing thing about accepting this gift for ourselves is it’s not something we do at all! Rather, it’s a response to what has already been done for us, what Jesus did for us on the cross, and is doing in our lives to call us to Himself.
b. Have you done that?
This can be done anytime, anywhere, even right now, this very instant, right where you are, right now. All we have to do is tell the Lord, in prayer, that we want to receive this gift He offers by faith, that we believe in Him and His finished work on the cross, that we confess and repent of our sins, and put our trust in Him. If you need help to do this, talk to your discipleship leader if you have one or a Christian friend you trust and they will be happy to lead you in prayer.
c. If not, is there anything keeping you from making that decision? (Psalm 95:7-8, Isaiah 1:18)
If you are struggling to make this decision to put your faith in Christ, you are not alone. We all can have many life issues that can keep us from coming to Christ. But don’t worry, God knows. He’s not afraid of your challenges or even your objections, He welcomes them. He says, “don’t harden your heart,” and even “come, let us reason together.” Talk it through with the LORD in prayer. Seek Him with your whole heart, you’ll find Him. How do I know? Because He promises that you will (remember Q. 7 from Lesson 3).
8. What does Jesus promise to anyone who puts their faith in Him?
a. John 6:37-40
More amazingly fantastic wonderful words from the Lord Himself. ALL that the Father gives to Christ WILL come to Him, and whoever comes to Him will NEVER be cast out. He will lose NOTHING of all the Father has given Him, and will raise it up on the last day. EVERYONE who looks on the Son and believes in Him WILL have eternal life. Have you come to Him, have you believed in Him? If so, you are safe, secure, forever! You will NEVER be cast out. If you have not, would you consider doing that today from your heart?
More comforting words from our Savior. He says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He will always be with us, working in our hearts and in our lives to complete the work He has started in us.
If you have made the decision to believe in Jesus today, congratulations, you have become a member of God’s family! And don’t worry, God has not left you alone, but has already provided everything you need to fully enjoy this new family. We will explore this in the remaining lessons of Foundations.
As we go through the next three lessons, spend some time during the week thinking about your spiritual journey. Maybe even write down or journal the key events in your life that led you to put your faith in Christ. Starting in Week 10, we will do a Testimony Workshop to help you learn to share your own experience briefly yet effectively in reaching people with the good news of God’s Grace.
Foundations 7
God’s Word – Our Only Rule of Faith and Practice
Answers and Discussion
MEMORY VERSE: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
The best thing about walking with the Lord is He has given us this amazing, handy volume to tell us everything we need to know about how to follow and serve Him, and it fits in the palm of our hand. It’s called the bible. This week we’ll explore what makes it such an amazing asset to us as we seek to follow Christ.
1. The Letter to the Hebrews gives us some keen insight into God’s word. What do you learn from the following verses?
The first thing we begin to learn about God’s Word is that He has revealed the truth about Him, us, and the world we live in. Man did not figure this out on his own, nor did God LEAVE man to figure it out on his own (as some people wrongly propose.) No. What we are reading in the bible is God’s progressive revelation to man about the truth of the world He created. He revealed the truth “at sundry times” and “in diverse manners” (v. 1). He revealed it through the creation itself, through direct interaction with people, by directly telling people truth, and also by speaking through people called prophets. He revealed the truth to them, and they shared that truth with us. Ultimately though, God revealed Himself and His truth through His very own Son, The Lord Jesus Christ Himself (v. 2). When we read the bible, this is what we are reading – God’s progressive revelation of the truth. Jesus was the ultimate way in which He revealed Himself.
b. Heb 4:12
Not only did God reveal Himself and His Word, but His Word is not a dormant document. Here we learn “The word of God is living.” It is “powerful”. It is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (not just one edge but two). It is capable of dividing the very soul and spirit, and discerns the inner-most thoughts and intents of the heart (remember Gen 6:5?). This is the only book ever written that can do this. It can do it because it is true, it was written by the very designer and creator of us and the world. It is ultimately the only document ever written that can be fully trusted.
2. What did the Psalmist say about God’s Word?
a. Ps 12:6
David tells us that the words of the Lord aren’t just random, fleeting words. No, they are pure. And not only pure, but purified. They are tried and proven.
b. Ps 19:7-11
Some amazing statements about God’s word found in this psalm of David. His law is said to be perfect (v. 7). It converts souls. It is sure. It makes the simple wise. It is right (v. 8). It rejoices the heart. It is pure. It enlightens the eyes. His judgments are true and right altogether (v. 9). The value is more than the most valuable thing we can find and sweeter than the sweetest thing that exists (v. 10). His words warn us and in keeping them there is great reward (v. 11).
c. Ps 119:105
This psalm uses the Hebrew alphabet to expound upon the nature of God’s Word. V. 105 puts it quite simply, it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. If we want to know the way we can. All we have to do is learn, and apply, and heed, God’s Word.
3. How about Isaiah?
Isaiah was such a powerful prophet! If I could only have one book of the bible it would be Isaiah. Here we see some reasons why I say that
a. Is 40:6-8
This truth is so important Isaiah was told to “cry” it out loud! “What shall I cry” he asked. Just imagine a man of God crying this aloud at the top of his voice, “ALL FLESH IS GRASS… The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” People may ignore it, may deny it, my dispute it all they want. It will endure forever, it will never be destroyed, it will continue to lead people into truth… FOREVER!
b. Is 55:8-11
How revealing is this Word from the Lord through Isaiah? We HAVE to come to the realization that our thoughts and ways are not His thoughts and ways (v. 8). We have to begin to seek to learn His thoughts and ways and align ours with His if we ever hope to truly understand our world and live well in it. That is what we seek to do in Good Ground. Learn God’s thoughts and ways, and align ours to His. V. 11 gives us the ultimate reason why we want to do this – because His word is going to accomplish His purpose. This WILL happen. We don’t want to be left on the outside, not being part of what He is accomplishing in creation. We want to be part of what He is doing, and as we will learn in this course, do the part that He has created us to do.
4. What are some of the benefits we can expect from reading, and knowing, God’s Word?
a. Ps 119:1-11
For this question we go back to this amazing Psalm from David. What are just a few of the benefits we can enjoy from knowing, and heeding, God’s Word? We can be “undefiled” (v. 1), blessed (v. 2), we will do no iniquity (v. 2), we won’t be ashamed (v. 6), we can praise God with an upright heart (v. 7), we will not be forsaken by God (v. 8), we can keep our way clean (v. 9), we will not wander away from God (v. 10), it will keep us from sin (v. 11).
By knowing and heeding God’s word, we will gain wisdom, understanding. This is an iron clad promise. It will happen when we incline our hearts and minds to learning, knowing and understanding God’s Word.
c. John 8:31-32
I call John 8:32 the single most often verse quoted out of context. V. 32 depends entirely on V. 31, because truth can only be known and applied by God and His Word. Jesus here makes it plainly clear, if we abide in His word, then we will know the truth. It is only then that the truth will make us free. Any truth claim that does not originate and is not consistent with God’s word will NOT make you free. Only God’s Word can tell you the truth and make you free. There is no other source or method by which this will happen in this world or the next.
5. How did John describe Jesus in John 1:1-14?
This is a very astounding and profound truth that is virtually impossible to fully comprehend and understand. The apostle John tells us that Jesus is in fact The Word. Jesus is the Word. He was the Word, He is the Word, and will always be the Word. Not only were all things made by Him, Jesus, The Word, but that Word actually became flesh. This is known as the Incarnation. The eternally existent Son of God, who is also The Word of God, became a man for our sake, to save us from sin. When they encountered Jesus when He dwelled among us, they were actually encountering God’s very Word in the flesh. Hard to fully understand, but very helpful if we are going to walk in this truth we are offered and be liberated by it.
6. What did Jesus do when He was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4:1-11?
To put it simply, JESUS QUOTED SCRIPTURE! And not New Testament scripture, Old Testament scripture. Really, He was quoting Himself. Jesus here gave us the ultimate method for overcoming trouble, trial and temptation in the world – know God’s Word, memorize God’s Word, apply God’s Word. We will seek to learn how to do this in Good Ground. We won’t master it, but we should have a solid foundation and cultivate our hearts into the kind of good ground that will bear good fruit.
7. What did Jesus think about God’s Word?
a. Matt 5:17-19
Lest anyone make the mistake of supposing that God’s Word doesn’t apply or won’t apply or won’t actually come to pass, Jesus makes it clear. God’s Word is so sure to come to pass that not even a punctuation or apostrophe will pass away but will be fulfilled. That is how perfect and complete God’s Word is and will be forever.
b. John 17:17
Very simple statement by Jesus, but our ultimate operating principle in Good Ground – God’s Word is Truth. We seek to know it in this program.
8. The apostles Peter and Paul gave us the definitive New Testament statements on God’s Word. What do you learn from these verses?
More benefits and operating principles we will apply regarding the scriptures we hold in our hands – it is given by inspiration of God, it is profitable for doctrine (not dogma, but doctrine), for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man (or woman) of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work God may all us to. We MUST know God’s Word if we seek to do the good works He has created and called us to do.
Here Peter instructs us that prophecy/scripture is not only NOT a matter of our own private interpretation, but that it was inspired by God through His Holy Spirit. The bible you hold in your hands contains words written down by men, but these words were crafted as God by the Holy Spirit directed them. Please don’t ask me to explain how God did this because I can’t. It is beyond our ability to know or comprehend. But we can understand that it did happen this way and trust that what we are reading are God’s very words, even if the instrument to record and communicate them were fallible men and women like you and me.
Now that we have established the foundation of what our faith in God entails and established the bible as our source to understand how to follow Him, we will begin to learn it over the rest of this course. We will start by a learning about a tremendously important tool God has given us in this endeavor – prayer. I hope you will stay with us.
Foundations 8
The Priority of Prayer
Answers and Discussion
MEMORY VERSE: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philp 4:6-7)
Prayer, the essential communication link to God. The bible has an abundance of guidance on prayer. We’ll keep it short this week and start by looking to the Master for instruction on prayer.
1. What are some of the ways Jesus modeled prayer?
a. Mark 1:35
He would get up very early in the morning and go to a desolate place and pray.
b. Luke 6:12
He would go to a mountain and pray all night.
2. What did Jesus teach about prayer?
a. Luke 11:1-13
He taught “the Lord’s Prayer.”
Praising God
Ask Him to provide for our daily needs.
Ask for forgiveness of sins.
Ask God to lead us away from temptation.
He taught to be persistent in prayer.
He taught to ask, seek, knock. If we do it will be given, we will find, and it will be opened for us. He told us God will give us the Holy Spirit if we ask.
b. Luke 18:1-8
He taught us to always pray and not to lose heart. And to be persistent in prayer.
3. From Philippians 4:6-7,
a. What are some of the essential elements of prayer? (v 6)
Supplication, thanksgiving, make our requests known to God
b. What is one of the greatest benefits of effective prayer? (v7)
That we won’t be anxious, that the peace of God will guard our hearts and mind (in Christ Jesus).
4. For the rest of your time this week, spend time in some of the greatest prayers recorded in the bible. Record what you learn about prayer from these bible greats:
Moses (Psalm 90), Hannah (1 Sam 2:1-10), David (Psalm 25), Mary (Luke 1:46-55)
Moses: spend time praising God for His amazing works and ways. Acknowledge and confess our sins and sinfulness. To remember that we are transient and short lived and full of work and trouble and that God is a just God who punishes sin. It’s ok to ask God for His pity and understanding. Ask for His love so we can rejoice and be glad in Him. Ask God to work in our lives, to ask for His favor and establish our work.
Hannah: No matter how lowly and nobody we are, we can call out to God and He will hear us. To rejoice in God and in His salvation that He gives to us. To praise God and tell Him how wonderful He is. To remember His works and how good He is to us. To know that He brings the strong and powerful to nothing and builds up the weak and feeble. That He gives us what we need and takes from those who do not worship and serve Him and reverses our fortunes as He sees fit. That He gives and takes life and makes poor and rich, He is all powerful. David: Ask God to protect us, not let us be put to shame. Ask God to make us to know His ways and teach us His paths, to lead us in His truth and teach us. To give His mercy and love to us and not to remember our sins and to remember us, to continue to show us love for His own sake and goodness. Ask God to instruct us in His ways and teach us His ways. To ask for pardon for our great sins. To instruct us in the way we should choose. To grant us well-being and an inheritance. To make known His covenant to us. To save us from danger. To Turn to us and be gracious to us in our loneliness and affliction and forgive us our sins. To guard our souls and deliver us, to redeem us from our troubles.
Foundations 9
The Church – The Pillar and Buttress of the Truth
MEMORY VERSE: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20
1. What is the church?
a. Isaiah 9:6-7
The church is the very kingdom of Christ Himself.
The Church is the citizens and saints of this Kingdom, the household of God. It is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone. The collection of believers around the world are said here to be “framed together”, “growing into a holy temple of the Lord”, “built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” Notice that the church is not a building somewhere, or a temple. It is the body of believers in Christ.
2. Who is in the church?
a. Acts 2:38-41
The church consists of everyone everywhere who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, and are baptized (note it doesn’t specify WHEN or HOW they were baptized!). And not just to them alone, but to them, their children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God calls.
The church consists of all those who are sanctified (set apart), called to be saints, all that in every place call upon the name our Jesus Christ our Lord.
The church consists of all the people who are a part of the body of Christ, whether Jew or Greek (or any other nationality), bond or free, who have put their faith in Christ. You don’t require a pedigree, you don’t have to be born into it by human descent, you can’t buy it, you don’t have to have any credentials. The only credential you need is that you have put your faith in Christ and trust Him.
3. Who is the head of the church? (Colossians 1:13-18)
The head of the Church is Christ Himself. Now the leader of a local church is the pastor and elders and leaders, but the head of the Church is none other than Christ. We have to keep this in mind so we are not fooled into thinking that a man (or woman) is the true head of the church, which people WILL try to trick us into thinking.
4. What is the primary role of the church? (Matthew 28:18-20)
This is known as The Great Commission. The primary role of the church is to GO, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe everything Jesus commanded and taught, which means God’s entire Word (remember John 1:1, Jesus is The Word!). We are to teach God’s entire Word to the entire world!
5. What does Jesus Command the church? (John 13:34-35)
Jesus’ commandment to the church is to love one another as Jesus has loved us. This is known as the Great Commandment. Note that this is how people will know we are disciples, by our love for one another.
6. What primary resource did Jesus give to the church? (John 14:15-17, 25-26)
Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to be with us forever. He will be in us. The Holy Spirit will teach us all things and bring to our remembrance whatever Jesus has told us, which, again, is God’s entire word, the whole bible. This is why the main emphasis of Good Ground is to read the whole bible together.
7. What other resources does God give the church? (Ephesians 4:11-16)
He gives us a whole host of human resources! Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. God has not left us alone to figure all this out on our own. He has provided and will provide everything we need for perfecting us as believers in Christ, for a life of faith and service in His Kingdom.
Good Ground Az 