So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.’ Isaiah 28:16
Do you have questions about your faith? What kind of a foundation have you built your life on?
We've created this page because we want to see you put down some deep roots in the Lord and help you develop some rock-solid foundations. Think of this as your personal Bible School course (with no exams!)
Welcome to our Foundations page. We are going to be adding to this page regularly because our prayer and biggest goal is to encourage you and help you grow and mature in your walk with the. Lord. Together, we are going to lay some firm foundations to build your life upon and discover what it means to really be a Christian. Scroll down through each lesson.
If you don’t have a Bible, click on the link above. You will also need a notebook and pen. We are going to be deep-diving into a ton of Scripture. The more Bible we get deep inside of us, the better a foundation we build.
- Pastor Glenn
Join me as we start digging in. Slowly, and prayerfully, soaking it all in.
email any thoughts, questions, or comments to: [email protected]
Lesson 1
Our relationship with Christ
➢ What is repentance?
Now, there’s is a word that you probably haven’t heard before -
“Repentance.” Now it’s probably not a word you’d just throw into
your everyday conversation with your mates at school or work. But it’s
an important word that helps us understand how people turn back to
God.
Here’s a good description for you of what repentance is.
“Repentance starts in the mind. It’s a change of mind. All of a sudden,
Jesus is the center of your life. You’re not the center of your life.
You want to do what pleases God, not what satisfies selfish desires.
Repentance is literally turning. It’s turning from your face towards
sin and your back towards Jesus, to your face towards Jesus and
your back towards sin. And it’s an ongoing lifestyle. It’s a continual
growing in grace and Christ-likeness. It’s something that continues
until Jesus’ final kingdom.”
Basically, repentance is a change of heart, mind, and lifestyle. It literally
means ‘to have another mind’. When we repent, we make a 180° turn in
the direction of our life. Previously we were walking against God and His
laws and principles, and through repentance, we are now walking with
Him. To repent is to turn from sin, and to turn to God.
Acts 3:19 says “So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be
forgiven.”
➢ Find it in the Bible - Repent and believe
The first word of the Gospel (Good News) is ‘repent’, and the second is
‘believe’.
What was the first thing John the Baptist preached? (Matthew 3:2)
“For the kingdom of heaven will soon
be here.”
Jesus preached (Matthew 4:17)
“For the kingdom of heaven will soon
be here.”
Jesus’ followers, the disciples, preached (Mark 6:12)
The Apostles left and started telling everyone to
___________ .
Paul’s message was (Acts 20:21)
I told Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) to
and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
What does God command all people everywhere to do?
(Acts 17:30) ____________________________.
➢ What is true repentance?
True repentance is that wholehearted turning from sin and turning to
God. There are some other things that on the surface look like
repentance but are not. Make sure you are not mistaking repentance
for any of these:
• Repentance is not a conviction of sin (our conscience pricking us).
Conviction comes before repentance; but not all who are
convicted, repent.
Read Acts 24: 24-25.
• Repentance is not just being ‘sorry’. Tears may or may not
accompany repentance, but always, repentance is a turning
away from sin - to God. Often, sorrow is sorrow for being
caught out and for the penalty of being caught. Repentance is
not sorrow because you got caught and now you have to face
the consequences, but rather for being involved in the first
place and not wanting to do it again.
Read 2 Corinthians 7:10.
• Repentance is not just turning over a new leaf; is not just
turning away from sin. Perhaps the most important part is
where you turn to God.
A Parable - Read Luke 15: 11 – 24
Once a man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, “Give me my
share of the property”. So, the father divided his property between his two sons.
Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for
a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. He had spent
everything when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had
nothing to eat.
He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take
care of his pigs. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but
no one gave him a thing.
Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father’s workers have plenty to eat,
and here I am starving to death! I will go to my father and say to him ‘Father,
I’ve sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough
to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.”
The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a
long way away, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and
hugged and kissed him.
The son said, “Father, I’ve sinned against God in heaven and against you. I’m no
longer good enough to be called your son.”
But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes and put
them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. Get the best
calf and prepare it so we can eat and celebrate”.
The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he
heard the music and dancing, so he called one of his servants over and asked,
"What's going on here?"
The servant answered, “Your brother has come home safe and sound and your
father ordered us to kill the best calf.” The older brother got so angry that he
wouldn’t even go into the house.
His father came out and begged him to go in, but he said to his father, “For
years I’ve worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you’ve
never even given me a little goat so that I could give a dinner for my friends.
This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has
come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast”.
His father replied, “My son, you’re always with me, and everything I have is
yours. But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but now
he’s alive. He was lost and has now been found”.
➢ The Mission of God
Repentance is about changing your thinking and actions. If it’s just a head
thing, just knowledge that doesn’t change your actions, then the Bible
calls that kind of faith “dead faith.” Check out James 2: 15-20.
➢ Four steps to repentance
- Decision
We read in the Gospel of Luke that the prodigal son “came to himself” or
“to his senses”. For most of us this is the time in our lives we recognize
that we need God. Our decision is the beginning of a lifelong walk, or
journey, with God. We don’t just pray a prayer, but we turn from our sin
and begin to seek God with all our mind, heart, soul, and actions. We
head for home just like the prodigal son.
Mark 12:30 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
- Confession
Having made a decision, we need to confess our sins to God. You might
feel that God knows our sins already, and that is true, but God says we
have to ask for His forgiveness.
Hebrews 4:13 – “Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through
everything, and we will have to tell him the truth.”
In 1 John 1:9 we read “But if we confess our sins to God He can always be
trusted to forgive us and take our sins away”. Here we see the need to
confess; to receive forgiveness and become clean from all
unrighteousness. (Unrighteousness means the things that we do that are
offensive to God).
In Romans 10:10 it says, “God will accept you and save you, if you truly
believe this and tell it to others.”
In Luke, we saw the prodigal son first confess in his heart, and then he
went to his father and confessed with his mouth. We also need to come
in humility and confess to our Father in heaven, so that, we too, might be
forgiven and come into His blessing.
3. Renunciation (to renounce, or turn our back on sin)
2 Corinthians 4:2 - “We don’t do shameful things that must be kept
secret. And we don’t try to fool anyone or twist God’s message around.
God is our witness that we speak only the truth, so others will be sure
that we can be trusted.”
Write down the things you know God wants you to renounce (turn your
back on).
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
____________________________________ _
In Ecclesiastes, sin is called ‘insanity’ and that is a very true description of
what sin is. God is against sin because, like cancer, if left in us to
develop, it will totally destroy us. When we turn our back on sin we are
closing the door on it, never to walk through that door and down that
road again. If you have had involvement in the occult, witchcraft,
fortune-telling, Ouija boards, séances, ESP, divining, illicit sex, rebellion
towards parents, magic charms or amulets, yoga or martial arts teaching,
you need to confess these and ask God to come by His Holy Spirit and
deliver you and forgive you.
4. Acceptance
John 8:31 - Jesus told the people who had faith in him, “If you keep on
obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. You will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free”.
John 15:3 - “You are already clean because of what I have said to you.”
Acts 2: 38 - Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
What an awesome promise! That God would give us His Holy Spirit to
help us love Him more and follow Jesus every day.
➢ Why Is baptism so important?
The Lord Jesus Christ left only two commands for all Christians to keep –
Communion and Baptism. Please read this section carefully and look up
the scriptures. If you would like to honor God in baptism, let your Pastor
or one of the elders know, or your home group leader if you have one.
➢ Who should be baptized?
Acts 2:41 Those who accepted His message were baptized.
Acts 16:14-15 A woman… (the) Lord opened her heart … she was
baptized
Question: What are the two important requirements Jesus expects of
people before they are baptized?
Acts 20:21
Acts 2:38
Because baptism is part of the salvation process, believing children
should be baptized when they are old enough to confess their faith.
➢ When should a person be baptized?
Acts 8:36 “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”
Acts 16:33 “Then immediately he … (was) baptized”
Question: Do you think there should be much of a delay after receiving
Christ as Savior and Lord, before obeying Him in water baptism?
Acts 16:31-33
Baptism should be our first act of faith. In the New Testament church,
there was no such thing as an un-baptized (by immersion) believer. The
word ‘to baptize’ comes from the core word “baptiso’ which means to
plunge, dunk, or immerse.
➢ How should a person be baptized?
Acts 8: 38 “Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the
water.”
Matthew 3:16 “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the
water.”
Question: Would infant sprinkling (baptism) be a valid form of baptism,
and if not, what would be the reason?
Luke 2:22-23
Luke 3: 21-22
Christening is not biblical baptism, however prayers given at this time are
very effective.
➢ Why be baptized?
Out of conviction 1 Peter 3:21 “Baptism… (is) the pledge of a good
conscience toward God.”
In obedience Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized every one of
you…”
As part of salvation Mark 16:16 “Anyone who believes in me and is
baptized will be saved”.
For cleansing Ephesians 5:26 “He made the church holy by the
power of His word, and He made it pure by
washing it with water”.
As a dedication Romans 6:11 “In the same way, count yourselves
dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”.
Question: In light of Romans 6:1-11, write in your own words why you
want to be baptized.
➢ Baptism – A death
One of the most powerful facts about water baptism is that it establishes
a definite point at which we “close the door” on the old way of life we
led before we became a Christian.
What are you closing the door on?
➢ Baptism – A resurrection
Coming out of the water symbolizes a heart commitment to lead a new
life in Christ, of righteousness and victory, made possible only by the
presence and through the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
What are you looking forward to in your life with God?
April 2024: Lesson 2
The Holy Spirit and the Christian
Imagine a school teacher who did not understand basic mathematics. She could
not teach it to her students. If she tried, the students would just be confused.
We need power, we need a teacher
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is God. This fact is central to understanding the Holy Spirit. We
believe in one true God who shows Himself to us in the Trinity. The Trinity is one
God expressed in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit.
All three exist at once and share all the characteristics and power of God. Yet
each is, at the same time, a separate person. Completely understanding the
Trinity is beyond our human minds. As Christians, we accept by faith that certain
aspects of God are beyond our understanding.
It is only important that we understand that the Holy Spirit is God.
Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as God in Matt. 28:19 when He told His disciples
to go and make disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit. The writers of the Bible also refer to the Holy Spirit in
this same manner. 2 Corinthians 13:14 and 1 Peter 1:2 both specifically list all
three persons of the Godhead, including the Holy Spirit.
In the book of Acts, Jesus’ disciples frequently talked about the Holy Spirit as
having the characteristics of God and doing the work of God. For further study,
read Acts 1:16; 5:3,9,32; 7:51; 8:29,39; 10:19; 11:12; 13:2,4; 15:28; 16:6,7;
20:23,28; 28:25.
What Does the Holy Spirit do?
Because He is God, the Holy Spirit does the work of God. Genesis 1:1,2
specifically states that the Spirit was present when the world was created. He is
God from the beginning, and He is active throughout the Bible.
The Holy Spirit does many different things. Some of them, such as inspiring
scripture and commanding and calling believers, are tasks that are shared with
the other persons of the Trinity. Other tasks are uniquely works of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit influences a person’s life at the time of their salvation. He actually comes to live inside of you.
It is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies, or cleans, our hearts when we ask God to forgive our
sins (2 Thessalonians 2:13). After we become believers, the Holy Spirit becomes
a voice of conscience. He speaks into our hearts and tells us when we have
disobeyed God (John 16:8). He leads us to the truth (John 16:13-15) and
comforts us in times of sorrow (John 14:16,26).
A Spirit-filled believer has the help of the Holy Spirit to pray as God wants.
Because we do not know everything, we sometimes do not know how to pray.
But the Holy Spirit knows everything. He prays through us when we speak in
tongues—our heavenly language. Romans 8:26,27 says that He speaks for us.
The Holy Spirit does many other things for us as believers.
The first two chapters of Acts describe in detail how the disciples were given the
gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The gift immediately became
evident as Peter, who had previously denied even knowing Jesus, boldly
preached to the worshippers in the temple. The Holy Spirit can give us power
and boldness to tell others about Jesus!
Everyone who accepts God’s gift of salvation receives the Holy Spirit into his life,
because the Holy Spirit is God. But the Bible clearly shows us that this power
from the Holy Spirit, referred to as the “baptism in the Holy Spirit” is given to us
as a separate gift, different from the gift of salvation.
The disciples, who had already chosen to follow Jesus more than three years
earlier, were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4) and
began to witness boldly. Later in the New Testament, there are more examples
of the gift of the Holy Spirit being different from the gift of salvation. In Acts 19:1-7
Paul asked the disciples at Ephesus (Note: They were already believers) if they
had received the Holy Spirit when they believed. When they responded that they
had not, he prayed for them and “the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke
in tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6 NIV).
Think carefully about your life.
Are you living a Spirit-filled life? Remember that the Spirit-filled life can only
be lived when the Holy Spirit is in control. It is foolish to think we can do
it by our own efforts. There will be many times in your Christian life
when you become aware that you are not living a Spirit-filled life. How
can you renew that experience?
Maybe you need to “top up”
May 2024 Lesson # 3
Assurance of salvation
You have made the most important decision of your life. That’s exciting! But
you’re probably wondering what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
We have put this together to help you understand what happens to you,
what to expect, and how to grow in the new life God has given you.
Just as your physical life needs food, air, exercise and rest, so your spiritual life
needs certain things to grow and develop too.
Your “food” is the Bible. It makes you strong as you absorb its truth about the
world and about God. Prayer and talking with God is like breathing. You get
spiritual exercise as you obey Jesus and put aside your own desires. And “rest”
is learning to trust him in every circumstance.
You’ll also learn about removing the rubbish from your life - by admitting your
sins and receiving God’s forgiveness on a regular basis. This ‘new life’ you now
have needs to reproduce, and you’ll do that as you tell others about Jesus and
how they can have new life in Him.
We’ll also talk about the opposition you will face because now that you’re on
God’s side, you’ve become an enemy of the evil forces. But God loves you very
much. He wants to be a loving heavenly Father, a protector, guide, friend, boss,
comforter and light to you. He’s given other people to help you, but best of all,
His Holy Spirit lives in you.
2 Corinthians 5:7 and 5:21 say this:
“When someone becomes a new Christian, he becomes a brand new person
inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun! For God took the
sinless Christ and poured into Him our sins. Then, in exchange, He poured God’s
goodness into us”.
You may not feel very different, but let’s review what happened to bring you to
this new beginning.
Romans 3:23 “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory”.
Before you became a Christian you were cut off from God. What separated you
from Him?
Romans 5: 8 “But God showed how much He loved us by having Christ die for
us, even though we were sinful”. What did Jesus do for you?
22
Colossians 1: 21-22 “You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you
His enemies, and you did evil things. But His son became a human and died. So
God made peace with you, and now He lets you stand in His presence as people
who are holy and faultless and innocent”.
Acts 3:19 “So turn to God! Give up your sins and you will be forgiven”.
Colossians 1: 22b “But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You
must not give up the hope you received when you received the good news”.
Can You Be Sure?
Some people struggle all their lives, never being quite sure of their
salvation. John, in his letter, was concerned with this very question.
Let’s read from it…..
1 John 2: 3-6
When we obey God we are sure that we know Him. But if we claim to know Him
and don’t obey Him, we are lying and the truth isn’t in our hearts. We truly love
God only when we obey Him as we should, and then we know that we belong to
Him. If we say we are His, we must follow the example of Christ.
1 John 5:13
All of you have faith in the Son of God, and I have written to let you know you
have eternal life.
1 John 3: 14
Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life. But if you
don’t love each other, you are still under the power of death.
1 John 3: 24
If we obey god’s commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with Him, and
He will stay one with us. The Spirit that He has given us is proof that we are one
with Him.
1 John 4: 13
God has given us His Spirit. That is how we know that we are one with Him, just
as He is one with us.
1 John 4: 15
God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God.
That's how we stay one with God
1 John 5: 1
If we believe that Jesus is truly Christ, we are God’s children.
23
1 John 5: 11
God has also said that He gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from
His Son. And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the
Son, we don’t have this life. All of you have faith in the Son of God, and I have
written to let you know that you have eternal life.
Quick Definitions
Christian Means “Christ in one”. Christ lives in you! He comes to take
control of your life.
Grace Is the “free gift of God” - given to help you turn to Jesus and
to supply you with the power to live for all of your life.
Obedience Is saying “yes” to Jesus about every decision, every day.
Repent Means “to turn around”. To turn away from a self-centred,
self-controlled life.
Believe Means “total trust”.