appendix A: memory verses

appendix A: memory verses If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5, NIV As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26, NIV But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17 18, NASB So, humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7, NLT Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16, NLT But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9, ESV He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24, NIV Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:15 16, HCSB And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you 1 Peter 5:10, NASB 104

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:4, NASB Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment. 2 Peter 2:9, NASB Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless. 2 Peter 3:14, NASB 105

appendix B: prayer Jesus life was characterized by communicating in prayer with the Father. Jesus prayed on numerous occasions: At His baptism (Luke 3:21) Before preaching in Galilee (Mark 1:35) After healing a leper (Luke 5:16) Before selecting the twelve disciples (Luke 6:12) In His model prayer (Matthew 6:9 13) After feeding the 5,000 (Matthew 14:22; John 6:15) Before Peter s confession (Luke 9:18) During His transfiguration (Luke 9:28 29) After hearing the report of the seventy (Luke 10:21 22) Before raising Lazarus (John 11:41 42) After teaching certain Greeks (John 12:27 28) In the Upper Room (John 17:1 26) In the Garden (3x Matthew 26:39, 42, 44) On the Cross (3x Luke 23:34, 46; Matthew 27:46 47) Christ prayed for Himself, little children, all believers, and even for His enemies. He prayed at dawn, in the early morning, late afternoon, past midnight, and all night. He prayed kneeling, on His face, and lifting His eyes to heaven. He prayed publically and privately. In His High Priestly Prayer, Christ prayed for Himself [for glorification as Savior in providing eternal life (John 17:1 5)], for His disciples [for their protection, wisdom, perseverance, joy, and impact on the world (John 17:6 19)], and for all future believers [for their unity, glorification, witness, wisdom, and love (John 17:20 26)]. Christ continues His perpetual ministry of prayer and intercession for all believers at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34). The Holy Spirit also assists and intercedes in our prayers to the Father, providing confidence for believers in prayer (Romans 8:26). Prayer should be expressed toward God, in the name of Christ, in the power of the Spirit. Prayer should permeate the lives of all believers, as we seek Him for personal needs as well as for leaders (1 Timothy 2:1 2), for backslidden believers (Luke 22:32), for the unsaved (Luke 23:34), and even for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Effective fervent prayer produces comfort, restoration, healing, forgiveness and fellowship, praise, and thanksgiving, demonstrating the incredible power of God available to His children. * Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 18 NASB [This Word Picture was originally presented in Believe: The Gospel of John (John 11 21). Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, 2014 [Lesson 7]. 106

appendix C: the good news of Christ s offer of salvation Several Gospel presentations have been designed to explain man s sinful condition separating him or her from God, and to clarify the good news of Christ s free offer of salvation by grace [God s part] through faith [man s part]. The Four Spiritual Laws The Four Spiritual Laws is the title of an outreach booklet created by Campus Crusade for Christ founder Dr. Bill Bright. They are simple to understand and explain, and they use the Word to convict, convince, and convert. 1. God loves you. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) 2. Man is sinful and separated from God. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) For the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23a) But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. (Isaiah 59:2a). 3. Jesus Christ is God s only provision for man s sin. I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) 4. We must individually receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12) If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8) The Roman Road The Roman Road utilizes seven verses from the book of Romans to present the Good News of Christ. 1. Romans 3:10: As it is written, There is none righteous, not even one. 2. Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 3. Romans 5:12: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. 4. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 5. Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 6. Romans 10:9 10: If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 7. Romans 10:13: For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. * You can place a copy of these presentations in your Bible so that you will be equipped to share the Good News of Christ whenever you have an opportunity. Scripture verses taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) 107

A sample prayer to receive Christ: Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner, that I have lied, thought evil in my heart, and broken your law. Please forgive me of my sins. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, were buried, and rose from the dead. Please cleanse me of my sin and be the Lord of my life. I trust you completely for the forgiveness of my sins and put no trust in my own efforts of righteousness. Lord Jesus, please save me as I receive you and believe what you did on the cross is the only way to be saved from the righteous judgment of God the Father. If you have prayed the prayer truthfully, then you have obeyed Christ and believed the Gospel (Mark 1:15), and are now a child of God. If you have prayed to receive Christ, commemorate and remember the occasion by writing your name and the date below. I trusted in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior on. [Your Name] [Date] Now tell others about your commitment to Jesus. The Bible says, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:9 10 NASB). Your small group discussion facilitator, the teaching team (who present the lectures), and every member of the Women s Leadership Team of Stonebriar Community Church are praying for you and would love to hear from you! 108

appendix D: the background of 2 peter The book of 2 Peter was written by Peter, the disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, just prior to his death (1:14). The original readers of the book are unnamed but are probably the same audience as 1 Peter, because Peter says that this is the second time that he had written to them (3:1). Although unnamed, the recipients are described as those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ (1:1); therefore, they were believers. This faith shared by the recipients and the author is not just the same in source and object, i.e. the righteousness of Christ (1:1); it is the same in honor and privilege. The Greek word was used to describe foreigners who had achieved Roman citizenship and, therefore, shared in all the honors and privileges of fellow citizens. This imagery would have been significant to the original audience and not merely glossed over as a cut and paste greeting. Roman citizenship was not easy to gain and was thoroughly sought after because of the protection and privilege it secured. Through the course of this book, Peter would exhort them to diligently live up to this honor and privilege. He would not allow them to live behind a false impression that he and other heroes of the early church held any sort of super powers with respect to obedience. Like himself, they had been given everything pertaining to life and godliness (1:3). They had only to apply it diligently by godly living (1:5 7) The purpose of 2 Peter is to warn believers of false teachings/teachers in the church (3:17; 2:1 22). Peter reminds the readers that the best defense against false teaching is knowledge of the truth of the Word (1:12 13, 16 21) and growing to spiritual maturity (3:18; 1:2 11). He points them to both his own eye witness testimony as one of the thirteen disciples (1:16) and to the Old Testament prophets (3:2). The boisterous and often comical disciple of the Gospels has grown up and is giving his last impassioned plea for the people to live up to their new citizenship in the household of Christ. The false teaching which he addressed was most probably an early form of Gnosticism, from the Greek word for knowledge, which denied the tenants of the faith and proclaimed that salvation could only come from special knowledge which they alone knew. This philosophy elevated the spirit above the physical body and claimed that the physical was completely bad. However, because the physical did not matter, the people were free to slip into any form of immorality because the body was already considered bad and did not affect the spirit. This school of philosophy would become a great threat to the doctrine of the church in the second century AD and would again gain a footing within our own generation through cults and false teachers. There are several distinctive features in 2 Peter that add richness to the biblical canon. First, Peter adds to an understanding of the doctrine of inspiration. Peter explains that prophecy comes from the Holy Spirit and not from man (1:21) and explains the process of the dual authorship of Scripture (1:20 21). He equates Paul s writings with the Old Testament (OT) canon and implies that false teachers are twisting Paul s teachings (3:15 16). Peter supports the 2 Timothy 3:16 teaching of inspiration and purpose of Scripture. This discussion of inspiration also contributes to our understanding of inerrancy. With sixteen references, Peter s emphasis on knowledge is also distinctive. Unlike the Gnostics, who focused on the knowledge of secret things, and the Pharisees, who focused on the knowledge of tradition, Peter points people to knowledge of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Gospel (1:2, 3:18) which is the defense against the false teachers. Second Peter also echoes James, Jude, and Paul in his comprehensive discussion against license toward the grace of God (2:1 22). Another distinctive is Peter s discussion of the epochs of time (3:4 13) where he divides time into three distinct epochs and tells us that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years (3:8). Although there are many distinctive features within the book, 2 Peter also connects with the rest of Scripture. One of Peter s primary exhortations was for the people to remember the words of the prophets (3:2). This would have referred to the OT prophets that prophesied the promises of the Millennial Kingdom and both the first and second comings 109

of Christ. If the prophecies of the first coming were fulfilled, then why doubt the promises of the second coming? He also quotes from Proverbs 26:11 (2:22) to make his point. His warning in 2:4 9 is based on three OT judgments and the provision given to the righteous in these judgments. He points to the fallen angels which could be either the initial angelic rebellion discussed in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah14 or the sin of the angels in Genesis 6:1 4 (2:4). He points to Genesis 6 9 and the judgment on the world in the flood (2:5). Finally, he points to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah which is detailed in Genesis 19 (2:6 10). He points to his own eye witness testimony of Jesus glory which is described in the Gospels and Acts (Luke 9:43; Acts 19:27; 2 Peter 1:16). 110

appendix E: gnosticism In 2 Peter 2:1, Peter warns of false teachers who will introduce destructive heresies into the church. Some theologians believe that he is referring to an early form of Gnosticism. Gnosticism comes from the Greek root gnosis which means to know. They were called this because they believed that salvation could only come through knowledge of special hidden truths which they alone had access to. The Gnostics viewed God as purely spiritual, purely good, purely unknown, and therefore, as a unknowable being called Father. They referred to him as Bythus, meaning deep, and saw him as completely transcendent above everything that exists. Because he was completely spirit, he had nothing to do with the physical world. This contrasts with the Biblical view of God as one who made the physical world and made man in His own image for the purpose of fellowship. Gnostics saw the world consisting of two realms: spirit and physical. In their view, the spirit (Pleroma) realm was all good and the physical realm, including earth and all living creatures, was evil. In the spirit realm, the Father created thirty three Aeons spirit beings with names such as Christ, Son, Spirit, and Sophia (the Greek word for wisdom.) Sophia believed that she could know the eternal Father on her own accord and fell into the sin of pride and arrogance. In trying to be like the Father, she created a son in her own image of pride and arrogance called Demiurge or Creator, who was entirely evil. Gnostics claim that Demiurge is the god of the Old Testament and created the physical world. When he created the physical, bits of the spirit realm were trapped or chained within some of humanity. These humans alone had a chance to break free and return to the spirit world. Only the bodies that contained fragments of the Pleroma had spirits and could be saved. The Gnostics were, of course, the only bodies with spirits. The Orthodox Church was considered to have souls but not spirits. The Gnostics were adamantly against the Jews. Because the Jews were associated with the God of the Old Testament and held promises of a land, a physical seed, and material blessings, they were considered without soul or spirit and were without hope. Again, this sharply contrasts with the picture that Scripture describes. First, although God Himself is Spirit and is entirely good, the spirit realm contains both fallen and unfallen angels, and therefore contains both good and evil. Second, God declared that the physical world was good when He created it (Genesis 1) and a physical New Heaven and New Earth will be the eternal home of the redeemed (Revelation 21 22). Third, God became incarnate as man and dwelled among us in a physical body. He became man so that He could act as a kinsman redeemer and save humanity (Hebrews 2:14 15). Fourth, the Jews are God s special people. For the Gnostics, salvation was the releasing of these chained spirits by special knowledge and passwords that only they possessed. These would then be free to return to Pleroma as androgynous spirits. In their doctrine, Christ came to impart the special knowledge and passwords. Because the Gnostics believed that all physical material was evil, they believed that either the Aeon named Son took up a physical body of an evil human whose name was Jesus, or he remained spirit and only appeared to be human. Once again, this heresy denies the sacrifice of Christ and the miracle of the incarnation. Of course, Gnostics had proof texts to support their views and were quite passionate about the Bible, Jesus, and evangelism; however, their definitions for all of these were quite different than Scripture presents. Dr. Martin Marty, a Lutheran religious scholar, described Gnosticism as fusing a pagan ancestry with Christian deviations, it knew many of the words but little of music of the song of Christian redemption. When compared to the passages of Isaiah 14:3 4, 9 16 and 111

Ezekiel 28:1 4, 11 19, the Gnostic tale appears to be a cleverly devised tale (1 Peter 1:16) which rewrites the history of the universe to cast doubt on the goodness and love of the God of the Bible. Because the Gnostic beliefs were so dualistic in nature and completely separated the spiritual and the physical, their lifestyles were often licentious and sinful. They saw their physical bodies as inherently evil and saw no reason to resist the temptations they faced. They also believed that because the physical and the spiritual were so entirely separate, one could not stain the other. They planned to leave their wicked bodies behind when they returned to Pleroma, so there was no reason to deny the flesh any whim or desire. This clearly contradicts the teachings of Jesus, Peter, James, and Paul who all pointed to not only internal change by the blood of Christ but also lifestyles that demonstrated internal change had occurred. Marty, Martin E. A Short History of Christianity, 2nd ed. (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987), 57. 112