GOSPEL

1. God's Proof

Romans 1:20 - “Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”A building proves there is a builder. A painting proves there is a painter. Creation proves there is a Creator. (Birds, flowers, trees, sun, moon, planets etc all prove there is a Creator).

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GOSPEL

2. God's Universe

Genesis 1:1 - “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”John 1:3 - “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."If you visit a friend’s house, you have to obey his house rules, because it is his house. Since this is God’s universe, we have to obey God’s rules.Let’s see if we have kept them or broken them.

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GOSPEL

3. Our Sin

Have you ever lied?Have you ever taken something that’s not yours? (Even papers/pen in office, or download without copyright).Jesus said if you looked with lust, you have already committed adultery. How many times have you looked with lust?How many times have you used God’s name in vain (OMG)?Have you ever dishonored your parents?Have you ever coveted?Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GodRomans 3:10 - “There is no one righteous, not even one;So if God judged you, will you be innocent or guilty? Heaven or hell?

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GOSPEL

4. God's Justice

If a judge let all the criminals go free because he is loving and forgiving, is he a good judge? No. A good judge will make sure justice is served.Psalm 7:11 - God is a righteous judge…Job 34:12 - Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.According to God’s law, the penalty for sin is death.Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death.

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GOSPEL

5. God's Self-Sacrificial Love

Because God is just, He has to declare us guilty.But God loves us so much, that He is willing to do the unthinkable.1 John 4:10 - "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."The penalty we deserved for our sins is already paid. Jesus died on the cross on your behalf, as your substitute, so you can walk free. If you get traffic violation tickets, you have to pay them. But if someone else paid for you, you don’t have to pay it. Because it’s already paid. And it’s legal. This is what Jesus did on the cross.Jesus’s last words before He died on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). That means the penalty of your sins are paid.Questions:1. If God is love, why is not everybody saved? How can a loving God send someone to hell?2. How is Jesus different from all other religions?3. Do you agree that you are a sinner? Do you agree that because of your sins you deserve death penalty?4. Why is it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross? Can’t God The Father just say “I forgive you”?

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SALVATION

1. Where will you go after this life?2. On a scale of 0-100%, how sure are you?3. Why?
-Read Ephesians 2:1-10
-Verse 8 to 10:
BY GRACE
THROUGH FAITH
FOR GOOD WORKSWe are saved BY grace. Not BY faith but THROUGH faith. Not BY good works but FOR good works. Understanding the preposition is key.1. Saved BY Grace - This refers to Jesus paying the penalty for our sins on the cross. No matter how much faith you have, if Jesus did not die on the cross, we are still going to hell. No matter how much good works you have done, if Jesus did not die on the cross, we are still going to hell. We are saved by grace alone.2. THROUGH Faith - This means we need to believe that Jesus really did pay the penalty for our sins on the cross. But there’s more. Let’s make it specific. It means we need to believe that Jesus paid 100% of our penalty on that cross, and therefore we must believe we paid 0% for our own salvation. It has to be 100% credit to God, and 0% credit to self. Leaving 1% credit to self can be a boast. God’s words says “so that no one can boast”3. FOR Good Works - We are not saved BY good works, but we are saved FOR good works. Those who put 100% of their faith in God’s grace will experience gratitude and transformation to do good works for God’s glory. This good work is not forced or has to be convinced, but a natural by-product of a changed heart. This is the evidence that you are already saved. (Gal 5:22-23). You will become more loving, more forgiving, more secure, more humble, more joyful, peaceful, etc.Other examples: Stop worshiping idols, stop dishonest practices, hunger for God’s word, desire to pray more, desire to share the gospel to others, helping the poor not just for the sake of the poor but also out of gratitude to what God has done on the cross for you, etc.

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SALVATION

Watch out for:Legalism - not 100% credit to Jesus; credit own worksLicense - 100% credit to Jesus, but no good works/transformationRepentance - not just feeling sorry for sin. But must be sorry to God not just to another human being. (read 2 Cor 7:10). Ultimately, this sorrow to God must lead to a change of mind / decision, which will lead to change of action (good works/transformation) (faith without works is dead) (read Matthew 3:8). Must not be making excuses, but taking responsibility before God.QUESTIONS TO CHECK IF PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD GOD’s SALVATION CORRECTLY:1. What can you do to go to heaven?2. If Jesus asked you “These are all the sins you have committed against me. Why should I let you into heaven” - What would you say?3. If you committed a very big sin before you die, and did not have the chance to ask God for forgiveness, would you go to heaven or hell?4. If you have friends who believe they are going to heaven because they are good, will they go to heaven?5. Read Matthew 7:21, why are these believers not saved?6. If the kindest and most righteous person on Earth did not believe in Jesus, and goes to hell, is God just?

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LORDSHIP

So you’re saved.. Now what?
-Live for Him.-
Lordship = surrendering every area of your life to God. Financial life, love life / marriage life, work life, thought life, relationship with parents, siblings, etc. It is a contradiction to say “No” to your Lord. If He is really Lord, the only response should be “Yes Lord”.1 Peter 1:19 - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ1 Cor 7:23 - You were bought with a price…Galatians 3:13 - Christ bought us with His blood..Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.

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LORDSHIP

The life we live is no longer ours. Your life is no longer your own. To Jesus you belong. This is for our own protection and our own good.Jesus’s teaching: Not my will, but God’s will be done.
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Satanism’s slogan: Do what you will.
-There is a very fine line between the teaching of Jesus and of Satan. It all boils down to whether you want to do your own will or God’s will. This is a daily decision. One wants to give you abundant life. The other wants to “steal, kill and destroy”.

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LORDSHIP

Doing God’s will enable and empower us to:Overcome Sin - God did not just save us from the penalty of sin. God also saved us from the power of sin. (Does not mean perfection but progress/transformation; Being at war w/ sin vs being at peace with sin).Good Stewards - with our finances/resources, time, relationships, talents, etcPrioritize Him - it’s now difficult to make decisions if our priorities are clear; check how you spend your money, time, what you pray for to assess your priorities.Bear much more fruits / Christ-likeness - becoming more and more of the sons/daughters God wants us to beBring people to Christ - experience unspeakable joy of God working in you and through youAs we grow more and more mature in Christ, instead of asking “Is this a sin?”, we now ask “Is the life I’m living now worth Jesus dying for?”

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LORDSHIP

Questions:
1. What areas of your life do you think Jesus is not happy with? (You can pray and ask God directly)2. What is hindering you from surrendering your entire life to God?3. After everything Jesus has done for you, do you believe God wants what’s best for you? Do you believe giving your all to God is really what’s best for you?4. What are the top 3 blessings in your life?5. Are you happy with how you manage your time/resources? Any changes you want to do?6. Are there any specific sin in your life that you struggle with the most?

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

Becoming a believer of Jesus is just the 1st step. We need to become DISCIPLE of Jesus.5 things Jesus said about becoming a disciple of Jesus:1. John 8:31 You will be my disciple if you keep on obeying my teaching2. John 13:34-35 You will be my disciple if you love other disciples (Do you really love God? Evidence is found in our love for fellow believers).3. John 15:8 You will be my disciple if you produce a lot of spiritual fruit4. Luke 14:26,33 You cannot be my disciple unless you love God much more than anything else in your life (Is your #1 priority in your life?)5. Luke 14:27 You cannot be my disciple unless you pick up your cross and follow me (does not mean burden. Cross in 1st century = death. This means you must be willing to die, die to self, absolute surrender; must be willing to give up hopes, dreams, ambitions, possessions, reputation, even own life.)Bottomline: Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Eventually, God will become #1 priority in your life. God will help you bear a lot of fruits.

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

But being a disciple of Jesus is not sustainable without the Holy Spirit.We all need to be filled with the Holy Spirit (not just indwelt) regularly to be able to keep being a disciple.Here are important practices to keep being filled with the Holy Spirit.
1. Bible time - God talks, you listen
2. Prayer life - you talk, God listens
3. Life Group - you talk and listen to fellow believers
4. Share the gospel - you talk and listen to non believers

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

Bible Reading Tips:A. Physical body needs physical food/nourishment, spiritual being need spiritual nourishment (Matt 4:4). It is possible to be a believer yet spiritually malnourished.B. Read the bible not just for information, but for transformation. God’s word has the power to make you become the person God wants you to be. He said “Let there be light”, and there was light. He said “Quiet! Be still!” Even the wind and waves obeyed Him. His Word will impact you too.C. Consistency is the key. Find a daily time and place where you can be alone with God. There will be times when you don’t feel like reading your Bible. Read it anyway. (Or at least spend time with God like worship music). Let your action change how you feel about reading the Bible, not your feeling change your bible reading habit.D. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you while you spend time with God daily meditating on His word.E. Read in proper contextF. Pastor Dewey’s Daily Devotion

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

How to Read the Bible in proper context (Book per Book):Literary style - is it a poem, history, letter, gospel, prophecy? You don’t read poems the same way you read history or prophecy. So it’s important to identify what you are reading first.Author - Who wrote it? It will be helpful to know the background of the author, what he went through or is going through at that time.Target Audience - Whom is he writing it for? What is the background of these people during that time? (Ex: Hebrews 10:26-27)Purpose - Why is the author writing it? What is the objective? What is the back story?Descriptive vs Prescriptive - Some cult leaders read Solomon had many wives, and automatically assumed it must be allowed in the Bible. But that passage is simply describing what happened to Solomon (descriptive).It is not giving advice (prescriptive). Example of Prescriptive passage: Each man should have his own wife (1 Cor 7). This is not telling a story but giving instruction. Be mindful which verses are descriptive, and which ones are prescriptive.

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

Purpose of Prayer:Aside from asking for help… Prayer is not changing God’s mind, but when God changes our mind (Romans 12:2). The more we pray the more our hearts should align to God’s. Prayer is a balance of both confidence and surrender (1 John 5:14). We have full confidence that whatever we ask God, He can do it. At the same time we are fully surrendered that whatever answer we get from Him is what’s best for us. Example: Daniel 3:16-18Tips:1. Decide what you need to give up to find time for prayer and bible reading2. Find a daily time and place where you be alone with God with no distraction (Luke 5:16, Mark 1:35, Matt 14:23). This will improve the quality of your prayer life.3. Journal your prayer life4. Fasting5. Learn to discern the voice”/leading of God6. Ask God questions. Ask God to override your own plans. Ask God who to pray for, what to pray.

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

Purpose of Life Group:Christ-likeness - The ultimate goal of a true believer is to grow in Christ-likeness. But growing alone can be hard. Let’s say you want to learn to play violin, but you know nothing about it and you have zero friends who know anything about it. You can google it and start to learn a little bit, but it’s slow learning. If you have a group of friends who already play violin, and are willing to teach you and help you, it becomes much easier. Same thing with discipleship, you need a group of friends who are willing to grow in Christ-likeness just as you do. Proverbs 27:17 - “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”Obedience - “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 25:19). This is a command, not a request. 2000 yrs after Jesus resurrected, we have the privilege to participate in The Great Commission. The reason you are a believer now is because someone has obeyed this command in the past. Decide whether you will continue the movement or let it stop with you. The reason you are being discipled is so you can disciple others.Accountability / Avoiding Blind Spot - The Bible described David as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Yet when he saw Bathsheba bathing, it led to adultery. The adultery led to murder. If only David has a discipleship group at that time, a group of brothers and sisters in Christ willing to rebuke him even if he is king, it could have been stopped. We all have blind spot. Even if you are a man or woman after God’s own heart. We all need brothers and sisters in Christ who love us enough to rebuke us when they see us walking the opposite direction with the Lord.

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

Sharing the gospel (PRAY-CARE-SHARE):Identify who are the people in your circles that are not yet saved, ask God who He wants to save through you, ask God who He wants you to share the gospel with.Pray for themCare for them (identify ways how to care for them in a tangible/intentional way)Share the gospel

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

Many Christians thought the way to introduce Jesus to their friends is by inviting them to Church and let the pastor do all the work. It’s good to bring them to Church, but you don’t need to be a pastor to be able to share the gospel and make disciples of Jesus.Matthew 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
God did not requested us to make disciples. He commanded us to.Think about how did you become a Christian. We all have different stories of how we reached a saving relationship with Jesus, but we all have one common denominator - someone shared the gospel to us. What Jesus started 2000 years ago has reached us. Now we have a choice to make. Continue to make disciples OR let it stop with you.

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EACH ONE A DISCIPLE

A willing heart - Isaiah 6:8. Are you willing to say “Yes Lord here I am”? Are you willing to be used by God for Kingdom work even though you could be taken out of your comfort zone? God will open doors of opportunities who to share the gospel with. Obey.A loving spirit - Phil 1:15-16, The only motive for sharing the gospel must be love. Eph 4:15 Speak the truth in love. 1 Peter 3:15 Share the gospel with gentleness and respect. Winning the argument but losing the person is not according to God’s will.Success in God’s Eyes - Man measures success with numbers (eg. how many people do you disciple? How big is your church?). God measures success with obedience. Focus on your own individual God-given assignment, not other’s.Surrender the Results - Our task is to meditate on the Word, live out the Word, share the Word. But God will do the harvesting / saving. Learn to surrender the results.

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