ALPHA COURSE.ppt

Family of God’s
Little Children-
Foundational
Center, Inc.
ALPHA COURSE
AN ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHO IS THE GOD
THAT WE WORSHIP?

LUKE 10:21-22
 "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, for although you have hidden these
things from the wise and the learned you have
revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father,
such has been your gracious will.
 All things have been handed over to me by
my Father. No one knows who the Son is
except the Father, and who the Father is
except the Son and anyone to whom the Son
wishes to reveal him."

WE WORSHIP A LIVING GOD
He is a living God, who created
everything, the Source of life.
It is God who makes me live and
move and have my being.
This living God is to be worshipped
in a life-giving way, vibrant way.

God cannot be excluded from my life.
God can directly invade my life, if he
wants to. He can intervene in every
activity and aspect of my life, especially
if asked to.
We can expect God to intrude even into
the deepest recesses of our hearts,
especially if invited to.

 We therefore have to give room for God to
move and act and speak to us, especially in
moments of silence and solitude. For it is in
silence that God is the loudest.
 In profound personal prayer, especially, we
can expect God to invade our lives.

WE WORSHIP A HOLY GOD
 Holy, holy, holy - supremely holy is God.
 He must be approached in deep awe and
reverence. Abraham was forced to see
himself simply as dust before the holiness of
God. Peter, realizing the holiness of Jesus
after the miraculous catch of fish, exclaimed:
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Because God is holy, He cannot
countenance any kind of un-
holiness before him. Anything
that is unholy in our lives is
completely against Him. He
commands us in fact to “be holy
for I, the Lord your God am holy"
(Leviticus 19:2).

Sin is un-holiness before God. Any
stain of sin in our lives is contrary to
the all-holiness of God. We need to
be purged of all grievous sin when
we worship God. We need to
approach the holy God in purity of
mind and heart, in cleanness of
body and soul and spirit when we
come to offer Him worship.

WE WORSHIP A UNIQUE GOD
– THE ONE AND ONLY
God is unique. He is the One and
Only God, there is no other like
Him.
He cannot accept competition or
rivalry. He is a jealous God (Exodus
20:5). God is jealous, not because
He is weak or insecure. He is
jealous because He does not want
any competition to His worship and
love.

 Idolatry is a great insult to God, for it is
substituting a creature for the Creator. Idol
worship is an immense lie, for it is making
lifeless and dumb stones and wood equal to
God.
 To love ourselves and created things
(possessions, pleasure, etc.) above God is
idolatry.

 Idols are not just the statues of the pagans.
Idols can also be possessions, pleasures,
power, or our own selves. When we love them
and ourselves above the true and living God,
we are guilty of idol worship.
 We worship God as the Supreme, the
Highest, the Unsurpassable Value of our lives.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS GRACE
Grace is a gift freely given to someone
utterly unworthy.
God says, "I am everything, and I give
everything of myself to you in spite of
your unworthiness."
Grace is the total generosity of God,
His infinite goodness shared to us who
are utterly unworthy.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS GRACE
I must, therefore, acknowledge that
all that I am, all that I have, and all
that I do is grace. “What have we
that we have not received?” (1
Corinthians. 4:7).
Humility is truth. It is being humble
when I simply acknowledge my
nothingness before the everything-
ness of God.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS GRACE
We ought to worship God in deep
humility. We need to come before
God in our nothingness when we
worship Him, conscious all the time
that we are nothing before Him.
It is in our nothingness that we
become something before God.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS CHALLENGE
When God gives, He desires and
challenges us to respond to Him.
"I give you my love; you then must
love me in return. I give you life;
you should live your life fully for me.
I give you many talents and gifts;
you should use them at my service.
I give you everything that is good.”

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS CHALLENGE
The proper response that I can
give to God’s self-giving love is,
“Lord God, I give you back
everything that I’ve received from
you. I totally surrender everything
to you.”
This is FAITH. Our faith-response
is an act of LOVE.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS CHALLENGE
This means unconditional
surrender. I surrender to You,
because I recognize that You
completely own me. You own
everything that I am and everything
that I have and everything that I do.
I surrender to You. In that way, I
can give you immense praise and
greater glory and honor.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS CHALLENGE
The challenge is: How we can
appropriately surrender everything
back to God - to offer our lives to
the Lord as a pleasing sweet
smelling sacrifice of praise? Our
lives should be like incense and
should be offered to the Lord day
by day, so that his glory would
shine out in our lives.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
WHO IS ABBA (FATHER)
This God Jesus calls His Abba, His
dearest Father. He is not a distant God.
Jesus’ God is very close to us.
He is concerned for us. He knows what
we need. He provides everything for
us. He protects us from every danger
and harm.

WE WORSHIP A GOD
This God even repeatedly says
to you and to me everyday in so
many different ways, "I love you, I
love you, I love you. My love for
you is unchanging.” He says in
Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved you
with an everlasting love, and my
affection for you is constant.”

WE WORSHIP A GOD
In Isaiah 49:15-16, the same God
tenderly assures us, “Can a mother
forget the baby of her womb, and
the infant that sucked at her
breasts? Even if she would forget, I
will never forget you, because your
name is graven in the palm of my
hand.”

WE WORSHIP A GOD
 We praise and thank our Father for making us
His beloved children. He gives us the right
and opportunity to enjoy the fullness of life in
heaven, our eternal destiny.
 The entire life of a Christian is supposed to be
a life of praise and worship on earth and in
heaven.

WHY DO WE PRAISE GOD?
 Everything in the universe is from God. When
we see wonders of the created universe our
immediate response is praise.
 Created things are by the infinite wisdom, the
almighty power, and the everlasting love of
God - His unchanging goodness and
unlimited generosity.

Our God loves us so much that
He gave us His only Son, and
this Son loves us so much that
He offered everything of His life
for us.
The Father and the Son sent us
the Holy Spirit because of Their
love for us.

 By the Holy Spirit we have become the
beloved children and part of the Family of
God, destined to share His eternal life and
glory.
 We should praise the Lord - not just because
of nature and creation, but also because of
the graces - the amazing graces that God has
given us.

HOW DO WE PRAISE GOD?
“Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).
I am breathing right now. I have my
wonderful body, my breathing and
voice organs.
I have my body, soul and spirit. I
am equipped with many wonderful
gifts, talents, emotions and
faculties.

 I have enough reason to praise Him for
what I am and what I have and what I do.
 I use my bodily gifts, my mental faculties,
my emotions, my spirit to worship and
praise the Lord.
 I speak and sing, I shout and lift up my
hands, I clap and dance in joyful worship. I
praise the Lord with my mind and
emotions, in my spirit.

 Everything that we are is in the presence
of God.
 Everything that we have received from the
Lord should be used to praise and glorify
Him.
 Every moment and everyday we should
praise God, because daily we experience
His tremendous love.
 God deserves our constant praise.

 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation
5:12).
 Then I heard every creature in heaven
and on earth and under the earth and in
the sea, everything in the universe, cry
out: “To the one who sits on the throne
and to the Lamb be blessing and honor,
glory and might, forever and ever”
(Revelation 5:13).

 “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
worship the LORD with cries of gladness;
come before him with joyful song” (Psalm
100:1-2).
 “Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth;
break into song; sing praise. Sing praise to
the LORD with the harp, with the harp and
melodious song. With trumpets and the sound
of the horn shout with joy to the King, the
LORD” (Psalm 98:4-6).

 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy sanctuary;
give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.
Give praise for his mighty deeds, praise him
for his great majesty. Give praise with blasts
upon the horn, praise him with harp and lyre.
Give praise with tambourines and dance,
praise him with flutes and strings. Give praise
with crashing cymbals, praise him with
sounding cymbals. Let everything that has
breath give praise to the LORD! Hallelujah!
(Psalm 150)

 OUR MINDS, EMOTIONS AND HEARTS
LIFTED TO GOD’S HEAVENLY THRONE
 OUR SPIRITS JOINED TO GOD’S SPIRIT
 WITH OUR VOICES IN JOYFUL SONGS
 WITH OUR BREATH IN FESTAL
SHOUTS
 WITH CLAPPING AND DANCING
 WITH HANDS UPLIFTED TO HEAVEN
 WITH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

 HALLELUJAH! ALLELUIA! PRAISE THE
LORD! WOW GOD!
 WE WORSHIP YOU, WE PRAISE YOU, WE
MAGNIFY YOU, WE THANK YOU, WE
GLORIFY YOU, WE HONOR YOU, O HOLY
AND TRIUNE GOD, FATHER, SON AND
HOLY SPIRIT!
 ALL POWER AND GLORY, RICHES AND
BEAUTY, WISDOM AND THANKSGIVING,
WISDOM AND GOODNESS BE TO YOU,
GOD THE ALMIGHTY!

PRAISE THE
LORD!
NOW AND
FOREVER!
To the king of ages,
incorruptible, invisible, the
only God, honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen.

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHO IS JESUS?

INTRODUCTION
 JESUS existed. Evidence outside the New
Testament about Jesus includes:
 Tacitus and Suetonius – Roman Historians
 Josephus – Jewish Historian
 Evidence in the New Testament: written in
40-100 A.D.; earliest copy in A.D. 130-
350; number of copies = 5,000+ in Greek,
10,000 copies in Latin, and 9,300 copies
in other languages.

JESUS WAS FULLY HUMAN
 He had a human body that got tired (John 4:6)
and hungry (Matthew 4:2).
 He had human emotions. He got angry (Mark
11:15-17), and sad (John 11:32-36).
 He had human experiences. He was tempted
(Mark 1:13), he learned (Luke 2:46-52), he
worked (Mark 6:3), and he was obedient
(Luke 2:51-52).
 But was he more than just a man? Was he
more than a “great human/religious teacher”?

WHAT DID HE SAY
ABOUT HIMSELF?
 JESUS SAID: I AM…
 The BREAD OF LIFE (John 6:35)
 The LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12)
 The RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE (John
11:25-26)
 The WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE (John
14:6)

JESUS ALSO SAID
 “MY KINGDOM” (Luke 22:30)
 “COME TO ME” (Matthew 11:28-29)
 “FOLLOW ME” (Mark 1:17)
 “RECEIVE ME – RECEIVE GOD” (Matthew
10:40)
 WELCOME ME – WELCOME GOD (Mark
9:37)
 TO HAVE SEEN ME IS TO HAVE SEEN GOD
(John 14:9)
 CLAIM MAN’S SUPREME LOVE (Matthew
10:37; Luke 14:26)

JESUS’ INDIRECT AND
DIRECT CLAIMS
 To forgive sins (Mark 2:5)
 To judge the world (Matthe 25:31-32)
 MESSIAH (Mark 14:61-62)
 SON OF GOD (Mark 14:61)
 GOD THE SON: “…before Abraham was, I
am” (John 8:58)…”My Lord and my God”
(John 20:28)…”claim to be God” (John 10:33)

MAD? BAD? OR GOD?
 “A man who was merely a man and said the
sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great
moral teacher, he’d either be a lunatic – or a
level with man who says he’s poached egg –
or else he’ be the devil of hell. You must make
your choice. Either this man was and is the
Son of God, or else a madman or something
worse… But don’t let us come up with any
patronizing nonsense about his being a great
human teacher. He hasn’t left that open to us.
He didn’t intend to.” – C.S. Lewis

WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE TO
SUPPORT WHAT HE SAID?
 His teaching, e.g. Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5-7)
 His deeds (John 10:37-38)
 His character
 His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Lk
24:44)
 His conquest of death (John 11:43-44; John
21:14)

EVIDENCE FOR THE
RESURRECTION
 HIS EMPTY TOMB: Possible Explanations
=Jesus didn’t die (John 19:34); the disciples
stole the body; the authorities stole the body
 GRAVE CLOTHES UNDISTURBED (John
20:1-10)
 HIS APPEARANCE TO THE DISCIPLES:
Possible Explanations = They were seeing
things; He was a ghost. But 550+ people saw
Jesus on 11 different occasions over a period
of six weeks (Luke 24:37-43)

EVIDENCE FOR THE
RESURRECTION
 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH BEGAN AND
GREW RAPIDLY
 2000 YEARS LATER, NEARLY A THIRD OF
THE WORLD’S POPULATION KNOW JESUS
AS THEIR FRIEND AND LORD!

CONCLUSION
 “We are faced then with a frightening
alternative. The man we are talking about was
(and is) just what He said or else a lunatic or
something worse. Now it seems to me
obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a
fiend; and consequently, however strange or
terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to
accept the view that He was a is God. God
has landed on this enemy occupied world in
human form.” C.S. Lewis

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHY DID JESUS DIE?

CROSS AT THE HEART OF
CHRISTIAN FAITH
 1 Corinthians 2:2 = “For I resolved to know
nothing while I was with you except Jesus
Christ, and him crucified.”
 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 = “For Jews demand
signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we
proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to
Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those
who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

MAN’S GREATEST NEED
 Romans 3:23 = “All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God…”
 Results of Sin:
 Pollution of sin (Mark 7:21-23
 Power of sin (John 8:34)
 Penalty of sin (Romans 6:23)
 Partition of sin (Isaiah 59:2)

WHAT HAS GOD DONE?
 The SELF-SUBSTITUTION OF GOD: Agony
of the Cross (1 Peter 2:24) = “He himself bore
our sins in his body upon the cross, so that,
free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.”

WHAT THE CROSS ACHIEVED
 Romans 3:21-26: 4 Images which can
illustrate what Jesus has done for us:
 1. The Law Court: “We are justified freely by His grace”
(v. 24) = Penalty of sin Paid!
 Two friends went to school together and became close. As time
went by, they both went their separate ways, one to become a
judge, the other ending up a criminal. One day the criminal
appeared before the judge. The judge recognized his friend and
faced a dilemma: his friend had admitted his guilt and the law
demanded his punishment, but the judge loved him – he was his
friend… So he gave his friend a fine that was the fair amount for
his crime. That was JUSTICE. Then he came down from his
position as judge and wrote a check to cover the cost of the fine.
This is LOVE.

 2. The Market Place: “the redemption that
comes through Jesus Christ” (v. 24) =Power
of sin Broken!
 At the time the Bible was written, someone
who had serious debts might well have been
forced to sell himself as a slave. Imagine how
he would have felt if someone approached
him in the market place and on asking how
much he owed, paid his debt, and set him
free. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free
indeed” (John 8:36).

3. The Temple: “God presented Him
(Jesus) as a sacrifice” (v. 25) =
Pollution of sin Removed!
 To deal with sins in the Old Testament would
take an animal that was near perfect as
possible, lay his hands upon it and confess
his sins. His sins were passed onto the animal
which was then killed as a sacrifice (or
substitute) for his sins.

 4. The Home: “God was in Christ making
peace between the world and himself” (2
Corinthians 5:19) (v. 8) = Partition of sin
Destroyed and Family Reconciliation!
 Jesus died so that we can be put right with
God: “The Lord has put on him the
punishment for all the evil we have done”
(Isaiah 53:5) (v. 8)
 If you had been the only person in the world,
Jesus would have died for you. (Galatians
2:20)

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
HOW CAN I BE SURE
OF MY FAITH?

INTRODUCTION
 2 Corinthians 5:17: “When someone becomes
a Christian he becomes a brand new person
inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life
has begun.” (Living Bible)
 But experiences vary…some notice changes
straight away…for others it is more gradual.
GOD WANTS US TO BE SURE.
 When we believe in Jesus, we become a child
of God (John 1:12; 1 John 5:13)).

THE WORD OF GOD
 Instead of trusting in our own feelings, which
are changeable and deceptive, and which can
fool us, we should trust God’s promises from
the Bible.
 Revelation 3:20 = “I will come in”
 Matthew 28:20 = “I am with you always”
 John 10:28 = “I give them eternal life”
 FAITH = taking God’s promises and daring to
believe them!

THE WORK OF JESUS
 We can never earn God’s forgiveness: Jesus
died to destroy the barrier between us and
God!
 John 3:16 = God loves us and Jesus died to
prove it
 Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24 = He took our sins
upon himself

THE WORK OF JESUS
 The things we do wrong – sins – cause a
barrier between us and God which can
prevent us from knowing His love and make
Him seem far away. Jesus never did anything
wrong – never sinned – and there was no
barrier between Him and His Father. On the
cross, God transferred our sins onto Jesus.
When He cried out, “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me? (Make 15:34), Jesus
was cut off totally from God, His Father – not
because of His sins, but because of ours.

THE WITNESS OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT
 When someone becomes a Christian, God’s Holy Spirit comes to
live within him (Romans 8:9).
 He changes us on the inside:
 Our Character (Galatians 5:22-23) = This passage calls the good
things that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives “the fruit of the
Spirit.”
 Our Relationships = With the Holy Spirit at work in our lives –
things change! Have you noticed any of these changes: (1) a
new love for God; (2) a desire to read the Bible; (3) a new sense
of forgiveness; (4) a new concern for others; (5) enjoying
worshipping God; (6) a desire to meet with other Christians?
 He brings a deep, personal conviction that I am God’s child
(Romans 8:15-16).

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHY AND HOW SHOULD
I READ THE BIBLE

INTRODUCTION
 Psalm 1:1-3
 The Bible is a library of books (73 books in
one).
 The Bible is the most popular book, No. 1
best seller, over 44,000,000 sold every year,
and translated into 560 languages.
 The Bible is the most powerful book, read and
used to influence so many lives over 2000
years.
 The Bible is the most precious book. It is the
Word of God in words of men. So, it’s still up
to date, despite its age.

GOD HAS SPOKEN -
REVELATION
 2 Timothy 3:15-17 = Theopneustos = It means
“God-breathed” or “God-inspired” – which is
what the Bible is. Even though humans write
the words, it was God who inspired and
guided them.
 Therefore it is our authority for: (1) Teaching,
(2) Rebuking, (3) Correcting, (4) Training in
righteousness or how to live for God.
 The Bible is our MANUAL FOR LIFE!

GOD SPEAKS TODAY-
RELATIONSHIP
 Before we’re Christians (Romans 10:17; John
20:31);
 So that we can get to know Him (2 Timothy
3:15; John 5:39-40) = “Salvation through faith
in Christ.”
 And once we know Him, through the Bible, He
helps us become like Jesus (2 Corinthians
3:18).
 He helps us when the going gets tough – joy
and peace in the midst of a storm (Psalm
23:5).
 He shows us the right way (Psalm 119:105).

GOD SPEAKS TODAY -
RELATIONSHIP
 He promises health and healing (Proverbs
4:20-22).
 He helps us beat evil (defense against
spiritual attack) (Matthew 4:1-11).
 He gives us power (Hebrews 4:12).
 He makes us clean inside (John 15:3).
 The Bible is LIVING AND ACTIVE!

HOW DO WE HEAR GOD
SPEAK THROUGH THE
BIBLE?
 It’s good – but tough! – to get into a
routine for reading the Bible. Here are a
few tips:
 Time = Choose a time when you are not
rushed or stressed – if you can, it’s good
to have a regular time.
 Place = Choose a place where you can
relax – and where you won’t be disturbed
(Mark 1:35).
 Begin by praying: asking God to speak to
you through what you read.

HOW DO WE HEAR GOD
SPEAK THROUGH THE
BIBLE?
 Read the passage. As you read – don’t
just switch off!
 Ask yourself: (1) What does it say? (2)
What does it mean? (3) What does it
mean to me? or How does it apply to my
life?
 Then, put what you’ve read into practice!
(Matthew 7:24). “Everyone who hears
these words of mine and puts them into
practice…”

CONCLUSION
 PSALM 1:1-3:
 Produce the fruit
 Perseverance
 Prosperity (not necessarily material!)
 READ IT! LEARN FROM IT! BUT MOST OF
ALL, ENJOY IT!

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHY AND HOW
DO I PRAY?

WHAT IS PRAYER?
 MATTHEW 6:5-13
 “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand
and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others
may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their
reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the
door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who
sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the
pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many
words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need
before you ask him. "This is how you are to pray: Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will
be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not
subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.”

WHAT IS PRAYER?
 The most important activity of our lives. It’s
like having a hot-line to God – where you can
pick up the phone and speak to Him at
anytime and in any place!
 We pray:
A) To the FATHER: (The Aramaic word ‘Abba’
which is used to describe God in the Bible
means ‘Daddy’ or ‘Dear Father.’
“To your father” (v. 6): God’s closeness
“in heaven” (v. 9): God’s holiness

WHAT IS PRAYER?
 We pray through the Son (Ephesians 2:18) –
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow!
(Philippians 2:10)
 We pray in the Spirit (Romans 8:26) – The
Holy Spirit helps us to pray.
 The Holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, is involved when we pray!

WHY PRAY?
 A) We build a relationship with God. Just like we
need to talk to our friends in order to build up a
relationship – so we need to talk to God in prayer.
God loves to hear us and talk to us.
 B) We follow Jesus’ example (Mark 1:35; Luke
6:12,18,28; 11:1) “When you pray.”
 C) Rewards of Prayer (Matthew 6:6):
Joy (John 16:24)
Peace (Philippians 4:6-7)
 D) Results of Prayer (Matthew 7:7-11): Ask and
you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and
the door will be opened to you.

DOES GOD ALWAYS
ANSWER PRAYER?
 (Matthew 7:7-11): Things can get in the way…
Unconfessed Sin (Isaiah 59:2), like
 A) Unforgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15)
 B) Disobedience (1 John 3:21-22)
 C) Wrong Motives (James 4:2-3)
 D) Misapprehension of the Will of God “Good
gifts” (Matthew 7:11). Sometimes we want
things that are different from what God wants
for us.

DOES GOD ALWAYS
ANSWER PRAYER?
 All good gifts come from God (Matthew 7:11).
 Sometimes God says NO – because it’s not
good for us or others.
 God ALWAYS wants the BEST for us!
 So, God’s answers to our prayers may be:
YES, NO, WAIT!

HOW DO WE PRAY?
 A = Adoration = Praising God for who He is
(Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and for His infinite
qualities (His wisdom, power, love, mercy,
holiness, faithfulness, etc.). Praise God!
 C = Contrition = Admitting where we’ve gone
wrong and asking God’s forgiveness. Sorry God!
 T = Thanksgiving = Thanking God for all that He
has done and given us. Thank God!
 S = Supplication = Praying for our own needs and
for others, etc. Please God!
 Model of the Lord’s Prayer

WHEN SHOULD WE PRAY?
 A) With others: (Matthew 18:19)
 B) Alone: (Matthew 6:6)
 Regular Pattern: ) (Mark 1:35)
 Best part of the day:)
 C) Always: (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians
6:18): at home, at school, at work, playing
sport, washing up, watching TV, walking with
friends, doing all our daily activities and
household chores.
 Conclusion: “Abiding in Christ” (1 John 15:7)

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The Holy Spirit is the
PERSON-PRESENCE OF
GOD
"Whoever loves me will keep
my word, and my Father will
love him, and we will come to
him and make our dwelling
with him” (Jn 14:23).

GOD IS ALWAYS WITH ME. I AM
NEVER ALONE!
GOD IS EVER BESIDE ME, TO MY
LEFT AND TO MY RIGHT, BEFORE
ME AND BEHIND ME, ABOVE ME
AND BELOW ME, AROUND ME AND
INSIDE ME!
GOD LIVES WITHIN ME!
HALLELUJAH!

The Holy Spirit is the
PERSON-PRESENT (GIFT)
OF GOD
“And when he had said this,
he breathed on them and said
to them, "Receive the holy
Spirit” (Jn 20:22).

GOD HAS GIVEN HIMSELF TO ME!
HE HAS COME TO ME WITH EVERY
GOOD AND BLESSING EVERYDAY
OF MY LIFE.
I AM IMMENSELY BLESSED. I AM
WONDERFULLY RICH IN GOD.
I MUST ALWAYS PRAISE AND
THANK GOD FOR HIS GIFT OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT.

The Holy Spirit is the PERSON-
POWER OF GOD
“But you will receive power when the
holy Spirit comes upon you, and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria, and to
the ends of the earth“ (Acts 1:8).

GOD IN HIS ALMIGHTY POWER IS
PRESENT WITHIN ME!
BY THE POWER OF ADOPTION, HE
HAS MADE ME PART OF HIS
FAMILY.
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, I AM BEING
CHANGED DAY BY DAY.
I MUST USE THIS POWER TO
SERVE HIM IN MY LIFE.

The Holy Spirit is PERSON-
PARACLETE
 “I will ask the Father, and he
will give you another Paraclete
(Advocate) to be with you
always” (Jn 14:16).

 GOD IS MY CONSTANT COMPANION,
MY HELPER, MY COUNSELOR, MY
INTERCESSOR, MY ADVOCATE.
 HE IS MY COMFORTER, MY
CONSOLER, MY REFUGE AND MY
STRENGTH IN MY WEAKNESS.
 I SHOULD ASK HIS HELP IN
EVERYTHING OF MY LIFE.

 The Holy Spirit is PERSON-PROMISE
(PLEDGE) OF GOD
 “In him you also, who have heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and
have believed in him, were sealed with the
promised holy Spirit, which is the first
installment of our inheritance toward
redemption as God's possession, to the
praise of his glory” (Eph 1:13-14).

GOD OWNS ME. HE HAS BRANDED
ME AS HIS OWN. I BELONG TO GOD
ALONE.
GOD HAS PROMISED ME HIS LIFE,
HAPPINESS AND GLORY.
I ALWAYS REJOICE IN THIS
EXALTED DIGNITY AND LOOK
FORWARD TO THIS GLORIOUS
DESTINY.

The Holy Spirit is PERSON-
LOVE OF GOD
“Because the love of God has
been poured out into our
hearts through the holy Spirit
that has been given to us”
(Rom 5:5).

 GOD IS LOVE. HE LOVES ME
UNCONDITIONALLY, NO MATTER WHAT.
 I AM ALWAYS LOVED. I BASK IN THIS
LOVE. I DELIGHT DAILY IN HIS LOVE.
 I MUST STRIVE TO BE A LOVABLE AND
LOVING PERSON.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY
SPIRIT
O Holy Spirit, holy presence of
God among us and within each
and every one of us. Gently
touch us with Your love. Fill us
with Your power that transforms
our minds and hearts, our
persons and lives to be truly
pleasing to the Father.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY
SPIRIT
 As our sweet Paraclete, help us to follow in
the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that
we may become like Him, sons and daughters
beloved of our Heavenly Father. By Your
sweet presence make us whole and holy until
we shall one day be one with You in heaven.
This we earnestly ask you in Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHAT DOES THE HOLY
SPIRIT DO?

INTRODUCTION
 New Birth (John 3:5-7) = Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter
the kingdom of God without being born of
water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be
amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born
from above.”
 Born into a family: Just like we are physically
born into a human family – so the Holy Spirit
gives us a new birth into GOD’S FAMILY.

SONS AND DAUGHTERS
OF GOD
 The Holy Spirit makes us sons and
daughters of God:
 We have forgiveness (Romans 8:1-2)
 We have become God’s children (Romans
8:14-16)
- greatest privilege (v. 14)
- closest community (v. 15)
- deepest experience (v. 16)
- most secure hope (v. 17)

DEVELOPING
RELATIONSHIP
(EPHESIANS 2:18)
 The Holy Spirit helps us:
- by helping us pray (Romans 8:26)
- by helping us understand God’s word
(Ephesians 1:17-18)

THE FAMILY LIKENESS
 The Holy Spirit helps us:
- become more like Jesus in every part of
our lives (Galatians 5:22-23)
- and in every way (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

UNITY IN THE FAMILY
 The Holy Spirit brings God’s family together
(Ephesians 4:3-6)

GIFTS FOR ALL THE
CHILDREN
 The Holy Spirit gives to all God’s children
 Every member of the family is different (1
Corinthians 12:1-11:
- free gifts
- for each child
- for everyone’s good

THE GROWING FAMILY
 The Holy Spirit helps God’s family to grow.
 He gives us the power to live for Jesus (Acts
1:8)
 He gives us the courage to tell others.

CONCLUSION
 So, every Christian has the Holy Spirit, but not
every Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit
(Romans 8:9).
 The Bible says: BE FILLED WITH THE
SPIRIT! (Ephesians 5:18-20).
 It’s OK to ask God for the desire to be filled
with His Holy Spirit again and again and again
and again…

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
HOW CAN I BE FILLED WITH
THE HOLY SPIRIT?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE
HOLY SPIRIT?
 Look at Acts:
 At Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the
disciples for the first time, they felt a ‘violent wind’
from heaven and tongues of fire rested on each of
them (Acts 2:2-4).
 The Holy Spirit came with such power to the
Christians in Samaria. The local magician tried to
buy Him! (Acts 8:14-19)
 When Paul received the Holy Spirit, he could see
(Acts 9:17-19).
 The people of Ephesus were able to speak God’s
messages in a new way through the Holy Spirit
(Acts 19:1-6).

WHAT DID THEY
EXPERIENCE?
 When Cornelius and his household
received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-46):
- everyone knew it (v. 45; also Acts
6:3,5,10; Acts 8:16)
- they were released in praise for God
(v. 46)
- they were given a new language of
praise (v. 46)
- they experienced God’s love (Romans
5:5; Ephesians 3:14-20)

WHAT IS THE GIFT OF
TONGUES? (1 Corinthians
14)
 It is a language for prayer given to us by the
Holy Spirit to use whenever we want (v. 2)
 Even though usually we do not understand
what we are saying (v. 14), we can use the gift
of tongues to:
- pray for ourselves (v. 4)
- pray for others
- praise and worship God

WHAT IS THE GIFT OF
TONGUES? (1 Corinthians
14)
 Paul says:
 I would like every one of you to speak in
tongues
 Don’t give messages in tongues in church
unless they can be interpreted
 Do not forbid speaking in tongues
How do we get it? EAGERLY DESIRE (v. 1)
Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.
Cooperate – open your mouth!
Believe God has good gifts for you. Persevere.

WHAT STOPS US BEING
FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT?
 It’s all there in Luke 11:9-13: ASK – SEEK –
KNOCK!
 But there are 3 main barriers:
- We doubt God’s goodness (doubt) (vv. 9-
10)
- We get scared (fear) (vv. 11-13)
- We doubt we’re worth it (inadequacy) (v.
13)

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
HOW CAN I RESIST EVIL?

INTRODUCTION
 Have you ever noticed that only one letter
separates God and good and evil from the
devil?
 Often our image of the devil is of a red
monster with horns and a forked tail. That’s
pretty different from what the Bible says in
Isaiah 14:12-21: The king of Babylon is a
name for the devil (v. 4). In this passage he is
called “morning star” – a beautiful name, but
he went bad when he rebelled against God
and fell from heaven.

BEWARE!
Don’t get too interested in the
devil. Avoid the things that can
lead to an unhealthy interest in the
devil. Things like: horoscopes,
ouija boards, fortune telling, tarot
cards, hypnotism, palm reading,
etc. (Deuteronomy 18:10-11).
GET INTERESTED IN GOD!

WHO IS THE DEVIL?
 In the New Testament we are told that the
devil is not just some evil force but that he is a
personal being leading others like him in
rebelling against God. Don’t underestimate
the devil. He is powerful, cunning and evil (1
Peter 5:8-11; Ephesians 6:11-12).
 Another name for the devil is Satan. It means
enemy – he is God’s enemy and our enemy.
Satan is called “the father of lies” (John
8:44).

He is equally pleased when we are
tricked into believing either that he is as
powerful as God or that he does not
exist at all, and even happier when we
blame God for the state of the world.
If God made the world and everything
in it, if He loves us enough to die for
each one of us, if He is good and
perfect – why would He mess it all up?
He wouldn’t! That’s down to someone
else….

WHAT ARE THE DEVIL’S
TACTICS?
 The devil’s ultimate aim is to destroy. “The
thief comes only in order to steal, kill and
destroy. I have come in order that you might
have life – life in all its fullness” (John 10:10).
 He blinds people’s eyes: stopping them from
seeing the Good News about Jesus (2
Corinthians 4:4).
 He feeds our minds with doubts: Does God
really love me? Am I a real Christian? Why
doesn’t God hear my prayers? (Genesis 3:1;
Matthew 4:3-6).

TACTICS?
He accuses and points the finger:
At God, blaming Him for everything,
saying we can’t trust Him.
At us, trying to convince us we are
failure and that God won’t go on
forgiving us. He highlights the things
we can’t do, making us forget the
good stuff we can do (Rev 12:10).

TACTICS?
 He puts temptation in our way – then says “go on, go a bit
further, do it again” until we become addicted to sin.
 Look at Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). God had given Adam
and Eve permission to eat the fruit from any tree in the
garden but one (vv. 2,3). The devil in the form of the serpent
lied to Eve, saying it was really OK to do what God had
forbidden (vv. 4,5). Eve gave in to temptation and Adam
shared the fruit (v. 6). The devil tells us that it is OK to sin –
he lies – Adam and Eve faced the penalty of their
wrongdoing. They felt embarrassed (v. 7); they hid (v. 8);
they were afraid (v. 10); they blamed each other (v. 12); their
friendship with God was broken and they were punished (v.
14).

WHAT IS OUR POSITION?
 So, do we need to be afraid? NO! JESUS
HAS THE VICTORY! (Colossians 1:13)
 Where do we stand? Satan is defeated!
(Colossians 2:5).
 Jesus has authority and we have been
given authority in His name (Luke 10:17-20).
 Against Satan = Jesus has won!
 Instead of sin = Jesus forgives.
 Not slaves to sin = but children of God.
 Instead of death = Jesus gives us life.
 Instead of destruction = Jesus is our
Salvation!

HOW DO WE DEFEND
OURSELVES?
Ephesians 6:11-18: Put on the full
armor of God so that you may take
your stand against the devil’s schemes
(v. 11).
Belt of Truth = knowing Jesus’ truth to
counter Satan’s lies (v. 14; John 8:32)
Breastplate of Righteousness = to
protect our hearts from guilt so we
know we are right with God (v. 14;
Philippians 3:9)

Boots of the Gospel of Peace = being
ready to speak about Jesus (v. 15;
Isaiah 52:7-10)
Shield of Faith = makes us sure of
God’s promises (v. 16)
Helmet of Salvation = to protect our
minds from doubt and accusation (v.
17)
Sword of the Spirit = the word of God,
the Bible (v. 17; Hebrews 4:12).

HOW DO WE ATTACK?
1 John 5:19: “The whole world is under
the control of the evil one.”
By Praying = the devil trembles when
we pray! (2 Corinthians 10:4)
By Action = by doing the things Jesus
told us to do: spreading the Good
News, healing the sick, casting our
demons, etc. (Luke 7:22)
By His death on the Cross JESUS
HAS DEFEATED SATAN FOR GOOD!

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
HOW DOES GOD GUIDE
US?

INTRODUCTION
 We all have to make decisions: whom to
romance and get married, which exams to
take, what to do in the future, how to spend
money, etc.
 God promises to guide us when we ask
(Psalm 32:8; John 10:3-4): He calls his own
sheep by name…his sheep follow him
because they know his voice.
 God has a good plan for each of us
(Jeremiah 29:11): “I have good plans for you,
not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and
a good future;” and He wants us to discover
His plans (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 2:10).

INTRODUCTION
We should talk to God about all our big
decisions. We need to consult Him
before making major decisions (Isaiah
30:1-2). Jesus is our best example
(Luke 4:1; John 5:19).
We can’t make it without God! Depend
on the Lord, trust Him, and He will
take care of you (Psalm 25:9-14;
Psalm 37:5). Mary said: “I am the
Lord’s servant and I am willing to do
whatever He wants” (Luke 1:38) =
Humility and Fear of the Lord.

THROUGH THE BIBLE
(COMMANDING SCRIPTURE)
The Bible gives us clear guidelines for
how God wants us to live. But these
are general guidelines and they may
not always be specific about the
decisions we have to make. For
example: Matthew 19:19 tells us “love
your neighbor as yourself” – but it
doesn’t tell us how when the baby’s
crying, the dog’s barking and the
music’s on all night!

When we are faced with major
decisions, we need to find out what
God’s particular will for us is. This
doesn’t mean opening the Bible and
blindly sticking in a pin – hoping to find
a relevant verse (Bible cutting).
One of the best ways to know God’s
guidance is through regular Bible
Study (2 Timothy 3:16). Often a verse
will ‘jump’ off of the page and suddenly
makes sense in your situation (Psalm
119:105,130-133).

THROUGH THE HOLY
SPIRIT (CONTROLLING
SPIRIT)
 John 10:3-4: “They know His voice.” Like a
friend’s voice on the phone, the Holy Spirit
helps us to recognize God’s voice (Acts 16:7).
 God speaks as we pray. We need to listen as
we pray, not just talk! One the ways that God
speaks is by giving us a strong feeling of
what He wants (Acts 13:1-3. But we need to
test our feelings (1 John 4:1). Is it loving? (1
John 4:16); is it strengthening, encouraging
and comforting? (1 Corinthians 14:3).

God might give us a strong
desire to do something
(Philippians 2:13).
Sometimes He uses more
unusual ways: Prophecy (Acts
11:27-28; Acts 21:10-11);
Visions/Pictures (Acts 16:10);
Dreams (Matthew 1:20); Angels
(Genesis 18; Acts 12:7; Matthew
12:19); an audible Voice (1
Samuel 3:4-14).

THROUGH COMMON
SENSE
As Christians we can’t ignore
common sense (Psalm 32:8-9); 2
Timothy 2:7).
God’s promises of guidance were
not given to save us the problem
of thinking, e.g. marriage,
job/career (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

THROUGH ADVICE
(COUNSEL OF SAINTS)
“The wise man listen to advice”
(Proverbs 12:15).
It’s good to get advice from others,
maybe more experienced
Christians. But be careful not to
blame your advisers if things don’t
go quite how you’d have liked
(Proverbs 15:22; 20:18).

THROUGH
CIRCUMSTANCES
“In his heart, a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps”
(Proverbs 16:9).
Sometimes God opens doors (1
Corinthians 16:9).
Sometimes God closes doors (Acts
16:7).
But don’t put too much emphasis on
circumstances (circumstantial signs).
Sometimes we need to persevere
despite them! (Proverbs 16:9).
GOD IS IN CONTROL!

CONCLUSION
Don’t be in a hurry! Don’t rush
things! (Hebrews 6:15)
We all make mistakes, but
God forgives (Joel 2:25).

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHY AND HOW SHOULD
WE TELL OTHERS?

INTRODUCTION
Because Jesus tells us to: Matthew 28:16-20 =
“Go then to all peoples everywhere and make
them my disciples” (v. 19).
Because everyone has a built-in need for
Jesus.
Because it’s Good News about Jesus and
someone told us.
There are 2 opposite dangers to avoid:
insensitivity and fear.
The key to telling others about Jesus is
building relationships and trust in God =
cooperation with the Spirit of God.

PRESENCE
Matthew 5:13-16 = We are called to be salt and
light. Salt was used to preserve meat and
prevent decay. We are called to preserve
God’s standards in the world.
When people know we are Christians they
watch how we live – our actions should match
our words, e.g. spouses.
“…if any of them do not believe the word, they
may be won over without words by the
behavior of their wives, when they see the
purity and reverence of your lives” (1 Peter 3:1-
2).

PERSUASION
2 Corinthians 5:11 = “Knowing the fear
of the Lord, we persuade men.” (Acts
17:2-4)
When we talk about what we believe,
people will ask questions: “What about
other religions?” “If God loves us, why
does he allow suffering?” We should be
ready to answer: talk to other
Christians, read Christian books,
especially the Bible.

PROCLAMATION
John 1:40-42 = “Come and
see.”
Not everyone is going to be a
great preacher, but everyone
can introduce their friends to
Jesus.

POWER
Acts 3 = A miracle arouses great
interest. By God’s power, even our
most mixed-up messages can
make an impact!
1 Thessalonians 1:5 = “For the
Good News we brought to you
came not only with words, but with
Power.”

PRAYER
2 Corinthians 4:4 = For
them – to open blind eyes
Acts 4:29-31 = For
ourselves – to have
boldness

CONCLUSION
DON’T GIVE UP!
Sometimes we don’t know if what
we’ve said has had any effect. We
may find out later or we may not.
TRUST GOD!
The Gospel…is the power God
uses to save everyone who
believes = Romans 1:16

PREPARING YOUR
TESTIMONY
Suggestions: (1) Make it short, aim for 3
minutes – people switch off after that. (2) Make
it personal – don’t preach. Use “I”, “we” – not
“you.” (3) Keep Christ central – they need to
follow Him, not you!
Format:
- a little of your former life
- how you came into your relationship with
Christ
- something of what it has meant since then
Write it out in full – it’s easier to see the waffle
when it’s down on paper!

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
DOES GOD HEAL TODAY?

BIBLICAL BASIS
The Old Testament:
- God’s Promises (Exodus 23:25-26;
Psalm 41:3)
- God’s Character (Exodus 15:26) = “I
am the Lord who heals you.”
- Examples of God’s healing: Naaman
(2 Kings 5); Hezekiah (Isaiah 38,39)
It is God’s nature to heal us because
He wants the VERY BEST FOR US!

BIBLICAL BASIS
The ministry of JESUS = History can
be divided into: the time up until Jesus’
birth and the time since then in which
we are living, history as we know it –
and the time from when Jesus returns,
which is yet to come.
When Jesus came the first time, He
was a weak and dependent baby.
When He returns, it will be with power
and great glory (Matthew 24:30).

 For those who reject Jesus, it will be a day of
destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). For those who
have accepted Him, it will be time to receive their
inheritance – it is the day all history is building up to
(Matthew 25:34).
 In this new time we will have new bodies that will be
‘glorious and imperishable’ (1 Corinthians 15:42-43).
There will be no more crying or death or pain
(Revelation 21:4). All who believe in Jesus will be
totally healed on that day. When Jesus healed people
and when God heals people today, it is a little piece of
the age to come breaking into the present age.

JESUS’ EXAMPLE
Jesus gave His disciples authority to heal and
sent them out to do it (Matthew 9:35-10:8) –
Jesus sends 72 more to do the same (Luke
10:1-20). Over 25% of the Gospels tell us
about JESUS HEALING.
Jesus send us out too = “Whoever believes in
me will do what I do” (John 14:9-14). Mark
16:15-20; Matthew 28:17-20).
There are loads of examples of God healing in
Acts and in Church history and today. Ask
around!

HOW DO WE PRAY
FOR HEALING?
It is God who heals, not us!
Jesus healed people because He loved
them. It’s important that we love the
people we pray for and respect their
dignity (Mark 1:41; Matthew 9:36) =
LOVE
Our prayers don’t need to be long and
complicated. SIMPLE IS BEST!
SIMPLICITY.

HOW DO WE PRAY
FOR HEALING?
The Holy Spirit helps us to know how to pray
in different ways:
We may get a PICTURE in our minds.
We may get a SYMPATHY PAIN in the same
place someone is hurting.
It could be STRONG FEELING (impressions).
We may HEAR OR SEE WORDS in our
minds.
Sometimes we SPEAK WORDS that the Spirit
gives to us.

WHEN WE PRAY
We should ask:
- Where does it hurt?
- How long has it hurt?
- Why do you think it hurts?
Pray that God would heal in the name
of Jesus.
Ask the Holy Spirit to fill the person.
Listen and be open to what God says.
healed.

ALWAYS BE SENSITIVE TO HOW THE
PERSON FEELS.
After praying, ask how they feel.
If the person has pain in a particular area, it
may be appropriate to put your hand there as
you pray. BE SENSITIVE!
Persevere in Faith! (Matthew 7:7-8)
God heals in His timing; don’t be disappointed
if that is not while you’re there. Sometimes it is
not until the person goes to be with God that
he is

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
WHAT ABOUT THE
CHURCH?

INTRODUCTION
MISCONCEPTIONS about the
Church:
- The Church is not SERVICES
- The Church is not CLERGY
- The Church is not one
DENOMINATION
- The Church is not the BUILDING

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The PEOPLE OF GOD (Ephesians 2:19-22) =
The Greek word ‘ecclesia’ which is used to
describe the Church means a gathering of
people – Church – Kingdom.
Baptism is a public symbol of Christianity. It
signifies:
- that our old life is dead (1 Corinthians 6:11)
- and a new life has begun (Romans 6:3-5;
Colossians 2:12)
- through the Holy Spirit we become one of
God’s people (1 Corinthians 12:13)

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The universal Church: 1,700 million Christians
in the world today (Ephesians 3:10, 21;
5:23,25)
- the persecuted Church
- the third world
- the free world
Local Churches:
- Galatians churches (1 Corinthians 16:1)
- Asian churches (1 Corinthians 16:19)
- All churches (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians
16:19)

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
In the New Testament as today, the
church met in large groups for
celebration, and in smaller groups to
get to know each other, to minister to
each other (Ephesians 4:2), and to use
the gifts given by the Holy Spirit (1
Corinthians 12:7-11).
It’s very important to have other
Christians that you can meet with and
trust.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The FAMILY OF GOD (Ephesians 2:14-
18)
- God is our FATHER (John 1:12).
- Jesus prayed “that they be one” (John
17:11). “Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3).
- We’re all BROTHERS AND SISTERS
(1 John 4:19;5:1) – Fellowship with
God (1 John 1:3; 2 Corinthians 13:14),
and with One Another (1 John 1:7;
Hebrews 10:24-25)

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The BODY OF CHRIST (1 Corinthians
12:1-26): “Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)
- Unity – unity of the Spirit (vv. 4-6)
- Diversity – to each one of us grace
has been given (vv. 7-11; vv. 28-30)
- Mutual dependence – built up in love
as each part does its work (vv. 14-26)

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A HOLY TEMPLE (Ephesians
2:19-22)
- built on a foundation of apostles
and prophets (New Testament) (v.
20)
- Jesus is the cornerstone (v. 20)
- Indwelt by God’s Spirit (v. 22) –
“a holy temple”

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The BRIDE OF CHRIST (Ephesians
5:25-27)
- Christ’s LOVE for His Church (v. 25)
- Christ’s purpose for His Church (v. 27;
Revelation 21:2)
- Our response (1 Peter 2:9) =
HOLINESS
WORSHIP
WITNESS

ALPHA
ADVENTURE
IN CHRISTIAN
LIVING
HOW CAN I MAKE THE
MOST OF THE REST OF MY
LIFE?

DO NOT CONFORM
Romans 12:2 = “Do not conform any longer to
the pattern of this world”
- violence, fighting, killing, murders, etc.
- sexual misconduct, pornography, etc.
- alcohol, smoking, drugs, etc.
- stealing, robbery, greed, selfishness, etc.
- over-eating and over-drinking, waste of food
and drink, etc.
- abortion, divorce, homosexuality, etc.

BE TRANSFORMED
Romans 12:2 = “Let God transform you
inwardly by a complete change”
SINCERE LOVE = “Your love must be
real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to
what is Good!” (v. 9)
ENTHUSIASM FOR GOD = “Serving
the Lord with all your heart” (v. 11).
GOOD RELATIONSHIPS = “Do you
best to live in peace with everyone” (v.
18).

PRESENT YOUR BODIES
Romans 12:1 = “Offer your bodies” = YOU:
- ears, eyes, mouths, hands, sexuality, time,
ambitions (Matthew 6:33), money
- what you see
- what you say
- what you do
- what you have
- what you plan
“as living sacrifices” = It will involve sacrifice; it
may involve suffering

PRESENT YOUR BODIES
Romans 12: 2 = “His good,
pleasing and perfect will” – God
has a GREAT PLAN for our future.
“In view of God’s mercy” (v. 2) =
What God has done for us.
THANK YOU, DEAREST GOD!

ALPHA COURSE.ppt

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