'Being a Christian Means ...'

Being a Christian Means ...

A sermon series on some of the key aspects of the Christian life

SPRING 2010

By the teaching team of Kingswood Team Ministry

Being a Christian means ...

From time to time it's good to put aside the preset Sunday Bible readings and to consider either a theme in depth or one book of the Bible. In our sermons this quarter we will be thinking about many aspects of what it means to be a Christian.

We will be pondering subjects such as personal faith, power over sin, sharing the good news and being guided by God. We hope you will find the titles stimulating and encouraging.

We want to encourage you to use this guide as part of your own daily Christian reflection. All the sermons in Ascension and Holy Trinity on any given dates will be about the theme set out in the contents page.

This booklet gives you an opportunity to be prepared to think about a subject when you come to church and when you leave. There is a short introduction to each subject, followed by a couple of questions to guide your thoughts.

Finally, if you find any of these topics difficult and want to talk more about your questions, please speak to any of the the clergy staff team, and we will be delighted to help you where we can.

Contents Date

Page

Being a Christan Means ...

Having the hope of Resurrection

4th April

1

Being part of a family

11th April

2

Having a personal faith

18th April

3

Knowing peace

25th April

4

Using our gifts

2nd May

5

Being guided by God

9th May

6

Sharing the Good News

16th May

7

Having signs of the Spirit (Pentecost)

23rd May

8

Having God's presence with us (Trinity)

30th May

9

A new way of life and power over sin

6th June

10

Being Generous

13th June

11

Being accepted and accepting others

20th June

12

Growing in faith

27th June

13

Additional material How do I become a Christian?

14

All the Bible Verses - compliation

15

Being a Christian Means ...

...having the hope of Resurrection Jesus then said, "I am the resurrection and the life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die� John 11:25.

As a crowd had gathered for the funeral of an aged Vicar his service started with a note: 'you may be mourning my death, but I am more alive now than I have ever been!'

Hope beyond the grave, from death to life, a resurrection hope. New life without pain, sorrow, sin, sickness or death with Christ wiping away every tear from our eyes.

Christ promises that: 'anyone who believes in him will have everlasting life' (John.3v16) What of us? Do we have this resurrection hope in our lives?

Thought provoking questions: What hope does it give me to know that this life is not all there is?

How does knowing that I will live for ever change the way I live today?

1

Being a Christian Means ...

...being part of a family Long, long ago God decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. Ephesian 1:5

We all have our own experiences of family life. For some of us family experiences can be mixed and occasionally painful. At its best, a family provides us with identity, security, love, boundaries, and opportunities to help someone else.

The members of our church form the local 'branch' of the Christian family and we should be as accepted and welcome in our church family as in the best of human families.

This week we encourage you to think about what it means to be in the family of God.

Thought provoking questions: How do we welcome each other, and strangers, into our church life?

How can we do better?

2

Being a Christian Means ...

...having a personal faith "Choose this day whom you will serve!" Joshua 24 v 15 Andy says: “I confused knowing about God with actually knowing God personally for many years. ‘All the gear - no idea!’ ”.

“My dad's a Vicar and I knew the right answers in Sunday School. Yet that wasn't enough. When a friend died suddenly it made me think about everything differently. I realised I needed to own my faith, changing from having just head knowledge to asking God to be involved in every part of my life.

“I prayed a prayer something like this: 'I don't want to play at being a Christian.

I want to follow you for the rest of my life.

Amen'”.

If you want to find a prayer to say to become a Christian turn to page 14 of this study guide.

Thought provoking questions: How would I describe my relationship with God? How can I make my faith more real to me?

3

Being a Christian Means ...

...knowing Peace “I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.�

John 14:27

Peace is not a grim determination to stay calm whatever the circumstances!

We all know about worry. We may become anxious or lose sleep over situations in our lives. But every Christian can know the peace that grows from the inside, even when everything seems to be going wrong. That's because God's peace comes from the Holy Spirit working in our hearts.

How do we know we have peace? When against all odds we can surprise ourselves by being joyful in the hardest times.

Thought provoking questions: Are there certain circumstances that cause me to become anxious?

Is there something I am anxious about now? Ask God for his peace as you deal with this situation 4

Being a Christian Means ...

...using our gifts "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord." 1 Corinthians 12:4.5 God gives gifts to each of us individually but we can use them together for the benefit of His Church and Kingdom.

Just as the human body needs many different parts to work well so the body of Christ needs many different parts (and gifts) to function as a whole body. Sometimes God will use a natural talent for his purposes such as a gift of music, acting, administration, or art. The Holy Spirit enhances our natural gifts to bring glory to God. At other times the Holy Spirit may give Spiritual Gifts for the purpose of building up the Church.

The lists of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 are not necessarily exhaustive!

Thought provoking questions: How can I discover which gifts I have been given?

If I know which gifts I have been given, am I using them to serve others?

5

Being a Christian Means ...

...being guided by God God says: “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you�. Psalm 32:8

As Christians how do we make the right choice in any situation?

Help is at hand! God has given us his Holy Spirit and His words in the Bible. He has put us in a community of Christians who listen to us and to Him and can advise us. God has given us the ability to think through problems and make good choices. And He guides us by events around us, sometimes circumstances can show us the way.

These can all help us to answer the important question: What is the right thing to do in this situation?

Thought provoking questions: Do you use any of the ways listed above to help you make decisions?

Are there some new ways you could start to use to make decisions?

6

Being a Christian Means ...

...sharing the Good News "Always be prepared to give an account to anyone who asks you for the hope that you have, but do so with gentleness and respect" 1 Peter 3:15.

How do we share the good news?

1) admit you're a Christian, 2) pray for opportunities, 3) take them 4) and be nice!

And remember ... God is with you and will help you. Seek out where God is working and join in.

Can it really be that simple? Being unashamed but prayerfully expectant and acting in love?

Yes. Some people find it useful to write out their own story of faith. Why not try that when you get some time this week.

Thought provoking questions: Have you ever told anyone how you became a Christian?

What is the first thing you would tell a friend about your faith?

7

Being a Christian Means ...

...having signs of the Spirit “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 It is a myth that there are 'ordinary' Christians and 'Spirit-filled' Christians.

Every Christian has the Holy Spirit living in them.

Each of us has been given spiritual gifts to use in God's service and the 'fruit of the Spirit’ - love, joy, peace, kindness etc (see Galatians 5:22) should be developing in all of us.

Thought provoking questions: What spiritual gifts am I using?

How can I see the ‘fruit’ of the Holy Spirit growing in my life?

8

Being a Christian Means ...

...having God’s presence with us "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Mark 1: 10-11 The words Holy Trinity will not be found in the scriptures, but the idea of the Trinity was understood in the early years of Christianity. What we find described in the Bible are moments where the different natures of God come together, such as when Jesus was baptised.

The account of creation in Genesis 1 shows us God’s different natures. Here we see God the Creator working with the Spirit and the ‘Word’, a term St John uses for Jesus.

We usually talk of the Trinity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but God has other names such as Creator, Redeemer, or Sustainer ... perhaps you can think of others?

Thought provoking questions: In prayer and worship which of the persons of The Trinity do I relate to most often?

What relationship do I see between the different persons of the Trinity?

9

Being a Christian Means ...

...a new way of life & power over sin "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

To be human means that sin is part of our lives. Sin came into the world soon after creation when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and so broke off their perfect relationship with Him. Sin is a barrier between us and God. We are involved in a lifelong battle between following our own selfish desires and God's perfect way. Even St. Paul struggled with this (see Romans 7:19).

God planned to restore our relationship with him by coming to earth in Jesus, who lived a sinless human life. Jesus died as a sacrifice so that God could forgive us our sins and so open the way for our relationship with Him to be fully restored.

Thought provoking questions: Jesus died for me - what does this mean for me today?

In what areas of my life do I need to claim the power of Christ's victory over sin?

10

Being a Christian Means ...

...being generous Each person should give what thay have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 We owe all we are and all we have to God's generosity. He created us, he sustains us and he sent his Son, Jesus, into our world to make it possible for us to know him.

God expects us, in appreciation for all he has done, to be generous people. Every area of our lives should be marked by a willingness to give back to him something of what he has entrusted to us.

Thought provoking questions: How generous am I? How much more generous could I be?

How can I improve my strategy for giving ?

11

Being a Christian Means ...

...being accepted & accepting others By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ John 13:35

Jesus said "by this all people will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another". Loving and accepting other people can be really difficult and challenging! Sometimes we can find others around us frustrating and think they are badly behaved.

Yet sometimes we can be frustrating to others too. Sometimes we behave badly and yet amazingly God loves and accepts us!

Have we grasped God's love and acceptance of us?

Thought provoking questions: What does it mean to me that God has accepted me?

Am I asking him to help me love and accept those whom I find difficult to love?

12

Being a Christian Means ...

...growing in faith Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love ‌ keep growing in this way 2 Peter 1:5-8 Parents know that every child is unique and needs a special tailormade plan to help them grow into the adults they could be. In the same way God has a unique plan for each of us to help us grow in our faith. 'He's a hand-crafter not a mass producer', says Jon Ortberg.

To use another image, God is like a gardener. Just as a good gardener knows exactly what conditions each plant needs to flourish, so God know exactly what we need to grow in our faith.

Take some time this week to think about an area in which you are growing in your faith and try to understand why that growth is happening.

Thought provoking questions: Is there an area of life where I would like to have more faith?

How do I think I can start having more faith in this area?

13

Being a Christian Means ...

... first becoming a Christian!

Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 None of us can experience the fulfilled life of a Christian discussed in this guide without first becoming a Christian. And none of us can make ourselves a Christian!

There is no particular way we can behave to turn ourselves into a Christian. There is no ceremony or service that can make us a Christian either, so it’s not something the Vicar can do for you.

The only way we can become a Christian is if God gives us the fresh start we need and He can only do that when we ask Him to. Only then can we live the life he has planned for us to the full.

It all starts with a simple prayer. It’s a prayer that acknowledges the wrong we have done, and then asks God to forgive us and to give us a new start as a Christian in His family. In this prayer we can invite God to come and share our life with us as we go into the future.

If you are ready to make a fresh start then perhaps you can say the prayer below, or use it as a guide for your own prayer. Then share the news with someone - you’ve made a fresh start on the life that God has prepared for you!

A simple prayer: God, I know that I have done wrong to others and have not followed you. I have not lived to the high standard that you showed in the life of Jesus. Please forgive me for the wrong I have done. I ask you to come and grant me the fresh start I need. Please give me the New Life that Jesus promised and lead me as I now live the life you have prepared for me. Amen 14

Being a Christian Means ...

...the verses used in this guide Having the hope of Resurrection Jesus then said, "I am the resurrection and the life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die” John 11:25.

Being part of a family “Long, long ago God decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.”

Ephesian 1:5 Having a personal faith "Choose this day whom you will serve!" Joshua 24 v 15 Knowing peace “I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.” John 14:27 Using our gifts "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord." 1 Corinthians 12:4.5 Being guided by God God says: “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you”. Psalm 32:8 Sharing the Good News “Always be prepared to give an account to anyone who asks you for the hope that you have, but do so with gentleness and respect” 1 Peter 3:15."

Having signs of the Spirit (Pentecost) “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

1 Corinthians 12:7 Having God's presence with us (Trinity) "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Mark 1: 10-11 A new way of life and power over sin “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Being Generous “Each person should give what thay have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7 Being accepted and accepting others “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 Growing in faith Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love … keep growing in this way 2 Peter 1:5-8

15

Our usual Sunday Services

Holy Trinity Church

Church of the Ascension

1st Sunday 11:00am Holy Communion 6:00pm Evening Worship

1st Sunday 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am All Age Worship 6:00pm Holy Communion

2nd Sunday 11:00am Morning Worship 11:00am (in hall) Elevenses 6:00pm Holy Communion

2nd Sunday 9:30am Holy Communion 11:00am All Age Worship

3rd Sunday 11:00am Holy Communion 6:00pm Evening Worship

3rd Sunday 11:00am All Age Worship 6:00pm Holy Communion

4th Sunday 8:00am Holy Communion 11:00am Family Service 6:00pm Holy Communion

4th Sunday 8:30am Holy Communion 11:00am All Age Worship 7:00pm Sevenses: CafĂŠ Church

5th Sunday

5th Sunday

See link sheet and notice board for details or contact us.

See link sheet for details or contact us.

kingswood team ministry Holy Trinity Church High Street Kingswood Bristol, BS15 4AD

Church of the Ascension Hollyguest Road Mounthill

Church Office Telephone No. Tel: 0117 967 3627

This sermon series can be downloaded from our website: kingswoodteamministry.co.uk Edited and produced by Leighton Carr 07760 773024