Thebasic principlesof Christianity
BY VICTORIA ROSA-GARCIA & DOMINICK GARCIA
Disciple of Christ
Copyright © July 2024 by
Victoria Rosa-Garcia Founder of Pure Love + Health Ministries, LLC
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at this email address: VictoriaLynnRosa@gmail.com
Most of the Bible verses used in this study come from the New Living Translation (NLT) version of the Bible.
Published by: Pure Love + Health Ministries, LLC
New Living Translation (NLT)
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Welcome
Welcome to the Disciple of Christ Bible Study at Pure Love + Health Ministries!
It’s an honor to have you join us as we embark on this journey of faith and discovery. Our Bible study is designed to delve into the fundamentals of Christianity, covering essential topics such as Salvation, Evangelism, Prayer, Healing, the Holy Spirit, and the Second Coming of Christ. Through this study, we pray that new believers will understand who they are in Christ and learn to live a life grounded in Biblical principles.
At Pure Love + Health Ministries, our mission is clear: to create safe spaces where men and women can heal mind, body, and spirit anchored in the love of Christ and guided by the timeless wisdom of the Bible. We are a Christian community that treasures fellowship, embraces deep-rooted connections, and engages in meaningful Bible study and discussions with the utmost confidentiality.
While we're not a church entity, we stand as a beacon of hope, offering intimate discipleship and restoration to those seeking Biblical spiritual growth, alignment, and renewal. We are privileged to walk alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, empowering them to return to their home churches strengthened and revitalized. For those without a church home, we encourage and support you in finding one where you can continue to grow in your faith.
Join hands with us in answering the call of the Great Commission to make disciples. Let's journey together as we live deeply in the pure love of Christ, fostering health in our minds, bodies, and spirits.
We look forward to growing in faith with you.
Blessings, The Pure Love + Health Ministries Team
Daily Quiet Times
God longs to have a relationship with you and our souls long to have one with him. In order to build and establish any relationship, it takes time. Think back to a season when you first met someone you had feelings for. Didn’t you want to spend time with them?
Whether by talking on the phone or going on dates, our relationships begin by building rapport and disclosing personal detail about ourselves. In the same way, if you want to build your relationship with God, you must spend time with him. You can do this by reading his word (where we learn about him) and talking to him in prayer (where we tell him about ourselves). What makes this hard is actually finding the time and/or creating a routine.
This study is Bible-based. You will be required to read scripture and answer questions daily.
We encourage you to use this workbook to guide your daily quiet time for the duration of your small-group meet up. We like to call our quiet time with Jesus: “QT with JC.” #qtwithJC
For the next seven weeks, it is going to be imperative that you cut out time to read the Bible readings and answer the questions for each day that are laid out for you in the upcoming pages. Your spiritual and emotional growth depends on the amount of time you’re willing to set aside to learn God’s word, process your emotions and thoughts, and begin to apply the truths of the Bible to your walk.
You may already have a quiet time established, so taking time out to do this study each day may not be a problem or seem intimidating to you. For others, this may be a struggle. Carving out time in our busy schedules is never easy, but your healing depends on it. Maybe this means you’ll need to wake up 30-to-40 minutes earlier each day or stay up later at night. Maybe you need to fast from social media or Netflix (or insert distraction here) to make more time to focus on your healing journey. Whatever you decide, begin to incorporate devotions into your daily routine for the next seven weeks.
“Being
Daily Journal
a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ” Billy Graham
Writing is therapy. Science has proven that if you handwrite your feelings, it will make you happier. Psychologists call it the “Bridget Jones effect,” and have found that individuals who keep a diary are likely to be happier than those who do not. Writing helps us overcome emotional upsets, so throughout these next seven weeks, we are going to keep a daily journal. You can write whatever you like in this journal, but you should at least write a minimum of three pages a day (or one page if you are using a large notebook).
If you are stuck or have writer’s block, here are some prompts to help you get started:
Write out five positive thoughts
What happened today that made you (angry, sad, mad, frustrated, happy, excited, exhausted, diminished, etc.)
Write out three times when you saw God working in your life today.
What are some things that are holding you back from reaching your goals? Who are people in your life that you need to forgive and why should you forgive them?
Write a letter to a person who hurt you. What would you like to say to them?
What are three ways you can handle your anxiety better?
What is the most important prayer request you have right now and why? What would you say in an honest letter to either of your parents?
These topics should catalyze a good amount of writing for you. If you still need ideas, talk it out with someone from the small group.
Set your goal
It’s time to take the first step!
Before we dive into this study, let’s answer a few questions:
What are the top three goals that you have for yourself regarding your growth as a Christian this season? In what ways do you want to GROW?
When it comes to being a Christian, what are the biggest challenges you face? Circle all that apply below. Then, write down any other challenges that come to mind.
I don’t know where to start
I don’t understand the Bible
I don’t know how to pray
I don’t trust God
I am afraid to go deep
I am afraid of commitment
I don’t feel conviction for my sin
My friends & family hold me back from growing in Christ
Going to church is overwhelming
Life is busy and it’s hard to prioritize God
My relationship with God has become a routine
I don’t like rules
I’m afraid
What do these answers say about you?
Write Your story
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony
Revelation 12:11
Your story is a powerful tool. It’s a testimony to what God has done in your life. Testimonies showcase God’s power in the life of a believer and provide encouragement to others who may have a similar story. If God did it for you, he can do it for others. Write your story below. Include the details of where God brought you from to where you are today. What was your life like without the Lord and how is it today? Someone is waiting to hear your story.
Write your vision
Then the Lord said to me,“Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others This vision is for a future time It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place It will not be delayed Habakkuk 2:2-3
What is the vision that you have for your life? How does that vision align with God’s plan for your life? God has a story of victory for you. Sit and contemplate the type of life you envision when God is leading the way. Where would you live? How would you treat people? What kind of work would you be doing? What does your marriage look like? What kind of parent are you? What kind of friend, son/daughter, brother/sister, co-worker are you? When God is the head of your life and Jesus Christ is your savior, what kind of life will you have? Write it down and envision a life only God can give you.
The Bible
We are going to be utilizing the ultimate source of truth in the Christian walk, The Bible. But what is the Bible and why should we trust it as a reliable source?
The Christian Bible is a sacred text made up of 66 books, split into the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament has 39 books that talk about God's creation of the world, the history and laws of Israel, and predictions about the coming Messiah. The New Testament has 27 books that focus on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the early Christian church's teachings.
The process of deciding which books should be in the Bible, known as canonization, was essential for creating a unified scripture to guide faith and practice. This process ensured that the Bible we have today is a reliable source of spiritual guidance and truth for Christians everywhere. Canonization was the process of choosing the books that would be part of the official Christian Bible. This took several centuries, during which early church leaders and councils carefully selected writings they believed were inspired by God. They chose books that were widely accepted by early Christians, aligned with Jesus' teachings and the apostles, and consistently conveyed theological and moral truths. The selected books were believed to faithfully convey God's message, resulting in the Bible that Christians trust today as the authoritative word of God.
The Bible highlights the importance of holy scriptures in many ways. It teaches that all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, correcting, and guiding people on how to live rightly (2 Timothy 3:16-17). For Christians, the Bible is like a roadmap for life, helping them understand who God is, His love for humanity, and His plans for them. It offers wisdom, comfort, and direction in everyday situations. By reading and studying the Bible, Christians can grow closer to God, learn to live according to His will, and find strength and encouragement in their faith journey. The scriptures also help believers understand Jesus' story and how to follow His example, making the Bible essential for anyone wanting to deepen their relationship with Christ.
The Bible: Quicks FaQs
TwoMainSections: TheBibleisdividedintotwomain sections:theOldTestamentandtheNewTestament
Languages:TheOldTestamentwasprimarilywrittenin Hebrew,withsomeportionsinAramaic,whiletheNew TestamentwaswritteninGreek
Books:TheProtestantBiblecontains66books:39intheOld Testamentand27intheNewTestament
CatholicandOrthodoxBibles: TheseBiblesinclude additionalbooksknownastheDeuterocanonicalbooks, bringingthetotalto73forCatholics
Authors: TheBiblewaswrittenbyover40differentauthors, includingkings,prophets,fishermen,andapostles,overa periodofapproximately1,500years
CreationAccount: TheBiblebeginswiththeaccountofthe creationoftheworldinGenesis
TenCommandments: FoundinExodus20and Deuteronomy5,theyareasetofethicalguidelinesgivenby GodtoMoses
Psalms:TheBookofPsalmsisacollectionof150songsand prayers,manyattributedtoKingDavid
Prophecy:TheOldTestamentcontainsmanyprophecies aboutthecomingMessiah,whichChristiansbelieveare fulfilledinJesusChrist
Gospels:ThefirstfourbooksoftheNewTestament (Matthew,Mark,Luke,andJohn)areknownastheGospels anddetailthelife,teachings,death,andresurrectionof JesusChrist.
PaulineEpistles: TheApostlePaulwrote13letters(epistles)in theNewTestamenttovariousearlyChristiancommunitiesand individuals
Revelation: ThelastbookoftheNewTestament,Revelation, containsapocalypticvisionsandpropheciesabouttheend times
Canonization:Theprocessofcanonizingthebooksofthe Bibleoccurredoverseveralcenturies,withfinalizationsinthe 4thcenturyADforboththeOldandNewTestaments.
Septuagint:TheGreektranslationoftheHebrewBible,known astheSeptuagint,waswidelyusedintheearlyChristian church.
DeadSeaScrolls: Discoveredinthe20thcentury,these ancientmanuscriptsincludesomeoftheoldestknowncopies oftheOldTestamenttexts.
Vulgate:St Jerome'sLatintranslationoftheBible,theVulgate, becamethestandardBibleoftheRomanCatholicChurchfor manycenturies
GutenbergBible:Thefirstmajorbookprintedusingmovable type,theGutenbergBible,wasprintedinthe1450s.
KingJamesVersion:Publishedin1611,theKingJamesVersion (KJV)isoneofthemostfamousEnglishtranslationsofthe Bible
Inspiration: ChristiansbelievetheBibleisdivinelyinspired, meaningitisGod'smessagetohumanitywrittenthrough humanauthors
Translation:TheBiblehasbeentranslatedintoover3,000 languages,makingitthemosttranslatedbookintheworld
Takeaways about the Bible:
Start the Journey
This study is built to review the fundamental truths of Christianity. If you are a new believer, this study will help you understand the “why’s” of your faith. If you have been a believer for a long time, this study can serve as a valuable reminder of the fundamentals of your faith.
Wherever you are in your relationship with Jesus, we can gain new insight into the foundation of our faith. I challenge you to go into this study with an open heart and mind ready to learn new things that can only be found in the beautiful word of God.
Each week comes with a series of questions that you can answer on a daily basis. Each question has a series of Bible readings that goes along with it. The Bible readings are located on the right-hand side of the page to help you answer the questions. We advise you to read through the Bible verses first, then answer the questions. It would also be beneficial to go through the material BEFORE you meet in your small group. That way, you have already processed the teachings and can contribute to the small group discussions. Day seven is a REST DAY. Use this day to renew your body, mind and spirit and to do something FUN!
Week 1: Salvation & Holy Spirit
Week 2: Prayer & Fasting
Week 3: Heaven & Eternity
Week 4: Evangelism & Discipleship
Week 5: Faith & Healing
Week 6: Satan & Spiritual Warfare
Week 7: Rapture & Second Coming
Write seven fun activities to do on rest days below.